(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Kitchen Table Kibitzing 5/9/26 [1] ['Glen The Plumber', 'View Profile', 'Mother Mags', 'Egberto Willies', 'Belinda Ridgewood', 'News Corpse'] Date: 2026-05-09 When I posted this quip at the end of my last KTK I assumed you all knew better than to take anything I say too seriously. […] I’ll be discussing two books I found very well-written and informative. The first is about how, maybe subconsciously, we go to great lengths to avoid new things. But that often if we find the courage to sample a diversity of experiences we can be more satisfied. Variety is the spice of life. Feeds the soul. The other is about the dangers of unregulated capitalism. It discusses wasteful consumerism, poor use of resources, and greed. How it not only hurts the community but often the capitalists too. But apparently people are looking for thoughtful insights during a time when insightfulness seems to be in limited supply. As are compassion, empathy, and kindness. A friend texted me that he was wanting to read both books. The good news is most have already read these books. The books themselves were not really the key point; I was thinking more of planting seeds. My last KTK was about the importance of equity, especially in youth. I believe it is important to offer opportunity to all, to help all achieve their best. When news came that a new human would be soon added to plumber family we dutifully picked an item from the registry that would hopefully be helpful to the new parents. Not just some thneed that nobody really needs. With the gift we included the two books and a note similar to the quip above. According to old plumber family lore I read the first book incessantly. My mom even added food coloring to my breakfast allowing me to experience the book of fiction as a reality. No doubt planting a seed in my mind; overcome fear, stubbornness, and preconceptions. Be open to new experiences. When we had our little one we planted many seeds hoping she would find them helpful in solving the quandaries of her life. One example was when California passed prop. 8 outlawing same sex marriage. When we discussed the issue I wanted her to come to her own decision on the issue. On our family house boating trips a favorite of the kids was my cousin Rodney, silly, goofy and always willing to entertain. Many years Rodney would bring his boyfriend, also great with the youngsters. I explained to my little one that the new law would not allow Rodney and his boyfriend to create a family as her mom and I had. Needless to say my little one did not see that as fair. That was her first protest. It took years but eventually the courts agreed and the law was overturned. A great lesson for a young mind. The second book covered issues we often talked about around the dinner table. Except for the lone voice of one pushing back, everybody had a role in the destruction. It is easily understood that greed and unregulated capitalism is a destructive force in society. But often overlooked is the role of wasteful consumption. We have needs… and wants. But must every scratch be itched? Are the items we buy even efficient at satisfying our real needs or wants? Or is it just the act of buying that satisfies? The book has a pretty dystopian end. A once beautiful world with an abundance of resources is polluted and depleted. The items people believed they needed, which they really didn’t, were no longer available. The capitalist’s greed left him alone and poor in a gray world, a world without beauty or joy. All the money in the world yet no happiness left to be bought. There was a glimmer of hope written into the ending. Hope if someone was willing to care. A seed to be planted. If nurtured and cared for… the beauty could return. now to the good stuff…pics from the last couple weeks…tell me your fave last weekend some rode…some walked weather was cool…hills green feeling left behind back at home the sky was being dramatic two finches decided to make a home just outside the window. on the other side of the glass is the cat tree. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/5/9/800036155/community/kitchen-table-kibitzing-5-9-26/ Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/