The Way We Live PT 1: Leftovers and one gourmet hot dog

[“Warren Buffett (one of the world’s three richest men) has touched a national nerve.” (He) “has taken to the pages of the New York Times to call for higher taxes - yes, higher taxes - for himself and his well-off peers.” Aug. 16, London Free Press]

If you are having leftovers for lunch and have an extra spot at the table then I’m your man. I like leftovers.

If I like something the first time, I like it even more the second time. On the third day my slow-cooker Irish stew tastes magnificent.

I relish eating food before it’s wasted and tossed, and believe me when I say a lot of stuff is wasted in North America.

Thomas M. Kostigen writes, “The average-sized house in a temperate climate can fully provide enough water to its inhabitants purely from the rainwater that falls on its roof. The sun provides in one second enough energy to power the entire US population for nine million years, yet we harness less than 1 percent of its energy. The third most common refuse at dumpsites is food.” (pg. 10, You Are Here)

You have no need now, however, to invite me for lunch. I just finished eating leftover macaroni and cheese and half a container of mashed sweet potato topped with butter and Parmesan cheese. (Just about everything I pull from the fridge tastes better with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, even Parmesan cheese. Sorry, I digress.) Sure, I would have liked the sweet potato more had it been mixed with diced carrot, parsnip and turnip because I like how the vegetables compliment one another, but I can’t be choosy.

What about meat?


[How about one gourmet dog on Tuesdays and Thursdays?]

I don’t feel I need as much meat as I do. One good gourmet hotdog every few days would do me fine and I prefer that I create the gourmet dog on my own. Whenever I eat a restaurant meal I feel I could do better myself. I could save a whack of money and if I planned the meal right, have leftovers the next day and save even more money at the same time. Why, I’m sure there are millions of people around the world like myself who feel they would even get a tremendous amount of pleasure out of stuffing the hotdog or sausage skins themselves and not rely on a factory of some sort to help with a small, easy task.

Maybe Warren Buffett felt some of the same feelings - about eating leftovers (with relish) and creating meals - when he said the following yesterday:

“My friends and I have been coddled long enough by a billionaire-friendly Congress. It’s time for our government to get serious about shared sacrifice.”

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Leftovers. Stuffed sausages. Shared sacrifice. Oh, it all fits together alright.

More to follow.

Please click here to read more about taxes and attitudes about them.

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