NJ.com: NewsFlash - For AC lady, luck be a baby; gambler gives birth on casino floor

NJ.com: NewsFlash - For AC lady, luck be a baby; gambler gives birth on casino floor

There's been quite a bit of discussion in Massachusetts regarding the prospect of opening casinos in various parts of the state. Our new governor, Deval Patrick, has indicated his willingness to consider proposals for gambling sites.

Now, I know that it's not a good idea to legislate based on anecdotes, but I can't ignore this one. Casinos, IMO, are a bad idea. I don't hold the Lottery in high regard either, nor any other form of state-sponsored gambling. It's probably the most regressive form of taxation we have. That Lottery revenues provide a steady stream of money to our school systems shows to me that our state and local governments are too cowardly to develop an honest tax system. Perhaps we should go even further, such as putting up whorehouses on the Mass Pike.

Lest we forget, this is a blog about work

I'm returning to work today, half-time, four hours a day, five days a week. After a month or so, I'll meet with my managers to determine how close I am to resuming full-time work.

Am I anxious? You betcha. For one thing, the technology that we're developing is complex and changes rapidly; that's how the group manages to stay successful. The team is working on new products for new customers, in addition to maintaining the previous stuff. The work is hard, even on good days.

Even more, um, interesting, I'll have to deal with the mess I left behind. Being sick explains, but doesn't excuse, unsatisfactory work. It'll be a while before folks can trust that I can deliver good work on time; it'll be a while before I believe that about myself. So, I'll show up and accept responsibility for what went on before, try my best to fix the things I can, and try my best to ensure that it doesn't happen again.

Even though I might be scared, I can tell myself what I've told myself many times before - hard times always have something interesting to teach me.

Humming 'Joshua Gone Barbados'

We note with sadness that Eric von Schmidt died Saturday at age 75. He was a key figure in the folk music world of the 1960s. I went to college with his ex-wife and learned how to think about the people who wrote and sang those now familiar tunes as ordinary people with extraordinary talents.