After considerable reflection Snow White decided to reorganize. Twelve dwarves was without a doubt a good number at the outset, and the mining business in good times was well good..., but retrenchment and structural change and falling prices for whatever it was they were mining, all this meant that after a while a trip to the drawing board and ultimately fewer miners seemed like the best notion. Snow was elected C.E.O. and two Dopey and Sleepy formed the new governing board. To afford their salaries five workers were pink slipped. The remaining five were promised increased benefits of an ill-defined nature. This is how it goes. The fired five eventually found other jobs, mostly in service industries. They did not prosper with fries and such. One had a stroke. Two started gardens and did well at farmer's markets. Two blew their brains out, which is an unusually high number for dwarves, who don't usually do that kind of thing. What are we to make of the Arab springs? Dictators ousted, surely that's good? I hope they're not like our new mattress, top of the line but bought too cheaply. It creaks. David Ritchie, Portland, Oregon------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html