Greetings Constant Reader:

   Those of you who read the Beef every month may have noticed that last month there was no Beef. When I started this web zine I started this column thinking that it would be easy to rant about something that was bothering me that month. In fact, I figured that I would have an overabundance of stuff to rant about in print. Just a drive to the grocery store is enough to keep me in material for months...I thought. Unfortunately, ranting about stuff while driving and finding the time to sit down and write about it are two different things. So This Month's Beef is about issues I have with time.

   Why is it that our time is eaten up with things we don't like doing. Utilitarian errands and work over run all of our lives, while artistic endeavors are left piled up next to the computer, the toilet and the bed waiting patiently for a little attention. Everyone complains about not being able to take part in art, socializing or hobbies because of the more mundane demands. The truth is that none of these things are as profitable as regular work. Most work is destructive. It uses paper, electricity and water in unreasonable amounts, while activities like sorting recycling, riding bikes and showering with a loved one must be done on our own time. So I beg the question, why is it more profitable to be destructive than constructive? (I asked RU Sirius this question in the front page interview, see what he had to say.) Could it be that we have no serious interest in running our lives in a constructive manner? There are plenty of artists who give up mainstream living. Maybe it's just me.

   I would ramble on about this subject, but I am typing this at work and I have to get back to IT. As usual, I only have time for the questions and not the answers.

Carlye Archibeque
IRS Editor