Worth the candle?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="worth">worth</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="candle">candle</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: “<span word="Such">Such</span> <span word="temporary">temporary</span> <span word="measures">measures</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="worth">worth</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="candle">candle</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="counter">counter</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="permanent">permanent</span> <span word="problem">problem</span>.” <span word="What">What</span> <span word="candle">candle</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="measures">measures</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="proposed">proposed</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="worthless">worthless</span>. <span word="They">They</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="worth">worth</span> <span word="implementing">implementing</span>.</p><p><span word="Implementing">Implementing</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="measures">measures</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="means">means</span> <span word="work">work</span>, <span word="i">i</span>.<span word="e">e</span>. <span word="energy">energy</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="effort">effort</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="won">won</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="worth">worth</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="energy">energy</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="effort">effort</span> – <span word="hence">hence</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="analogy">analogy</span> “<span word="not">not</span> <span word="worth">worth</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="candle">candle</span>”.</p><p><span word="Literally">Literally</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="gains">gains</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="implementing">implementing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="measures">measures</span> <span word="won">won</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="cover">cover</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cost">cost</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="buying">buying</span> <span word="candles">candles</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="provide">provide</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lighting">lighting</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="getting">getting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="done">done</span>.</p><p><span word="Metaphorically">Metaphorically</span> <span word="speaking">speaking</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="because">because</span> <span word="today">today</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="longer">longer</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="candles">candles</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="night">night</span> <span word="work">work</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="electric">electric</span> <span word="light">light</span> <span word="bulbs">bulbs</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="smarter">smarter</span> <span word="lighting">lighting</span> <span word="systems">systems</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="modern">modern</span> <span word="cities">cities</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="history">history</span>, <span word="candles">candles</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mainstay">mainstay</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="night">night</span> <span word="life">life</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="imagine">imagine</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="days">days</span>, <span word="candles">candles</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="expensive">expensive</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="poorer">poorer</span> <span word="families">families</span>. <span word="Evening">Evening</span> <span word="activities">activities</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="thus">thus</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="understandably">understandably</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="kept">kept</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sort">sort</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="minimum">minimum</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="order">order</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="cut">cut</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cost">cost</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="candles">candles</span>. <span word="Presumably">Presumably</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="poor">poor</span> <span word="families">families</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="stay">stay</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="night">night</span> <span word="playing">playing</span> <span word="poker">poker</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="games">games</span> <span word="unless">unless</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="game">game</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="deemed">deemed</span> <span word="worth">worth</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="candle">candle</span>, <span word="i">i</span>.<span word="e">e</span>. <span word="really">really</span> <span word="exciting">exciting</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="entertaining">entertaining</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="lived">lived</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="countryside">countryside</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="awhile">awhile</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="child">child</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="fond">fond</span> <span word="memories">memories</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span>. <span word="We">We</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="days">days</span> <span word="mostly">mostly</span> <span word="burned">burned</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="lamp">lamp</span> <span word="instead">instead</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="candle">candle</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="night">night</span>. <span word="Even">Even</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="lamps">lamps</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="consigned">consigned</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="history">history</span>, <span word="folks">folks</span> <span word="today">today</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="describing">describing</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="activity">activity</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="as">as</span> “<span word="not">not</span> <span word="worth">worth</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="oil">oil</span>”. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="thing">thing</span> – <span word="the">the</span> <span word="gains">gains</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="getting">getting</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="job">job</span> <span word="done">done</span> <span word="won">won</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="enough">enough</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="buy">buy</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="burnt">burnt</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lamp">lamp</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="process">process</span>.</p>
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