IDIOT, n. A member of a large and powerful tribe whose influence in human affairs has always been dominant and controlling. The Idiot's activity is not confined to any special field of thought or action, but "pervades and regulates the whole." He has the last word in everything; his decision is unappealable.**"The Devil's Dictionary" by Ambrose Bierce
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if social darwinism was really true, then you would think that idiots would have all died off since the time of bierce and samuel johnson, who had this to say about them...
idiot [idiote, Fr., idiota, Latin, (and some unprintable Greek)] A fool; a natural; a changeling; one without the powers of reason
life is a tale,
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
signifying nothing. Shakespeare's MacBeth.
I like the bierce definition describing them as a tribe, to paraphrase Barnum, there's a new one born every minute...
sorry to have failed in my goal to fill the empty spaces left by DK...my sleep schedule was disrupted by work, and it is now time for one of my favorite sports diversions...the NCAA college basketball tournament...I run the office pool with a scheme that gives everyone a good chance...most of the pool winners have been the women in the office and the over-analyzing bracket freaks generally do poorly...
I am particular fond of the UConn Huskies, who have a coach of true integrity and heart and whose players who have gone on to success in the NBA can be considered as admirable people (Ray Allen, Emeka Okafor)...even though they are richer than Croesus...
yes, I realize college basketball is all about the money, and I despise the practice of allowing young athletes to leave school in order to make a gazillion dollars...not to mention the machinations of TV coverage which allows "TV timeouts" and switches from game to game so we can see as many commercials as possible to pay for the whole circus...but it gives me pleasure to root for the huge underdogs or the team that shows some heart...even if I can't win my own pool...for some of those young men who will never play in the NBA, it's their last chance at glory...
I hate the NBA, by the way, and refuse to watch professional basketball...even major league baseball is starting to piss me off...and I am a life-long red sox fan (talk about perennial underdogs!) who was supposedly redeemed in 2004...IMO, the obscene amounts of money that are given to grown men to play a game is another sign of the decline of american civilization...
MAINIEAC! Hey, welcome back! It's been kinda quiet here with D.K. gone. Then, I was beginning to get e-paranoia. I tried to understand why.
Was it because in one of the blogs I referred to Bill Clinton as our best republican president in my lifetime? Or, using Feingold as a hook to try to get people to read that excellent Molly Ivins column by hinting she tells what she thinks so him? (She thought good, BTW.)
Anyway, I understand with the tournament going on. I've been watching a lot today and find myself rooting for the underdogs most often. Texas is on right now. BTW, after the UConn game, I was impressed with their coach's praise for their opposition that gave 'em a good game.
Of course, I like to root for teams from the west, like Arizona, SD St., Cal. Ouch!
Well, looks like Penn gave Texas a run. (I was rootin' for 'em.) Of course, I'm a UTEP fan. They had a good season, but too many injuries, so no dance.
Hey there, dada! The D.K. family is just now back home & not happy! Nothing to do with vacation (that was great), nor even with general disgust in all things political (pretty much my normal state of being), but upon facing a horrendous clean-up job from some remodel work done in our absence. Let's just say if a dust tornado had gone through our home, it would have done less damage. The joys of home maint!
You know I hate to have to comment under that smiling picture of Bush you posted today, but I wanted to let you know we're back before I sift through last week & see what I missed. A couple of interesting preliminaries :
Driving through those wide open spaces & little towns really brought home to me Arthur C. Clarke's remark that the optimum level for human population should be 10% of our current mess. We think we saw one of those unspecified detention centers being built out in the middle of hot arid desert with the intriguing name of "cold creek", so maybe that's where we'll end up. And apparently const of Yucca Mtn Nuclear Waste Facility has proceeded covertly as one of the little towns we went through is mostly employed in its building. Lots of wierd things going on in that part of the SW and we weren't anywhere near Area 51.
On a somewhat happier note, we met a very nice couple from Canada (we always meet nice people camping) who made us covet their national heathcare system (they pay $96/mo & coverage is guaranteed to all). I told them to get ready for an influx of disgruntled American retirees. They reminded me that after 12/31/07, Americans will need a full passport just to cross the border & advised getting one now. Oh & they recommended Vancouver Island as a destination.
I missed you all so much! I'll be checking e4e tomorrow as I take breaks from this massive clean-up (face-mask & gloves required). I have a few pics to email if husband can show me how. Just let me know if it's OK to email them, but know I won't be offended if you prefer not.
note to maineiac ... my die-hard conserv brother announced he's registering Independent this year, so there's hope yet! What seems to be turning him against the Bush program is their promo of RFID, that just really clicked with him.
And speaking of IDIOTS (your topic of the day?), I'll dedicate this Bob Dylan to Bush & Co:
"Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your mouth,
Blowing down the backroads heading south.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth.
You're an idiot, babe!
It's a wonder you even know how to breathe." D.K.
DK!!! Welcome back! You know, one of the most excellent reasons for having a dog companion is those times when returning from a trip. Instead of ruing our return, as in pre-dog days, we can't WAIT to be reunited with our missing family member at the kennel.
Sadly (yet gladly), you didn't get to experience this on this trip? That's because you took your kids with you?!
And gladly (yet sadly) you returned to some remodeling that occurred in your absence (but must now contend yourself with the clean-up).
Last September when we "married" our contractor and he practically moved in with us as he spent the month remodeling our bathrooms, we wished we had gone out of town. We didn't. So it was a whole month of mess here. I'm sure, however, you're gonna be pleased as pie after you get all the dust cleared out. (I was just picturing you and your husband watching TV in overstuffed recliners, commenting occasionally to one another thru breathing masks!)
Yes, yes....most definitely, feel welcome to share any/all pictures you want. Would love to see 'em.
Also, appreciated your observations of some of the things you encountered on your trip, scary as they seem. Of the small towns. Oh, and, of course, your contribution along with Maineiac's of the further delineation of what constitutes an idiot.
Look forward to pictures. We have broadband, so load it up! Again, welcome back. Speaking for everyone, I think I can safely say, you were greatly missed by all!
BTW...my wife has been actively preparing for today's celebration of the 3rd anniversary of the war. It's to be downtown on the plaza. She's been lining up speakers. (Damn! Hillary declined. Hmmm, wonder why?)
Anyway, she's kind of the 'courtesy committee' for the dignitaries. I've volunteered to help although I can take no credit for the great job she's done. I'm just going to help unload chilled bottled water for the guest speakers.
"Hey, little water boy!"
Oh wait. If you haven't been to Jurassic Pork's to play the new game, I highly recommend it.
I think you guys here will be great at it. BTW DK, after you read what it is, you'll wish you had this on your road trip this past week to fill those long miles between small towns. As I remarked to JP, I can't wait for our next long car trip because I know the miles will just fly by with this game!
Hint: It's called: How do you know when a republican's dead?
hey, DK, welcome back and I'm glad to know you didn't freeze in the "cold" on your trip...was it cold in cold creek? or was that just the feeling of dread that you must have felt seeing maybe-a-detention-center in the works...and a nuke-yu-lar waste facility is being built and employing a whole town in the process...what a boost for the economy, eh?...i'll bet they all love the repugs now, but wait until they start glowing in the dark from the inevitable "oopsie" when a truck carrying a fresh load gets run off the road into the cold creek by a cell-phone-talking troglodyte in a big ol' american vehicle...
contractors in the house, leaving a huge mess, what else is new...my fondest memory is of the local moonlighting plumber who left us without running water for 2 weeks...but we did have a toilet, so who am i to complain?
lots to catch up on...follow the link to crooks and liars in comments on enigma's "speaking truth to power" post and you'll see what i mean...
dada, these commercials during the tournament are driving me nuts...what's with the financial companies asking me to give them my money by running a commercial that looks like Peter Max's wet dreams to the tune of "born to be wild"??? more appropos to use "the pusher", eh? not to mention "buy a car" or "join the army"...just the ticket for those players that won't be playing basketball after they graduate?
maineiac! if you hate commercials, you really need to ask your satellite co about DVR receiver. Dishnet sells a basic one for about $500, or you can rent it from them for $6/mo (which is the way we do it as technology is always changing). I don't know about DirectTV but they must have something similar. I'm telling you, it's the greatest thing for us ad-haters! Start your show about 15-min late & never have to suffer again. We just got it in November & it's made TV bearable. I simply couldn't take one more ad about Bob's woody problems.
Let's see, "cold creek" was a VERY clearskies-type name for an arid place broiling in the sun. It looked like an old correctional facility being converted to a more sinister purpose, way out in the middle of nowhere about 2-hrs north of Vegas. Oh & the little nukey town building Yucca Mtn should know better ... it's the same place that ended up with Blue Sheep back in the old above-ground testing days. And those nuke waste vehicles will be running day & night all through the US if it gets going, accidents will not be reported.
Yes, I still need to catch up with Enigma. And I loved your Shakespeare "idiot" quote, it's one of my favs. I saw a great Des McAnuff production of "the damned scottish play" ... witches, bloody murder & men-in-kilts ... what's not to love? OK, you can go back to your tournament now. D.K.
sigh...money's the issue, DK, citibank has me by the short hairs with an 18% interest rate on debt left over from my divorce and i'm reluctant to add to the balance...and i'm concentrating on paying the mortgage down as quickly as possible so I don't get caught in the mayhem that's sure to follow if the economy goes in the crapper...
easier for me now just to turn the damned thing off and get my news from the internet...
hahahahahahahaa..."bob's woody problems"...I just got the joke!!!
even more horrible than the Fidelity ads using themes and songs from the '60's to entice us into handing over our money (BTW, it was "inna-gadda-da-vida" in one ad, not "born to be wild"), was the digiorno's ad showing a bunch of neanderthal men in their 30's sitting around watching "the game" while attractive, blond wifey struggles lugging the groceries into the house...the fat slob of a husband uses his cell phone to order a pizza from his wife "chop-chop"...what a disgusting action!!! chauvinism and sexism just won't stay dead, will they??!!!
christ almighty! my personal cry of despair...
pretty women out walking with gorillas down my street
from my window I'm staring while my coffee goes cold
- Joe Jackson
and enough of the self-pity...gotta go to work...
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