Friday's Follies

Politics: Poly (Many) Ticks (Bloodsucking Parasites)

A Debate or a Commercial: We are now a day or two away from the so called "Democratic Nominee Debate” on ABC. Maybe I’m a bit out of touch but I seem to remember the definition of debate as: “A discussion of both sides of an issue.” Issue is the key word here. What ABC News considered issues were more like the George and Charlie Comedy hour. “Does Rev. Wright love America as much as you do?” and “Do you love the American Flag?” Can you say “Packaged for our sponsors?” How about a different term? When a debate of issues is absent issues, it goes one step beyond yellow journalism and becomes an amateur hour that trapped two professionals. Such a blatant commercialization with little substance might work as a radio call in program hosted by a host with slanted points of view, but to tout it as a debate is shameful. ABC News earns a royal flush for that farce.

Happy Birthday Little Adopted Girl: Kids can be cruel. No, kids ARE cruel, and when they grow up they are often still cruel (note the poison that comes from surrogates of candidates). My eldest sibling was born in January. The second was also born in January as was I, the third of four. But the youngest was a surprise to the folks and was born April 18. The older three teased the youngest unmercifully about many things, not the least of which was her April 18 birthday. In fact, we told her that she wasn’t really a member of the family, that she’d been found wandering the streets and adopted. Since she didn’t have a birthday we celebrated her birthday on a national holiday (In case you’ve forgotten, today is the date of Paul Revere’s famous “The British are coming” ride). To make up in small part, “Happy Birthday little sister. Sorry I couldn’t afford a preset.”

FLDS - Finally, Let’s Do Something: The raid on the polygamist complex and subsequent 24-hour cable news coverage gives one pause. The rehearsed responses to reporters’ queries (Question: Are children being married off to older men? Answer: I miss my children) remind me of how politicians and lawyers sidestep direct questions. Perhaps we are seeing some budding (no pun intended) politicians being created here. But on a serious note, memo to the “faithful:” Child abuse is not protected by the U.S. constitution on religious grounds.

Friday quickie News Summary: Some of the sillier items in the news include the five university students who got busted for trying to steal an alligator. Clearly they weren’t University of Florida students. They have a campus full of gators. An Oregon imposter lived with a family for weeks until he was discovered. Actually, the imposter was the family dog who had been accidently switched at the kennel for a lookalike. The first clue was the dog’s “personality change.” Finally, remember the scene in “Back to the Future” when Biff’s car crashed into a load of manure? It really happened in Indiana when a truckload of human excrement overturned on a highway. The investigating officer said, “I hate it when this happens.”

A little blogging music Maestro... What else but Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “That Smell.”

Dr. Forgot