The real problem
What is the real problem? Before video games we had “Cowboys and Indians.” Violent movies have been around since there were movies. Mental illness, as well as weapons of some kind, have been around since there have been people. (Coincidence?) So, what is different - not only now, but here, in America?
The answer is, the broadcast media. Let’s look at what they do: They glorify the shooters, they promote the event and they set the bar for the next guy. Why? To increase ratings. Of course, they are never going to say this. They would much rather point out the problems than point within for a solution.
I’ve heard many people say that England does not have these killings because of its gun laws. I say it’s not the lack of guns, but the media that makes the difference. Try watching the BBC. It, as well as the America’s local newspapers, does something that we rarely see on television these days: It reports the news, and it does not sensationalize the story. No hype!
In our house, the assailants are referred to by what they were/are, “killer.” I don’t know nor care to ever know their names. We refuse to give them what they wanted: Fame.
TOM RAIF
Lewisville
Finish the Thought
Saturday, we asked readers to complete the sentence: “Lance Armstrong’s confession means …”
“... self-serving, self-preservation and to halt his slide into obliteration or into the dustbin of history.”
BOON T. LEE
“... he's completed a ghastly trifecta of deceit, coverup and ‘remorse.’ He now has the perfect résumé for a ‘successful’ career in Washington, D.C.”
DEB PHILLIPS
“… that he lied. Maybe his future will be to become a politician.”
RONALD KIRKPATRICK
“… he is a liar and phony and is very qualified to be a politician. ”
JOHN PICKLES
“... while we may not know how sincere his motive was, at least he made a public and now international confession about his lies and duplicity, and with hope he is a more humble man as a result.”
PETER C. VENABLE
“… he is now qualified to run for Congress because he would fit right in with all the other liars and cheats that are already there. He would also be qualified to serve in the presidential Cabinet.”
C.J. DENNY
“… another chance for people who don't understand cycling to mouth off. I am not defending anything Lance Armstrong did, but when you crucify him, you don't understand the sport.”
KAM BENFIELD
“… little, except to the mindless people who live their lives vicariously through celebrities. Why did he dope? Easy, the money and glory. Why did he deny it? Easy again, he wanted to keep the money and glory.
“Imagine the enlightenment of our citizens if the time spent reporting celebrity news was spent dissecting those issues that actually affect us.
“But reality can be so inconvenient and uncomfortable.”
KEN HOGLUND
“… in the vast scheme of things, not much really. We, as a society, should stop putting sports figures on a pedestal. This would alleviate us being disappointed.”
FRANK SCISM
Frank Scism in the final entry has it right. Athletes, actors, entertainers, celebrity types are our fixation. This is misplaced. Our culture has always had some of each but we are overloaded with them now and give them too much adulation. Our country is in serious trouble and empty distractions are not a solution, though they are a helpful distraction to some who need the masses distracted, entertained and emotionalized.
ReplyDeleteGood AM, WW!
DeleteYes, he does have it right, as do you. Also, I note that the lion is going to lie down with the lamb: Deb and Boon appear to agree, and I agree with both.
I do not understand Benfield's assertion that crucifying Armstrong reflects a lack of understanding of the sport. If criticizing a lying cheat is misunderstanding, you bet. If his implication is that the entire sport is caught up in similar cheating, then he is wrong, as there is no sport to understand.
Let's see, I want to become an endurance cyclist (shudder). OK, just need to tweak a few things . . .
"Uh Stab, what is that contrivance on your bicycle?"
"It is a an engine/transmission/fuel/tank. Why?"
"That is cheating, and you are a cheater."
"Oh, you just don't understand the sport. Case closed, hand me the trophy."
I'll tell ya. That Deb Phillips is a pistol.
DeleteOn another note:
That's the problem with society. We all make mistakes, sure. But what's happening is there are no consequences for big mistakes. Look at ex-President Bill Clinton. He was one of the most corrupt presidents we've ever had. Yet, he waltzs around the country like he's a king, and people fall all over him. For what, because the economy grew during his time as president?
He and his wife are the two biggest sleaze ball politicians that we've got in America. We should be casting ridicule and condemnation on them, not praise.
As a reformed sports nut, couldn't agree more.
DeleteAt least, athletes are accomplished at something...what really drives me nuts is no-talent celebrities like the Kardashians, Paris Hilton, etc...why do I even know their names?
Benfield is referring to the "everybody does it" part of cycling. In the last ten years, over 400 international cyclists, including many of the top ones, have been suspended or banned for doping. One major race in Italy has been terminated early twice because so many of the competitors had been kicked out of the race that is was no longer competitive.
That's no excuse for Armstrong, but I will point out that even Babe Ruth was a doper...his standard pre-game meal was two or three hot dogs and a couple of beers.
Well, Tiny, I see that you woke up today just as stupid as you were when you went to be last night. Maybe you ought to try some of that sleep learning stuff.
DeleteGood A M all. The drive to win at any cost will eventually ruin professional sports I believe. Some of the effects are dribbling- no pun- down to amateur sports and even high school sports. While I was pretty good at a lot of sports, I was never mistaken for an athlete. Like most, I remain just an "athletic supporter"......
DeleteIt is said that Paris Hilton is famous because she's famous. I guess Kardashian is famous because she has a good plastic surgeon. I do not understand the fascination with these gits, either.
DeleteI assumed that Benfield based his comment on the "everybody does it" philosophy, thus my comment about the "sport." And I don't understand his implied defense. But then, Benfield's logic frequently escapes me.
As for Babe Ruth, I'm fine with that doping, wouldn't mind a bit of that myself as the day wears on. Unfortunately, my boss is not as understanding (or long-suffering?) as was Miller Huggins. Of course, he was managing the greatest baseball player of all time, so there were prices to be paid.
Kardashian is good at stuffing a 160 lb package into a size too small bikini. I am not a fan of the doping/steroid craze and was pleased to see major league baseball bypass Sosa and MacGuire for the HOF. A pregame meal of hotdogs and beer would easily qualify one for the flatulence title if nothing else. Pity the catcher. I have read where too much steroid use can have a shrinking effect on "big jim and the twins"?
DeleteBill Clinton was the perfect political whore. Renting out the Lincoln to big campaign owners? How low can you go as a president?
DeleteNo wonder Ant'y Weiner called Clinton up for advice when he was caught showing his little 'weiner' on the internet.
DeleteDonors...they owned Clinton indirectly.
DeleteGood afternoon folks!
ReplyDeleteLTE 1: Didn't we do this one before? Perhaps there's a bug in how the Journal goes about posting the letters? I'll be happy to fix it for $50,000.
Finish the thought: he was a Grand Prix cyclist. There wasn't a second place finisher in any of Armstrong's seven wins to award first place to after Armstrong's disqualification because they were all doping as well. Perhaps what Mr. Benfield is pointing out is that competing as a cyclist at that level requires super-human strength, endurance, and ability to withstand pain which translates into a "need" for PEDS to compete successfully...unlike dook last night (sorry, couldn't resist :)..really, really enjoyed watching that game). Mr. Scism makes a valid point about our glamorizing athletes, but down through history societies have always placed warriors (which modern day athletes equate to) on a pedestal and bestowed outsized fame and fortune upon the most successful. George Washington became the Colonies' Most Eligible Bachelor after his exploits in the French-Indian War became known which he parlayed into marrying the Colonies' Most Eligible (and wealthiest) Bachelorette. A bit curious if all of the "now qualified to be a politician" responses represents group think or if they all get together to decide what the new key phrases will be. Perhaps there really is a Borg out there which has assimilated a percentage of the US population into maintaining the same thoughts?
I appreciate all of the advice from last night. There are a couple of nearby churches I've been planning to check out if I can ever get my butt out of bed before 10 AM on Sunday morning. I share the same taste in women as O.T's friend, Fam ("smartest girls with the best legs") and GG's SIL definitely fits into that profile. If V was in my vicinity, pursuing a relationship with her would be a top priority (she really said I was cute? Oh,wow...I feel like Rudolph after Clarice said she thought he was cute). Unlike Notre Dame's Te'o, I don't think I could ever say I'm dating someone whom I've never actually met in person.
ReplyDeleteAs for my Celica, I plan to keep it for my daily commute to work since it gets over 30 mpg, still fun to drive and easy to park. The AWD/4WD would be for weekends, bad weather days, trips to Lowe's / Home Depot and possibly long trips since it would probably be more comfortable than my Celica.
Get yourself a 4WD something. It seems to me you need an image make-over. Women don't go for little wimpy men like Rush. A truck or SUV....and women think big package(s) and being taken care of. It's all about visualization and emotional fantasies for women.
DeleteTake her on a mechnical 'bull' ride on the second date, and hang on, you'll be the bull soon.
Mechanical bull ride: sounds like every woman's dream. Well, every woman with big hair, bleached hair, tatoos, and a craving for NASCAR. I'm not sure they are dotnet's type, but only he knows.
DeleteStab, come on. I'm trying to get the poor boy out of the rut he's in.
DeleteDid you ever see Urban Cowboy? That stuff works, trust me. And not just with the floozies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_xjQNnIcdQ
Stab, you must like the wine sippers. I like women that know which end of an ice axe to use.
DeleteActually, no, I have not seen "Urban Cowboy." But, if movies make it so, can I really dive through a window without injury, or ride on a dragon, or fly across the Milky Way.
DeleteYes, OT is/was in the library, a repository of information and trained library scientist who will assist in retrieving information when Google and Wiki will not suffice. I'm told that libraries still contain books. I will have to go see.
... big hair, bleached hair, tatoos, and a craving for NASCAR.
DeleteUmm, yeah..not really my type. I'm sure that type of person would be a great match for some guys, but just not for me. As I mentioned, smartest girls with great legs...plus a really sweet disposition: breaks my heart every time. Perhaps V is open to moving this direction??
I suspect Susan could handle an ice ax, as she is more outdoorsy than I. But yes, she sips wine, maybe one glass a week, which she had on TU night at River Birch.
DeleteI'm remembering where we left off before with V... I was trying to get V to come to NC for a visit. This normally is not a problem, but she had just started working full-time and was taking classes in the evening. She just couldn't swing a trip down. Maybe this year, now that she's out of school, she can devote a long weekend to a NC visit. I will revisit/try to reschedule this for spring.
DeleteAnd she did say that you are handsome, Rudolph, I mean Dotnet. (!) (What a cute image btw.)
In the meantime, my vote is that you not delay in persuing ALL avenues of options.
Don't they say the best way to get a job is to HAVE a job? You know what I mean?
dotnet...I've always been a "leg man" myself. I appreciate all outstanding assets, but I'm a leg man until I am a dead man. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteAnd forget boobs, they just get in the way when you really get rockin.
DeleteHi Whitewall, You're 3 for 3 today! Listen carefully, you might hear me laughing!
DeleteThanky ma'am. I think I hear thee laughing in this cold air.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete???
DeleteSorry, that was me, visiting at the library...guess somebody had already signed this computer into Google.
ReplyDeleteFam and I are planning a hot weekend...first we're going to hit the mall and pick up a couple of trashy 40 year old sixth grade girls...then we're going to drive them in our Hummer (Tiny's is yellow so everybody will see it) up to Mt. McKinley for a little climbing, with ass axes...I mean ice axes...then we're going down to Houston to Gilley's to shoot the bull...er, ride the bull while guzzling a lot of Mezcal...and then we're gonna get rockin'
Say what? The place burned down and Mickey Gilley's dead? No way!
Hey, there's the advantage of living the Tiny fantasy life...in his imagination, Gilley's will always be there, along with all those trashy girls and he'll be rockin' an a rollin' all night long without having to pay for it.
One caution, Tiny: When you're fantasizing the Mezcal scene, be careful not to bite the wrong worm.
What a surprise......you're at the public library? Hee Hee...let me take a guess. Probably breaking down a few bathroom partitions with your new boyfriend, eeh?
DeleteYou're disgusting Rush.
As always, lame response. If you can't do any better, we're going to have to send you down to the low minors.
DeleteHint: the Mezcal worm is the longer one.
I drink Sauza. I figured you'd know about worms, you Anthony Weiner wanna be.
DeleteSauza? Why am I not surprised? What you pay for a bottle of that cheap crap wouldn't pay the tax on a bottle of real tequila.
DeleteOf course we have a little problem here. Tiny has stated a number of times that he does not drink or use drugs, that he gets a natural high from his daily 5 yard run.
You don't think he would ever lie to us, do you? Naw!!!
I noted Bucky's changed life style.
DeleteDenial is it's middle name.
DeleteNonsensical it's last name.
DeleteHmm...Denial Nonsensical...I thought that that was a poem by Lewis Carroll...no, that's "Jabberwocky".
Delete’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”
He took his vorpal sword in hand;
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree
And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
Makes a lot more sense than any of Tiny's posts.
"Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
DeleteO frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
Maybe it is Bucky.
Actually, I suspect that he is one of the slithy toves.
DeleteYou must be right... with all that gyre-ing and gimble-ing he does.
DeleteOT:
DeleteYou're a poet
And you don't know it
But your feet show it
They're longfellows
(Thus endeth my literary contributions for the eve of 'morrow.)
What was Carroll on when he wrote that?
DeleteThose 19th century bath salts were pre-tty radical, man.
Delete;-)
Did he snort or smoke 'em?
DeleteI do love old vaudeville jokes.
DeleteWW did one yesterday about the midget and now we get Longfellow.
As a child, I fell in love with Mutt & Jeff, which was nothing more than 75 years of old vaudeville jokes, seven per week.
Actually, Jabberwocky makes perfect sense to bright children. They love the sound of it, and after two or three readings, can give you a detailed account of what is happening in the story, along with some wonderfully creative descriptions of the various creatures involved. My younger son quickly memorized it and would walk around the house acting out each line with great drama…often repeating such great phrases as "vorpal sword went snicker-snack"…he would say "See..snick-snack, snick-snack, just like that." And for reasons unknown, the cats loved it…they would follow him around, jumping at him, becoming a part of the drama. Somehow they knew that it was supposed to be fun. If I tried it, they would go under the sofa until my moment of insanity had passed.
As it turns out, it is an excellent teaching tool for college poetry classes as well. My wife has used it and e e cummings' "anyone lived in a pretty how town" to begin all of her poetry classes, because, as she says, the students' minds need loosening up after all the years of adults beating the curiosity out of them. Once they conquer those two poems, most other, more conventional poems become easier to understand.
Many of the words are "portmanteau" words, combining two words to make a single better word. My favorite example would be "gallumphing", combining "galloping" and "triumph" to describe the boy's return with the Jabberwock's head.
During the big LSD outbreak in the 60s, some critics charged that Carroll was on hallucinogenic drugs when he was writing. Scholars have quashed that claim…he was simply writing highly imaginative stories for bright children…never intended for adult consumption.
Interesting, and reflective of my natural impatience, coupled with a fast reading rate. I was exposed to the poem in high school, pronounced it gibberish then, scanned it prior to my comment, really didn't finish it (impatience), delivered my not-so-bon mot and went back to work.
DeleteFrom Wiki re Sauza:
DeleteSauza's offerings have met with modest success at international spirit ratings competitions. Its best showing was for its Hacienda Reposado tequila, which won a gold rating at the 2006 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Its extra gold tequila has not performed particularly well, winning only a bronze at the 2007 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and scoring an 81 from the Beverage Testing Institute in the same year.
I think the word "modest" is the key here…and the Hacienda Reposado is pretty rare, made specifically for competitions. The vast majority of Sauza sold is in the $10-15 range and not very good at all. You can use it in a Margarita, or a Bloody Maria because it doesn't really matter what you use in those drinks.
DeleteI prefer "sipping" tequilas, as in maybe one sip three times a week. You can pay hundreds of dollars per bottle for such brands, but that doesn't mean that they are the best. I really like Chinaco Anejo, which is only available now and then at our ridiculous local ABC stores. Herradura Anejo is also excellent and usually available. But for decades, the number one rated tequila has been El Tesoro de Don Felipe Anejo, as good as it gets. They also offer a great tour of their distillery in Jalisco.
All three sell in the $40-60 range, with the Don Felipe the cheapest at around $45.
Some other good ones, from all price ranges, including a couple of Mezcals:
3 Amigos Tequila Blanco
Agave Dos Mil Tequila Blanco
Alipus Mezcal San Andres
Alquimia Tequila Extra Añejo
ArteNOM Tequila Añejo
Carreta de Oro Tequila Reposado
Centinela Tequila Extra Añejo
Don Weber Tequila Añejo
El Capo Tequila Silver
Fortaleza Tequila Blanco
Ilegal Mezcal Añejo
Mezcalero Mezcal Joven
Suerte Tequila Blanco
Suerte Tequila Reposado
Tequila Joe's Añejo
Cabo Wabo, which is sort of Hollywood, but surprisingly good.
My dos pesos worth, but y'all have to try Avión tequila. It tastes like tequila flavored water. Kinda pricey, but I now like to drink my pesos.
DeleteCien Años tequila is also pretty good, more than half the price of Avión.
BTW: Cabo Wabo s~u~c~k~s!
Lunazul tequila is also a good one.
DeleteOh yeah, and Tres Generaciones.
DeleteOh, muchas gracias for the muy bien list of tequilas, which I will share with Mr G., who loooooves tequila but does not have a tequila expert amigo.
DeleteMr G's favorite tequila is Patron.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI prefer bourbon when the weather's butt-cold like it is now. My usual brand is Knob Creek...at 100 proof, you KNOW you're drinking it. But that's just my cup of tea.
DeleteI highly recommend Avión. I hope he tries it.
DeleteLa Sombra, Mr G just told me he will definitely get some, and thanks you for the tip!
DeleteMexicans drink a lot of Sauza. Just ask Rielle. She probably knows tequila about as well as she does tent making.
DeleteGo for a Bloody Maria, if you want a hot night of romance.
Hee Hee....you gotta love it.
Mexicans drink a lot of Sauza because most Mexicans are poor and cannot afford real Tequila.
DeleteAs to Avión, it sounds a lot like Bud Light, the Chick-faux-A of beers. Two pesos, at current exchange rate, equals about 16₵.
And dipshit Schmucks suck the farts out of donkeys, so what's your point.
Deletehee, hee, gotta love it.
It types words and posts them to the forum, but we just don't read them, because it encourages the bad behavior. It's how it tries to get attention.
DeleteRush, I was trying to be funny with the two pesos bit. Actually, Avión costs about $45 at the local ABC stores, $5 less at Frugal McDougal in SC. Just a recommendation, but I usually don't make and take recommendations lightly. If you like tequila, I would still highly recommend Avión.
DeleteHave never even heard of it, but will certainly try it...the "tequila flavored water" thing is my put off...I love strawberries to a fault, but have never found anything "strawberry flavored" that I could stomach.
DeleteSpeaking of farts, more from Science World:
DeleteYou fart a balloon's worth of gas a day.
You fart 14 times a day. Undigested food in your large intestine is eaten by bacteria that live there. The waste produced by these bacteria becomes a fart. A fart is a mixture of carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and methane (not smelly) plus indole, skatole and hydrogen sulfide (smelly). The official scientific term for farting is "flatulence".
Exception to above: Tiny, partly because he eats so much Chick-faux-A, farts 6.3 million times a day, enough gas to fill the Hindenberg 3.2 times.
Gotcha. I don't do shots but polished off two 750L bottles between myself, my husband, and 2 friends this past New Years Eve. "Tequila flavored water" was what our friends compared it to.
DeleteBTW: I agree, Herradura, Tesoro and Don Felipe are good tequilas. Have you tried Cazadores Tequila?
No, but a freind got some for Christmas...we will be trying it soon.
DeleteOT...get the leggy ones with all the tattoos. Their daddy don't care if you rinse 'em off or not when you bring 'em home.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, WW is on a roll today!!! ;D ;D ;D
Delete4 for 4.
DeleteIndeed! And here I've been rinsing them all these years.
DeleteJust make sure your shots are up to date.
DeleteCheck! See the doc before we hit the mall.
DeleteDid you guys ever see that South Park episode with the Dog Whisperer, Caesar Chavez? You know how he treated Cartman as though he were a dog that desperately needed training? He always talked about "it" in the third person, and basically ignored "it"? I can't get that episode out of my mind.
ReplyDelete(Sorry, now you know one of my guilty pleasures: inane t.v.)
I am culturally illiterate: South Park?
DeleteBe proud, Staballoy,
DeleteBy citing "South Park" as a resource, it is I who must claim illiteracy.
(It's an adult cartoon on Comedy Central. I would describe it understatedly as "irreverent".)
DeleteI like that word..."irreverent"...change a couple of letters and you're describing Tiny, yet as is its just the opposite of him.
DeleteMust confess to a weakness for "South Park". Add in "King of the Hill", "The Family Guy", "the Simpsons" and a few others and you're talking about much of the best of TV entertainment in recent years. Leave your political correctness rulebook at the door.
A recent episode of "South Park" attacked their own network, Comedy Central, because CC had censored an earlier episode making fun of the prophet Muhammad.
OOOOPS, I mean Caesar Millan.
ReplyDeleteA friend sent me this tidbit from Science World:
ReplyDeleteYou eat 430 bugs every year.
According to studies done by the United States Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada, people in North America eat approximately one kilogram (about 2.2 pounds) of insects per year. In fact, the two governments developed a document called the Maximum Level of Insect Infestation in Food. For example, 30 insect fragments are permissible in 100 grams of peanut butter. That brings new meaning to phrase extra crunchy. Canned mushrooms may contain as many as 2 larvae and 75 mites. Most insects are very nutritious. Grasshoppers have less fat and almost four times as much protein as beef.
Sounds as if grasshoppers might be the answer for protein for dieters:
RECIPES
I particularly like the larva part. The worms found in Mezcal, like Dos Gusanos, are actually the larva of moths which live on some agave plants. Lots of yummy protein.
Ugh. Maybe I'm not as vegetarian as I thought. I'm not going to let my mind wander with this thought.
DeleteI've heard fried crickets are actually quite tasty. Wanna try em one of these days. Seems like it would be a good snack for Superbowl parties.
DeleteAn excellent example of the rumor that frying a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g tastes good... I hope to never know for sure myself. I'll trust your judgement, Arthur!
DeleteAt my second survival school, at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines, they taught us all kinds of great stuff, including how to make snares and traps to catch, among other things, rats. We were also taught how to build a fire and cook these delicacies.
DeleteThen they took us down to Mindanao and dropped us in the jungle. At first we were alone, but eventually I joined up with a couple of other guys. We discussed all the things we had learned and debated our survival strategy, including the possibility of catching and cooking some rats.
Eventually, we came to the conclusion that there were only so many days that they could leave us out there before they had to come and collect us. That length of time fell well within the time that they had taught us that we could survive without food, so we decided to find a reliable clean water supply and eat whatever fruit, leaves and such as we could find. When they picked us up, we had all lost a few pounds, but were otherwise in good health.
So rat is one delicacy that I have managed to avoid.
Here's another one from Science World. If you are struggling to lose weight, always weigh yourself in a "down" elevator:
ReplyDeleteYou weigh less on the way down.
Your mass is how much "stuff" you're made of. Your mass doesn't change. Your weight, as measured by a bathroom scale, is the force with which you push down on the scale. Weight = mass x g, where g is the acceleration due to gravity. If you are in an elevator, and it isn't moving, your weight is the force of gravity on you. If the elevator is accelerating downwards, you push down on the scale with a force = mass x(g - a), where a is the acceleration of the elevator. Another way to think of this is that the scale, and the elevator, are scooting out of the way as you push down on them, so you can't push down as hard.
DO NOT however, weigh yourself on the way back up. Take the stairs instead, thus killing two birds with one stone.
Nor will I let my mind wander with this thought either! Weighing myself is never fun.
DeleteAlbert Einstein pondered the effect of acceleration and concluded that acceleration was equivalent to gravity in terms of effect (gravity is trying to accelerate you toward the center of the earth). This and other musings led to his 2 theories of Relativity, the Special Theory in 1905 and the General Theory in 1915.
DeleteTry my wife's method. No scales in the house = no weighing.
DeleteOf course, when she goes to get her annual checkup, she always weighs exactly as much as she did on the day that she graduated from high school, 116 pounds. And she eats whatever she wants, whenever she wants.
Good genes = good metabolism = happy woman.
Some are lucky, some are not.
Einstein fit the classic definition of genius, in that he looked at problems that many others had studied and saw something that no one else had.
DeleteGenius is in knowing "how" to think, not "what" to think.
Sociologist Harriet Zuckerman published an interesting study of the Nobel Prize winners who were living in the United States in 1977. She discovered that six of Enrico Fermi's students won the prize. Ernst Lawrence and Niels Bohr each had four. J. J. Thompson and Ernest Rutherford between them trained seventeen Nobel laureates. This was no accident. It is obvious that these Nobel laureates were not only creative in their own right, but were also able to teach others how to think creatively.
A New Norovirus is going around. No surprise there. However, I get sick to my stomach just from reading some of Rush's liberal lies.
DeleteOf course, Tiny has no idea what a norovirus actually is.
DeleteThe CDC says that is is primarily caused by the repellent appearance and personality of people like Tiny.
Yesterday, Tiny went on a binge of Dear Abby type crap advice directed at dotnet on "how to get a gal".
ReplyDeleteWe know that Tiny was once married…apparently, some poor woman got drunk and, mistaking Tiny for a man, screwed him. She got pregnant, they got married, she had a son, she wised up and divorced him, he had to pay her alimony and so on and so on.
Considering his obnoxious nature, that is almost certainly the only time that Tiny ever "had" a woman, except of course, when he is paying a Dominican hooker for her services. Since Tiny is also alleged to hang out at El Gato Negro in the ABCs, there have probably been a few rent boys as well.
As I have pointed out on occasion, Tiny continues to confuse the caliber of his "firearm" with the caliber of his "gun". And, as always,we know that he has never held a .500 Magnum in his tiny hand, but no doubt he has held his tiny gun there many times.
No doubt, there are women who would be impressed by a person who owns a .500 Magnum…say some of Tiny's fantasies…the Kardashians, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, airhead Fox reporters. But that sort of woman is beyond "broken" as gg puts it…they are simply beyond belief for any real man.
And I see that Tiny also equates the size of the mountain to the size of his gun…my, my. One need not travel thousands of miles to find an impressive mountain. We have a number right here in North Carolina, not to mention neighboring states like Virginia, Tennessee, even South Carolina and Georgia…it's all relative. No doubt, Tiny has seen pictures of Denali and has visited in his fantasies many times.
Which brings us to the name. The local folks who lived there for thousands of years before the arrival of WASP male fools, called the mountain "Dinale" (the high one) or "Denali" (the great one). The Russians respected the local name…they called it Bolshaya Gora, meaning "the great mountain".
It took a Republican politician to change that, as someone looking for fool's gold changed the name to honor one of our lesser Presidents, Billy McKinley. In the 1970s, in one of the most conservative states in the union, the Alaska Board of Geographic Names changed the name of the mountain back to its original, Denali.
But in 1975, when they submitted the change to the United States Board of Geographic Names, which agreed with them, guess what happened. An Ohio Congressman named Ralph Regula, blocked the name change. And the Ohio Congressional delegation has continued to block it ever since. Three guesses as to the party affiliation of Congressman Regula, first two don't count.
So if you live in Alaska and have actually seen "the great one" with your own eyes, you call her "Denali". But if you are a provincial lout living in your mamma's basement in North Carolina, "McKinley" it must be.
Politics is such a petty game.