A (possible) knee-jerk reaction

I am not speaking from a position of being thoughtfully informed, but my initial reaction to the following headline: "Can a Family Be Too Big? Celebs debate if there's a limit and should we care" is: depends, no and just what the h*** makes any of them an expert qualified to debate the topic in the first place?!? One more media- created non-issue from the category of "can the human race be more ridiculous?"

Let he who is without sin...

Can we all now agree that people in politics are no better or worse than the rest of the human race, and are just as likely to engage in inappropriate and shameful behavior as the rest of us? Is there anyone out there who SERIOUSLY looks to a politician to be their moral compass? Really? Is that why we elect, or consider electing, men and women to represent us? Because we believe that somehow they are immune to temptation? Is there anyone still naive enough to believe, despite the fact that the political life requires compromise and (usually) unethical tactics, that politicians themselves are above and beyond the ability to actually fall victim to those choices? Come on, people. Wake up. The men and women we elect to political office are just that: men and women. Not saints. Not superheroes. Not victims. Humans. Fallible, flawed, and just like the rest of us. Fallen. Choose a better moral compass, and move on.

Stop the madness now

I am sick and tired of hearing about the obscenities taking place in Darfur and the Sudan. The ICC is prepared to issue indictments against the ruling "president" and not only is the Sudanese government insisting that they will ignore any indictments, but the Chinese and Russian governments are moving to bring a motion to stay any indictments as members of the charter which supports the ICC. Is oil REALLY that much more important than the lives of our fellow human beings? Because we cannot see this on our daily news, does that make it not real? If we did see the horrific attacks on innocent women and children, would that move the oil-soaked minds and hearts of the world to take action? Enough is enough. If the ICC is unable to enforce the indictments and warrants for arrest against this government which is endorsing genocide, then perhaps it is time to take old fashioned action, and eliminate the problem. Permanently.

The Number One movie in the country

is about a little robot who has been left behind by mankind fleeing the planet they have systematically abused, and who teaches mankind how to be human again. Way to go, Wall-E! Kewl!

A Definition

What is a Curmudgeon anyway?A curmudgeon's reputation for malevolence is undeserved. They're neither warped nor evil at heart. They don't hate mankind, just mankind's absurdities. They're just as sensitive and soft-hearted as the next guy, but they hide their vulnerability beneath a crust of misanthropy. They ease the pain by turning hurt into humor. They attack maudlinism because it devalues genuine sentiment. Nature, having failed to equip them with a serviceable denial mechanism, has endowed them with astute perception and sly wit. Curmudgeons are mockers and debunkers whose bitterness is a symptom rather than a disease. They can't compromise their standards and can't manage the suspension of disbelief necessary for feigned cheerfulness. Their awareness is a curse. Perhaps curmudgeons have gotten a bad rap in the same way that the messenger is blamed for the message: They have the temerity to comment on the human condition without apology. They not only refuse to applaud mediocrity, they howl it down with morose glee. Their versions of the truth unsettle us, and we hold it against them, even though they soften it with humor. - JON WINOKUR