They Can’t Be THAT Stupid . . . Can They?

It’s reached the point where I have seen politicians and political candidates do such obviously stupid things that there almost has to be an ulterior motive behind these actions, but how does one determine where incompetence ends and the Illuminati begins?

Don’t Try This One At Home Yourself

I have a new example of the difference between knowing something in your head and knowing something in your heart.  (I also have new definition of feeling vulnerable.)

While intellectually you may know that the person drilling on the other side of the wall is working a good six feet to your right at least, when the drill sounds like it’s directly behind you, you have an entirely different reaction on the emotional level.  (Ahem . . . particularly if you’re sitting in the bathroom at the time . . .)

So Pointed Poison Warning, Yes, Pointless Poison Pen, No

Continuing with yesterday’s theme, here’s a quick example of the correct way to use the phrase “What I am about to say is going to be upsetting”:

“What I am about to say is going to be upsetting, but we have determined that the chocolate has been poisoned, and we need all those who ate any to identify themselves immediately before it’s too late . . .”

It’s A Safe Bet

I always wonder at people who start their statements with some variation on “What I am about to say is going to upset a LOT of people,” because far more often than not that’s all they say before they start firing off their (usually indiscriminate) spray of opinion bullets.

To be clear, just saying this as an opening statement does not make whatever you say after that okay any more than it does to add “just kidding” after unleashing a truly vile insult.

Yes, there are times one absolutely must say something upsetting, and a little warning that this is about to occur is fine, but if you can’t even be bothered to tell me WHY you feel the need to do this, I tend to assume that you probably don’t have a reason other than you just want to see how many people you can upset.

Actually, It’s Surprising That It Took This Long

Considers self in mirror, then thinks, “Well . . . I had a good run, but I think we all knew that I’d end up with the ‘evil twin goatee‘ sooner or later . . .”

Caught!

Okay, son . . . as promised yesterday, it’s time for you to start getting used to your new shoes, so we’re going out.  I know you don’t like change, but there are times embracing, or at least accepting, change is an important part of life, so . . .

What was that?

Yes, I will be remembering to wear my new glasses this time . . .

Yes, You Will

Son, I hate shoe shopping.

I hated it as a kid when I was dragged there by my Mom, and I hate it now.  I hate it with such a passion that I wanted to spare you the experience if I could.

Now I know you’re five, and you have no idea what I’m talking about, but I’m telling you now that if you give me any grief today over your new shoes after we went to the trouble to measure your feet here and find shoes online that are almost exactly like your old shoes (because they don’t make those exact shoes in your size anymore), well . . . you will know what I’m talking about.

But Bottom Line, Even MORE Waiting

For those of you who have been waiting for an update on my mother’s situation, I finally have one.  The short form is that her heartbeat remains irregular without medication, but there’s no sign of the dreaded “blockage.”  So for the moment, the course remains “wait and see.”

(I am, of course, omitting several details to make the short form this short.)

Well . . . I Didn’t

I tend to run a “tad” on the overprotective side when it comes to those I care about, but I do my best to keep a sense of perspective about it.

Case in point, the other day Lala pointed toward someone and informed me, “That’s the guy I told you about, the one who asked me out the other day.”

Barely even looking at him, I replied, “Aside from his impeccable taste, I have nothing good to say about him.”

I Learned That The Hard Way

I couldn’t help but notice that, save for one exception, the silence which followed yesterday’s post was particularly . . . let’s call it “deep and wide.”

That’s okay.

To be clear, I’m not proud of the times when I start to crave conflict, but trying to delude myself that craving never exists in me would leave me ill-prepared to appropriately deal with not only it, but the situation which spawned it.