Too tired to give this a title

Le Papier de Rapport is so cute! A few posts down I compared their future to Gloria Swanson descending the stairs for her close-up. As if on cue, they announce layoffs and restructuring. But it is the arrogance with which they stroke their pen that will be their downfall.

Why cute? The decrease is one-third of their production staff – the people that put ink to paper. Bill Keller, the guy running the show, says two things of interest: “That’s a number that I think we can live with quite comfortably,” and “But this is a much less painful way to go about assuring our economic survival than cutting staff or closing foreign bureaus or retrenching our investigative reporting or diluting the Washington bureau.”

OK, son, let’s figure this – for every three guys on the floor today, one of them goes away. “Comfortable”? Only if you don’t work on the floor. But, no cuts in staff, foreign bureaus, reporters, or WDC? How nice! The beautiful people keep their jobs. Late Friday lunches in the Hamptons. “I was speaking with Secretary …” “Hilary was joking about Al Gore’s problem flatulence again …” “Buffy says to convey her love …” “Terribly warm this year, don’t you think? Boy! Oh boy, refill my glass with fresh ice and be sure it is glacial water ice, unlike the last time. So, Timothy, I was looking at the new Lexus today …”

OK, enough picking of the mentally challenged.

I’ve been really stressed over the number of internet searches on “masterbait” and “my dog.” I’m not sure if the grammarian or ethicist within me is more appalled. I don’t yet have resolution, but I have made progress. If you read this article, it is amazing that the writer uses several measures to determine “what makes a good dog,” (sociability, cooperativeness and empathy, confidence, and so on), and then slides right into another section – using the same measures – entitled, “what makes a perfect date.”

It’s a clue. A terrible, insidious, I-feel-dirty one, but a clue nonetheless.

Things are hopping in Eire. Seems a kangaroo left the circus and is wandering the lush, green hills of Ireland. He should have no problem making a living with pub fights.

My favorite site for updates on the latest Israeli war Debka. Seems to have a lot of forward information. I love following Israeli wars – well, maybe that is a bit drastic. I do not like it when a single Israeli is wounded or killed; I detest the pain or loss. But it is so funny listening to the Muslims and their hollow threats. Read “The Haj” by Leon Uris to get an insight into the mentality.

Interesting headline: Victims found after Kirkland fire had been stabbed. How does one go about stabbing a fire, and to what end does one so do?

I am reading an interesting article about the twins that now run Poland. it is interesting not just for the novelty of the situation – president and prime minister are twins – but the vitriol in the article. The two appear to be conservative in many of their values (do not support special rights for homosexual, abortion, gay marriage). Easy enough for the enlightened press to frown upon, I guess.

But what has caught my eye, even though I have seen it for years, if the label “homophobic.” Let’s deconstruct.

“Homo” is the genus that includes modern humans and their close relatives.

The term “phobia,” which comes from the Greek word for fear (φόβος, fobos); is technically used to describe irrational, disabling fear.

So “homophobia” is to be irrationally afraid of humans. I don’t think anyone pinned with that label is afraid of humans. So let’s hit the issue directly – the claim is that homophobic people are irrationally afraid of homosexuals.

Afraid? That is rather humorous. Somewhat manipulative in its word choice. I suggest that folks simply do not approve of the lifestyle. They feel that the Bible is very clear on its condemnation of homosexuality. To equate disapproval with fright would suggest that people are don’t-eat-that-12th-donut-you-are-already-huge-phobic, or don’t-fart-in-front-of-the-queen-phobic, or my-god-what-are-you-doing-to-that-dog-phobic.

The Islamic Republic News Agency has a different view of what constitutes news than we do. Their lead story is entitled “President writes to German chancellor.” OK. I bite. Let’s see that the raving lunatic had to say.

The article in its entirety:

“A letter from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the German Chancellor Angela Merkel was handed over to a German Embassy official here on Wednesday.

“A report released by the Foreign Ministry Media Department said that in the absence of the German ambassador to Tehran, the letter was submitted to the German charge d'affaires in his meeting with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.”

Methinks it is not a slow news day in Iran – they just are weird.

Take oil and natural gas money away from these fools and they’d be chasing camels for sport and sex.

I’m done.