Stoopid

After one of the busiest weekends I remember, I finally got to get on my mountain bike last evening to clear my head and remind myself just how fat and out of shape I have gotten. Actually, the legs didn't complain nearly as much as I was prepared for, but that chamois pad in my bike shorts is not nearly thick enough. This morning, we have a report from Steve's nether regions:

"Dang! My hiney is sore."

I just knew you folks would want me to share that with you.

Somewhere in my head is the list I keep of "Stupid" things. I have added a couple more that stood out from the events of the weekend. I am sure there will be defenders among you, for each of my picks, for they are varied enough for at least one of the three I'll mention to irritate at least a few of you.

Confectioner's sugar on strawberries...It's strawberry season here in East Tennessee. All those plants we put out in the yard have teamed up to produce nearly nine wonderful homegrown strawberries. I took one from under it's mamma and ate it as fresh as one can eat Nature's bounty. Tart, Sweet , and hot from lying in the sun...Damn, it was good! Why on earth would someone want to hide the taste of a strawberry under a layer of sugar?

Stupid.

Speaking the words, "In Jesus's name we pray" into a microphone...As anybody who attends a public event in East Tennessee can attest, the most misunderstood or (more diabolically) most ignored words of Jesus are contained in Mathew 6, where Christians are told not to do as the Hipocrites do and pray out loud and in public. To hear this at a High school graduation ceremony with 177 young people who were supposed to have been taught to read and think for themselves, and then have this example of someone who is simply unable to do just that and follow the directions of her own religion...

Stupid.

Golf...Ok, I'll explain. It may not be obvious to some of you exactly how stupid this game is...(OK, I was really bad at it and have rationalized my way out of it, so there) First of all, No Defense! What kind of supposed "sport" doesn't have a defense? Actually, now that I think about it, there's the whole Track and Field thing, too! Going around in circles with no one chasing you, may be even stupider than golf...Nah, at least in track and field you get fit. In golf you just get a hangover and lose money...And then there's the ball...What kind of game let's everybody have their own ball? See?

Stupid.

I have a couple of suggestions for improving the game of golf...No charge to the PGA if they want to adopt them. I say everybody who wants to play a round of golf should meet up at the golf course and choose up sides, pick out which hole they want to defend, throw ONE golf ball out into the crowd, and have at it!

Now that would be a real sport!

peace,

Steve

******

...here is an excerpt from the memo that should get George Bush impeached. Won't happen but it should:

SECRET AND STRICTLY PERSONAL - UK EYES ONLY
DAVID MANNING
From: Matthew Rycroft
Date: 23 July 2002
S 195 /02

cc: Defence Secretary, Foreign Secretary, Attorney-General, Sir Richard Wilson, John Scarlett, Francis Richards, CDS, C, Jonathan Powell, Sally Morgan, Alastair Campbell

[...]

John Scarlett summarised the intelligence and latest JIC assessment. Saddam's regime was tough and based on extreme fear. The only way to overthrow it was likely to be by massive military action. [...]

C reported on his recent talks in Washington. There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy. The NSC had no patience with the UN route, and no enthusiasm for publishing material on the Iraqi regime's record. There was little discussion in Washington of the aftermath after military action. [...]

The Defence Secretary said that the US had already begun "spikes of activity" to put pressure on the regime. No decisions had been taken, but he thought the most likely timing in US minds for military action to begin was January, with the timeline beginning 30 days before the US Congressional elections.



Outraged, yet? Why isn't this a big deal in the U.S.? Here's the whole thing:

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