Because We Can, Should We?

Someone sent me a link that I found fascinating and eventually a little sobering. You try it, now, and tell me if it's not cute, but with an after-taste. Don't get me wrong-first of all I don't think any bubbles were harmed in the making of the routine. And I also don't really care a rat's hindquarters if the magician was smoking a cigarette and boy are cigarettes bad for you! Golly gee and yada, yada... I smoked for twenty-something years, three packs a day. Most of the time I didn't even realize I was doing it.

I quit thirteen years and two weeks ago and miss it everyday. I'm not a former smoker, I'm a recovering smoker. And a hypocrite-I have trouble tolerating the smell of cigarette smoke and hate to see stubbed out butts and discarded cigarettes littering the ground. Now. Don't ask me what I did with mine, but I'm on you like stink on ---- let's just say, pretty rapidly, and leave it at that.

You'd think with a nicotine addiction, I'd be a bit more forgiving of those with unresolved substance abuse situations and problems. And, you'd be wrong because, like the overwhelming majority of Fellow Travelers here on Spaceship Earth (enjoy the Operating Manual for free, here), I'm a hypocrite. I'm bright enough to realize when I'm finger-pointing that three of my fingers on that hand point back at myself so I cheat and wear gloves, as well as a disguise.

But actually, the two links underscore my original point, which I'd nearly forgotten and you never even knew. If there's anything more Narcissistic than youtube, I cannot begin to imagine what it might be, but I shudder at the thought. We could sit in our chairs and electronically wander a collection that would cause the Library of Alexandria to be envious, not to mention the Library of Otis which does have an elevator, I believe, though by what manufacturer, I've no clue, to lose its lunch. But would we?

Have you ever read the Journals of Lewis and Clark? Me neither, but we could. Instead we troll online until we find Weird Donkey videos, shake our heads in mock dismay and pseudo-horror that anyone could possibly make dreck like this and then we go ahead and watch it and then send it to friends.

Go to www.youtube.com and enter 'starving children'. Feel free to donate to any cause who needs it--heck, they ALL need it. Now go here. Whoa! Harshed that philanthropic buzz, eh? We have more means to communicate with one another than at anytime in the history of civilization and what do we do with all of this? Spend endless hours relaying knock-knock jokes to one another. I guess I should really learn to be more philosophic about it all, but I prefer to be sophomoric about my philosophy, because I can.
-bill kenny