Then: Any Town—USA–1950
Scene: Inside the Anybody House around 7 p.m. DST. Outside the sun is shining brightly, and the temperature is a comfortable 75 degrees. Mr. and Mrs. Anybody are sitting on the front deck sipping on a cold drink when Tommy, their 7-year-old son and only child, comes out from the house, and the following exchange takes place.
Tommy: I’ll be back in a few minutes.
Mrs. Anybody: Where are you going?
Tommy: Just down to the corner store to get some chips and a Coke.
Mrs. Anybody: Wait a minute! You’re not going dressed like that.
(Tommy, who is wearing a Detroit Lions T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, holds his arms out, spins around slowly, and looks at his mom quizzically.)
Tommy: What’s wrong with this?
Mrs. Anybody: Nothing, but they’re predicting rain. You’re not going anywhere unless you wear your raincoat.
Tommy: Aw, Mom. It’s not that far. I can run home if it starts to rain.
Mrs. Anybody: You heard me, Tommy. Either wear your raincoat or stay home!
Tommy: But, Mom, it’s so ugly, and it’s hot.
Mrs. Anybody: (looking at her husband) Jim?
Mr. Anybody: Tommy, do what your mother says!
(Tommy goes back into the house and reemerges shortly wearing a bright yellow, rubber raincoat.)
Tommy: It doesn’t even look like rain now.
Mrs. Anybody: Better to be safe than sorry.
Tommy: (fastening his raincoat) Whatever!
Now: Some Town–USA–April 20, 1999, to Present
Scene: Inside the Somebody House around 7 p.m. DST. Outside the sun is shining brightly, and the temperature is a comfortable 75 degrees. Mr. and Mrs. Somebody are sitting on the front deck sipping on a cold drink when Jimmy, their 7-year-old son and only child, comes out from the house, and the following exchange takes place.
Jimmy: I’ll be back in a few minutes.
Mrs. Somebody: Where are you going?
Jimmy: Just down to the corner store to get some chips and a Dr Pepper.
Mrs. Somebody: Wait a minute! You’re not going dressed like that.
(Jimmy, who is wearing a Dallas Cowboys T-shirt, jeans, and a new pair of Nikes, holds his arms out, spins around slowly, and looks at his mom quizzically.)
Jimmy: What’s wrong with this?
Mrs. Somebody: Nothing, but you know the rules about going out in public. You’re not going anywhere unless you wear it.
Jimmy: Aw, Mom. It’s not that far. I won’t be gone more than 10 minutes.
Mrs. Somebody: You heard me, Jimmy. Either you wear it or stay home!
Jimmy: But, Mom, it’s so ugly, and it’s hot. It’s bad enough that we have to wear them in school all day.
Mrs. Somebody: (looking at her husband) Jack?
Mr. Somebody: Jimmy, do what your mother says!
(Jimmy goes back into the house and reemerges shortly to stand in front of his mother, raise his arms, and twirl around once.)
Jimmy: Satisfied now, Mom.
Mrs. Somebody: (nodding her head in approval) Better to be safe than sorry.
Jimmy: Whatever! (Jimmy mutters as he adjusts one of the straps on his bulletproof vest!)
That’s A Whopper!
According to the people who keep track of such things, Donald Trump had a total of 30,573 lies or misleading claims while he was in office, and many of them were so bizarre that they were laughable, but the comment he made in a phone call to Fox’s Laura Ingraham on Thursday evening may be the best of all. Ingraham asked him what he thought about the way security has been increased around the US Capitol as a result of the January 6 insurrection.
Trump called it “disgraceful” and then issued the following statement: “It was zero threat, right from the start; it was zero threat. Look, they went in; they shouldn’t have done it. Some of them went in, and they are hugging and kissing the police and the guards. You know they had great relationships.”
Five people were killed, and nearly 140 police officers were injured while they were “hugging and kissing” the rioters.
Talk about tough love!
He Did It!
President Joe Biden held his eagerly awaited press conference, and predictably some thought he did well, and others thought he bombed. Certainly they all are entitled to their respective opinions. As I watched it, one word came to mind because it lacked the bellicosity that dominated the press conferences to which we were subjected during the past four years. And that word is civilized.
Ponder This:
The butcher backed up into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work. ~Anonymous
