Dumberer

Thank Gog It's Friday!

"Put the flamethrower down, human."

"Another cheesy sci-fi movie reference, really?"

What do you mean, "cheesy"? It was a classic. And there were only three channels in those days, so we watched whatever was on. Don't be such a snob. Just because you're pissed that Ant-Man did well is no reason to get snarky with me...

World-Class Stupidity

If I wished to do so, of course, I could fill this space with nothing but commentary on the remarkably stupid things that people do and say every single day. The internet is, among other things, a cornucopia of material in this vein.

"Not to mention all the dumb stuff you do and say every day."

Indeed.

Generally I try to resist that temptation. There are lots of other things I'd rather write about. Every so often, though, an opportunity comes along that is too delicious to resist (and yes, that IS a pun, as will become clear momentarily)...

The Denver City Council, plainly disregarding President Obama's advice that we must stay off of high horses, has climbed up on theirs and blocked the application of the Chick-fil-A fast-food chain to re-open a location at Denver International Airport.

In case you're not familiar, what Chick-fil-A is famous for is...

The world's greatest chicken sandwich combo

As an editorial on the issue in the Denver Post makes clear, the council is fighting a battle that has already been won. Conservative author and columnist Jonah Goldberg has likened this sort of behavior to the victors roaming a battlefield and shooting the wounded survivors of the opposing side. What's the point of it, really?

I suspect that, given the popularity of Chick-fil-A and the negative publicity the council is receiving, they will decide shortly to approve the lease, no doubt after cluck-clucking (yes, a pun) about how they have "made their point," and "taken a stand" on an issue that has, again, already been decided. Or perhaps it will take the threat of a lawsuit to make them do the right thing here. In any case, it is stupidity disguised as taking the moral high ground, and that always gets my goat.

It is unusual for this award to be given to an entire group of people rather than an individual, and Councilman Paul Lopez's claim that chicken sandwiches at the airport are “really, truly a moral issue on the city” made him a strong contender for a solo award, but in the end the fact that no members of the council opposed this nonsense made a group award necessary. Congratulations, Denver City Council!

My Kind of Logic

From the wonderful Randall Munroe webcomic xkcd, which you should read every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Housekeeping

In the online world, there are all sorts of tricks people use to get you to click on embedded links on their sites. My personal favorite is the tantalizing tag-line ("Surefire Way to Pick Up Women" or "One Weird Tip for Making Yourself Smarter").

I would never stoop to that sort of thing, of course...

"Do NOT click on this link!"

...but I do include links in these posts for all sorts of legitimate reasons. Sometimes the link will take you somewhere where you can learn a little bit more about something, like the link to Gog in the first heading today. Sometimes the link is a way of getting you to visit a site I think is worth your time, or to help you if you decide you want to obtain a song, or a book, or some other thing I have written about here. Sometimes it is just a link to a definition of a word (I do use some unusual words on occasion).

My point is, those links are part of the content here, too, and I do spend some time trying to make them interesting and useful. If you don't click on them at least once in awhile, you're missing out on some cool stuff.

And just a reminder that comments, of course, are always welcome. I'd love to hear from you!

Until Next Time...

William James "Count" Basie was born on August 21, 1904 in Red Bank, New Jersey. A child of musicians, Basie would become a towering figure in swing music and big-band jazz. The Grammy Award he won in 1958 for Best Jazz Performance (Group) was the first ever awarded to an African-American, and the first of nine Grammys Basie and his orchestra would win over the next 25 years.

Today's send-off is a performance by the Count Basie Orchestra of their signature tune "One O'Clock Jump" from the 1943 film Reveille with Beverly. Enjoy...