Making It Up As I Go Along #220

MONDAY…
--- Quiet day around the house on a cold and windy day. So I watch some movies, do some e-mailing, and talk to Edena on the phone. Plus laundry.

TUESDAY…
--- Bad computer day. I’m on the phone with Microsoft for two hours… and then digging through stuff on the computer for most of the night. By the end of the night, msn and messenger capabilities are still down.
--- Lunch with Mike and Kiyomi is nice today… everything else is pretty much a normal day.

WEDNESDAY…
--- Very busy day. Meetings and writing and helping others. Lunch at HQ with Shannon. And a long walk tonight. Plus the computer is back to good thanks to advice from the other Shannon.

THURSDAY…
--- Busy day at work again. And the movies tonight. Off to see DaVinci Code with Melissa and her friend, Ginette. I’d give it a three and a half out of five. Fine enough but nothing to blow your mind and not deserving of any Academy Awards. And DaVinci Code as a threat to traditional beliefs of Catholic Religion is like Homer Simpson being a threat to the traditional view of nuclear power technicians. It’s just too much to be taken seriously.

FRIDAY…
--- Busy busy day. I spent most of the day thinking I should just take some time off and leave early… but, in the end, I stay through it all.

SATURDAY…
--- The afternoon with cousin Jenny, little Jake, and aunt Elaine. We go to Mer Bleue (the boardwalk) and have lunch at Casey’s. Really nice day for that kind of thing. Sunny and not too hot.
--- Edmonton is through to the Stanley Cup final. Not that I saw them do it very well. Digital Cable giving trouble tonight… sun spots or lightning or some such silliness causing my connection to lock and pixelate and all that good stuff. Same thing happens again half way through a movie before bed.


The Magic of the Eight Ball
Saying “I made a mistake” is seen as weakness. Saying “I’m human” makes the mistake acceptable. People shrug it off and turn to each other with knowing nods… “Well he’s only human after all.”

Somewhere along the way, society got to a point where passing the buck, no matter if it’s to another person or to a statement of the obvious, is the honourable way to go. Flat out, to the point honesty only leads to trouble.

It’s a con, intentional or not. How can anyone who is also human be too righteous when pointing the finger?

There is so much stating of the obvious. It has been going on for years and it keeps dodging real issues of a current situation is question.

“Did you do it?”
“Hey, I put my pants on one leg at a time.”
“What?!?!” What does that have to do with anything?”
“We all make mistakes.”
“Yes, we do… and did you make this mistake in question?”
“I’m not going to lie to you.”
“Okay… so what have you got to say?”
“The grass is always greener on the other side.”
“What?”
“I don’t want to say something I may regret”
“So does that mean you’re guilty?”
“Don’t quote me on that.”
“It seems like you’re avoiding the question.”
“I’m only human.”

People work so hard to answer each other with standard quips rather than actual discussion that we’re all turning into those Magic Eight Ball contraptions that you shake and look at the little window in the bottom for the answer to your question.

I’ve done a search on the internet and now see where it is political leaders and public relations personnel get their ability to so smoothly answer any question. Parents, if you want your child to grow up to be the Prime Minister, I implore you to go out and buy him or her a Magic Eight Ball… right now. Listen to the responses the Ball is equipped with and think of where you’ve heard such responses before…
The 20 standard answers on a Magic 8-Ball are:
• Signs point to yes.
• Yes.
• Reply hazy, try again.
• Without a doubt.
• My sources say no.
• As I see it, yes.
• You may rely on it.
• Concentrate and ask again.
• Outlook not so good.
• It is decidedly so.
• Better not tell you now.
• Very doubtful.
• Yes – definitely.
• It is certain.
• Cannot predict now.
• Most likely.
• Ask again later.
• My reply is no.
• Outlook good.
• Don’t count on it.

The twenty Magic Eight Ball responses do seem very George Bush like in their to the point haziness. Here is a mock interview with Bush in which he prepped for it with his trusty billiard predicting toy.

“Will the people of Iraq be able to live in a democracy?”
“Signs point to yes.”
“Do you really believe that?”
“Yes”
“But uprisings continue on a daily basis. There is still not enough clean water. American forces have been stretched so thin as they’ve been asked to stay in Iraq longer than anyone ever predicted…”
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you, let’s try again. Next question”
“fine… can we possibly win the War on Terror?”
“Without a doubt.”
“Don’t you think this war is too costly for the American people?”
“My sources say no.”
“Do you think Donald Rumsfeld has enough credibility to be effective in his job?”
“As I see it, yes”
“So does that mean he’ll remain as your Secretary of Defence?”
“You may rely on it.”
“Mr. President, I’m confused.”
“Concentrate and ask again… we all get confused sometimes. After all, we’re only human… hehehe.”
“The UN didn’t want a rush to war in Iraq, they wanted more time for diplomatic solutions to take place...”
“Let me stop you there. When I saw how the UN were dragging their feet, I decided that the outlook was not so good.”
“Alright, well moving on to defence at home, do you feel that the American people are safer today than before September 11th?”
“It is decidedly so.”
“Could you give me an example of this?”
“I better not tell you now.”
“Do you see a day in the near future when it wouldn’t be a breach of security to be open about your methods in Homeland Security?”
“It’s very doubtful.”
“But your efforts in Homeland Security are working?”
“Yes – definitely.”
“And the problems at the Mexican border. Do you see getting them resolved soon?”
“It is certain.”
“And if you deport the illegal immigrants of America, what will that mean for the national economy?”
“That’s something I cannot predict right now.”
“But some amount of deportation will have to occur, is that right?”
“Most likely.”
“But if you can’t deport every illegal immigrant, how will you choose which ones will go and which ones will stay?”
“Ask me again later.”
“Between the war in Iraq, securing America’s borders, and preparing cities for emergencies such as hurricanes, it seems as though there aren’t enough resources to go around. Would you agree with this?”
“My reply is no.”
“So you think America will get through this trying time in our history?”
“The outlook is good.”
“And with rumours of torture and crimes against human rights in Guantanamo Bay, could we see that military facility close?”
“Don’t count on it.”
“Thank you Mr. President, you’ve been quite open and precise with us today.”
“You’re welcome, you know I put my pants on one leg at a time just like everybody else. I’m only human too.”
“Facinating.”

It would really be good if the North American public expected more substance from our leaders than that given by a Magic Eight Ball.