What’s in Paul’s grab bag? Unconnected thoughts and observations too short to rate blog posts of their own, but which might amount to something when aggregated together:
Damen und Herren
I always wanted to write a lengthy post on restroom signage, complete with illustrations. Well, what do you know? Someone saved me the trouble!
A Dirty Little Not-So-Secret
The media is starting to talk about what goes on between men & boys in Afghanistan. I’m not sure this is news . . . it certainly isn’t news to me, nor is it news to the thousands of troops, contractors, and diplomats who have been posted there. But I guess it’s news to middle America, and frankly I bet administration officials are doing everything they can to suppress the story. Why? To keep middle America from turning against the war. More than a thousand American soldiers dead? No problem. Trillions of dollars flushed down the Karzai administration crapper? No problem. Man-on-boy sex? Problem. Look for a new flurry of propaganda about undiscovered oil and mineral wealth in Afghanistan. And more magazine covers like this.
Preferential Treatment at Netflix?
I’ve complained before about insanely long waits for first-run movies, but now I’m noticing something new. Kick Ass has been the number one movie in my queue for four months now. Until two weeks ago, Netflix said I could continue to expect a “very long wait.” But then the countdown started: Kick Ass went from “very long wait” to “long wait” and then down to “short wait” — I’m on pins and needles now, expecting it to show up any day. Not so fast, valued Netflix customer! When I checked my queue again yesterday, it was back to “very long wait.” If there’s any way to interpret this other than that Netflix is letting other customers cut ahead of me in line, I’d like to know it.
Balking at Standing for the Not-Our-National-Anthem
Every spring and fall, we attend outdoor concerts at Udall Park in Tucson. Every concert starts with the national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, and the audience stands and sings along . . . as is only right and proper. Every concert ends with America the Beautiful, and once again, the audience stands and sings along . . . and if you don’t, people glare at you. Well, let ’em glare, I say. When they make America the Beautiful the national anthem, someone let me know, okay? Anyway, the first concert of the fall season is this Saturday, September 11th, and the program will feature “. . . patriotic musical selections . . . appropriate for the occasion.” Sounds like it’s going to be a flag-waving glare-fest, and I want no part of it. Number one, I don’t have to prove my patriotism to anyone. Number two, I don’t have to sign anyone’s loyalty oath, and that’s what this concert will amount to.