Let's Not Be Stupid

Since not one single, solitary thing lit my fuse this week, let’s talk about all the minor annoyances that buzz just below the radar.

Can "Oh, SNAP!" go away now? I was sick of it before it even caught on.

A new report states that President George W. Bush’s approval rating is at an all time low. These come on a weekly basis now. Associated Press says, "On issues, Bush's approval rating declined from 39 percent to 36 percent for his handling of domestic affairs and from 47 percent to 43 percent on foreign policy and terrorism. His approval ratings for dealing with the economy and Iraq held steady, but still hovered around 40 percent.”

To put this in perspective: Clinton hovered around 60 percent during his second term when he was getting his winky whacked. I would like to say even during that embarrassing Lewinsky debacle his approval didn't drop as low, but that would require research. So, I'm not saying it with any certainty other than I sure would like it to be true.

I’ll say this only once: Bush doesn’t care. He doesn’t care how low his approval rating slips. He doesn’t care how bad he screws up this country’s economics or how many people dipped below the poverty level during his term. He doesn’t care how the United States of America appears to the world. By choice, he lives in a little bubble, surrounded by people who tell him only what he wants to hear. He has no clue what’s going on outside that bubble nor has he shown any interest in knowing. He’s out to do his own thing, make as much money as he can for himself and his friends and then fuck off into retirement on his ranch where he can stay in his bubble, believing he was a great president.

This is the hell we made for ourselves in the last elections. We have to live with it. We know he sucks. We know we don’t like our President. Stop reporting about it. Go in there and clip off the motherfucker’s balls for violating Constitutional rights. Steamroll over anyone in Congress that isn’t doing the same.

And here’s a clue for you, Upper-to-Middle-Class White America: if you’re scared (when aren’t you?) that your children will be someone’s prey, why don’t you teach them what the fuck to look out for instead of trying to shut down websites like MySpace.com? Okay, okay, no one’s tried to shut it down yet, but give it time. It’s coming.

I think the word “predator” needs to be applied to human behavior far more often than it is. Even when we catch a Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer, the word “predator” goes missing under the “serial killer” label. The simple fact is humans like to hunt. Whether it’s hunting for a bargain or stalking for a good seat at the sports stadium or rummaging for food, we’ve spent millennium as hunters. That instinct isn’t going to go away because we have cars, television and the Internet.

Teach them what to look for and what to watch for when dealing to people. Yeah, don’t get into a stranger’s car is a good place to start, but warn them about flattery and gifts (because that creepy cousin isn't exactly a stranger, is he?). Teach them that sometimes their need for approval may put them in contact with people who would get off on hurting them physically and emotionally. This isn’t the stuff from which to shelter your children.

Something you can protect from them from: tentacle porn.

Screw journalistic integrity and website authenticity; I’m right and everyone else is wrong. John Stewart was too hip for the room at the Oscars. If you can’t laugh at yourself, Hollywood, how can anyone take you seriously?

That’s about it for this week. The Sopranos starts their final season on Sunday. Let’s all cheer for the return of flawless television again.