Jun. 16, 2004 - 19:11 MDT

THW WONDERING JEW

Slam On Wry

Days come and days go in endless succession, some good, some bad and some just there. So it is with me.

But, as days go by a ray of spiritual sunshine shows through now and then.

Not to mention of course the support and encouragement we get from friends on the net -- people, many of them who have been on quite similar routes have good words to say to us about coping.

Today the weather was cool, gloomy and rainy but had little effect on me, suprisingly. This is one of the days that lead me to think perhaps I have coped enough and deserve a short break. Not to feel guilty about but just be happy for a minute or two for once.

However, I do worry about our country. A place where some folks say, "Hell, they are our enemy and deserve torture." Where some government legal eagles came up with that, already - - - - that people are buying that amazes me. 'Tain't the way it used to be here -- definitely. Have we suddenly gone postal ? Geneva Convention be damned ? What gives ?

I haven't seen it in the papers yet, perhaps tomorrow. Heather tells me she heard on TV today that George W. Bush says that Michael Moore's latest film -- ? Fahrenheit 9/11 is it ? Should be CENSORED. I guess I hope that Heather misunderstood, or has our "Patriot Act" (In one form or another), "Homeland Security," "Mission Accomplished" president been thinking of being a dictator ?

So now torture and censorship are a tad closer because of the pushing of us by the top dogs and the gullibility of those of us easily led ?

Of course a panacea for this man in my shoes is the comic section of our paper. One of my favorites is Noodles -- he is about my age and disposition. Two days - first four panels of his saga herewith. Pickles sitting in his armchair reading a newspaper, with a TWEEEEE sound above his head. His daughter, on the arm of his chair, in a normal voice says, "Dad." Next panel, the TWEEEEE sound still there, his daughter in a louder voice says, "Your hearing aid is whistling." He looks up and comes out with, "Say what ?" Next panel, The TWEEEEEE still there. Louder yet his daughter says, "I SAID YOUR HEARING AID IS WHISTLING !!" The last panel the TWEEEEEEEE sound is still there and Pickles says, "Sorry, I can't hear you. My hearing aid is whistling."

Tickles my funny bone as my hearing aid has a bad habit of whistling, sometimes in a frequency I cannot hear. Now back to Pickles today, First panel Daughter tells her Mom, "Dad's hearing aid is whistling." With the TWEEEE still there, her Mom says, "I know." Next panel TWEEEE still there and daughter says, "Why doesn't he adjust it so it doesn't whistle ?" Next panel with the TWEEEE still there, Mom says, "He likes it that way." Daughter asks, "He does ? Why ?" Last panel Mom says, "It keeps the cats away from him."

Another of my favorites is the cantankerous school bus driver "Crankshaft" whose personality and mine parallel a bit.

One I have been reading since it recently showed up in our paper is RUDY PARK, a zany opinionated strip that has had Ashcroft under a table in the coffee shop where Rudy works. Today's strip features an old man with a big mouth shouting through a bull horn into a microphone, "Today on the O'Mort Factor: Commentary on the atrocities in the Iraqi Prison." Next panel he continues, "U.S. guards forced male prisoners to simulate sex acts, undressed them, tied them up and attacked them with dogs." Next panel he says further, "I'm just glad we don't allow gays in the military." And the last panel, "We wouldn't want our troops doing anything perverse or immoral." Rudy sitting at the counter thinking, "My brain hurts."

Hilarious in itself to me because the O'Mort guy is so much like I am, sounding off on things he really knows nothing about, at the top of his voice !

Inane amusement perhaps, but I enjoy the Slam On Wry . . . . . . . . . .

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