OD#11--Don't need a Weatherman to know which way the wind blows

Don't need a Weatherman to know which way the wind blows

Well, 1999 is upon us, for good or ill, and as such we need to get some new things out in the open. Pry open the doors which are before us, and see what kind of weirdness we can find there. We will undoubtedly see all sorts of new craziness in the run up to the year 2000 and we will need all sorts of resolve and maybe some strong medication to get through it with any sense of sanity.

If you want some comic relief, just listen to the hours of discussion about the upcoming "Trial of the Century" we will soon have to endure. Never have so many alledgedly intellegent people made fools of themselves as have done so with this little fiasco. It's too amusing for words really. The single most hilarious aspect of the whole affair, for my money, is the great "Larry Flynt angle". Mainstream press is treating Flynt like some sort of bottom feeder, because he is merely taking the concept of "sources" and turning it on its ear. Regardless of what anyone says or thinks, we absolutely have the right to know what our elected officials do in the privacy of their bedrooms, if it's with someone other than their spouse. Especially if that behavior is in conflict with said person's views on morality and values. The difference between Flynt and the rest of the media is the fact he isn't hiding behind such spurious tactics as "un-named sources" and "off the record" reporting. He merely asked if anyone knew something, and was willing to pay well for the information. Not any different than offering a reward for information about a criminal activity. The fact remains, he has the right to report this; if you don't want to know what's said, don't listen.

Winter is upon us in full force these days. In case you got too spoiled by the good old "El Nino" days of the last few years, this is what winter used to be like. If nothing else, it keeps people from getting too comfy with their lives. Winter is a hardship, one that must be endured to get any character building reward out of it. Shoveling snow, scraping ice, and walking gingerly are part of the price of admission for living someplace that is not located in the Sun Belt. I always find amusement when people say how much they hate winter. There's a solution--move. Part of the reason we are softening as a society is that more people live where snow and cold are not part of the lifestyle.

I have to go shovel my sidewalk now. Think warm thoughts. 1