We should not write so that it is possible for the reader to understand us,
but so that it is impossible for him to misunderstand us.
-- Quintilian (Marcus Fabius Quintilianus), rhetorician (c. 35-100) --
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There was a huge explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant last night, at about 8 pm. Authorities predict between five and fifteen dead and more than 160 injured, but they're still pulling people out of wreckage, so those numbers could go much higher. The ones they are sure died are firefighters and a police officer. It's a small town, and a large part of the town was flattened by the blast, including a nursing home. So far, it is believed to be a chemical accident.
I shall wait to see if there is a big national fund set up for the injured and families of the dead, the people who lost their homes and possessions. I shall watch for biographies of victims. I shall wait for the politicians and their speeches. Will there be people praying all over the nation?
I shall wait for someone to explain how a hurricane or a bomb attack is more terrible than an accident. It isn't to the people involved.
Story at http://entertainment.verizon.com/news/read.php?rip_id=%3CDA5NSA5G0%40news.ap.org%3E&ps=931&page=1. (And what a slap that Verizon put this under "entertainment".)
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Later: I turned on the TV at noon to see if they had better info, and found the entire newscast was about a memorial service for Boston. If I lived in that little Texas town, I'd feel very ... snubbed.
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On Holy Thursday, before Easter, the Pope went to a youth detention center and washed the feet of young prisoners, both male and female. The washing of feet by the pope, usually those of other priests, is a Holy Thursday tradition. The washing of female feet most certainly is not, and many church traditionalists were horrified and angered. Like spitting-mad.
Ok, ladies. How does that make you feel?
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I spent some time one late evening wandering around "Dumb Political Quotes"-type sites, and I discovered something odd. Members of one party seem very prone to really ridiculous statements, while members of the other party sometimes says things that that pretty stupid. The difference is that the first party is prone to declarations demonstrating a complete lack of knowledge and logic, while the other party just gets names wrong, or uses the wrong word or terms offensive to the audience.
For example, we have these from Dan Quayle:
"Mars is essentially in the same orbit . . . Mars is somewhat the same distance from the Sun, which is very important. We have seen pictures where there are canals, we believe, and water. If there is water, that means there is oxygen. If oxygen, that means we can breathe."
"The Holocaust was an obscene period in our nation's history. I mean in this century's history. But we all lived in this century. I didn't live in this century."
"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."
Not a simple slip of the lip. The first one is stunning, literally.
I could fill this page with Bush-isms of the same amazing quality. Palin, anyone?
When you look at stupid quotes from the other party, there's very little to be found, and those that exist are just things like calling a female reporter "Sweetie", or getting a town or person's name or a country's language wrong. Or trying out a German phrase and calling yourself a sweet roll. Obama's worst stupid statement seems to be referring to the 58 states. That's not so hard to understand. His mind runs ahead of his mouth. He was probably thinking of the 48 contiguous states, so it came out 58 (actually, "57 and one more to go"). Big deal. A far cry from a Mars atmosphere, or the impossibility of pregnancy from rape.
Am I biased? Well, I know I'm biased, but I mean is my bias coloring what I observed? Or DOES one party tend to promote their most stupid people?
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I have discovered Susie Sampson and her Tea Party Report videos. They're funny. Susie, in the guise of a conservative reporter, comes off with some real zingers. Try this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjshdQc5cjg&list=UU1J66cMCW46dOueINxNbFtw, or this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aRDaSPuGKE&list=UU1J66cMCW46dOueINxNbFtw.
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