CRANKY IN THE MIDDLE - Issue 9

CRANKY IN THE MIDDLE: OBSERVATIONS FROM ST. JOHN, KANSAS
Volume 1 - Issue 9 - November10, 2006

RELEASE THE HOUNDS---OWWWWWW!
If you remember your history……..yea, I realize most of you slept through the class, you will remember the Reign of Terror, as it was called…….and for good reason, during the French Revolution.
I know, I know……we American’s seem to have a resentment of a sort against the French………I say get over it, besides French toast was not invented by the French.
When the USA staged their little rebellion over grievances with King George, the French helped a little……they were a midwife so to speak, and without their assistance we probably would be having tea and crumpets, curtsying and giving bows to the queen.
They got the idea for their revolution from our revolution, only they went over to the dark side, just a bit….chopping everybody’s head off no matter what. Our revolution was a picnic compared to theirs.
As the results of our midterm elections become clearer, let’s hope we can be just a smidgen more restrained than the French were when dealing with the minority that was formally the majority. I really like to see a good old butt kicking once in a while, when it’s deserved, but not a blood bath. This country’s got a lot bigger fish to fry……….we can fry the minnows at our leisure.

“You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.” --- Indira Gandhi

WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW….WE’RE FOOTING THE BILL
Sergeant Friday always said, “Just the facts, ma’am”. I generally don’t want to know the subplot, just the meat and taters, but you can’t ignore the not so distant rumblings and wonder if the local folk are getting a little restless about the 800 lb. gorilla setting in their living rooms.
It has been said that a rising tide lifts all boats………the majority of people feel like their boat is at Kanopolis. Could it be we’ve been let down again by those we trusted?
We all know there would be less trouble, if those elected just did their flippin jobs…its not rocket science, but I’m beginning to think its mental illness. Approximately 37% of the American population has some form of mental illness……our president’s approval ratings are 37%……..coincidence? You tell me.
Scandal is never pretty, but it’s all around us, on EVERY level of government, and I am sure when the perverbial ka-ka hit’s the fan……..we’ll find out….patience grasshopper.

“To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.” --- Elbert Hubbard

MORE NEWS ABOUT MY FAVORITE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON
I was amused to read that Reuters editor, Joe Maguire was fired after Reuters read the galley’s of his book entitled, Brainless: The Lies and Lunacy of Ann Coulter.
Maguire’s bosses at Reuters gave the OK for him to write the book and even knew what the title was…what kind of a book did they expect?
Maguire, wrote his book in response to Coulter’s book, Godless: The Church of Liberalism. That’s the book where she takes the 9/11 widow’s to task for being happy that their husband’s are dead.
Another book out there called Soul-Less, (can’t remember the full title), written by another person, takes Ann to task for being a soul-less, heartless grinch.
I’m sure before it’s over, we’re going to see other books about Ann with titles called; Clueless, Spineless, Blond-Less, Childless, Husbandless, Boob-Less, etc. It’s on it’s way to becoming the next Nancy Drew series.

“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.”
--- Albert Einstein

I’M A CITIZEN, HOW ABOUT MY CONCERNS?
The wild and crazy antics exhibited by Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Ma-mood Ahh-ma-deen-a-jawd), (I just love hearing people on TV trying to pronounce his name), have got to make you wonder what’s in the water over there… and wonder who makes those suits he wears. I personally think he’s crazier than a bed bug, but it could be that he’s got the guts of a government mule because Halliburton’s off- shore operations in the Cayman Islands have been selling Iran the stuff that nuclear dreams are made of for years now. That’s not right or ethical ………..but it is perfectly legal.

FYI
The American Society of Civil Engineers last year graded the nation a “D” for its overall infrastructure conditions, estimating that it would take 1.6 trillion dollars over five years to fix the problem.

“It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have these three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience and the prudence to practice neither.”
--- Mark Twain