Avoiding work

Since I rebuilt my computer last fall, I have slowly rebuilt my blog list. I don't know how I stopped reading slacktivist but I did. Today he has a great bit on the whole "eye of a needle" passage in the Bible and how American Christians have been taught that it doesn't actually mean a needle, but a narrow door that a camel really could get through if necessary. See, being wealthy is fine. The Bible shouldn't be taken so literally anyway, right? :)

*****

I watched part of the Oscars the other night. Jon Stewart did fine, and I was mildly interested in the best picture race. As Pandagon noted, the right wing hated all of these films. Promoting gays, talking about race, and as evidently Gary Bauer put it, the media watchdog. Talking about race is bad? Evidently. When Gary Bauer and the other right wingers speak out against something, it makes me want to go see all of these films.

Anyway, back to Jon Stewart. I think he is a genuinely funny man. Here he talks with Larry King about Bush:

"KING: ...Bush 34 percent, lowest rating he's ever had and Cheney 18 percent.

STEWART: The 18 percent thing is you really have to think of this in -- let's look at this just purely statistically. Four out of five dentists surveyed recommend sugarless gum for their patients who chew gum. So, there is one out of five dentists who say 'You chew gum? Ah, why not put sugar in it?' These are not the best dentists, OK that's 20 percent. He's not even getting all the dentists who recommend sugared gum. That's low. I think Dracula has a higher Q rating right now than the vice president."

Funny. And, for the record, I can't stand Larry King. You will see why. Anyway, Jon's political humor is better because he really, genuinely cares about these issues. He is a smart guy who really wants to see better government.

From the same transcript:

"KING: So, in a sense you're happy over this.

STEWART: No.

KING: This gives you fodder.

STEWART: Yes, I prefer not the fodder. I'm not -- we're not the guys at the craps table betting against the line. I would -- we'd make fun of something else. If public life, if government suddenly became inspiring and moved towards people's better nature and began to solve problems in a rational way rather than just a way that involved political dividends, we would be the happiest people in the world to turn our attention to idiots like, you know, media people, no offense.

KING: So, you don't want it to be bad?

STEWART: Did you really just ask me if I want it to be bad?

KING: Yes because you...

STEWART: What are you -- I have kids what do you think? Yes, I don't want them to have any kind of a -- I want things to corrode to the point where we're all living in huts.

KING: Not all living in huts but generally comics political comics like things to go a little wrong, don't have to be the end of the world.



KING: You don't want Medicare to fail?

STEWART: Are you insane?

KING: No.

STEWART: You're literally asking me if I would prefer -- yes, Larry, what I'm saying to you as a comedian I want old people to suffer, old and poor people to suffer.

I particularly like how Stewart really called King an idiot and then insane all in the same exchange. Liberals like Jon because he is passionate about this. He is truly horrified by what this administration has done to our country, and unlike the rest of us, is able to make fun of it. Or he would weep uncontrollably, I suspect.

Ok, ok. Back to work.