RANDOM GUM THOUGHTS

In today's political column, Washington writer Thomas Sowell gives random thoughts about topics from immigration to income tax forms. When I came across this ad for Dentyne gum (who knew it was Adams Dentyne gum?) I thought maybe I could fill a blog entry with gum thoughts.

I don't chew much gum anymore. It's a pet peeve of my hearing-sensitive wife. It was a small sacrifice to make, but if I still played baseball, I'd have to have bubblegum. No sunflower seeds for me--I'm not that athletic to peel them without use of hands.

In a Dateline tv interview last night, Britaney Spears chewed gum. Maybe the guy just showed up on her doorstep, but I think she probably knew she was going to be on tv. Ditch the gum, please. Sidebar: people got all huffed about letting her child sit in her lap and steer or play steer for awhile while she drove her car. I was more disgusted when I saw footage (pun) of her walking into a roadside public bathroom barefooted.

My oldest niece was so used to Dentyne that she was 7 or 8 before she saw any big sticks of gum. What a loyal Dentyne chewer.

There was once a tree on the campus of Mt. V. T. H. S. where people stuck their used gum It was between A and B Buildings and boasted about 40 discards in an variety of colors. Sure beats the old baseball fields at Strothmann Park where you couldn't go to a game without bringing some back on the bottom of your shoes.

A constant coffee drinking friend of mine used to chew gum as much and when he drank coffee. His coffee breath was not a real pleasant aroma.

"ABC." That was the answer to the question, "Do you have any gum?" Of course, it stood for "already been chewed," and it came with a pointed gesture to the mouth. I've seen people take it from the person and proceed to chew it. Not for me.

Now if I just knew where Dad Gum It came from.