TANGLED

I really want to like our Prez. I went through 4 dreadful years with Jimmy Carter at the helm. Eight, yep, eight more of Clinton. I personally saw the lack of respect for him and the US in several different countries back then.

And I'm afraid it's worse than the combined Carter/ Clinton years. I struggle because I know that we are supposed to support and accept whom God has placed in charge. While followers of Jesus and children of God are called saints, I'm afraid that I'm merely a pre-pubiescent in some of my thoughts and feelings which I'll share.

For instance, in the Quran, Buraq is the name of the Prophet Mohammed's supernatural horse. Now Buraq and Barack are mighty close if not identical. Even the Quran has several different spellings. Now before you start thinking me Glenn Beck or Sean Hannity, I'd prefer you think me more like Bill O'Reilly, I'll go no farther than to point out the similarity. I'll also reveal my source, since that seems to be so essential to the NBC people and CNN. My source for Buraq is none other than noted liberal author John Updike in his novel The Terrorist.

It could merely be coincidental or just the bad choice by a parent. Like one of Updike's characters from that novel who had the name Tylenol. Actually, I'm much more concerned with his policies than his name.

This entry was the result of his UN speech where he was leveling the US with other countries. I happen to know that we live in the best country. I don't want equality with the rest of the world. I want what our country has always represented and fought hard to earn--superiority.

Got that Buraq? (Oh, now I've done it: I'm not even a pre-pube.)

MAD AS A BIRD

What kind of simile is that? But I don't know as though I've seen an angrier looking bird than the one pictured. I made a bird very angry at the St. Lou Zoo once, but that's another story.

So what angers On The QT today? People who talk with food in their mouths. It's getting worse.

When I was surfing channels last week, I stopped when I saw Tyra (like Oprah, she only uses one name now) eating with chopsticks. I spent two weeks in the Orient (do they still call it that?) and never really got the hang, so when someone is using them, I try to observe how to handle the dang things. I also wonder why, when forks can load up the food much easier. Well, at one time the chopsticks, at least the pewter kind, could indicate if the food was unspoiled, but like the Zoo, that's another story.

Pardon the long digression. So Tyra's eating the Chinese or Thai food and talking to Ryan Seacrest. She shovels it in, at least how much one can shovel from chopsticks, and starts talking. The viewers can see the morsels as she talks. So Seacrest takes a bite. Same thing. I see food all in his mouth as he talks to her. Disgusting.

I was very small when I was told not to talk with food in my mouth. I guess they weren't. But I seem to be seeing it more all the time. So please take advice from this little bird: don't do it. And avoid chopsticks. If you're in that big a hurry to talk, then eat with a fork--it'll go a lot faster and then you don't have to gross us out.

CAUTION: THIS CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE

Ok, so why the caution? I was around four adults for over half the day today. I didn't hear any language that would be unsuitable for any age children to hear. The same yesterday. And the day before.

So I'm starting to get a little offended by the warning. Am I less of an adult if I don't use inappropriate language? I'm not implying I don't ever use language that I regret. Unfortunately, I do. But if I knew a camera was rolling, I certainly wouldn't. It is a real peeve of mine to see those being interviewed to use expletives purposely. They appear to think it cool nowing they will be bleeped.

The same with athletes. Do they not know that they are being watched very closely? That lots and lots of us can and do read their lips. Tiger, are you reading this? What about you Fred Couples? And a plethora of baseball players.

To me, it's not really adult language. Maybe it should caution about immature language. Yeah, I like that a lot better. I remember in school when we learned to spell the word but; I thought that was so funny. Even though what I was laughing about was spelled differently. But I was a child, an immature one at that.

So let's do it--immature language. There's nothing very adult about cursing or using gutter language.

WHERE TO WRITE

When Somerset Maugham wrote, and he wrote a lot, he had to have no distractions. In fact, like Ray Bradbury and me (well if no one else will mention me alongside Maugham and Bradbury, then I will), he wrote every day. When on vacation, he would cover whatever windows in the room with blankets.

I think he might like this dingy room pictured. I don't know about Mr. Bradbury, but it wouldn't do for me. In fact, I marvel at those people whose home offices have no good views. Tucked away into windowless rooms, the office is totally unattractive to me. I saw a house one time like that. Huge, wooden office furniture. Wrapped around computer desk and printer, the desk with the more modern keyboard hidden when not in use, all matching. But to me dismal.

This same house had just inside the foyer a game room with a billiard table and two video game machines. All looking out into a mountain top setting.

Now to me, the concentration on the pool and games would diminish any view, making it secondary. But for writing, give me the view for expansion of ideas.

I heard today that some AZ schools no longer teach cursive writing to their young students. Instead, they teach keyboarding. But, you know what? Writing is not going away anytime soon. And, of course, I know writing is perhaps best taught on a computer where cutting and pasting and revising is easy. I used to teach that way in a computer lab.

But as I said, writing the old fashioned way is not likely to go away very quickly. There are too many codgers like me who still crank out some ideas on paper. All we need is a view.

AN ALBINO PEACOCK

I don't know. I know albinos exist in animals as well as humans. Now as far as birds go, well I don't know.

I also don't understand pigment and tanning. Some dark complected people can't tan for squat. Brown eyes, dark brown hair and they are pale no matter how much sun time they log.

Then some blondes have stunning dark tans. Go figure. Our daughter had a friend in junior high, a redhead, who tanned the same color as her hair. Her brother did, too. When you looked at them, they were blended so well that they almost looked ghost-like. That is red ghosts.

Some married folks, at least one of my brother and sister-in-laws tan the same color. She as dark as anyone, he a blonde from near Canada originally. I wonder if they tanned just alike before they were married. Who could know?

As for me, I'm George Hamilton dark. But I wasn't so much as a kid. I used to think I sweated it off playing outside so much in the SoIl sun. But I was under that same sun as an adult swimmer and golfer. So again, go figure.

Albino birds? I don't know, but that peacock got me thinking about tanning on the first day of Autumn. I think I'll take my 15-sunscreened lathered up face outside and catch another ray or two. I don't want George to get ahead of me.

NOW THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT

But first a rage, a vent about computers. Maybe it's the dang heat out here, but my computer is on the fritz and I'm angry about it.

Max Groman from the famous Chinese Theatre in Hollywood really showed showmanship, as well as thinking on his feet. And if you've heard this story, well just chalk it up to my anger.

Norma Shearer, I believe, was the actress' name. She got out of her car or limo, I won't embellish since I don't know, and planted her foot right in some freshly poured concrete at the Chinese Theatre in the 1930's. Max, the entrepreneur, announced that she was the first to have her footprint along with her signature (which he requested on the spot)displayed in concrete in front of his theatre.

Now that is one of the best examples of quick response that I've ever heard of. Plus, look what it did for him. All because of carelessness on Miss Shearer's part and the Groman concrete workers, he like Mary Tyler Moore, took a bad day and turned it into a great one.

Even though it wasn't in Minneapolis.