.
Feedback

The Art of Thinking out Loud

Thinking is most definitely not an art. In one of those rare instances where art imitates life, random thoughts are sometimes welcomed. With straight jackets.

Life gave me lemons. Again.

But I had it with Life. So I delivered a swift Daniel-san crane kick in the general vicinity of what vivisectionists in biology textbooks grimacingly refer to as The Groin, and...

“Down goes Life! Down goes Life!” yodeled Howard Cosell. Or maybe that was just me pretending that I heard Howard.

Well, as I watched the lemons and two other un-lemony objects roll down the hill, I wondered if Life felt any shame. All these years, lemon after lemon, and me making lemonade, Life never got a clue that what I really wanted was a lime. A lime and a styptic pencil.

Tequila and lime. Key lime pie. Lime margarita stirred with a styptic pencil. Hello?

But then I realized, maybe I am not like everyone else who just loves lemonade. The Wife still thinks I am a bit of a misanthrope, in that I do not care much for humans. Or lemonade.

Of course, that is so not true. I do not care much for animals either. I see every dog as The Resurrection of Cujo, and cats, well, “A cat,” as a Dan Aykroyd character once said, “is just an effeminate dog!”

If Spock was a novice at three-dimensional chess, why couldn’t Kirk master Curling?

I think of odd things. Or maybe not. Perhaps you have thought of them too, but all that means is you are odd too.

Like why George Reeves, who played Superman back when it meant something, stood unflinchingly tall when some villain fired six bullets into his chest, but then ducked when the villain in his infinite wisdom and what is known in the trade as a “Hail Mary” throws the gun at him.

Could Bruce Lee have taken on Ba Ba Wa Wa? How about Ba Ba Wa Wa and Ed Schultz?

What would Baby Dracula do to combat global warming, IF it turns out that the actor who played Hoss was actually older than the one who played Ben, his dad?

Big if, eh? (The Editor would not permit a bigger if, sorry!)

Is a “dog eat dog world” necessarily cannibalistic? If not, do rocks ever say “human fickle?”

Why is it that anytime someone mentions Einstein, the Pavlovian response is “Oh yeah, E=mc², right?” as if that explains everything!

Also, why do bakers get their own dozen? Just so that they can ruin “six of one, half a dozen of the other" for everyone else?

Does Keynesian macroeconomics really illustrate the Fallacy of Composition, or is that just an urban legend?

While I’ll never get to see Dean Martin star in a blockbuster as Dean Martin, is it too much to ask for a critically acclaimed box-office flop starring Tom Cruise as Tom Cruise? Or Tom Cruise as Dean Martin, even?

Wait, I got it, how about Bruce Lee taking on Ba Ba Wa Wa and Ed Schultz but in a martial arts fight?

Are soda manufacturers involved in a secret Tasmanian plot to convert us all to the metric system? It certainly appears so given that they sell 2 liter bottles. and not 67.628 oz bottles. Something’s really fishy there! You then factor in the fact that most countdowns start at 10, and go 9.8.7.6... and it becomes intuitively obvious.

Did Josephine suffer from a Napoleonic complex as well, and if she did, does it mean that it is a communicable disease?

I am bitter that no one ever asked me “Have you paid your dues, Shri?” Because I once saw this movie Big Trouble in Little China, and memorized the perfect comeback.

"Have ya paid your dues, Shri?"
"Yessir, the check is in the mail."

If Batman visited you, would you offer him lemonade, or tequila? Tequila, right?

As you might have guessed by now, I am angry at Akira Kurosawa, too.

“Akira who?” you ask.

Akira Kurosawa, the renowned Japanese director of "Dreams" and "Ran" fame. He should have made one more movie. A movie in which he illustrates how to wound yourself with a rusty spoon. In agonizing detail, with subtitles for those who normally miss subtleties. Then, instead of trying to avoid engaging my frenemies in meaningful discussions, I could simply ask them to watch that movie.

Then I’d get to rub salt in those wounds.

Aleve or Tylenol? Or wait, maybe Advil. No, no, just an aspirin perhaps. Oh heck with it, this intricate decision process is giving me a nasty headache!

Since we all long for the “good old days,” should we resurrect the Indiana Pi Bill?

I am having enough problems dealing with Life. But should we really “leave well enough alone?” Isn’t it hubris to think that something is perfect? For example, consider the Heimlich maneuver. Wouldn’t a swift punch to the gut be more satisfying?

If Bizarro Superman visited your neighbor, would you offer him fake lemonade, or fake tequila? Fake lemonade, right? Since fake lemonade is tequila.

Oh wait, the London Olympics are on and what is this? Surely this is a joke! Mary Poppins is taking on Voldemort?

GO VOLDEMORT! (I always root for the underdog.)

Harry Potter, you are next. Life, trust me, you want none of this.

Newsletter & Alerts

Get the best stories each day and important breaking news

Subscribe

Not from Mission Viejo Patch? Find your Local Patch »

Loading comments ...
Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Peter Schelden (Editor) May 22, 2013 at 03:23 pm
Here's that story, Cathy (with a few tidbits you won't find in the Register's story, like where theRead More teen's vehicle was last seen): http://missionviejo.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/shooting-17yearold-trabuco-canyon-boy-with-handgun-sought
Shripathi Kamath May 22, 2013 at 03:09 pm
I guess Patch.com will be issuing a refund.
Dan Avery May 22, 2013 at 02:48 pm
I was referring to the fact that the link leads to a clip from Pete Seegar's show; he joins SonnyRead More Terry and Brownie McGhee in "Key To The Highway." The harp work alone you'll never see the likes of on TV these days.
Shripathi Kamath May 22, 2013 at 02:37 pm
Modern TV has moved to cable. Still, there are the occasional shows like "House MD" orRead More "Elementary" that work well. "The Big Bang Theory" is waaaay better than "Three's Company" Anything is better than "The Love Boat" Or are you nostalgic for "Bonanza" where the dad looks 55, and his three sons about 48? Reality shows are just ways of pissing off more people who think "Well, I can do that!" or "Look at those fake housewives!"
Dan Avery May 22, 2013 at 11:06 am
Hi Charlie, So McDonald's sold it. That was hardly the point of the piece was it? And I wasn'tRead More bashing Chipotle, Charlie, I was bashing our collective notion that education is about "getting a better job." I was bashing our total disrespect for education and educators. The last thing we need to do it bash their unions. We need to take a look at the leadership of the union but the vehicle of the union is all that stands between us and corporate greed.
Shripathi Kamath May 22, 2013 at 10:16 am
In what respect, Charlie?
Charlie Woodward May 21, 2013 at 03:09 pm
Dan, I read your blog about the Free Burrito for Teachers. I happen to support Chipotle, and ownRead More stock in them. One thing you need to research. THEY ARE NOT OWNED BY MCDONALDS ANYMORE!!! As I do agree, teachers are under paid, but offering something like Chipotle did is great. I think we need to bash their unions instead of great companies like Chipotle who are just offering a benefit.
Peter Schelden (Editor) May 21, 2013 at 11:45 am
Now wait a second—UV exposure causes skin cancer, and sunscreen prevents UV exposure, right?Read More And so what if the neighborhood hounds tend to give you a little extra attention while you're wearing it? It's a small price to pay I'd say.
Michelle Pike May 20, 2013 at 09:25 am
I know where they should be issuing speeding tickets: Marguerite Pkwy. between Crown Valley andRead More Avery Parkway between 6:10 and 6:25 a.m. Tuesday through Friday. Teens are frantically rushing to get to CVHS upper lot before it gets full. Every morning I see kids running red lights, speeding and weaving in and out of traffic with no regard for anyone else.
KH May 18, 2013 at 01:48 pm
The MV motorcycle cops are all over the place. I'd like to know the number of traffic citationsRead More issued in MV versus our other neighboring cities.
S L S May 18, 2013 at 07:53 am
Why are all the Motorcycle cops in MV OVERWEIGHT???
Peter Schelden (Editor) May 17, 2013 at 12:38 pm
I've got some good news for the Mission Viejo Patch Whiners (®). It seems we're still migratingRead More a lot of the old content onto the new site. Expect to see videos repopulated soon, and I believe comments as well.
Dan Avery May 17, 2013 at 08:12 am
They are coming for the Johns now. DA Ruckysuckyducky has a new "shaming" program. I'mRead More sure it will work and prostitution will no longer be a curse upon the land...I mean, after all, the War on Drugs was a rollicking success!
Panglonymous May 16, 2013 at 01:54 pm
That rings true, don't it: the 'flat spot' in an ongoing trend that will sometime soon go on. Eat,Read More drink and be, Mary, for tomorrow... a new interface will be introduced that strips hyperlinks, videos and comments from your bloggos and puts history out with the dogs. (whiiiiinnnnnnne)
Dan Avery May 16, 2013 at 09:46 am
There is a reason why sites like Patch 2.0 don't look good on Shripathi's Kindle-whatever screen,Read More but these sites do look great on the iPhone in Portrait for Landscape view. I'll be writing a post about that. If you're a business owner with a web site, you need to understand the reason in order to save money on your site.
Shripathi Kamath May 14, 2013 at 08:59 pm
The Bible also tells us that there were magicians who filled Egypt with blood, just like YahwehRead More helped Moses do. As to why magicians would fill the Nile (drinking supply), and their own country with blood, and stink it all up just to put Yahweh in his place is anyone's guess. Maybe this psychic can ask one of those magicians and let us know.
Ken Lopez May 11, 2013 at 10:45 pm
The bible tells us to flee the occult.
Dan Avery May 11, 2013 at 04:39 pm
I talk to dead people all the time. My mom, dad, grandma, sister, and so on. It's when you startRead More claiming they talk back that you've crossed the line into hucksterism.
Sarah Bardowell May 21, 2013 at 08:16 pm
My sister has cancer. Thank you for you concern on her well-being.
Shripathi Kamath May 14, 2013 at 11:09 pm
How much did they make when creating the facade of supporting the First Amendment, but accommodatingRead More homophobia?