Alarming News: I like Morgan Freeberg. A lot.
American Digest: And I like this from "The Blog That Nobody Reads", because it is -- mostly -- about me. What can I say? I'm on an ego trip today. It won't last.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: We were following a trackback and thinking "hmmm... this is a bloody excellent post!", and then we realized that it was just part III of, well, three...Damn. I wish I'd written those.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: ...I just remembered that I found a new blog a short while ago, House of Eratosthenes, that I really like. I like his common sense approach and his curiosity when it comes to why people believe what they believe rather than just what they believe.
Brutally Honest: Morgan Freeberg is brilliant.
Dr. Melissa Clouthier: Morgan Freeberg at House of Eratosthenes (pftthats a mouthful) honors big boned women in skimpy clothing. The picture there is priceless--keep scrolling down.
Exile in Portales: Via Gerard: Morgan Freeberg, a guy with a lot to say. And he speaks The Truth...and it's fascinating stuff. Worth a read, or three. Or six.
Just Muttering: Two nice pieces at House of Eratosthenes, one about a perhaps unintended effect of the Enron mess, and one on the Gore-y environ-movie.
Mein Blogovault: Make "the Blog that No One Reads" one of your daily reads.
The Virginian: I know this post will offend some people, but the author makes some good points.
Poetic Justice: Cletus! Ah gots a laiv one fer yew...
Both, I say.
Blogger friend Buck was threatened by a neighbor. Didn’t realize until he was neck-deep, what anguish might ensue from a casual day of video-ing.
This is the age in which we live; the paradox of our time. Public things are now private, and private things are now public. Kids retreating into a world in which they listen to their private stash o’ tunes…that is now a public thing, since they want you to notice they’re doing it on a true, genuine iPod-whatever. Even as they ignore you.
On the other hand, if you’re a nice-lookin’ girl at Mardi Gras, it’s perfectly acceptable to flash your pink puppies around…even obligatory, if all the other gals are doing it. But then you should have complete control over whatever videocams or Kodak-disposables happen to take in the sights you’ve now made public. Just show some angst, and it isn’t public anymore.
Decorum. Discretion. The presumption that, whatever you put on display, will by the next morning be splashed across the New York Times (or, to make the analogy more current, whatever thing people nowadays actually read). Controlling whatever is actually under your control…which is what people are capable of seeing.
Whatever happened to it, I wonder? Nowadays, it seems people do as they like, and then if someone might possibly make a record out of it they think it’s somehow appropriate to go camera-chasing.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Seems like a nice guy, this Buck. But he shouldn’t have let two angry strangers into his house. Also, if you think there’s gonna be trouble, grab your pistol, and don’t be afraid to use it. I know I’m armchair quarterbacking, but that whole thing would have gone down very differently at my house…
- sanskara | 03/27/2009 @ 12:41Morgan, what happened to Buck really bothered me. I don’t think his neighbor’s visit had anything to do with privacy vs. public consumption – it had to do with over-stoked fears of child molestation. People see perverts behind the most innocent actions and every man is a target nowadays. Y’all are presumed guilty by virtue of your sex.
I wrote a little something about it on my blog, go have a read.
- Daphne | 03/27/2009 @ 17:48sanskara: Believe me… I’ve replayed this incident over and over and over in my mind and numerous alternative scenarios present themselves. However, it is what it is… and remains so. My initial reaction was to remain calm and TRY to introduce some rationality into what was an irrational event. Thank God that worked out.
And I AM a nice guy. 😉
Daphne: Your piece was REALLY good, as I noted at your place.
And thanks for the linky-lurve, Morgan.
- bpenni | 03/27/2009 @ 20:32Buck, you are an idiot. After reading about your decision to let two hostile strangers into your RV, I’m even more confident that I was arguing with a complete jackass during our chat drugs last week.
I would have told these strangers where they could go, and driven off. End of story.
- cylarz | 03/27/2009 @ 22:03Buck, I’m glad you’re still with us, and in one piece.
What I suspect about all the tough guys commenting here is that (a) they’ve never lived in a tin box in a trailer court, and (b) they really don’t know what’s meant by the term “Speed Kills.”
I just got stuck in a like scenario for 3 years: oldest guy around, endlessly reasonable, physically crippled up, etc, etc. Even though I kept a loaded gun handy, nothing yet has ever felt as vulnerable as living in something that can be cracked with a screwdriver, any night any day. And even though I’ve already seen a lot more stuff than I ever intended to, I just got a real education about methamphetamine. Brrr.
Take good care of yourself, brother, and stay in condition yellow at all times.
- rob | 03/27/2009 @ 22:26cylarz: I would have told these strangers where they could go, and driven off. End of story.
Gee… thanks for the advice, cylarz. Since you seem to have a much better grasp of MY reality than I do, perhaps you’d consider giving me your phone number? I could give you a call and solicit your advice if ever I find myself in another situation that requires quick thinking and instant analysis to defuse a potentially explosive situation.
It simply didn’t occur to me that I could disconnect my shore power, water line, external propane tank, cable and internet connections… stow all that connectivity stuff… then retract the slide-out (along with various other things to get the coach road-ready), start up the RV and just driven off, leaving my car and bike behind. Or, alternatively, I could have taken the time to load the car and bike on the car-hauler and hooked it up to the RV, too… and made a CLEAN get-away. That wouldn’t have taken more than an additional hour, at the most. Yeah, that might have worked. You REALLY are clue-free, aren’t you?
Twit.
Take good care of yourself, brother, and stay in condition yellow at all times.
Thanks for your comment, rob. I’ve lived in this RV/trailer park for over six years now and this is the first example of weirdness I’ve encountered. I hope it’s the last, but I AM alert.
- bpenni | 03/28/2009 @ 01:28