What's what?

It appears to me that no one at the moment seems to know what is what. There are many tons of food sent by Britain to feed those in need in New Orleans and environs but it is going to be incinerated. Why? Because the Food and Drug Administration has decided (somehow) that it is not edible. This is the same food that is fed to British troops and while it may be Army rations it is certainly better than starving (well, maybe not for some of the starving). American bureaucracy in action. There seems to be absolutely no end to this unbelievable incompetence.

I had the usual monthly misfortune of attending the monthly meeting of the Democrats here where I live. Remember now, this is a small town. So during the discussion of who should become the next Chairman of our local party I learned from one older lady that the only real Democrats were those who either voted for Franklin D. Roosevelt or could remember the great depression. I resisted the temptation to point out to her that by that criterion she and I would alone qualify. Another participant suggested that only people who were born and raised here would really understand the situation and know where to get the votes. This would eliminate the above lady and I as she has only lived here for some years and originally came from New York, and I have only lived here for fifteen years, but was born and raised in another town about one hundred miles away.

It was also suggested during this meeting that if you really wanted to win votes you would have to avoid such terms as "burbot," "grizzly bears," "caribou," and "Long Canyon," as these were "trigger words" that would alienate voters. That is, those who wanted to pursue the survival of the burbot (otherwise known as ling cod), grizzly bears, caribou, or Long Canyon obviously were out of the main stream of local culture and should be shunned. People who want to preserve such places and species are known either as environmentalists or conservationists (it is not clear here what the difference is, if any). But the same person who wants to eliminate the trigger words and cater to those voters is willing to support our Democratic Candidate for Governor who is a known Conservationist. So figure.

Actually, I loathe and detest meetings of any kind. I only attend to lend support to my wife who is one of the candidates for Chairman (although I tried desperately to talk her out of this). I am absolutely convinced that every meeting I have attended throughout my (quite long) lifetime has been essentially the same. There is always the nit-picker who loves the sound of his or her own voice. There are always those who have to put in their two cents worth even though their two cents worth isn't worth anything. There is always someone who insists we are not following the proper rules and regulations for meetings. And there is also the ubiquitous practice of establishing committees to deal with issues that will therefore disappear in a absolute miasma of neglect. Committees are the answer to all questions that cannot be answered simply and directly. Anyway, we are going to have another meeting in two weeks to settle this monumental decision that could have been (and probably was) decided within the first five minutes of the previous meeting. I just love politics, don't you?