I know, I know, it's cheap and I'm lazy!

But my problem is - no, not that one - that I am expecting visitors and certain tasks must be completed on time lest the wrath of 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' falls "'gainst a head / So old and white as this."  Anyway, it continues the umbrella joke which is rapidly becoming a metaphor for this hopeless, hapless, 'intellectual' president:

I am obliged to Messrs. Hudnall and Lash, of the always interesting 'Big Government' site run by Andrew Breitbart, for providing me with a giggle this morning.

 

Comments

[Dexter VanDango]

This perfectly exhibits the nature of Right Wing humor - witless.

If the leftists at the end of the 1930's had to sheepishly admit that Franco's Nationalists won the war, "..but we had the best songs," they were stating a simple truth.

There is no such thing as Right Wing art, music, humor.. or anything resembling generosity, kindness, beauty or the aspiration for a general betterment of the human condition.

,,as Oscar said, "They know the price of everything and the value of nothing."

[David Duff]

Blimey! You're a bit grumpy this morning, Dexter, hard night last night, was it?

No such thing as Right-wing humour? Try P. J. O'Rourke!
Ditto music? Try Wagner!
Can't speak for artists but Shakespeare was a died-in-the-wool, paid-up member of the petit bourgeoisie with a strong belief in conservatism, albeit with a small 'c'.

And if it's "generosity, kindness, beauty or the aspiration for a general betterment of the human condition" you're after - try me! Well, perhaps not the last two, I admit, but I do drop a penny in the collecting box from time to time and I always stroke my cat!

Also, I have to admit to a strong distrust of people agitating for the "betterment of the human condition" because I rarely find myself agreeing with their definition of 'betterment'!

[Dexter VanDango]

..Shakespeare? Notice how sparse your pantheon is, Dave and how infrequent it expands its initiates? Where's Chaucer? (I knew you'd mention Wagner.. I like his music myself.. but I wouldn't let my sister marry him.)

As for betterment - Conservatives always doubt the motivation of liberals, their own inclination being the conscious or unconscious suspicion that liberals must be lying, for "who could really care about the great unwashed??? It's all a trick to gain power... away from us.."

When asked to offer a vision of a better world, for Conservatives it's always a backward longing for something akin to South Africa circa 1954.

"People are scum and need to be ruled with an iron hand," is always the slogan of the whip holders.

Liberals may often be naive and steamrolled by the Stalins and Maos and Castro's of the world - but their impulses and inclinations are not to blame. It is the opportunists who pervert.

Conservatism can't be perverted as its nature is already opportunistic.

[David Duff]

Well, I'm not sure about South Africa in 1954 but I forecast that South Africa in 2024 will be a very much unhappier place than it was then. Should you doubt, take a look at Zimbabwe which is precisely where South Africa is heading now that they have an out and out 'gangsta' in charge.

And I thought long and hard, well, about 1.75 secs actually, as to whether it would have been better to have lived in South Africa or the Soviet Union in 1954. No contest, really!

(And sorry to be nit-picky but if you could manage 'David' rather than 'Dave'. I am the Founder, the President for Life and so far, alas, the only member, of S.A.D. - the Society Against Diminutives. It is a practice which has spread under the jackboot of American Imperialism, as you Lefties like to think of it, and where-as I welcome almost everything else from 'over there', that habit is not one of them!)

[Dexter VanDango]

Well, I suppose Dave versus Goliath doesn't quite roll off the tongue as well as David.

As to geo-politics in the 1950's, the differences between a life in the salt mines of Siberia and the gold mines of South Africa were no doubt minimal. But at least the Russians let you go home after 20 years..

(..yes.. yes... I know.. employment in the diamond mines was voluntary.. but only in the sense that whites own most and the best farm land.. so the choice was the mines or starvation..)

[David Duff]

"Dave versus Goliath" Love it!

Alas, as for the rest, Dexter, I fear there will be no meeting of minds so I will act the gracious host and leave you the last word.

[JK]

Even though a confirmed "equal opportunity critic of the Left/Right Wings Humor Producers" I'd echo David's assessment of PJ O'Rouke and, unlikely as it might seem on the surface, Ann Coulter. Admittedly, her's at times seems unintentional (at least to her) but I could be wrong about that. She does seem to anticipate the retort and responds appropriately. (Which gives the impression her humor is more sophisticatedly employed - dare I say, tactically employed).

I don't know this qualifies as humor per se, but Mugabe is reverting Zimbabwe's official name back to Rhodesia. Just think on that for a few moments, I discern some essentialist humor in that.

[David Duff]

'JK', are you sure about the Zimbabwe name change? I haven't read about it and I think it would create headlines 'over here'.

[JK]

Just watch your headlines, 'Dave.'

Oh well:

http://radio.nationalreview.com/radioderb/post/?q=NjFjZjU1NDlkODNjM2I4YjgzZjlhZDI2MzE2YmJmYmI=

[JK]

Meanwhile, as I was trying to get further confirmation of the Zimbabwean name-change in a shorter version, I happened upon an enlightening piece of journalistic brilliance in the pages of the Nigerian Tribune.

Er, what's that you ask? "The Nigerian Tribune"? And you just thought all that came out of Nigeria was spam:

http://www.tribune.com.ng/sun/index.php/features/2038-the-politicisation-of-the-female-breasts

[Dexter VanDango]

I'll try again.. it seems my last comment disappeared into the ether..

How about a piece delineating the similarities and the differences between British and American conservatism?

Between Sarah Palin and Boris Johnson, for instance. Are the similarities just hair - and the differences just educational level?

Between Mitt Romney and someone equally oiled and smug from your side of the pond?

[David Duff]

'JK', what can one say?

Dexter, I think I will take all that up in a new post.

[Dexter VanDango]

I look forward to reading it.

Speaking of Wagner earlier, I forgot to mention Mark Twain's take, if you hadn't already heard it:

"Wagner's music is better than it sounds."

[David Duff]

I hadn't heard it before - a neat paradox. I might describe it thus: falling for Wagner's music is a bit like falling for a gorgeous sensuous tart, you know you shouldn't but you can't help yourself because she's so indescribably lovely.

[Dexter VanDango]

Strange that it doesn't really work for the other senses. Bacon's paintings are better than they look? Nigella's cooking is better than it tastes?

As for Wagner, instead of a tart Wagner reminds me of Nelson, the little bully on the Simpsons. He's such a good bully you can't help admiring him.

[David Duff]

Alas, with Bacon's paintings the more I look the more I loathe them! And there are only two things I admire deeply about Nigella and neither of them are connected to her cooking.

By the way, Dexter, what do you think of Klee? I'm going to put up another couple of his pictures today.

[Dexter VanDango]

I react with glee to Klee.

I find Harring wearing, Dali jolly, Koons for loons, Pollack for pillocks, Van Gogh easy to mock, and Bosch delightful tosh.

[David Duff]

As they used to say on the old Python shows, "Very witty, Wilde!"

[Dexter VanDango]

Wasn't there something about, "His majesty is like a stream of bat piss... illuminating something something...?"

[David Duff]

Don't remember that one, Dexter, but I have given you a plug at the top of the Blog.