Now Hear This: Is our world going down the toilet?
To be entertained these days, you need not look up the movie listings. All the world is a stage, right? Look at the comedy playing in California right now. Come to think of it, just about everything that happens in the golden state, is very sad, or very funny – both sell well at the box office.
You’ve got Mister Muscle, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, playing the role of “The Great Impostor” (remember that movie). His character, in real life however, is trying to become governor of California. Everybody in California thinks they can act. All actors think they are politicians, and the rest of us know, to be governor of California, all you have to be is a bad actor!
California also brings to mind the decision of the president to give energy plants and refineries a break on pollution control. I suppose no one in the Bush administration has flown over Los Angeles lately. Say in the last 20 years?
Planes have to fly on instruments, in daylight, to land. The curtain of smog hanging over the city is repulsive. If our top politicians aren’t too worried about how clean our air is, now would be a great time to lobby for national health insurance, since we’re all gonna get black-lung disease, the least the government could do, is pay for it.
The great state of Tennessee has its own little drama playing, called the lottery. Seems we’re looking for a partner in this, heretofore highly emotional and controversial issue. The state lottery board the other day decided not to hook up with Georgia, which already is in the gaming business. Something about the proposed partnership being legal, and Tennessee apprehensive about lawsuits. And, folks were worried about the moral issues of gambling.
Gas prices? Ridiculous! The oil companies of America jack up their prices during the summer months, and take it to a new level around the holidays. Just like the hotels and restaurants in cities that host Winston Cup events, college football bowl games, the final four, and many other athletic and entertainment events around the nation.
Is this a great country, or what?
People out there are trying to steal your identity every day. Tonight you go to bed as John and Mary Smith, and tomorrow when you wake up, you’re not even John and Mary Doe! You don’t exist!
Our computers are leading us to destruction because they’re full of worms. The dirty little suckers apparently ate into our software, and caused the worst blackout in the nation’s history several weeks ago. We’ve got Internet infections that threaten to cripple our society, and government regulators are warning nuclear plant operators about computer outages caused by the worms, the virus, and the infections.
And, I’m not even going to get into the whole Iraq thing simply because there are too many subplots, except to say, this country has now lost more soldiers after the war than during the war.
Is anybody watching North Korea?
How do you like what’s playing on the world stage these days? I can’t wait for tomorrow. Who knows what script is being written, and from what creepy little mind.
I could go on, but I’m afraid one of those nasty little worms is about to wreck my computer so stop the bus. I gotta get off! Just lock me up in a room somewhere, with a couple of Johnny Cash albums, (I mean CDs), and the world’s all right!
And, now I would like for you to have the final word. What’s your opinion of this column? Please check one.
Very sad_____ Very funny____
Both_____ I don’t care_____
I think you’re an idiot____
(Hope Hines is a television sports reporter and a Nashville personality.)