Category: Random

if you talk about bears, people will do what you say

There’s an article at the Huffington Post that explains why people like and follow Sarah Palin — it’s because she talks about mama grizzlies.  I know, some of you will think I’m making that up.  It does sound like randomness, which is what this blog specializes in, but it’s an actual article and it looks to be serious.   The author of it goes into archetypes and the “collective unconscious” proposed by Carl Jung.   You can read a summary of it with some quotes from it and some analysis here: Why do people like Sarah Palin?

What I got out of it (besides the obvious political slandering) is that if you talk about bears, people will do what you say.   And that during troubled conditions experienced by large numbers of people, “there is no lunacy people under the domination of an archetype will not fall prey to.”   There’s plenty of nationwide troubled conditions already — housing crisis, foreclosures, unemployment, layoffs, lack of job openings, lack of raises, inflation, stupid politicians, along with natural disasters, so the great unwashed masses are ripe for some psychological brainwashing via archetypes.  So I’m going to start talking about bears more, and then you’ll subconsciously be controlled by my influence.  Don’t worry, I’ll make the world a better place.  I only use my powers for good.

Did you know wild bears are important for the balance of nature such as sheep or salmon?  Also, bears and people are very similar in the kinds of food we eat, the habitats we prefer, and even our mutual curiosity.  You should vote for morally and fiscally responsible politicians from now on.  Bears are generally diurnal.   In autumn some bear species forage large amounts of fermented fruits which affects their behavior.  Also, you should make a generous donation to Buffet o’ Blog.  (Hey, we need a greater budget to do more good!)  Supposedly bears’ closest living relatives are seals.   (Uhh… I’m not sure about that, even though it’s on Wikipedia.)

Before you wander off to another branch of the Internet, I have one more bit of randomness related to all this.  (Don’t worry, this one isn’t taking control of your unconscious.)  While reading up some on Jung and archetypes, I saw a link in a search engine to Jung’s Wikipedia page, and on the search results page it said:

Carl Gustav Jung (German pronunciation: [Ë?kaË?É?̯l Ë?É¡Ê?staf Ë?jÊ?Å?];

I think something got lost in translation…

the hottest place in America

Where is the hottest place in the United States of America?  Want to guess?  Reasonable guesses would include southern Florida, Arizona, and southern Texas.   Normally those places are contenders and one would probably be correct.  But if you live in the area which is the correct answer (as I do), you know.  Today the answer is central Arkansas.  Is that inconceivable?  I have the maps to prove it.

Those pinkish-white areas represent “crazy-mad hot”.

Why is central Arkansas the hottest place in the country?  We have excessive amounts of humidity, too!  We’ve been under a “heat advisory” for most of the past few weeks, but now we’re under an “excessive heat warning”, because the heat index may reach 120.   On TV The Weather Channel said the heat index in central Arkansas could reach 125 today.  I’m pretty sure we weren’t designed to operate in such extreme temperatures.

But why is this happening?  Is the weather broken?  I know, it’s easy to blame Global Warming.  But last winter we had snow more often than I can remember in one winter.  And last summer was the mildest summer I could remember.   (And my memory extends back quite a few years.)  So what’s going on?  Who’s tampering with the weather patterns?

If we get politicians involved in the discussion, it will be the usual story — blame the other party, or blame Bush.  (I’ve heard someone on CNN blame Bush for wildfires in California one time, believe it or not.)  What we need is a solution.  Fortunately, we’ve already had this discussion.   Now we just need someone to make it happen.  (While ice cream sandwiches might not solve the problem, they sure would make it more bearable.)  The case for this can be framed in many potential voting demographics — the heat is dangerous to children, to the elderly, to the unemployed who can’t afford their cooling bills, to illegal immigrants forced to work outside in unfair conditions, etc.  You get the idea.  So call your state representatives and tell them it’s too hot and we have a solution!

truck racing commercial for ESPN

TV commercials can be an art form.  Most aren’t, unless you consider crap art.  But occasionally there’s a classic commercial that’s actually worth watching for enjoyment.  Why aren’t more commercials that way?

One of the best commercials on TV right now is for ESPN.  It has 18-wheeler “big trucks” racing (using NASCAR haulers), smack talking, a sheriff in hot pursuit, and it’s a parody of Smokey and the Bandit.  (You shouldn’t need any more explanation of why it’s awesome.)  The slogan is, “It’s not crazy, it’s sports.”  The soundtrack is “East Bound and Down”, which fits so perfectly (in the movie and the commercial).

On a semi-related note, wouldn’t it be awesome to race big trucks like that, if there were no real-life consequences?  That’s why movies and video games are so awesome — because you get to do those kinds of things that would get you in trouble in real life.