Curtis Dahlgren
100,000 reasons to stand up and be counted
By Curtis Dahlgren
"There isn't much 'difference' between BAZAAR and BIZARRE, but it pays to know what it is." — CD
MANY PEOPLE SAY, "THEY'RE ALL ALIKE (politicians), so "it doesn't make any difference' what happens." Back in the 1980s, I was talking to a fellow worker about Vietnam and the famous 'dominoes.' When I said, "But when we pulled out of the war, those dominoes really DID fall!" (leading to the Killing Fields in Cambodia), he said with a shrug:
"They would have fallen anyway!"
I wounder if he would hold to the same opinion today, since we have seen the Soviet Union fall. I wonder if my friend is one of the "undecideds" this election year. I wonder if he thinks "THEY'RE ALL ALIKE?," so this is my first installment of "100.000 Reasons to Stand up and Be Counted":
There isn't much "difference" between a suspect and a prospect, but it pays to know what it is.
There isn't much "difference" between demagoguery and democracy, but it pays to know what it is.
There isn't much "difference" between a socialist and a socialite, but it pays to know what it is.
There isn't much "difference" between dependence and independence, but it pays to know what it is.
There isn't much "difference" between stressed and desserts, but it pays to know what it is.
There isn't much "difference" between untied and united (or "dog" and GOD), but it pays to know what it is!!
There isn't much "difference" between slaughter and laughter, but it pays to know what it is.
Finally, there isn't much "difference" between coarse and course (as in staying the course), but it pays to know what it is. By the way, do you know the difference between a buffalo and a bison? A "bison" is the thing that an Aussie washes his hands in. And speaking of "washing our hands," there isn't much difference between a Pilate and a pilot (but let's keep our "pilot" at the controls, and not high jack the flight plan).
English is a difficult language; "dumb" and DUMB are two different things; "sanction" and SANCTION are opposites; and flammable and inflammable mean the same thing!
God must have made English so difficult because there are some larger lessons to be learned from linguistics. For example, an unborn baby and a "born" baby are the very same thing, because "fetus" is the Latin word for "offspring"!
BY THE WAY, did you know that "Persian fire" is another term for anthrax? Think about it. I know that one should pray for one's enemies, even Arafat, but when a politician talks about "bringing all our troops home safely," could that be a code-phrase for surrender? Another dumb question: does Senator Kerry possibly think that the state of Israel is just another insignificant "domino" that "would have fallen anyway"? HERE WE GO AGAIN!
The Random House Dictionary, concise edition, says that a demagogue is "a political leader who gains power and popularity by arousing the emotions and prejudices of people."
My trusty '38 Funk & Wagnalls says that it's "an orator or leader who seeks to influence the people by pandering to their prejudices and passions; an unprincipled politician; a leader of the mob." And Webster simply says, "an unprincipled agitator."
The demagogues this week can't seem to make up their minds as to whether there never were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq — or whether President Bush let them "get away" and into the hands of the terrorists (who are only a nuisance anyway). Who is calling whom "inept" when you can't even keep your story straight from day to day?
P.S. Does anyone really believe that this is the worst economy since Herbert Hoover's time, when the unemployment rate is lower than the 30-year average, and lower than 1996 — when President Clinton was in fact boasting that he had beaten the business cycle? People certainly do seem to be driving nicer and nicer cars and trucks all the time.
BTW, I received an official-looking e-mail this morning that said "due to the expected long lines at the polls next week," the FEC is asking that those voting for President Bush should vote on Tuesday, and those voting for John Kerry should vote on Wednesday. OK?
© Curtis Dahlgren
"There isn't much 'difference' between BAZAAR and BIZARRE, but it pays to know what it is." — CD
MANY PEOPLE SAY, "THEY'RE ALL ALIKE (politicians), so "it doesn't make any difference' what happens." Back in the 1980s, I was talking to a fellow worker about Vietnam and the famous 'dominoes.' When I said, "But when we pulled out of the war, those dominoes really DID fall!" (leading to the Killing Fields in Cambodia), he said with a shrug:
"They would have fallen anyway!"
I wounder if he would hold to the same opinion today, since we have seen the Soviet Union fall. I wonder if my friend is one of the "undecideds" this election year. I wonder if he thinks "THEY'RE ALL ALIKE?," so this is my first installment of "100.000 Reasons to Stand up and Be Counted":
There isn't much "difference" between a suspect and a prospect, but it pays to know what it is.
There isn't much "difference" between demagoguery and democracy, but it pays to know what it is.
There isn't much "difference" between a socialist and a socialite, but it pays to know what it is.
There isn't much "difference" between dependence and independence, but it pays to know what it is.
There isn't much "difference" between stressed and desserts, but it pays to know what it is.
There isn't much "difference" between untied and united (or "dog" and GOD), but it pays to know what it is!!
There isn't much "difference" between slaughter and laughter, but it pays to know what it is.
Finally, there isn't much "difference" between coarse and course (as in staying the course), but it pays to know what it is. By the way, do you know the difference between a buffalo and a bison? A "bison" is the thing that an Aussie washes his hands in. And speaking of "washing our hands," there isn't much difference between a Pilate and a pilot (but let's keep our "pilot" at the controls, and not high jack the flight plan).
English is a difficult language; "dumb" and DUMB are two different things; "sanction" and SANCTION are opposites; and flammable and inflammable mean the same thing!
God must have made English so difficult because there are some larger lessons to be learned from linguistics. For example, an unborn baby and a "born" baby are the very same thing, because "fetus" is the Latin word for "offspring"!
BY THE WAY, did you know that "Persian fire" is another term for anthrax? Think about it. I know that one should pray for one's enemies, even Arafat, but when a politician talks about "bringing all our troops home safely," could that be a code-phrase for surrender? Another dumb question: does Senator Kerry possibly think that the state of Israel is just another insignificant "domino" that "would have fallen anyway"? HERE WE GO AGAIN!
The Random House Dictionary, concise edition, says that a demagogue is "a political leader who gains power and popularity by arousing the emotions and prejudices of people."
My trusty '38 Funk & Wagnalls says that it's "an orator or leader who seeks to influence the people by pandering to their prejudices and passions; an unprincipled politician; a leader of the mob." And Webster simply says, "an unprincipled agitator."
The demagogues this week can't seem to make up their minds as to whether there never were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq — or whether President Bush let them "get away" and into the hands of the terrorists (who are only a nuisance anyway). Who is calling whom "inept" when you can't even keep your story straight from day to day?
P.S. Does anyone really believe that this is the worst economy since Herbert Hoover's time, when the unemployment rate is lower than the 30-year average, and lower than 1996 — when President Clinton was in fact boasting that he had beaten the business cycle? People certainly do seem to be driving nicer and nicer cars and trucks all the time.
BTW, I received an official-looking e-mail this morning that said "due to the expected long lines at the polls next week," the FEC is asking that those voting for President Bush should vote on Tuesday, and those voting for John Kerry should vote on Wednesday. OK?
© Curtis Dahlgren
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