Yeah, he’s been back for awhile now, but I hadn’t caught this clip ’til now. Insightful AND funny…

I’ve been visiting my folks in Kentucky over the holidays, and have yet to get my internal clock aligned with their schedules. Not only am I a card-carrying night owl, it’s two hours earlier here so it’s not been unusual for me to find myself reading a book or surfing the net as the sun creeps over the eastern horizon. In case you didn’t know, there’s a LOT of stuff on the internet!

So after countless clicks one night, I found myself on a government website extolling the virtues of the new RealID that’s apparently in our very near Orwellian future. That’s a whole nuther post, but click on over if you want yet more evidence that the current powers-that-be are doing everything they can to ensure that we stay on a collision course with Big Brother. But of course, I digress…

The point here, is that while I was reading up on the RealID, I noticed that Homeland Security is showing a national threat advisory for all domestic and international flights at “High, or Orange.” In other words, if this was WarGames, we’d be at DefCon 4 — on the verge of a Russian nuclear attack!!! Now before you freak out, please read the site’s official explanation of what this means.

While there continues to be no credible information at this time warning of an imminent threat to the homeland, the department’s strategic threat perspective is that we are in a period of increased risk.

Now let me get this straight, “While there continues to be NO CREDIBLE INFORMATION at this time warning of an imminent threat to the homeland” the national threat advisory is one step from As-Bad-As-It-Can-Be? (Read the Rest…)

So here I am, just weeks after a bout with the flu (or something of its ilk), bedridden for the past five days with a really bad kidney infection. I’ve been on this planet just over thirty-four years now, and this is only the third time I’ve had to endure this kind of cruelty. Cruelty, you ask? Well, without going into great detail…

A kidney infection often involves a lot of swelling, or rather — A LOT of swelling. I’d considered taking some pictures and posting them for all the world to see, but I’m pretty sure I promised my mother at some point years ago that I’d refrain from displaying my junk to the general public. Instead I’ve scoured the Net in search of a body-double and am pleased to present you with the following.

Mind you, this is all in the name of science. In the timeless words of Prince, “I’m not trying to offend or unnerve,” I simply thought y’all might wonder where I’ve been. And now you know: In bed with a severe kidney infection, Googling stuff like “Sausage Balloons.”

I don’t care if this makes you laugh, cry, or just pause for thought; it’s a brilliant commentary on the state of things. I wish every middle class kid in America with half a brain would sit down and really digest this little slice of social satire. Heck, it might do the parents some good too.

My writing partner sent me this, and while I’m quite sure it’s inappropriate on any number of levels, a laugh is a laugh is laugh… and this made me laugh.