| I'm guessing that almost anyone who attended my high | | | | soul was snatched away. Great movie, cute premise. |
| school in the early 70's knows about "Smart Diane" | | | | In real life, not so funny. |
| and "Dumb Diane." | | | | I am about to give up on the whole mess. It's people |
| These two girls had the same first and last name, both | | | | who "get" the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, rodeos, and |
| names spelled the same. They were both members | | | | country music with the Common Sense in this country. |
| of the Drill Squad, were in the same graduating class, | | | | People who would rather go to a Nascar(TM) race |
| and both were college bound honor roll students. | | | | and have a beer than attend a White House dinner |
| (Remember when you could put kids in classes based | | | | and sip champagne are still this country's best hope. |
| on ability to perform?) | | | | Problem is, even rugged individuals are starting to |
| One Diane was tall, thin and bubbly. The other was | | | | spew the "entitlement" mantra of the elitist Washington |
| average build and quiet, but both were nonetheless | | | | champagne sippers. |
| well-liked. So, if you were referencing one of these | | | | You are smarter than most of the folks in our nation's |
| girls, you needed a shorthand way to differentiate | | | | capital. They might have more education than you do. |
| between them. | | | | They use big words and yap on about "global issues". |
| So, you were either talking about "Smart Diane" or | | | | You know, those people who see everything in |
| "Dumb Diane". And the two Dianes knew they were | | | | "shades of gray"? In Washington, "nuance" means, |
| thus tagged. It wasn't an unkind remark, actually. Those | | | | "Don't hold me to this." In the real world, regular folks |
| just happened to be "the facts on the ground." | | | | duck-to avoid the excrement being thrown their way. |
| The way it was explained to me was; "Book smart, life | | | | When I was in my 20's, I loved tennis. I was an |
| dumb." | | | | aggressive little stinker, moving all over the court and |
| I bet you know someone like this. Not unintelligent. This | | | | slamming the ball right at my opponents' feet. Once |
| is a person who has lots of native intelligence and | | | | when subbing in my mom's league, a lady "dinked" a |
| knows lots of facts. It's just the COMMON SENSE | | | | ball over the net, a lifetime away from my position. |
| that is missing. | | | | Easy point. My mom, who was tired of running by that |
| "Dumb Diane's" brother had the perfect story to | | | | point laughed and said, "Old age and treachery beat |
| illustrate the point. Being an older brother and, as older | | | | youth and skill." |
| brothers are protective in a completely annoying | | | | Well, The Audacity of Common Sense beats the |
| way-it's a DNA thing-he found her pocketbook one | | | | audacity of hope in the same way. Big words |
| day and had a look. Her checks were all signed. Talk | | | | delivered well are no substitute for plain talk spoken |
| about carte blanche! | | | | sincerely. |
| Any secrecy he would have wanted to maintain due | | | | People who never laugh at themselves make me |
| to this "fishing expedition" went out the window | | | | nervous. |
| because he knew what kind of risk his sister was | | | | Don't "snow" me with theory. If you want to run my life, |
| taking. So, he pointed out to her that all her checks | | | | I am going to take a look at your track record. I'm not |
| were signed and his curiosity made him inquire as to | | | | so stupid I'll go along with your plans for the future if |
| why. | | | | you past behavior tells me I can't trust you. If you |
| Well, it saved her time when shopping. That last little bit | | | | loaned your car to someone and he wrecked it, you |
| was done, so all she had to do was fill in the payee | | | | sure as stink wouldn't do it again, would you? You also |
| and amount. Forget identity theft. This was Christmas | | | | wouldn't loan it to someone you didn't know. |
| and finders-keepers rolled into one if that pocketbook | | | | I have to wonder about hiring someone for leader of |
| went missing or was stolen. | | | | the country who doesn't have much of a "paper trail". |
| He had to spend a half hour explaining why she | | | | That would be worse than taking a flyer on a guy you |
| couldn't do that any more. | | | | met in a bar who looked good and had a good pick-up |
| This is what happens when well-intentioned people see | | | | line. One bad date is bad enough. Four years! Good |
| a problem and react emotionally to it. We do need our | | | | grief! |
| emotions when making decisions. Our emotions warn | | | | Why do we keep sending people to Washington who |
| us of danger and signal when we are on the right | | | | repeatedly slap us upside the head? The answer is |
| track. I'm just saying that we should think our way | | | | we don't. We are not "Dumb Dianes" for falling for this |
| through a problem and not just hang our hats on the | | | | nonsense. We're "Dumb Dianes" for not doing anything |
| easiest "solution" or the answer we think will make us | | | | about it. |
| sound intelligent, caring or whatever other attribute we | | | | Why do Common Sense people like us let this |
| hope folks will ascribe to us. | | | | happen? There are more of us redneck dorks, the |
| Here's an illustration to make my point. It showed up in | | | | working stiffs who make this country work, than there |
| my in-box today: | | | | are the blue-blood intellectual snobs in the Washington, |
| The Lone Ranger and Tonto went camping in the | | | | New York and west coast corridors of power. The |
| desert. After they got their tent all set up, both men fell | | | | problem is they use big words and cite obscure data |
| sound asleep. | | | | to the point of giving us a headache. |
| Some hours later, Tonto wakes the Lone Ranger and | | | | Yet, in reality, their vocabularies and theories are no |
| says, 'Kemosabe, look towards sky; what you see?' | | | | match for your real world experiences. In order to |
| The Lone Ranger replies, 'I see millions of stars.' | | | | push back, you need some basics to back up what |
| 'What that tell you?' asked Tonto. | | | | you know in your gut. If you were educated in a public |
| The Lone Ranger ponders for a minute then says, | | | | school, the history and facts you need to back up your |
| 'Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of | | | | working knowledge of the world was left out. |
| galaxies. Time wise, it appears to be approximately a | | | | Some sacred cows need to be sent to the slaughter |
| quarter past three in the morning. Theologically, the | | | | house. Like the idea that just because Martin Luther |
| Lord is all powerful , and we are small and insignificant. | | | | King, Jr. worked with JFK to get the Civil Rights |
| Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day | | | | Amendment, you assume King was a Democrat. |
| tomorrow. What does it tell you, Tonto?' | | | | False! King's niece put up a web site called National |
| 'You dumber than buffalo turd. Someone stole tent.' | | | | Black Republicans to correct the record. |
| Tonto "got" it. "Smart Diane". The Lone Ranger wasn't | | | | Herbert Hoover caused the Great Depression and |
| wrong; he just didn't "get" it. "Dumb Diane". | | | | FDR "fixed" it. False! The Great Depression didn't need |
| What are the ramifications of your conclusions? | | | | to be so great. A recession follows an expansionary |
| Our society today holds the attribute of "compassion" | | | | period, and although Hoover missed a chance to step |
| in high esteem. Should we hold the attribute of | | | | in, the Depression that followed was made deeper and |
| "compassion" in high esteem? Of course, you said | | | | longer by FDR's tinkering. FDR was a Socialist, |
| "yes." Who could disagree with wanting to be | | | | unashamedly so, and the groupthink he created |
| "compassionate"? | | | | plagues us to this day. |
| "Compassionate" is a very squishy word. What | | | | Tax cuts cause deficits. False! Out-of-control spending |
| constitutes "compassion"? What does it mean to be a | | | | causes deficits. In Washington, "tax cuts" aren't tax |
| compassionate person? Does it mean that you never | | | | cuts. They are tax RATE cuts, and they always bring |
| let anyone suffer? And what constitutes "suffering"? | | | | more money, not less into the treasury. Raising tax |
| When I was in grade school, I had the good fortune of | | | | RATES always decreases the flow of money into the |
| witnessing a butterfly's escape from a cocoon. Of | | | | treasury, just the opposite of what the politicians tell |
| course, you have heard that one should never help a | | | | you. You need a score card just to keep up! |
| butterfly escape its chrysalis. | | | | But the biggest problem we have in this country is |
| I'll never forget how difficult it was for that butterfly to | | | | YOU. If you are in love with all the "sacred cow" |
| completely emerge. It is a completely natural urge to | | | | programs: Social Security which returns a whopping |
| want to end what seems to be a Herculean task or to | | | | 1% on investment, bloated, wasteful public schools that |
| assist what seems to be a suffering creature. | | | | always need more money "for the kids" who after |
| Eventually, our teacher couldn't "take it" any more, and | | | | being feted with untold wealth are now dumber than |
| she finished the process for that insect. As it flew off, I | | | | ever (check the stats vs. the rest of the world), Big |
| noticed its wing had a huge notch in it. How it fared in | | | | Daddy government that tells us where to smoke, |
| the wide world, no one knows. Whether her | | | | when to spit, and whether to bag or mulch the grass, |
| intervention caused the anomaly, I couldn't say. But I | | | | YOU are the problem. |
| mention it because in our "compassion", we are too | | | | I've been a grown-up for a long time now. I don't need |
| quick to step in and influence the outcome. | | | | an uncle in Washington or the mayor of my town or |
| Remember the movie, "Heaven Can Wait"? The | | | | any one of a number of the little chieftains we have in |
| newbie angel stepped in too quickly, and Warren | | | | our society, each with his own little slice of power to |
| Beatty's character, we learn, would have survived. | | | | get through my day. |
| Because the angel didn't want his human to suffer, the | | | | Leave me alone. I'll use my Common Sense, thank you. |