Random thoughts for a day in November

Kirk Ericson | Nov 03, 20220

Isn’t it odd to tell people who feel achy after getting a COVID vaccination that it shows that the vaccine is working? If that’s true, wouldn’t the contrary be true — if you don’t feel achy after a COVID shot it’s a sign the shot’s not working?

Isn’t it also odd that people take the time and effort to mention that they hate being in traffic jams? Are they trying to distinguish themselves from people who do like being in traffic jams?

We’d all be happier if everyone else was happier.

Nothing is certain in life except for death and taxes — and cliches.

Several Republicans are using blue colors, the now-accepted team color of Democrats, on their campaign signs here in Western Washington. Is that an intentionally deceitful act to trick Democratic voters into voting for a Republican? Hey! I’m just asking! It makes you wonder!

I asked someone in the newsroom recently where he came across some obscure information that he shared with me. He said he wasn’t sure. “It must have been buried deep in my algorithm,” he said.

Enough with the free tote bags! We all have plenty of them by now.

If you take a pessimistic view of pessimism, you’ll have an optimistic outlook.

Question: Do you know how Fort Dix got its name?

Answer: It was named after a guy named George Fort.

Do you ever do this: You’re home, alone, lazing on the couch, when your spouse or roommate drives up. You hop up and start doing something productive so that when the door opens, it looks like you’ve been busy. Our cat never does that. He can spend five hours on the couch and when I enter our home, he’ll remain on the couch. And he’ll have a look of, “What? You want me to get up and pretend so I can impress you? You need to understand your opinion of me means nothing.”

If you listen closely to businesspeople, priests, sports coaches, TV opinionators and politicians, you’ll notice many of them like saying the military word “deploy.” It’s a subtle and self-important way to make their endeavors seem as significant as the valor and horror found in war.

You get to a certain age and you start thinking about where you’ll die, good places and bad places. A steam room or sauna would be bad, especially if you’re not found for 24 hours. So would being found at an outdoor thrash metal concert inside a port-a-potty. A hiking trail in the Olympics might be nice. Dead in bed would be nice too, as long as it’s not in a sleezy motel. Also, having your name precede the phrase “was found dead today” wouldn’t be good.

Idea for bumper sticker: Dead people have rights too!

When I was a kid, I thought I’d spend far more time than I have as an adult going to dinner parties and being on a boat.

The ultimate campaign motto for a political campaign in the U.S.: “If you vote for me, all your wildest sex fantasies will come true!”

It bothers a lot of white people that they don’t belong to a recognized community, so many of them pretend they’re victims of religious, ethnic or racial persecution. That allows them to take their place in a community — the community of victimhood.

Wouldn’t it be odd if it turns out that greenhouses in gardens contribute significantly to the greenhouse effect?

Money always lands on its feet.

I’ve never seen two people riding tandem on a motorcycle where a woman is driving and a man is in the back.