CYNIC: A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they should be. (An homage to Ambrose Bierce and “The Devil’s Dictionary,” ca.1880.)
CONGRESS:
1. A political body originally designed to discuss and solve political and governmental issues for the citizens.
2. Now, a political body whose sole function is re-election and avoidance of holding down real jobs.
3. A group of men and women who are convinced that compromise is immoral, illegal, and fattening.
4. Collectors of the largest welfare checks in captivity.
COURTESY:
Huh? (An archaic word with no meaning in the 21st Century.)
EXPERT:
One who does it somewhere else.
HANDSHAKE:
An ancient and useless method of establishing a contract between two individuals in which they pledge mutually rewarding products or services. Obsolete. (Admonition: get it in writing.)
LOOK-A-ME:
(Known as “celebration” in sports); a procedure in which superbly conditioned, well-trained, strong athletes appear to be self-centered three-year olds simply because they ran a football for a big gain or touchdown, made a tackle, caught a forward pass or shot a basket, resulting in the athlete jumping up and down, dancing, running with arms wide spread, or other manner which screams, “Mommy, Mommy, look at me.” (Editorial Note: This condition could be cured by having the athlete stand in the center of the court or field and forcing him or her to demonstrate the “Look-a-Me” dance every time he or she fumbles, misses the basket (air ball), drops a pass, or misses a tackle—It ain’t gonna happen.)
LOYALTY:
See “Courtesy.”
NEW AND IMPROVED:
A label indicating that the producer of goods or services has discovered a way to make the product or service for 1) a cost of 5% less, while 2) charging 10% more , and 3) hoping no one realizes that the product is 15% less efficient or tasty.
ONE DAY SALE:
A day in which stores, usually large department stores, sell special items at prices not usually available to the general public. The length of time between One Day Sales sometimes lasts as long as forty-eight hours.
PRIVACY:
Archaic. It disappeared with the development of electronics.
RELATIVITY:
(You want Einstein in a column that makes an attempt at humor?) The art of dealing with your relatives. Most of mine live on the East Coast, one of the happiest factors in my life.
SERVICE:
The offering of information, directions, and expertise to customers by authorized and knowledgeable staff. Oddly enough it usually disappears as soon as a financial transaction takes place.
S.T.E.M., also STEM:
An acronym for Scientists, Technicians, Engineers, and Mathematicians about whom the public hears of a constant need for more STEMs to clean up the air and water and to save the environment for future generations. (One might note that much of the guilt connected with the despoiling of the planet can be attributed to Scientists, Technicians, Engineers, and Mathematicians.)
STOP SIGN:
A red, octagonal, totally ignored artifact of modern life; many do not realize that is an acronym for the initials S. T. O. P.:
S = Slow down Slightly;
T = Take a Tiny peek,
O = Oh, phOOey, Others will stOp;
P = Press and Pound the Pedal.
SURGERY:
1) A method of repairing human beings whereby a common Individual allows a highly skilled and specially trained doctor to obtain his/her Mercedes or Lexus.
2) Something that is “minor” when another person has it, but “major,” frightening, panic-inducing, and horrible when contemplated for me.
SUV:
A truck with a really, really, really neat toupee, and a great deal of plastic surgery, but, nonetheless, a truck.
TELEVISION NEWS:
A fun and entertaining method of presenting information about fires, murders, floods, mayhem, war, earthquakes, stupidity, sports, and weather to a public that is certain those who suffered deserved punishment and revel in knowing that it did not happen to them. Those who report the “news” are called “anchors” because they sink as low as possible until they hit bottom. (Whether the stories are real or fiction is totally irrelevant.)
TRUTH:
The dissemination of facts as opposed to lies, half truths, and opinion; it is avoided in daily life; it is mostly ignored in business; and it is unknown in politics.
TURN SIGNALS:
A totally unused, decorative stem on the left side of a steering wheel used mainly to balance the important stem or stems on the right side. (Use of the device might give important information or advice to other drivers, but “Nuts to them.”)
UNIVERSITY:
A collection of schools and departments of higher learning of the finest quality. (Universities can be distinguished by athletic teams that consist of 68% students of color, while the general student body consists of 6.8% students of color.)
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