Share some of the strange insights that get caught in my mind

People don’t really want what they claim they want. When presented with the reality of it, they shy away from the price, the change required, or the pain it represents. Keep this in mind as you deal with people and question them directly with questions of the new reality and not simply concept. You will find that often – the ideal is based on having both good aspects of the current situation and the dream situation when most of the time – these are mutually exclusive.
This is something I have come to know.

greater depth what makes the American culture so invasive. Initial thoughts center around – the concept of appealing to baser instincts as a method to extract capital.

Suspect in Trouble Before Hostage Drama
Dec 1, 09:15 AM EST
By BEVERLEY WANG – Associated Press Writer

....and still in trouble after hostage drama.

If you woke up this morning to go Christmas shopping and did so earlier then you would normally wake up to go to work – then you probably won’t enjoy this. While I am all for a strong economy and consumer confidence – I (and only I) – have come to see the latest trends in the holiday season as a little disturbing. Do we really need to go holiday shopping at 12:01 AM on Nov. 23? Come on. As a society are we so infused with consumerism and materialism that getting up at 4 AM to stand in line to buy something, anything, at a price too low to be advertised – seems like a normal and sane activity?
The answer good reader, I’m afraid, is a resounding yes. For example – The local news went to the mall this morning and interviewed some retail warriors. One family had been camping outside the Walmart. Yes. Camping outside a big box retail store. They had brought the family and had a hibachi and had been making a festive family time out of it. I think that perhaps, we are missing the point. But, as a rule, I am not one to rail against something without offering up a solutions, abliet not always a feasible one. So here goes (it’s pretty simply actually)...
Wouldn’t it make more sense to have Thanksgiving AFTER Christmas? Let me walk you through my logic and then you can sign the petiation that’s going around when it comes to you.
1. INTENT Thanksgiving dinner was intended as a time to give thanks for all the good people and conditions in your life.
Current Status Thanksgiving dinner is more of Pre Christmas Shopping Dinner. It’s the last really good meal you get to have before Christmas because all the extra commitments the season brings. Busy busy.
2. INTENT We get the day off so we can spend it with family and friends, to slow down, breath a little, and appreciate all the good fortune that has come into our lives
Current Status Two fold – Focus tends to be getting dinner done early so you can sit around and go through retail circulars and map out the plan of attack. The second reality is that in order to support this activity, the workers of these stores do have to go to bed early because they have to open the doors, greet the shoppers, and stock the depleting shelves the next day.
So the end result is that everyone is in such a rush to get on with the Business of Christmas, that the impact of Thanksgiving seems to be bit overshadowed.
So I propose to moving Thanksgiving to Jan. 27. This way we can have our dinner without all the external pressure that Black Friday brings. As we are having this dinner on Jan 27, this relocated Thanksgiving – we can really give a bunch of thanks for all the stuff we got on Christmas and all the fun we had on New Years. We can call all the people who got us stuff or invited us some where and we can – thank them. New protocol – No one would expect a thank you for any of the previous holiday season until Thanksgiving. The hard pressed retail workers of America would get a day off like they should.
As for those who like the two days off at the end of Nov. – well we just call it what it has really become – Black Friday Eve.
Let’s order a pizza.
Don’t forget to sign the petition. Thanks for listening.

look at the creature pictured above. Does it make you hungry?
Do you find yourself salivating and getting up to root around in the fridge? No? I didn’t think so. Me either.
The creature you see is none other then an Asian pangolin – or in lay-mans terms – a scaly anteater. As with anything that looks that weird – its endangered. Right about now your asking yourself – CD – do you have a point?
Yes good reader, I do.
Apparently the ever vigilant Thailand Customs intercepted a smuggling operation that was trying to move 100 of these scaly mammals to China. I know what your thinking – these things would make great pets – what’s the harm? I am afraid that was not their intended destination. Nor were they going to petting zoo’s, or even to be used for environmentally friendly pest control techniques. No good reader, they were being smuggled into China to be…EATEN. (yes – eaten.)
Now, having never seen anything remotely like this on any Chinese Restuartant Menu (Kung Pao Pangolin ?) I can only imagine that this is an acquired taste. I don’t know what you would pair with it – (I’m guessing a red) or how you would prepare such a creature but I do have a few questions to ask.
Why would you want to eat this thing? You do realize that it’s primary diet consists of ants? Ok, so let’s say it’s that good that even though there’s only say 1000 left in the entire world – but I just gotta have one! Can’t someone come up with imitation pangolin meat? They can do it for crab meat – it can’t be that hard. Is it endangered because they DO taste so good? If that’s the case – how about putting forth a little effort and just open up a pangolin ranch – they don’t have horns or stampede – seems like it would be pretty easy. I just don’t get it. Or perhaps I’m just a little nervous – what happens when the Chinese finally do take over the world – I don’t want have to try to make my kids eat this thing – I can barely get them to eat chicken. “Now be a good little kid and eat you anteater – it’s endangered you know – there are kids in China that would be happy to have it.”
If they weren’t endangered – I’d say – have at it. As for me, I’ll have lobster.

the weird little connections in life. For instance today is
Nov. 11 – or 11/11. I just noticed some brave soul decided to subscribe to me which brings my total up to – (yes) – 11.
So no big deal really – just a lot of 11’s today. If I had waited till 11PM to sign on – then it would have been that much more interesting. Sort of like cream of wheat vs oatmeal.

sorry to waste your time with this drivel. I do have a fondness for the number 27 though. I’ll write about it some other time.

the guy who came up with the “Truck Nuts” idea. Just what America needs. Colorful and realistic reproductions of male genitalia swinging from the back of pick up trucks.

Try driving your daughter and her friends around when one of these nut swinging trucks swerves into your lane.
“Dad, what’s that hanging from the back of the truck?”
” Oh hun, that’s just a pair of testicles. Men have them.”
“Oh, why are they on a truck then? ”
” Probably because the guy that put them on there wishes his were bigger”

As I continued to drive behind this manly truck – I wondered – so where is the rest of the package? Then it dawned on me
- it’s behind the wheel.

If your not too squeamish – try this one day. Next time you see a dead butterfly (in CA please be consider the plight of the monarch and use a moth – see comments below.) (easier to catch then live ones) -pick it up. Then I want you to simply look at it. Look at the structure – look at the eyes, the antenna so perfectly shaped with a certain number of fuzzy little appendages. Feel how delicate the wings are in your grasp – they were not made to be held, you can feel them giving away to the pressure. Look at the beautiful colorations that adorn these delicate structures. Look at the hair thin legs, with articulated joints and tiny barbed feet. Just look at it and soak up the details that comprise this creature. Then consider that this specimen was once infused with life. Consider the sanctify of life. This incredible force of animation once resided in this little creature. Where did it dissipate to? How did this beautiful creature expire – old age? Broken heart? Windshield injury? So many ways to leave this world. And yet we swat bugs, kill them with impunity. Don’t get me wrong – I kill those little creepy centipedy things with those long legs and flat bodies – but I am still marvel at the fact that it’s a life.
Strange – I know. But you knew that coming into this.
By the way – you can use any bug for the above exercise. I figured more people might actually do it with a butterfly. Dragonflys are pretty cool too.