When enlightened directives arrive from esteemed readers, we perk up like swordfish. Thank you, Dan Ellentuck, for following the oboe thread beyond its logical conclusion:
“Another smashing issue. But I was a bit disappointed, thinking you were maybe going to reach out to the oboe community. Which leads to this very reedy group called Double Entendre. The cute redhead is a friend . . . ”
And Dan adds, “I love the whole travel thing. And those pictures, it's impossible not to be stunned into a kind of mute patriotic grief.”
Mute Patriotic Grief
Another Reader Reply of the Week: On a more somber note, Henry Cohen of frequently woody Dunwoody, Georgia, brings us roaring back to the conflagration: “Thanks for messing up minds and polluting serious discourse. Please add my wife to your mailing list.”
We’re welcome, Henry!
Which reminds us of the dichotomy of the day. It came up while playing tennis, when one person made a boo-boo and then tried to wave off the overly important “advice” from the other player even though the other player was obviously never going to shutup. The dichotomy has to do with how supremely annoying it is to be told stuff you obviously already know. But since it’s a di-chotomy, it’s in two parts. This is the first part. Obviously.
Fictionary Friday: Words You Need. Whether you know it or not.
Dykotomy(die kott ohh mee) Noun: When it’s a matter of one or both.
In a sentence: The dykotomy of employment is the inability to freely choose between the job and the job description.
Fizzdom Friday: from our collection of favorite quotes. More doubles.
"It’s good when things end in a hurry." – Staff
And . . .
"We grapple with the washing machine of time and are now in the spin cycle." – Management
Wikipedia Friday Favorite: In honor of the intersection of curiosity and logarithmically expanding human knowledge, we offer a weekly favorite obscure Wikipedia page. Double Bonus this week since we already gave
you the double reed thing. And this one doubles down as both dichotomy and oxymoron.
So back to the unfinished business. The dichotomy. Let's break it down and set it up and pull it apart: 1. People get annoyed when you tell them what they already know. This annoyance is nearly universal, and it's mildly amusing as long as you are not the one being told what you already know. 2. At the same time, people seek validation for preexisting conclusions. 3. What? People get mad if you tell 'em what they already know, but they want to hear what they already know?
The Flip Side of Mute Patriotic Grief
(Oy, talk about dichotomies . . . . . )
Write if you do or do not double down on what you don't know.
