Making the rounds of the neighborhood with the Yorkie-poo, I've met many of our neighbors.
The odd thing about meeting in this way is that the humans don't exchange names, just the names of our respective dogs. As a result, I've come to know many people on the block only as "Gumbo's family" or "Hercules' friends."
Our puppy's name is "Willow." As it happens, there are two Bichon Frise (Frises?) in our neighborhood, several blocks apart, owned by two separate, very nice families, both named "Buffy."
Neither of these families appreciates why I get such a big kick out of this. I started to explain one day, but quickly realized that words like "vampire slayer" or "witch" might only further complicate things, so I let it pass and now just amuse myself by greeting our neighbors' pets by saying something like, "Hey, you're looking pretty buff, Buff!"
It is interesting that the same name has such opposite connotations for the Bichon-Buffy's families than what it does for me. I think they chose the name because it was feminine — meaning dainty, pampered and impractical. Whereas to me it entails something feminine — meaning courageous, fierce and kick-ass.
So congratulations Mr. Whedon and Ms. Gellar on a thoroughly successful job of inverting that bit of cultural symbolism.
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Since I live here in the Philadelphia area, friends have asked what I think of the Eagles' big trade of quarterback Donovan McNabb to Washington in exchange for Pat Zachry, Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson and Dan Norman.
As is often the case, The Onion covered this story better than most other media outlets: "McNabb: 'I'd Like to Thank the Ungrateful, Over-Expecting, Oftentimes-Racist Fans of Philadelphia."
But then, The Onion has been on this story for years — see earlier: "Donovan McNabb Has Perfect Game for a Black Quarterback" and "Eagles Fans Give McNabb Three-Week Deadline to Win Super Bowl."
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Brad DeLong posted this fine rant from Teddy Roosevelt, and I'm reposting it here just due to its general awesomeness.
Too much cannot be said against the men of wealth who sacrifice
everything to getting wealth. There is not in the world a more ignoble
character than the mere money-getting American, insensible to every
duty, regardless of every principle, bent only on amassing a fortune,
and putting his fortune only to the basest uses —whether these uses be
to speculate in stocks and wreck railroads himself, or to allow his son
to lead a life of foolish and expensive idleness and gross debauchery,
or to purchase some scoundrel of high social position, foreign or
native, for his daughter. Such a man is only the more dangerous if he
occasionally does some deed like founding a college or endowing a
church, which makes those good people who are also foolish forget his
real iniquity. These men are equally careless of the working men, whom
they oppress, and of the State, whose existence they imperil. There are
not very many of them, but there is a very great number of men who
approach more or less closely to the type, and, just in so far as they
do so approach, they are curses to the country.
That was from a Republican.
But note that nearly every phrase and sentence stakes out a position squarely opposite to that of the Republican Party of 2010, which has become the flagship of the ignoble, mere money-getting, insensible to duty, regardless of principle, bent-on-fortune, stock-speculating, railroad-wrecking, heir-debauching, iniquitous, careless, oppressive, nation-imperiling curses to the country.
Hey, don't look at me. I'm just quoting Teddy.
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