The Curse of the Unlikely Past

I feel bad about Al Franken.  Mostly because we need his voice.  And, because I admired his decision to go for being a Senator.  After his impossibly close victory, he spent his first term learning the ropes, away from TV, and relentlessly refusing to be funny.  After he was re-elected by a wide margin, Al felt it was safe to start being Al  -- while being a solid legislator.  The people "really liked him."

Well, being funny turned out not to be the problem.  Being too touchy, feely and the ubiquitous man-style jerk has Al in a deep hole.

I guess it was too much to ask for:  A successful trip from SNL, not from being a lawyer, prosecutor, billionaire, or "player" in your state.  You know, the trip that leaves most Senators being a sanctimonious man-style jerk.

The fate of the funny man is yet to be determined.  As for now, only the Gods are laughing.

Are We Alone

We've reached the point in my class about the search for life in the universe when we will discuss alien abductions, UFOs, Roswell, and "are they or have they been among us."

It reminds me of the years leading up to the turn of the century.  I discovered the world of late night radio host Art Bell and his guests and followers.  There was a frenzy of speculation surrounding what would happen when the calendar would contain those zeros. (Remember Y2K?)

One of the saddest events around this time was the mass suicide of young men convinced that there was a space ship approaching Earth on the tail of the Hale-Bopp comet.  They shed their bodies in a quest for a better existence in outer space.  At some level, I get it.

Intellectually,  I totally believe --because of the vast universe -- that it is impossible we are the only conscious ones.  Emotionally, because it's so remote, I feel left out. 

Maybe it was an overwhelming urge to participate that took those Heaven's Gate guys.