Tuesday, May 25, 2010

opinions and pie

My writing is 99.99% personal opinion. While I conscientiously reserve the remaining .01% for indisputable fact, I admit I'm opinionated.

My opinions take in bureaucrats and terrorists and politicians and dictators and other related critters. I have strong viewpoints on cartoons that infuriate a quarter of the world, and even stronger ones about the quarter of the world that is infuriated by silly cartoons.You probably know my sentiments on government spending and government non-spending. And don't forget my opinions on capitalistic health care vs. socialistic health care.

The good thing about slinging my opinions into cyberspace is that perhaps a motivated, brainy person will say, "Wow, that's a nifty opinion. I should do something about that." And using their motivational brain skills, they might just influence a politician to be more responsible or a religious fruitcake to be less fruity. And the world will be a slightly better place.

How's that for pie-in-the-sky?

Opinions, even altruistic and noble ones, are still just plain old opinions. They aren't immutable truth. Last week, Upsala Fire Department's opinion was, "Say no to cats." That changed because a cat lover challenged the status quo and persuaded me to reconsider my opinion. By extending that vein of thought, suppose a politician could prove that he wasn't just a self absorbed opportunist, or a terrorist could persuade me that murdering school kids was a really good thing, then my opinion about them might change.

More pie.

The bad thing about opinions is that they make me all cynical and angry and sarcastic, and no one enjoys cynical, angry, sarcastic blogger blather. I want the best of both worlds: enjoyment for you, the reader, and a launching pad for me, the blogger, so I try to channel that negative passion into positive humour. I make fun of bureaucrats and politicians and and terrorists (and other related critters). It doesn't change the world, but at least I feel like I'm changing the world. How else is a two-bit fire chief on the far-flung peripheral edge of the universe supposed to make a difference?

So, I'll continue to rant about the lack of support for volunteer fire departments , and about under-worked, over-paid bureaucrats that ensnarl get-'er-done chiefs. And I won't forget to add a dash of gospel truth, like the study on shrew's saliva that offers hope for future cancer treatment. (btw, can you imagine how many salivating shrews it would take to get a thimbleful of saliva?). Or the sad plight of other bloggers like Yoani Sanchez of Cuba.

Yes, this blog will continue to be the launching pad for my opinions. And maybe, just maybe, the world will be a better place.

It's a good thing I like pie.

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