#900 Pickled Facts

Sometimes the juxtaposition of things are jarring. They clash. I used to have a joke in my stand-up act about taste clashes. Like eating a green olive and chasing it with chocolate milk.
I actually saw such a thing on TV the other day. It was for Vlasic Classic Dill Pickles. A crispy pickle that a little girl was biting into had startled a woman at a nearby table. The Vlasic cartoon pickle bird apologized. The camera then showed the little girl with a pickle and a sandwich. What got my tastes buds to jarring was what the girl had next to her dill pickle.
A glass of orange juice.
Yow, I could just feel my tongue clench with piquancy.
As my brain clenches when I see certain facts. Like this statistic I saw the other day. The last part of the election seemed to be a lot about Obama’s tax raising and Joe the Plumber, who, as was promptly determined, would actually save money under the imaginary plan.
But it turns out Joe the Rich Guy, who actually would end up paying, voted 52% for Obama and 46% against. Nearly the same spread as the general electorate.
What gives? People making over $250,000 have higher concerns and priorities than a couple of bucks in taxes? More likely, it was just because they followed their beliefs first and let that trump any facts that may have jarred with it.
Like the other statistic I read. A recent poll indicated that 37% of Americans still believe Iraq was in possession of “weapons of mass destruction” when we invaded in 2003.
Donald Rumsfeld must be proud. Talk about persistence of delusion. But, you know, belief is a hard nut to crack. It’s like self-hypnotism. It’s powerful. I’ve seen hypnotized people eat a dill pickle and chase it with orange juice.
Me, I just believe that Obama is as humble as he says. The other day I heard he was getting ready to move into the White House and in the process of assembling his cabinet. And I thought, Wow, assembling his cabinet.
Our new president’s so humble, he even shops at IKEA....
America, ya gotta love it.