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Alo-Ha! Friday Charles Memminger |
TV bus ads try to sway
the affection of ridersTheBus management and the union representing drivers are fighting for the hearts of the public in a series of fairly silly television commercials.
The union commercials make out drivers to be almost divine beings who keep the homeless company on weekends, driving them around because they have no place to go and are lonely. But the silliest statement is when the drivers shamelessly intone, "We've agreed only to take a raise if the city has the money." What sweethearts.
And now the news:
Saudi Arabia disses doll
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) >> Saudi Arabia's religious police have declared Barbie dolls a threat to morality, complaining that the revealing clothes of the "Jewish" toy are offensive to Islam."Jewish Barbie dolls with their revealing clothes, shameful postures, accessories and tools are a symbol of decadence to the perverted West. Let us beware of her dangers and be careful," a release from the pious police stated.
(Yes, Barbie is dangerous. Wasn't it 15 Barbies from Saudi Arabia that killed thousands of innocent people on Sept. 11, 2001?)
For prez, it's about time
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) >> President Lucio Gutierrez will set a national example and start showing up on time for meetings and appointments in an effort to combat a national lack of punctuality."The president has made the decision that punctuality will be the government's rule," a spokesman said.
(If this works, the president will also institute good penmanship and the washing of hands before meals.)
Driving home examples
DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) >> Ireland's transportation chief has taken and passed a driver's license exam as an example to the more than 300,000 people who drive without licenses. Transportation Minister Seamus Brennan has been driving without a license for a decade.(In his defense, he was always punctual.)
'Honolulu Lite' on Sunday:
The high point in the life of fictional British Navy Capt. Jack Aubrey was when Adm. Nelson spoke to him at a dinner. Nelson, he recalled, asked him to "pass the salt." The high point of my writing career was to talk to Aubrey's creator, author Patrick O'Brian, who asked me, "The macadamia nut, does it grow on trees?" Now a movie is being made of O'Brian's first of 20 Aubrey novels, an event that will renew attention on one of the great writers of our time.
Quote me on this:
"Say what you will about the Ten Commandments, you will always come back to the pleasant fact that there are only 10 of them." -- H.L. Mencken
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Charles Memminger, winner of National Society
of Newspaper Columnists awards, appears
Tuesdays, Thursdays , Fridays and Sundays.
E-mail cmemminger@starbulletin.com
