The Cultural Irritant

As I sit here at the end of Memorial Day, at the Portland International Airport, listening to drunken frat bro's talk about the posteriors of passing maidens, my mind can't help but wander to actions of military service men and women in the world's wars over the  yyears.  Don't ask me how it correlates, because it just doesn't. I am remembering the stories of my Grandpa Prentice, and how he was put on trial for his life in front of a military tribunal for desertion during wartime.  His crime?  He went awol while saving the family farm from a blood sucking lawyer who was trying to fleece my great grandmother.  Not only was he acquitted, he ended up knocking out the guard who spat in his food while he was in the brig.  He received the purple heart after being wounded when the ammunition ship he was on was dive bombed by a Kamikaze. Now as I listen to the bearded hipsters behind me talk of pabst blue ribbon, Bon Iver, and rolling their own cigarettes, I'm remin

I watched an episode of two and a half men the other day. Let me explain why. It wasn't that I was curious about that train wreck of a sitcom, it was that I couldn't believe my local tv station would allow a show about a polygamous transgendered family on the air. It's a little risqué, even for CBS. Imagine my surprise when I got 13 1/2 minutes of Charlie sheen mugging for the camera in order to collect 5 million per episode. I know the dollar ain't what it used to be, but come on. What struck me most about the show was the utter disregard for any sort of humor. Opting instead for the popular, "witty banter between male rock head, and intelligent in-touch with feeling feminine person." I can't say female because that role was played by a male character, although I did have some doubts at first. However, let me tell you what passes for "wit" these days. Someone, usually masculine character, states something. Feminine character then proceeds