Tag Archives: Commentary

Having to do with a tendency to talk, talk, talk. But hey, even a blind pig finds a truffle now and then.

Why do they act that way?

I mentioned “hand-wringing and indignation” in my previous post about a stripper’s allegations of rape against members of the recently disbanded Duke lacrosse team. These two reactions have been among the most common to the still-evolving mess–I say “still-evolving” because the DA seems determined to bolster his “street cred” with Black voters by sending the case to the grand jury despite the absence of DNA or other evidence that an assault actually occurred.

Oddly enough, the stripper apparently can’t identify anyone as an assailant, so without DNA or eye witness evidence, this rape allegation begins to look more and more spurious. I mean, some “unpleasantness” probably occurred, probably characterized by some racism and angry words, but this is starting to appear like an attempt to bend the legal system to the designs of a few interested parties–the DA and the stripper, most likely.

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PC Minefield at Duke

MinefieldThose of us who live in Durham, NC, seldom experience the glow of the national spotlight. We have become accustomed to seeing references to the Research Triangle area in the sports pages, but apparently not much else happens here that is worthy of notice by the rest of the country. Maybe that is what has led to the disequilibrium around here, especially among the usually confident voices of the university set who now find a bit of difficulty in hitting their marks and saying their lines in the case of the recent rape accusations against members of the Duke University lacrosse team.

Perhaps people have also been put off balance by the complex convergence of factors required to put Durham in the news. Attracting national attention has required a story combining the popular theme of sports and something else newsworthy–or prurient–enough to attract the notice of the national press. In this case it was that a young African American woman is the accuser and the accused are generally privileged white college athletes who have become rather notorious in the area for their rowdiness and run-ins with the law.

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More on Dogs

Or is that Moron Dogs?

Naw, it’s not the dogs’ fault if they cause problems, is it? It’s those silly, silly owners, right? Of course, it is.

Here’s another little behavior of theirs that makes me wonder: In this aforementioned neighborhood with its aforementioned network of walking trails, dog walking is something of a national sport. Thing is, most of these dog walkers seem to think it is proper for them to walk on the left.

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Dogs – Gotta love ’em (or do we?)

shhhh.jpgI live in Woodcroft subdivision in Durham, NC. This little blurb appears at the bottom of a long page in the Homeowners Association Web site’s “Neighborhood News” section.

PET PEEVES
Dog owners please remember the walking trails are often located very close to your neighbors yards and are used extensively by non-pet owners as well. Please take a plastic bag and clean up any “accidents” that your pet may leave along the trail. The same consideration is appreciated in all of the common areas, traffic circles etc. Thank you in advance for being a considerate Woodcroft neighbor!”

Well, let’s just say that if anybody actually sees the blurb, not many abide by it. It’s a shame, too. This great neighborhood is made less appealing by the large amount of dog waste scattered everywhere. I mean, you can smell it driving through the subdivision. It just brings up the issue of why people have so many dogs anyway, and once they have them, why they don’t keep in mind the effect of their dogs on other people.
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