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lizard

What's Wrong

by lizard at 11:26 AM on November 02, 2001

So I'm thinking about what's wrong with the world today - well, I don't have time to think about exactly how wrong everything is, but I do know this - many of the things that are wrong could be fixed, or would have been prevented entirely, if we just listened to our mothers. I know, I know, you've heard that a thousand times, from your mother, but did you listen? No!

And sometimes, I confess, mothers don't listen to their children. Mothers are driving, trying to remember what else they were supposed to do, worrying about mom-stuff, and we fail to pay full attention to what our progeny has to say. Hence, a week or so ago, when my daughter asked me for a ride to the airport, I only partially absorbed the implications of that request - airport - LA - flying.

I do try not to be one of those overbearing moms, so even though I don't approve of her new boyfriend (Francoise, a real French guy, from France, with the accent and everything) taking my little girl to New Orleans of all places on a plane of all things, well, I didn't object. At least out loud. Because she wouldn't have listened anyway, and what I would have said would have been a rather paranoid version of my opinion of the standard “go about your business as if nothing was wrong” propaganda that we hear interspersed with dire warnings of “credible threats”. I don't think acting as if nothing is wrong is a good idea at all.

Last night, on the news, they said that terrorists were going to blow up a bridge in LA sometime between the 2nd and the 7th or 9th, I forget which. The point is, LA is a mass of overpasses, every freeway gets airborne at some point, including the ones I'll be on this evening. Yes, I am driving to LAX tonight. Against my better judgement, which runs contrary to that “life as usual” line we've all been hearing.

So if they pick tonight to blow stuff up, and you're looking at live pictures of the smoking rubble and you see what's left of a grey (with purple undertones) Buick with license plates HTTPWWW, well, c'est moi.

comments (4)

Is his name really Francoise? Not Francois?

It occurs to me that one of the best and cheapest weapons terrorist have within their arsenal is terror itself. Not bombs or guns or anthrax, but the sheer unbriddled terror of citizens living in fear. If they fear you then you have power over them. So what if you don't actually blow up the bridge, people are affected by the fact you have already proven that you could and will therefore not go about their ordinary business.

But what do I know, I'm living in London and pretty safe. BTW kd, if you do get blown up, do I still have to redesign Surreally for MT?

by D at November 2, 2001 12:07 PM


I have no idea how to spell his name. I haven't met him yet, & don't know how to spell French stuff. I don't really think anything's going to blow up either, but i think being paranoid amuses me. It must. I do it all the time.

by kd at November 2, 2001 3:13 PM


Ok Ms. KD, like they would DARE blow up a bridge with you on it? I think NOT! It could cause a blogger war you know? The Queen of Surreally gone, and the King of Bad Sam still here? No tisk tisk would not do, simply would not do! Who in the world would they then depend on to bring Bin Laden laughs to the net world?

I hope the trip goes well and that you like the new French b/f! You are a good Mom to not get into that middle...:-)

by Pristine at November 2, 2001 10:40 PM


I'm sure I'll like him, he's a web designer. My daughter says, "sometimes he wants to talk to me about computer stuff, but I don't listen". *sigh* that's my girl.

by kd at November 2, 2001 10:49 PM