Saturday, June 10, 2006

F***** Fatigue & Advice From Dear Abby

My morning internet reading routine includes a round-up of advice columns and the comics. Pedestrian, yes, but I am not a morning person and can't handle heavier news items from outlets such as the Washington Post and New York Times until later in the day.

I've also been in serious head-in-sand mode for the last oh, four years, because I cannot stand listening to one more report of the latest atrocity caused directly/indirectly by Commander Cuckoo Bananas and his fearlessly stupid gang of fruity sidekicks. Our country led by a man who has never had to face the consequences of his actions.

I have the same reaction to one of my brother-in-laws who thinks the optimal way to solve Pennsylvania's financial problems is to abolish the property tax, give tax breaks to corporations (other states are doing it!) and raise taxes on everything else. The word "regressive" is not in his vocabulary.

So it is refreshing to become annoyed at the letters published in columns like Dear Abby.

Today it was a woman who wanted to know if her daughter was legally married in the United States (wedding was held in Mexico) because of a delay in changing her name. The daughter had explained that she was waiting on a translated copy of her marriage certificate and that Spanish version was not valid in the United States.

Abby, ever the professional, reassured the mother that marriage was legal.

My question is why is this any of the mother's business? And why, if the question is about the legality of her daughter's marriage, is she so hung up on the state of her daughter's last name?

My crap-meter has been in overdrive lately.

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