Just About Now

The Credibility Gap appears when the distance between what we hear, see or involve ourselves in, and common sense (and logic) becomes impossible to bridge. I’m sure a good number of you have experienced the internal mayhem that occurs when the various factions of the mind are unable to come to agreement on what is and is not reality. This is fine, by the way: No more than evidence of one’s humanity. And with this in mind, I would like to share a few things that have happened along the way…

As is the case with just about everyone else, certain things can set me off. One such thing is a four word sequence… An insult, a challenge, an act of war. For reasons that may be cultural, genetic, or anything else, that particular sequence of words is enough to cause a spontaneous short circuit of the mind…

Included in this episode are: Early memories of Looney Tunes cartoons during the Saturday Matinée, the magic and glory of the cinema, the joy of watching open air Kung Fu films, thoughts on attempting to sneak into adult films while very young, and more…

Have you ever been a champion? Do you remember how it felt: The buzz and glory? Or followed your local football team all the way to victory at the Cup Final. Remember the joy? And, of course there’s the flip side to all that: When the championship slips away. That’s one we’d all rather forget…

On the surface, care seems like an easy word to handle. However, after thinking for a bit, I had no choice but to come up with a metaphor (shared in the episode) to explain my view on the word.

The rest of the episode contains a few thoughts on, and memories of care related matters…

We fill most of this episode with a great interview between the esteemed radio talkshow host Doggi Doggsen and Chidonicus (quite possibly the greatest clown operating in the 21st Century).

As written in the title, breakdown is the word driving this particular episode, tough we won’t be dealing with anything heavy. Along the way, we’ll look at mechanical breakdowns - think embarrassing presentation; instant nervous breakdowns - such as those brought on by an important exam and too little sleep; emotional breakdowns - as in I-really-need-you-to-fix-my-computer-now-because-my-whole-life-is-in-it; and the unfortunate case of Dr. Barnaby Boxhill-Bunker who really believed he could have a friendly chat with five magnificent Bénoué lions from Cameroon.

First of all, this episode comes with a warning: Excessive drinking is not healthy, and can so easily lead to acts of foolishness. As illustrated by the recollection of my first time drunk - an accidental affair. There’s also some university level foolishness, and an incident in which I allowed booze and a pair of very strong legs get the better of me.

On the matter of biting… aside from the usual bits and pieces, I manage to find the courage and strength to retell a traumatic tale involving a free ride to City X, the need to make a good impression on the driver, and what can happen when a stomach gets hungry, angry, and encourages the owner of said stomach to start biting things and chewing them…

As a catalyst for something to talk about ‘belief’ is a wonderful, multi-faceted word. Think about it… There’s belief that causes trouble; belief that makes our heads explode; belief that makes no sense; belief that makes impossible disappear; belief that brings warmth and joy to the average heart, et cetera, et cetera.