DRIVING MUSE CRAZY

“What’s the matter with you? Want to get your head full of lead? Get out of here.”
–James Cagney to Pat O’Brien in ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES (1938 gangster movie)

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As you’ve probably heard, Flint, Michigan, has a problem. To save money, the powers-that-be in that distressed city decided to change the source of their water supply from the Great Lakes to the lead-laden Flint River….whereas they could’ve bitten the bullet (if they wanted to get their heads more full of lead than their constituents) and found a way to pay for safe drinking water for those with less desire to live dangerously.

More water problems in Flint, Michigan

Not to make light of man-made malfeasance, but humans aren’t the only ones who suffer. Suppose you’re a fish in that river –or other such stream or body of water. I think it’s safe to say you’d carp about any amount of brain-damaging lead, much less having our elected blowfish bargain for more. Holy mackerel — even a bullhead knows adding pollution is no solution! Can you imagine facing death floundering around like a crazed piranha because a bunch of political pikers don’t give a crappie about your well-being?

So I’m glad I’m neither a fish nor a resident of Flint….as if there aren’t already enough things that drive us crazy in this dogfish-eat-dogfish world, without having to worry about budget-balancers compromising our health. Now, I’m willing to allow that they dood it more out of ignorance than pure evil, but poison by incompetence is little comfort to its victims. Talk about a costly can of worms.

Of course, screw-ups aren’t the only thing DRIVING MISS DAISY crazy (you may think said film title is a stretch as far as a connection here is concerned, but take another look at this post’s title). Word play aside, I could probably come up with a plethora of pet peeves, but why go to all that trouble when I can sum it all up in four words: LIFE drives me crazy! — or, as my wife might call it, a short trip for a big drip. Well, love o’ my life, perhaps you’ve forgotten the words to our (some might say) fin-icky love song:

As for those of you who are drowning in pet peeves and want them spelled out, I hope the following will serve the porpoise:

76 Incredibly Accurate Pet Peeves That Will Drive. You. Nuts.

P.S. But after all is said and done….