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Saturday, November 21, 2015

Steven Wright works as a title, I guess.





"A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking."
Steven Wright, an American comedian, actor, writer, Oscar-winning film producer, said that. He’s brightened up my life for decades now. I think he’s a philosopher, like the late George Carlin. I miss George Carlin. Steven Wright used to show up on TV with new material during the messy 80’s and the shiny 90’s, but I guess he got tired. Jon Stewart, another guy I miss, another brightener, got tired, too, he said. (No, not-in-so-many-words, at least that I know of for sure.) Now he’s helping rescued farm animals with his wife, Tracey, (Tracy?) and I’m happy for them. I saw an interview with Tracey (Tracy?) and someone or other. Can’t remember the details but if you Google Tracey or Tracy Stewart and farm animals you’ll probably find it.


"A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking." Yes. Exactly. Ooooh, I get so tired, weary, and pitiful if I think and think. After I’ve given a good deal of my all, though, I can just reach a conclusion and be done with the thing, like SW says.  Aha! I say. Epiphany. Well, no. Not like that. More like diving into a nearby fact puddle, sloshing around, getting out and dried off, un-refreshed but finished with the whole bit and ready to laugh at cats jumping when cucumbers sneak up on them. (Google cats and cucumbers if I’ve lost you there.)


"A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking,” is a clear definition, but I strove for intellectual integrity for a little while earlier today so, to be fair, I looked up “conclusion” in the Oxford Online Dictionary. There were a mess of definitions on the page but this is the only one I felt like getting into:

“conclusion: “ A judgement or decision reached by reasoning 
and, even though all this was starting to drag for me,  I then looked up what they had to say about 
“reasoning:” The action of thinking about something in a logical, sensible way. Oh, Christ! Now I feel compelled to check OOD for 
“logical:” Characterized by or capable of clear, sound reasoning,” and 
“sensible:” Done or chosen in accordance with wisdom or prudence; likely to be of benefit. 

So then, 
“wisdom” The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement; the quality of being wise, and 
prudenceThe quality of being prudent; cautiousness. Okay. I’m exhausted by now but,  
prudent:” Acting with or showing care and thought for the future, and then, naturally, 
care:” Serious attention or consideration applied to doing something correctly or to avoid damage or risk

All this work for a definition of a word when good old Steven Wright explains what it means so simply and in words I don’t have to think about mush, I mean much.

"A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking,” is the very place for Americans, don’t you think? Well, most Americans. Okay, a lot of Americans.

Like about Syrian refugees, for example.

It’s exhausting to think about Syrian refugees. Hurts the brain. The pictures hurt your eyes and the reports, your ears. Better to just reach a conclusion before your heart gets involved, right? I know. Certain presidential candidates got tired of thinking about this lickety-split. They came to conclusions and tossed them out with stunning speed. President Obama is doing the whole Oxford Online Dictionary thang, though. Poor guy. Who knows when he’ll reach rock hard 24-carat conclusions because he never seems to get tired. He just keeps thinking. Wow.