JOE BTFSPLK

I am beginning to feel like Joe Btfsplk. The Li’l Abner character that walked around with a black cloud over his head. He seemed to have bad luck. His endeavors jinxed.

My television debut yesterday had a sense of Joe Btfsplk about it. I lasted 4 minutes. Then taken off the air. No, I did not say anything bad. There was no audio. It took several hours to determine the cause. A cable problem some where in the back room.

So there was no first television show for me!

Watch again next week. Please.

There is humor in all this. I moved to the TV station because my previous internet show did not always work. Some weeks, no voice. Others, no picture. Some weeks, nothing at all. I figured that was all behind me. I was going to be broadcasting live from a for real TV station.

Such is life!

While the tragedy was unfolding yesterday, I asked Jenna if she knew who Li’l Abner was. I knew I was in a Joe Btfsplk moment. She did not. Too young.

Al Capp was a cartoonist. From the mid 1930s to the mid 1970s, he drew the Li’l Abner cartoon. It was syndicated world wide.

The setting for the cartoon was the imaginary Dogpatch in the hills of Kentucky. Li’l Abner was a young hillbilly. His girl friend was Daisey Mae.

Joe Btfsplk was a part of the Dogpatch community. He appeared in the cartoon about once a month. Seldom because Joe was considered bad luck. He was a small runty appearing guy. Wore a big flappy hat. Always had that black cloud over him.

I visted with Lisa after the show. She lamented with me. Larry Smith telephoned several times with his critique of the 4 minutes.

I would be lying if I said I was not disappointed. There was a need to drown my sorrows. I knew the perfect place.

I headed over to Blossoms for a Cuban cheese toast with tomato and a large cup of Cuban coffee. I felt better afterwards.

My afternoon was committed to writing next week’s KONK Life article. It’s called Honor Killing. The subject matter concerns Pakistani parents who threw acid over their 15 year old daughter because she was looking at boys. It took two days of agonizing pain before the girl died. It is questionable whether she received medical attention.

Honor killings are common place in Pakistan. Last year there were 943 such deaths. Young girls killed by family members. Acid was used in each instance. Of the 943, only 20 received medical attention

To further compound these heinous deaths, most of the girls were first subjected to gang rape.

Honor killings are tied into religion. My article explores the subject, including the religious aspect.

I got involved in a two hour telephone call around 5. By the time it was over, I was not in the mood to go out last night. I stayed home and watched TV.

A brief comment regarding General Petraeus’ resignation.

The man had an extramarital affair. That in and off itself would not justify resignation in my opinion. His problem was his girl friend had obtained access to his personal emails. Cannot have a girl friend sneaking around and reading emails of any kind written and received by the head of the CIA.

Had it not been for the intrusion into his personal emails, Petraeus hopefully would have stayed on the job.

The United States is no longer the puritanical society it once was. Most of our churches and places of worship are empty. The moral wrongs of yesterday are the rights of today. Let he who is without sin cast the first stoned should prevail. People who live in glass houses likewise should not throw stones.

Enjoy your Saturday!

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