Random Connections

Its amazing how quickly conversations can evolve and take you down new youtube avenues. Yesterday I took an eventful conversation path from burritos to George Foreman to that sad early-1990s cotton commercial. It went down in a manner akin to this:

I had a burrito for lunch. Yeah, it was yummy. Since I believe burritos are the reason that humans have not caused their own extinction through nuclear warfare, I also believe that a bad burrito would have the same effect as a manipulative warlord. But this one was good, so I won't be attacking any countries, states, provinces, municipalities, orphanages, etc. But nothing is as good a La Parrilla in Bozeman. The Chicken Santa Fe Wrap....mmm....that's what peace negotiations are made of. I love La Parrilla so much I would not only name my first born La Parrilla, I would name ALL of my children La Parrilla.

Just like George Foreman. He has 11 children - 6 boys and 5 girls. All six boys are named George. Except I wouldn't give my children suffixes or discriminate based on gender, they'd all be La Parrilla and would have to duke it out between themselves. Additionally, George does not have a daughter named Georgia. Or Georgia Peach

Georgia makes everyone think of Georgia Peaches. We even have a damned peach on our quarter. Its crap. It infuriates me. Yes, Georgia peaches are delicious, so are South Carolina Peaches, as long as its from the South, its pretty darn good. In fact, the water tower that looks like a peach isn't even in Georgia, its in Gaffney, South Carolina. People then next associate Georgia with peanuts, I blame Jimmy Carter for this. Georgia's top agricultural money-maker is actually with Broilers (9-12 week old chickens). Peaches is #17 on the list, peanuts at least come in at a somewhat respectable #5. BUT, Georgia's largest cash crop (not including poultry/livestock) is cotton. I've known this for years, but the rest of the country is in denial because of the negative associations of cotton with slavery. I don't think we can really blame slavery on cotton. Why is it ok to wear it, but not put it on a quarter?

Do you remember that really sad cotton commercial from the early 1990's? There's a mother and a daughter sitting in a partially empty house packing boxes. The little girl asks her mother why they have to move; and the mother replies that because people don't buy American cotton products any more, her daddy had to be laid off and they now have to move so he can find a new job. Because people weren't buying American cotton. Americans are killing the American dream by not buying American cotton. Now little Susie has to move. We're all horrible people, emphasized by the playing of "The touch, the feel of cotton. The fabric of our lives." Tears unbidden. American propaganda at its best.

I then spent lots of quality time on youtube looking for the commercial. Alas, I could not find it. So, either for the first time in my experience youtube has failed me, or I was distracted by a shiny object before I stumbled upon the video. But I did watch The Mysterious Ticking Noise. Brilliant.