As the Olympics show over and over and over, Americans as a group are prone to inadvertent self-parody. Blogging offers a wide field for this kind of dubious accomplishment, but it’s easy to find other examples. Athletes, for instance: on Wednesday, I laughed as two American hurdlers held up “we’re number 1!” index fingers during an interview after the 110m final in which they finished second and third.
A certain kind of Christian comes up close behind the grandiose athlete, and even overlaps him to some extent:
Someone smarter and meaner than me can figure out a funny way to combine turning the other cheek while clad in sparring equipment.
And then there are the real-estate developers. Worst of the lot.
Exhibit 1: The only “shores” are the sides of the cement-lined drainage ditches. Nice big-sky views, though…
Exhibit 2: “Now Renting”? Really? Don’t you mean “Now Accepting Deposits on Which We Hope to Earn Enough Interest That We Can Prevent Foreclosure on This Half-Completed Pile”?
2 responses so far ↓
1 Mnmom // Aug 24, 2008 at 12:37 am
My favorite: Cobblestone on the Lake development in Apple Valley. The “lake” is the remains of a large gravel pit/excavation site, some of which is still in operation and in full view on the other side of the quasi-lake.
I always think of it as “Cobblestone on the Gravel Pit”.
2 admin // Aug 24, 2008 at 8:42 am
Awesome. That’s as good as the “Island View” townhouses in my neighborhood – no island, and not much of a view.
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