The Misanthrope – Sunday’s Lighter Side

In university they don't tell you that the greater part of the law is learning to tolerate fools.
Doris Lessing, British novelist

The Ignorance of Youth. The Misanthrope was shocked when a few peers at the day job were not familiar with the reporting duo known as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. The Misanthrope’s college-attending daughter was just as appalled. She then surveyed her three roommates who not only had not heard of them, one asked, “what song do they sing?” During the previews of the new movie about Howard Hughes, a twenty-something, young woman was heard whispering, who is Howard Hughes? Jay Leno’s segment titled “Jay Walking” where he asks encyclopedic questions of young people such as “How many states make up the United States?” the numbers were all over the map. The Misanthrope should not be surprised that George Bush was elected.

Movie Going. Netflix, which rents DVDs on line, is a relative treat for escaping the rude behavior of people who today attend movies, talk throughout the show, and chomp nachos as if they are at home. To some extent, it’s understandable considering all the commercials shown at the theater. Movies theater prices are completely ridiculous. Starting at $9 for an evening show and $7.50 for the matinee only to be bombarded with commercials and previews that eliminate all suspense for the coming picture. A relatively new movie multiplex, the ArcLight on Sunset Blvd. charges $15 for reserved seats and $11 for off-peak times. The Misanthrope planned never to set foot inside, but in order to treat the hard-working, college-attending daughter, better judgment was set aside. The Misanthrope prepared for the worse, but instead became the converted. There were wide seats, ushers, fairly priced concessions (fair considering it’s a movie theater), reserved seating, no commercials, and best of all the clearest most crisp picture The Misanthrope has ever seen. It’s too far and too expensive for a regular routine, but for that special movie it’s highly recommended.

It's not my fault. I'm mentally ill. No that is not the excuse Bush voters used. It is the justification of 40-year-old Antoinette Millard, who is suing American Express for two million dollars after she ran up nearly one million dollars in charges and couldn't pay the bill.

She is now suing America Express saying she was mentally incompetent when she opened her account and the company should have known it. Millard's lawsuit says American Express gave her a prestigious Centurion “Black” card at a time when she was suffering from anorexia, depression, panic attacks, head tumors and by reason of such illnesses was mentally incompetent. The card is for people who charge more than $150,000 a year, and it carries a $2,500 annual fee.

If some jury decides this excuse has any merit, The Misanthrope believes physicals and psychological testing may be required before opening a charge card.

Now that we think about it, it’s not a bad idea.