Musings from the, perhaps slightly touched, mind of the leading social commentator of our time.


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Sunday, August 14, 2011

Harrumph File #081 08.14.2011_ Iowa Straw Pole

     So, I want to know more about this straw pole in Iowa.  What’s up with that?  Why is there a straw pole in Iowa and why is the media making such a big deal about it?  There are politicians running around like chickens with their heads cut off and stuffing hot dogs into their mouths like Oscar Mayer® is going out of business on Monday.
     And, I want to know why this pole is made out of straw anyway?  Hasn’t anyone learned their lesson?  Doesn’t anyone read anymore?  You have to make things out of brick to be safe from the big, bad wolf.  You can’t even use sticks, much less straw, to make wolf-proof things.  And how do you make a pole out of straw anyway? Would a straw pole be strong enough for a sizeable firefighter to slide down?  And what about straw splinters?  A firefighter can’t hold a fire hose with a hand-full of painful straw splinters, ouch!
     Now, I understand that “back in the day” they had to use straw to make things like roofs for houses, mattress fillings, and maybe they had to use it for poles back then too.  But nowadays we make our poles out of steel, or fiberglass, or even PVC.  Any of these things are much better than straw.  Is there a PVC shortage in Iowa?  Perhaps they just don’t have a wolf problem in Iowa, or it’s like some kind of weird medieval festival gone wrong or something.
     I just don’t get it.  It’s not like supply trucks don’t drive into Iowa with loads of steel and fiberglass.  Heck, they might even have an airport or two that real jets fly into.  Now, I know that the “retro-look” is big right now, but has Iowa turned into a gigantic Amish-like community or something?
     Why make poles out of straw?  I can’t figure this one out.  Poles made out of…(voice from off-page.)  …Yes, I know, they’re made of straw (off-page voice again.)  No, I don’t know why when they’ve got access to technology (once again, off-page voice.)  What? P-O-L-L?  A straw poll, not a straw pole?  Well, yes, that makes much more sense…ummm…(off-page voice.)   Well, no my notes did not make that clear (off-page voice.)  No, I do not deserve to move to “Dunder-head City,” I don’t even think that’s a real city anyway (off-page voice.)  What?  The audience?  Oh yeah, never mind.  Harrumph…

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