Yesterday I was messing around in my office when my husband came in, highly indignant, to complain about a show he was watching on The Science Channel.
“I’m watching a show,” he said, “but I’m having a really hard time taking it seriously.”
“Howcome?” I asked.
“Well, the sentences they are stating are factual, but they’re using them in completely the wrong context.”
“What do you mean?”
(Adjusting his voice to sound like a serious news anchor reporting on a Very Scary Situation) “They’re saying things like, ‘New Discoveries On Distant Star Show That Life On Earth Is Endangered’.”
“And it’s not?”
“Well, yeah, but the catastrophes they’re predicting aren’t gonna happen for another 5 billion years.”
“So I don’t need to worry?” (That’s always the bottom line for me with these kinds of things.)
“No. But apparently some scientists are already working on escape plans.”
“What?!”
“Yeah. So don’t watch this show, because to hear them talk, they’re thinking that, like, next Tuesday it could all be over.”
If it is going to happen next Tuesday, I won’t bother doing my taxes over the weekend.
Good point-I forgot about that possible benefit of the world coming to an end anytime soon.