14 FEB 11: Have a Loveless Day

During my junior high school years, I took two-hour "Unified Studies" classes every day - a mix of English and social studies. My eighth-grade teacher was named Ms. Loveless. And sometimes she lived up to that name - such as when she implied the U.S. forced the Philippines to make 4 July its independence day.

This day may be the most challenging one of the year for Ms. Loveless, country singer Patti Loveless and others with that last name. After all, there's so much pressure on people to express love for someone special. Hmmm - is that why President Obama is releasing his budget proposal today?

You may think Valentine's Day is a wonderful love-filled idea. But over the years, I've learned better. In fact, I've been taught there are two sides to the story - and if I know what's good for me, I'll steer clear of this day. The critics probably even would applaud me for playing Uno, instead of a poker game with 13 hearts in it.

The critics are in Christian religious groups, who say Valentine's Day has its origins in ancient Roman pagan rituals. If the Romans did it and it's not in the Bible, I shouldn't do it. We apply that logic to lions eating criminals in stadiums, after all....

A few critics go so far as to commend Muslim countries which crack down on Valentine's Day celebrations. In fact, that's one of several areas where Christian and Muslim fundamentalists find common ground. Call for a boycott of restaurants serving barbecued pork, and a major ecumenical movement could be underway.

So today is a day when I'm NOT supposed to be celebrating.... you know, hearts and flowers and that mushy romantic stuff. The way it's presented by some ministers, this is a day to avoid showing love at all. Hopefully Columbus police will understand, if they pull me over for running other drivers off the road.

The Valentine's Day critics stop short of proposing what happens in Cambodia every spring. That country holds a National Day of Hate during May. Of course, some people think Georgia and Alabama also have something like that in the spring - called Confederate Memorial Day.

So how am I supposed to respond to this? For one day, I'm going to try NOT loving anybody. I will be love-less. I'll do the work which needs to be done - but remember, I'm only doing it because I have to do it.

I might be friendly toward people today - but since I'm trying to avoid loving them, I'll put up a front. I'll wear a big fake smile on my face. I might even say "Sir" and "Ma'am" to them - and I know the use of "Ma'am" will offend some women, because they've told me it makes them feel old.

A day without love is even easier for a single guy like me, when you don't have a girlfriend. The money I save by not purchasing flowers will roll over to Tuesday, when the bags of Valentine's chocolate will be on sale at half-price.

So if you happen to pass me today, don't be surprised if I grunt or mumble instead of saying hello. I'm simply doing my good Christian duty. Come Tuesday morning, it will be safe for me to love people again -- even if those people respond by returning what I give them today.

-> We played a new kind of online poker this weekend -- and liked it a lot. Read what happened at our other blog, "On the Flop!" <-

E-MAIL UPDATE: Television networks are known for reruns - but newspapers?!

Richard,,you have to get a Sat.Ledger..check the obits..the whole pg is a reprint including the date of late Tue..

Whether this happened or not may depend on which edition of the Ledger-Enquirer you have. I checked the Columbus Public Library's Saturday issue Sunday, and noticed no reprinting at all. But then again, wouldn't the people in Tuesday's obituary section still be dead today?

I don't dare dig deeper go any farther into this subject. Instead, let's check the Sunday news....

+ Which area Girl Scout troop went to the Georgia Aquarium for the weekend - and actually slept overnight inside the aquarium building? Talk about giving new meaning to "sleep with the fishes...."

+ Muscogee County School District officials announced what's left of the old Baker High School will be bulldozed today. I drove by it Sunday, and only the front facade remained. I'm a little surprised Baker alumni didn't find a way to haul it off in one piece.

+ Richland Police told WRBL the town's leading drug dealer was arrested, and eight vehicles were seized at his home. In a town the size of Richland, anyone owning eight vehicles is likely to be held in suspicion -- especially if one of them isn't a used pick-up truck.

+ Virginia Tech torpedoed Georgia Tech in men's college basketball 102-77. Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt was ejected -- and if this five-game losing streak goes much longer, he'll have the athletic director's permission to keep on walking.

+ Instant Message to "Maroon 5": Ohhhhh. You're a band. I saw that name and the song "Misery" at the Grammy Awards Sunday night, and thought you were the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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