Lazy Brains

Another commenter on a different blog site said I had a "lazy brain", mainly because I did not upchuck back to him all the evidence in the Corona trial to justify my claim that he ought to be found guilty. That is an interesting charge. That I am lazy of mind.

I rather think the "lazy" charge means something like, "because you don't think like me" attached to it. Because I know my brain is not lazy, and comprehends things better than most.  I've got two college degrees, a stint in the army, three marriages, four kids, 30 years in corporate management at a senior level, donated time to charity, read relentlessly, can program computers, have traveled to 21 countries around the world, have more money than 95% of Americans and 99.9% of all Filipinos.

But my brain is lazy?

But, okay, for the fun of it, and to have a topic to write about this morning, I'll accept the charge. Indeed, I am on occasion inclined to go with the easy opinion rather than dredge up facts. But that does not mean my brain is not working. Indeed, it may be working on writing to express a complex concept in terms that others don't find. Or it may mean I am researching the tension between Aquinaldo and Dewey to gain a better understanding of the roots of the Philippine American war rather than researching Gloria Arroyo or her party or the representatives who are aligned with her, or against her, and their pedigree.

So, yes, my brain is "lazy", or not active, in the subject arena where that particular critic excels.

I am lazier than a lot of people hereabouts.

• I am lazier than benigno, who can pen a sentence more profoundly than anyone I've met in the Philippines. He also operates better than me at pursuing agendas, being arrogant and keeping his motives hidden. So I am lazier in those regards, too.

• I am lazier than Doy Santos, who understands the Philippine economy way better than I ever will.

• I am lazier than Mariano who has the eye of a hawk and the satirical humor of Jonathan Swift, using his time in the U.S. to shine a light back on the Philippines with wit and wisdom.

• I am lazier than Cocoy at having mature, responsible values. I swear like a pig heading to the fiesta, never go to church, and sometimes get really overbearing and obnoxious.

• I am lazier than manuelbuencamino who has lived a lifetime engaging with and writing about Philippine political and social events, gaining awareness of both history and social structure and how they meld as the Philippine condition.

• I am lazier than Macapili who knows the Philippine American War as if he had lived it. And he can show you the photos, too.

• I'm way lazier than parallelaxe, who can parse someone else's writing and write lies about it better than absolutely anyone. I am way lazier at using the insult as a basis for winning arguments. I'm sure in a prior life he was a fighting chicken.

• I'm lazier than Ilda and proud of it.

• I'm lazier than Chief Justice Corona. I could never engage with a dozen attorneys and maintain my sanity.

• I'm lazier than Attila who actively engages with Filipinos whilst I largely hide from them.

 I'm lazier than most, in some way.

But I double dog dare you to work as hard as I do at thinking around corners and getting the ideas into print with a twist or two. You know, fomenting original thought with style instead of regurgitating someone else's ideas in dry, humorless words. Trying to understand things and provoke thinking rather than needing to hammer everyone else into a bucket of wobbly self esteem.

I work damn hard at that.*
_______________

• Humpty Dumpty New World Dictionary. "damn hard" is a an adverbial phrase, a satirical twist on the expression "not very hard", used mainly by retired people who are having fun rummaging about the world protecting their brains from atrophy.