Well, I Didn't See a Sign

There's adult humans in this country that are so ill-bred that they think nothing of entering a hotel dining room barefoot during breakfast and, when told that shoes are required, declare "Well, I didn't see a sign."

Let's Paraphrase Heinlein, Shall We?

"Watched Cops are Polite Cops."

Heinlein is, of course, famous for coining the expression "An armed society is a polite society." And long before Heinlein, there was the Latin poet Juvenal, who coined the phrase Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? (Who watches the watchmen?)

The camera does. Objectively and dispassionately.

No Charges For Boorish Behavior

He flipped a Colorado State Trooper the bird. The State Patrol is having to request the dismissal of charges on 1st Amendment grounds.

The bird-flipper's name, appropriately enough, is Shane Boor.

Quote of the Day

"More and more, we're all victims of these many small muggings every day. Our perp doesn't wear a ski mask or carry a gun; he wears Dockers and shouts into his iPhone in the line behind us at Starbucks, streaming his dull life into our brains, never considering for a moment whether our attention belongs to him. These little acts of social thuggery are inconsequential in and of themselves, but they add up -- wearing away at our patience and good nature and making our daily lives feel like one big wrestling smackdown."

via Amy Alkon.

Good Article On Civility In USA Today

Front page on the print edition, believe it or not. The story deals with blatant rudeness by Joe Wilson, Serena Williams and Kanye West.

With West it's obviously a matter of being famous beyond his IQ level. With Wilson and Williams it's a bit tougher, because neither is noted for such behavior.

Our first president, George Washington, felt that civility was so important that he wrote out 110 examples of civil behavior to be followed. You can find them here. Some are obviously dated, and not as applicable to 21st century life as to 18th century life, but many are still relevant even today.