Bottom scraper
Dear Dr. Lovemonkey,
How can you tell if someone has low self-esteem?
_Dennis
Dear Dennis,
Insecurity can manifest itself in all sorts of different ways. Frequently, it is when someone feels the need to dominate in conversation or constantly be the center of attention. Sometimes it takes the form of belittling others. It is a sad and sadly widespread situation for a lot of people. Dr. Lovemonkey tries to assure people with low self-esteem that they are okay, that they are valuable, and that their lives matter. Of course, some people have such low self-esteem that they soldier on with their annoying habits, at which point Dr. Lovemonkey frequently picks up his beer and moves to the other end of the bar (where you can frequently find a generous sampling of people with low self-esteem).
Is the end near?
Dear Dr. Lovemonkey,
I was recently discussing the Book of Revelations in the Bible with a few friends. After consulting a few other sources, we found that the world is supposed to end in 2012. We found references to meteors, giant fires, and other conflagrations. Could you let me know how factual this is?
_Seeker
Dear Seeker,
There you have your answer. It’s based on “biblical” interpretations. Dr. Lovemonkey understands that, for hundreds and hundreds of years, various biblical “scholars” have found evidence that the world is going to end in a few years.
Interestingly enough, the scholars all find that the end is going to occur in their presumed lifetime, probably because they don’t want to miss out on anything that big. Dr. Lovemonkey surmises that: a) one can find whatever they want in the Bible because; b) it has been translated from Aramaic, to Greek, to Coptic, to Latin, to German, to English, and on and on, making rigid interpretations fairly useless; and c) we humans will far and away be the likely culprits if planet destruction comes about. You and your pals are just as likely to come up with an end-date for Earth by sitting around eating nachos and watching bad sit-coms on TV.
Tired and emotional
Dear Dr. Lovemonkey,
Why is it that some people judge others by how they act when they are drunk?
_Larry in Hopkinton
Dear Larry,
Let me ask you this: if some bonehead comes into your house, trashes the place, and bonks you on the head with a lead-filled rubber hose, do you give a shit if he’s drunk or sober? You still have to clean up the house and your head will hurt all the same. Being drunk does not absolve one of responsibility for one’s behavior.
Alcoholism is a terrible and debilitating disease, and I do not mean to belittle those who suffering from it, but that is a very complicated issue. So we’re talking here about people who are not alcoholic, but who have chosen to imbibe too much, and subsequently act like assholes. That is as much a part of who they are as when they are not drunk. We humans are a big package, and we are responsible for our entire package. Deal with it, and have no more than two glasses of wine with dinner this evening.
Send questions and quandaries to rudycheeks@cox.net.
