E. Michael Harrington

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I AM INTELLECTUALLY CURIOUS. NO, I'M JUST CURIOUS. Describing myself as "intellectually curious" - using the word, "intellectual" - is obnoxious and pompous and would imply I am intellectual. Rather than edit those sentences out, I'll just prod on as this is only a blog in which I diarize.

"Better to have blogged foolishly than to have never blogged at all. " Or have I just paraphrased that "better to have loved" saying?

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Back to "intellectual." INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY is not my term. I am curious about Intellectual property - copyright, trademark, patents, right of pubicity, trade secrets, and on and on. It is also "fun" to see acts of government and how our tax dollars are working against us, via the U. S. Copyright Office or the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office, for example. (NBC's nightly news used to do a "The Fleecing of America" segment in which they showed how wasteful Congress was in spending. There is more to waste than just Republican Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska and his bridge to nowhere.) When our government grants exclusive rights to citizens, it should be for worthy endeavors, inventions, creations or branding.

One of the best places to see STUPID at work is in the field of trademarks and service marks - not that "stupid," is bad, though. STUPID can be comedic and often is. STUPID can also tell us so much about our society.

TRADEMARKING religious icons, for example, reveals a lot about what people value, what they are trying to sell, what some consumers value (P. T. Barnum's "there's a sucker born every minute" really comes to mind), and how an institution as supposedly NOBLE as the U. S. P. T. O. can really be as IGNOBLE and crass as the ignoble-est and crass-est.

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Last year there were over 600 federal trademarks that featured the name, "Jesus." As of a few minutes ago, there are over 800. Obviously, JESUS sells or he wouldn't keep getting trademark registered.

WHAT WOULD JESUS TRADEMARK, I wonder.....

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Here are some actual registered JESUS trademarks along with my snide comments:

VELVET JESUS - I wonder if HE is the dealer at a poker game, and how recent is this velvet painting

Jesus Juice - now anyone can drink with minors

Sweet Jesus Chocolate - chocolate is seduction and if this doesn't work, nothing will

Jesus Aguilera - the refined brother of a tawdry singer

Praise Jesus Sleepwear - to be used with Jesus Juice and/or Sweet Jesus Chocolate

The Home of Jesus Christ - your donations will make this happen - an excellent crib just down the road from Benny Hinn's palace

Custom Made By Jesus - if it isn't the best kitchen device you've ever bought, I don't want you to keep it

Jesus University - the place other Christian universities covet - had they only thought this up name first.....

Jesus Is My Guru - at least this trademark holder is not so pompous as to call himself a guru. Perhaps there could be a Gurus for Jesus group if only self appointed gurus could be so humble.

Millionaires For Jesus - Jesus loves us more than you - that's why he made us richer than you

More Jesus later......

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REPUBLICANS and DEMOCRATS are waging a war on who can distance themselves better from conflict of interest and lfe as they normally practice it.

IT' IS FUN TO WATCH WASHINGTON "GET RELIGION" (just a phrase - they and I don't mean it) as everyone is trying to distance themselves from the world's least popular, greatest pariah kind of guy - JACK ABRAMOFF. I am certain that many wish Jack Abramoff had been in that bombed little house in rural Pakistan as if Jack were not alive, he would not be able to testify.

But he is alive and I really look forward to his making my 2006 one of the finest comedic years ever. What Jack knows and all of his emails will make for great news and TV (he wears one cool retro hat). I just hope that Jack's time in the spotlight in 2006 is not overshadowed by SCOOTER LIBBY, KARL ROVE, TOM DELAY or other natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes or volcanoes.

I also hope that Jack Abramoff doies not get blamed for any upcoming natural disasters. Abramoff will probably get blamed as Pat Robertson and Ray Nagin understand God's thinking and working ways far better than I do.

To be continued.....

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The President seems to have little respect for privacy of Americans. That's another good story needing to unfold.

Here is some more bad stuff - a company that specializes in invasion of privacy. The sophisticated technical term for their business is, "creepy."

http://locatecell.com/

To be continued......

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