Laughs at tragedy

This is probably horrible of me:

Two days ago, we were in the car, listening to the news on the radio. A story about the California bush fires (sorry: "forest fires" for you Yanks) came on.

They had a snippet from Gov. Arnold: ''Thiz is a huuj traah-jiddy fohr da Staht of Cal-le-FOR-nee-yuh..." And I just busted out laughing.

Because I live here in Aussie-land, not in the U.S., I hadn't heard Gov. Arnold speak since he'd become Governor. So, he still sounded like... Arnold Schwarzenegger!!! Not like ''the Governor of California". I expected him to end with a bad pun, like ''We ahr get-ting SMOHKED ouht heah!''

I suppose I would have had the same reaction if it had been anyone else with a distinctive way of talking: Jimmy Steward, James Cagney, Groucho Marx, Jimmy Durante (hmmm... all these ''Jimmy''s). Mae West. Gilbert Gottfried.


Although: I guess if you want to be taken seriously as a state, don't elect a movie actor as your Governor.

Or as your President, for that matter.


--GG