Merci, beaucoup.....Buck McNeely....to fake or not to fake, that is the question

We're going with minty refreshment as the vibe of the piece today.

A huge hug and exultant "Merci beau coup" to those that picked up my dried-up carcass outta the gutter last week after my post of self-loathing....

I didn't ask, but yet I truly received.

The real measures of friendship. Extra credit points to the staff at The News Record.

All of you. Hooked me up with a righteous shot of esteem.

Now, with formalities aside, let's get it on....

How cliche is it to have the name of Buck McNeely while you host a show titled "The Outdoorsman"?

Christ, really?

I spotted this show on the boob tube about 2 a.m. one morning last week and immediately fired off a check as a charitable donation to an organization bent on assisting insomniacs.

Those poor souls don't need Buck McNeely in the wee hours regaling them with tales of the leopard-spotted, white-haired 7-toed sloth.

We want them to sleep, not toss themselves in front of cars.

No, I didn't watch it either. I exercised my freedom of a mandible thumb and navigated to "World of Jenks" on MTV.

Not much better.

Mr. Jenks, you tread no new ground, sir. Following around a rapper, a mixed-martial arts fighter and a professional poker player with a video camera is nothing that a slew of groupies has not already beaten dead and cold.

Credit goes to you, however, for having some mush-brained exec at MTV buy off on your formulaic, dusty idea. I eagerly await your bastardized, inbred show covering the Fantasy Factory.

MTV shit out its originality much like a bad night of Mexican food years ago.

Now they just fuck themselves in order to conceive new ideas.

"Real World" killed the video star.

Now on to sports....

My Bengals bring only one question to mind....

Are you ready for Cincinnati Cyclones hockey?

To fake or not to fake, that is what runs through my mind as we close our chat today.

An old high-school acquaintance recently added me as a Facebook friend. I did an Irish jig afterwords, for I had now added a new friend to my harem of 200-plus and counting.

Popularity can be such a heavy cross. (dripping severely here if you can't tell)

This aside, I noticed that said acquaintance had slimmed down quite significantly from our high-school days. Not that she was unattractive then, but she has only improved herself like a fine wine since.

I noticed a plethora of "Wow, you're so beautiful" or "Absolutely gorgeous" comments to her photos.....and it made me think.

Did we compliment her and adorn her in high school as we have now?

Did her spunky, effervescent personality earn her as much praise then as her looks do now?

Or are we, the peanut gallery of commentators, just plain fucking fake?

Did it take weight loss for us to notice a bright, shining human being?

I can only wonder if she had similar thoughts as she responded back to the comments with an air of humility and class; or did she ask the question of "Where were you 15 years ago with your flattery?"

I commented that she had aged well, much better than I had. I lobbed her a softball that complimented her and lessened my filthy lacquer of hypocrisy.

The acidic taste of that hypocrisy coats my tongue, for I never complimented her years before either.

Well, I received my just desserts.....karma can be a bitch.

She truly did age better than I have.

Spragoo