Althouse: The Good Giraffe.

November 19, 2012

The Good Giraffe.

"While sitting on the toilet, a jobless Scottish man had an idea: Why not dress as a giraffe and do good deeds for people?"

50 comments:

Farmer said...: Because you'll scare them off before you can get the chance to help.; 11/19/12, 3:16 PM
rcommal said...: Charming story; it made me smile. Sometimes weird ideas lead to good deeds.; 11/19/12, 3:21 PM
Paddy O said...: Self-regard leads to selflessness?; 11/19/12, 3:27 PM
rcommal said...: Of course, one wonders about what aspect of the toileting experience provoked the idea. Some sort of analogy to a giraffe's neck, maybe?

Heh.; 11/19/12, 3:30 PM
rcommal said...: One wonders, but doesn't really want to picture it. PLEASE RINSE MY BRAIN!; 11/19/12, 3:31 PM
rcommal said...: Paddy, your avatar is just great, by the way. Such a pretty, happy picture.; 11/19/12, 3:32 PM
DADvocate said...: Giraffe's are always willing to stick their necks out for others.; 11/19/12, 3:34 PM
Icepick said...: Hey, you want happy avatars?

Look over there --->

That guy is ALWAYS smiling.; 11/19/12, 3:37 PM
Icepick said...: Imagine how this origin story is going to play in the movies. Ben Stiller will need to make this one....; 11/19/12, 3:38 PM
Rabel said...: Wiki:

"The giraffe's prehensile tongue is about 50 cm (20 in) long. It is purplish-black in color, perhaps to protect against sunburn, and is useful for grasping foliage as well as for grooming and cleaning the animal's nose."; 11/19/12, 3:38 PM
Scott said...: Never let a giraffe French-kiss you.; 11/19/12, 3:42 PM
David said...: Loo-ney!; 11/19/12, 3:42 PM
David said...: Name that Giraffe:

Loois

Mary Loo

Loocretia

Skip T.M. Loo

Captain Kangaloo

Looloo; 11/19/12, 3:46 PM
David said...: Bad Giraffe: Dress as a giraffe and scare the wits out of people at night.; 11/19/12, 4:03 PM
campy said...: Why not dress as a human and get a job?; 11/19/12, 4:03 PM
Scott M said...: Cue Eddie Izzard's contrary point of view about the morality of giraffes in 3...2...1...; 11/19/12, 4:15 PM
Patrick said...: I'm not a saint, or anything close, but one thing I've learned is that I never regret taking time to do something nice, or even say something nice.

I do wonder though, why it seems so hard at times.; 11/19/12, 4:21 PM
Anonymous said...: "Bad Giraffe: Dress as a giraffe and scare the wits out of people at night."

11/19/12 4:03 PM

Makes it easier to peep in high windows too.; 11/19/12, 4:29 PM
David said...: Previous highly inventive Scots:

Alexander Graham Bell (Telephone, etc, etc.)
Andrew Carnegie (Modern industrial organization)
John Muir (Nature)
Charles McIntosh (Raincoat)
Adam Smith (Capitalist economic theory)
David Buick (Buicks)
James Watt (steam engine)
Alexander Fleming (pennicillin)
John McAdam (Macadam)
Ian Wilmut (Beta Blockers)
Robert Watson-Watt (Radar)
Lord Kelvin (Thermodynamics)
John Dunlop (Inflatable tire)

And so many more . . . .; 11/19/12, 4:29 PM
Geoff Matthews said...: Was alcohol involved with this decision?
Not with the doing good deeds bit, but the costume choice.; 11/19/12, 4:46 PM
AllenS said...: That's when I shave.; 11/19/12, 4:52 PM
Nora said...: "Was alcohol involved with this decision?
Not with the doing good deeds bit, but the costume choice."

The costume is a great choice if one wants to attract attention. Then the person can be seen from the distance.; 11/19/12, 5:04 PM
Nora said...: ... although I wonder how tall this guy is.; 11/19/12, 5:07 PM
edutcher said...: Not unlike the Lone Ranger, but for life's trivialities.; 11/19/12, 5:18 PM
Bob Boyd said...: I never met a giraffe I didn't like.; 11/19/12, 5:24 PM
Methadras said...: Damned Scottish furries.; 11/19/12, 5:32 PM
bagoh20 said...: People with jobs think of this too - nearly every time we go to the loo, but we are too busy to get started.; 11/19/12, 5:57 PM
Michael said...: Everything is wonderful about this guy, but for one thing. He has, and uses, a drum. Forewarned.; 11/19/12, 6:01 PM
Michael said...: Everything is wonderful about this guy, but for one thing. He has, and uses, a drum. Forewarned.; 11/19/12, 6:01 PM
Darrell said...: Geoffrey from Toys "R" Us should sue the crap out of him--or beat it out of him.; 11/19/12, 6:14 PM
Chip S. said...: Why not a unicorn?

Then you don't have to specify that you're a "good" one.

You could leave a trail of skittles behind, too.; 11/19/12, 6:28 PM
somefeller said...: No true Scotsman would do such a thing.; 11/19/12, 6:36 PM
Chip S. said...: nicely played, somefeller.; 11/19/12, 7:00 PM
Anonymous said...: Not quite as inspiring as Martin Luther writing his theses while sitting on the can...; 11/19/12, 7:33 PM
Paddy O said...: Thanks, rcommal!; 11/19/12, 7:54 PM
Penny said...: Funny how we assume that a guy who dons a giraffe costume can S T R E T C H his human neck all up in there. :|; 11/19/12, 8:14 PM
Unknown said...: And giraffes do it with only seven vertebrae, same as every mammal.; 11/19/12, 8:21 PM
Penny said...: And then looks down!

Only to be overcome with good wishes, followed by positive intent for those "below".; 11/19/12, 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...: Probably more typical of how jobless Scottish men spend their day. (from 0:35); 11/19/12, 8:53 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Hamas sees the Obama win as a windfall... and acts out.

But nobody dares say it... at least I haven't seen it.

An inconvenient truth?

Like Romney's post-election analysis... the truth that dare not speak its name.; 11/19/12, 9:03 PM
Bob Ellison said...: Eustace Chilke said "And giraffes do it with only seven vertebrae, same as every mammal."

I learned that a few years ago when an alpaca on our ranch broke his neck. The veterinarian, a nice guy in rough clothes with a soothing voice, said the poor guy had only as many vertebrae as the rest of us mammals, so when one goes in the middle, the animal is pretty much doomed. He was telling me the alpaca, whom we called Dr. Seuss, should be put to death, that there weren't realistic alternatives.

There ought to be a lesson here.; 11/19/12, 9:13 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: No true Scotsman would do such a thing.

Noooo.

Dressess giraffe in plaid pleated skirt, knee socks and tam with puffy ball on top. Equips giraffe with bagpipes. Offers giraffe single malt whisky. Observes true Scotsgiraffeman.; 11/19/12, 9:21 PM
Penny said...: You just might be right, Lem.

Course you're thinking like an observer of RATIONAL extremists, given that best guess.

Can only imagine Israel rolling her eyes and thinking...

"My fucking feet hurt, and I ALREADY overpay my Public Relations people!; 11/19/12, 9:25 PM
madAsHell said...: Really???....ya gotta dress up as a giraffe?

I'm thinking sex offender!; 11/19/12, 9:32 PM
yashu said...: Lem, there may be something to that.

Cf. the reaction in the Middle East (e.g. Iran) when Reagan was elected.

This time, Carter/Obama got a second term.; 11/19/12, 9:34 PM
Penny said...: Awww, come on, madAsHell!

Didn't your momma track your childhood growth, inch by inch, along the neck of the "Good Giraffe"?

Stay loose, man.

Never too late for an impressive ... SPURT.

:P; 11/19/12, 9:45 PM
somefeller said...: Thank you, Chip S.; 11/19/12, 9:49 PM
Sam L. said...: Big Bird is otherwise occupied.

Ooooh....Occupy Big Bird!; 11/19/12, 9:55 PM
rcommal said...: Lem:

This one is for you, because I remember when.

Not meant to be nasty, at all, at all: Just noting. And it's not personal or just you, either. It's what it is. And what's hard to just, you know, accept as what is and what's what.

That said, Lem, thanks for the memories and for the reminders.; 11/20/12, 1:12 AM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: Speaking of toilets and inspiring thoughts, . . . click this, . . . if you dare!; 11/20/12, 6:37 AM