The Lair

Has anyone realized that the near ubiquitous series of books titled For Dummies is tackling subjects no dummy should be allowed near with a ten foot pole?

I mean.. come on. Service Oriented Architecture for Dummies? What’s next? Nuclear Physics for Dummies? How to build your own fission reactor for Dummies? Mandatory reading material for all PHBs, Software Project Management for Dummies? Explosives, Running with Scissors and other amusements for Dummies?

It gets better (or more idiotic). Not to be outdone by Wiley, Penguin has charge of a series titled Complete Idiots Guide To …. With guaranteed hits such as “Idiots Guide to Dream Jobs”, “Idiots Guide to Body Language” and “Idiots Guide to Restoring Collector Cars”. Right. Because idiots are exactly the sort of people you’d trust with a collector car. How about an Idiots Guide to medicine in the A&E (ER to the Americans) while you’re at it? There was another title I had in mind; but that’s already been written.

And in the first part of my oddly titled post, A 28 year old who died of water intoxication. She was (and dear gawd, the jokes write themselves) taking part in a competition titled “Hold your wee for a Wii”. Or, when you think about it, “When there’s a Wii, there might be no wee”. Yes, I am eWiil. Also, an excess of water can kill. And you thought too much booze on a night out was bad for ya. Looks like even water isn’t safe anymore.