The “flip-flop” is younger than John McCain.
According to Mr. Wiki and Mr. Pedia (what?), these annoying “shoes” (surpassed only by “Crocs” in their sheer awfulness) were inspired by a post-war Japanese sandal… cleverly titled “jandals”.
Legend has it that the modern design was invented in New Zealand by one Morris Yock in the 50′s and patented in 1957. However, the children of John Cowie, an England-raised businessman who started a plastics manufacturing business in Hong Kong after the war, vehemently (!) deny Mr. Yock’s claim. It was, they say, their father – not the evil Yock – who manufactured a plastic version of the sandals in the late 1940s and that Mr. Yock was merely a New Zealand importer.
I’m so bored by this pseudo-controversy that I can barely keep my eyes open.
Anyway, you know what else is really annoying? The way that Republicans accuse a Democrat of “flip-flopping” (which I guess is supposed to be the more mature way of saying “Liar, liar, pants on fire”… although it sounds equally childish and it doesn’t have the cute rhyming thing going for it) when he or she gains new insight into an issue but they have no qualms themselves about being almost pathologically inconsistent.
Here’s, i don’t know, like 72 examples of what I’m talking about. (Hey, that’s almost one for every year of McCain’s age. How fortuitous.)
Two more comments…
I actually have no major issue with “flip-flopping”. To paraphrase Steven Colbert from the White House Correspondent’s Dinner, I don’t think that one should automatically view things the same way on Wednesday as they did on Monday… regardless of what happened on Tuesday. I do, however, call bullshit when one party tries to own the phrase.
I used a picture of the pinball game “Flip Flop” because scanning through pages and pages of images of flip-flops on Google Images made me want to vomit.
(Thanks to Jay for the tip!)
Even more than I appreciate your commitment to finding things younger than McCain, I appreciate your hatred of flip-flops. Oh they are so ugly and gross.
Comment by tricia — July 31, 2008 @ 10:01 am
Hey, I like Crocs.
But yes, I hate how “flip-flops” have become such a partisan term. Let it be used against them!
Comment by Rachel Keslensky — July 31, 2008 @ 11:10 am
The Bristol Stool Scale is younger. Where would McCain and the rest of the Republicans rate? (Should we sink to their level and start saying “Republic” Party since they keep saying “Democrat” Party?)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Stool_Scale
Comment by FOXJAM — July 31, 2008 @ 12:40 pm
I especially like the ones where he’s against a bill HE IS SPONSORING! That is some really impressive flip-flopping.
Comment by Lyn — July 31, 2008 @ 12:43 pm
i suppose thongs only cover asses now. hmm. like mcinsain’s thongs covering his ass.
Comment by pansypoo — July 31, 2008 @ 2:17 pm
WARNING on 8/29/2010 McCain will be 666 in Dog years!
The next blog should be – things younger in McCain in Dog Years. Entire countries would be involved
Comment by cp — July 31, 2008 @ 7:47 pm
My Japanese girlfriend makes me wear traditional zori (Japanese flip-flops) around the apartment. A pain sometimes, but our floors look great.
Comment by blogenfreude — August 3, 2008 @ 1:05 pm