Half-assed is right.

A bit of T. S. Eliot never hurt anyone on a balmy Wednesday evening, did it? You made my evening with that one, Arjay.

Absolutely, Cornflower. Whole-assed conspiracy theories are half as entertaining and twice as time consuming.

(FTR though, I agree about the Freemasons. Met a few myself while living in North Queensland and even attended one ceremony. About the only group who are less likely to have nefarious designs on world domination are probably the Rotarians... I dunno about the CWA though. I wouldn't put it past them and their suspiciously delicious lamingtons with tea).

Not sure how Prufrock joined the discussion, but I'll work with it for a while.

I actively dislike most poetry. Too much up itself. But I kinda like this description:

"On the surface, 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' relays the thoughts of a sexually frustrated middle-aged man who wants to say something but is afraid to do so, and ultimately does not."

http://alfredprufrock.com/love-song

Are you trying to tell us something, Arjay?

As for the etherising...

"In general, Eliot uses imagery which is indicative of Prufrock’s character, representing aging and decay. For example, 'When the evening is spread out against the sky / Like a patient etherized upon a table'"

Aging and decay. No wonder you're so permanently pessimistic, Arjay.

Yes Pericles.The Corporate media do have us etherised.We are a community of Prufrocks too scared to take on the corporate facists.

Speak for yourself, Arjay.

>>Yes Pericles.The Corporate media do have us etherised.We are a community of Prufrocks too scared to take on the corporate facists.<<

I'd be so bold as to suggest that it is you who has been etherised, Arjay, from constant exposure to a bunch of unfulfilled, attention-seeking, paranoid conspiracy theorists.

You might associate yourself with "imagery ... representing aging and decay", Arjay. But you can actually liberate yourself from such Prufrockian despair, should you choose.

in order to do so, simply stop feeding yourself paranoid nightmares, and start living.

It's actually quite good out here in the real world, you know.