Changing New Albany ... one troglodyte at a time.

When the Ohio Valley weather gets hot and sticky, many people retreat indoors to the comfort of their air conditioning units.

Others of a less contemporary bent simply move deeper into their naturally climate-controlled hillside caves.

Burrowed safely underground, New Albany’s native species of troglodyte takes shelter from the heat and the blindingly harsh light of the 21st century, but unfortunately for the future of the city, its electrical grid remains operational, permitting our cave dwelling reactionary to log on and merrily embarrass the community with fascistic blather ineptly disguised as heroic rhetoric in defense of the downtrodden common man.

As fictional detective Nero Wolfe is enduringly fond of saying: “Pfui.”

To cite an example, consider this characteristic snippet gleaned from Daffy, a proud supporter of Speak Out, Lout (NA), where the “little people” tinkle supreme and the perpetually enabling moderator somehow manages to maintain a straight face while claiming to abhor personal attacks and rudeness – unless, of course, these vicious assaults are launched by the anonymous character assassins she so loves to protect, in which case such cowardly abuse is transformed through the magic of selective interpretation into good points made by nice people who are misunderstood.

Readers, let's give it up for Daffy (June 24 posting):

“On the subject of Baylor and Freedom of Speech. We have came up with a New Label for Baylor: (Code Blue) DNR."

Note: Try to forget the botched grammar; they’re quite touchy about that.

Now, for those unfamiliar with the nomenclature of reality police shows, “DNR” means “Do Not Resuscitate.”

The fact that “DNR” might easily be applied to the inherent philosophy of the concentration camp or the Guantanamo disgrace, and in this instance suffices as Daffy’s irony-free expression of unqualified disdain for the supposedly shared American precepts of free speech and open expression -- well, yet again, it tells you all you need to know with regard to the values held by the “no progress at any price” sect in New Albany.

NA Confidential responds by doffing a chapeau to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who in 1936, during his first of three re-election campaigns, stepped back to take stock of his critics, and pegged the situation with deadly accuracy.

''They are unanimous in their hate for me,'' Roosevelt concluded, “and I welcome their hatred.''*

Man, this is fun.

*See Alan Ehrenhalt’s June 12 New York Times book review of “Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House,” by John F. Harris.