Among the best news of the decade happened the other day when
the leaders of
countries in the 22 nation Arab League agreed to the principle of
creating a joint Arab military force at a summit in Egypt on Sunday.
Saudi Arabia is already leading air strikes in Yemen, so this agreement
is probably more than rhetorical combat. Yep! Instead of sitting and
watching the U.S. and a few others police the crazy extremists groups
that are running rampant in the Mid east, and then complaining about
the U.S. help and economic investment there after help is given, the
Islamic nations will do some of their own policing.
The league says that it will "establish a voluntary military force that
can counter challenges that threaten the safety and security of any
member, based on a request from that state." In other words "those
crazy Isis nuts and the other terrorists are now threatening our
governments very existence, so given the weakness of the U.S. under
Obama, we will finally defend ourselves". This signifies that the
United States is no longer a reliable protector for the dictators of
Arab states like Saudi Arabia. That is a decidedly good thing.
It's a good thing for the U.S. because too long it has been wasting
money and human lives in a fruitless cause to stop terrorists that the
Arab nations themselves were funding, all under the phony declaration
to the American people that the "Terrorists must be stopped there or
they will fight here". Now that the terrorists are getting too big to
control in the Mid East, Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arab League
have decided to assume responsibility for their own area that they
should have assumed long ago. Surely, they are wealthy enough and well
enough equipped to do their own fighting.
If the U.S is smart it will pull back in the Mid East as quickly as
possible, including stopping firing those drones that Obama loves to
use against anyone within 100 miles of where the drone may land (Drones
today have about a 20% accuracy and, thus, kill many innocents).
Taking troops and equipment from the areas (Saudi Arabia should have
been financing the past U.S military wars there anyway) should be an
economic opportunity for the United States. More importantly, it could
mean that the U.S would finally stop trying to be the world's policemen
and instead start insist that nations handle their own military crisis
situations.
I have long called, well before 911, for the U.S. to take a more
isolationist policy in regard to world affairs. Taking the Iraq and
Afghanistan wars as an example, one has to wonder why the U.S. ever got
involved. A war mad president (Bush) pushed for it in 2001, but the
U.S. Congress, using its typically cowardly methodology, allowed itself
to be cowed into approving U.S. military involvement then and until
today to "get the terrorists responsible for 911". But now the public
has wised up and is no longer cheering the war cries of politicians
here. Politicians approve policies that garner the votes. No longer is
fighting in the Mid East popular with U.S. voters.
In 2001 I opposed the Bush war with a simple question, "Why should we
fight a war against two factions of extremists, one Shiite and the
other Sunni Muslim"? I say, let the nuts there kill each other if they
want to do that. It's no business of an outsider, the U.S or anyone
else, to join their crazy fight while the dictators of those nations
sit and watch. Religious wars like the on-going Muslim conflicts are
often the most illogical, brutal and lasting fights.
They are not a
fight an outsider should want to join. Here's hoping the U.S will
withdraw as fast as possible. Let's simply watch the Muslims fight
their own civil war to determine their own fate .
Monday, March 30, 2015
Suicide Or Manslaughter
Here is an interesting question. Should it be a crime
to
suggest to
someone via a text message that he or she should kill him or herself?
it's not a theoretical question in Massachusetts, where a teenage girl
has been charged with involuntary manslaughter for urging her friend to
kill himself. Conrad Roy III, 18, committed suicide in the parking lot
of a Kmart after pondering for some time whether he should end it all.
He died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Police recovered text messages
from 18 year of Michelle Carter to Roy, insisting he go through with
the suicide.
Oh my. At the least, Michelle was a mean classmate to Conrad, who has had mental problems for some time. I wonder if Michelle has her own mental problems as well. Conrad texted Michelle and said he was scared and didn't want to leave his family, but she continued to encourage him to take kill himself. When he actually started to carry out the act, he got scared again and left his truck, but instead of telling him to stay out of the truck Michelle told him to ‘get back in'. He did and died form the Carbon monoxide fumes.
But can there be manslaughter (accidentally causing death) when a person commits suicide? Michelle was arrested and released from jail on $2,500 bail and is banned from using the Internet, except for schoolwork. She is not allowed to text anyone other than her parents. The district attorney who brought charges against Michelle said in a statement that not only did Carter have first hand knowledge of his suicidal thoughts, “instead of attempting to assist him or notify his family or school officials, Ms. Carter is alleged to have strongly influenced his decision to take his own life, encouraged him to commit suicide and guided him in his engagement of activities which led to his death.”
But is texting a message to someone protected speech, particularly when the texter is a juvenile with less than fully formed reasoning? Should there be rules to prosecute suggestions made by speech (as in the not uncommon angered remark, "I wish you would just kill yourself!"). Does a person have the right to make cruel suggestions to another person who is mentally unstable that lead to death (In Massachusetts suicide is not illegal)? The lawyer for Michelle believes her manslaughter charges will be dismissed saying “they're trying to claim there is manslaughter, when they freely admit the boy took his own life. You can't have it both ways.”
Whether or not Michelle is convicted she obviously has mental issues herself and will find her life to be lived under the cloud of her cruel texts to Conrad. Let's hope some other monster doesn't suggest that Michelle escape her own private Hell by taking her own life in response.
Oh my. At the least, Michelle was a mean classmate to Conrad, who has had mental problems for some time. I wonder if Michelle has her own mental problems as well. Conrad texted Michelle and said he was scared and didn't want to leave his family, but she continued to encourage him to take kill himself. When he actually started to carry out the act, he got scared again and left his truck, but instead of telling him to stay out of the truck Michelle told him to ‘get back in'. He did and died form the Carbon monoxide fumes.
But can there be manslaughter (accidentally causing death) when a person commits suicide? Michelle was arrested and released from jail on $2,500 bail and is banned from using the Internet, except for schoolwork. She is not allowed to text anyone other than her parents. The district attorney who brought charges against Michelle said in a statement that not only did Carter have first hand knowledge of his suicidal thoughts, “instead of attempting to assist him or notify his family or school officials, Ms. Carter is alleged to have strongly influenced his decision to take his own life, encouraged him to commit suicide and guided him in his engagement of activities which led to his death.”
But is texting a message to someone protected speech, particularly when the texter is a juvenile with less than fully formed reasoning? Should there be rules to prosecute suggestions made by speech (as in the not uncommon angered remark, "I wish you would just kill yourself!"). Does a person have the right to make cruel suggestions to another person who is mentally unstable that lead to death (In Massachusetts suicide is not illegal)? The lawyer for Michelle believes her manslaughter charges will be dismissed saying “they're trying to claim there is manslaughter, when they freely admit the boy took his own life. You can't have it both ways.”
Whether or not Michelle is convicted she obviously has mental issues herself and will find her life to be lived under the cloud of her cruel texts to Conrad. Let's hope some other monster doesn't suggest that Michelle escape her own private Hell by taking her own life in response.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
The Right Not To Vote
First, President Obama and his political party subtly told
the poorest
and least welfare addicted to "vote for us and we will keep those
entitlement checks and programs coming" and now there is the overt
declaration in a recent speech by Obama that it might be right to make
every citizen over the age of 18 vote. That would be the large pool of
uneducated, uninterested and more often supported by checks from the
government voting for ...guess who? Obama and his party who have used
the welfare check for vote campaign rom the day the president took
office.
Mandatory voting is not just unfair, it's probably unconstitutional in the U.S. to force a person to vote under the penalty of fines for not doing so. "Other countries have mandatory voting," said the president in that speech, Australia being the most prominent example of the very few that do. "It would be transformative if everybody voted. That would counteract money more than anything, (at present, the democrats of Obama and the opposition Republicans raise about the same amount of money for their campaigns). In fact, most countries that require voting are the dictatorial ones, places where it really doesn't matter who votes because the elections have already been fixed for the dictator to win. Obama's we should do it because other people do it remark is similar to the small boy telling his mom that he wants to jump off the roof of their house because other kids do it.
Court cases in the U.S. have consistently upheld the right to be free from forced speech, and voting or not voting is the most basic form of speech? Someone should tell Obama what democracy is, for he claims to not understand it is as much about deciding to not participate fully as it is about full participation. Not voting can certainly communicate a variety of messages to Obama and his political foes, such as dissatisfaction with them, being fed-up with the two party system or even being an anarchist who wants no part of Obama's democrats or the republicans who oppose him. A vote for a candidate in an election could either indicate a begrudging acceptance or a whole-hearted endorsement for the candidates and their parties or it could also just communicate that you hate one or the other.
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution covers the right not to vote. Moreover, Congress lacks constitutional authority to pass a law mandating voting, particularly in presidential elections. Obama knows that. It would take a constitutional change to "make" a citizen of the United Sates vote. Even if it were possible to garner the support to amend the Constitution to allow for compulsory voting, it would still be unwise to do so.
Many people don't vote because they don't care enough or know enough to get involved, and there is no evidence from anywhere that making people vote increases their knowledge or interest in voting. Simply put, people who vote tend to know more about politics than those who don't. I would rather have an informed person vote than one who is not informed. The chances of getting it right rests more with the informed. It is worth asking why Americans would want low and no information citizens voting in the first place. Just so they're "involved" even if they're trudging to the polls to avoid a fine? Is Obama kidding? No.... sadly, wanna be dictators like Obama don't kid, they manipulate public opinion for their own advantage.
When the ignorant and uncaring don't vote I say thank goodness we are saved from their ignorant votes. At present they most often vote simply because a candidate promises them goodies if they vote for him or her. It's their only motivation. There is a very good argument to be made that those with extremely low information have a moral obligation NOT to vote, as the incompetent pilot has a moral obligation to not fly the plane.. Why should the rest of us have to suffer the possible consequences of their ignorance?
In Obama's paradise....Australia, where they have mandatory voting. They have something called a preference voting system in which the voters rank candidates in order of preference. But doing it that way has brought about the co called "donkey voters". The donkeys are some of those people who are forced to vote against their inclination to vote. What do they do? They simply vote by ranking the candidates in the same order in which their names are printed on the ballot. It's easier that way. It is a small amount of voters who do so, but it has been enough to decide a number of close elections. Is that a fair way to decide an election?
Ultimately, compulsory voting does not solve the problem Obama insincerely says it will solve, that of low voter engagement and knowledge. It will only help the candidate and party who bribes that voter the most get elected more often, and this is bad for democracy. Let the non voters not vote, stay home, do whatever else they think is more important than being a responsible citizen, and let those who want to vote, vote. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him vote responsibly.
Mandatory voting is not just unfair, it's probably unconstitutional in the U.S. to force a person to vote under the penalty of fines for not doing so. "Other countries have mandatory voting," said the president in that speech, Australia being the most prominent example of the very few that do. "It would be transformative if everybody voted. That would counteract money more than anything, (at present, the democrats of Obama and the opposition Republicans raise about the same amount of money for their campaigns). In fact, most countries that require voting are the dictatorial ones, places where it really doesn't matter who votes because the elections have already been fixed for the dictator to win. Obama's we should do it because other people do it remark is similar to the small boy telling his mom that he wants to jump off the roof of their house because other kids do it.
Court cases in the U.S. have consistently upheld the right to be free from forced speech, and voting or not voting is the most basic form of speech? Someone should tell Obama what democracy is, for he claims to not understand it is as much about deciding to not participate fully as it is about full participation. Not voting can certainly communicate a variety of messages to Obama and his political foes, such as dissatisfaction with them, being fed-up with the two party system or even being an anarchist who wants no part of Obama's democrats or the republicans who oppose him. A vote for a candidate in an election could either indicate a begrudging acceptance or a whole-hearted endorsement for the candidates and their parties or it could also just communicate that you hate one or the other.
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution covers the right not to vote. Moreover, Congress lacks constitutional authority to pass a law mandating voting, particularly in presidential elections. Obama knows that. It would take a constitutional change to "make" a citizen of the United Sates vote. Even if it were possible to garner the support to amend the Constitution to allow for compulsory voting, it would still be unwise to do so.
Many people don't vote because they don't care enough or know enough to get involved, and there is no evidence from anywhere that making people vote increases their knowledge or interest in voting. Simply put, people who vote tend to know more about politics than those who don't. I would rather have an informed person vote than one who is not informed. The chances of getting it right rests more with the informed. It is worth asking why Americans would want low and no information citizens voting in the first place. Just so they're "involved" even if they're trudging to the polls to avoid a fine? Is Obama kidding? No.... sadly, wanna be dictators like Obama don't kid, they manipulate public opinion for their own advantage.
When the ignorant and uncaring don't vote I say thank goodness we are saved from their ignorant votes. At present they most often vote simply because a candidate promises them goodies if they vote for him or her. It's their only motivation. There is a very good argument to be made that those with extremely low information have a moral obligation NOT to vote, as the incompetent pilot has a moral obligation to not fly the plane.. Why should the rest of us have to suffer the possible consequences of their ignorance?
In Obama's paradise....Australia, where they have mandatory voting. They have something called a preference voting system in which the voters rank candidates in order of preference. But doing it that way has brought about the co called "donkey voters". The donkeys are some of those people who are forced to vote against their inclination to vote. What do they do? They simply vote by ranking the candidates in the same order in which their names are printed on the ballot. It's easier that way. It is a small amount of voters who do so, but it has been enough to decide a number of close elections. Is that a fair way to decide an election?
Ultimately, compulsory voting does not solve the problem Obama insincerely says it will solve, that of low voter engagement and knowledge. It will only help the candidate and party who bribes that voter the most get elected more often, and this is bad for democracy. Let the non voters not vote, stay home, do whatever else they think is more important than being a responsible citizen, and let those who want to vote, vote. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him vote responsibly.
Sharenting
One of the strangest phenomenon's of social media,
particularly
Face
book, is that of parents posting things, pictures, comments about their
children on line for anyone to see. There's a
name for it. It's called "sharenting." A
University of Michigan Children's Hospital nation poll on children's
health just did a study and released it the other day. It said that
more than half of mothers and one third of fathers discuss their
child's health and their parenting on social media. They blabber
anything about little Johnny or baby Marie. But why? And why on sites
that are open to anyone who wants to view? Is it not just a less than
subtle way of announcing, "See how great a parent I am. My little one
is so special?"
Well, that's my theory, that their posts are not so much about their kids as they are about the posting parents themselves. Why else would parents expose their child to a forum that anyone can see? It's sort of like keeping bait in the ocean, instead of a bait box. Eventually, the innocuous postings can lure predators, and that's not good parenting. But nearly three quarters of parents say social media makes them feel "less alone", and that's why they do it. Alienation in today's high tech disconnecting social media is real. But are those parents going too far when it comes to what they share about our kids? Shouldn't they find a better outlet for handling their feelings of alienation.
Three fourths of parents polled said “oversharenting” by another parent, including parents who shared embarrassing stories, gave information that could identify a child's location, or posted photos that can be seen as inappropriate (those naked baby pictures, for instance). Parents also said that they were shocked to learn that strangers were “stealing” their kids’ online photos and re sharing them as if the children were their own. In other cases, children's photos have become the target of cruel jokes and cyber bullying. Among the most cruel cases of parent posting addiction in recent years was that of a Face book group that made fun of “ugly” babies. Parents should remember their are plenty of jerks out there who will use their children as a target.
The biggest problem with the "look how cute and great my kid is" postings is that many parents don't pay attention to the privacy codes on Face book and other social media sites, so they don't understand who can and cannot see what they're posting. Is this posting frenzy for them, or is this for their children? Where are the child's rights, and should that much of a child's life be made public by mom or dad when they don't have any choice in the matter? I think if those posting parents realized all the repercussions that could come from it, they might want to take a more discrete stand about how often and what they post about their little darlings.
Things that are posted on the internet are there permanently. Something posted today could eventually, depending on the child's age, prove embarrassing or harmful to the child. Think about it. By the time some children are old enough to use social media themselves many already have a digital identity created for them by their parents. Yuk! That's not cute for either parent or child. It might be better for those posting parents to live, not through their children, but more through and for themselves.
Well, that's my theory, that their posts are not so much about their kids as they are about the posting parents themselves. Why else would parents expose their child to a forum that anyone can see? It's sort of like keeping bait in the ocean, instead of a bait box. Eventually, the innocuous postings can lure predators, and that's not good parenting. But nearly three quarters of parents say social media makes them feel "less alone", and that's why they do it. Alienation in today's high tech disconnecting social media is real. But are those parents going too far when it comes to what they share about our kids? Shouldn't they find a better outlet for handling their feelings of alienation.
Three fourths of parents polled said “oversharenting” by another parent, including parents who shared embarrassing stories, gave information that could identify a child's location, or posted photos that can be seen as inappropriate (those naked baby pictures, for instance). Parents also said that they were shocked to learn that strangers were “stealing” their kids’ online photos and re sharing them as if the children were their own. In other cases, children's photos have become the target of cruel jokes and cyber bullying. Among the most cruel cases of parent posting addiction in recent years was that of a Face book group that made fun of “ugly” babies. Parents should remember their are plenty of jerks out there who will use their children as a target.
The biggest problem with the "look how cute and great my kid is" postings is that many parents don't pay attention to the privacy codes on Face book and other social media sites, so they don't understand who can and cannot see what they're posting. Is this posting frenzy for them, or is this for their children? Where are the child's rights, and should that much of a child's life be made public by mom or dad when they don't have any choice in the matter? I think if those posting parents realized all the repercussions that could come from it, they might want to take a more discrete stand about how often and what they post about their little darlings.
Things that are posted on the internet are there permanently. Something posted today could eventually, depending on the child's age, prove embarrassing or harmful to the child. Think about it. By the time some children are old enough to use social media themselves many already have a digital identity created for them by their parents. Yuk! That's not cute for either parent or child. It might be better for those posting parents to live, not through their children, but more through and for themselves.
Travelers Who Irritate
I read an interesting article today about traveler types,
more
specifically the types that annoy most other travelers. I try not to be
too judgmental about how others travel (I only give my opinion when
asked, not push it or argue about good or bad) but when one is already
physically uncomfortable while traveling it can be trying to be annoyed
by rude, inconsiderate or clue less travelers. Having written that
comment, I know that one traveler's joy may be another's nightmare, and
we should all try to turn our heads at what annoys us because it's
truly none of our business how other's travel.
Anyway, the article defined some of the kinds of travelers that makes her cringe, so taking a few of hers and adding a few of mine, you get my "they drive me crazy" traveler types.
* The screamer- this one doesn't speak the language of the country in which he or she is traveling, so in order to make he or she understood the traveler simply raises the voice level, "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME NOW", thinking that the foreigner who does not speak the visitor's language will suddenly understand. Screamers usually wear plaid outfits, have cameras dangling from their waist and are often unsure of what country they are visiting. The best way to avoid this one is to wear a phony hearing aid and pretend to not hear the screamer's noise.
* The expert- This traveler can't stop telling whomever he or she is talking to about the history or current practices of the place the expert is visiting. Usually the knowledge base sounds orchestrated, probably because this traveler often simply memorizes passages of travel books and bellows them. The expert is annoying because he has a limitless number of things to tell us. He also informs the locals that they are wrong about their country, and that he is sure that he knows more than they about the country. The best way to silence this one is to send him to a French or Italian barroom or restaurant so he can have the pleasure of using the hole in the concrete that is the place for him to luxuriate, not from his mouth, but from his behind.
* The well dressed traveler- This one goes overboard on the stereotypical dress of the country in which he or she is traveling. In Germany he wears a dirndl. In India she dresses in a sari. After dressing for the country the well dressed traveler then starts to imitate the dialects of each country (as he or she knows the from watching his favorite movies). In Australia, for example, she can be heard saying, "G'day mate" to the other tourists or even to locals. The best strategy for dealing with this one (besides hiding or changing your nationality to one different from that of the well dressed traveler) is to tell her that her sari is revealing her middle aged spread or that the Spanish drinking flask he is carrying was made from recycled cow dung.
* The I have already been there traveler- This traveler has been everywhere, or at least claims to have been. He has run with the bulls at Pamplona, fought with revolutionaries in Syria and climbed Mt Olympus. But sometimes he confuses places, people and events to the point where he will swear that "they love roasted pork in Saudi Arabia". Just smile and pretend too. Tell him you have been to some place in your imagination. He will certainly swear he's been there at least twice.
* The super patriot traveler- This man or woman just can't leave his or her home country behind, not even for a second. "The eggs back home are fresher" or "This place is so primitive" are comments often uttered by the super patriot. They tend to wear their home nation's country flag on their shorts or even have tattoos of their country on their corpulent bodies. Super patriots make other travelers suffer because the locals think all visitors to their country share the super patriot perspective. Apologizing to the locals for the boorish behavior of the super patriot may be one way to avoid being deported from your vacation spot.
* The photographer- This one thinks traveling is one big photographic session. Many are of Japanese heritage, but they come in all nationalities. Anything that can be pictured they will record in their many cameras. Try to avoid conversing with them after they put their camera down (even camera nuts need a food or bathroom break) because they will show you hours of their "best shots". The photographer has little recollection of anything about the places he visited apart from what he sees in his or her pictorial collection. Travel for this one is frustrating for him or her because when he returns home he or she is often confused about which pictures fit which country hero she has just seen (and forgotten). Never ever accept a photographer's invitation to a viewing his "trip pictures". You will have a very long stay if you do.
* The cheapskate- This traveler spends as little on the travel experience as humanly possible. I think they see travel as a game in which the participant tries to spend as little as possible. This includes accommodations, airfare, expenses in the counrty.....anything involving payment of any kind. The cheapskate thinks it is better to suffer than part with enough money to make the travel experience fun, and he or she will brag on return about how cheap his vacation was. Never share a meal with the cheapskate. The cheapskate will insist on eating at the sleaziest places available, and will brag about how much money "we are saving". Then after the meal is finished, the cheapskate will announce that "I forgot my wallet at the hotel". Guess who gets stuck paying his tab.
Of course you and I never fit into any of these categories. It's the other guy with travel quirks....
Anyway, the article defined some of the kinds of travelers that makes her cringe, so taking a few of hers and adding a few of mine, you get my "they drive me crazy" traveler types.
* The screamer- this one doesn't speak the language of the country in which he or she is traveling, so in order to make he or she understood the traveler simply raises the voice level, "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME NOW", thinking that the foreigner who does not speak the visitor's language will suddenly understand. Screamers usually wear plaid outfits, have cameras dangling from their waist and are often unsure of what country they are visiting. The best way to avoid this one is to wear a phony hearing aid and pretend to not hear the screamer's noise.
* The expert- This traveler can't stop telling whomever he or she is talking to about the history or current practices of the place the expert is visiting. Usually the knowledge base sounds orchestrated, probably because this traveler often simply memorizes passages of travel books and bellows them. The expert is annoying because he has a limitless number of things to tell us. He also informs the locals that they are wrong about their country, and that he is sure that he knows more than they about the country. The best way to silence this one is to send him to a French or Italian barroom or restaurant so he can have the pleasure of using the hole in the concrete that is the place for him to luxuriate, not from his mouth, but from his behind.
* The well dressed traveler- This one goes overboard on the stereotypical dress of the country in which he or she is traveling. In Germany he wears a dirndl. In India she dresses in a sari. After dressing for the country the well dressed traveler then starts to imitate the dialects of each country (as he or she knows the from watching his favorite movies). In Australia, for example, she can be heard saying, "G'day mate" to the other tourists or even to locals. The best strategy for dealing with this one (besides hiding or changing your nationality to one different from that of the well dressed traveler) is to tell her that her sari is revealing her middle aged spread or that the Spanish drinking flask he is carrying was made from recycled cow dung.
* The I have already been there traveler- This traveler has been everywhere, or at least claims to have been. He has run with the bulls at Pamplona, fought with revolutionaries in Syria and climbed Mt Olympus. But sometimes he confuses places, people and events to the point where he will swear that "they love roasted pork in Saudi Arabia". Just smile and pretend too. Tell him you have been to some place in your imagination. He will certainly swear he's been there at least twice.
* The super patriot traveler- This man or woman just can't leave his or her home country behind, not even for a second. "The eggs back home are fresher" or "This place is so primitive" are comments often uttered by the super patriot. They tend to wear their home nation's country flag on their shorts or even have tattoos of their country on their corpulent bodies. Super patriots make other travelers suffer because the locals think all visitors to their country share the super patriot perspective. Apologizing to the locals for the boorish behavior of the super patriot may be one way to avoid being deported from your vacation spot.
* The photographer- This one thinks traveling is one big photographic session. Many are of Japanese heritage, but they come in all nationalities. Anything that can be pictured they will record in their many cameras. Try to avoid conversing with them after they put their camera down (even camera nuts need a food or bathroom break) because they will show you hours of their "best shots". The photographer has little recollection of anything about the places he visited apart from what he sees in his or her pictorial collection. Travel for this one is frustrating for him or her because when he returns home he or she is often confused about which pictures fit which country hero she has just seen (and forgotten). Never ever accept a photographer's invitation to a viewing his "trip pictures". You will have a very long stay if you do.
* The cheapskate- This traveler spends as little on the travel experience as humanly possible. I think they see travel as a game in which the participant tries to spend as little as possible. This includes accommodations, airfare, expenses in the counrty.....anything involving payment of any kind. The cheapskate thinks it is better to suffer than part with enough money to make the travel experience fun, and he or she will brag on return about how cheap his vacation was. Never share a meal with the cheapskate. The cheapskate will insist on eating at the sleaziest places available, and will brag about how much money "we are saving". Then after the meal is finished, the cheapskate will announce that "I forgot my wallet at the hotel". Guess who gets stuck paying his tab.
Of course you and I never fit into any of these categories. It's the other guy with travel quirks....
Star bucks Should Stick To Selling Coffee
Time for another "Are they crazy with their political
correctness"
report. What better target can their be than the yuppie haven of
caffeine and trendiness, Star bucks. Star bucks, the company with the
outrageously high prices and even higher opinion of itself has come up
with a new policy, now rescinded because of public ridicule over it, to
"promote racial harmony" by writing on it's
coffee cups. Yep! They won't make you mortgage your house for a cup of
their coffee without their employees (they call them "partners" because
all good politically correct companies are dedicated to obscuring and
destroying the language) writing "stop racing" on your coffee cup, all
intending to stop you from being so racist...or something.
It seems the the CEO of Star bucks thinks that we humans are inherently racists and that if Star bucks could just use black markers write inane slogans on white cups (not so subtle symbolism) we would all join hands and eliminate all the racial animism society has created since the dawn of civilization. Silly is too weak a word to describe the Star bucks PC behavior, but this is the same company that once claimed we could solve the unemployment problems in the world having it's barristers write "Create Jobs For USA" on those coffee cups Then there was the 2012 campaign Star bucks undertook in which it wrote "Come Together" on those cups. I'm not sure, but I think we still haven't come together. Maybe they should just lower the price of their over priced product so we could all come together to afford a cup of their coffee.
The most ridiculous part of the 'Race Together' campaign was that it treated real problems of racial bias and prejudice as a marketing gimmick and, insisted that those problems can be eliminated by simply thinking and wishing them away. Too, it magnified the problem of racial tension to a state in which reality does not exist. Star bucks says it wants it's "partners" to discuss race with you as they serve you their over priced drinks. But the CEO who came up with the race campaign now says, "Never mind".
Howard Shultz says the campaign was "just a catalyst for a broader and long term conversation". And he now claims it was only supposed to be for a week, in contrast to the intent originally proclaimed when the markers s first started writing political correctness on Star bucks coffee cups.
Sigh... ok, he realized how stupid the whole things was. But I do not wish to discuss politics, sports, stock market and race are anything else of substance when buying my coffee. I particularly don't want to discuss those kinds of things with Star bucks servers, they who have no credentials to counsel me on the subjects. Instead, Star bucks, just say "The weather sure is nice today" or something mundane when you hand me my coffee. I'll appreciate that much more that your crazy beliefs about race relations.
And how many fist fights between the servers and customers might have resulted when a customer objected to discussing alleged racism or when being accused of being a "racist"? I see gun fire in Star bucks future! Sigh.... is there is not a better way to start a morning than to debate race with a coffee server. I see even more PC coming out of this. I am shuddering because I think we shall see other PC companies like Star bucks discover that changing a world with symbolism just helps sales and is too much to ignore. Hmmmm, I even have some suggestions for those companies. After downing your racism coffee at Star bucks, why not head to these businesses for their own stupid PC projects.
* Dunkin' Donuts will solve sexism by making doughnuts in the shape of boobs.
* Maybe Chik-fil-a will print Bible verses on their food wrappers to make us all want to join a church.
* If you are gay, head over to Jiffy Lube Oil Change. They have great video to watch while waiting for your oil change. Today's feature is about anal lubrication techniques.
* At Mc Donald's how about a "Cold Mac" sandwich, an uncooked hamburger on uncooked dough that will save the world from global warming.
* Manischewitz Kosher Foods is selling a special edition 'Drone Wine'. With each purchase of a sparkling red Drone Wine the company will contribute 20% of the price to building more drones to use against Islamic terrorists.
* Sony promises that for every TV purchased it will donate 10% of the price to the "Lobotomy Fund For Brain Dead Reality TV Viewers".
Sigh....A place that manipulates language in this way, as Star bucks does, should not be responsible for “starting a conversation” about anything, least of all an issue as fraught, complex and sensitive as race. Hey, Star bucks! I'd much rather have my coffee without the PC added to the cup.
It seems the the CEO of Star bucks thinks that we humans are inherently racists and that if Star bucks could just use black markers write inane slogans on white cups (not so subtle symbolism) we would all join hands and eliminate all the racial animism society has created since the dawn of civilization. Silly is too weak a word to describe the Star bucks PC behavior, but this is the same company that once claimed we could solve the unemployment problems in the world having it's barristers write "Create Jobs For USA" on those coffee cups Then there was the 2012 campaign Star bucks undertook in which it wrote "Come Together" on those cups. I'm not sure, but I think we still haven't come together. Maybe they should just lower the price of their over priced product so we could all come together to afford a cup of their coffee.
The most ridiculous part of the 'Race Together' campaign was that it treated real problems of racial bias and prejudice as a marketing gimmick and, insisted that those problems can be eliminated by simply thinking and wishing them away. Too, it magnified the problem of racial tension to a state in which reality does not exist. Star bucks says it wants it's "partners" to discuss race with you as they serve you their over priced drinks. But the CEO who came up with the race campaign now says, "Never mind".
Howard Shultz says the campaign was "just a catalyst for a broader and long term conversation". And he now claims it was only supposed to be for a week, in contrast to the intent originally proclaimed when the markers s first started writing political correctness on Star bucks coffee cups.
Sigh... ok, he realized how stupid the whole things was. But I do not wish to discuss politics, sports, stock market and race are anything else of substance when buying my coffee. I particularly don't want to discuss those kinds of things with Star bucks servers, they who have no credentials to counsel me on the subjects. Instead, Star bucks, just say "The weather sure is nice today" or something mundane when you hand me my coffee. I'll appreciate that much more that your crazy beliefs about race relations.
And how many fist fights between the servers and customers might have resulted when a customer objected to discussing alleged racism or when being accused of being a "racist"? I see gun fire in Star bucks future! Sigh.... is there is not a better way to start a morning than to debate race with a coffee server. I see even more PC coming out of this. I am shuddering because I think we shall see other PC companies like Star bucks discover that changing a world with symbolism just helps sales and is too much to ignore. Hmmmm, I even have some suggestions for those companies. After downing your racism coffee at Star bucks, why not head to these businesses for their own stupid PC projects.
* Dunkin' Donuts will solve sexism by making doughnuts in the shape of boobs.
* Maybe Chik-fil-a will print Bible verses on their food wrappers to make us all want to join a church.
* If you are gay, head over to Jiffy Lube Oil Change. They have great video to watch while waiting for your oil change. Today's feature is about anal lubrication techniques.
* At Mc Donald's how about a "Cold Mac" sandwich, an uncooked hamburger on uncooked dough that will save the world from global warming.
* Manischewitz Kosher Foods is selling a special edition 'Drone Wine'. With each purchase of a sparkling red Drone Wine the company will contribute 20% of the price to building more drones to use against Islamic terrorists.
* Sony promises that for every TV purchased it will donate 10% of the price to the "Lobotomy Fund For Brain Dead Reality TV Viewers".
Sigh....A place that manipulates language in this way, as Star bucks does, should not be responsible for “starting a conversation” about anything, least of all an issue as fraught, complex and sensitive as race. Hey, Star bucks! I'd much rather have my coffee without the PC added to the cup.
Flashing At Home
Here's a news flash for you, about, well,
flashing. It seems it's a
pretty common thing these days for people to flash neighbors from the
comfort and legality of their own home. That's right. Men and women
who want to show their perceived assets can legally disrobe, open the
curtains or door, and show it all to anyone in the neighborhood who
can't resist a look. In most communities in the U.S. it is legal to be
naked in one's own home, even when the naked person opens those
curtains to show it all.
The latest report of this exhibitionism to make national media is of an on-going two year show in which a Charlotte, North Carolina man has gotten a rise out of, and the attention of neighbors, to the point that the neighborhood association there is planning a meeting (clothes are mandatory, I resume) to see what can be done about it. Fact is, they can't do much more than look away when the guy flashes. Lawyers there say "turn your head and look elsewhere" as long as the Charlotte flash is inside his home while doing it. All their complaints about the effect on kids in the neighborhood (maybe the nation's future flashers?) won't make the sheriff arrest him until he does it outside.
This phenomenon to exhibit one's naked self seems to be equally attractive to both sexes, to the body beautiful and to the not so beautiful body. Maybe it's just a desperate cry for attention, but whatever it is, the cry is being not heard, but seen. There are numerous web sites that show the flashers as they exhibit what they think is their best, and there is even a reality TV show called 'Buying Naked' about a real estate agent trying to find homes for nudists to buy. Some of the sites and video are free and some not (who wants to pay to watch that?). Maybe flashing is the newest trend for people who are bored but just don't want to get dressed to go out.
Perhaps some of the naked flashers do so to anger neighbors they are in dispute with. After all, it's a legal practice, given the flashers are inside their home and no laws exists to require that windows be covered. Then there are the true exhibitionists among the flashers, people who are possessed of a compulsion to show it all. Eventually their perversion will draw some of those outside for a more exciting flash show, and they will be arrested (can they flash from a jail cell if convicted?). But in the case of the Charlotte flasher it's been two years of the regular show with no end in sight. I guess it's time for those neighbors to shut their curtains and go on to "bigger things' elsewhere.
The latest report of this exhibitionism to make national media is of an on-going two year show in which a Charlotte, North Carolina man has gotten a rise out of, and the attention of neighbors, to the point that the neighborhood association there is planning a meeting (clothes are mandatory, I resume) to see what can be done about it. Fact is, they can't do much more than look away when the guy flashes. Lawyers there say "turn your head and look elsewhere" as long as the Charlotte flash is inside his home while doing it. All their complaints about the effect on kids in the neighborhood (maybe the nation's future flashers?) won't make the sheriff arrest him until he does it outside.
This phenomenon to exhibit one's naked self seems to be equally attractive to both sexes, to the body beautiful and to the not so beautiful body. Maybe it's just a desperate cry for attention, but whatever it is, the cry is being not heard, but seen. There are numerous web sites that show the flashers as they exhibit what they think is their best, and there is even a reality TV show called 'Buying Naked' about a real estate agent trying to find homes for nudists to buy. Some of the sites and video are free and some not (who wants to pay to watch that?). Maybe flashing is the newest trend for people who are bored but just don't want to get dressed to go out.
Perhaps some of the naked flashers do so to anger neighbors they are in dispute with. After all, it's a legal practice, given the flashers are inside their home and no laws exists to require that windows be covered. Then there are the true exhibitionists among the flashers, people who are possessed of a compulsion to show it all. Eventually their perversion will draw some of those outside for a more exciting flash show, and they will be arrested (can they flash from a jail cell if convicted?). But in the case of the Charlotte flasher it's been two years of the regular show with no end in sight. I guess it's time for those neighbors to shut their curtains and go on to "bigger things' elsewhere.
Reading A Newspaper
I am one of a dying generation. That would be those who still
read a
daily newspaper, and read it in its entirety. Every day I read my local
paper, ritualistically starting my morning with a walk outside to
gather my newspaper from the ground in front of my house. On the rare
occasion it is not there for me to scoop and read I am a fritter and
lost. How can I be assured the world exists if my morning newspaper is
not there to report on what happened in it while I slept?
That I am a creature of habit is easy for most to see. I even have a habitual routine for reading a newspaper. Every day, without any variation, I sort my paper by department and follow this procedure (you may take notes in case you want to be an old fossil who reads a newspaper cover to cover each day). I always first read the a few few pages of the front section. These pages of the serious stuff are enough at that early hour, so after shaking my head with dismay on the condition of the world, I then go to my favorite newspaper section, what I call the toy section. The toy section is the sports section. I find solace in the sports section because it is all simple, real and non threatening. One team wins and another loses, and there is no dispute about the result. Final scores are good things in this age of uncertainty, political correctness and chaos. All sports page controversies are trivial and a reminder to me that the world used to be just that simple. What a shame it is not anymore.
After reading the sports section I depart for breakfast and later whatever duties I need to attend until I return sometime in the day to finish reading the rest of my daily newspaper. When once again ensconced in front of the newspaper I always first read the rest of the front section. That way I can get the reading of the serious news out of the way so I can go on to the more enjoyable parts. And that next section is the editorial or opinion section.
I love reading the letters in the editorial pages that other subscribers write to the newspaper, for the content seems more common sense and on target that the actual regular editorials and opinion columns that the newspaper prints. Most of those formal columns are just expositions of agenda. One who reads a daily newspaper column regularly can predict what a regular opinion writer will say before reading it. The writers are often zealots to a liberal or conservative point of view and never waver from that stance. Still, I feel obligated to read their propaganda so I can identity the extreme view when it is presented elsewhere outside of a newspaper by other zealots.
Next I read the obituary column. Since childhood I have had a fascination with it and feel compelled to read about the death of strangers, strangers who's life stories are condensed into a short newspaper obituary notice. I find the death notice to be the melancholy section of a newspaper, and I even grieve for people now deceased...."Too young to die"....."He/she was quite an energetic and successful person"..." Another cancer victim"....." That one had a kind face". The obituary column gives me a perspective and appreciation for what we all claim are the important things in life. Maybe when we read the obituaries it helps remind us to focus more on those things.
The next section I read is the business section. I have never believed that the business of life is business, so I read that one quickly, fixing on any article about a business that I patronize or know. It makes me feel as if I am an insider into what the business is really doing. From the business section I quickly move through the living or entertainment section. This is the fluff of a newspaper, and though there is little newsworthy in it, a newspaper would not sell many copies if such a section would be omitted. It represents the triviality of life that has overtaken most humans now, the TV listings, astrology charts, celebrity gossip, society news, feature articles about people or places etc. I doubt that there is a section of a newspaper that is least important but more widely read than the living/entertainment section.
Finally, I complete my reading of my morning newspaper by browsing the cartoon section, which also has a weather page that I scrutinize even more closely. The cartoon section is always filled with more cartoon panels than one would have the patience to sift through, so like most others, I gravitate to the same 5 or 6 cartoons I read each day. It's good to end my newspaper reading with a few laughs, for every newspaper quickly shows us that the world is better laughed at than to be taken seriously.
That I am a creature of habit is easy for most to see. I even have a habitual routine for reading a newspaper. Every day, without any variation, I sort my paper by department and follow this procedure (you may take notes in case you want to be an old fossil who reads a newspaper cover to cover each day). I always first read the a few few pages of the front section. These pages of the serious stuff are enough at that early hour, so after shaking my head with dismay on the condition of the world, I then go to my favorite newspaper section, what I call the toy section. The toy section is the sports section. I find solace in the sports section because it is all simple, real and non threatening. One team wins and another loses, and there is no dispute about the result. Final scores are good things in this age of uncertainty, political correctness and chaos. All sports page controversies are trivial and a reminder to me that the world used to be just that simple. What a shame it is not anymore.
After reading the sports section I depart for breakfast and later whatever duties I need to attend until I return sometime in the day to finish reading the rest of my daily newspaper. When once again ensconced in front of the newspaper I always first read the rest of the front section. That way I can get the reading of the serious news out of the way so I can go on to the more enjoyable parts. And that next section is the editorial or opinion section.
I love reading the letters in the editorial pages that other subscribers write to the newspaper, for the content seems more common sense and on target that the actual regular editorials and opinion columns that the newspaper prints. Most of those formal columns are just expositions of agenda. One who reads a daily newspaper column regularly can predict what a regular opinion writer will say before reading it. The writers are often zealots to a liberal or conservative point of view and never waver from that stance. Still, I feel obligated to read their propaganda so I can identity the extreme view when it is presented elsewhere outside of a newspaper by other zealots.
Next I read the obituary column. Since childhood I have had a fascination with it and feel compelled to read about the death of strangers, strangers who's life stories are condensed into a short newspaper obituary notice. I find the death notice to be the melancholy section of a newspaper, and I even grieve for people now deceased...."Too young to die"....."He/she was quite an energetic and successful person"..." Another cancer victim"....." That one had a kind face". The obituary column gives me a perspective and appreciation for what we all claim are the important things in life. Maybe when we read the obituaries it helps remind us to focus more on those things.
The next section I read is the business section. I have never believed that the business of life is business, so I read that one quickly, fixing on any article about a business that I patronize or know. It makes me feel as if I am an insider into what the business is really doing. From the business section I quickly move through the living or entertainment section. This is the fluff of a newspaper, and though there is little newsworthy in it, a newspaper would not sell many copies if such a section would be omitted. It represents the triviality of life that has overtaken most humans now, the TV listings, astrology charts, celebrity gossip, society news, feature articles about people or places etc. I doubt that there is a section of a newspaper that is least important but more widely read than the living/entertainment section.
Finally, I complete my reading of my morning newspaper by browsing the cartoon section, which also has a weather page that I scrutinize even more closely. The cartoon section is always filled with more cartoon panels than one would have the patience to sift through, so like most others, I gravitate to the same 5 or 6 cartoons I read each day. It's good to end my newspaper reading with a few laughs, for every newspaper quickly shows us that the world is better laughed at than to be taken seriously.
Too Fat To Dance
While in New Orleans, a place where strip clubs and the
tamer
burlesque dancing can be found without much effort, I noted a
controversy erupted in the local media. It seems that a burlesque
dancer who performs as part of "The Blue Book" weekend shows at the
Bourbon Street nightclub called 'Lucky' Pierre's' said she has been
fired from the lineup because of her rather large weight. "Basically,
it is a "You're too fat for a club that shows the body as the feature
attraction. The situation is sparking debate about whether mandatory
physical qualifications for a job are "fair" and has now brought about
threats by people making commentaries in social media to boycott Lucky
Pierre's.
Hmmm That place is a tourist dump that the locals would love to see closed, so perhaps the fatty with the stage name Ruby Rage is doing the city a favor. Anyway, the Lucky Pierre club stupidly offered a post on its Face book page to explain itself. Sometimes being silent on those crazy social media sites is a better option. The club wrote,
"We would like to thank everyone for their opinion on burlesque. Let's face the facts, in the long history of the art there is an expected image." Sounds good enough to me. Some jobs require certain types. There are for example, physical qualifications about size for police officers. And women do not seem to be on the many all male professional sports teams. Size can be important to a job. How many fat Miss Universe contestants have we seen? Uh, none.
Lucky Pierre's also wrote on Face book, "We, at Lucky's, are making many positive changes to our shows and the number of days we offer the many varieties of entertainment. What is buzzing around the web is a clear case of misinformed people inciting a mob. Now, we have a situation of slandering a manager and cyber bullying. It's a shame that when a business has to make a change, people use the web as a weapon to hurt that business.
Odd, that a group of people that feel mistreated would spend so much time abusing a business that gave them an opportunity to live their dream. Unfortunately, we have had to cut many acts as we evolve our show to include swings, aerial acts, karaoke and pianos. We invite everyone to come see our show and you will see for yourself that Lucky's is the most diverse club and show around." Ruby Rage has also used Face book to respond to the situation. Sigh, it's the way of the world that social media sites have become crying towels for the unhappy.
The club is in business to make money and the vast majority of its customers want to see slim, sexy bodies. There are other options for chubby dancers like Ruby Rage. And, If there is a market for plus size dancers (yes, there are some of those clubs out there for men and women who want to see fat performers) she can open her own club or work at any that already exists.
Why do people feel they have the right to dictate job qualifications that employers use? Oh, yes. I forgot. It's the age of political correctness in which we supposedly we all have the right to satisfy ourselves at others expense.
Hmmm That place is a tourist dump that the locals would love to see closed, so perhaps the fatty with the stage name Ruby Rage is doing the city a favor. Anyway, the Lucky Pierre club stupidly offered a post on its Face book page to explain itself. Sometimes being silent on those crazy social media sites is a better option. The club wrote,
"We would like to thank everyone for their opinion on burlesque. Let's face the facts, in the long history of the art there is an expected image." Sounds good enough to me. Some jobs require certain types. There are for example, physical qualifications about size for police officers. And women do not seem to be on the many all male professional sports teams. Size can be important to a job. How many fat Miss Universe contestants have we seen? Uh, none.
Lucky Pierre's also wrote on Face book, "We, at Lucky's, are making many positive changes to our shows and the number of days we offer the many varieties of entertainment. What is buzzing around the web is a clear case of misinformed people inciting a mob. Now, we have a situation of slandering a manager and cyber bullying. It's a shame that when a business has to make a change, people use the web as a weapon to hurt that business.
Odd, that a group of people that feel mistreated would spend so much time abusing a business that gave them an opportunity to live their dream. Unfortunately, we have had to cut many acts as we evolve our show to include swings, aerial acts, karaoke and pianos. We invite everyone to come see our show and you will see for yourself that Lucky's is the most diverse club and show around." Ruby Rage has also used Face book to respond to the situation. Sigh, it's the way of the world that social media sites have become crying towels for the unhappy.
The club is in business to make money and the vast majority of its customers want to see slim, sexy bodies. There are other options for chubby dancers like Ruby Rage. And, If there is a market for plus size dancers (yes, there are some of those clubs out there for men and women who want to see fat performers) she can open her own club or work at any that already exists.
Why do people feel they have the right to dictate job qualifications that employers use? Oh, yes. I forgot. It's the age of political correctness in which we supposedly we all have the right to satisfy ourselves at others expense.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Weird St. Patrick's Day Events
St. Patrick's Day has come around again. I like that
holiday, and even if I did not have an Irish heritage in my DNA it
still
would be fun for me. I see the Irish as fun loving people. Does anyone
have a
prejudice against the Irish? I doubt it. Who could hate humor,
friendliness, and an acceptance of and care-free attitude about daily
life. The many
Irish jokes, all of which are endearing rather than mean spirited,
reflect that.
St. Patrick's Day celebrations sometimes reflect the care-free and fun Irish lifestyle. In my own former home of New Orleans the Irish parades toss vegetables to the spectators. Carrots, potatoes, onions, cabbages are thrown to the crowd so they can use them as ingredients for an Irish stew. If that's not enough, the Irish St. Patrick's Day Parade marchers, dressed in their green outfits and fortified with cups of beer, give kisses to the crowd (well, the pretty girls get the most kisses) as they gyrate to the Irish music the accompanying bands play during the march. Is that not typically Irish?
But wait! Here are a few other ingenious and fun St. Patty Day traditions from various places on the globe.
- Hot Springs, Arkansas takes pride in hosting the shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade. The route is only about 30 meters long. And among the groups in the parade....Irish Elvis impersonators and a fat middle age group called 'Lards of the Dance'.
- Each year, members of the Shamrock Club in New London, Wisconsin dress up as leprechauns and change highway signs so the town name reads 'New Dublin'. to all those who have ever been in Wisconsin for awhile, changing a city there to an Irish city might seem like a good idea.
- For more than 40 years in Chicago, the Chicago River has been dyed green on St. Patrick's Day (the river is colored by a vegetable dye and it takes several days for the green color to disappear).
- In Banwen, Wales, a history club insists that St. Patrick was in fact Welsh. Yep! They declare St. Patty to be Welsh, not Irish. (At age 16, historians say that St. Patrick was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Ireland. So on St. Patrick's Day, Banwen stages a parade that leads to a stone commemorating where the patron saint of Ireland was allegedly born. Up yours Ireland...or something.
- A Caribbean island, Montserrat, is the only other place outside of Ireland that celebrates St. Patrick’s Day as a national holiday. A small percentage of the Caribbean islands nearly 4,500 people are descended from Irish Catholic settlers, but the Irish immigrants there are regarded as having been indispensable to the island's early development.
Happy St. Patrick's Day and as the Irish say, may you be in heaven five minutes before the devil knows you died.
St. Patrick's Day celebrations sometimes reflect the care-free and fun Irish lifestyle. In my own former home of New Orleans the Irish parades toss vegetables to the spectators. Carrots, potatoes, onions, cabbages are thrown to the crowd so they can use them as ingredients for an Irish stew. If that's not enough, the Irish St. Patrick's Day Parade marchers, dressed in their green outfits and fortified with cups of beer, give kisses to the crowd (well, the pretty girls get the most kisses) as they gyrate to the Irish music the accompanying bands play during the march. Is that not typically Irish?
But wait! Here are a few other ingenious and fun St. Patty Day traditions from various places on the globe.
- Hot Springs, Arkansas takes pride in hosting the shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade. The route is only about 30 meters long. And among the groups in the parade....Irish Elvis impersonators and a fat middle age group called 'Lards of the Dance'.
- Each year, members of the Shamrock Club in New London, Wisconsin dress up as leprechauns and change highway signs so the town name reads 'New Dublin'. to all those who have ever been in Wisconsin for awhile, changing a city there to an Irish city might seem like a good idea.
- For more than 40 years in Chicago, the Chicago River has been dyed green on St. Patrick's Day (the river is colored by a vegetable dye and it takes several days for the green color to disappear).
- In Banwen, Wales, a history club insists that St. Patrick was in fact Welsh. Yep! They declare St. Patty to be Welsh, not Irish. (At age 16, historians say that St. Patrick was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Ireland. So on St. Patrick's Day, Banwen stages a parade that leads to a stone commemorating where the patron saint of Ireland was allegedly born. Up yours Ireland...or something.
- A Caribbean island, Montserrat, is the only other place outside of Ireland that celebrates St. Patrick’s Day as a national holiday. A small percentage of the Caribbean islands nearly 4,500 people are descended from Irish Catholic settlers, but the Irish immigrants there are regarded as having been indispensable to the island's early development.
Happy St. Patrick's Day and as the Irish say, may you be in heaven five minutes before the devil knows you died.
Defacing Antiquity
People are odd. Not just me. I am also referring to
tourists who do
stupid things while visiting scared sites. Take the Roman Colosseum for
instance. Two American tourists were arrested the other day for carving their
initials into Rome's ancient Colosseum, before posing for a selfie.
Sigh...a selfie is more valuable to society than the Colloseum? Well,
in our world of techie addiction it may be to those morons. Anyway, the
two women from California, aged 21 and 25, inscribed a "J" and "N"
before being caught. Haha Maybe the judge should sentence them to clean
all those "Call Mary for a good time" messages that are scrawled on the
walls near men's toilets in public bathrooms. take a selfie of that!
In November 2014, a Russian tourist was fined 20,000 euros and given a four year suspended jail sentence for carving a 10 inch "K" onto the wall of the Colosseum. Three other incidents of vandalism were reported in 2014, of the six million people who visit. It seems small, but such vandalism was far rarer in previous times. And vandalism like that in churches is unheard of. So why do idiots deface sacred shrines? I mean, besides their stupidity as a contributing factor.
Part of it is the me generation thing, that people think they are entitled to please themselves before pleasing society at large. And there is also a difference in perception between an old ruin and a pristine ancient church or modern museums. Museums are treated like churches, sacred places where there are things of great value. Whereas the Colosseum is an incomplete building which has already been robbed.....so idiots crave their initials and take selfies to show to everyone on Face book. They know not what they do is wrong because the thought of it being so never enters their minds..
Maybe those fools just provided a teaching moment for the other nuts out there. News comes to us that the radical Islamist group ISIS's is systematically destroying ancient monuments in Iraqi city Mosul, as well as the archaeological site of Hatra. Hmmmm I wonder if they will post their selfies of their conquests.
In November 2014, a Russian tourist was fined 20,000 euros and given a four year suspended jail sentence for carving a 10 inch "K" onto the wall of the Colosseum. Three other incidents of vandalism were reported in 2014, of the six million people who visit. It seems small, but such vandalism was far rarer in previous times. And vandalism like that in churches is unheard of. So why do idiots deface sacred shrines? I mean, besides their stupidity as a contributing factor.
Part of it is the me generation thing, that people think they are entitled to please themselves before pleasing society at large. And there is also a difference in perception between an old ruin and a pristine ancient church or modern museums. Museums are treated like churches, sacred places where there are things of great value. Whereas the Colosseum is an incomplete building which has already been robbed.....so idiots crave their initials and take selfies to show to everyone on Face book. They know not what they do is wrong because the thought of it being so never enters their minds..
Maybe those fools just provided a teaching moment for the other nuts out there. News comes to us that the radical Islamist group ISIS's is systematically destroying ancient monuments in Iraqi city Mosul, as well as the archaeological site of Hatra. Hmmmm I wonder if they will post their selfies of their conquests.
At Face book Gender Is Confusing
If you log on to Face book and open an account those profile
questions
can be tough. It seems that Face book has bought into political
correctness to the confusion of us all. There is no more of the ,"Are
you male or female" questions there. Instead, Face book has expanded
gender identity from male and female to a list of dozens of options, 58
in all. They include Androgyny, Gender Fluid, Intersex, Neither and
Transgender. People who choose a custom gender can also choose the
pronoun they would like to be referred to publicly: he/his, she/her or
they/their. Hmmmmm How come there isn't a "whatever"? I am confused.
And if you can't find an identity in one of the 58 Face book says, "Now, if you do not identify with the pre populated list of gender identities, you are able to add your own". Wow! Now I'm afraid to ask anyone on a date. Those Face book fellows....gals..or whatever gender they see themselves as won't say how many people choose a gender identity that is not male or female. But researchers say there are many millions of humans who consider themselves transgendered. That is, not a male or female.
But wait! That's not all. Face book users who feel that they do not fit any of the 58 gender identity options offered by the site are now being given a rather big 59th option, "fill in the blank". Yep! A Face book announcement published online tells users that if they do not identify with the list of gender identities offered, they can add their own. I never knew it was so easy to have a sex change.
It's fine by me if a person wants to select an option other than male or female for gender but it does get a bit confusing. It seems the world today is more uncomfortable with conformity than with difference, an indication that humans are nor what they used to be. That we seek comfort in difference is revealing. I wonder if it is because we can't adapt, don't want to adapt or just don't know how.
So as not to confuse or insult you in the future, I suggest that you choose the gender with which you want to be preferred and I will address you that way.
And if you can't find an identity in one of the 58 Face book says, "Now, if you do not identify with the pre populated list of gender identities, you are able to add your own". Wow! Now I'm afraid to ask anyone on a date. Those Face book fellows....gals..or whatever gender they see themselves as won't say how many people choose a gender identity that is not male or female. But researchers say there are many millions of humans who consider themselves transgendered. That is, not a male or female.
But wait! That's not all. Face book users who feel that they do not fit any of the 58 gender identity options offered by the site are now being given a rather big 59th option, "fill in the blank". Yep! A Face book announcement published online tells users that if they do not identify with the list of gender identities offered, they can add their own. I never knew it was so easy to have a sex change.
It's fine by me if a person wants to select an option other than male or female for gender but it does get a bit confusing. It seems the world today is more uncomfortable with conformity than with difference, an indication that humans are nor what they used to be. That we seek comfort in difference is revealing. I wonder if it is because we can't adapt, don't want to adapt or just don't know how.
So as not to confuse or insult you in the future, I suggest that you choose the gender with which you want to be preferred and I will address you that way.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Extremely Old
Can you believe it? A couple in New York is
imitating Methuselah. Duranord Veillard will turn 108 on Saturday while
his wife of 82 years, Jeanne, turns 105 in May. And they are still in
great condition, given their years. The couple plan to celebrate their
85th anniversary in their own home a well-wishers at their home, where
they live with a daughter.
Both of them have some visual and hearing problems and needs assistance to walk. But they have full mental facilities and Duranord is said to have a great memory, both short and long term. I doubt they will be able go out dancing for their anniversary, so I have a few suggestions for the husband Duranord to give to wife Jeanne. You know how they have those traditional anniversary gifts, as in silver for the 25th anniversary and Pearl for the 30th year together. Hmmmm The gift chart recommendations run out before a 82nd year anniversary. So maybe Duranord should just give Jeanne a set of silver plated Depends diapers. Haha Well, practicality at that age should be appreciated.
Gold is recommended for the 75th anniversary gift. But what would 105 year old Jeanne do with anything made of gold? Instead, save some money and give her a gold plated board to which could be posted some appropriate reminders that any 105 year old would love. "My name is Jeanne', might be one. Or perhaps a reminder for her hubby, "Don't forget to zip down before using the toilet."
Maybe the two should take a second honeymoon? No, it might be fruitless. Just getting them in and out of the car to the airport might take longer than the time it takes to reach their 83rd anniversary. Anyway, kidding aside, let's hope that Duranord and Jeanne live another 100 years. They give we mortal humans a bit of inspiration and hope for our own future.
Both of them have some visual and hearing problems and needs assistance to walk. But they have full mental facilities and Duranord is said to have a great memory, both short and long term. I doubt they will be able go out dancing for their anniversary, so I have a few suggestions for the husband Duranord to give to wife Jeanne. You know how they have those traditional anniversary gifts, as in silver for the 25th anniversary and Pearl for the 30th year together. Hmmmm The gift chart recommendations run out before a 82nd year anniversary. So maybe Duranord should just give Jeanne a set of silver plated Depends diapers. Haha Well, practicality at that age should be appreciated.
Gold is recommended for the 75th anniversary gift. But what would 105 year old Jeanne do with anything made of gold? Instead, save some money and give her a gold plated board to which could be posted some appropriate reminders that any 105 year old would love. "My name is Jeanne', might be one. Or perhaps a reminder for her hubby, "Don't forget to zip down before using the toilet."
Maybe the two should take a second honeymoon? No, it might be fruitless. Just getting them in and out of the car to the airport might take longer than the time it takes to reach their 83rd anniversary. Anyway, kidding aside, let's hope that Duranord and Jeanne live another 100 years. They give we mortal humans a bit of inspiration and hope for our own future.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
National Pancake Day
March 3rd was a sacred day of the likes of me. No, it's not the date of some religious holiday. It was National Pancake Day in the United states. I think we started that one by stealing the idea from International Pancake Day, held in February but long ignored here until the, IHOP, world's largest pancake house chain invented it for pancake lovers in the U.S. That restaurant (there are almost 2000 of them) gives away a free stack of pancakes to anyone who can find the room in the besieged restaurant on the morning of March 3rd. So National Pancake ay exists only because of IHOP marketing. Still, I like it better than Valentine's Day. What male wouldn't.
I eat pancakes often, perhaps once a week and I love any kind of pancake made as long as they are the flour based style we eat most often in the U.S. Those egg based crepes are not appealing to me, even when stuffed with goodies because the touch, egg texture is not my style. I like a cake texture pancake. There are probably more than 1000 kinds of pancakes to eat. Choosing a pancake is like dating online. You sometimes see something attractive but are repulsed when raking a bite. There is more to a pancake than how it looks.
I want the plain American style pancake, tender and flour laden with the only topping applied to be generous amounts of silky butter. No nuts, potatoes, whipped cream, syrup, veggie or fruit fillings, no ice cream on top will do. I think you can tell quite a bit about people by the kind of pancakes they eat or don't eat. So in the spirit of National Pancake Day I shall now play psychologist and give you my personality rankings based on the noble pancake.
1) The crepe eater- Those who like crepes instead of flour based pancakes are too snooty for me. They more often wear Gucci clothes and drive expensive sports cars. The crepe eater is unappreciative of the basic form of a regular pancake. He or she should never be trusted!
2) The savory pancake- People who prefer these are trendy types. They do crazy things like asking for Quinoa in their pancakes. I think they really don't like pancakes at all. So they load them with veggies and "healthy' additives. Savory pancake eaters are the ones who always seem to forget their wallets when dining out. You'll get stuck paying their check if you even eat breakfast with them.
3) The buckwheat pancake eater- These people are traditionalists of the first order. They are very conservative and likely eat many plain and simple foods besides the buckwheat pancake. Though delicious to eat, fewer and fewer people eat buckwheat pancakes, most of the buckwheat fans coming from Eastern Europe....particularly from the old Soviet Union. That's why the easiest way to find a communist is to go to a restaurant that serves buckwheat pancakes. When trying to spot them, just look for Alexander Putin look-alikes.
4) The Asian pancake- What is that? I think it is something disguised as a pancake because it is never eaten by itself. Asian style pancakes are imitation pancakes. I am not sure what's inside them, but they do serve their purpose. That is, they are used solely to place other foods inside and have virtually no taste themselves. They are similar to the tortilla, the least important part of the dish. People who prefer Asian pancakes are quiet and isolated from others., just as the Asian pancake is isolated from what is inside it and is used only as funnel to get that other stuff inside the mouth.
5) The German/Austrian pancake- Beware of those delights, oven baked puffs of tenderness with sautéed or baked fruit toppings. They are too seductive and will invade your stomach with happiness and then conquer it. People who prefer these pancakes are aggressive, invade your space (or country) and frequently click their heels and salute. One must be way when eating with a German/Austrian pancake lover.
6) American style pancakes- Those pancakes are perfect because the eaters of them are also perfect (like me). No need to write anymore.
Enjoy your pancakes today and choose wisely which to eat....
Words Of The Year
What English words got the most dictionary reference this
year? Oh,
of course, we know all the words and never resort to looking for a
meaning or usage in a dictionary (if you believe that, look up the word
"gullible"). But for the others, Miriam Webster Dictionary has
released it's list of top ten words for 2014. This are words that had
the biggest increase of "look-ups' this past year. The
winner....culture. It seems an ordinary word, but then the concept of
it has been so distorted by political correctness that it's hard to now
define. They googled many culture related terms this year- 'consumer
culture', 'rape culture', 'culture of transparency', 'culture of winning', 'test prep culture',
'coffee culture' and more.
That choice by Webster joins Oxford Dictionary choice of 'vape' (see e-cigarette movement) and Dictionary.coms choice of "exposure" (the Ebola scare made many check that one) as words of the year. In Webster's No. 2 spot is 'nostalgia'. This year was the 50th anniversaries of 1964, a very active one in which the free speech movement began, the Civil Rights Act was passed, the adored Ford Mustang was first sold, and the British Music Invasion was signified by the Beatles coming to the U.S. for the first time.
Next on the list are insidious, legacy, feminism and the French phrase 'je ne sais quoi' (some quality that makes a person or thing attractive....I know, I lack that quality). Rounding out the Top 10 are innovation, surreptitious, autonomy and morbidity. Seems to me that most of these words are a bit down in tone. But then, it hasn't been a fun year for most of us. What most of the top ten show is how transitory the culture is today. and how easily led people are to the same things the culture promotes. I suppose the rapid and easy communication devices today account for much of that.
We are becoming a world that is very homogenized in what we think, how we act, what we are interested in and where we are led.
That choice by Webster joins Oxford Dictionary choice of 'vape' (see e-cigarette movement) and Dictionary.coms choice of "exposure" (the Ebola scare made many check that one) as words of the year. In Webster's No. 2 spot is 'nostalgia'. This year was the 50th anniversaries of 1964, a very active one in which the free speech movement began, the Civil Rights Act was passed, the adored Ford Mustang was first sold, and the British Music Invasion was signified by the Beatles coming to the U.S. for the first time.
Next on the list are insidious, legacy, feminism and the French phrase 'je ne sais quoi' (some quality that makes a person or thing attractive....I know, I lack that quality). Rounding out the Top 10 are innovation, surreptitious, autonomy and morbidity. Seems to me that most of these words are a bit down in tone. But then, it hasn't been a fun year for most of us. What most of the top ten show is how transitory the culture is today. and how easily led people are to the same things the culture promotes. I suppose the rapid and easy communication devices today account for much of that.
We are becoming a world that is very homogenized in what we think, how we act, what we are interested in and where we are led.
Odd Study
According
to a new study led by Ohio State University Professor Jesse Fox, men
who post a lot of selfies to the web tend to exhibit higher levels of
narcissism and psychopaths? Did he say "psychopaths"? Even a cell hater
like me doesn't claim that selfie fans are psychos. I have always
suspected cell phone
addicts were a little nuts, but psychopaths? Anyway,
that study also says most of those men (women don't post selfies as
often as men, the study was about men) carefully edit their own
selfies. That's more in tune with the narcissist aspect of selfie
addicts. I think the professor may be on to something there.
The study found that men who edited their photos have higher levels of narcissism and what psychologists term "self objectification". That means they are self absorbed, but we already know that by observing the actions of a cell phone addict. The only good thing, says professor Fox, is that these men are not necessarily psychopaths because psychopaths are impulsive. Impulsive people wouldn't bother waiting to edit their photos. Ergo, those selfie fans are possibly narcissists, but not crazy loons...maybe.
Common sense tells us that people who are obsessed with snapping their own picture of themselves at every opportunity are self centered but, I think this study is carrying their affliction too far, from the harmless "look at me" into some type of deep psychiatric problem. I wonder if the Professor Fox's' of the world are too obsessed with studies of everyday things that need not be studied. I also am more amused by selfie addicts than threatened by their behavior. They seem to be having fun with an innocuous behavior. Good for them (but please don't show me your selfie posts).
Is not the real reason most people post selfies the attention from posting and not to admire themselves in photos? We all like attention, and for some the selfie is a kind of 5 minutes of fame. It beats robbing a bank or joining Isis.
The study found that men who edited their photos have higher levels of narcissism and what psychologists term "self objectification". That means they are self absorbed, but we already know that by observing the actions of a cell phone addict. The only good thing, says professor Fox, is that these men are not necessarily psychopaths because psychopaths are impulsive. Impulsive people wouldn't bother waiting to edit their photos. Ergo, those selfie fans are possibly narcissists, but not crazy loons...maybe.
Common sense tells us that people who are obsessed with snapping their own picture of themselves at every opportunity are self centered but, I think this study is carrying their affliction too far, from the harmless "look at me" into some type of deep psychiatric problem. I wonder if the Professor Fox's' of the world are too obsessed with studies of everyday things that need not be studied. I also am more amused by selfie addicts than threatened by their behavior. They seem to be having fun with an innocuous behavior. Good for them (but please don't show me your selfie posts).
Is not the real reason most people post selfies the attention from posting and not to admire themselves in photos? We all like attention, and for some the selfie is a kind of 5 minutes of fame. It beats robbing a bank or joining Isis.
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