Wow! And we already had 13+ inches of snow three weeks ago, but nothing since, Well there were a couple of dustings, up to an inch, but all is melted now.
A sign that the Apocalypse is nearly upon us?????? At the grocery store yesterday, a young fellow was checking out right in front of me. I'd guess he was in his early 20s. The checkout clerk asked if he had a grocery store card and he didn't. She asked me if he could use mine. I don't have a card, but know my store card number. So I typed it in for the guy. It saved him more than $8. Good! And the clerk was sure to tell him that. He left and I asked the clerk, "My hear is not very good. Did he thank me for saving him $8?" "No," she said, "You're hearing is fine. He didn't." Hmmm......
Did you see that blog post the Oklahoma Wesleyan University president wrote about the student protesters? "Grow up!" he told them. He went on to note that his college didn't have any "safe spaces," that students would have their ideas and beliefs challenged if they attended OWU. If they weren't prepared for that, "Go someplace else." As I written and noted, back 50 years ago, there were times I wish I had some "safe places" at Amherst, some place to hide from the "microaggressions" foisted on me by professors. My papers often were laced with comments like, "No sloppy thinking allowed." One of my professors even suggested that, "If that's the best work you can do, I suggest you transfer to another college." Whoa! Talk about "microaggressions!"
And did you read about some of the so-called professors at leading universities who have marked down students for referring to males as "men" and females as "women" or even referring to the male head of a committee as "a chairman?" What? Now we can call the head of a committee a "chairone" or a "chairbody?" Harvard, supposedly inhabited by intelligent people, has decided to get rid of the name "college masters," those senior professors who oversee and advise the various schools there. It, the word "master," as you might have guessed, is a "microaggression" because of its connection with slavery. So, what about having a masters degree? mastering a tough subject or task? Are those out, too? For that matter, what about the term "Yugoslav?" Should that also be banned? After all, the word "slave" originates from the word "slav." Let's keep banning words, regardless of context, that might insult some people or make them feel uncomfortable. Yep, pretty soon we won't be talking at all, merely pointing and grunting.
The murders keep piling up in Detroit and the Metro area. Yet, I've yet to see any of the Black Lives Matter folks here.
And about that "economic recovery" both Democrats and Republicans keep telling us is or has happened...... A newspaper study the other day showed that fully one-third of Detroit-area communities are seeing increases in poverty rates. Some, in fact most, of those communities have experienced double-digit increases over the past five years. One city, which had a median income of $76,000 five years ago has seen that dip to $49,000 now. Granted, that might be because some folks have emigrated/migrated to other cities or even states. But why would someone still well off move? Isn't it more likely that someone who's lost a job or had significant pay cuts has moved? So, when somebody, say the President or Governor, tell us about the recovery, don't believe them--as usual when they say something.
Someone sent me a cartoon that lampoons the "The Only Way to Stop a Bad Guy with a Gun is with a Good Guy with a Gun." It states something like, with school kids drawn, "The Only Way to Stop a Bad Kid Throwing Rocks on the Playground Is to Give a Good Kid Rocks." Although catchy, the analogy is flawed, seriously so.
There's a big difference, that they don't realize I guess, between kids throwing rocks and people shooting guns. Can't a teacher or playground aide yell at a kid, "Hey, put down that rock!" or something like that? Try yelling, "Hey, terrorist! Put down that semi-automatic rifle!" I'm guessing the results would be the same--yeah, right.
I heard/saw (Don't tell anyone, but I was watching C-Span!) Ben Carson talk last week, in front of the National Press Club. He was very eloquent and articulate, as well as soft-spoken. In fact, he was far more eloquent and articulate than our so-called "most articulate and intelligent President" since Jefferson. (Well, maybe he is, if we overlook Lincoln, the two Roosevelts, JFK, Reagan......) But Carson had some very good ideas, including ones dealing with foreign affairs; he had proposed solutions. And, despite his audience, his harsh criticism of the LameStream media met with several loud ovations! No, I don't agree with everything he believes and I'm not sure I could/would vote for him, although it's coming closer and closer to that. Certainly he's a far better choice than anyone the Democrats have running, esp Clinton(!), and most of the Republicans (including all of the Establishment Republican and Trump). Ted Cruz is still my front-runner, but Carson is a strong possibility.
Words sometimes are powerful and persuasive. Often I think I waste my time/breath writing and talking. But not once, but twice recently I heard opinions from nearby people who, a couple of years ago, I would never have believed would have come out of their mouths. And, they reflected, at least in large part, my views, too.
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