Politics Alert

So if you don't want to read my take on the political situation, I understand.

Basically, it's a mess... we have a choice between a billionaire with weird hair, strange tan, and an over-active ego or a person who might get indicted for revealing top secret information. Essentially, a choice between a strange 1 percenter and a possible felon.

Not much of a choice, really. I don't much like Trump but I dislike Hillary more. I don't think the US can take another Democrat in the White House, especially when there is the possibility of 4 seats on the Supreme Court to be selected.

I have to say Milania would make a stunning First Lady but I am not sure the country would like a former model as First Lady... we're used to more matronly types.

On the other hand I am am not ready for Bill to be the first First Gentleman.. basically because I do not think of him being all that gentlemany.

I think I would rather not experience the next four years regardless of who wins.

On the other hand, this is going to be the most interesting presidential campaign of my lifetime... or yours, perhaps.
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Words Are Powerful Things

As my ability to type deteriorates, I become more and more frustrated and angry at my inability to use them. "Words, words, words," a shipmate (a friend) said to me from time to time. He meant my words were meaningless in the context of our discussions. And they often were, I suppose. Now that they fail me and I struggle to type them out, I better understand that.

In a way, I am going through a thing similar to what my mother experienced as her Alzheimer's advanced. I know what I want to say but my ability to say it in the written word is failing me. I can hope that this isn't Alzheimer's but I won't know for some time, if ever. All I know is that typing has become extraordinarily difficult. It seems to be an inability to do some simple tasks, though not all the time, such as tying my shoes or buttoning my shirt or pants. I also have a great fear that I will drop a glass or cup.

It is, to me, an agony.
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Greetings

As I was pedaling on my way to the "Y" the other day, I passed a number of people walking or pedaling along the way. Of course, I acknowledged them by saying "good morning" or some such and that got me to musing about greetings.

We say things like "good moring" without thinking much about it. What we are doing, in reality, is wishing them a good morning or day, depending on what we say and what time it is.

We also ask "how are you doing?" To which... almost everyone replies (at least initially) "fine." Just to be ornery, I have replied "lousy" or "terrible" from time to time but people seemed to take me seriously and inquire further.

You can't win.

Politics alert:

Since the Orlando shooter was a registered Democrat and Democrats are concerned that we need more restrictions on whi can buy a gun... how about we deny the right to purchase a gun by any registered Democrat?
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Typical

As horrific as the attack on The Pulse was,concentration is now on the gun used. The rifle used was an AR-15. Despite being called an "automatic" (Geraldo Rivera, for one), it is, in civilian form, in fact a semi-automatic weapon. No different than any number of civilian weapons. Will there be a call to ban all semi-automatic weapons?

And the shooter was a security guard with credentials that allowed him to purchase weapons for use in his job... a job with a firm that had contracts to provide security for some government facilities.

And, it turns out, his wife, Noor, apparently aided and abetted his plans.

Gender Identity

This was planned before the news came out about the Orlando shootings at The Pulse. My heart goes out to the families of the victims in that attack. No one deserves to be inflicted with that horror.

I am not one confused about my gender but, apparently, a number of people are.

They say that all males have an "inner woman". As the old (and sexist, I suppose) joke goes, fortunately, mine is a lesbian.

A number of schools now are being urged to allow those who "self-identify" as a female or male to use the restroom and showers they self-identify as. This has, understandably, caused much consternation in parents and triggered some lawsuits against the US government. I am also going to suggest that no female is going to "self-identify" as male and try to use the boys bathroom or the boys' showers.

I sympathize with those parents, obviously, since I am writing this blog. But, just as "ms" has replaced "miss", I think this will be a battle doomed to be lost. Some have suggested that "xe" replace "he" but I cannot figure out how to pronounce that.


I am old school, I guess. When someone says "I always knew I was gay." I think, "That can't be so." We go through periods in our lives where we might question our sexual orientation, that's understandable. And I have had someone ask "Why would anyone choose to be gay?" I usually reply that, "Some women choose to stay in abusive relationships. Do you think they have no choice in the matter? That they're born that way? Do you think people do not choose to be criminals? That they are born that way? That they enjoy getting arrested and sent to prison?"

I get shouted down... fairly often.

I don't know whether people are pre-disposed to be gay or straight.

Personally, I think we make choices all the time we are growing up that result in our sexual orientation.

But I am glad I'm a raging heterosexual. Faye agrees.
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I Really Want To...

Write about something other than politics but I can't. There is just too much going on in that world.

Donald Trump makes a stupid remark about a judge and chaos ensues.
Obama endorses Hillary (yawn... who else would he endorse?) and Sanders vows to fight on. Ho hum. I am not impressed by any of this; we know Trump makes outrageous statements, so that remark is nothing new, we know Obama would endorse Hillary so that is nothing new. But, assuming Bernie had actually won the nomination, would there have been such a ringing endorsement? I wonder...

I do know one thing: this is going to be an interesting campaign. Much more so than anyone alive today could imagine. And, yet, I wonder if... somewhere... there's a video endorsing Bernie.
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Traffic

I was going to, and from, Wal-Mart yesterday when I realized something about traffic... we depend on all the other drivers to behave in particular ways. The other day, a friend's mother died in a car accident. She was 99 years old and was entirely at fault. She ran a red light and was hit so bad they had to use the "jaws of life" to get her out of the wreck. At 99, she shouldn't have been driving. But most here are well into their old age and there is no public transportation.

I have no problem driving, even with the current problems I have, but I wonder if I would react rationally in an emergency. A close friend is 87 and still drives. He also speeds a lot. I worry about him and those on the road along with him when he is out and about.

But it is the young who seem to drive poorly, they are the ones who slip in and out of lanes, trying to get through the traffic. I was once young and probably reckless. Now I am old and careful.
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