Housemates

   As I've mentioned several times I live in a group home populated by a diverse group of people.  I happen to be the oldest person here and also the only individual with a physical disability rather than a mental disorder of some kind.  I finally realized that this group is actually a cross section of Republican, tea-party conservative morons.  As I watch election returns from five states voting today, I am more convinced than ever I need only listen to the people around me and have no need of polls to tell me all I need to know of the American electorate.  I remember P. T. Barnum's sign "this way to the egress" to get people to leave sending crowds to see the "egress"  That funny story went flat in our living area since not a single person knew that egress was a synonym for exit,  Its time for the elections to close so I will now egress.

Word Fun

   For the last several days, every morning a person keeps trying to ingratiate himself to servers by offering all sorts of help or offering to fix a cup of coffee for them.  If this person was normally a nice generous individual, I would think nothing of it but the truth is he is probably the stingiest and most narcissistic person living here.  So whenever I hear his offer, I say "sycophant" to no one in particular.  The fun I have is in the fact he has no idea what the word means and is too arrogant to admit his linguistic ignorance and try to find out.   








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Revolution

   Bernie Sanders has already won a much bigger prize than a presidential nomination.  He and his ideas have won the support of his political rival.  I have watched Hillary Clinton almost imperceptibly change her message to, for want of a better word, Sanderism.  Or Bernism.  For example, she has changed her $12.00 per hour minimum wage to the Bernism call of $15.00 per hour.
   Sanders has created a huge and potent pressure group that will influence politics far longer than any political group winning temporary power.  He has enabled an awareness of the power of people to change the status quo to something more to their benefit.  This fact strikes fear to the heart of present political power structure from top to bottom; from the president down to the local dog catcher;  from the 1% Walton's to the Trump Tower resident.  They have reason to be terribly afraid.   

Republican Bathrooms

  With all the brouhaha over various Republication bathroom laws, one is led to believe that relieving a bladder or colon is tantamount to chancing violating some civil or possibly criminal law. 
   I can't imagine what fevered imagination visualizes what could possibly happen inside that closed door that would turn a person into a raving lunatic.  It isn't Christianity or religion.  It isn't experienced in the rest of the world, only here in America.  And why is it mostly centered on Republican controlled legislatures.?  I've used unisex facilities in various cities here in America that contained numbers of stalls occupied by both genders.  I've never seen a woman walking around naked or a man with his penis hanging out. I would not be averse to seeing unisex, repub men and repub women on restroom signs.        

Very Bad Day

  Yesterday there was nothing I could think of  humorous to write about.  Some days are like that.  Ironically such blah days are usually followed by days that either are so funny or so sad they invoke laughter or tears like the two theatrical masks; a smile and a frown.
   Today is a frown day.  The world lost two beautiful and talented individuals.  I personally lost the emotion each in their own way stirred in my mind's eye.  Prince Nelson Rogers and Joanie Laurer have left us behind and we are poorer as a result.

Blessings

  This morning at the breakfast table, someone sneezed and I immediately heard a chorus of  "bless you" and "God Bless you."  I thought about why.  Why should someone be blessed by others and a deity for clearing an irritant like dust or pollen from one's respiratory system?  Why should a rapid expulsion of air from one's mouth be any more sacred that the rapid expulsion of air from one's anus.  Yet no one blesses a fart.  Or a burp even though I've smelled burps worse than any fart.  I guess it's one of those unexplained religious things I'll never understand.
   I see also that a court judge has decided it's ok to sue a country that allegedly had citizens involved in a horrendous act that occurred 15 years ago. Years ago I read a statement about lawsuits that I find true over and over.  It said "you can sue Safeway over the price of a can of beans if you are willing to pay a lawyer."  As I've written before, because of past rulings, suing Saudi Arabia over 9/11 has less of a chance than suing Boeing.  Probably the Bush/Chaney administration had more responsibility for 9/11 than either Arabia or Boeing.  The only winner here is a law firm, as usual. 

Climate

   This earth is now populated by 7.4 billion people.  Common sense should tell anyone, even a Republican that so many people living, breathing, eating and defecating has to have an effect on the environment and the climate.  I think that anytime the ecological balance of nature is upset by uncontrolled growth in one sector, nature will try to compensate in one way or other.  What form this compensation takes may on may not be beneficial to human life.  Despite what a religion might say, nature does not differentiate  one life form from another.  If there are too many jackrabbits, nature will thin the herd in some fashion.  If there are too many humans, nature may very well be taking steps to make conditions too uncomfortable to keep on doing what we do.  The climate changing may very well be part of this process. Maybe two earthquakes this week.  Old Faithful at Yellowstone not so faithful anymore.  Twenty inches of rain here yesterday without a hurricane is unusual and a new volcano in North Korea yesterday.  Best to hunker down and do something positive.  

New York Primary

   I had originally planned to stay away from politics as much as possible and write about more important stuff.  Like me, I'm sure most people are tired of media coverage 24/7 and internet analyses of polls that are slanted, meaningless and designed to give one candidate or another an advantage prior to counting votes.
   I have been a supporter of Berne Sanders since last summer and seen nothing to change my preference.  Hillary takes in millions from big banks and financial interests and swears she is not beholden to them and never directly supports them.  I'm sure she is telling the truth.  But she wants power and will do and say anything to attain it.  If you have power and influence, there are a thousand ways you can pay off more than anyone has invested financially.  Banks and such have tentacles in many areas of business not publically connected with the mother ship.  One little amendment to an unrelated congressional bill could mean millions in savings or revenue to a business. In my estimation, Hillary can't be trusted with that much power.
    On the other hand, Bernie has proven by half century of work on behalf of people and for their
interests.  Odds are he will continue to work for us even though Hillary might  be able to buy this election.  She has stolen most of his positions on trade, minimum wages, banks, etc.  Let's wait and see whether New Yorkers are as smart as they claim to be.  We will find out next Tuesday.

Depression

   For those concerned about my abrupt absence from blogging and the internet in general, I'm working my way out of a deep depressive episode.  I've been told this sometimes happens after multiple traumas both large and small.  After a major flare up of my chronic lung condition requiring a hospital stay, an unanticipated death in my immediate extended family occurred.  Atop this were problems with my home group caretakers and residence.  I thought I was strong enough to cope with any and everything life could throw at me.  But deep down my own mind betrayed me.
  I sought help for my lethargy and emotional retreat from my personal physician who performed blood tests and a complete physical that found nothing wrong with my body and health.  I was told I needed to consult a psychiatrist.  Now over the years I have had much interaction with that branch of medicine.  My impression of their competence has been on a par with TV weathermen.  Too many of them simply throw various drugs at the problem until something seems to stick.  Others just sit and listen to people who solve their problems themselves while paying exorbitant fees to someone who then lauds his successful treatment.
  I finally decided my best course of action was to work through it myself.  I've gotten myself back to work, have resumed watching the Unity Church Sunday broadcast, rattling the cages of right wing posters on the internet and lastly writing again.  Please bear with me, there is still a way to go.  As Robert Frost writes "the woods are snowy dark and deep and I have promises to keep; and miles to go before I sleep"

Liability

Yesterday, a judge decided that people who lost children at Sandy Hook school can sue the gun manufacturer who made the gun the killer used.  To me this opens up all sorts of possibilities.  If a mentally ill person drives his car into a crowd of people, can the car maker then be sued.  Can people who lost loved ones in the twin towers sue Boeing.  Why didn't relatives sue the shipyard that built the Titanic.  Why didn't Dick Chaney's victim sue the shotgun manufacturer.  This  ruling sets a ridiculous precedent.  It overrules common sense.  Last night in the debate illustrated where Hillary Clinton stands on common sense compared to Bernie Sanders.  As Shakespeare wrote in Henry VI, "first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers."  Such drastic measures are probably not necessary, however like plants growing too close and dense, some culling needs to be done to stop absurd lawsuits.