What is happening to us?

[Ray]

“The demagogue is one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots”

Henry Louis Mencken

 

 

I sure hope today is less interesting then my day yesterday. I started out by disappointing myself at my 5 AM workout by having to abort after only a short cardio session due to some physical discomfort, normally I can pause for a bit and restart and do a full routine but did not yesterday. I better do better today both for my sense of wellbeing and to avoid being excessively chastised by Julia my overseer.

Mid-morning was spent with one of my oldest daughter’s best friends a person who I also regard. One of her attributes is the fact that she is one of the most civic literate people I know and has a long history of service to our community. The bulk of our conversation was expressing hope that our citizens are not as dumb as almost all of the politicians at the local, state and national level seem to think we are. I have been reminded of what I was told by a candidate for high office years ago when I asked him how he was going to keep his promise to do over a billion dollars of infrastructure repairs who replied that he would do it with smoke and mirrors. Monday I heard a national candidate promise that if he was elected he would make our country totally free of any outside energy sources, in truth even if we invested huge sums, pulled every energy source available to us we still would not have enough unless we mothball our cars and shut down our air conditioners. Politicians at every level say they are going to cut taxes, increase revenues and we will all be able to run through the daisies in slow motion loving our lives, they just don’t say how they will do it.

We are told if we deregulate and return to an unfettered society not bound by rules we will have full employment and while may not have a chicken in every pot there would be a car in every garage and yet to a large extent limited regulation is what got us here in the first place. We don’t have to worry about deteriorating infrastructure, or a healthcare system that is near the breaking point, or education systems that are failing or when they are not failing are so costly that few can afford the costs without piling up huge debt. When asked how they would do it all their answer is invariably “trust me” and seldom do they offer any specific creditable plans.

Super PACS and the like are not required to be truthful as they provide the wherewithal to buy the white house, state capitals and legislative bodies. What bothered my friend and me most was how folks just sit on the sidelines and watch as we march further down the path failing to solve problems as we accept gridlock instead of insisting on statesmanship. I just wish that the candidates had not found that the Wizard of Oz did well enough without having any knowledge or real power so they think they can get away with it too. The fact that the campaign mudslinging is truly bi-partisan does not provide a lot of hope for the future.

The tragedy for me is that I have personally known and worked with some truly great Americans who sacrificed much to serve the people. Many have left politics in recent years in disgust while excellent people avoid serving due to the slanderous attacks on themselves, their families and their friends.

~~~

My day finally ended when I learned that my next colon surgery was moved up by the Indiana University docs to early September instead of mid-October. This will be my third in about six months but it is primarily to go in and check to make sure that they got everything the last time. When they find that all is well I will not have to utilize long fasts and internal purges coupled with sprints to the nearest bathroom as part of my weight reduction regimen for another year or two and I like that.

Like I said I am looking forward to a less interesting day today, one filled with pleasant experiences and rosy thoughts. Especially since today is my wife’s birthday. I hope your day will be as good as mine will be.

~~~

The secret of the demagogue is to appear as dumb as his audience so that these people can believe themselves as smart as he is.

Karl Kraus

~~~

A man drives to a gas station and has his tank filled up. While doing this the clerk spots two penguins sitting on the back seat of the car. He asks the driver, "What's up with the penguins in the back seat?"

The man in the car says, "I found them.  I asked myself what to do with them but, I haven't a clue."

The clerk ponders a bit then says, "You should take them to the zoo."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," says the man in the car and drives away.

The next day the man with the car is back at the same gas station. The clerk sees the penguins are still in the back seat of the car. "Hey, they're still here! I thought you were going to take them to the zoo!"

"Oh, I did," says the driver, "and we had a swell time. Today I'm taking them to the beach."

~~~

The big thing today is computer dating. If you don't know how to run a computer it really dates you.

~~~

It was the usual muddy day in the country. Our first grade teacher, Miss Brown, had just finished putting the 36th boot on the 18th pair of little feet and was anxious to finish the last pair so she could go to lunch. The last pair of boots was for little Johnny Smith, a quiet boy. Miss Brown had a very difficult time getting his boots on as they were a bit too small for his growing feet, but she finally won the battle.

To her dismay, little Johnny looked blandly up into her face and announced, "Teacher, these boots aren't mine." In a hurry, but wanting to be kind, Miss Brown groaned, but with grim gentleness removed the boots and straightened her aching back.

Whereupon Johnny continued, "They're my little brother's, but Mommy said I could wear them to school today."

~~~

"The word 'aerobics' came about when the gym instructors got together and said: If we're going to charge $10 an hour, we can't call it 'Jumping up and down.'"

Rita Rudner.

~~~

At one game, a lady kept up a steady flow of threats at the umpire. No matter what was happening on the field, she kept yelling, "Kill the umpire! Kill the umpire!" This went on for an hour. Another patron said, "Lady, the umpire hasn't done anything wrong."

The woman said, "He's my husband and he came home last night with lipstick on his collar! Kill the umpire!!"

~~~

"When you jump for joy, beware that no one moves the ground from beneath your feet."

Stanislaw J. Lec

~~~

Two women were at a bar. One looked at the other and said, "You know, 80 percent of all men think the best way to end an argument is to make love."

"Well," said the other woman," that will certainly revolutionize the game of hockey!"

~~~

“In the good old days, an honest politician was one who lied only when he had to. But now lies are becoming the accepted language of government at the highest levels, the theory being that sooner or later the people of the country will become so confused and disillusioned that they will just mind their own business, and leave governing to well-placed liars.”

Richard Reeves

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

 

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

 

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