the end of the world?

     A lot of people seem to be worried that the world will end tomorrow, because an ancient Mayan calendar will expire. If you look at an old time-and-date watch you may find that it too has expired--that the function for the date ended sometime in the 1980's, or the 1960's--but the world didn't end. I once had a date-and-name stamp from an employer that ended with 1985--but I'm still here. If I'm not here tomorrow, the doomsday crowd won't be able to say "we told you so"--because they won't be here, either.

Santa Claus

     You can find out a lot about people by asking them what they tell their children about Santa Claus. Many people tell children that Santa only leaves presents for "good" or "nice" children. The same people will tell you that they never would stoop to bribing children, as it ruins their characters. They may tell children that Santa leaves coal for bad children, or that Santa won't leave them presents if they are naughty. The same people will deny that they threaten children idly, as that would also ruin their characters.
     What people tell children about Santa is likely to be philosophically similar to what they tell children about God. Many parents raise children to believe that God punishes naughty children and rewards good ones--the concept of "naughty" or "good" being at the whim of parents, Santa, or God, and not based on an actual  code of ethics or behavior.  "God" may be just another part of a parental arsenal of bribes, and threats, or rewards and punishments.

picture ID's

     We need more picture ID's. Our pictures are on our driver's licenses, our school, ID cards, and sometimes our employee ID cards. Why aren't they on our credit cards and debit cards?

the resurrection of the body

     I watched a movie last night about the "resurrection of the body". The dead came back to life--anyway, their bodies did. The movie was called The Night of the Living Dead. 

les tricoteuses

     Les tricoteuses were the women who supposedly knitted the fates of the condemned during the French Revolution.  Their knitting supposedly contained a record of the names of those who were to be put to death. Very creepy. Now we have "yarn bombers", who knit things around trees and posts. I wonder if the CIA has been working on breaking their code, and what secret messages might lie hidden in this knitting?

raising money for charity

     The walks for charity--you have probably seen or heard of them. It's great to raise money for a cause. I went on two 25-mile walks when I was younger, for a charity. But I'd really like to see the charities pick a product or a job--that's right, a job. How about being the charity that offers to rake leaves every fall for a fee? The money to go to the charity, of course, and the labor to be done by volunteers.  The volunteers could show up with paper bags and take the leaves to the composting center. How about an annual pick-up-the-park day for charity? More than one charity could use this one.  How about a highway clean-up for charity? Or a playground clean-up and fix-up? Or annual chimney sweeping, gutter cleaning, or anything else you can think of? Once word got around, the charity would become known for its service, and people would save jobs and money for the charity. So much more useful than walking about.

business practices

     When I go into a  grocery store, and ask where the coffee is, the clerk doesn't ask if I'd like to talk with the man who couldn't find the cereal.  The clerk tells me what I want to know.
     When I go into an auto repair shop to have my transmission checked, the mechanic doesn't ask if I'd like to meet the man with the bad radiator. The mechanic fixes my car.
     When I go to the doctor's, the nurse doesn't ask if I'd like to chat with some sick people. The nurse asks about my symptoms.
     If  I ask a police officer for directions, the officer doesn't ask me if I would like to connect with other lost people, so that we could form a club. The officer gives directions.
    But this is all in realityville. Cyberspace is different, or so it seems.
   

voting

If you're not planning to vote in November, remember that among those who do vote, your non-vote means that you have agreed to everything or anything the rest of us decide with our votes. No quibbling. Or complaining. If you want to complain, vote.

stamps--it matters

     A new campaign suggests that we put pictures of living people on United States stamps. The people you see honored on stamps are always dead people, usually people who have been dead for 10 years, at least.  The image of a living person on a coin or stamp traditionally, and currently around the world, means that the person whose image is on the stamp or coin is the head of state, and probably the hereditary monarch, of the country issuing the coin or stamp. From ancient times, when the Romans "recalled" and reissued coins when a new leader took over, to the modern image of the British queen on British stamps and coins, the figure of a living person has meant the ruler of the state. In America, we use the stamps and coins to remember and honor those who have made contributions to our society, not to proclaim a new dictator.

voter ID

     How about a joint program to help people without ID's obtain them before election day? They ought to have them anyway, and there's still plenty of time. They will need a Social Security card, a birth certificate and  ( 2 ) proofs of residency, such  as a piece of mail addressed to them or a W-2 form. If the applicant doesn't have a piece of mail, send him or her one.A birth certificate can take weeks, so the time to send for one is now. The fee is $10, sent to the Division of Vital Records of the State of Pennsylvania. There is an online application for this, to speed things up.
     A Social Security card can be obtained at the Social Security office. The applicant will need a birth certificate and other ID, preferably photo ID, such as a school or employee ID. Social Security cards don't cost anything, but you may spend a few hours in the Social Security office. A Social Security card is required for employment, so everyone needs one anyway.
     For the  state-issued ID, the applicant will need a $13.50 fee and perhaps transportation to the driver's license facility.  The ID process takes an afternoon or a morning, including getting to the facility and back. The person leaves with a state-issued ID card, not a driver's license. The ID card is as good as a driver's license for identification at the bank or anyplace that asks for an ID. So why not get moving?

Dear Google

    Dear Google,

I would like to suggest that you reconfigure Blogger so that the template on which I type the blog matches the one you use to print it. There is no reason I should have to check the blog and reformat it if I don't think it looks nice. The "compose" function should be made to match the "print" function, with the same number of characters per line.
thanks

the next amendment, maybe

     If the people--the voters-- of the United States want to take guns out of private hands, they would need a constitutional amendment.  Gun advocates argue that the intent of the framers ( of our Constitution ) was that every citizen should be allowed to own a gun. I find the "intent of the framers " argument to be worse than spurious. The men who "framed" our Constitution were some of the plainest writers and clearest thinkers who have ever lived. Their intent is evident in their written words. They left us a written law, and the capacity to change that law when we disagree with it. What's there in plain words is " the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed". We can't merely wish these words into something else--a dangerous precedent. We have written laws so that we are not subject to the whim of a king or potentate. We may never get all the way to "equality under the law", but without written laws, we would still be medieval.
    As for the "intent of the framers", what the people of the United States did, in 1775,  was to form militias that were illegal, according to the British government. The American Revolution began when these militias fought to defend their store of arms--guns and ammunition-- from confiscation by the British. We are taught to admire this, as part of the history of the freedom enjoyed by American citizens. But using it to advocate gun ownership would mean that paramilitary groups and neo-Nazi militias have the same rights those embattled farmers insisted on at Lexington and Concord.
    

jury selection

     The system of jury selection is theoretically a way to choose 12 people at random to render a verdict in a trial. In reality, the system is far from random. No one can sit on a jury if he or she has been a victim of a crime in the past several years. No one can sit on a jury if a close relative or friend had been a victim of  a crime. No one can sit on a jury in a capital case unless he or she has already decided--before anyone utters a word of legal argument, or produces any evidence--that the death penalty would be a good idea.  Other people are "usually" dismissed from juries--teachers, lawyers, law enforcement officials, and some other occupations or professions.
     Every one of these exceptions make the jury less representative of the public at large, which it should be, since that's what gives it legitimacy. It's why we respect a jury's decisions. Decisions made by juries fine-tuned by lawyers are decisions made by lawyers--not by a group of 12 citizens.
    

greetings from your Uncle Sam

     Too many young people don't really know what they need to do in order to register to vote. They often try to register when it is too late. Since Uncle Sam now knows when everyone turns 18, perhaps he could send each of our young people a birthday greeting, including instructions on how to register to vote.If this needs to be handled by the states, Uncle Sam could share just that much Social Security information.

a new national anthem

     The notion that we need a new national anthem has been popular off and on over the last thirty years or so. Some people claim that our national anthem is too old-fashioned, or that it is difficult to sing, although the crowds at ball games seem to do a good job with it. Others claim that it is a song about war, although they also claim that it is gory or violent, which it isn't. It is just the story of someone trying to see if the flag was still flying over an American fort ( military base ) that was being bombed.  Still others claim that our national anthem was set to the tune of a drinking song. This is usually used as ploy to be excused from singing the national anthem in school.  The tune used for the national anthem had most likely been several songs over the years, as most tunes were, " back in the day". It was published ( written down ) with the lyrics to a drinking song, one that was still remembered by people who had read the lyrics. So it could be reproduced by people who had never heard it, but who could read the poem in a newspaper.
     The two songs that have been suggested as replacements for the national anthem--"God Bless America", and "America the Beautiful"--are both religious songs, inappropriate for a country that guarantees the separation of church and state. The other song suggested as a replacement--"America" ( My Country 'Tis of Thee )--shares a tune with Britain's national anthem, "God Save the Queen" ( or king, when the sovereign is a king ), so it would be an odd choice for a new American national anthem.
   

last one talking wins

     Tired of the graduates of saloon school, who view life as an intellectual contest, to be won by the person who talks loudest, longest, or with the greatest display of emotion.

middle school

     Middle school has been the norm for years now, replacing the older junior high in many areas. Teachers in Pennsylvania are certified to teach either grades 7 through 12, or grades 1 through 6. So a middle school for grades 6 through 8 has to have two sets of teachers to remain a state-accredited school--one set of elementary teachers, for the grade 6 pupils, and one set of middle or high school subject teachers, for grades 7 and 8.  These rules are often "bent" for practical reasons. The middle schools need a real-life solution.

once upon a time

    When you go to vote this year, you will be just one voter among many--every citizen 18 and over, except those sentenced to more than a year for a  felony conviction. Once upon a time, you would have been one of a more select group--white male property owners, at least 21 years old. What percentage does that make? Well, the women, in general, make up half the population, so we are left with 50 %. Of these, about 20% will be under 21. We are left with 40%. Let's estimate that 20% of these are non-white. We are left with 32%.  How many of these owned property? That meant land or a large sum in cash. Let's estimate that 20% of the remainder did not own  property. We are left with 25 voters out of every 100 persons.

Britishisms

     Too many Britishisms ( by people I assume are American ). When I read the paper, I often encounter a British word or phrase used by an American writer. "Ten years on",  "bespoke suits", "spot on", and other phrases are everywhere. Next I'll pick up the paper and read "lorry" for truck, and "tube" for subway. Not to mention "kerb" for curb and "honour" for honor. Didn't we already fight two wars over this?

old people

     If you listen to enough young people, you will eventually hear ( or overhear ) the conversation of at least a few young people who have no idea what an old person is. They don't have an idea of how long people live. They may never have met anyone old enough to have gray hair. They don't understand that old people may not see or hear as well as they once did, or that they might have difficulty getting around. These young people must have been raised by parents who never introduced them to their grandparents--the parents' parents.
     If you work with young people, or know young people, try to introduce them to some old people. They might find one another interesting.

summer vacation

     School students will be on vacation for the next two months. Recent research shows that kids who don't learn anything over the summer find school more difficult in September. So how about learning something new every day--using the internet?  If the student is old enough, it could be recorded on a blog or social media.

it does if you listen closely

     Have you ever met anyone from another planet? Are you sure? I heard some young people describe someone as a "being from another planet". I assumed they meant that the person was odd or strange, perhaps even in a good or admirable way. Not so. The same young people were overheard to describe another person as "from another planet, but not from the same planet that she ( alien # 1) is from . Oh. They meant continent. The first alien was a European, the second alien was from Australia. The kids are all right.

nasty comments

   The internet still has pockets of very nasty comments in some very public places. It sounds reasonable to insist that if enough people object, the comments will be removed and the commenters will have to improve their behavior, but that doesn't seem to happen.  If enough comments are nasty enough, the site is left to an in-group that appreciates foul language, and is pleased to have a site all to itself, as a little world of its own. Some sites that are very popular really have no way to flag an obscene or extremely rude comment. They seem to have a process for this, but  you may be stuck in neverland if you attempt to use it. And who wants to spend time telling rude people to stop? Maybe we could each give it an hour a week, or something like that.

streams of email

     I don't really mind getting "junk" email--the ads and catalogs I have signed up for at some time or another. What is sometimes disturbing is the way the "junk" email arrives--one every 5 or 10 minutes throughout the day. Real junk mail only arrives once a day--in the mailbox, from the postal service. I prefer "junk" email to arrive this way, too. I wish it all would--in one great pile in the morning, so that I could really deal with it according to my interest in it, or lack of interest, instead of checking all day to see if it is actual correspondence.

a place for a point system

     Pennsylvania once had a "point system" for driver's licenses. Moving violations meant "points'--a bad thing. Drivers got one point for a very minor infraction, more for a serious one. If the driver accumulated ten points his or her license was suspended.
    We could use  a new point system for other minor infractions, such as failing to clear the walk or put the trash out properly. Instead of getting a citation or not getting a citation, properties could be given points for violations. A property owner could be cited if enough points accumulated, without any recourse to luck or drama.

a reason to vote

     Can we at least have a little sticker that says "I voted" handed out at the polls? The kind they use when someone gives blood?  Employers could give anyone with a sticker an hour, or some other perk. Restaurants could offer a deal to anyone with a sticker.
     And remember, if you don't vote, you don't get to complain.

help! scary stuff

     Another scary thing someone said--

"It's not that way in the world in my mind."

teaching "to the test"

     For all the complaining on both sides about "teaching to the test", there is something worse--not teaching to the test--meaning having wonderful conversations ( or not ) that take up all available class time, and then expecting students to pass a test on material not covered--or not even mentioned.

Rome's decline

     " A cloud of critics, of compilers, of commentators, darkened the face of learning, and the decline of genius was soon followed by the corruption of taste."
Gibbon

written words

     I recently read a comment by a young woman who said that she didn't like to chat, because her friends often misunderstood what she wrote and became annoyed with her. The main reason to learn to write clearly is that your words, once written and sent or published, go alone into the big wide world, without you present to explain or qualify ( except, but ) them. If you're not sure that your words can make it on their own, get a friend to read what you've written--to proofread it for you. Then you can be sure that your words say what you intended them to say.

physician, heal thyself

     According to modern psychology, everyone is mentally ill. That is, there is probably no one who whose behavior or emotions wouldn't match something in the diagnostic manual of mental illness. The belief that everyone is crazy, is, of course, a symptom of mental illness.

the answer hasn't changed

Remember this one?

"Which weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of nails?"

see America first

     An old commercial asked us to "see America first" when on vacation. I would still like to do that. I'd like to drive from the Atlantic ( not far from where I live ) to the Pacific. I wouldn't travel in a hurry--as in On the Road. I'd just take my time and stop to look at anything interesting. I don't know if I'd take a detour to "important" spots, or just stop when I wanted to eat or rest, and ask about any local places of interest--best diner, giant shoe, whatever.

a cyber memorial

     I would like to see a website with photographs of all of the monuments and grave markers of all of those killed in wars. That would make a real cyber-memorial.

whose job is it?

     The first time I opened a checking account, in the late 1970's, I was given a 45 minute lecture on how to use it. The lecture was not optional. Banks don't seem to feel responsible for educating their customers in the 21st century. Many of the young people don't even know what a check is, what interest is, or what might be considered fraud. Shame on the banks, and on all of the other businesses that no longer believe it's part of their job to tell consumers how to use their product.

freedom

     One of the broadcast TV stations is showing reruns of old police dramas from the 1960's and 1970's. One of the interesting things about the shows is the philosophy the criminals expound in some of the episodes. It's the old hippie "freedom" idea, and sometimes they get into an argument with the police over it. They are sure that everyone ought to be able to do anything, with no limits or restrictions. In the name of "enlightenment", they propound a philosophy that wouldn't seem sensible to a pre-schooler. What happens to everyone doing whatever they want when you don't want them to do it? Where does your freedom go then?
    Take a simple case for an example--your neighbors are blasting the stereo all night. You want to sleep. Your neighbor's insistence on the right to blast the stereo at top volume is interfering with your right to sleep. Then what happens?

a different drama

     Since it's election year, instead of serial killing, could we have an election drama? Each week we could see a different set of people. We could watch as their ideas, experiences and the events that shape their lives are eventually reflected in their votes, which could be shown at the end of the show. It could be made just as compelling as any crime drama, if the scripts were written with some insight and imagination.

message in a bottle

     Several years ago I had a notion to send a " message in a bottle"--the kind a person might throw overboard, to wonder if anyone would pick it up and read it. I remembered a story I heard as a teenager, about one of our neighbors, who became bored at sea and threw a message in a bottle overboard. He eventually received a reply from the president of the United States. So he certainly knew that someone found his message.
    I searched "message in a bottle", but it was in use only as the name of a business. Twitter seemed something like a "message in a bottle". So is a blog, especially when you consider how many blogs there are-- anyone actually reading any individual blog is very unlikely. It may just float about in the cyber sea, and never wash up on a beach or be found by a ship.
     My neighbor probably never expected a real reply--and neither do I. Throwing the message overboard is enough.

health beer

     The micro brewery trend has introduced some unusual beers--chocolate, raspberry. What about spinach, squash, or turnip beer?  Any of these would add healthy vegetables to our diets. And they might solve the turnip problem.

how to share

    If you want to share something between two people without any complaining, let person one divide the goods, but let person two choose first which half he or she would like.

a reality check, sort of

     More on the subject of how to tell if what you see in a movie is real or pretend--visit a museum. If you can't go in person, visit online, where you can look at things in  museums all over the country and the world. All of the things in the museum are real. Most of them are old. Here in Philadelphia, there is a "Hall of Weapons" in the art museum, with swords, halberds, and armor, among other things. There is an authentic Tudor period room, and a medieval cloister--straight out of Doctor Who, but real. The science museum has a train in the basement that will be 200 years old soon, but it still takes visitors for ( short ) rides. If you don't live near a museum, try typing "museum" in your search box and see what you get.

we'd all like to know

   Here's a suggestion on the subject of construction projects. Can we have a sign that tells us why someone is digging up the street? I actually don't know, and an informative sign might make yet another street dig ( they dig up our neighborhood regularly ) easier to bear. Thanks for listening.

a very small town

     The smallest town I have ever visited had three businesses--a gas station ( with a refrigerator stocked with milk and a rack of bread ), a luncheonette ( with a refrigerator stocked with milk and a rack of bread ), and a tavern ( with a refrigerator stocked with milk and a rack of bread).  The nearest town with a supermarket was another 2 1/2 hours away. A city must look like wonderland to anyone raised in a place like this--it certainly did to me when we got back.

cogito, ergo sum

     "Cogito ergo sum" is Latin for " I think, therefore I am". The quotation was supposedly in response to the question: "How do you know that you exist?"  Descartes replied, in part, that he thought, so he knew that he existed. One of the things he thought, was to wonder if he actually existed.
      To prove one's own existence is something of a classical philosophical exercise. Can you do it? Prove, logically, that you exist?

what happened to the UN?

     If you meet someone who proclaims himself a "citizen of the world" , waiting for the "one world government" to "evolve", and ask him about the United Nations, the response may very well be "huh?"

the world court

     Perhaps the next time the United States catches an international criminal, we'll actually turn him over to the World Court for trial--the same way we expect everyone else to do.  The most famous recent trials in the World Court were those of the war criminals from Eastern Europe, but all kinds of international disputes are settled there. A court has the authority that people grant it, one way and another, and the United States has persistently refused to grant the World Court any jurisdiction over itself, although it has conceded that it might be useful to other people. We can and should do better.

a fruitless discussion

     I just watched a documentary in which a lot of otherwise rational people are drawn into a discussion about whether or not God exists. I find this discussion pointless, always, and I am surprised at some of the people who are witless enough to be dragged into it. If you continue such a discussion long enough, you will find that belief in God is not the philosophical dividing line that it is often assumed to be. Many people who claim to believe in God also claim that it doesn't matter what they do, either because they have no responsibility for their own behavior in the first place, or because God will fix it all up for them later. Other people who claim to believe in God also believe that they are responsible for what they do, and believe that they must behave accordingly.
     Many people who claim that they do not believe in God do believe that they are responsible for what they do. Others who claim that they do not believe in God believe that they have no responsibility for, or control over, their own behavior.
     The philosophical dividing line is responsibility, especially responsibility for our own behavior. Spend your time arguing about free will and responsibility, and leave God as a subject for theologians.

having advice taken

     Ever try to offer someone advice that they never take, even if they asked for advice in the first place? It's because they were taught never to take any free advice. Next time, charge them, and see what happens.

then it swallowed itself by the tail

     According to psychoanalysis, most human behavior can be classified as a mental disease--in other words, everyone is crazy. The belief that everyone is crazy is, according to psychoanalysis, considered a sign of serious psychological illness.

but how does it work when it rains?

    If I thought I could get along with a communications system that doesn't work when it rains, I would just draw in the dirt with a stick--that wouldn't work when it rains, and I'd save on internet charges. For long distance I could try smoke signals--those wouldn't work in the rain, either. Or maybe a flashing mirror to make a telegraph--that could send messages for a mile or so, and  would only work on sunny days.
    On rainy days we are all supposed to take the day off, I think.

an unanswered question

     Does the Earth have a top and a bottom? Is the United States naturally on the top half of a round globe, with Australia on the bottom, or is it only that way because the maps in current use were drawn by people from the "top half"?   Anyone standing on Earth would  be on the surface, meaning, of course, the "top". Each person standing on Earth would have an only slightly different view of  the universe spread in all directions from himself , infinitely. But would each person perceive himself to be on "top" of the world? Does a person at the North Pole feel that he is at the "top" of the world? Or should we save that expression as a synonym for euphoria?

the kids are all right

Want your kids to learn some geography? Tell them to check their clothes and other household items to find out where they were made. They will be looking up the names of countries in a matter of minutes. No, really.

May Day

    Today, the first of May, is a holiday for workers in many countries. It's like Labor Day in the United States. It's a good day to think about all of the work done by others that goes into making a modern life--yours and mine.

the slippery slope

If once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; and from robbing he comes next to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination.
Thomas de Quincey

required viewing

   The best tool for teaching kids about peer pressure is still Pinocchio--the classic Disney movie. Remember the street corner ne'er-do-wells who talk Pinocchio into cutting school? They teach him to shoot pool and smoke cigars, but he doesn't really think it's fun.  He winds up being forced to work in a mine and turning into an ass--all because ducking his responsibilities sounded so alluring.

imtdt

An all-purpose answer for someone who feels a need to "critique" what you do, for lack of anything else to do or say--

I meant to do that.

it just needs Howard Cosell

     Many people follow politics because they feel it is their duty to know enough about what's going on to vote in an informed way, in their own interest. Other people see politics more as a sport, and become very interested in the fine points of the rules and the records of the players. The more you know about politics, the more interesting watching C-span will seem. All it needs is a Howard Cosell.

disinterested information

     If you're trying to follow the primary elections, you''ll want to look for some disinterested sources of information. "Disinterested" means the information isn't promoting a particular political point of view--as if the party or person providing the information doesn't care who wins the election. A sample ballot is a good place to start. You'll need to know the numbers of your particular voting districts. You only have one polling place, but you belong to more than one voting district. You may belong to a voting district for city or town council, and that has a number. You belong to a particular voting district for state legislature and for the state senate--those have numbers, too. You also belong to a voting district for your congressional representative in Washington. It can be difficult to remember, so write it down, or save a brochure--your local city council member or state congressional representative may have one. Bookmark the information  if you find it online. Then, if you find some disinterested information--such as all of the candidates answering the same question--you'll know which of them you want to vote for.

voter information

     Registered to vote but don't plan on going to the polls tomorrow, because you haven't been keeping up with the local political races? You might try the web site of the League of Women Voters. Locally, here in Philadelphia, you can go to the web site of the Committee of Seventy.  Both offer reliable information on elections. Nationally, you can find information on your local elections at OnTheIssues and VoteSmart.  So vote, already.

sad news

     Someone who considered himself well versed in  psychology wanted to know why cutting onions makes people cry.  He was sure that this must be connected to a sad incident in their formative years. I do not know whether or not the student of psychology had ever cut an onion himself.  If he had, he might have found tears in his eyes. That might give him a chance to investigate his own psychology.

the misery loves company approach

     Please, techland, if you offer to help me with a technical problem, offer technical advice. Do not offer to introduce me to other people with the same problem on the theory that misery loves company.

a little practicality

     One of the reasons we have so much public art--statuary and such--here in Philadelphia is that there is a special tax requiring it. New buildings and other large construction projects are required to set aside 1% of the cost of construction for public art. Art is nice, but we have a lot of it, and you can't eat it, after all. Perhaps we could amend the law so that 1% of the cost of new construction is set aside to fund housing for the homeless, or to rehab abandoned properties.

getting an ID in PA

     I have read a lot lately on the new law requiring voters to identify themselves at the polls. I thought we already had such a law, as we have always had to identify ourselves in the past.  I read one article this week detailing how difficult it is to obtain an ID in Pennsylvania. The author didn't check the facts, to begin with, about how to obtain a PA State ID--one you can now get even if you don't drive a car. This was supposed to help people who don't drive--with a state-issued ID, they would be able to identify themselves in the same way that anyone with a driver's license can--otherwise they would be relegated to check-cashing services instead of banks, would find it impossible to buy liquor or tobacco, and wouldn't be able to apply for government health programs or other benefits. 
     Not only is it not too difficult to obtain an ID in PA, it's too easy. You don;'need a Social Security card--those do take time to get, or to have replaced, but you were supposed to have one anyway. All you need is a birth certificate and a piece of junk mail. For the purposes of fraud or identity theft, that translates into information on when and where someone was born, and a piece of junk mail addressed to him or her. Getting an ID ought to be much more difficult.

lawsuits occasioned by crime

     Can you sue someone for robbing you, or for assaulting you? Well, yes, and no. You cannot use a civil suit to accuse someone of a crime, even if he or she committed one--we have criminal courts for that, and the person is not guilty of the crime unless he or she has been convicted of the crime. After the person has been convicted, you may sue for damages--and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
   Here's an example: someone hits you with his car. You may not file a civil suit accusing him of drunk driving. If he is indicted for drunk driving, and convicted, you may make that a part of your lawsuit. The same holds true for any other crime. If someone robs you, and is indicted and convicted, you may certainly sue to recover your lost property. Anyone insisting that this "just isn't done" ought to be able to show you a statute forbidding it--and there isn't one. You may sue for assault--just remember that you can really only sue for money in a United States court .That means you have to show how you lost money through being assaulted--lost wages, medical bills, psychiatric treatment, or damage to your career and reputation--it all translates into money.

something that could be arranged

     I used to visit thrift stores and rummage sales fairly often, looking for old books. As I browsed I noticed many lovely old monogrammed items--the most popular being marcasite pins with three initials. I suppose they sat in the thrift store for years before anyone bought them. I once asked a woman who worked in a thrift store why they didn't "promote" these items with a large sign that might find a home for the items by attracting the notice of someone with the same initials. Now all they need is a web site--unless they already have one.

a frightening thought

     Here's a frightening thought, shared with me by someone who has a very scary mind--" that doesn't match what's in my head", said the person with the scary mind when informed of a new fact/idea/bit of information about reality, apparently busy dreaming up a better world by ignoring and/or denying this one.

caught the TV people

     I watch "Cold Case" when I notice that it's on, because it's filmed ( or partly filmed ) in my hometown of Philadelphia. I like to see if I can recognize streets and neighborhoods, and if I can tell what they used from reality, and what they felt a need to invent or re-invent. Last night they had a young man who supposedly couldn't afford to go to Cornell because his father had gambled away all their money.  Cornell isn't in Philadelphia, but this never happened. Cornell is an Ivy League school. What makes the Ivy League a "league" is that if you are accepted to one of the schools in the league, you can consider yourself accepted to any of them. One of the things that makes students try so hard to be accepted to Ivy League schools is a guarantee of tuition. If you are accepted to an Ivy League school, they will help you find funding of one kind or another for your education--so it's not possible that the TV character couldn't afford the tuition at Cornell. We also have to wonder why the character didn't apply to the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia's Ivy League school, if he wanted to study medicine at a prestigious university. Not so believable.

just get your name on the ballot

     Don't like the current state of American politics? You could run for office yourself, if you don't have other gainful employment. You have to be 25 years old to serve in the House of Representatives, 30 to serve in the U.S. Senate, and 35 to run for president. You must be a citizen of the United States--born a citizen if you want to be president. Just circulate a petition and get your name on the ballot. You can start your own political party if the two major parties don't appeal to you. That's how it's done.

political parties

     When you register to vote, you don't have to register as a republican or a democrat. You can register as an "unaffiliated" voter, meaning you don't belong to either party. You won't be able to vote in primary elections--the elections that are held by each party to choose the candidates who will run in  election--but you will be able to vote in all local, state and federal elections. The former designation for "unaffiliated" was "independent", which to many people had the connotation of belonging to a subversive cult, probably investigated by the FBI.  The term "unaffiliated" doesn't seem to carry any such load--it just means someone who isn't particularly interested in the platform of either major party.  Many people who don't really care about party politics register with a party anyway. By registering with a party they can vote in the party's primary, and so have more say in what happens in an election. They are able to vote to choose the candidates, and then they can vote for the candidate of their choice. Registering with a party doesn't mean you have to vote for that party's candidates in the election--you can vote for either candidate, or for a mix of candidates from both parties ( a split ticket ). Something to consider before you register. By the way, if you change your mind, you can ask to change your party affiliation.

more constitution

     Amendment V of the United states Constitution states that no person is "for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb". According to a "literalist" interpretation of the constitution, that means that if the case is not a capital case--one that might end in a sentence of death--the accused can be tried as many times as the court likes--until the court gets it right, or obtains a conviction.

an idea for gun regulation

     Some people insist that the government has no right to regulate guns at all, since the United States Constitution guarantees them the right to "keep and bear arms".  Tell them you don't see why a private citizen needs automatic weapons, and they become true patriots. What we might do is redefine "arms", since "guns" aren't mentioned in the Second Amendment.  We could become "strict constructionists" and decide that "arms" means "small arms"; or we could become "original intenters" and decide that the framers must have meant only muskets and flintlock rifles.
    If  I have a "take" on the Constitution, it's that the Constitution is a written statute, and that it says what it says--no "interpretation"--it's in English. No "reading into it"--we write things down partly to make this impossible, or at least difficult. No "framer's intent". The intent of some of the most eloquent people who have ever lived is clear in the document. Any case that can't be made using the words as written needs to become a case for an amendment, not an "interpretation". You might call me a literalist, who would tell the gun lobby: " it says arms, but never mentions guns".

more heroes

     A hero or heroine, by definition, is the son or daughter of a god or goddess and a mortal being. Hercules was a hero. Helen was a heroine. People had different expectations of heroes than they had of mere mortals, and believed they had rights to them--after all, the people were only human, and the heroes were, well, heroes. I am inclined to believe that there have never been any heroes, in the sense of people who are born with different capacities, and from whom we can expect different things. There were just people who got up and did what needed to be done--all mere mortals. Heroes live in comic books.

buiding codes

    It would be against any modern building code to have a building with rooms--including basements-- that do not let in air or light. I live in an area with a lot of historic buildings, many of which have basements with no windows. If we want to preserve the buildings, they should be brought up to modern standards of health--especially since some of them are restaurants. Perhaps the basements could be filled in, so that there wouldn't be a room accessible only through inside stairs or covered outdoor stairs.

a question I couldn't answer

     A question about ducks. I had it repeated to me that we ought to get rid of all of the ducks in the river, because they poop in it and that's dirty. I tried to explain that the ducks were a sign that the river is healthy. When the river was very polluted, there were no ducks or geese. I explained about the sewage treatment plant, and how it sterilizes the water. But I couldn't answer the question about duck poop. I don't know if ducks poop in the river--maybe we shouldn't be blaming them for it, or trying to explain why it doesn't matter. Maybe they poop on the shore.
     If this little item circulates, maybe duck poop will get the serious answer it deserves. It was a perfectly sensible question, and a reasonable concern. I just ran out of biology.

cyber beneficiaries

     What happens in cyberspace when you die?  I have read more than one article on this subject recently. A practical way to deal with the problem would be to have the option of designating a "cyber beneficiary"--someone with the legal right and capacity to deal with online accounts for someone who has died. The executor or executrix of an estate, or someone with a durable power of attorney, ought to be able to access online accounts. But how are they to get the passwords, or to know where the accounts are? Anyone who dies with money in an online account has probably left it to someone in a will--but collecting it can be difficult, if not impossible. Another instance where we don't need any new laws--just a "concession" that the laws of physical space also apply to cyberspace.

unpaid internships

     When I run the world, interns will be paid. Internships can be a great opportunity for recent college graduates. They gain experience, professional contacts and references, and may even be hired as regular employees when their internship is finished. Some interns are paid, but many are still "unpaid"-- they work for free for the length of their internship. The problem with this is that these great opportunities aren't really open to all. They are open to the wealthy--the students and graduates who have parents who can support them while they work for free. An internship may involve moving to another city, finding an apartment, paying for rent, utilities, groceries and transportation--all on no salary. Student loans may be deferred during an internship, but what is the intern supposed to live on?
   The effect of these "opportunities" is benefits for members of a club. It's classist, and, yes, racist.  This should be an easy fix.

constituency

     We have another presidential election this year. I would like to see a law passed that prohibits any foreign campaigning by our presidential candidates. Their constituency is in the United States, and that's where they should be making speeches and appealing for votes--not in any foreign country. Voting for the candidate who refuses to do this won't work--when one campaigns overseas, they all seem to do it. Let's get a law passed before the November election.

obsolete old saying

     Remember the old saying  "it's your dime"?  It doesn't mean anything anymore. Back in the old days it meant "you called me, what do you want?"  Back when only the person placing the call was charged for the call. The party who answered the phone didn't have to pay anything. Charging both parties to a phone call was a shocking idea at first, and many people resisted using cell phones because of it. Some are probably still refusing to get cell phones because of the two-way charge, when they can answer a conventional phone call for free--or place a toll-free call for free. If you place a toll-free call (an 800 number call ) with  a cell phone, you pay anyway. When annoying advertisers call you on your cell phone, you have to pay for the call. They are annoying with a conventional phone, but they don't cost anything. Now that everyone can talk on the phone from anywhere, we all have to consider whether or not we are willing to pay for the call. The phone rings, and if we don't know who it is, we don't pick up the call, and we don't return it--many people don't, anyway. Other people ( not so many ) are willing to spend money just to connect with a wrong number, or to find out how a salesperson got their number.

religion, again

     What do people who want to be save want to be saved from? I never have understood this. From the consequences of their own actions? From living with themselves?  From reality?

what happened to the great book scanning?

     If you look for books to read online because what you want is out of print and hard to find, you may find an old book that someone has re-typed, apparently to preserve it in cyberspace--like a weird bit of Farenheit 451. Now that we can scan a book, instead of re-typing it, other people are still arguing about whether we ought to scan the old books at all. Let's scan them, and worry about what to do with them later. Finding an old book online is still too much like potluck. By now the internet could have made all of the rare library and museum collections of the Earth available to everyone--and it hasn't come close. Even if the old books are never made available to the public, and there is no reason why they shouldn't be, the books would be preserved from decay or being accidentally discarded. Anyone who handles old books, or who might handle old books, should be encouraged to scan them. I have yet to see such a message, sent by anyone. Perhaps internet service providers could offer a premium of some kind for the first scan of an out-of-print book.

seeing is believing

     "Seeing is believing", the old saying goes, and it usually is. You can't believe everything you see, but beware of "seeing" what you believe.  Many people do. They "see" what they believe, based on a preconceived notion they got from any random source. They "see" what they believe whether it is there or not.  Drug experience has been described in this way. Drugs work on the mind--that's why people take them--not because they alter the emotions, but because they alter the functions of the brain.  Some drugs are formally called "mind-altering". Some are called psychotropics, meaning the same thing. But it may be that all drugs, including alcohol, alter the mind. People take drugs when they want to fool themselves. If successful at fooling themselves, they can use that belief to fool other people. All con artistry is founded on drugs, as is most crime. On fooling people. Don't make a fool of yourself by trying to fool yourself.

computer viruses

Has anyone ever seen a  computer virus? Or is it all just a hacking problem? If a hacker wants to test your patience, or your system, he or she signs into your accounts as you--while you are online. Pages that seem to move themselves aren't viruses--they're hackers.

more scary stuff

     One of the scarier ideas I hear fairly often is that we don't need to study math anymore, because machines can do that. I would like to have a demonstration of this idea, provided by someone who has never studied any math.

old saying, amended

     Have you ever heard the old saying "You've got to go along to get along?"  Too much going along, not enough getting along. Many young people are too willing to do what everyone else is doing--or what they are convinced everyone else is doing. They are too willing to "go along".  It's how they "get along" with their friends--even if it means annoying, bothering, or even harming someone else.  We rarely hear about kids who "go along" with their peers by refusing to do something that their peers would think is wrong--it surely happens, but of course, those kids don't make the news.

the internet and crime

     Years ago, you might have read that computers would one day take a real bite out of crime--mainly by co-ordinating information on crimes, arrests and convictions. The information is divided and often inaccessible. Each local police department has information, as do state and federal  investigative and law enforcement units. Criminals make use of the internet to change identities and "personas". Can law enforcement make use of the internet to keep up with them?

helping the homeless

     Charitable organizations will no longer be allowed to feed the homeless on Philadelphia's city streets. They now have to apply for a permit and set up a station with city government approval.  A city office to co-ordinate efforts to help the homeless would be useful. Given a large building to use as a shelter, with kitchen facilities, the various groups and organizations could take turns staffing it and providing food and clothing. If one building, a large one, could be obtained, it could really be staffed every day, with meals available, instead of vans stopping at one place or another once a week. People with time to give, or donations of goods or food, would know where to take them. Where to put such a building might be a problem, but there are a lot of homeless in the area of City Hall.  How about it, Philadelphia? No one sleeping outdoors. What's it worth?

you'd watch soap operas, wouldn't you?

     Millions of people watch soap operas every day. Millions of people watch crime dramas every week. Tens of millions of people will watch the latest war movie. So what's wrong with a little history?  Take Henry VIII, for example. He had six wives. He divorced two of them, ending the monopoly of "the church". He had two of them beheaded. One died in childbirth. One outlived him. What's not to watch?

moral values

     The notion that there are "moral' values, having no connection to practical reality, but merely an end in themselves, is a pernicious one.  Things are "right" or "wrong" for a reason, and young people should be taught the reasons, so that they can learn to reason out right and wrong for themselves.  Is it wrong to steal? Yes. Why? You will ruin your life, your food will taste bad, money will not be enjoyable, even when you have it to spend,  and you will make of yourself someone you don't want to be. Get the idea? 

honorifics

     Thirty or forty years ago, a lot of people thought that honorifics ( Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms. ) , especially in print, would soon go the way of bloomers and button shoes. Now you can have an internet information form rejected because you didn't fill in the title or honorific. What's wrong with addressing people by first and last name, without a title?  It would be much simpler and more modern. Or we could take up "citizen" and "citizeness".

teacher quality, again

     The person to ask about teacher quality is the principal of the school.  It is the principal's job to supervise teachers, to keep them on track professionally, and to review their classroom procedures. If you think that your child's school has a problem with teacher quality,  make an appointment with the principal. Even if the school board hired the teachers, they work for the principal. If you can't get an appointment with the principal, start attending school board meetings--they are open to the public, for most purposes.

when I run the world

     When I run the world,  all school students will all learn how to argue. Yes, argue. They will learn to stick to the point. They will learn to listen to those with whom they disagree, since that's the only way to construct a valid argument of their own. They will learn not to get personal, or to call their opponents names, since that is illogical and weakens their argument. They will learn to define their own point of view, and explain why they hold it. They will learn to clearly state their differences. They will learn not to be sidetracked by emotion--whether the emotion is their own or their opponent's. They will learn what is relevant to their argument, and what is irrelevant. They will practice what they have learned, and practice it thoroughly.
      If we really need to have academic "competition", let's do it by having all students participate--by arguing with one another.

voting, voting everywhere

    I get a lot of e-mail that involves voting--for my favorite product, meal, room, etc. I don't mind the voting, but I would like to see more participation in political elections. So here's a suggestion for advertisers and promoters; how about offering a freebie or discount to people who vote, especially for the first time? Poll watchers could hand out little stickers, or give each voter a bar code.

a quote for you

     "If once a man indulges himself in  murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; and from robbing he comes next to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination."

de Qunicey

a citizenship myth

     One myth about American citizenship that hasn't died is the notion of dual citizenship. No American has dual citizenship, according to the government and laws of the United States. When an immigrant becomes a United States citizen, he or she renounces citizenship in any other country. When an American becomes a citizen of any other country, he or she is presumed to have renounced American citizenship.  This one must be in the "we keep repeating it, so it must be true" file.  I would like to see that file made public, and its myths turned over to the "wiki" for correction.

invoking God in court

     Foreigners who think they know the United States are surprised to learn that we swear an oath on the Bible as part of a court proceeding. Why not just have the judge define the crime of perjury, and explain the potential penalties?

grandpa sharing

     Some people don't like to do any work unless they can do it perfectly.  They fuss endlessly and never accomplish anything. Other people actually worry that their work might be perfect, and so incur the wrath of the gods ( someone actually told me this-- I didn't invent it, although the god was singular, and capitalized--I could tell by the way she said it ).
      Anyway, as my grandpa, a world-cl;ass putterer, used to say--

                                       "That's close enough, for government work"

psychoanalysis and religion

     Many people believe that psychoanalysis is religion in another form, and not necessarily a more modern one. A famous author and mental patient ( Sylvia Plath ) once compared psychoanalysis to being "born again". Both psychoanalysis and religion promise a new existence, free of the guilt and responsibilities of the past. Both use confession as one of the means to achieve this new existence.  Psychoanalysis is considered a "process"--it has no end.  It isn't meant to cure an illness, after which the patient moves on. It is an ongoing way of life, as religion is to many people. All "analysands"--everyone who has undergone psychoanalysis, including psychoanalysts--are members of a club, in a way. Psychoanalysts have their own therapists, as priests have their confessors. Many analysands attend meetings ( Jungian meetings, or meetings of the "oversoul") , as churchgoers attend services. The only thing psychoanalysis lacks to make a religion is priestly robes and sacraments.

the great brain

     Some of the people you may encounter on the internet believe that they are fashioning a great brain. The great brain will be a cyber great brain, and will be omniscient. No one will need to go to school, as they will all be a part of the great brain. They won't need to learn anything, or understand anything--they will just "be".  Some "great brainers" don't believe they need to know how to read and write. Some "great brainers" believe that if each participant learns just one thing, together they will be omniscient--or at least smarter than anyone else.
     I suggest that some of the merely human challenge the great brain. Perhaps a human could play chess with the great brain. Or a human and the great brain could each take a standardized test. Be sure to let me know where  the contest takes place, and when. I am confident that a human could defeat the great brain, even in a trivia contest.

birth control benefits

     How can the federal government insist on birth control benefits from private insurers, when birth control benefits are not offered to Medicaid recipients? In Pennsylvania, this may be because of the state's use of a Catholic health service provider.  If benefits are offered, they may be offered through Planned Parenthood. This may be the government's attempt to work out the problem--but the plan seems to cover employees, without mentioning welfare or disability recipients.

psychics

     In Pennsylvania, claiming to have the ability to tell the future will get you a visit from the bunco squad. That is why "psychics" call themselves "readers and advisers".  Many "psychics" consider themselves religious. They believe that humans are predestined, in a way, and that they are in on the "divine" loop, and know what is in store. What the point of knowing the future would be to someone who believes in predestination, I don't know. If people are predestined, their fate cannot be altered, nor could they choose a new course of behavior--and if they did, according to the theory of predestination, the consequences would be the same.    
   Perhaps psychics don't believe in predestination, and they are in the business of warning people about the consequences of their actions--this would mean a belief in free will--which wouldn't leave a book of "the future" open to initiates, as there would be no predestined future, other than the one we make with our actions.  This renders the "psychic" an "adviser"-- perhaps a badly needed service. Anyone spending money on a fortune teller probably does need help with thinking about the consequences of his or her actions.

still a guessing game

It's obviously true that even a broken clock is right twice a day--but not useful, as you'll never know when.

can we make adults go to school?

     Can we make adults go to school? Probably not. Perhaps if they are in prison, but I'm not sure that the prisons have the capacity to test for literacy, or to force remedial schooling on the incarcerated. If the prisons do not have the capacity to test for literacy and enforce attendance in class, they should be given the capacity. If they do have the capacity to test for literacy and enforce class attendance, they are failing miserably.
     People spend 10 years in jail, and re-enter society completely illiterate. People spend 10 years ( or 20 years ) in jail and still can't tell time when they get out--or make a sandwich, or tie their shoes, or catch a bus, or use the laundromat. They can't eat anything but takeout--they don't know how.
     If we're not spending money to teach basic literacy and life skills to prisoners, let's spend it. If we are spending the money, let's find out what the prisons are doing with it.

pets and TV

      I have had several cats of my own over the years, and even more foster cats. They all seem to like TV.  They want to sit on my lap, on the back of my chair, or under the chair. It's the one time they seem to agree with what people do--just sitting and not moving, almost like naptime. It never seemed to matter what was on TV, or what movie I might be watching on a DVD. Even cat food commercials don't seem to mean anything to them. But now I'm watching them more closely, because I think they don't like certain TV shows. They run around the house in a kitty panic attack on occasion, and I think it's connected to TV, and what's on TV. The shows only have people on them--no cats or dogs, so I wonder if some people's voices frighten or annoy them.

authority

     There are some people who insist that they do not have to acknowledge the authority of anyone younger than they are. Others insist that they don't have to acknowledge the authority of anyone smaller than they are. So what we need are some tall elderly people in positions of authority--police, teachers, probation officers, etc.

murder TV

     At least one popular murder TV show never misses a chance to tell us that we ought to have sympathy for serial killers. Very little is left for the victims of these killers, who are usually so disgusting that they are not recognizably human. What could be more perverse?

neutering pets, again

     Someone asked me recently if having a dog or cat spayed or neutered was sick, perverse, or mean. First, the answer is no. Many people have pets spayed or neutered because of all the unwanted pets who are killed in the United States each year. Millions of animals wind up in shelters every year because no one wants them. When no one adopts them from the shelter, many of them are killed. By spaying or neutering we hope to see fewer cats and dogs in shelters, and fewer cats and dogs killed. This will work because if enough people have their pets spayed or neutered, there won't be nearly as many cats and dogs. Even if you plan on finding a home for any kittens or puppies your pet has, that home might have gone to one of the unwanted pets in a shelter, if your cat or dog had been fixed so as not to have a litter.
     Animal welfare organizations such as the ASPCA promote spaying and neutering, but they seem to be preaching to the choir.

how to prove your point

     Remember Thor Heyerdahl and the Kon-Tiki?  Thor Heyerdahl posited the theory that people from the South Pacific might once have traveled to South America, or people from South America might have traveled to Polynesia.  Expert scientists, historians, and anthropologists thought Heyerdahl's theory was ludicrous. So Heyerdahl built a boat out of reeds, the same way people might have built a boat hundreds of years ago. Heyerdahl and his crew sailed across the Pacific in the reed boat, called the Kon-Tiki, and the experts had to concede that such a trip was possible.

waiving right to jury trial

     "The Trial of all Crimes, except in cases of Impeachment; shall be by jury..."  No one actually has the right to "waive" the presence of a jury when being tried for a crime.  This supposedly only happens when someone pleads guilty, and a trial is considered unnecessary. There should be a trial, anyway, and with a jury. The jury should be present to hear the plea or confession. The trial would be short, so why the problem?

heroes

     Imagine a world with no heroes.  Does it sound like a paradise? It could be. No one with any special obligations to save or rescue other people, no one with any special powers or capacities. No capes and tights, no halos and wings. Anytime anything needs doing, everyone at hand will just have to pick up a shovel and get to work.  Amen.

the hallowed 70's

    One thing I remember about the 70's--the homeless people. Our city seemed to suddenly have a lot of homeless people, in about 1976. You could see them sleeping in doorways, even in the cold weather, or you could see them sleeping in the train station, if you went to work early.  Homelessness seemed, at the time, to be a new problem, but it wasn't. The homeless had been sleeping in the churches. The doors to most churches were always left unlocked, so the homeless had a place out of the rain and the cold. The churches began to have vandalism problems, and decided they needed to lock their doors at night. The homeless had nowhere to go. Most people didn't blame the homeless for the vandalism, but the effect was the same--there were suddenly people sleeping in doorways and over steam vents.

facts vs. theory

    So, your facts don't fit your pet theory. What do you do? You might consider the notion that your theory could be in error, and start over with a new fact-based theory.

a golden oldie

Remember this one?

I don't drink, smoke, or swear--dammit, I left my cigarettes in the bar.

crime drama

     Can you imagine a crime drama with a plot that is more like real life? By a plot more like real life I mean we would watch an ordinary person or family going about a daily and weekly routine. We would get to know them a bit and perhaps find their lives interesting. Then "bang!" one of them is dead. No explanation, no psychological profiles or heartfelt speeches about how the killer never had a chance. Just "bang!" you're dead, and maybe some questions from the police and then a funeral. The end.

foster a cat or dog

     Animal shelters and rescue organizations often need a temporary home for a cat or dog. They call it a foster home, or fostering an animal. You keep the animal until a permanent home is found for it. If it needs a veterinarian, the animal shelter or rescue will take care of it. Fostering keeps animal out of shelters. Animals who have been stray can get used to living in a home. Animals who have been abused can learn to trust people.
     Animal shelters euthanize millions of cats and dogs every year. Fostering solves the problem. It can be a rewarding experience. A new kitten is fond of you almost instantly.  When a foster cat hides for weeks, it's a big moment when it finally approaches you.

best quip

     I have worn out all my acquaintance with my speech about why everyone has to vote. A quip recently overheard on TV was so well-put that it might have made a non-voter out of me--
                                        " I never vote. It only encourages them."

teaching a fish to swim

     There's an old saying about teaching people something they already know--"like teaching a fish to swim".  Teaching people something you already know can something like this--like a fish giving swimming lessons.  A fish would probably claim that swimming is as easy as breathing, an attitude that doesn't usually make a good teacher.  The best teacher of swimming would probably be someone who had to struggle harder than an average student to learn it.

my theater idea

    This could be a new form of interactive drama that would get people away from the computer screen and into the theaters--a play in which the audience votes on the fate of the characters. Does the guy get the girl? Thumbs up or thumbs down. Should we let Little Nell live, and for how long? Thumbs up or thumbs down, as in an ancient Roman amphitheater. Is the hero dead, or only wounded? You decide. Wonderfully sick--I would show up myself.

queen for a day

     I noticed the other day that someone else remembers the old game show "Queen For A Day". I can still remember watching that show with my grandmother in the 1960's. The contestants, all women, told the audience why they need a new refrigerator, a washing machine, or something like that. The competition was decided by awarding the prize to the woman with the sorriest tale of woe. Still one of the sickest things I have ever seen on television.

a speedy and a public trial

     If a case has been tried in "private" in the United States, according to our constitution it may not have been tried at all. 

and let who will be clever

     This is supposedly a bit of Irish legal cleverness: if someone  runs over a farmer's pig, paying to replace the pig is not adequate compensation, because the pig would have had piglets, which would have had grandpiglets, and so on, so the farmer should be paid for all of these, as well as compensation for the original pig. Never mind that paying for a replacement pig would also restore the piglets and grandpiglets, Irish courts supposedly upheld this logic. Would the same courts, by the same logic, tell us what adequate compensation for the wrongful death of a person would be?

guns

     According to reports in the press, nearly everyone in the United States has at least one gun. I don't know whether that should make me feel nervous about possible gun violence, or secure that our citizens could protect our country if necessary.  It probably depends on what I've been reading or watching.

legal fees

    The Old Testament is some of the oldest written history on Earth. It describes the growth of a society, from a fairly simple group of herdsmen to a more complex arrangement of government. It was permitted to have an advocate to speak for someone who was being prosecuted--but it was not permitted to pay the advocate. This was considered an unfair advantage to the wealthy. Hundreds of years later, Alfred the Great of England promulgated the same idea--advocates were permitted, as long as they weren't paid.
     Next time you hire a lawyer, try telling him or her it's against your religion to pay legal fees.

crime and punishment

     The prison system has been called by several euphemisms over the years--the criminal justice system, the penal system, the penitentiary, the department of corrections--but most of them are awful. The names given the prison system show the philosophy current at the time they were introduced. The penal system is where we punish wrongdoers. The penitentiary is where criminals may repent of their crimes. The criminal justice system is where "justice" is meted out. The department of corrections is where behavior, and, to some, morals, are corrected. To me, none of these really describe or define what's needed if criminals are ever going to be a part of law-abiding, tax-paying, self-supporting society.  We need something more like a bureau of restitution.  While it's popular to say that criminals in prison are "paying their debt to society" this does not actually happen. Crime costs society money, and so does the prison system--along with  the probation and parole systems. Criminals might walk out of prison ready to lead law-abiding lives if they knew that they had, in fact, paid their debts. I'm suggesting a system in which prisoners or probationers are made to work, and some of the money goes to restitution for their crimes--including murder, as in the ancient legal custom of the wergild.  The wergild was a set price on the murder of a person, paid to the family of the victim. In medieval times the price was determined by rank, which we could alter to age, perhaps. A higher price could be set on the death of a child, with no notion of rank.  Burglary, larceny, and property damage  are obvious--the criminal would be free when the debt is paid. For other crimes, we could start out with what they cost--hospital bills, lost wages, and disability payments. A system like this could actually work--for society and for the criminals.

new copyright laws

     I don't understand why we need new copyright laws. The copyright laws we already have should cover the internet--without any alterations. Is there a set of people who don't want to admit that the internet is the same as the rest of the real world?

group morals

     If you could talk to a member of a criminal gang about philosophy, you might be told that no member of the gang is individually responsible for any action committed as a member of the gang. It's as if the gang members were officers or employees of a corporation, who cannot be held responsible as individuals for corporate wrongdoing. A person wronged by a corporation has to sue the corporation--not an officer or employee. In this sense a corporation is a legal person. Unfortunately, law enforcement officials have never managed to successfully prosecute a gang as a corporate entity.
     A gang is not a legal corporation. Someone who joins a criminal gang, or perhaps any organization, is not only responsible for his or her own actions as a member of that gang, but is also responsible in part for all of the gang's criminal activities, since each member has in some way profited by every crime. A member of a gang who does not personally profit through a particular crime still trades on the status gained by being a member of the gang, just as every employee of a corporation profits through the business of his or her employer. The same gang members who imagine no responsibility for themselves because they have abdicated all individual responsibility to the group, would be quick to blame any employee or agent of a corporation caught polluting, or using unfair hiring practices.
   

teacher quality

    There has been a lot of ink spent on teacher quality lately. There is supposedly an indefinable quality that makes someone a good teacher. The lack of this indefinable "something" supposedly makes a bad teacher. What actually makes the difference is education--the teacher's education. A well-educated teacher can explain things in a way that makes them interesting--because he or she understands them. A well-educated teacher knows when he or she is not well-versed in a particular aspect of the subject being taught, and spends time learning more about it before attempting to teach it to students. A poorly educated teacher does not seem to know that what is lacking is a thorough knowledge of his or her subject matter. We have a national exam for teachers, but not every state requires that prospective teachers take this exam, and they should.

the millenium

For those who are still waiting for winged beings with harps, or superheroes with capes and tights, to make a paradise on earth--it's going to be a do-it-yourself job--bring a bucket and a shovel, or something else useful.

blood drive

     I have been seeing a lot of commercials for the Red Cross blood drive recently. The Red Cross should try to capitalize on the current popularity of vampires and have a yearly Halloween special blood drive. It would work. Maybe some Hollywood vampires would help.

presidential debates

     Sometimes the candidates from the two major parties debate one another on television before a presidential election. Why don't we have a televised debate with every election? One that includes questions from the audience, or from viewers at home?  Nearly everyone has television available--the debates could be re-broadcast for those who might have missed them. Public debates should be a standard part of  elections--for president, governor, senator, congressional representative, and perhaps more local offices. Speaking in public is what those running for election want to do for a living, so it really shouldn't be considered a burden to be asked to speak in a debate neither candidate would be "running".

got logic?

     If you get up early in the morning when it is still dark, and want to find a pair of matching socks without turning on the light, how many socks would you need to pull out of a drawer that had ten red socks and ten blue socks in it?














three

school buildings

     Too many teens and tweens have no place to go and nothing to do. Why not leave the school buildings open until 9 or 10 o'clock at night, with facilities available to students? The gym, the library, the cafeteria--closed or open for business--could be left open and staffed by parent volunteers, if necessary. The kids would have someplace to go, and they just might find something to do.

"F" for faith-based

     If faith-based education means no form of logic, evidence, or persuasion can convince the student that he or she is in conflict with reality, then you may take  the "F" for failure grade to mean "F" for faith-based. This isn't about God, and whether or not God exists, or what God does and does not do. It's about grammar ( including whether to use its or it's ), word usage ( including do words have meaning, and is their purpose communication ), geography ( including the roundness of the Earth ), science ( including is learning genetic ), and math ( including does 1+1=2, every time ).

# what was the question?

      A long, long time ago, a six-year-old once asked me--"Mommy, where did I come from?"  I spent a half an hour carefully explaining in terms a six-year-old could understand how babies get here, when they weren't here before, and thought I had done a pretty good job. The six-year-old in question gave me an odd look, and said "but where did I come from?" . The six-year-old had expected to be told the name of the town in which she was born, because someone had mentioned it in school.

there are two kinds of people in the world

     There are two kinds of people in the world--the people who are sure that there are two kinds of people in the world, and that they are of the superior set, and the people who are sure that they are wrong.

that door swings both ways

     The young people who sneer at the elderly who can't keep up with all of the changes in technology should stop and think before deciding they are "smarter" than their elders. Some of these same young people make odd mistakes in writing that show they have no understanding of older technologies and ways of life--even those which are still in use. They don't seem to know what a check is, or a print newspaper. Some cannot read a dial clock, and don't know what the mail is for. So, young people, don't forget that old people have been here longer, and may be able to tell you something that could be useful to you.

let's make a deal

     "Let's Make a Deal" was a popular game show, on which contestants might win a new car, or pick the wrong door and win a cow.  Unfortunately, this is often played out in court, and not just on weird escapist television shows. Prosecutors make deals with those accused of crimes--plead guilty to a lesser offense ( lesser than the original charge ) is a common offer--when the defendant pleads guilty, the court has already promised leniency.  Turn state's evidence is another offer, and often misused-- by prosecutors hoping to catch a bigger fish with the testimony of so-called "small fry". For all such deals made by prosecutors, they don't seem to catch very many "big fish". But all this is really beside the point--the point being that the laws were passed by the representatives the people elected for this purpose--and no one elected the prosecuting attorneys. It just isn't their place to rewrite the law.

another modern fable

     One of the fables currently popular is that people are smarter now than they were in the past. The main evidence used to support this belief is that we now have computers, something people in the past weren't "smart" enough to invent. When this "past" was seems unclear. Another piece of evidence used to support the belief that people are smarter than they used to be is evolution, believe it or not. Since people have evolved, we must be evolving all the time, and must be smarter than people in the past, is how the reasoning goes.
     Sorry, but you'll have to show me. That's right, show me. Get along better--stop war, crime, poverty and disease, and I'll count this generation smarter than the generations who did not correct any of these problems.
An invincible ego, firmly grounded in ignorance, is not "smarter" than anyone, or anything.

let's make it a group effort

     Those of us who believe that the Earth is round need to make more of an effort to persuade those who disagree. They ( the flat earth society ) have a web site. Maybe we could have one, too. I found one list of the top ten reasons people believe the Earth is round, but I had already tried them. There's geometry, but people who believe that the Earth is flat may not be persuaded by a geometrical proof. There's my grandpop, who spent most of his life afloat as a merchant ship's officer, but he's dead now. Grandpop never actually circumnavigated the globe in one voyage, but even if he had, the flat-earthers have a theory for that--the theory being that he was only sailing around in circles on a pancake-shaped earth. The pictures of earth taken from space haven't worked, either, although some flat-earthers now concede that the Earth may be a two-sided pancake. The people on the underside are Australians, or trolls, or maybe hobbits.

resolutions

     I don't make New year's resolutions, but many people do. Soon there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. As with other promises to reform, New year's resolutions are an all-or-nothing idea to some people. If you fall off the diet wagon and eat a doughnut, why not the whole box, as long as the diet is "broken" anyway. If you fall off the temperance wagon and have a drink, why not go on a three day toot? If the resolution is broken, all bets are off, or so it seems. No wonder these don't usually work. The approach is extremist, and comes with built-in failure. Perhaps something reasonable--to try to eat more vegetables, or to avoid going to clubs or where "drinking" friends go, would work better. Something with a built in plan for what to do in case of a lapse--for instance, if you eat that doughnut, okay, but now you have to have a cup of raw vegetables. Make a deal you can live with.