I love Facebook even when I'm tired of reading all the political garbage but something confuses me. I see posts from the Americans all of the time...every single day..insulting the Democrats and praising the Republicans...actually only the Republicans that praise Trump...but any time someone posts a word against Trump, his followers get all offended and pretty much tell the commenter that he or she is lying or stupid. Their minds are absolutely closed to the fact that free speech goes both ways.
I would never insult someone who votes differently than I would because I firmly believe that is their right. I also would never tell that person they were repeating lies or were stupid.
We need free speech in our culture because that is the only thing that keeps the politicians half way honest. If we blind ourselves to facts, we deserve what we get.
Enough said!
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Perception
I posted an article written in the U.K. about how they perceive Trump and, of course, made my own observation which, of course, was not favorable to Trump. One of my friends asked me where I get such lies about their president and I replied, "from watching him and listening to him on the news". When you think about it, it's the same place that almost every Trump supporter gets their information about him. It makes me wonder how easy it is for them to eliminate the bad stuff and only take in the good.
We all do this in one way or another, though. Some of us put up with bad relationships, closing our eyes (and brains) to the evidence right in front of us because we don't want to believe it. Some of us look at our criminally bent children and see only the cherubic faces of them when they were infants. We like to see the world as we want it to be instead of how it really is.
It's no mystery why some people revere their political choices because they know in their hearts that it's them, the voters, who put the jackass in that position of power. And so we pretend we've made the right choice. Some do wise up but it's usually too late and it doesn't matter anyway. The next person in power might be just as bad or worse.
Our Canadian election was over yesterday and Trudeau was voted back in but with a minority government. I've already forgotten the promises made by him but it really doesn't matter, does it?
We all do this in one way or another, though. Some of us put up with bad relationships, closing our eyes (and brains) to the evidence right in front of us because we don't want to believe it. Some of us look at our criminally bent children and see only the cherubic faces of them when they were infants. We like to see the world as we want it to be instead of how it really is.
It's no mystery why some people revere their political choices because they know in their hearts that it's them, the voters, who put the jackass in that position of power. And so we pretend we've made the right choice. Some do wise up but it's usually too late and it doesn't matter anyway. The next person in power might be just as bad or worse.
Our Canadian election was over yesterday and Trudeau was voted back in but with a minority government. I've already forgotten the promises made by him but it really doesn't matter, does it?
Monday, October 21, 2019
Happy
I noticed that the last blog I wrote was titled "Depression" and I certainly remembered that part of my life when depression broke me down. It's probably the reason why I glory in my happy days now.
Happiness is relative. You can be happy for many reasons...wealth, health, friends, family, etc....but the most positive way to be happy is to simply enjoy what is good in your life. It just might be a sunny day or short while without pain. The bad stuff is part of living and, if we can learn to cope with it and still enjoy the good days, we are very lucky.
I'm happy today because the sun is shining and I refuse to allow anything negative to ruin today's happiness. You can be in charge of your attitude.
There is civil strife all around the world and you will see the devastation on the news but you might also see a smiling little child among the rubble and that's what I mean about creating your own attitude. You can have crap all around you but you can also zone in on something to smile about.
We can't change the past but we can decide how it will affect us. We can choose to sink or swim. So, unless something bad happens to my offspring, I can ignore all the bad stuff and choose happiness over it all.
Happiness is relative. You can be happy for many reasons...wealth, health, friends, family, etc....but the most positive way to be happy is to simply enjoy what is good in your life. It just might be a sunny day or short while without pain. The bad stuff is part of living and, if we can learn to cope with it and still enjoy the good days, we are very lucky.
I'm happy today because the sun is shining and I refuse to allow anything negative to ruin today's happiness. You can be in charge of your attitude.
There is civil strife all around the world and you will see the devastation on the news but you might also see a smiling little child among the rubble and that's what I mean about creating your own attitude. You can have crap all around you but you can also zone in on something to smile about.
We can't change the past but we can decide how it will affect us. We can choose to sink or swim. So, unless something bad happens to my offspring, I can ignore all the bad stuff and choose happiness over it all.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Depression
Someone posted a description of all the facets of depression on Facebook this morning and I was sort of taken aback by the accuracy. I went through all of those miseries for a whole lot of years and I'm amazed that I survived it. You don't think you'll ever survive as you're going through it but I think the masses of information on depression available these days will give hope to those suffering. And it is "suffering"! I don't ever want to be beaten down like that ever again!
Every time I get normally depressed (usually by some horrible thing happening on the news), I worry that I won't rise above it, that this time I'll sink completely down and it's frightening. I believe that once you have had a true depression you are susceptible to it happening again. It might be because our reserve has weakened or that we are just more sensitive than average people. Whichever, it will remain a constant battle to overcome depression for the rest of our lives.
I live a pretty peaceful life but I hold in the back of my mind a slight dread of any catastrophe involving my family. I already know I wouldn't survive if anything happened to them but I wouldn't want to, anyway.
When the young boy was murdered last week, my heart went out to his mother who has to deal with seeing her son die in front of her. A senseless and cruel death and one she tried to prevent but was unable to do so. I wanted to comfort her in some way but there are no words that can ease that kind of pain. And so I suffered in my own way along with her.
Today, I'm not depressed even in a normal way and that gives me confidence that I am stronger than before, that I would never willingly let myself become a victim ever again. There is hope. I wish so much that we could instill that feeling of hope for a better time in every person suffering from depression. The helpless feeling that nothing will change is what drains us but even a hand to hold or a shoulder to lean on can make all the difference in the world. I never had that during my depression so it worsened until it was so bad that I needed counseling and that is what saved me.
You never know who is depressed but putting on a happy face for the public. You never know if one kind word saves them from giving up completely or if one cruel word sends them over the edge so choose your words carefully.
Every time I get normally depressed (usually by some horrible thing happening on the news), I worry that I won't rise above it, that this time I'll sink completely down and it's frightening. I believe that once you have had a true depression you are susceptible to it happening again. It might be because our reserve has weakened or that we are just more sensitive than average people. Whichever, it will remain a constant battle to overcome depression for the rest of our lives.
I live a pretty peaceful life but I hold in the back of my mind a slight dread of any catastrophe involving my family. I already know I wouldn't survive if anything happened to them but I wouldn't want to, anyway.
When the young boy was murdered last week, my heart went out to his mother who has to deal with seeing her son die in front of her. A senseless and cruel death and one she tried to prevent but was unable to do so. I wanted to comfort her in some way but there are no words that can ease that kind of pain. And so I suffered in my own way along with her.
Today, I'm not depressed even in a normal way and that gives me confidence that I am stronger than before, that I would never willingly let myself become a victim ever again. There is hope. I wish so much that we could instill that feeling of hope for a better time in every person suffering from depression. The helpless feeling that nothing will change is what drains us but even a hand to hold or a shoulder to lean on can make all the difference in the world. I never had that during my depression so it worsened until it was so bad that I needed counseling and that is what saved me.
You never know who is depressed but putting on a happy face for the public. You never know if one kind word saves them from giving up completely or if one cruel word sends them over the edge so choose your words carefully.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Bullies
I've often said that bullies won't bully if their victim stands up to them but that might not be true. A died in the wool, vicious and unconscionable bully would probably attack even stronger than before. A lot of bullies can be stopped in their tracks simply by having their peers disapprove of their actions and that's why it's still wise to not just take bullying laying down.
The only way to deter a determined bully is for the adults to take charge, either with stern discipline or imprisonment because this is all that will stop the truly bad ones.
I can't help but wonder how one family could have produced a 14 year old and an 18 year old capable of torturing and murdering a helpless 14 year old child. There has got to be something seriously wrong in that home. There will always be the aberrant criminal who comes from a loving and nurturing home but for two brothers to become murderous monsters screams bad parenting.
I think of how young Devon must have finally been able to let down his guard this time last week, having the weekend free from his tormentors. He had only one more day of relative peace before having to face that awful Monday morning trek to school and into the hands of the beasts who hounded him. There was not one adult in that school he could count on to keep him safe and that's one of the saddest things of all. If only one had cared enough to walk him out to his mother's car. If only one had cared.
The only way to deter a determined bully is for the adults to take charge, either with stern discipline or imprisonment because this is all that will stop the truly bad ones.
I can't help but wonder how one family could have produced a 14 year old and an 18 year old capable of torturing and murdering a helpless 14 year old child. There has got to be something seriously wrong in that home. There will always be the aberrant criminal who comes from a loving and nurturing home but for two brothers to become murderous monsters screams bad parenting.
I think of how young Devon must have finally been able to let down his guard this time last week, having the weekend free from his tormentors. He had only one more day of relative peace before having to face that awful Monday morning trek to school and into the hands of the beasts who hounded him. There was not one adult in that school he could count on to keep him safe and that's one of the saddest things of all. If only one had cared enough to walk him out to his mother's car. If only one had cared.
Wednesday, October 09, 2019
What Have We Created?
A 14 year old boy bullied by his high school classmates and neither the school or the board of education can do anything to help him. This poor young boy must have lived in terror every day of his life in his final years, trying to just make it to school and home without being tortured.
His bullies, a 14 year old boy and his 18 year old brother, another 16 year old boy and a 16 year old girl made plans to stab him on Monday. They chased him after school, threw some liquid on him as he ran to get away from them. His mother had come to pick him up and saw it all. She raced after the group and tried to get her son in the car but his bullies dragged him out and stabbed him to death. All the while this act of terrorism was being acted out, other students, instead of running to the defense of this child, chose to use their cell phones to video it. The total horror of these moments can't be comprehended by normal people. But the teens who tortured the boy, murdered him, and the ones who recorded it had no conscience. They are so warped in their thinking that they will never grow up to be normal adults.
They weren't deterred by the presence of the boy's mother. They took a life without giving a damn. The teens on their cell phones were almost as bad for their lack of human decency.
There is no lumping all teens with these monsters but the sheer numbers of teens who terrorize or murder are something to shock us all. I think they do it for excitement, knowing they'll be able to act like innocent little children at their trials and have taxpayer paid lawyers who will describe them as coming from disfunctional families. Or, if the parents have money, they'll find a judge who will be lenient on their home grown monsters.
They know they won't serve long sentences but maybe they don't realize that even a few years in prison won't be fun. All 4 of these monsters have destroyed their lives and they probably don't even realize it. They've done something that will forever set them apart from decent human beings...they might hide but the facts will remain deep inside them.
What have we created?
His bullies, a 14 year old boy and his 18 year old brother, another 16 year old boy and a 16 year old girl made plans to stab him on Monday. They chased him after school, threw some liquid on him as he ran to get away from them. His mother had come to pick him up and saw it all. She raced after the group and tried to get her son in the car but his bullies dragged him out and stabbed him to death. All the while this act of terrorism was being acted out, other students, instead of running to the defense of this child, chose to use their cell phones to video it. The total horror of these moments can't be comprehended by normal people. But the teens who tortured the boy, murdered him, and the ones who recorded it had no conscience. They are so warped in their thinking that they will never grow up to be normal adults.
They weren't deterred by the presence of the boy's mother. They took a life without giving a damn. The teens on their cell phones were almost as bad for their lack of human decency.
There is no lumping all teens with these monsters but the sheer numbers of teens who terrorize or murder are something to shock us all. I think they do it for excitement, knowing they'll be able to act like innocent little children at their trials and have taxpayer paid lawyers who will describe them as coming from disfunctional families. Or, if the parents have money, they'll find a judge who will be lenient on their home grown monsters.
They know they won't serve long sentences but maybe they don't realize that even a few years in prison won't be fun. All 4 of these monsters have destroyed their lives and they probably don't even realize it. They've done something that will forever set them apart from decent human beings...they might hide but the facts will remain deep inside them.
What have we created?
Sunday, October 06, 2019
Given Up
I think I've finally gotten over being indignant because so many people have no common sense. If Trump's popularity can rise in the polls after he openly admits on camera that he asked the Ukraine for help in finding dirt on his 2020 opponent, Biden, and then openly suggesting that China do the same...I give up. We really do get what we deserve and if the majority of us are deaf, blind, and dumb to his many faults, we're all going to hell.
I've never understood the choices people make in their lives, even myself, and that's why I analyze so much. It's such a mystery why some people become criminals and adulterers and why some good people become their victims. Why is there a drive in some people to build and create while there is an equally strong drive in some to destroy?
There is no question that Trump has changed the way politics will be carried out in the U.S. in the future. He has opened doors to allow the presidents of the future to be even more brutal and dishonest...and know they can pretty much do what they want without repercussions. He has also changed the way the U.S. is viewed by other countries. He has increased the fear and uncertain atmosphere of the whole world. To hear some Republicans refer to Trump as a "gift from god" is terrifying. If anything, he's the false prophet their bibles have warned them about.
In our own upcoming elections, I don't have much hope, either. So far, none of our potential prime ministers are as evil as Trump but you can bet our politicians are watching him to see if we Canadians might be just as gullible as the Americans. We have our own scandals among our politicians so they aren't squeaky clean, either, but they haven't destroyed the reputation we have in the world. Yet.
I always thought that most politicians were out for themselves but that they did have a soft spot in their hearts for the country they served and would do nothing to actually harm the country. Now I'm not so sure.
I've never understood the choices people make in their lives, even myself, and that's why I analyze so much. It's such a mystery why some people become criminals and adulterers and why some good people become their victims. Why is there a drive in some people to build and create while there is an equally strong drive in some to destroy?
There is no question that Trump has changed the way politics will be carried out in the U.S. in the future. He has opened doors to allow the presidents of the future to be even more brutal and dishonest...and know they can pretty much do what they want without repercussions. He has also changed the way the U.S. is viewed by other countries. He has increased the fear and uncertain atmosphere of the whole world. To hear some Republicans refer to Trump as a "gift from god" is terrifying. If anything, he's the false prophet their bibles have warned them about.
In our own upcoming elections, I don't have much hope, either. So far, none of our potential prime ministers are as evil as Trump but you can bet our politicians are watching him to see if we Canadians might be just as gullible as the Americans. We have our own scandals among our politicians so they aren't squeaky clean, either, but they haven't destroyed the reputation we have in the world. Yet.
I always thought that most politicians were out for themselves but that they did have a soft spot in their hearts for the country they served and would do nothing to actually harm the country. Now I'm not so sure.
Thursday, October 03, 2019
Ear Tube Update
After spending a whole winter, spring, and part of the summer with a blocked ear that was almost deaf, the tube I had inserted in August appears to be working. I had a hearing test yesterday and both ears are now receiving about equally. The ear with the tube still feels somewhat blocked but I knew my hearing had gradually improved in the last month or so. There was absolutely no improvement for at least a few weeks after the tube was inserted and that was terribly disappointing but I did begin to notice very gradual improvement.
Apparently my hearing, even in both ears, isn't perfect because of age but not bad and not needing a hearing aid. I will be quite satisfied with what I have now.
Of course I have another worry in the back of my mind and that's for what will happen the next time I get a bad cold and my ears block once again.
Apparently my hearing, even in both ears, isn't perfect because of age but not bad and not needing a hearing aid. I will be quite satisfied with what I have now.
Of course I have another worry in the back of my mind and that's for what will happen the next time I get a bad cold and my ears block once again.
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