Friday, June 09, 2017

THOUGHT.......QUESTIONS.......JUSTICE

THOUGHT – CAUTIONARY TALE

I have this habit of writing “thot” for thought and other abbreviations based on how words sound.   I use such casual shortened words in my instant messaging and email conversation.   I know there’s a whole set of such words and acronyms being used, accessible on the Internet, but I’ve never bothered to study them.  I simply make up my own, though that can be dangerous.   

My young adult granddaughter has cautioned me “thot” has a different meaning in culture today.   So, I consulted my trusty Urban Dictionary link.   Guess we all better be careful what we write:


QUESTIONS

Questions….questions….I’ve never had so many questions.....here are a few:

Should Americans be seriously concerned, as I am, that Russia (or any foreign government) interfered in our election?

Should Americans be alarmed that Russia is expected to continue to do so?

Do we need serious investigations to identify all American individuals who have engaged in actions with the Russians to affect our elections -- even if they just encouraged or invited the Russians to do so?

Why does our President not seem dedicated to protecting our nation from a potential threat to elections in our government since this is a non-partisan issue?  

Should we believe this self-described brilliant businessman is so naive as to not understand how to behave ethically as President, but if he doesn't, is that an excuse for not doing so?

Are we ever going to see the President’s taxes to rule out any business conflicts of interest with Russia, or other countries, corporations, and why won't he reveal them?

Is this administration threatening our democratic republic constitutional government? 

Is an intent for “deconstruction of the administrative state” stated as this adminstration’s agenda by White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon a betrayal of allegiance to the United States of America?  

Instead of “draining the swamp” has our President created a cesspool?

Does passing Presidential Executive Orders eliminating regulations that safeguard Americans from financial exploitation and collapse really benefit ordinary citizens?

Does passing Presidential Executive Orders that eliminate consumer protections benefit ordinary citizens?   

When White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders says:  “I can definitively say the President is not a liar”, is that true?  


JUSTICE

I would enjoy returning to D.C. to sight see at a more leisurely pace than the last time I went.   Years earlier trips I had there with other family were just driving Pennsylvania Avenue and passing the White House. 

My last trip several years ago I was visiting family in Virginia.   A friend who had relocated to VA had an appointment in D.C. with the FBI for some research she was doing.  Though she had a parking pass in the Bureau’s parking garage, after our long drive to D.C. I urgently needed a rest stop.   So, we had to stop hurriedly at a parking meter practically in front of the Justice Dept. and I rushed up the steps and inside. 

Unfortunately, the Justice Dept. would not allow me to utilize their facilities, since I didn't have a pass beyond the entryway.   I could see the ladies room door tantalizingly close, but beyond my access.  That resulted in my having quite a different problem -- no justice there.   (Later I learned I had an infection.) 

The parking meter on the street required coins every two hours, so my excursions the rest of the day were limited by the need to acquire the proper coins, then to feed the meter periodically and locate a rest room.  I would like to have explored much more, including the Viet Nam Memorial Wall, but especially now, since installation of the WWII Memorial.   




26 comments:

  1. I've been to Viet Nam Memorial Wall. It's quite moving.

    The urban dictionary adds stuff so fast you can't keep up. I hate abbreviations of any kind. I usually have to look them up.

    Mr. Trump either borrows a lot of money from Russia because the banks here won't loan him to him anymore because of his bankruptcies or he's so egotistical and self-centered that he thinks the Russian investigation is all about trying to degrade his win as president. (Or both.) I heard one of his fans last week say the Russian is just the democrats being sore losers. I think it's going to get worse before it gets better. In the meantime Mr. Trump seems intent of destroying all the protections we Americans and the environment have taken for granted for so many years. How Sanders can stand up there and say he never lies is amazing.

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    1. WWII strongly impacted me as a young girl, coupled with my brother, other relatives going off to serve -- the rationing that we civilians experienced --viewing news reels at the movie theaaters -- all left an indelible memory in my mind, so was extremely pleased with the creation of that Memorial to those who served -- who I believe saved our world and way of life. We may well be facing an internal/external much more subtle assault on our form of government today.

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  2. I have at least as many questions as you do. One, voiced by someone commenting on the latest kerfuffle, asked what I have been thinking all along - why hasn't somebody done something? I believe, if I was 50 years younger, I would.

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    1. I think we live in a "it could never happen here" bubble, or believe that no citizen could want to undermine our form of government for self-aggrandizement and/or to acquire power. We have only to read recent history and observe what's going on in certain other countries today to realize just how fragile our democracy and freedoms are.

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  3. YIKES on the "thot"--I had no idea!
    My worse nightmare--having to go and no bathroom in sight.

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    1. Yeah, "thot" definition came as surprise to me, too. Of course, my granddaughter thought pointing this out to me was pretty funny. You betcha needing a bathroom but none in sight is no fun. Something to be said for using some of those pads they sell, and/or carrying urinals in the car.

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    2. "Something to be said for using some of those pads they sell, and/or carrying urinals in the car."

      I used to carry a Costco mixed nut jar in our van, and really should do the same in our RAV4 because as inconvenient as it would be to use, the option isn’t pretty either.

      Peggy and I used to have a small (two-seater) Cessna, and I remember one trip in which the plane was crammed with camping gear along with the two of us and our little schnauzer. Peggy needed to pee, and ended up having to do it in the tiny container that is made for males to use in airplanes. Unfortunately, the air was turbulent, and there was NO place for her to go except atop her seat, but she got the job done. Meanwhile, our schnauzer had eaten leftover beans the night before, and spent that part of the trip passing gas. At least the motor didn’t quit, and we didn’t have an electrical fire as happened on other trips, so it’s a memory to laugh about rather than to shiver over.

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    3. Love your story! My husband-to-be took me flying on our first date. After we wed we continued to fly for several years in a Cessna rented from where he got his pilot's license. Really enjoyed flying. Needed a burp bag we didn't have for one pregnant passenger, but carried one ever after. They have urinals designed for women now I discovered a few years ago when researching the topic.

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  4. "When White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders says: 'I can definitively say the President is not a liar,' is that true?"

    Well, gee, if we can’t believe Sarah Sanders, then who can we believe? It’s not like lies come out of this administration so fast and furious that if anyone tells the truth, it’s by accident. The president’s people spend an awfully lot of time assuring us that, despite appearances, the president really is wearing clothes.

    There are people and groups that, when I hear they had a really bad day, I rejoice. Trump is one. The airlines are another. If Trump and the airlines can have a bad day without any innocent bystanders being harmed, then I want Trump and the airlines to have a bad day everyday. Come to think of it, Trump and the people who run airlines are alike in that both have greed in their veins in place of blood

    I found the following when I Googled “thot": http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4582186/Teen-boys-tell-girls-stop-dressing-like-THOT.html . It was not a word that I had ever used or even seen much, although I assumed that it was short for thought. I think it sad when schools are so permissive that boys(BOYS, no less!!!) have to ask that girls dress like ladies rather than prostitutes. I’m struck by how naive the girls in the article are to insist on being viewed as other than sex objects when that’s how they present themselves to males whose hormones make them perpetually horny.

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    1. Had a chuckle from your response to my Sarah Sanders question and your airlines/Trump observation. Also, you do have a point about the effect some female attire can have on some people. Some males can have a challenge interpreting the non-verbal message attire can communicate. I've wondered how much is our culture's stereotypical view -- much as how males who have tattoos or ride motorcycles, wear certain types of clothing, jewelry, etc. can be viewed by some people. I guess we each assign values to all these things including some cultures who believe a woman should cover their hair, face, body shape lest the sight arouse males.

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  5. Best way, but a little more expensive is to park in one of the parking garages off the Mall and just make a big walking loop to what you want to see. There is a garage just behind the Castle, but a little hard to get to. All of these questions may never be answered except for the fact that there is evidence they almost destroyed the Ukrainian election and certainly interfered in the French one. They seem to always want to support the more conservative candidate. Keep education,salaries and other stuff low so that the voters are in a fog. We will not know for years!!

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    1. I hope I live long enough to learn the definitive answers to some of these questions.

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  6. I am unable to comprehend how our country got into this fine mess. Which means I am unable to comprehend how we will get out of it, other than galvanizing for every single possible vote in 2018. It's not that far off.

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    1. Expect there are a combination of factors that brought us to this point. Citizen failure to actively provide educated votes in our elections are likely part of the problem given the small percentage of people who actually bother to vote. Seems a small effort to make, but is a responsibility for the privilege of preserving our freedoms. There are plenty of individuals all too anxious to take them from us to further their own greed, grasp for power, and/or to force their ideology upon us. Certainly, 2018 and 2020 provide an opportunity to take voting action.

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  7. I've been to Washington DC. There's a lot of interesting things to see, I'd recommend a proper visit. Jenny and I had a look in the House of Representatives. The security was very tight and it took us ages to get in there. I'd like to see the new Afro-American Museum.

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    1. Yes, I think the Afro-American Museum would be of great interest to me, especially as I think of issues with which I was involved in my small way.

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  8. I "did" Washington many years ago thoroughly. Found the Vietnam Memorial really moving. We knew many draft dodgers in Toronto. I thought of all those dead and for what. I cried.

    My thoughts continue to be that Russia bailed out 45 from his many bankruptcies and now they're calling the tune in spite of the bafflegab they're spouting.


    XO
    WWW

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    1. Your scenario with 45 wouldn't be hard to believe. Hopefully, we'll eventually learn the truth.

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  9. I tried to comment earlier, and it didn't look like it took...then I typed in 'I", and publish, and it looks like that one took. So forgive me if this comment is a duplicate.

    Thank you for stopping by my blog, I just saw your comment there. I like having visits from my mom's friends. Her blog and online communities were so very important to her.

    I had no idea about THOT. That's horrible.

    I love DC. I haven't been in about 22 years, but I would go back happily. We've always gotten a hotel and stayed, so we have time to see the museums, memorials, and monuments. As long as it's not horribly humid, it's a great place to visit. I always remember one Ehtiopian restaurant we went to in Adams Morgan, too. Yum.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. Always enjoyed your Mom's blog. I deleted the other comment that didn't completely take for whatever the reason. Your DC visit sounds like the ideal way to see all.

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  10. One of the many, many things I enjoyed about teaching high school was being kept current in slang. My students were very keen on making sure I was always in the loop. Being away now for more than 6 years, I had no idea about THOT.

    When my father died in 2000, we requested that all contributions be made in his name to the foundation to build the WWII Memorial. He was a very big supporter of that, having been a vet of that war. We were happy to have been able to make a nice contribution in his memory. It's a beautiful memorial.

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    1. I think you confirm what I've thought, that it's difficult to keep up with the youth culture unless we have direct contact with the young people.

      That was a very symbolic act your father would have appreciated. My brother served in WWII also and had wanted to visit the memorial but had been unable to do so before he died.

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  11. I've always loved going to DC, but it was unbearably hot there last summer. And now we plan to be there again in summer because we celebrating our grandson's 2nd birthday. I wish he was born in October.

    Thank you very much for this post. I have the SAME questions constantly floating around my head. Everybody should.

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    1. Hope the weather will be more agreeable for you and this special birthday celebration.

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  12. I was in Washignton D.C. for big demos in the 60s. Then one layover in the early 70s and passing through Dulles a few years ago. I would love to see the Vietnam Memorial, because Maya Lynn is such a wonderful artist.

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    1. Demos in the 60s would have been quite an experience.

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