Clapping Like A Trained Seal

Every sane, semi-intelligent person in the world knows that Donald Trump has serious mental issues. 

He lies incessantly (more than 16,000 times in the past three years). He is incredibly inarticulate. He babbles when he goes off script. He claimed to be "the chosen one." He has an insatiable need to be adored and praised.

But what is with his clapping for himself? He reminds me of a seal that has been trained to slap its front flippers together to get a fish reward. No other public figure walks around applauding himself. We all know he is a narcissist who demands constant adoration. But clapping for himself makes him look desperate for even more attention and adoration.

And why does he always give a thumbs-up while wearing a stupid grin as he poses for photos with some of his sycophants? Even during a visit to an El Paso, Texas, hospital in the aftermath of a shooting that left 22 people dead and another 24 injured, he posed with an infant whose parents had been murdered while protecting their baby. He and Melania stood there grinning, as he gave the usual thumbs-up. Really? This child lost both parents, and all the president can do is give a thumbs-up? Then he complained that his staff had kept cameras away, after the White House stated that the visit was not a photo op. Really? So what was that picture of the grinning president and wife?

It's very clear that this narcissist is incapable of showing compassion to those who are suffering. Barack Obama would comfort people, giving them encouragement, kind words and a hug. Trump, on the other hand, picks fights with and insults others. Remember how he insulted the Khan family whose soldier son had been killed while fighting in Iraq? Rather than expressing gratitude and condolences for their son's death, the Great Leader chose to attack them. Perhaps if the Khans were white ... no, it wouldn't make any difference. Chump is incapable of showing compassion.

And now that the Senate has acquitted him of the two charges brought against him by the House of Representatives, his need for power and revenge has been unleashed on America. (Note that being acquitted is not the same as being not guilty). 

He has fired several professional intelligence officers at a time when their expertise is needed more than ever to combat Russia's meddling in the 2020 elections. He demands that two of the liberal Supreme Court justices recuse themselves from all cases in which his administration is involved because they won't be "fair" to him. 'Unfair' has been a constant whine of the toddler in the White House. Nobody is fair to him. Not the mainstream news media, not the House of Representatives, not the courts. Even when commenting on the death of long-time, highly respected reporter Cokie Roberts, all Chump could say was that she was "unfair" to him.

It is past time to send this ignorant, bullying con artist back to the gold course -- permanently.

On Reading and Writing

I love to read. I also love to write.

I have been an avid reader since I was a child. In elementary school, I always loved to order books from Scholastic Books. My favorites were books about dogs and horses. Each book cost 25 cents, or for a really expensive paperback, 35 cents. I would much rather sit inside and read than "go outside and play," as my mother used to tell me. As a shy, introverted child (and adult), reading is much for comfortable for me than is interacting with others.

During one overnight international flight a couple of years ago, I happily spent several hours reading on my Kindle. Other passengers slept or watched movies, but I was engrossed in my book. I have close to 250 books on my Kindle, mostly history or historical fiction. I spent a good bit of yesterday reading a work of historical fiction, one of my favorite genres. I read every night before I go to bed. I usually take the Kindle with me to doctor appointments to help me pass time in the waiting room.

Because I spend so much time reading, I am appalled at the poor editing of many of the books I read. I consistently see incorrect or, more often, missing punctuation. I see run-on sentences. I see incomplete sentences. I see the same word used consecutively in a sentence. I see abbreviations and acronyms used with no explanation of what they mean.

Either this is very poor editing, or it's a complete lack of editing. I have no way of knowing which it is. But it's very annoying. I can somewhat forgive online posters for using sloppy grammar. But I cannot forgive it in a published book. I expect better.

I am what some refer to as a 'grammar Nazi.' I have a sharp eye for spelling, typographical and punctuation errors. I have always been this way. I don't point out grammar errors, however. I was schooled in the use of language as it appears in the Associated Press Style Book. This doesn't mean that other styles are incorrect, but AP style is what I am used to. When I write, I follow AP style.

I believe that those who read a lot, in addition to being better informed, also are better spellers. I have only anecdotal proof of this claim, but I believe it makes sense that good readers have a better vocabulary, and are more used to using and even playing with words. Good readers are also more likely to be good writers. I learned about my writing talent when in middle school. A teacher invited me to join the staff of the school newspaper. My professional career involved writing as well.

I met a kindred spirit last year during a trip to study the Holocaust. My group performed service projects at the main Auschwitz death camp. Among the things we were asked to do was to review the language (spelling, punctuation and word usage) on some of the exhibits. The captions had been translated from Polish by people whose native language isn't English. So we were asked, as native English speakers, to review the captions. 

Luckily, I teamed up with a man from Connecticut who shares both my view of what constitutes proper English, and my background as a writer who uses the AP style. Our group worked in pairs to review the language on numerous exhibits. One thing Mark, my grammar partner, pointed out was that Poland uses the British spelling of certain words. We did not recommend changes to these words, as they were correct European usage.

It isn't merely language in published books and articles, however, that needs work. I am tired of seeing online posts that include the words 'prolly' and 'suposably.' The correct words are 'probably' and 'supposedly.' Are Americans illiterate, sloppy or simply lazy? Or do most people simply not care? When I was in school, I excelled on spelling and other tests of proper English. What I hated, however, and never understand the rationale behind, was diagramming sentences.

I know. Everybody makes mistakes on occasion. I proofread everything I write, often more than once, but sometimes a typo gets by me. But my use of the English language is gramatically correct. I know how to spell. If I'm not sure about something, I look it up. I know the difference between 'their, they're and there.' I really enjoy constructing a well-written sentence or paragraph. I enjoy finding just the right words to convey my thoughts. And my comments are not directed at those for whom English isn't their native language. It's a difficult language to learn, with many rules and even more exceptions to those rules.

I guess I am a rarity these days, when texting, emoticons and myriad abbreviations are the norm. There is a beauty in the English language (and undoubtedly in other languages as well). It's a pity we are watching its decline.

My Most Memorable Trips

I travel a lot. I have visited some amazing places and seen, and photographed, lots of wonderful wildlife.

But of all the trips I have taken, three stand out as particularly memorable. And none involved beautiful landscapes or wildlife.

The first memorable trip took me to Spain, where I walked and hiked 50-some miles of the 500-mile Camino de Santiago. Although not a religious person, I was very moved by the experience. Pilgrims first walked the Camino in the early 9th century. 

The Way of St. James takes two routes. One begings in France, the other in Spain. My group took the Spanish route, beginning in the Basque city of Bilbao. Both routes end at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. Along the way, we saw that our route was marked by scallop shells, either on the ground as in this photograph, painted on wooden signs or carved and painted on concrete pillars.

Walking either of the routes in full takes from 30 to 35 days. I met pilgrims from Italy, Australia and several other countries. I saw a man walking the Camino on crutches. This was a spiritual experience I would like to repeat. I think I'm too old to attempt the entire route, but doing 50 or so miles of the Camino definitely appeals to me.

My second memorable trip was a visit to the ancient pyramids and the Sphinx of Egypt. I have wanted to visit Egypt for several decades, and last year I finally got the chance to go. I wish I had been given more time to photograph the sites, but we had a lot to see and long distances to cover, so I made the most of the limited opportunities I had. Standing inside the tomb of a king who ruled his country more than 3,000 years ago was an amazing experience. The brightly decorated walls held incredible works of art. Walking in the Valley of the Kings, despite the rushed visit, was spectacular. We also visited the ancient temple at Luxor, as well as the temple of the female pharaoh Hatshepshut. I would love to return to Egypt on a photographic excursion.

Entrance to Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp

The third trip that will always be with me, and that had the greatest impact, is a trip to Berlin and Oswiecim, Poland. In Berlin my group visited sites connected to the development and implementation of Nazi Germany's efforts to eliminate all Jewish people, as well as others considered unworthy of life, from Europe. In Poland, we spent several days learning about the Holocaust, visiting the two main Auschwitz camps on in-depth tours, and learning about the ongoing work to preserve not just the camps, but the belongings of prisoners that were left behind when the camps were liberated in January 1945. I don't think I will return to Auschwitz, as I shared the experience with a wonderful group of people and I doubt I could find a better group of people. The trip was mentally and physically tiring. 

I found that I had a love/hate relationship with Auschwitz. I hate what happened in those camps, but I found myself drawn to the main camp during our free time to explore on our own. I valued the time to wander on my own, to photograph things that had meaning to me, and to reflect. I wish there had been opportunity for self-exploration of the bigger camp at Birkenau.

I love visiting Yellowstone National Park. I love visiting Kenya and Tanzania. I know I will always return to those places. But the three trips described above have had the greatest impact on me. 

And that, I believe, is one of the greatest things to be gained from travel. I don't go somewhere just to sit on a beach. I love visiting places that leave a lasting impact on me, whether it is the location's incredible beauty, unique wildlife, or an experience that makes me think, educates me and creates life-long memories. 

Packaging Wars

If I come across one more product with the words "Easy Open" on it, I'm going to scream.

I am really tired of having to struggle to open these 'easy open' packages, whether it's a package of turkey smoked sausage, an individually wrapped tea bag, or a bottle of medicine. Why must packaging be so hard to open?

I nearly always resort to using scissors, a knife or a small thermonuclear device to open said package, usually leaving it torn and impossible to reclose. Granted, I do have some arthritis in my fingers, but even with non-arthritic fingers opening these packages would be difficult.

Apparently my frustration with hard-to-open packaging has a name: wrap rage. This is defined in a Wikipedia articles as "heightened levels of anger and frustration resulting from the inability to pen packaging..."  Not only is it extremely frustrating to the consumer, but struggling to open packaging with a knife, razor blade or other sharp instrument frequently results in injury to the person struggling to open the recalcitrant packaging.

Reasons for difficult packaging are numerous, including federal regulations (for over-the-counter medications to prevent tampering), efforts to reduce theft, and sanitation and protection of food items.

Still, I think manufacturers need to do a better job of packaging to protect the contents while not forcing people to resort to sharp implements to open a product. Remember how difficult it used to be to open a new CD? The plastic case was covered with a thin layer of cellophane and sealed at the top with an all-but-impossible to remove sticky piece of cellophane. Things changed several years ago, and CDs (for those who still buy them) are now much easier to open.

Until manufacturers start to care about their consumers, I guess I will continue to attack packaging with a knife or scissors.



 

What America Has Become:

I have lived through more than six decades. I remember America from the late 1950s, the 1960s and onward. The America in which I find myself today is not the America of the past.  It is not the America in which I want to live. 

Yes, we have made strides in women's rights ... until the current administration came along. Things are better (although not always so great) for minorities. We have improved (until the current administration came along) efforts to protect our land, air, water and wildlife. Medical advances abound, although many are not affordable by all Americans.

Despite these advances, however, a quick glance at the news shows the following recent developments, none of them positive:

• Our freedom of speech is under attack:  A Catholic high school in Kentucky banned graduation speeches by its valedictorian and salutatorian because it didn’t like their content (speeches had to be approved in advance.) 
• Our freedom to peacefully protest is under attack, with protesters who are breaking no laws being arrested.
• There has been an increase in racist taunts and actions: A so-called comedian blamed Ambien for her racist tweet. Two black men in a Starbucks were arrested for failing to order drinks as they waited for a business partner to arrive. Another black man had the police called by a bank teller when he tried to deposit a large check in a bank where he had had an account for the past two years.
• A Tennessee lawmaker claimed porn is the root cause of school shootings. I guess that's easier than admitting that not everybody should have access to guns.
• An independent running for Congress is an admitted pedophile.
• In California and in Illinois, Nazi sympathizers are running as Republicans for seats in Congress.
• The Department of Education chief wants Christianity to be part of the public school curriculum (forget about separation of church and state). And which version of Christianity should be taught -- Protestant, Catholic, evangelical? Why, hers, of course.
• The president continues his attacks on the news media. Any story that tells the truth about him, or that he doesn't like, is called 'fake news.'
• The president repeatedly attacks the FBI, CIA and various intelligence agencies because these agencies refuse to serve him rather than the people of this country.
• The administration is moving ahead with plans to allow the 'hunting' of hibernating bears and denning wolves in Alaska.
• Plans were recently unveiled to merge the Department of Education and the Department of Labor. Is there also a plan to return to the days of child labor?
• The Department of the Interior is considering plans to allow the shooting of the very endangered red wolf in North Carolina, a population considered 'non-essential' and 'experimental.' 
• After several 'adults' made threatening comments on Facebook about a 12-year-old transgender child, authorities closed a rural Oklahoma school system for two days 
• The president of the United States, who apparently got his feelings hurt, called an African-American critic a "dog." This was after he hired her because she "said nice things" about him.
• The president also refused to call on a female reporter, claiming that she “doesn’t think.”
• Citizens of other, primarily Latino, countries seeking asylum in the United States are locked up and separated from their children, who are kept in cages. In some cases, the parents have been deported while their minor children remain in custody in the United States.
• The government has no idea where the parents of some of the incarcerated children are. In other cases, the government has no idea where the children, many of whom have been moved, are currently located.
• The president, much as Hitler did, denounces the news media as the "enemy of the people" and as the "opposition."
• The father of a student killed in a mass shooting at a high school, the invited guest of the Speaker of the House, was removed from the state of the union speech because he spoke out against the president's vow to protect gun rights. Dissent was forbidden in Nazi Germany, too.
• After a march in Virginia resulted in the death of a counter-protester, the president declared that "there are fine people on both sides." So neo-Nazis and members of the KKK are now "fine people." 
• Trump wants to give federal tax money to private, religion-based schools.
• He wants to brings prayer back into public education.

So-called Christians speak and act in totally unchristian ways. One evangelical pastor is asking his followers to buy him a $54 million private jet so he can spread the Gospel everywhere while stopping to refuel his luxury airplane only once. How many hungry, how many poor people, how many homeless or sick people could be helped with that $54 million? 

Hypocrisy among politicians, particularly among Republican politicians, is rampant. Franklin Graham, a supposed Christian evangelical, berated former president Bill Clinton for his sexual relationship with an intern, stating that his behavior impacted everybody in America. But when the current president was accused of having had sex with a porn star, Graham said it was simply an issue between the president and his wife, and was nobody else's business.  

Republicans applauded a court decision that permitted the owner of a bakery to refuse to make a wedding cake for a gay couple, but were incensed when the owner of a restaurant refused to serve a high-ranking member of the current administration because she found the other's behavior to be objectionable.

It seems that lots of Americans are perfectly fine with letting private organizations regulate free speech as long as the employees are saying or doing or things with which they agree. But if someone with a different point of view attempts to exercise his/her free speech, they want the rules changed.

Welcome to the new America, folks.

If you, like I amd millions of other Americans, are dismayed by what America has become, get involved. Make sure you are registered to vote (Republicans are purging millions from voter rolls). Most importantly, show up to vote in November. We must throw out all the corrupt politicians who support our decline into autocracy while we still can.