1. Last night while I was trying to fall asleep, my mind wandered back to the playthings of my youth. Do you remember Mexican jumping beans, sea monkeys, crystals that grew in the water, and the advertisement that said something like draw this picture in any way except a tracing and send it to us and we'll tell you if you have talent?
2. My brother gave me eight bags of Baked Lays Potato chips for my birthday. He ran across them while he was in Ohio the previous weekend and bought them because they've been hard to find here. They seem more available now, but we can't find the "lightly salted" Lays potato chips that my husband eats. Things are weird.
3. While I don't doubt that there are supply chain issues, the fact that all of the major corporations are hauling in cash hand over fist, including the gas and oil companies, tells me that our inflation and recession (we're in a recession even if the experts haven't said that yet) are induced by corporate greed. Unregulated capitalism may be good for business, but it is hard on the average person.
4. The president of the United States doesn't set the gas prices at the pump, I don't care who is in office. Most of the economics that affect the average citizen the world over is created by those in power (political and corporate) who want more money. (And if the president did affect the prices, why would they be high worldwide? Think about it.)
5. I know we are in a recession because there are more Trustees Sales in the newspaper ads. These are foreclosure notices. When we're not in a recession, there may be one or two a month. Now there are 5 or 6 a week. They started becoming more frequent in May and really noticeable lately. Maybe if more people read the newspaper, they could pay attention to things like that and realize how things actually are.
6. A meme I've seen floating around says something to the effect of "what is wrong with not wanting poor people to starve," an idea which apparently makes one a socialist or far left. Empathy is not a saleable commodity, so of course it is unworthy. However, I think an empathetic human is one of the worthiest qualities of being human. Those who lack it are morally deficient.
7. I get called "far left" all the time although I am not. I'm what Republicans used to be before so many of them lost their minds and allowed theocracy, stupidity and cult of personality, along with infantile emotionalism, to become their guiding light. Yes, that's an awful judgment, but I've seen worse things said about Democrats and today I'm feeling judgmental. People judge me often enough, or so it feels. I think I can occasionally make a statement about something.
8. I am listening to an audiobook called Dolly Parton, Songwriter. It's not exactly an autobiography, as it's done more in a question-and-answer format, with someone asking questions and Mrs. Parton answering them. Sometimes she sings. She's written over 3,000 songs. That's a lot of songs.
9. This year I have been varying my reading habits, trying for a fiction book then a nonfiction. At the moment I have three things going at once. The other books I am reading are What Unites Us, by Dan Rather, and Zanoni, by Edward Bulwer Lytton. This is an ancient book that's supposed to be a morality tale; I read about it somewhere and downloaded it free on my Kindle.
10. My last fiction book was called Crime and Poetry, and it was about a young woman whose grandmother operates a bookstore, and books fall off the shelves to give clues about solving crime.
11. My husband's hip replacement surgery is coming up very soon. I am terrified for him and for me. We are hoping for the best outcome. Many people say it's a great fix for hip pain. All surgeries have risks, though, and they don't always have the anticipated outcome.
12. Someone came yesterday to fix the dryer door. He took the door apart but couldn't fix it and said he was going to order a part, whether that's a handle or an entire door I do not know. After he left, we took the door apart again and fixed it ourselves. I don't know how long it will stay together, but for now it's working. If it weren't for the warranty thing, I'd have used some Gorilla Glue on it, and it would have stayed on for sure. I wasn't impressed with the fixer guy.
13. We are fast approaching the summer solstice. The longest day, and then they begin to grow short again. The year is half over. Time goes by fast even on days that seem to crawl along like a snail on concrete.
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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 760th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
I tend to think social media is our worst enemy when it comes to the right vs. left, us vs. them mentality. By their own admission their logarithms pair us off more and more with only those we have things in common with. Eventually, we end up seeing virtually nothing but like-minded posts and the occasional "odd" opinion that breaks through seems strange and wrong. Social media (and the news media to some extent with their all or nothing mentality) is strangling our ability to debate and reason and accept each other in spite of differences.
ReplyDeleteAbout the potato chips...do you have an Amish market anywhere near you? Our Amish store sells low-salt chips, I think Walnut Creek is the brand, and they are the best chip I've ever had.
Praying for you hubby's hip replacement. My mom had one several years ago and it gave her back her life. She was in so much pain and could barely walk before. She's even had a knee replaced since then.
I wonder if duct tape would help with your dryer door. Some people have the perception that I’m far left which I’m not. I’m just your regular pragmatic who believes people ought not be oppressed nor kept in the dark for the comfort and profit of the greedy.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed listening to Dolly Parton's answers in that audiobook. She fascinates me.
ReplyDeleteNow even Republicans have to endure insults from fellow Republicans loyal, not to country, but to one man, a would-be autocrat. That's sweet that your brother brought you chips.
ReplyDeleteMy aunt had both her knees replaced (years apart). Her recovery after the first was smooth, the second was more problematic. But she is not at all sorry she had them done. Knowing what a researcher you are, I'm sure you're preparing yourself and your husband. Forewarned is forearmed! So I'm confident it will be fine, even if there is a hiccough or two en route to "fine."
ReplyDeleteIn the "Cat Who ..." books, a brilliant Siamese cat would knock a book off the shelf that would hold a clue to the murder. Much as I love my cats, I don't trust their crime fighting abilities. In Crime and Poetry, how do the books fall off the shelf?
They just do. And also simply appear on desks and such. Apparently it is a magic bookstore.
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