frightful Friday
G.O.M.E.R. *
* Grumpy Old Men & Their Elucidating Rants- In a previous G.O.M.E.R. feature I ranted about drivers who don't "get" the correct protocol for using a roundabout. So what did I do recently? While driving in a roundabout in Norfolk, I yielded for a pedestrian last WED 6/8. When describing the incident to Lois, I explained that it was a kid who started into the crosswalk as I was making the turn toward that exit from the roundabout . . . He saw me & stepped back . . . I slowed waaayyyy down--even though I noted a car right behind me--& motioned him across . . . then made the turn. Lois assured me that pedestrians ALWAYS have the right-of-way . . . but it just didn't feel entirely right to me. What do you think?
- Whatever happened to that rule we learned in drivers ed--still in the Highway Safety Manual, I'll bet--re: safe car lengths behind & in front of vehicles? I'm specifically referring to {1} vehicles--including gargantuan semi's that could crush your vehicle like an Army ranger boot on a cockroach [although you should have seen the size of some of the cockroaches we encountered in Hawaii . . . but I digress.]--that come racing up to within centimeters of your rear bumper at speeds approaching or exceeding the speed limit before sharply pulling out to pass you; {2} vehicles--frequently the same ones it seems--who pass you, then pull in front of you, also within centimeters of your front bumper, often forcing you to slam on the brakes. [If you're on the passenger side of the front seat, you instinctively reach for the brake pedal with your foot--even though it's not there {the brake pedal, not your foot} . . . which can have alarming, long-term consequences for your marriage. But once again . . . I digress.]
- Ditto re: who's supposed to adjust their speed to traffic on the on-ramps to highways, freeways, interstates, etc. Didn't we learn that the car ENTERING traffic is supposed to adjust his/her speed, especially if the car in the near lane can't move over due to traffic in the next lane over? Well, that's what we learned from Mr. Kunkel. [I was even praised one time--lavishly I might add--because as we were entering I-70 from the Concordia, MO, on-ramp, I ran out of on-ramp space & a vehicle in the near lane wouldn't yield [a constitutional right?!], so I slowed way down & drove on the shoulder. [In hindsight, I'm not sure that was all that safe either, but I was lavishly praised anyway . . . as far as I can remember.]
- Re: TV shows, including Lois' & my [Please don't think the less of us!] favorite Netflix series, where characters can use God's name in vain, fornicate, commit adultery, lie, steal, maim, mutilate, murder . . . but rarely if ever smoke? I put that question to my beautiful bride of 41+ years of wedded bliss last night . . . She laughed but failed to answer . . . & to the think, our grand-daughters always assure me that "Grandma's the smartest person in the room."
- Tagline from Drudge Report (5/21): "Climate feedback site allows scientists to 'correct media errors' . . . [Dept. of Egregious Examples: NY TIMES: "Data suggests Antarctic Icecap getting thicker." CFS: "Data suggests Antarctic Icecap melting by the mega-ton, hour-by-hour, & NY Times science reporters have brains filled w/penguin poop."]
Political Potpourri
HIGHLY PERSONAL DISCLAIMER WARNING! Since both He- & She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named have clinched their parties nominations, I must confess that I seem to have reached a state of ennui re: political rants.- On the one hand, this would seem to take away a feature that has been a fan favorite for who knows how long. [Actually, I DO know . . . not all that many fans for not all that long, . . .]
- On the other hand, political news & commentary can really get me worked up . . . not a good effect for someone with a diagnosed general anxiety disorder . . . & once I start visiting my favorite on-line partisan pundits . . . this can also have an unseemly effect on someone with a "suggested" OCD. I can easily . . . easily, I tell you . . . spend hours . . . possibly days, even weeks, scouring these sites.
- Well, here goes anyway . . .
Re: SWSNBN
From Omaha World Herald (6/8): "SWSNBN basks in a historic moment." [Oooh, oooh, let me write the next sentence: "For the first time in the history of presidential campaigns, a major party has nominated a pathological liar AND likely felon as their candidate. And she's a woman, too."]Re: HWSNBN
From Des Moines Register/USA Today supplement (6/2): "Analysis: HWSNBN involved in 3,500 lawsuits. An exclusive USA TODAY analysis of legal filings across the U.S. finds that presumptive Republican presidential nominee HWSNBN & his businesses have been involved in at least 3,500 legal actions in federal & state courts during the past 3 decades . . . " [I think I've made my feelings about HWSNBN fairly obvious in previous entries. In all fairness *, I STILL feel that I should point out the following:]- The main-stream media waited to publish this story until after SWSNBN captured [Extorted? Sorry . . . *] her parties nomination.
- None of these lawsuits, to the best of my knowledge, were filed against her by the Justice Dept. for using private servers to send highly, classified, government emails to family members.
- None of these lawsuits, to the best of my knowledge, were filed as part of "wrongful death lawsuits" by the relatives of people killed by terrorists. I'm just sayin'.
- My favorite hometown newspaper doesn't rely on a USA Today supplement to "carry" them. Psych!
Re: Our POTUS's Legacy
Also from OWH (5/26): "POTUS urges youth to tackle climate change. Wrapping up a historic visit to Vietnam, POTUS on WED praised the country's next generation of leaders for being more conscious of the environment than previous generations & urged them to 'do something about' climate change." [Because the last thing we'd want them to worry about is their country's abysmal human right's record . . . or the millions of acres of Agent Orange-contaminated land that both their previous generation of political leaders, along with possibly a previous generation of our own political leaders, were responsible for . . . Right?]Again from OWH (6/8): "Bill regulating thousands of chemicals sent to POTUS." [I didn't bother to read the article, but that won't keep me from my incisive comments. Although, generally speaking I abhor more government regulations, is anybody besides me concerned about thousands of chemicals being sent to POTUS?]
Re: The Delightfully, Politically Correct World We Live In
From "Baby Blues" comic, OWH (5/23): SON: "Whewww! I'm so-o-o glad that school is finally out!" DAD: "We used to have a saying about that when I was a kid. 'No more pencils! No more books! No more teachers' dirty looks!' You ever heard that one?" SON: "Dirty looks are against the rules at our school." DAUGHTER: "Yeah. I'm pretty sure it's classified as a hate crime." [WARNING! BRIEF DIGRESSION FOLLOWS!! I have fond memories of chanting this ditty when I was a young lad in grade school . . . or was it in Mr. Kunkel's drivers' ed class? *]* Lest you think I'm picking on him, some of my favorite high school memories are from Mr. K's 9th grade Civics & drivers' ed classes.
Also from OWH (5/28): "San Bernardino victims died quickly, autopsies reveal. Autopsies released FRI of the 14 victims of the San Bernardino terror attack confirm that all died quickly after being shot as least twice . . . One of their co-workers, Syed Farook, & his wife opened fire on the group." [Emphasis added. {1} I'm sure the news that the victims died quickly was of great comfort to the victims' families & friends. {2} I'm actually a little shocked that this was described as a "terror" attack," & the co-worker's name is published. {3} On the other hand, by 5/28, it had been clearly established that the "co-worker" & his wife were inspired by ISIS, right? I didn't see any mention of that in this admittedly brief news item.]
Ditto OWH (5/31): "Killing of gorilla to save boy is protested (5/31).The killing of an endangered gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo to rescue a boy who fell into its enclosure unleashed an outpouring of grief over the holiday weekend. Grief turned to fury as critics questioned the zoo's decision to shoot the 17-yr-old gorilla . . . " [I'd be furious, too, & I was gratified to hear that the throng of protestors quickly left this protest & immediately joined a protest against the continuing slaughter of unborn babies . . . Wait . . . what? Sorry--I have my facts wrong . . . The throng of protestors formed a huge prayer circle on behalf of the many Christians imprisoned, tortured, raped, sold into slavery, & murdered by Islamic . . . Wait . . . what? Sorry . . . never mind.]
Political carton from St. Paul Pioneer Press (6/4):
Panel 1: Women correspondent reports, "CHICAGO: 6 killed, 63 wounded in Memorial Day weekend shooting."
Panel 2: Male correspondent reports, "CINCINNATI: An innocent gorilla shot dead."
Tagline below: "Which story went viral?
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