What happened to thinking?

Blogging was a rage some time ago, before the rise of "social" media and the headline - 120 character thought process.  Social media is sort of like getting news and information while standing in the grocery store check out line.

Seems a shame, first because with social media we seem less thoughtful in what we write, and second, because it seems we are losing the ability to read things in small fonts and hundreds of words.  Thought provoking seems to now be reduced to memes.

A shame.

Of course, I am the guiltiest, having not provoked a thought for a 2 years on my blog.  I believe my sin is of little consequence since I think at the peak of my popularity I had 3 readers who weren't in my family.

Of well.  The reason I am writing now is to make sure my blog is alive with activity, albeit one entry in these 2 years and also to provoke some thought.

How about that jacket the First Lady wore... : )

What is equal?

Read a piece today that preached equality in "race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, blindness, handicap, sexual orientation and gender identity".

OK, so, we are so freaked out about differences....what about hair color?  stature?  weight? economic capacity?  "handedness"?  eye color?

Dang.

Innie or Outie

So, it has come to this...is it so that our biggest social problem is whether or not men should be able to use women's bathrooms if they identify as a woman, or vice versa?  Does the bathroom a person use dignify their sexuality?  Is it reasonable to say that gender and sexuality are different?  Do we need something else to do or worry about?

I think the whole thing can be changed by identifying bathrooms as "innie" or "outie".  That's what this issue is really about anyway.

Oh, and I'd never run for president.

Why do you ask us what we think when all you do is tell us what to think?

It is interesting that the news industry pronounces the results of polls of the opinions of Americans to find out what they believe or choose.  That seems OK, except that it is the news industry that tells Americans what to believe.  In our time of soundbites, crawlers, headlines, and 24/7 flashes the industry discourages thoughtful analysis.  In addition, the emotion encouraged by the same industry discourages deviation from the "party line(s)" being advocated by individual media.  Essentially, the news media has created a self-licking ice cream cone.

Sorry, I just can't stop myself...

I even find a strange release when I start my confession with "I can't believe what an idiot I was"...or have been......or am....

Disarms critics too, the worst they can do is agree..

Upon further consideration...

Back to that cowardly way of confessing without taking responsibility - we see other versions - like "I am sorry if I did something wrong..."  ..or..."I am sorry if I offended you...".  These are making it YOUR problem if YOUR think I did something wrong, and can count as an apology because I said I am sorry.

Of course, in some ways you indeed are sorry....

Anyway, another is one we've heard recently "I admit I had a lapse in judgement...".  Close to a confession, but not actually saying I WAS WRONG.

Seems a good way to really confess is to say "I was wrong, I shouldn't have done that, I am sorry I did..."

An I am sorry if it offends you that I am pointing this out....I am sure the devil made me have this lapse in judgement and make an unfortunate choice...

On being mealy mouthed/

Somewhere in the 70's comedian Flip Wilson developed a tagline "the devil made me do it" as a routine in his appearances.  This phrase quickly saturated the American lexicon, and became a more nuanced way of confessing "I did it, but its not my fault".

I have many children, and remember well when another version of this excuse-making entered our household.  Entering the house after school, one would start explaining "you should have seen what the other kids got on the math test"....how many "f's" there were...as a prelude to the announcement she had a D or F, but it wasn't really her fault...

There are some more modern versions of this same "nuanced confession" tendency today.  One is being "radicalized".  As though an individual had little choice, he or she, like walking through a rain shower produces wetness, got "radicalized" by being in the presence of some nefarious teaching.  The person didn't make choices, the person was "radicalized".  The devil made them do it.  Not their fault.

Another one relates to "desire".  A person cannot help their behavior because of "desire".  Often included in sexual behavior, in a way of excusing one from observing accepted moral behavior, the excuse "I was born with this or that behavior" really means "I like doing it, and my liking it trumps right or wrong" (or, in some cases, defines right and wrong).  Of course it isn't hard to take this to its logical conclusion.

I suppose there are mitigating circumstances to all behavior, right or wrong.  In addition, I am sure "right" and "wrong" norms morph with time and culture.  Understanding that, it is still true that we make daily choices.  As I grab a handful of chips in the middle of the morning, my desire overrides my knowledge of the effect on my waistline, the devil radicalizes my dietary choices, and I get fat. Shame.  Imagine how skinny I'd be if I made the choice based on the righteousness of healthy eating.