Category Archives: Bits ‘n Pieces

Good People Doing Good Things — Humanitarians

Posted on by under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, Good people doing good things, Social commentary

I have just a few good ‘people’ today, not because I couldn’t find more, but because I ran out of energy … again.  But, I think you’ll enjoy these … gives us hope that humanity does still exist.

One heck of a tip!

The staff at Wahoo Seafood Grill in Gainesville, Florida, got a rather pleasant surprise last Tuesday.  A party of three came in, had what must have been a pretty nice meal, for the tab came to over $144 after a $63 discount!  But the kicker was the gratuity or tip.  Take a look at the receipt …

After the group finished their meal, the man asked the entire restaurant staff to come to the dining area.  He thanked all 10 of them for showing up and working hard. Then something incredible happened. He told them he was giving them $1,000 each!

Said the restaurant’s owner, Sean Shepherd …

“I’m not usually an emotional guy, but this really got me. I’m blown away. We’re ALL blown away by his generosity.  Watching these guys get their check was almost as good as Christmas morning.  The last year and a half hasn’t been easy on this industry. We’re hurting and we’re exhausted, but this incredible act of kindness has restored our faith in humanity. Our whole staff would like to thank this generous customer from the bottom of our hearts. We are all going to pay it forward in our own ways. Even the smallest acts of kindness can have a giant ripple effect.”

A double good people

Polish Olympian Maria Andrejczyk earned the silver medal in the javelin throw at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in July/August 2021). On August 11, she announced the auctioning of her prized medal to help save a young boy’s life.

She chose to raise funds for Miłoszek Małysa, an 8-month-old boy who needs to travel from Poland to Stanford University in California to have life-saving heart surgery. She does not know Małysa, but wrote that she knew his cause was the right choice after reading online pleas for help from his parents.

Andrejczyk wrote that Małysa needed 1.5 million Polish zlotys — about $385,000 — to cover the costs of his transportation and treatment.

“The true value of a medal always remains in the heart. A medal is only an object, but it can be of great value to others. This silver can save lives, instead of collecting dust in a closet. That is why I decided to auction it to help sick children.”

But the story gets even better.

Zabka, a Polish convenience store chain, made the winning bid.  Zabka confirmed the good news on Facebook. The store also gracefully declined to accept her silver medal.

“We were moved by the beautiful and extremely noble gesture of our Olympian. We also decided that the silver medal from Tokyo will stay with Ms. Maria.”

Tissues anyone?

Good people don’t have to be people, y’know

An unnamed 83-year-old Cornwall woman is alive today … thanks to her best friend, Piran.  She was out walking one day last week and slipped down into a deep ravine.  It was several hours before her neighbors noticed her absence and began searching for her.

They might still be searching today but for the woman’s friend, Piran, who, knowing where she was but unable to affect a rescue, waited patiently for the searchers to come close enough to hear his cries.  Oh … did I mention that Piran is a cat?

Ultimately the searchers came upon Piran, just as he’d known they would, and immediately called for professional help to rescue the woman lying in a stream at the bottom of the ravine.

Said her neighbor, Tamir Longmuir …

“The cat is very attached to her, and he was going back and forth in the gateway and meowing, so I decided to go and search the maize field.”

Piran gets a thumbs up 👍 for his dedication and efforts on behalf of his housemate!

That’s all I’ve got for today, folks, but remember … you, too, can be a good people.  Just offer a helping hand when you see somebody struggling … little things mean a lot.

Jolly Monday-Tuesday!

Posted on by under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, History, Humour, Politic-Free Mondays

Well, good Tuesday morning, my friends!  Come in out of the heat … early morning and already it’s sweltering out there.  So tell me, did you have a wonderful weekend?  Mine?  Meh.  Next weekend will be better, though … I’ll have my energy back and will be ready to run a marathon!  Or at least walk up the street and back.  Joyful has laid out a nice spread this morning, so let’s go see what’s on the feasting table, then we’ll find some things to start this week with a chuckle, a smile, or maybe even a laugh!

Jolly is chomping at the bit to show you the cartoons he picked out, so let’s start there …

I came across a host of humorous signs in my internet travels this past weekend that I think might give you a chuckle …

I also found something that made my jaw drop and I think it will yours, too …

And now, we’re sorry this is a bit shorter than some weeks, but as you can see, we’re running a bit behind here!  So, this animal video is a bit different … I knew absolutely nothing about the sand cat until coming across this video.

And now, sad to say, our time has come to an end for today.  But we’ll be back next week, hopefully on time and in better form!  Remember, my friends, to share those precious smiles … they are worth more than gold.  Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa, Jolly & Joyful!

The Return Of Snarky!

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, History, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary, voting rights

Snippets, Snippets, have I ever got snippets today!  My body may be feeble, but there’s nothing wrong with my mind!

Today, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) gave full approval for the Pfizer vaccine against COVID.  This does a number of things.

First, it removes the excuse the anti-vaxxers have been using for not getting the vaccine.  They said, “not without full FDA approval!”  Well, folks, now you’ve got that, so get your fat asses out there and get vaccinated … TODAY!

My granddaughter, astute for her young years, said, “I bet now they’ll say it was too fast.”  And lo and behold, just an hour after she said that I read this headline …

Goalposts Moved: Fox News is Now Complaining That FDA Rushed the Vaccine Approval Process

And if Fox says it, you know the nudniks will believe it.

Second, it allowed the Pentagon today to announce it is making the vaccine mandatory for its 1.3 million active-duty service members.  Bravo!!!

The time for argument and delay is past.  This was the last possible hurdle.  Now it’s time to think of others, put petty whining aside just for once, and do the right thing.  If a large portion of the population continue to resist, then I vote we build something akin to leper colonies and house them there until the threat has passed.

In just a few hours, Governor Andrew Cuomo will fade into oblivion … we hope.  Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will take her oath of office at one minute after midnight.  I detest the confrontational attitude that Cuomo has adopted in his last weeks in office, for he is only paying the price for his own actions – nobody forced him to sexually harass women.

That said, all people are some combination of good and bad … well, most people anyway.  While Cuomo’s current crimes must be remembered, must serve as a warning to future politicos, he has also done much good during his decade in office and I think that should be remembered as well.  It is a part of his legacy, just as is his sexual misconduct.  When Pete Rose was banned from baseball for betting on the sport, I thought that right and proper, but when he was denied a well-earned place in the Baseball Hall of Fame, I thought that was wrong.  In the same way, I think it is right for Cuomo to step down, but that it would be wrong to paint Cuomo with only a single, dark brush.

Remember the good as well as the bad and take a lesson from both.

When I was trying to catch up on the news earlier today, I felt as if there were a conspiracy to direct our attention in so many directions that no single news item would stand out, would capture our full attention.  Afghanistan, of course, is at the forefront of our minds, as it should be.  Climate change and the terrible climate-related disasters happening all over the globe – floods, hurricanes, droughts, water shortages, wildfires – are critical to our future on this planet.  Getting vaccines into stubborn mules and masks onto their faces seems a never-ending struggle and is critical, for failure to do so affects the health and well-being of every man, woman and child on earth.  But what seems to have fallen through the cracks may be, at least for the people of the United States, the most important issue of them all:  voting rights.

The U.S. Senate under the minority leadership of the ignoble Kevin McCarthy is somehow determined to draw our attention away from the bills S1 and S4 so that, with our attention elsewhere, they can sweep them under the rug and wash their hands of our voting rights.

Interestingly, Maria Bartiromo of Fox ‘News’ interviewed McCarthy the other day and she surprised me.  Here’s a brief snippet from that interview …

Bartiromo:  “You a moment ago mentioned the HR 1 voting bill. I’ve got to tell you there are viewers of this program who have lost faith in the Republican Party leadership, lost faith in Mitch McConnell and in you because we do not know if you have your arms around free and fair elections.  How come there’s no discussion about all of the states that are changing their voting laws right now?  How come there’s no discussion about the audit going on in Arizona right now? What are you going to do? Can you prove to the American people that you are in control here and able to ensure that we will have free and fair elections in 2022 and 2024?”

McCarthy:  “We’re fighting every single day. Now we’re watching Democrats trying to cheat within elections, inflation at a number we have not seen. This is Jimmy Carter on steroids. And this is just eight months into this administration.  We will fight and we will win and the next century will be the American century because we know how to govern.”

That is a non-answer if ever I heard one!  He did not even begin to answer the question, not even to address the fact that some Fox viewers, according to Bartiromo, have lost faith in the Republican Party leadership, but used his answer as yet another opportunity to criticize the Democratic Party!  Get off your fat ass, McCarthy, and do your job!  We the People want the For the People Act (S1) and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act (S4) passed and we want it done before the end of this year!!!

Folks … this one is top priority, even though it seems to have faded out of view in light of the chaos of the Afghanistan troop withdrawal.  Let’s keep it hot, okay?  We cannot allow our politicians to simply shrug their shoulders and let these two all-important bills die in the Senate.  Once again, I’m asking you, contact your Senators and let them know you have not forgotten … you will not forget.

We Don’t Need More Babies!!!!

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, education, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Social commentary

I saw an article headline in the New York Times this morning …

Who Has the Cure for America’s Declining Birthrate? Canada.

A number of things went spinning through my mind, but the dominating thought was – why does our declining birth rate need or deserve a cure???  All things considered, this world does not need any more humans hellbent on destroying our precious resources!  It seems, especially of late, that there is a taint in the gene pool here in the U.S. that more and more of our population are affected with TS – Terminal Stupidity.

Rather than trying to increase an already hefty population, let’s focus on educating the ones we have!  In fact, I would advocate sterilization for every single individual who blatantly refuses to be vaccinated or to wear a mask.  They are the breeders of TS.

And then there’s the environment.  At the current rate which we are ignoring the dire warnings of the scientific community and the IPCC, human life on this planet cannot possibly last past the end of the century, likely not even that long.  So … WHY does anybody think it’s a good idea to bring more lives onto the planet to suffer the devastating effects that are going to take place in the coming years???  What a cruel thing to do!  Over the next generation or two, there will be food and water scarcity, devastating fires, droughts, floods.

Rather than try to boost the birthrate, I say we make birth control free and widely available, same with abortions.  It is unconscionable to keep piling people on top of people who have no future.  We, humans, have no future and we have only ourselves to blame.  Don’t subject even more people to a slow, painful, drawn-out death.

Now, some of you may argue that one of those new lives could be the very person who grows up to find a way to save the planet.  And there was a time that would have been my view as well.  However, as I watch those with TS parading around doing far more harm than good, even to their own loved ones, I realize that if we were handed a solution on a silver platter today, there are far too many affected by TS who would rebel, who would refuse to make whatever sacrifices were needed on their part, for it would, in their book, “infringe on their freedoms”.  They would sooner see this planet crash and burn than to make some small effort to help save it, so no matter how brilliant the plan to save the planet might be, the TS bunch will stomp on it.

Sorry, folks, but my faith in the goodness of human nature is gone.  Done.  When I see a parent ripping the mask off of a teacher, see hordes of people cheering a madman who has done more than his share to add to the destruction of not only this nation, but the world, and see a motorcycle rally where not one lousy person of the thousands in attendance is wearing a mask, despite the surge in both new cases and deaths, despite the new Lambda variant on the horizon, then I know there isn’t much hope for rallying the crowd in a huge effort to save the planet.  Let the birth rate continue to decline.  It’s for the best.

And for those of you who haven’t yet had the joy of grandchildren … buy a puppy.  They’re cuter, much more low-maintenance, cheaper to feed, and loyal.

Filosofa’s Snarky Snippets Once Again

Posted on by under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Political commentary, Social commentary

I’m still struggling to get back above the weather, but I’m determined to get this blog back on track!  Therefore tonight I have only 2 snippets – one short one and one slightly longer one.  And then, I tell you what … I’ll throw in a cartoon or two to leave you with a bit of political humour, if there can be said to still be such a thing.

Thumbs up to …

U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason who threw out the permits for a controversial oil project planned for Alaska’s North Slope.  The project was approved under the former administration, but was never popular with environmentalists or the Indigenous community.  Nonetheless, President Biden had allowed the project to continue despite objections from Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland.

Turns out that the environmental impact studies had been sub-par and incomplete, with one report saying that drilling for 160,000 barrels of oil per day, “probably won’t hurt the polar bears.”  Sorry guys, ‘probably’ just isn’t good enough.  Known as the Willow Project, it was owned by ConocoPhillips.  The federal agencies impact statements failed the meet the requirements laid out in two landmark laws, the National Environmental Policy Act and the Environmental Protection Act.

Should ConocoPhillips decide to further pursue their options, they will need to have far more in-depth and conclusive environmental impact studies done, and even then there are no guarantees.  I’m pleased … “Leave it in the ground” is my motto!

Say WHAT???

During the 20 years US forces were in Afghanistan, scores of Afghanis helped them, serving as guides, interpreters, and more. In return, the Biden administration has offered asylum in America to avoid the almost-certain retaliation by the Taliban.  It is only the right thing to do … the humanitarian thing.  We owe them at least this.  He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.  However, as you might guess, the right-wing talk jocks are having a field day proudly parading their racism, their xenophobia.

Tucker, the face pucker, had this to say …

“So, we’re getting it and if history is any guide — and it’s always a guide — we will see many refugees from Afghanistan resettle in our country in coming months, probably in your neighborhood. And over the next decade, that number may swell to the millions. So, first we invade, and then we’re invaded. It is always the same.”

Laura Ingraham …

“Is it really our responsibility to welcome thousands of potentially unvetted refugees from Afghanistan?”

And comments by others from Fox, OAN, Infowars, Breitbart and more …

  • “The collapse of Afghanistan will now send, it’s estimated, 5 million Afghan refugees into Europe and the traitorous Pentagon leadership has already sent out an order to prepare for hundreds of thousand of Afghan refugees to be brought to Texas.”
  • “Biden Accepts 30,000 Afghan Refugees, Exacerbating Open Border Policies.”
  • “The US has allies and bases throughout the Middle East. There is no need to airlift tens of thousands of unvetted refugees all the way to the homeland. It would be a national security disaster waiting to happen.”
  • “No, the United States should not welcome an unchecked flood of young fighting age Afghan men into our country. This should not even need to be said. It would be a grotesque and suicidal policy. Which is why I’m sure it will be put in place.”

And good ol’ Nazi Steven Miller, a prior advisor to the former guy on such things as immigration …

“It is becoming increasingly clear that Biden & his radical deputies will use their catastrophic debacle in Afghanistan as a pretext for doing to America what Angela Merkel did to Germany & Europe.”

But somewhere in my reading I saw one comment from a ‘news’ commentator that really set my teeth on edge.  I cannot quote is, for I haven’t yet been able to find it again, but he or she said that Afghani refugees should not be allowed to enter this country because, “They don’t even look like us.”

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.  What a big heart these jerks have, yes?

Now, I get that many in the media, particularly the right wing, faux ‘news’ networks, are not the brightest bulbs in the pack, not the most educated or understanding of world affairs.  But … BUT … I do expect better of our members of Congress.  I was appalled at the ruthlessness, the heartlessness of sixteen Republicans in the House of Representatives who voted against a bill to make it easier for Afghans who assisted the U.S. military to relocate to the U.S. The Averting Loss of Life and Injury by Expediting SIVs Act (ALLIES) Act was approved in the House by a 407-16 vote on July 22. I expect better of our elected officials.  Here are the sixteen — remember their names:

  • Andy Biggs of Arizona
  • Lauren Boebert of Colorado
  • Mo Brooks of Alabama
  • Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee
  • Jeff Duncan of South Carolina
  • Bob Good of Virginia
  • Paul Gosar of Arizona
  • Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia
  • Kevin Hern of Oklahoma
  • Jody Hice of Georgia
  • Thomas Massie of Kentucky
  • Barry Moore of Alabama
  • Scott Perry of Pennsylvania
  • Bill Posey of Florida
  • Matt Rosendale of Montana
  • Chip Roy of Texas

Way to go you 16 … way to show that there is not a shred of humanity in you, that you care not one whit what happens to people who have helped keep our military alive, and I damn sure don’t trust you in a position making decisions that potentially affect MY life, either!

And the promised cartoons …

Open Letter To All Republicans In Congress

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, education, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary, voting rights

Dear Sir or Madam,

Never in my 70 years have I been as disgusted with the Republican Party as I am today.  You have taken politics to an all time low, completely disregarding the will of the people and the best interests of the nation.  Your only goal seems to be to take over the nation and hand the reins of power to a cruel and evil dictator.

Note that your party is in the minority, both in Congress and in the nation, yet rather than trying to develop policies that would help people and thereby attract new members, you push people away with your hateful, guttersnipe rhetoric.  One example, Margie Greene, the QAnon conspiracy theorist who sits in the House of Representatives.  Just since returning from her Twitter ban, she has said that she will personally spend money to ensure that every one of the 19 senators who voted for the infrastructure bill will face a primary candidate next year.  Why?  Only because they worked across the aisle in an attempt to do their jobs.  And then, she claimed that she is drawing up impeachment papers against President Biden … no reason given.

And speaking of the infrastructure bill, there’s Ron Johnson who tells us that he hasn’t even read it and doesn’t plan to … he just knows he plans not to vote for it no matter what is or isn’t in it.  This is obstructionism to the nth degree.

Politics is a career intended to be peopled by educated people who understand how government works and who are dedicated to the principles enumerated in the U.S. Constitution.  Instead, what we get from your side of the aisle is gibberish that makes less sense than a kindergarten child on the playground.  Those of us who have even a basic knowledge of the Constitution and understand a bit about how government is supposed to work are appalled by your actions of the last decade or so, and especially the past year.

We elect you to act in our best interests, to put our welfare ahead of your own personal wealth and lust for power, but thus far you have not done that.  We elect you, then pay you a fair salary, and in return we expect you to show up for work every day, to read every bill you are asked to consider, to give those bills due consideration, debate them, and then make a decision based on whether this bill will be good for the nation and its people.  That’s really all we ask of you!  We don’t ask you to flit about the country holding rallies in which to spew a message of hate.  We don’t ask you to visit the former guy to help him work up his campaign strategy for the next election that is more than three years away.  In fact, that is a conflict of interest and We the People would be well within our rights to call for the resignation of those who have done so.  We don’t ask you to tweet condemnation of every single thing the president says or does – that’s not in your job description.

We the People are your employers, not Mitch McConnell, not Kevin McCarthy, and for damn sure not Donald Trump!

In 1854, your party was founded for a very noble purpose:  to stop the spread of slavery.  Throughout the years, the Republican Party has made some positive contributions to this nation.  But today?  You contribute only to the angst of the people who need help, who need you to put on your grown-up underwear and step up to the plate, do the right thing.  You have an opportunity to make vast improvements in the Republican Party, but instead you are more concerned about increasing your own power and wealthy at the expense of the very people to whom you owe your jobs.

For far too long now, the Republican Party, once known as the Grand Old Party, has been the “party of ‘no’”, the obstructionist party with no relevant goals or policies other than to naysay any legislation that is proposed by the Democratic Party.  Well, guess what … at least they have ideas!

It is time for the Republican Party to reassess their values, to step back and ask yourselves exactly what are you contributing besides chaos?  With all the challenges that face us today, I would think this would be the time to set partisan politics, greed and arrogance aside and work toward fixing the problems, toward making this a safer, more equal nation.  Instead, you are doing the exact opposite.

Think about it.

Sincerely,

Jill Dennison, independent voter, taxpayer, citizen

Jolly Monday — Late & Short

Posted on by under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Humour, Politic-Free Mondays

Good Monday morning afternoon, my friends!  My humble apologies for the lateness of Jolly Monday and its brevity today.  Joyful, Jolly and I haven’t felt well since last Thursday, and I just haven’t been up to the task of using my brain … in fact, I think it’s stored away in mothballs at the moment.  But, when I awoke to a text from a friend who was very worried when there wasn’t a Jolly Monday post to be seen, I figured I should at least round up some ‘toons ‘n other fun stuff to help start your week with a smile.  Sorry, slim pickings on the treat table today, but we’ll make it up to you next week!

JOLLY!!!!!!  Did you take a bite out of that apple?????  You put that back RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And let’s head on over to the ‘toons, shall we?

And perhaps a few cute pictures to make you go “Awwwwww” …

And a few funny memes that Jolly came across …

And finally, just a short animal video today, but it’s a fun one!

Well, we’re sorry we weren’t here earlier to help you start the week out on the right foot with a smile, but we hope you’ve enjoyed this slightly late, slightly short version of Jolly Monday.  Remember to spread those smiles around, my friends … funny thing about smiles is they tend to regenerate two-fold every time you use one!  Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa, Jolly, and Joyful!

Monster Mish-Mash

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, Re-blogs

Since I was not able to do a music post this morning, I am instead sharing our friend David’s Saturday music treats! He’s done a great mix today, one that will brighten your day and give you something to sing about! Thanks, David!

The BUTHIDARS

Or, where my mind takes me. And for a start it takes me back to an old favourite straight away. Let’s slip back to 1973.

Dobie Grey- Drift Away.

Back to 1968 now and a truly unusual record.

Sly and the family Stone – Everyday People

1985 next finds one of my favourite groups outside Motown in action.

Commodores- Nightshift

I’m getting almost modern now with a single from 1978. Bob Segar is a World Class writer and performer. Here he is with his Silver Bullet Band.

Bob Segar- Hollywood Nights

Finally, from 1985 I bring you a man whom some say the word conceited was written. Well, judging by some of his partners I’d say he has every right. But, and this is the important bit. He’s hugely talented and this single was what blew me away when I first heard it. Simply Red with Holding Back the Years…

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Oh Da Snark … Try Watching Grass Grow!

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, education, Environmental Issues, Political commentary, Social commentary

It seems I keep finding things to snark about.  I have tried to clear my mind of the detritus, tried lying in the yard watching the grass grow to find some peace of mind, but some of the blades of grass began looking like politicians after a while.  I threw myself into housework … for all of ten minutes … and then I was tired, so I went back to reading the news.  So, letting loose the snark here on ye olde blog seems to be the only way to evict it from my head!

Punished for doing the right thing

Okay, my friends … I’m going there again … ‘there’ being the place I try very hard to stay away from:  religion.  Well, not religion per se, but rather certain religious ‘leaders’ who have flown repeatedly onto my radar, almost as if they are begging me to swat them down.  Sigh.  I really don’t like delving into the realm, for I understand that in this area, I am a minority and my views have little or no value to the majority.  However …

Greg Locke, pastor of the Global Vision Bible Church in Nashville, Tennessee, is not a nice man.  He has floated across my radar numerous times, but until recently I swished him away, pooh-poohed him as just another foolish evangelical.  Until recently, that is, when he actually had the unmitigated gall to tell his congregation that if they wore a mask, they would be thrown out of church!

“If you start showing up [with] all these masks and all this nonsense, I will ask you to leave. I am not playing these Democrat games up in this church.”

‘Democrat games???’  Who’s playing games now, Greg?  What’s next for Mr. Locke?  Will he throw out parishioners who have been vaccinated?  What about those who eat healthy and exercise regularly … are they to be given the boot?  Folks, this is not about whether one chooses to believe in a higher being or not … this is about life and death, about personal choices, about our health.  Mr. Locke has just mandated that his congregation must engage in dangerous, life-threatening behaviour in order to have the dubious ‘privilege’ of hearing him opine on that of which he is proven ignorant.

This isn’t Locke’s first foray into the unconscionable.  Previously he insisted President Joe Biden was not legitimately elected and claimed only “crack-smoking” leftists would think he beat Donald Trump to the White House.  He has falsely accused the State of Tennessee of building ‘quarantine camps’ to house the unvaccinated, and last September he published a book titled, This Means War: We Will Not Surrender Through Silence (Pastor Greg Locke: Spiritual Warfare Series).

What a joke he is … I wonder how many people will die because they listened to him?

And on the subject of masks …

Do you ever look around, read the news, and just wonder if the whole damn world has lost its collective marbles???

On Tuesday night, a meeting of the school board was held in Williamson County, Tennessee, the wealthiest in the state and one of the 20 wealthiest counties in the country.  The purpose of the meeting was to decided whether or not there would be a mask mandate in place when children return to school next week.  Unlike some other states, there is no ban on mask mandates in Tennessee and the decision is left up to each school district.

The meeting was so chaotic that it ended up taking four hours to decide that yes, they would mandate masks for teachers and students at the elementary school level.  Masks will be optional at the junior high and high school levels where most students are over 12 years of age and thus eligible for vaccination.  Angry parents showed up, almost none wearing a mask, and frequently disrupted the meeting, expressing their fury that their child might be ordered to wear a mask.  One person became so violent that he had to be escorted out by county deputies.

But it was what came afterward that makes me think our nation is devolving into something cruel and inhumane.  As the meeting broke up, hundreds of protestors were waiting outside.  The meeting had included health care professionals who attested to the value of wearing a mask during this time when the Delta variant of the coronavirus is running rampant.  Upon leaving the building, the health care professionals were surrounded by protestors chanting and issuing threats such as “We know who you are,” and “We will find you.”

If this is what it means to be an American, then I want no part of it!  These people are loons!  Doctors and nurses, trying to keep the children of these loons safe and alive, are threatened for doing so.  PEOPLE!  WAKE UP!  This is not how rational human beings behave!!!  Or is it?  Are people completely losing the ability to disagree in a civilized manner?

Something to ponder

Our friend Jerry, aka Grumpy1180, left a comment on my post about Andrew Cuomo’s resignation that I found very astute …

I’ve had several epiphanies since leaving the Republican Party. Here’s one of them: When a Republican “leader” gets caught with his or her hand in the cookie jar–or his or her pants down, or choose your cliche–Republican followers turn on the accusers, the law enforcers, the court system, the media, and anyone else who would dare to question the integrity of their hero. They side with the person over the principle. When a Democrat leader gets caught violating a law or an important social norm, Democrat voters say, essentially, “Sorry, _____. I liked you, but principles come first. Time for you to move on and be replaced by someone who understands the importance of upholding crucial, society-sustaining principles.”

Think about that for a minute … he’s right!  Did you hear a single Republican call for Trump’s resignation in light of his many proven sexual harassment accusations, his lies, his corruption?  He even admitted to some of them, yet not a whisper was heard from Republicans in or out of Congress.  When confirmation hearings were being held for Brett Kavanaugh to occupy a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, and a highly credible woman accused him of sexual assault, who did Republicans turn on?  The woman, not Kavanaugh.  And more recently … have you heard a single Republican call for Representative Matt Gaetz, who is being investigated on sex trafficking charges, to step down?

Think about it … which party has shown integrity?  Jerry is right … it damn sure ain’t the Republican Party!

Good People Doing Good Things — Super Kids!

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, education, Good people doing good things, Humour, Social commentary

Just two ‘good people’ today, but they are small fry with huge hearts!

Let’s start today’s good people with a small, very cool young person. His name is Rowyn Montgomery, he is all of seven years old, and lives in Tiverton, Rhode Island.  Young Rowyn … this kid is gonna knock your socks off … he’s smart, he’s compassionate, he’s got more sense than a great number of adults I know.  And he’s even got his own YouTube channel, “Rollin’ with Rowyn“.

Rowyn first came up with the idea of making inspirational videos after being bullied himself.  Says Rowyn …

“When I make videos, it makes me feel happy that other people can watch them and feel happy. If they’re getting picked on or if they’re shy or something, they can watch the videos.”

Take a look at this one …

Rowyn’s mother, Michelle, helps him post videos to his YouTube channel …

“He’s so funny. He’s an old soul. You can talk to him about such deep things.”

Just watching his videos, I have no trouble believing that!  This kid is going places, and he’s going to do it with kindness and by helping others.  Check out just one more short one …

I laughed at the part where he threw his hands up and said, “God knows how many grades there’s gonna be …”

Rowyn will start second grade this fall, and hopes to follow in his mom’s footsteps when he grows up. She currently works in the behavioral health field as a case manager and helps people with mental illness.

Orion Jean is just ten years old, lives in Fort Worth, Texas, and last year, when he was a fifth-grader, he was the winner of the National Kindness Speech Contest.  Orion wrote, practiced, and gave this 90-second speech all within 24 hours, for that was all the notice he had.  Take a look at his 90-second speech …

Orion received over 2,800 votes in the contest, and the prize was $500 … a lot of money for a then-nine-year-old kid!  But, Orion didn’t buy himself a new bicycle or anything else with his prize money.  Instead, he put his money where his mouth was, for Orion didn’t just write and speak about kindness, he IS a kind young man who wanted to do something for others.

He decided to start by donating toys to sick kids at Children’s Medical Center Dallas. “These kids are my age, and they’re just kids like me,” he recalls thinking before he launched a drive for five hundred toys in August 2020. Jean’s parents had helped him set up social media pages, and he filmed videos about the toy drive for them to post on his behalf. Donations began streaming in, and he collected and donated 619 toys to the hospital in only a month.

An avid reader, Jean says he saw a statistic stating that two out of three kids living in poverty have no books of their own. He decided to collect 500,000 books for disadvantaged children. So far, he has gathered some 120,000 books and hopes to have the rest by the end of August.

“Kindness is a virtue we can all possess. If we are willing to. So why not start today. Because right now, it’s what we need more than ever.”

Ain’t it the truth!

Orion Jean has done even more, and you can read more about him and learn how you can help, in an article from last month in Texas Monthly.

These two young men are inspiring to all, I think.  If these guys are our future, then perhaps there is hope for humanity after all!