Not a good year for things named Sandy. Be it Superstorm or Hook, it's been a rough fall for Connecticut. Here's what I've seen.
From the hurricane (which is derived from the early Taino people who lived in the Caribbean - we also get the word barbecue from them as well - fun stuff), I watched from Vegas. Note: news channels are a horrible way of trying to ease your mind of everything back home. Mel and the kids evacuated (under orders) but we sustained no damage. Lots of branches down but nothing to worry about.
From the shootings, we, like many I suspect, were left to a feeling of helplessness. Here's a break down of my thought process:
And what's with the folks who are pissed that they feel they can't say Merry Christmas? Say what you like, but saying it to your Jewish friends is a little odd. Or your friends that celebrate Kwanzaa or Festivus. I say Happy Boxing Day but only get strange looks. Nothing is stopping you from saying Merry Christmas except your social graces.
From the hurricane (which is derived from the early Taino people who lived in the Caribbean - we also get the word barbecue from them as well - fun stuff), I watched from Vegas. Note: news channels are a horrible way of trying to ease your mind of everything back home. Mel and the kids evacuated (under orders) but we sustained no damage. Lots of branches down but nothing to worry about.
From the shootings, we, like many I suspect, were left to a feeling of helplessness. Here's a break down of my thought process:
- Friday - Ban guns, ban crazy people, ban elementary schools, ban bullets, ban little kids from existing outside a soft bubble.
- Saturday - Ban just the guns. All guns.
- Sunday - Maybe we just ban the ugly looking guns
- Monday - Banning wont work. Thanks a lot Rob.
- Tuesday - Trap doors. The world needs more trap doors. You hit a button and the bad guy falls into a pit with alligators. Alligators can't get out of the pit. Folks may accidentally fall through the trap door from time to time, but hey, someone has to feed the gators.
- Wed - ban the trap doors.
I should point out here that I not longer subscribe to cable. We're get our TV via Hulu and Netflix. That means my news comes from Twitter (fast breaking) and Google News now and then. I normally don't hunt news out.
So when every discussion I see turns into a "liberal nutjob" and " conservative nitwit" name calling battle; I get so put off. These discussions run roughshod into the fiscal cliff mess and we end up just with names. Why we can't have a discussion on how to make the US a better? Safer place for kids isn't a blue state/red state issue. It's a human issue.
So we took the kids to a candlelight vigil the town held last Sunday. It was more religious than I thought it might be, and that surprised me. Maybe I am out of touch, but does grieving equal God in 2012? I am certain human existence has come up with something besides quoting scripture to ease the pain. I left feeling well, if that helps someone, fantastic but I was looking for something bigger something I didn't get at church earlier that day.
The kids were fine. Ian was sad but he and Reagan got right back into the school swing of things...
Then we come to Facebook. When did facebook become the dumping ground for "I can still say God Bless America, right" sentiment??? Here's one I saw yesterday: "God, where were you when the school kids needed you? I am not allowed in schools -God." Really? So we control the omnipotent one now? Oy.
And what's with the folks who are pissed that they feel they can't say Merry Christmas? Say what you like, but saying it to your Jewish friends is a little odd. Or your friends that celebrate Kwanzaa or Festivus. I say Happy Boxing Day but only get strange looks. Nothing is stopping you from saying Merry Christmas except your social graces.
Gut check - am I sounding too much like an old man?
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The old man