More Delights and Disdains . . .
of a diminutive nature of late . . . Number 20
Disdains:
Comparing a grocery receipt from July 2022 to a receipt from this week. Both receipts listed identical items that included milk, bread, eggs, cereal, orange juice, coffee, paper towels and Cokes. The result: a 12% increase over two years. Basic items such as milk and eggs held steady with the the more processed items bearing the brunt of the increase. My scratched-on-the-back-of-an-envelope 12% calculated increase comes pretty close to the US inflation rates for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024 to date as calculated here. An important lesson that I learned in my years in politics is that while the average voter may not understand inflation calculations, they do understand when their pocketbook is empty . . . and who caused it. Hint: If you are in any elected office, you are to blame.
Reading the headline in the local weekly newspaper announcing that the paper was going out of business at the end of July. Talk about reporting your own demise without exaggeration. The Greer Citizen provided me with much information and entertainment over the years especially when Leland Burch was editor. The local crime reports were a favorite as were the paper’s coverage of local sports. Everybody loves to see their name in the paper, no matter the reason. Burch’s weekly column captured the small town flavor of Greer during a time of unprecedented growth. A growth that has brought many newcomers that have no connection to the paper and ultimately, brought about its demise.
Watching Joe Biden’s increasing frailty. The news has reported that the White House was visited 8 times over the past 12 months by a neurologist - more specifically, a movement disorder specialist - who specializes in treating Parkinson’s patients. I thought to myself last Fall, that Biden was showing some Parkinson’s like symptoms, but then I dismissed it do to the possibility that I was projecting my symptoms on to others. Biden’s staff has denied that he has Parkinson’s. I understand how he feels when his face goes blank or struggles to get words out . . . especially during the pressure of a debate. If he is like me and likes debating, it is very frustrating when one can clearly form the words or conversation in your head but you just can’t communicate them with any effectiveness. Regardless of whether he has actual Parkinson’s Disease, some type of parkinsonism, or just advancing dotage, I hope that he doesn’t become the unintended negative poster-child for the disease. Maybe he will receive a little empathy? Nah, politics is a blood sport. But anyway, here’s a current non-technical article about Parkinson’s and the research to cure it.
Reading through the US Supreme Court’s ruling about Presidential immunity. I have a feeling that we will have a Constitutional Amendment proposed in the future to define the powers, restrictions and mental capacity of the President. That may be the only lasting benefit of the Biden/Trump circus that we have been clowning around in these past 8 years.
Delights:
Selling my son’s small Polaris side-by-side ATV. I bought if for him when he was 10 after doing extensive safety research. We spent many enjoyable hours speeding around the yard and woods while only once turning it over. No damage was done and an important physics lesson was learned. I had listed it on FaceBook MarketPlace twice since April, lowered the price each time and was about to de-list it. I won’t comment on the number of trollish messages that I received, but finally another father of a 10 year old son contacted me and who within 24 hours of making contact drove down from Brevard to test drive it. He then just loaded the ATV up into his truck and drove away after paying me, of course. A memory making machine on its way to make some new memories.
Going to my grandnephew’s birthday party, speaking of another 10 year old. He and another grandnephew and myself all share July birthdays so we get to party like its 1776.
Shooting off fireworks in the front yard with various family members on the Fourth of July. We come by this particular tradition honestly. I have a clear memory of two of my uncles, bent over the open trunk of a car, cigarettes dangling from their mouths while they picked out the next firework to light. They never said much. They didn’t have to. They were WW2 vets.