Britain's Answer to Josh Hawley

November 27, 2021



Missourians, rejoice! Your U.S. senator isn’t the only politician spouting whack-a-doodle theories about the role of the Women’s Movement in society’s ills.

Now UK Conservative MP Nick Fletcher is blaming a female Doctor Who for causing young men in Britain to commit crime. Well, a female Doctor Who and other female characters.

“…There seems to be a call from a tiny, but very vocal, minority that every male character or good role model must have a female replacement,” Fletcher continued. “In recent years we have seen Doctor Who, Ghostbusters, Luke Skywalker, The Equaliser, all replaced by women.”

The deep-thinking MP said that replacing traditional male film roles with females has led young men to look for role models in such characters as Tommy Shelby, a gangster in the show “Peaky Blinders.” With the only viable male role model being a criminal, what are young men to do but emulate him by turning to a life of crime?



Because a bad male role model beats an on-the-side-of-justice female role model any day.



Nice to know that the anti-female nuts aren’t all on this side of the Pond.

  

For the Love of God

November 21, 2021

 

When people say, “For the love of God…!”, they usually don’t mean it. They usually mean, “For crying out loud!” or something.

But when I hear people gripe about Christmas lights being too early; people complain that stores aren’t being Christmassy enough (remember the Starbucks coffee-cup frenzy a few years ago?); or people have a hissy fit when someone says, “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas,”

 

I mean it when I say, “For the love of God, stop using Christmas as a reason to be hateful.”

 

                                                                                                                                 

Take Pity on the Rest of Us

November 21, 2021

 

I was in line at a store today, and after having waited for quite some time, I was finally second in line, and the woman ahead of me had several items, and the last one NEEDED A PRICE CHECK! 

I feel strongly that stores should equip the checkout lanes with signs that people can hold up saying, “I need a price check” so that other people will know not to get in line behind them.

Lost Credibility

 

November 20, 2021

 

Republicans are warning that President Biden’s choice to become a top banking regulator will nationalize the banking system.

 

I don’t know anything about her, or the situation. But I do know that people who won’t admit that the Capitol rioters were dangerous; who believe that the last presidential election was stolen; and who won’t admit that masks can help prevent the spread of COVID-19

 

Are certainly not people whose word I would take for anything.

 

 

And that’s a shame, because someday they may actually be telling the truth about something important;

 

And a whole segment of the population will tune them out.

 

Can't We Try Making Some NEW Mistakes?

November 20, 2021

 

 

There was another article in the paper today about a developer wanting to build in a flood plain.

 

There was also a column about why we shouldn’t offer tax credits to the entertainment industry—music, this time—seeing as how it didn’t go well for us vis á vis the film industry.

 

And let’s not forget subsidizing sports teams, hoping that the billions they make for the owners will somehow, someday, translate into dollars for the citizens of the host cities.

 

 

How about we try doing something we don’t already know will fail?

 

 

Charity Begins at Church

November 13, 2021

 

Here’s a shout-out to my sister, who pressed for 5% raises for teachers connected with her church. 

The teachers had done without raises in the lean years (and let's face it, churches aren't famous for paying high salaries to start with), and the cost of living has increased substantially in the meantime; so she persuaded the thriftier members of the board, who thought that 1- or 2% raises would be ample, to go to 5%.

 

Way to go, Sis.

 

 

Lightening the Gloom

November 12, 2021

Don't get grumpy when people turn on their Christmas lights before Thanksgiving.

View it as a non-religious attempt to lighten the Fall darkness and cheer people up.

 

 

Why Did Nobody Tell Me?

November 12, 2021

 

It has come to my attention that leaving the vacuum cleaner in the living room for days on end doesn't mean that the carpet will get cleaned.

I may actually have to turn it on someday.

#nevertoooldtolearn

Health Care Fraud

November 9, 2021

 

I don’t generally see insurance companies in the role of patsies, but in one particular instance, they are being snookered on a regular basis.

My doctor left the medical group where he practiced. Since my choices are, of course, limited by insurance, I decided to go to another doctor in the same practice; besides, when he wasn’t available, they’d send somebody else in to do my workups, so it’s not that much of a stretch.

Here’s the kicker, though. Even though all my medical information is available to the practice, they want to sign me up as a new patient, with new patient fees.

Ridiculous.

 

Yes, insurance pays for it. But I’d rather the companies put their collective foot down on this egregious money-grabbing scheme so that they could save their money to pay for medications that people actually need.

 

Why do insurance companies put up with this nonsense, and when will they crack down on this fraudulent practice?

 

 

Think Outside the Clock

November 6, 2021

 

 

Many people say that they want Daylight Saving Time to last all year so that they can get more light in the evenings.

 

I say, “Think outside the clock.”

 

With changes in work habits, lots more people have flexible schedules. As far as I’m concerned, they are welcome to leave work an hour earlier, eat dinner an hour earlier, and do whatever else they do an hour earlier. Almost nobody is tied to a network TV schedule, so you don’t have to worry about missing your shows. And maybe someday, school activity times will catch up with the trend. (And I get to keep my morning light, when it would ordinarily be available.)

 

In the meantime, look at it like this: In order to counteract the early darkness, lots of cultures have some form of Festival of Lights, and also the bustle of holidays in the winter to help people get through the dark times. So, take advantage of the wisdom of the ancients (and thank them), and just enjoy the show.

 

After the solstice, the days start getting longer, so you’ll be back up to par in no time (unless you live really far north).

 

And remember: Use those newly-flexible schedules to get your daylight in.

 

 

Think outside the clock.

The Wheels on the Trolley Can Still Go 'Round and 'Round

November 7, 2021

People keep yammering on about the failed Loop Trolley. One person has even gone so far as to suggest that the route be extended, to make it more useful. That, of course, would entail tearing up even more streets to find or lay rails, and being even more disruptive to traffic while the work is carried out.

 

Here’s a thought (and not a new one for me): Buy a trolley car with tires!!! That way, it can go anywhere, people can ride on it and feel old-fashioned, and no more tearing up streets and disrupting businesses.

 

Just sayin’.

 

 

  

Giving Josh Hawley His Due

November 7, 2021

 

Kevin McDermott, a columnist for the Post-Dispatch, on recent remarks made by Josh Hawley:

“Hawley’s comments have gotten national buzz from commentators who act like they’ve never heard anything so crazy. On that, I have to come to Hawley’s defense: This is nowhere near the craziest thing he’s ever said.”

 

If you’re curious about the context, read the column in today’s Post-Dispatch, or on their website. The whole column is worth reading.

 

The Apple Wasn’t Eaten in a Day—Or Something Like That

November 1, 2021

 

When I read about progressives scuttling helpful bills because they don’t cure all of society’s ills, I want to hold out an apple and say, “Eat this.”

If they started to eat it a bite at a time, I’d say, “Nope. Gotta eat it all in one gulp.”

If they protested that it was impossible, I’d say, “And that’s how fixing society works. You have to do it a bit at a time.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you’re not going to fix everything with one bill. So fix it a bit at a time. Eat the apple a bite at a time.

 

“Otherwise, everyone’s going to starve.”

Suit-Happy

November 4, 2021

 

If people in Texas can sue total strangers who’ve participated in an abortion, even if it had no effect on the person suing,

Can people sue the drivers who caused the crashes that made them late for work, or for appointments, or for picking up their kids; or who just aggravated the foo out of them by making them sit (again!) in traffic?

Can people sue co-workers who come in to work and make other people sick, causing them to miss work and lose pay?

Can people sue politicians whose antics raise a person’s blood pressure to dangerous levels, causing or exacerbating health issues?

 

I’m kinda digging this line of thought. Either people would start behaving better, or we’d all be rich.