Let Kids Do Kid Stuff

March 11, 2016

Last night I accidentally saw part of a kids’ talent show on TV. The kid I saw sang like an angel, and I was enchanted—until he really got going and started over-reaching. I thought, “Kid, you’re ruining your voice.”

I wanted to tell the host of the show, “Use your powers for good! Tell the kid and his parents that if he keeps doing that, he’s going to get nodes!” Sure it’s cute when a kid puts out a lot of power, but the TV show isn’t doing him any favors by letting him sing wrong.

Here’s a thought—try having a reality show that helps kids develop their talent properly, instead of just exploiting them.

How Do Polygamists Do It?

March 11, 2016

After hearing so many women complaining that their husbands won’t do anything except watch TV, I wonder how polygamists snag so many women.

Imagine boring a whole bunch of women to tears!

Over-Reacting or Under-Reacting?

March 24, 2016

Some students at Emory University felt threatened by the words “Trump 2016” scrawled in chalk on buildings and sidewalks. They demonstrated, and demanded a meeting with the university president, saying that the messages made them feel concerned and frightened.

One one hand, I’m wondering how long they’re going to last in the real world if chalk scrawls throw them into such a tizzy.

On the other hand, I’m thinking that if responsible adults had protested Trump’s remarks and shenanigans on the campaign trail this vigorously, the Republican Party might not be worried about being stuck with him today.

UberCycle, Anyone?

March 19, 2016

There’s a proposal in St. Louis to make operators of pedicabs, the bicycle-drawn taxis, undergo fingerprint-based background checks.

But Uber is still trying to make sure its drivers get a pass, and seems likely to succeed.

??????

Quote of the Week

March 19, 2016

Quote of the Week:

“The Missouri Legislature has hit rock bottom and started to blast.”

Chuck Schneider, in a letter to the Post-Dispatch

Setting the Record Straight About Mary Magdalene

March 16, 2016

With the Easter Gospels being read right now, let’s get something straight:

People still believe that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Guess what? She wasn’t.

Mary Magdalene was a woman who was possessed by seven devils, which Jesus drove out of her. It was Pope Gregory the First who declared that she was a prostitute, with no Biblical grounds whatsoever.

Now think about it. I’ve never been involved with the sex trade, but it seems like a guy would have to be pretty darned desperate, to have sex with a woman who was possessed by seven devils.

So let’s let this myth die, OK?

It Only Made Page 7

March 1, 2016

School shootings used to be big news. Front page, constant TV updates, etc. Like many people, I wondered if the excessive coverage somehow encouraged other people to follow suit.

Of course, what made them news was their rarity.

But now they’re so commonplace that yesterday’s shooting at an Ohio school didn’t show up in the paper until Page 7.

Damn!