l'état, c'est moi (and some mini rants)

Louis XIV of France probably did not say that even though it is always attributed to him.

Courtesy Manny F

This is not Louis XIV, nor is it Napoleon Bonaparte.  But to President Trump, alongside many Chief Executives in very many Nations (and the members of the  current U.S. House and Senate), Lincoln's wisdom and words seem to be forgotten.


Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth. Abraham Lincoln (Gettysburg Address).


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now for the rants!

(a) I have no patience with various  journalists (and some of my friends) who speculate about President Trump's mental health.

They do not have the professional expertise to make such a judgment. There may be a "feel good" aspect to these speculations but a definitive diagnosis of mental illness can only be made by a medical professional.

What I can say based on his tweets and questionable public statements is that the President seems to be singularly lacking in impulse control.

**************************************************************************

(b) I have no patience  with the practice  of Publix Supermarkets which forces their check out staff to ask  "would you like to make a donation to this that or the other charity?".

FIRSTLY .  The amounts raised are never reported back to we the shoppers.

SECONDLY  It's dreadful to think that some shoppers nod and say yes simply because they are too shy or embarrassed to say no.

THIRDLY . Impulse giving is no substitute for carefully planned fiscal stewardship.

**************************************************************************

(c) I have no patience  with nor will I add my name to  the various on line petitions which my good hearted and well meaning friends ask me to sign.

Sometimes I have no reliable information about the originators of the petitions (could they be phishing expeditions?) .  Even when the authors are known to me, and I believe them to be reputable, I have never/ever heard back about the success or failure of the petitioner's goals.

**************************************************************************



(d)  I sometimes have no patience with my cat Adelaide




I seem to be living in a home where govermment is of the Povey, by the cat , for the cat.

 *************************************************************************************************************

 RANTS OVER.  THAT FEELS GOOD!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shoe insults

Last year I consulted with a local podiatrist: Dr. Robert F Herbold Jr. D.P.M. 4717 Swift Rd., Sarasota , FL – 34231  because I was being bothered with a couple of bunions  (yes I am at that age). I was very impressed with this Doctor.  He agreed that I had bunions, but he ventured that it was much too soon for surgery. (Now there’s a first). Instead he recommended some “arch supports” to relieve the tension for my feet, a tension which was exacerbating the bunions. What’s more -  he told me that he sells these arch supports at the miserly sum of $2.50 each (about 1/5 of the price in the local pharmacies). He is an honest man, and I recommend him to anyone with foot problems. So, a couple of weeks ago, having purchased some new walking shoes, I knew that I needed to buy a couple of new arch supports I took myself to his office. Once there, my mind went blank. I wanted to ask his front desk Clerk if I could buy some “shoe inserts” , as I could not rem...
Read more

It began in Bristol U.K. "A man dies" and "Jesus Christ Superstar"

Image
I well remember the swirling controversy in Bristol, U.K. when a (Presbyterian) Minister the Revd, Earnest Marviin created a ":Rock Opera", called "A Man Dies"  in and for his congregation in the Lockleaze area of Bristol, U.K. Earnest Mrvin I was a sixteen years old member of the Plymouth Brethren Church back in those days, so I most likely disapproved of "A Man Dies" .  We, (the Plymouth Brethren),  disapproved of everything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I had forgotten all about "A Man Dies" until earlier today when saw these pictures on the "Bristol, Then and Now"  Facebook page.   St. James Presbyterian Church, Lockleaze, Bristol  The Bristol Then and Now page includes the following commentary: Lockleaze, Bristol  -  'Jesus Christ Superstar' began at St.James (Presbyterian) Chur...
Read more

The background, the couple, my friends, the wedding ceremony, the Shaykh, the Priest,

Image
The background   I have known the Keller/Bonsey family since 2000 when I became the Rector at St. James's, Cambridge, MA. They (Elisabeth Keller and the Revd. Steven Bonsey with their four children Noah, Sam, Josiah and Annie) had come back to Cambridge from Hawaii where Steve had been the Rector of an Episcopal parish. Steve had just been appointed as a Chaplain at Tufts University (no Sunday morning duties) so the entire family was able to enrich our common life at St. James's - which they did with great love and joy. I count them as friends and have stayed in touch with them since my retirement.  Noah, the oldest son is eloquent in Arabic (he spent a year in Damascus when Syria was a safe place).  He has developed a super career as an analyst of social media in the near East.    Noah worked in Tampa for a while a few years ago, so he and I were a...
Read more