Politics is the art of choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable. —John Kenneth Galbraith
Politics be damned. There are things more important. A lot of things. Time to re-focus
My newsfeed is full of comments,articles, statements, and quotes regarding last night’s Presidential debate. I’m doing my best to ignore as much of it as possible. I was having hot chocolate and cherry pie while the debate was occurring, enjoying time with family. I went to bed before the debate was over. I slept well, not giving a second thought to  either candidate.
With a field of candidates more unlikeable and unqualified than we’ve ever seen, the intelligent move would have been to shut down the conversations, ignore the buffoonery, and focus on issues we could actually change for the positive. Apparently, we’re not that smart. From the very beginning, we went for the clown show, laughing at how absurd it all was. Our constant attention encouraged even more stupidity and it grew to the point we now have a circus that is nothing more than really bad slapstick.
Meanwhile, Â there are really important things going on in the world. There are probably thousands of things I could list that are more important than politics, but we’ve narrowed the list to five in hopes that maybe someone will actually pay attention this time. Take a look.
People In Haiti Are Digging Mass Graves
The death toll is over 1,000 in Haiti now. Cholera is beginning to sweep the island, which could kill more than Hurricane Matthew did. Rural areas, once again the hardest hit, are in desperate need of help with the most basic of necessities, such as clean water and sanitation. If you live anywhere in the United States, even if you are homeless, you are better off than the people of Haiti at this moment.
Calls for help are, of course, going out, but one thing we learned from the aftermath of the earthquake there three years ago is that the government is so incredibly corrupt and cares so very little for its people that very little aid actually gets to the people who need it. By some accounts, as much as 90 percent of aid sent to Haiti never reached its intended destination. Instead, it was hoarded by government leaders who used aid funds to line their own pockets.
What do we do? I don’t know. There’s no aid that does not have to go through government channels.While NGOs such as the Red Cross and the UN are doing their best, what we are seeing so far is a repeat of the disaster from three years ago. Haiti’s government doesn’t care if people die. Only a full-scale takeover of the government gets people the assistant they need, and no one is going to do that. The people of Haiti are screwed.
Meanwhile, the death toll from Hurricane Matthew in the US is at 17. That story is buried in most newspapers this morning, too. I had to hunt for it.
Santos Gives Nobel Prize Money To Colombian Victims
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos won the Nobel Peace Prize last week for his efforts to end the long civil war in his country. Some were surprised that he won despite an election that turned away an agreement that would have ended the conflict. Yet, the Nobel committee chose to acknowledge his efforts, saying that the election results were out of his control.
The monetary piece of the Nobel Prize is 8 million Swedish krona, which, based on this morning’s exchange rate, is just under a million dollars US. That much money buys a lot in Colombia and President Santos had many options. Politics being what they are, no one would have been too surprised had Santos chosen to put the money behind something that would benefit him politically. Instead, he chose to give it to those most affected by the ongoing war.
With the peace agreement having been shot down by voters and a cease-fire set to expire this week, fears in Colombia are mounting. The rural people have that country have been especially hard hit. Yet, unlike the situation in Haiti, they have a President who, at least on the surface, seems to care.
Stew Is Better Than Steak
Food is so much more important than politics. With the weather having cooled off, we can once again turn our attention to the savory and flavorful dishes that not only fill us but keep us warm. I made my first pot of chili for the season last night and will probably do some manner of veggie stew later this week.
Is stew actually better than steak, though? Really?
Think about that question for a moment. Think of the variety, the flavors, the options one has with stew that simply doesn’t exist with steak. Â If I prepare a steak for dinner, I have to be careful to choose just the right cut of meat, prepare it in just the right way with a limited group of appropriate spices, and pray that I’m not distracted and ruin it by cooking it a touch too long.
Stew, on the other hand, is a rainbow food. Toss at it whatever’s left over in the fridge, or what you’re still pulling from your garden. Maybe you add meat, maybe you don’t (though, by definition, most stew at least has a meat stock base). One can get really fancy with the ingredients, or one can play it loose and adventuresome. Making a bad stew is almost impossible. Oh, and cutting the meat into chunks also makes it more tender and flavorful, something you can’t do with a steak.
See? So much more important than what the Republican called the Democrat.
The Cubs
Tonight is game 3 of the National League playoffs, Cubs vs. Mets. The Cubs took the first two games. They have a talented pitching staff. The bats have worked when they were needed. The Cubs could sweep the Mets tonight.
Politics? Who needs politics when there is a more than reasonable chance that the Chicago Cubs could end up in the World Series for the first time in 108 years?
I have to admit, it has been interesting to watch the playoff coverage in the Chicago Tribune. They have been so very careful to not get too excited, to not be overly positive, to not give the Cubs any undue credit.  We’ve  been down this road before: the Cubs make the playoffs but can’t seal the deal. To be a  Cubs fan is to spend every October crying into your beer.
Yet, this year, with this team, things could be different. Maybe. Just maybe.
Tomorrow Is The Deadline For Voter Registration In Indiana
Okay, this is sort of political. Although, politics aren’t the only reason we vote. Duty, commitment, love of our country, and an obligation to participate in our government are why we vote. Politics are merely an annoying side effect, rather like anal leakage.
Voting is always more important that the politics surrounding your vote. Â There are too many people in our country who would take votes away from people whose voice needs to be heard. If you have the ability to vote, you have a moral obligation to do so. This is the way our country was designed to work. You not voting is exactly the same as Congress spending roughly two-thirds of the year on vacation: neither are doing what the country needs us to do.
No, voting doesn’t make the politics go away. Sometimes, the politics get worse. We are such an ideologically diverse country that our passion sometimes gets in the way of doing what is right.
Voting is not an endorsement of a candidate. Voting is saying to those elected, “Hey, I’m a citizen. My life matters. And I’m watching you.”
If you are not registered to vote, do so now.
Morning Update: 09/11/24
There are days when I’m not sure how to react to things happening around me. Yesterday was one of those days. I was sitting outside while the dogs ran around when I heard a sound that could have been gunfire. It also could have been someone nailing down a piece of tin. Whatever it was, I was too far away to be certain. Kat threw up yesterday and was running a fever. She took a COVID test because she’s been around people who’ve had it. At first, it appeared that the test was negative, but there was the faintest pink line. Do we respond as if she’s positive or not? She’ll take another test this morning.
The real stumper came with a text from one of Tipper’s teachers. She expressed concern over Tipper’s grades and then related an instance from yesterday afternoon where the child refused to complete an assignment, telling the teacher, “Yeah, that’s stupid, I’m not doing it.” I can’t imagine ever talking back to a teacher like that! I would have gotten my backside blistered so bad I wouldn’t have been able to sit down for a week! But we know corporal punishment like that doesn’t work, especially with kids on the autism spectrum. So, how do we tackle this one in a way that fits the crime?
Fortunately, I had plenty of time to think this one through before she got home. I started by taking her phone, which I know stung because her new phone case had just been delivered that morning. Then, we talked. She detailed the issues she’s having in some of her classes. Teachers using video as an instructional tool is apparently a problem. We talked about having respect for teachers and not questioning basic assignments. Then, she sat next to me while she sent emails to the affected teachers, background copying me on each so that I would have a record. Those included apologizing for refusing to do assignments.
I’m still debating whether I need to make a trip to the school. I don’t want the teachers to think that we’re dismissing their concerns. At the same time, if she’s raising issues and they’re not being addressed, we need to make sure the right people are listening. The school makes it quite easy for me to check her grades on a daily basis. I’ve told her that I need to see some improvement within the next week. Otherwise, more privileges will be revoked.
I’m still not convinced I’m handling this the right way.
Then, at the darling hour of 4:00 AM this morning, Hamilton decides that he needs to go outside. Now. I really wanted to ignore him, but he wasn’t going to let that happen. Reluctantly, I got dressed and took both dogs outside. Now, they’re both back asleep and here I sit, talking to Frankie, the smashed-face wheezer kitty, questioning everything, and wondering if I’m missing anything important.
Most pundits and “debate experts” are saying that VP Harris “won” last night’s debate, hands down. In the clips I’ve seen, the Orange Felon looked confused, out of place, and too damn old. Kamala Harris, the prosecutor, took charge, challenged the lies, and scared the Felon so badly that he immediately walked into the spin room after the debate, something only losers ever do. For Harris, the moments after the debate brought the much-anticipated endorsement of Taylor Swift. That could bring hundreds of thousands of young voters to the polls. However, those coveted “undecided” voters are not convinced yet. I’m not sure how anyone can be undecided at this point. The choices are miles apart. Fact checking what each candidate said last night might help.
The death toll in Vietnam is now over 150. Small towns have been washed away by the flood waters. Hanoi hasn’t looked this bad since 1956. Until the waters go down, however, it is almost impossible to get help into the area.
There was another school shooting yesterday. This time in Nebraska. No one was killed but a student is in critical condition. Interesting how that story is so far down the damn page.
A decline in beer sales is effecting barley farmers. Maybe that’s a sign that those big beer brands need to make better beer.
The billionaire Jared Isaacman and his crew traveled to altitudes not visited by any astronaut since the Apollo moon missions of the 1960s and ’70s. I still think this is a vanity flight and I don’t expect it to end well. Let’s hope I’m wrong.
Of course, today is the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 disaster. I tend to look at the New York Times for a clue as to how the events are being commemorated. This year, though, it’s a page 3 story. Many other news outlets don’t mention it at all. So much for “never forget.”
My head is swimming. Frankie just stuck his face in my half-empty coffee mug.
I think I just need to go back to bed.
Share this:
Like this: