Saturday, August 30, 2014

Starting the day with the newspaper

I was both amused and alarmed when I read the paper this morning. Straight out laughter came from an article on the criticism of President Obama's tan suit. God in Heaven Above, have we no more serious matters to report on? It's not Labor Day yet, so as far as I know tan is perfectly acceptable for a man. And, in addition to his other responsibilities, he's supposed to be a fashionista? Maybe Michelle didn't dress him that morning. Who knows? It's just one more manifestation of whatever he does, let's criticize him for it--but this is getting pretty petty.
I admit to a faint but triumphant smile when I read that a Federal judge had declared Texas HB2 (the famed anti-abortion clinic) bill unconstitutional because it robbed many Texas women of health care. Yes! Isn't that what Wendy said in her filibuster and got run over at the last minute. It's a triumph for her and for we women of Texas. Of course there will be appeals, but the precedent is set...and I hope women in our state pay attention.
Then there's Gov. Perry who has charged us the taxpayers something like $133,000 for his defense. I'm sure that's just a drop in the bucket compared to what's to come. But it seems to me if he's defending himself against felony charges, we the taxpayers should be supporting the prosecution (well, we are with our tax dollars but I'd even chip in a bit more.) It shows a whole lot about the man's integrity or lack thereof, and I hope another Federal judge--or state--comes down on him for it.
More alarming was that Britain heightened its security alert. Do they know something we don't? Are they concerned about Isis--because I am. Is increased security on the way in this country? We live in a world of such uncertainty, such fear. I hate to pass it on to our children but I'm afraid that's just what we'll do.
We also live from crisis to crisis. Remember all of what? four weeks ago when illegal children crossing the Mexican border were the focus of every news broadcast and newspaper? Ever hear anything about that now? (a friend in the Border Patrol assured me it was a legitimate crisis and in his 17 years with the Patrol, he's never seen anything like it--but he also assured me they treated every child with kindness and concern and saw that they were in a safe facility--none were, as rumor had it, dumped back in Mexico.) But we moved on to the domestic crisis of Ferguson, Missouri and the death of Michael Brown--now sliding out of the headlines. During the Iraq War, it was Al Queda but we hear little about them today. Isis, which seems worse and very scary, has taken over the headlines.
We live from crisis to crisis. I have enough respect for some of the journalists I know not to blame all this alarm on the media...and yet I wonder if things like this went on when I was a kid and we didn't have all this information.
Wouldn't it be nice to wake up to a happy headline?
Ended the day with a wonderful dinner with neighbors that took my mind off headlines--a smoked trout appetizer, scallops in a butter/thyme/parsley sauce, and a salad of green beans, cherry tomatoes, leeks and a buttermilk dressing. Eating high on the hog in good company.

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