New Word for Your Vocabulary

Ineptocracy (in-ept-o-cra-cy) - a system of  government where the
least capable to lead are elected by the  least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded  with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.

The Future

Food for thought!

Thanksgiving 2022

"Winston, come into the dining room, it's time to eat," Julia yelled to her husband.

"In a minute, honey, it's a tie score," he answered.

Actually Winston wasn't very interested in the traditional holiday football game between Detroit and Washington .

Ever since the government passed the Civility in Sports Statute of 2017, outlawing tackle football for its "unseemly violence" and the "bad example it sets for the rest of the world", Winston was far less of a football fan than he used to be. Two-hand touch wasn't nearly as exciting.

Yet it wasn't the game that Winston was uninterested in.
It was more the thought of eating another Tofu Turkey.
Even though it was the best type of Veggie Meat available after the government revised the American Anti-Obesity Act of 2018, adding fowl to the list of federally-forbidden foods, (which already included potatoes, cranberry sauce, and mincemeat pie), it wasn't anything like real turkey.

And ever since the government officially changed the name of "Thanksgiving Day" to "A National Day of Atonement" in 2020, to officially acknowledge the Pilgrims' historically brutal treatment of Native Americans, the holiday had lost a lot of its luster.

Eating in the dining room was also a bit daunting.
The unearthly gleam of government-mandated fluorescent light bulbs made the Tofu Turkey look even weirder than it actually was, and the room was always cold.

Ever since Congress passed the Power Conservation Act of 2016, mandating all thermostats - which were monitored and controlled by the electric company - be kept at 68 degrees, every room on the north side of the house was barely tolerable throughout the entire winter.

Still, it was good getting together with family. Or at least most of the family. Winston missed his mother, who passed on in October, when she had used up her legal allotment of life-saving medical treatment.
He had had many heated conversations with the Regional Health Consortium, spawned when the private insurance market finally went bankrupt, and everyone was forced into the government health care program.
And though he demanded she be kept on her treatment, it was a futile effort.

"The RHC's resources are limited", explained the government bureaucrat Winston spoke with on the phone.

"Your mother received all the benefits to which she was entitled.---- I'm sorry for your loss."

Ed couldn't make it either. He had forgotten to plug in his electric car last night, the only kind available after the Anti-Fossil Fuel Bill of 2021 outlawed the use of the combustion engines – for everyone but government officials.

The fifty mile round trip was about ten miles too far, and Ed didn't want to spend a frosty night on the road somewhere between here and there.

Thankfully, Winston's brother, John, and his wife were flying in.
Winston made sure that the dining room chairs had extra cushions for the occasion.

No one complained more than John about the pain of sitting down so soon after the government-mandated cavity searches at airports, which severely aggravated his hemorrhoids.

Ever since a terrorist successfully smuggled a cavity bomb onto a jetliner, the TSA told Americans the added "inconvenience" was an "absolute necessity" in order to stay "one step ahead of the terrorists."

Winston's own body had grown accustomed to such probing ever since the government expanded their scope to just about anywhere a crowd gathered, via Anti-Profiling Act of 2022.

That law made it a crime to single out any group or individual for "unequal scrutiny," even when probable cause was involved.
Thus, cavity searches at malls, train stations, bus depots, etc., etc., had become almost routine. Almost.

The Supreme Court is reviewing the statute, but most Americans expect a Court composed of six progressives and three conservatives to leave the law intact.

"A living Constitution is extremely flexible", said the Court's eldest member, Elena Kagan.

" Europe has had laws like this one for years..---- We should learn from their example", she added.

Winston's thoughts turned to his own children.
He got along fairly well with his 12-year-old daughter, Brittany, mostly because she ignored him.

Winston had long ago surrendered to the idea that she could text anyone at any time, even during Atonement Dinner.
Their only real confrontation had occurred when he limited her to 50,000 texts a month, explaining that was all he could afford.
She whined for a week, but got over it.

His 16-year-old son, Jason, was another matter altogether.
Perhaps it was the constant bombarding he got in public school that global warming, the bird flu, terrorism, or any of a number of other calamities were "just around the corner", but Jason had developed a kind of nihilistic attitude that ranged between simmering surliness and outright hostility.

It didn't help that Jason had reported his father to the police for smoking a cigarette in the house, an act made criminal by the Smoking Control Statute of 2018, which outlawed smoking anywhere within 500 feet of another human being.

Winston paid the $5,000 fine, which might have been considered excessive before the American dollar became virtually worthless as a result of QE13.

The latest round of quantitative easing the federal government initiated was, once again, to "spur economic growth."

This time, they promised to push unemployment below its years-long rate of 18%, but Winston was not particularly hopeful.
Yet the family had a lot for which to be thankful, Winston thought, before remembering it was a Day of Atonement.

At least, he had his memories.
He felt a twinge of sadness when he realized his children would never know what life was like in the Good Old Days, long before government promises to make life "fair for everyone" realized their full potential.

Winston, like so many of his fellow Americans, never realized how much things could change when they didn't happen all at once, but little by little, so people could get used to them.

He wondered what might have happened if the public had stood up while there was still time, maybe back around 2011 or 2012, when all the real nonsense began.

"Maybe we wouldn't be where we are today if we'd just said 'enough is enough' when we had the chance," he thought.
Maybe so, Winston. Maybe so.

(Oh, that could never happen in the United States………..or could it?)

~Author Unknown

Speak Up–Let Your Voice be Heard

Andy Rooney's commentary on prayer.

Folks, will this be the year that  we RE-TAKE AMERICA & CANADA

Andy Rooney says:
I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December.  I don't agree with Darwin , but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school  teacher taught his Theory of Evolution.

Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal?  It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire Book of Acts.  They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game.

But it's a Christian prayer, some will argue.

Yes, and this is the United States of America and Canada , countries founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1.  So what would you expect – Somebody chanting Hare Krishna?

If I went to a football game in Jerusalem , I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer.
If I went to a soccer game in  Baghdad , I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.
If I went to a ping pong match in China , I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha.

And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit.
When in Rome ....

But what about the atheists? Is another argument. What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized.  We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds.   If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs.  Go to the bathroom.  Visit the concession stand.  Call your lawyer!

Unfortunately, one or two will make that call.  One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.

Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights.  Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing.  Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.

God, help us.  And if that last sentence offends you, well, just sue me.

The silent majority has been silent too long.  It's time we tell that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard that the vast majority doesn't care what they want.

It is time that the majority rules!   It's time we tell them, "You don't have to pray; You don't have to say the Pledge of Allegiance; you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honor Him.  That is your right, and we will honor your right;

But by golly, you are no longer going to take our rights away.

We are fighting back, and we WILL WIN!"

God bless us one and all...Especially those who denounce Him, God bless America and Canada, despite all our faults, and we are still the greatest nations of all. God bless our service men that are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God.

Let's make 2011 the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions. And our military forces come home from all the wars. Keep looking up.

A Solution

This was shared with me from a friend and I felt the need to share it with you.

How to solve the Seniors Retirement problem and the growing Prison Inmate problem with one change....

Here's the way it should be:
Let's put the seniors in jail and the criminals in nursing homes.
This would correct two things in one motion:

Seniors would have access to showers, hobbies and walks.

They would receive unlimited free prescriptions, dental and medical Treatment, wheel chairs, etc.

They would receive money instead of having to pay it out.

They would have constant video monitoring, so they would be helped instantly... If they fell or needed assistance.

Bedding would be washed twice a week and all clothing would be ironed and returned to them.

A guard would check on them every 20 minutes.

All meals and snacks would be brought to them.

They would have family visits in a suite built for that purpose.
They would have access to a library, weight/fitness room, spiritual counseling, a pool and education... and free admission to in-house concerts by nationally recognized entertainment artists.

Simple clothing - i.e.. Shoes, slippers, pj's - and legal aid would be free, upon request.

There would be private, secure rooms provided for all with an outdoor exercise yard complete with gardens.

Each senior would have a P.C., T.V., phone and radio in their room at no cost.

They would receive daily phone calls.

There would be a board of directors to hear any complaints and the ACLU would fight for their rights and protection.

The guards would have a code of conduct to be strictly adhered to, with attorneys available, at no charge to protect the seniors and their families from abuse or neglect.

As for the criminals:
They would receive cold food.
They would be left alone and unsupervised.
They would receive showers once a week.
They would live in tiny rooms, for which they would have to pay $5,000 per month.
They would have no hope of ever getting out.

"Sounds like justice to me!"

Germany Bound

Well, it is official. The kids are in Germany. It has taken me a few days to come to grips with the reality of it all. It was an extremely difficult day saying goodbye and watching the plane ascend into the heavens. I allowed myself the day to indulge in a self-pity  party. Every toy left behind, every piece of clothing, brought a fresh batch of tears. The quietness now is almost deafening.

What I will miss the most is their hugs and kisses, their child-like  wonder, their honesty, and their imagination. I think I smiled and laughed more in the past year than I have in my entire life. I am thankful to God and my daughter and son-in-law for the opportunity to spend the past year bounding with my grand children. They have renewed my zest for life and adventure.

I am now eagerly anticipating the opportunity to visit a foreign country, something I’ve never really had a desire to do before. Children have a way of making you see things in a different light. Their fearlessness and innocence have a way of seeping in and giving life new purpose, new meaning.

I will trust in God that He has placed them where He wants them to be. I will trust that He will give me the strength, fortitude and positive attitude to forge forward each day with a renewed spirit for this fragile, wonderful, adventure called life. I will trust in Him to watch over them and keep them safe.

---

Grandma Loves You!

---

While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about.
~Angela Schwindt

An Easy Fix

From a senior citizen around 80 years of age seen in an article in the St. Petersburg , Fl. Times. 

The Business Section asked readers for ideas on: "How Would You Fix the Economy?"

The Fix

Sounds like a plan to me. 

Dear Mr. President,

Please find below my suggestion for fixing America 's economy.. Instead 

of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan.

You can call it the "Patriotic Retirement Plan":

There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force. Pay them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:

1. They MUST retire. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.
   
2. They MUST buy a new AMERICAN Car. Forty million cars ordered - Auto

Industry fixed.

1. They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing

Crisis fixed.

It can't get any easier than that!!

 P.S. If more money is needed, have all members in Congress pay their taxes..

Mr. President, while you're at it, make Congress retire on Social Security and Medicare. I'll bet both programs would be fixed pronto!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.

Age is Wisdom

• Old People are easy to spot at sporting events; during the playing of the National Anthem. Old People remove their caps and stand at attention and sing without embarrassment.? They know the words and believe in them.
• It's the Old People who know our great country is protected, not by politicians, but by the young men and women in the military serving their country.
• Old people believe the best things in live or still free
• Old people understand the wisdom of spare the rod spoil the child
• Old people understand that one night of enjoyment can possible ruin the rest of your life
• Old people understand that life is not always fair and when you’ve been dealt an unjust hand you can’t just quit
• Old people understand that wealth, happiness, and success is not just measured by the materialistic things you own
• Old people understand the value of good manners, respect, and common sense
• Old people are not useless burdens but a source of knowledge, gained from life experiences that can not be found in books
• Old people understand you must be willing to be accountable for your own actions and be ready to face the consequences

• Old people are not a drain on society to be push aside by the younger generation as out of touch, but a source of wisdom that could save them a lot of trials if they would only listen to their advice and accept that they know what they are talking about
• Old people understand that children should be taught at a early age, respect for human life, respect for authority, respect for country, and a sound knowledge that life and liberties are not a right but a privilege, which has been afforded them by the men and women who have given their lives and have suffered so that they may have the privileges afforded them today.
• Old people understand that life is not about what happens to us but about how we chose to deal with what happens to us.

Bible Quote

Philippians 4:8-9

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Reflection

God Gave Me A Gift

God gave me a gift, the gift of life.
He did not promise it would hold no strife.
God gave me a gift, the gift of love.
He sent His Son from Heaven above.
God gave me a gift, the gift of prayer,
He constantly listens, He's always there.
God gave me a gift, the gift of hope.
He sent His spirit who helps me to cope.
God gave me a gift, the gift of choice.
In His infinite love, I now rejoice.

{published} (c)1991-Deborah Seko

Bible Quote

Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.   In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Word Wise

 

adoxography

Noun
1. Fine writing in praise of trivial or base subjects; "Elizabethan schoolboys were taught adoxography, the art of eruditely praising worthless things"; "adoxography is particularly useful to lawyers"

Adoxography is a term coined in the late 19th century. It was a form of rhetorical exercise “in which the legitimate methods of the encomium are applied to persons or objects in themselves obviously unworthy of praise, as being trivial, ugly, useless, ridiculous, dangerous or vicious” – see Arthur S. Pease, ‘Things Without Honor’, Classical Philology Vol. XXI (1926) 27, at 28-9.

In modern writing, the term "Adoxography" is also used as an often humorous self-reference in writing, often in regard to humor columns or blogs.

---

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Adoxography 8/4/11

A Sad Day…

 

At the Ft. Hood Memorial Service...

It is a sad day when our Presidents does not respect, love, and honor this country enough to salute the Flag or honor our service members who have given their life for this very country ,by a simple jester of placing his hand over his heart.

“The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”
-- Thomas Jefferson

 

'American' background and decor as opposed to
the new decor.

Trivia–Did You Know?

Umbrella Trivia

The basic umbrella was invented over four thousand years ago.

The word "umbrella" comes from the Latin root word "umbra", meaning shade or shadow.

The first all umbrella shop was called "James Smith and Sons". The shop opened in 1830, and is still located at 53 New Oxford Street in London, England.

In 1852, Samuel Fox invented the steel ribbed umbrella design.

 

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Answering Machine Trivia

Mr. Willy Müller invented the first automatic answering machine in 1935. This answering machine was a three-foot-tall machine popular with Orthodox Jews who were forbidden to answer the phone on the Sabbath.

CASIO COMMUNICATIONS created the modern telephone answering device (TAD) industry as we know it today by introducing the first commercially viable answering machine a quarter of a century ago. The product - the Model 400 - is now featured in the Smithsonian.

The pioneer patent for what evolved into voice mail belongs to Gordon Matthews. Gordon Matthews was the founder of the VMX company in Dallas, Texas that produced the first commercial voice mail system, he has become known as the "Father of Voice Mail."

---

 

http://inventors.about.com/od/uvstartinventions/a/Umbrella.htm July 6, 2011

http://inventors.about.com/od/astartinventions/a/Answering.htmJ uly 6, 2011

Word Wise

 

Petrichor

The smell of rain on dry ground

Petrichor (pronounced /ˈpɛtrɨkər/; from Greek petros "stone" + ichor the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology) is the name of the scent of rain on dry earth.

The term was coined in 1964 by two Australian researchers, Bear and Thomas, for an article in the journal Nature.^[1] In the article, the authors describe how the smell derives from an oil exuded by certain plants during dry periods, whereupon it is absorbed by clay-based soils and rocks. During rain, the oil is released into the air along with another compound, geosmin, producing the distinctive scent. In a follow-up paper, Bear and Thomas (1965) showed that the oil retards seed germination and early plant growth.^[

 

Geosmin, which literally translates to "earth smell", is an organic compound with a distinct earthy flavour and aroma, and is responsible for the earthy taste of beets and a contributor to the strong scent that occurs in the air when rain falls after a dry spell of weather (petrichor) or when soil is disturbed.^[1] The human nose is extremely sensitive to geosmin and is able to detect it at concentrations as low as 5 parts per trillion^{[citation needed]}.

Geosmin is produced by several classes of microbes, including cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and actinobacteria (especiallystreptomyces), and released when these microbes die. Communities whose water supply depends on surface water can periodically experience episodes of unpleasant-tasting water when a sharp drop in the population of these bacteria releases geosmin into the local water supply. Under acidic conditions, geosmin decomposes into odorless substances.^[2]

Geosmin is also responsible for the muddy smell in bottom-dwelling freshwater fish such as carp and catfish. Cyanobacteria produce geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol, which concentrate in the skin and dark muscle tissue. Geosmin breaks down in acid conditions; hence vinegar and other acidic ingredients in fish recipes help reduce the muddy flavor.

 

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http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Geosmin July 6,2011

http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/petrichor July 6,2011

Phobia’s D-H

Dendrophobia	Fear of trees.
Dentophobia	Fear of dentists.
Domatophobia	Fear of houses.
Dystychiphobia	Fear of accidents.
Ecophobia	Fear of the home.
Elurophobia	Fear of cats.
Entomophobia	Fear of insects.
Ephebiphobia	Fear of teenagers.
Equinophobia	Fear of horses.
Gamophobia	Fear of marriage.
Genuphobia	Fear of knees.
Glossophobia	Fear of speaking in public.
Gynophobia	Fear of women.
Heliophobia	Fear of the sun.
Hemophobia	Fear of blood.
Herpetophobia	Fear of reptiles.
Hydrophobia	Fear of water.

Word Wise

This weeks word:

wastrel (ˈweɪstrəl)
noun
1. a wasteful person; spendthrift; prodigal; someone who dissipates resources self-indulgently
2. an idler or vagabond

Word Origin & History
"spendthrift, idler," 1847, from waste (v.) with pejorative suffix (cf.mongrel , scoundrel , doggerel ).

SYNONYMS:
waster, prodigal, squanderer, profligate - a recklessly extravagant consumer, layabout, loser, shirker, good-for-nothing, piker (Austral. & N.Z. slang), drone, loafer, waster, skiver (Brit. slang), idler, ne'er-do-well, malingerer, saddo (Brit. slang), bludger(Austral. & N.Z. informal) Her husband is a workshy, good-for-nothing wastrel.


ANTONYMS:
miser, hoarder, penny pincher

References in classic literature:On the sideboard, between fluted Sheraton knife-cases, stood a decanter of Haut Brion, and another of the old Lanning port (the gift of a client), which the wastrel Tom Lanning had sold off a year or two before his mysterious and discreditable death in San Francisco--an incident less publicly humiliating to the family than the sale of the cellar.
~The Age of Innocence by Wharton, Edith

The hard-working man would come to the top, the wastrel sink to the bottom.
~Howards End by Forster, E. M.

QUOTE:

Experiences are savings which a miser puts aside. Wisdom is an inheritance which a wastrel cannot exhaust. ~Karl Kraus

*****************************************************************
"wastrel." Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. 14 Jun. 2011. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wastrel>.
"Experiences_are_savings_which_a_miser_puts_aside." Columbia World of Quotations. Columbia University Press, 1996. 14 Jun. 2011. <Dictionary.comhttp://quotes.dictionary.com/Experiences_are_savings_which_a_miser_puts_aside>.

Words that Sound Alike

Here is a list of some words that sound alike, are spelled differently, and have different meanings.

Here	Hear
Their	There	They’re
Where	Ware
Its	It’s
Picture	Pitcher
Wander	Wonder
Weather	Whether
Fair	Fare
Hay	Hey
Lie	Lye
Pare	Pair
Close	Clothes
Pour	Poor
Rain	Rein
For	Fore
To	Two	Too
Arc	Ark
Ate	Eight
Bail	Bale
Wright	Right	Write
Our	Hour
Buy	Bye	By
Beat	Beet
Break	Brake
Cell	Sale
Creak	Creek
Plain	Plane
Scent	Sent
Toe	Tow
Waist	Waste
Wait	Weight
Know	No
Maid	Made
Blew	Blue
Be	Bee
Site	Sight	Cite
Herd	Heard
Base	Bass
Berry	Bury
Chews	Choose
Flu	Flew
Missed	Mist
Or	Oar
Hour	Our
Pray	Prey
So	Sew
One	Won
Bare	Bear
Bored	Board
Billed	Build
Hi	High
Read	Reed
Cent	Sent	Scent
Creak	Creek
See	Sea
Died	Dyed
Knight	Night
Pa	Paw
Bridal	Bridle
Beet	Beat
Knot	Not
Write	Right
Whole	Hole

Phobia’s

Each week I’ll try to post a new list of phobia’s as I find them. We all have them, how many do you suffer from?

Achluophobia	Fear of darkness.
Acrophobia	Fear of heights.
Agliophobia	Fear of pain.
Agoraphobia	Fear of open spaces or crowds.
Aichmophobia	Fear of needles or pointed objects.
Amaxophobia	Fear of riding in a car.
Androphobia	Fear of men.
Anginophobia	Fear of angina or choking.
Anthrophobia	Fear of flowers.
Anthropophobia	Fear of people or society.
Aphenphosmphobia	Fear of being touched.
Arachnophobia	Fear of spiders.
Arithmophobia	Fear of numbers.
Astraphobia	Fear of thunder and lightening.
Ataxophobia	Fear of disorder or untidiness.
Atelophobia	Fear of imperfection.
Atychiphobia	Fear of failure.
Autophobia	Fear of being alone.
Bacteriophobia	Fear of bacteria.
Barophobia	Fear of gravity.
Bathmophobia	Fear of stairs or steep slopes.
Batrachophobia	Fear of amphibians.
Belonephobia	Fear of pins and needles.
Bibliophobia	Fear of books.
Botanophobia	Fear of plants.
Cacophobia	Fear of ugliness.
Catagelophobia	Fear of being ridiculed.
Catoptrophobia	Fear of mirrors.
Chionophobia	Fear of snow.
Chromophobia	Fear of colors.
Chronomentrophobia	Fear of clocks.
Claustrophobia	Fear of confined spaces.