Weather in the Tries: We’ve had a week end of fog and freezing fog, but the week looks to be mostly partly sunny to mostly cloudy with highs all the way up to a heat-inducing sunstroke of 44, with the lows going down to 31. Okay at 44 and mostly/partly cloudy, we won’t get sunstroke. I just feel somewhat snarky.

If you pass it, you approve it:

I wrote this a couple years back, and didn’t get it posted. Something in the news came up that I thought was more interesting. So, I discovered this the other day, made a couple of updates, and here you be:

I’m not sure where I picked up the title, I’ve been using it for several years, and somehow, I don’t think I’m quick enough to have come up with it on my own. But it’s true.

If you pass litter on the street, and don’t stop, pick it up, dispose of it—you approve of it.

If you pass a person in need, don’t stop and help, or at least find out if you can—you approve their need.

If you hear a wrong, and don’t speak out and try to make it a right—you approve that wrong.

Now, in this day and age, I admit, I don’t pick up as much litter as I used to. It’s a long way down, and I don’t always have a bag in which to place it or see a garbage can nearby. Also, I’m a bit leery of picking up masks, etc., without proper gloves &c. But if I see a person in need, I do try to at least find out what’s wrong, and help if I can. Sometimes all that’s really wanted is the acknowledgement someone, anyone, even a stranger, cares. Since I’ve aged, it’s often difficult to impossible for me to pick up trash. Why, just the other day, for the second time since I’ve lived here, I looked out and saw what appeared to be a sick or injured pelican. Perhaps dead floating on the river. On getting the binoculars and looking, I could see it was a white garbage bag with orange ties. No way could I get it, unless I had a boat. Or a warm wet suit. I have neither. 

And in this age of the internet, when I hear a wrong, I send letters to my senators. I also send one to my representative, but he approves of far more than I do, and has the rationales to make him comfortable with his decisions.

And in this age of the internet, and social media, I think there must be a middle ground. If you hear a wrong, voice YOUR OPINION as an opinion, as to why you think it’s wrong. And listen to the other side, who is equally enamored with their opinion, and think theirs is right. There must be a way to reach common ground, besides war.

In this country, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and they are entitled to voice it. What they are not entitled to is to call their opinion fact, when it can be verifiably wrong. It’s hard for people to change their minds on a topic and telling them they’re wrong just forces them to dig in their heels that much harder. It’s difficult to admit you could be wrong. More difficult to admit you are wrong. And even more difficult to change. But as long as you’re breathing, that hope exists. 

Some people don’t like facts. Especially when they differ from their long held personal ideology. Some people can’t accept facts, it causes them cognitive dissonance, which brings any number of ails both physical and mental. And calling them stupid or ignorant will not win them to your side. I have friends who believe one way, and I believe another. In the effort to maintain our years long friendship, we have agreed to disagree, and neither of us tries to convert the other to our way of thinking. Each of us is sure we have the facts, the other doesn’t.

But facts and opinions are different. I have a blog (fact). You’re reading it (fact). I can say just about anything I want (fact). I can’t say anything libelous or claim credit for something someone else wrote (fact). I’m as gorgeous as Sophia Lauren (opinion, laughably so). 

Photos of the week:

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review it at Rainy Day Reads

Read a couple more novels and am back into Murder at the Mission by Blair Harden. I’m about halfway through the book. If I finish it, I will give it at least 3 stars (That’s a given in my rating system). I can’t really, at this point, give it a high recommendation.

TV: 

Who has time to watch tv. Sometimes I turn on the news while at the computer and if anything really exciting comes up, I stop typing and listen/watch.

Movie:

Still haven’t made it to Matrix: Resurrection. Maybe this next week? But, oh Joy of Joys, in the mail the last week came the movie, Departures. One of my all time faves. AND the K-series, Navillera, one of my all time favorite series, AND, OMG YES, there IS MORE: on Friday I got 9 discs, 25 movies, from Studio Ghibli. I may buy a big box of nibblies and spend a week binging! I won’t, but I can if I wanna! 😉 I fear I either didn’t see the fine print, or didn’t read it, but it looks like they may all be in English. I prefer them in Japanese with subtitles. Oh, well, I’ll find out soon enough.

Came across a recap of The Matrix Trilogy. Not quite an hour and I’m watching it as I write this. I think I agree, if you don’t have time to watch the trilogy again, it’s a pretty good recap.

Earworm for the week:

White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane.

Quotes on Littering from https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/littering-quotes-slogans.php

“There is no such thing as ‘away’. When we throw anything away it must go somewhere.”—no attribution given

“Leave nothing but footprints. Litter nothing but time.”—no attribution given

And there it is. Another week, another paycheck. Well, for some of you. Those of us permanently unemployed don’t get weekly paychecks anymore. I get mine monthly. Sammy Brave Dog doesn’t get a paycheck at all. What would a dog do with a paycheck? But he does get lots of loves and fed twice a day. He seems happy.