Me? Silent?

Today's Tids Issue 3,775

For MLK, Circuses and Depression Babies:

How sad that the music is ending. You know the music, the triumphant sounds of bands playing – oompah, oompah, barrrah, barrrah – circus performers marching in on elephants, with magnificent lions and tigers; unique performers all aglow in glittering, colorful costumes. They soar, they fly, they tumble, they stare down the beasts. Clowns do whacky things make us laugh until our sides are wracked with pleasant pain; with sad faces too, like Emmet, sometimes cry in a way that makes a heart feel really good. There’s mounds of cotton candy and crunchy hot peanuts. And big smiles on faces when the final act takes a bow, walks off silently on sawdust. The circus a sensational spectacle of marvelous artists that has entertained millions for nearly 150 years, Gone -- just like that. Leaving us with what, a 2 ½ by 5 inch screen in our hands?

I am definitely a Gary Watson fan. I stand up and cheer him every time he takes off and soars, no matter that I know how he will end in triumph, a victorious thumb pushing up through the snow drift, much to the satisfaction of mom, and the glee of friends and sisters! There is something special implied by the scene of Gary daring to be the best in that AT&T commercial, of which I never seem to tire. Maybe it’s because I wanna do it too! Maybe I like the idea of being able to accomplish anything, especially when told you can’t do it anymore.

Donald Trump has just got to start behaving like a bigger man and not like a little guy with a chip on his shoulder. Let the naysayers and his opposition dig their own graves through their own often nonsensical words and positions.

And the opposition just has to stop with the tears of spoiled children and begin listening. Maybe by listening we can all start moving towards the center. But don’t use the “Center” word with Bernie and Elizabeth Warren.

The Question:

I have found that many people, especially older people are confused by who falls into what designated generation. It may be because I don’t remember any generational differentiation until somebody decided there is something commercially exciting about the huge baby boomer surge. Now there are 6 designated generations, including going back to find names for generations before boomers that progressed along just fine without having names. What are the six? For extra points, see if you can also name the years covered by each psychobabble designation. Bonus: General William Tecumseh Sherman is best known for destroying the treasures of the great old south. But he also set aside 400,000 acres there…for what purpose?

The Headlines:

--Trump To Celebrate MLK Day With King’s Eldest Son.

-- Shooter Kills At Least Five In Mexican Night Club At Playa del Carmen Beach Resort Near Cancun; Several US Citizens Among The 15 Injured.

--Nasdaq Strong; Dow Treading Water; Trump Rally Easing As Investors Look For Real Policy Plans.

--Obama On Trump; “Don’t Underestimate the Guy.”

--Samsung Heir Facing Arrest On Charges Of Bribing SK President.

--Trump Says His “Terrific” ACA Replacement Plan Nothing Like What Is Going On In Congress.

--NFL Conference Championships Set: NE versus Pitt; GB vs. Atlanta.

--Trumps Tells Russia: Reduce Nukes, I will Eliminate Sanctions.

A headline for an ad shouted, “Wow, A computer designed especially for seniors.” Are they implying that seniors are mentally handicapped, that they are barely getting used to pushbutton landline phones, let alone trying to adapt to the cyber world? This was in the AARP mag which frankly I never read because it tends to assume the worst of incredibly experienced, intelligent, active people.

Most of the speakers I heard spouting at yesterday’s rallies to “preserve ACA”, misrepresented the facts and created true fairy tales about what is actually happening in order to remain useful in the eyes of their constituents. If they were really interested in preserving that infant system that needs help to keep on walking, they would be working to do it across the aisles in their cavernous halls. This is a classic example of politics getting in the way of progress. An intelligent leader of the loyal opposition would be first on board to remind the people that there are fatal flaws in the system and, the people will have nothing if action isn’t taken. That ACA is about ready to implode. Instead, they prey on the uninformed.

I don’t know about you but I never thought much about classifying individuals into groups based nothing more than the years in which they were born. How insane is that, how irrational, arbitrarily grouping pure, thoughtful individuals. Now, though, marketers and especially politicians love grouping people by just about anything anybody can think of, mainly it often seems to create jealousies, to turn groups of people against each other. This is definitely not good for cohesion and harmony! Now I agree that defining people by groups can be useful -- in say selling a product only useful for those with two left arms, or looking for a crook by grouping possibilities by similar characteristics like say a white guy with long hair and a red ribbon in his pony tail -- then go for it. But, let’s allow the greater population figure out who they are and who they like to associate with all by themselves. Hell some creepy adulterated old person may really like a millennial or two.

The combined wealth of the world’s 8 richest -- Bill Gates, Amancio Ortega, Warren Buffett, Carlos Slim Helu, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison and Michael Bloomberg – equals that of the world’s poorest half. This may be the reason for recent upset political victories like Brexit and Trump…business as usual sucks.

How about that Justin Thomas? He used to walk in the footsteps of his best friend Jordan Spieth, but this past weekend Jordan was there running around cheering him on.

Spell-Check has yet to learn that one spelling option for the word trump is a version with a capital “T”!  Maybe that’s what Lewis is talking about when he says he is not legitimate!

I’ll be getting to the NFL picks later in the week, but I think we have two good games for next weekend. All of the best QB’s of the day except Drew Brees and Cam Newton. Atlanta’s former Boston College star Matt Ryan was the highest rated QB for 2016 ahead of Hall of Famers, Rogers, Brady and Roethlisberger (Rated 1,2,4 by Sports Illustrated). Pittsburghers hate New England for usurping their assumed rightful position as most glorious AFC team. That one will be a war and a very tough pick. Especially due to my bleeding heart. Also very difficult, will be picking the Falcons/Packer game. I saw some good signs of a reasonable defense from Atlanta. But you just never know what to expect when the resourceful Rogers is out there flinging. It will be a very good pre-Superbowl weekend.  

In Chicago, people have been killing each other willy-nilly for years and now in the last days of the “O” Admin, the authorities in power have chosen to blame it all on the Police Department.

As Obama leaves office striving for the best of “Optics”, many people will remember him as the President who was relentless in persecuting the Little Sisters of the Poor.

The new Casino proposed for delightful, bucolic Tiverton RI looks like low income housing attached to a cinderblock strip mall.

A reader sends in this item. After observing that President Obama referred to himself 75 times in his farewell speech, George Will noted: “If narcissism were oil, This President would be Saudi Arabia.”

A local RI’er just said about Trump what many residents here have been afraid to say about our southern intruders for fear they won’t be able to sell their homes at astronomical prices: “He is just another loudmouth New Yorker!”

If Trump wears a Ya, Ya, Ya…(Well you know what I mean) cap for baseball’s opening day…I’m calling for impeachment.

Hollywood s really a lot like a third world country where the Princes and Princesses retreat to their comfortable palaces just after planting the seeds for chaos in the streets.

The Answer:

There were no names for the generations before the boomers until Tom Brokaw wrote the book The Greatest Generation which is now the name for all of those born 1927 and earlier. They could have been called the depression generation, a bleak era that had to have taken its toll. Maybe that is why so many were so great coming out of it around WWII. We never spoke about generational differences in my era, another group highly influenced by the depression. So, I’m guessing we must have been viewed as introspective and quiet because people born between 1928 and 1945 are called the “Silent Generation”. Of course, next are the boomer who grew out of the post war baby explosion 1946 to 1965. GenX’ers are next going from 1966 to 1980. The Millennials, the group that has everybody talking these days, are those born between 1981 and 1997. And now we have the young people with the next voice who will be out to outdo the millennials, the Generation Z – whatever that means. Bonus: Sherman wanted the 400,000 acres of Confederate lands to be divided into 40 acres lots and given to freed slaves. The other impeached President Andrew Johnson, nixed the law that would have made it so. 

Everybody who is 72 and up grew up in disturbing times -- mainly in the depression and through WWII. You grew up learning to look at a world differently than many might in these times. Kids received little but lots of love of parents and extended family. They grew strong upon that. Nothing came easy, toy chests were empty. Sacrifice for others became second nature and widespread. The depression was hard, but it was a great teacher. WWII was terrifying, but a great inspiration.

The only reason I would buy local organic products is to keep farmers farming and developers out. But unfortunately, I can’t afford high priced organic products.

Looks like a perfect day for a long, peaceful walk. Let’s hope there aren’t any left-over ACA alteration protesters to mar the countryside.

I always have felt something special listening to the great orator’s “I have a Dream” speech, Happy MLK Day, everybody!