FBI and EMAIL again; Gun Violence; Senior Citizens; Mental Floss; Politics; Early Voting; Early Voters

A cool, sunny Saturday in Westminster, Maryland.

Think about these things:

Why did the FBI director communicate only with Republican legislators about their latest review of EMAILS?

On an average day in the United States of America, seven children and teen-agers will be shot dead!

How many Halloween kids will survive this year?

Old Folks

Life is a lot better for senior citizens today than it was years ago.  Consider the following information outlined in Mental Floss for November/December 2016:

Aristotle described senior citizens as "overly pessimistic, distrustful, malicious, suspicious, and small-minded."

In 19th Century England, old folks were often just stuck into workhouses, where they got to "crush horse bones for fertilizer or unravel old rope to recover the threads."

An then we have senicide (i.e., relieving old people of the burden of living)  For instance: in ancient Sardinia, "sons sacrificed fathers over the age of 70 to the god Cronus."

So, some of our ancestors tried to prevent aging.  The Greek physician, Galen, suggested that old people "drink donkey milk or human breast milk."  He also recommended that they "go horseback riding, avoid eating cheese and snails, and take regular baths."

Today some societies honor their older adults better than we do.  For instance, "members of a tribe in Fiji pre-chew food for old people who have lost their teeth."

Incidentally, this article in Mental Floss appears in their last issue!  I love that magazine and am sorry to see it end.  It's one of the few publications that I get that make me want to read it, cover to cover, as soon as I get it.  But all good things must come to an end, I guess. 

Politics

Elaine and I voted last night.  Early voting is big this year. We arrived at the poling place an hour before it closed and had to wait in a long line.  But it went fast and we were able to do our duty quickly.   The checkers did their duty, reviewing identification, asking questions, and explaining how to vote.  I can't imagine how such procedure could be "rigged." 

Lots of young people were in line to vote.  One young man looked to be 13 years old and wore a "make America Great Again" sweatshirt.  This worries me.  These youngsters did not live through WWII and have no concept (probably) of the damage that a blustering, lying, outrageous man can do to a country.  Hopefully, the election will not be close and Mr. Trump's followers can just fold their tents and disappear for four years.

John Winiak, friend of mine from Toastmasters, and a Democratic "voice in the wilderness" of Republican Carroll County, had a great letter to the editor of the local newspaper today, outlining the bad character and ideas of Mr. Trump.  He named all of the County's legislators who are backing Mr. Trump... including Susan Krebs, which is a surprise to him... but not to me.

Enough!

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