Why all the hate?

No need for a picture on this one.

Tough love time.

After the school shooting in Florida, the usual debate began, veering away from the real issues onto gun control.  It is predictable and disheartening.

America needs to look in the mirror.  If you are looking for the problem there it is. 

Political discourse is toxic.  Road rage is all over the news.  Air rage too.  Nothing but anger and hatred aimed all over the place.  Did you not think it would happen in schools too?

School kids grow up in this environment and they think this is normal.

Add in the usual teenager angst, combined with snowflake syndrome and absentee parents, and you end up with what we saw in Florida last week.

Parents need to raise their kids,  Kids need to treat each other with a modicum of common courtesy and adults need to be responsible role models.  Social media just seems to amplify the worst of human nature.

There was one lunatic proposal to create a "School TSA".

That is one of the stupidest things I have every heard.  The proposal turns schools into prisons...and the threat is coming from the students.  Jump off a cliff while you are at it and don't forget the anvil.

Again, treat others as you yourself you like to be treated.  High school cliques can be vicious and that--again combined with social media--is what contributed to the horror last week in Florida.  This is often the root cause of most school shootings.

On the other hand, rejection is normal in life.  Get used to it.  Yet, there is not reason to make it worse.  That goes for rejectors and rejectees.

You will not get along with everyone you meet. You will not be friends with everyone you meet.  Still, common courtesy alleviates and disarms most potentially hostile situations.

Furthermore, don't run to the government crying plaintively "Fix it!".

Experience shows that usually does not work since the government, aside from being naturally incompetent, is not geared for this sort of thing.

If you fail to learn from history, you will repeat it.  History--as bad as it is--has been made.

Learn the lesson.

Maybe just as well....

A lot of times, things don't work out and strangely enough, it turns out for the better.

I always thought the best example was not getting the noontime shift at that idiot radio station I once worked for.  I never realized how toxic the atmosphere was there and it naturally led to its collapse.

No one misses those idiots.

Back in 1997-1998, I tried out for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League and on the second try, I made it into the preseason.  I have always been a huge football fan but lately after seeing all of the news on brain injuries and CTE, maybe it was a good thing I did not play football for more than a game.

I often wondered how far I could have gone had I played in college and perhaps gotten drafted.  I look at what we have learned about CTE and suddenly I am glad I did not take that path.

It is not by any stretch of the imagination sour grapes. It was a great experience, however brief, in the CFL.  It was a great adventure. Not many have done that.

I can see why.

If you play football, please be careful.  All it takes is one hit to change your life in the worst way possible.

I have fun in Canada and although I did not get to hoist the Grey Cup or Lombardi trophy, I am in a good place with the whole thing.

XFL 2.0

Vince McMahon announced the second reiteration of the XFL this week and one has to admit it is getting a lot of attention.

It promises to be different from the short-lived 2001 version, this time with no cheerleaders, no real "in your face" promises of violence,  and promises of a safer, quicker game.

If there is a time for a competitor to the NFL, this is it.  The older league appears to be staggering.  Although the anthem protests are a definate factor, the NFL has other problems.  Those problems are high ticket prices, teams holding cities hostage for new stadiums, an increasing gulf between players and fans and what seems to be a general sort of contempt for those same fans.

Anger the customers and you will not be in business long.

Like the old XFL, the new one will be playing in the Spring.  McMahon is calling for a "re imagining" of the game.  No politics, no players with police records, less rules and safer.  It certainly seems like a re-imagining.

It is probably what the game of football needs.

The NFL has become slothful and lazy.  Competition brings out the best.  Things have changed since 2001.  It does not matter which network agrees to carry XFL games.  They can be streamed live on a variety of digital devices.  TV networks themselves may be in danger.

Every now and again, you, the fans, have to yank the chains to show sports leagues who the boss truly is.

Fans can live without the NFL....the NFL cannot live without the fans.

Keep that in mind.

Missile launches

Hawaii was in complete panic on Saturday,thinking a North Korean missile was inbound for the island.  Later Japan had a false alarm, but unlike the authorities in Honolulu, Tokyo was able quickly correct the error.  For some reason, the alert went on every medium imaginable for 38 minutes.

It seems odd in the Hawaiian case that there seems to be no communication between military and civilian authorities.  Was there communication?  How did someone hit the "wrong button" and no one noticed for 38 minutes?

I cannot predict what North Korea will do--I am not sure anyone can--but somehow I do not think North Korea wants to commit national suicide.

Kim Jong-un owns his own country.  Why would he jeopardize that? 

If North Korea attacked South Korea, the NKs stand about a 1% chance of winning.....and I am rounding it up. A lot of people would be killed, especially in Seoul, and in the end, the best North Korea could hope for is a draw.

A North Korean nuclear attack on anyone, especially the United States, would result in Kin Jong-un presiding over a radioactive wasteland, assuming he was not blown into another dimension.  The West will not launch a preemptive attack on North Korea.  China and Russia will not go to the mat for North Korea.

North Korea has no chance of victory and any attempt to seize that victory will result in its destruction.

Cold, wind, did I mention "lots of SNOW?!"

The 2010s have seen a lot of what is referred to as "Winter Events" not only here in NC but up and down the East Coast.  We have had Pittsburgh-like temps since New Year's with quite a bit of ice and snow while Pittsburgh and the rest of the Northeast has been hit with Arctic-like temps and record ice and snow.

I hate to see what the actual Arctic must be like this January.

Could you tell the difference?

If anything, at least people might (?) be getting used to it.  I have not seen as many wreaks out on the road this time around.  I also noticed people were dressed for it this time--no shivering goofballs at the grocery store wearing shorts with a bewildered look on their face wondering if a new Ice Age was upon them.

As long as you don't see sabre-tooth tigers prowling around the back yard, things will work out.

If you do, well......

The cats go out to the carport and venture no further.  They batted at the white stuff and even ate some of it, but quickly came back inside.  Michelle and I tromped around and saw only our own footprints, so it seemed everyone was taking the advice of Muffins the cat.  My running sked was completely destroyed so, I will pick that up again on Monday.

Naturally my Pittsburgh Penguins were in Raleigh to play the Hurricanes and naturally I could not go, not because of the weather, but because the game was sold out!

Nothing stops hockey!

Oh well, we lost 2-1 so such is life!

The Penguins will be back in a couple of weeks and hopefully, someone in the stands will be someplace else!

Putting a bow on 2017, on to 2018!

The year is drawing to a close and it is time to take a quick look back before charging into something new, if for no other reason than to remember what NOT to do!  LOL

2017 was a fun year as Michelle and I traveled up and down the East Coast.  We resolve to go West this year and see some stuff we haven't before.  I need to catch up on yardwork and there are several books to be written.  It never ends, but that is the way I like it.

Reffing football was something new this year.  The thing I noticed most at the football games was how incredibly insecure people were.  Coaches, players, fans, and even some other refs.  Of course, I had people yell at me when I threw a flag, but I laughed at them and assessed the penalty anyway.  No one tried to come after me even when I threw one coach out of a game!

I am pretty easy going but when a coach start dropping F bombs and screaming (this was a game with six year olds), it is time for him to go and I had not problem personally escorting him off the field.  There are basic standards to maintain....end of story.

I like teaching history at community colleges and I will stick with that. Plus I will ref more football games.  There are other things I am going to try so I will keep you updated.

Just remember, the world is a crazy place and it always has been.  Sometimes you have to put your foot down to keep it relatively sane.  No fuss, nothing dramatic, just do it.

Polite yet firm, Canadian style with some Pittsburgh steel.

Time to do some stuff!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!