Boomer Randomness

Many ultra left wing liberal Democrat friends post things on Facebook that basically say all Republicans are wrong, everything a Republican says is stupid, immoral and will lead to the demise of our great country. Many ultra right wing Republican friends post things on Facebook that basically say all Democrats are wrong, everything a Democrat says is stupid, unpatriotic and will lead to the demise of our country. Stop it. Just stop it! Every Democrat is not exactly like every other Democrat. Every Republican is not like every other Republican. There are stupid, immoral and unpatriotic Democrats AND Republicans. There are smart, moral and compassionate Democrats AND Republicans. Most people of either party believe in some of the principles usually associated with the other party. Not every American is a registered member of either; there are libertarians and there are independents. We are individuals! I urge my ultra friends on either side to think about something I conside...

A lead local story on a recent Monday morning TV newscast was about the closing and redevelopment of Landmark Mall in Alexandria, Virginia. Word was already out about several Macy's store closings nationwide, including the one there, but this story confirmed the demise of the entire mall.  It will be replaced by a mixed use development including residential and retail and the sketches accompanying the story showed the trendy, somewhat boxy blend of glass and steel, open plazas, walkways, public art space, and other things described by developer buzz words. The earlier national story about Macy's also predicted anticipated closings of many Sears, K-Mart and Kohls stores and the sale of the iconic Craftsman tool brand to competitor Stanley Black & Decker. Wait, weren't Stanley and Black & Decker separate competing tool companies at one time? So what's going on here? The short, simple answer is that we're shopping online more than in stores. Does this t...

So there's a new rule in my home: don't call Trump an a-hole. Actually the 'request' is that I stop using that term and others like it. "It's done, he's the new President. You don't have to like it but you do respect the office, don't you?" I do respect the office of President of the United States. More than that, I respect my girlfriend. I have zero respect for Trump.  I do have my priorities, however, so I have agreed to try to refrain from using the totally earned, derogatory vocabulary that includes the "a" word when referring to the orange man. This will be quite a challenge for me. Even the worst presidents in my lifetime eventually earned my respect. I disagreed with many of their policies and actions but I rarely thought any of them were morally bankrupt. Frump has no apparent moral center. He only cares about himself. During the campaign he said 9/11 was Bush's fault, McCain was not a hero because he got caught, Cl...

I've decided to go with three keywords/phrases to guide my year: discipline, stress reduction, fun. The plan is to do something related to each of these, weekly or even daily. I also plan to track my progress or lack of progress with something resembling a calendar. So what does each keyword look like? What criteria defines each keyword?  Yes, I will get that specific about it now because I believe a specific definition will help simplify the process. Discipline: Stop procrastinating, do things now, organize my home office and keep it that way, work out every day, eat at home more (and plan home meals better so there are fewer excuses). Stuff like that. Stress reduction: Meditate, let go of some things that bother me that aren't really all that critical, laugh more, take artistic photographs of serene landscapes, don't watch the news every night, stop reading about or even thinking about the a-hole who is about to be President. Fun: Hang with friends, see m...

The pulsing beep gently nudges my brain out of a weird dream involving asparagus and French wine. I laugh quietly as my right hand flops around the nightstand in search of the snooze button. After three cycles of snooze I finally roll out of bed, put on my sweats and cross the street to the apartment complex fitness room. It's 8:30, two and a half hours past my former regular workout time just three weeks ago. Good morning, World. Welcome to Day Twenty-one of Bernie's retirement. Yes, this is a dream inside a dream as my brain visualizes a scene from my future. It's an award-winning motion picture set at least five years from now. A companion visualization from two months ago:  Whenever I visit New Orleans, my hometown, I try to spent time with my cousins. We're all within 10 years of each other in age and spent a lot of time together growing. I'm the instigator of the cousin reunions. All of these cousins had careers or long-term jobs and all have retired...

When I see Trump and his co-whiner Kellyanne complaining about people who insult the president-elect, I don't know whether I should laugh, cry or scream. Trump is a master insulter who has shown complete disrespect for nearly everyone. Why does that thin-skinned pussy think he is above being insulted? Hey, president-elect jerk, you're a public figure and not immune from criticism. I respect the office of President but I have ZERO respect for you. Trump insulted and spread vicious and stupid lies about President Obama, past Presidents Bush and Clinton, opponent Clinton, opponents in his own party, millions of Mexicans and billions of muslims. And he expects to be treated better?  What an idiot! You are stupid, unqualified, have no moral center and care only about yourself and not America. You prove it every time you speak or tweet. A majority of those who voted for you were not voting for you but were voting against Clinton. And even though millions of people hated her, ...