Sometimes I feel like I am taking on the problems of the world. This news in from the National Institute of Retirement Security about an upcoming speaker at a conference. “We’re pleased to announce that best-selling author Alissa Quart will keynote our 11th annual retirement policy conference, 2020 Vision: The Future of Retirement.At the conference, Alissa will provide insight from her book, Squeezed | Why Our Families Can’t Afford America. She will discuss systemic causes of why the middle class is going broke — life is 30 percent more expensive than it was 20 years ago, skyrocketing education and healthcare costs, and disappearing pensions. “
There is not much I can do about it – I am already retired, have excellent health care and no children (or grandchildren) to educate. But it is terribly concerning. When I went to San Francisco in 1967, it still was the Land of Opportunity. Not so, at all anymore. Now the Land of Opportunity is the Gulf States. Put That In Your Pipe and Smoke iI is used to indicate that the person addressed will have to accept a particular situation, even if it is unwelcome. Or in other words: “Like it or lump it,” meaning “deal with it,” is found at least as early as 1830 and takes from the old verb lump meaning “to look sulky or disagreeable.” “Put that in your pipe and smoke it,” a contemporary favourite meaning “Take that!
But onto something more useful perhaps. Great innovations from Dubai wherein: “During the meeting we adopted the first long-term cultural visa for artists ,authors, innovators and establishing Al Zuox in Dubai as a creative free zone. A new international literature international literature season will feature a book fair & events to attract over 2 million visitors.
Cultural centres are being turned into life coaching centres, teaching art, creativity, life skills , and cultural skills. There’s also a World Art Week thought up by Sheikh Mohammed.
All of that rather interesting in light of the fact that my book was (hopefully) gifted to him through a trusted emissary. Which is an envoy, ambassador, diplomat, delegate, attaché, legate, consul, plenipotentiary, minister; agent, representative, deputy, factor, proxy, surrogate, liaison, messenger, courier, herald; informal go-between;.
But slo word from the Ruler of Dubai who shared shared 10 codes of conduct to be used by Emiratis on social media.
Be a personality who represents Zayed and his principles in interacting with others
Be a personality who reflects the knowledge, culture and civilized place the UAE has reached
Be a personality who avoids using insults, bad words or any other thing that offences decency
Be a scientific personality who uses reasons and logic in conversations
Be a personality who appreciates a good word, a beautiful picture and interacts with positive thoughts, cultures and societies
Be a personality who helps others by sharing information, ideas and social and human initiatives that enrich the country
Be a personality who gets involved with his/her international surroundings, speaks its language, deal with its issues and positively interacts with the future
Be a confident personality who accepts differences and builds bridges with other people
Be a personality who reflects the humbleness and love of Emiratis, and the love and openness towards others
Be a personality who adores its nation, is always proud of it, and would sacrifice for it.
I live up to most of those principles and codes. I do not, unfortunately, adore my nation and be proud of it in light of the fact that my nation is the USA and Trump’s present actions are criminal!. The New Yorker who fact checks and hires excellent writers had these frightening e words: “On orders from President Trump, the United States killed Major General Qassem Suleimani, the leader of Iran’s élite Quds Force and the mastermind of its military operations across the Middle East, in an overnight air strike at Baghdad’s International Airport. The assassination was the boldest U.S. act in confronting Iran since the 1979 revolution, tantamount to an act of war. A brief statement from the Pentagon described it as a “decisive defensive action” designed to protect U.S. personnel abroad. But the strike represented a stunning escalation between Washington and Tehran, and it may well have the reverse effect. Iran almost certainly will want to respond in some lethal form, whether directly or through its powerful network of proxies in the region. U.S. embassies and military bases—and thousands of American personnel across the Middle East and South Asia, and potentially beyond—were instantly vulnerable. On Friday, the State Department ordered all Americans to leave Iraq.
Now everyone knows that Trump is a crazy, self-destructive individual but what were the Generals and the Army thinking??? Have they no balls? Why did not someone say to him.
They: That is a stupid idea and we are not doing it. An atomic war is not a good idea right now Mr. Trump.
But instead they carried out his insane orders. They are as accountable as he is, in my humble eyes. I am thinking of just staying here or going to a Gulf State and live in safety rather than return to the Excited States of America. How can anyone be proud of a nation like the USA, pray tell. I do feel so helpless, I do admit. Helpless and without a home. . It is possible to live in a sort of bubble in liberal San Francisco – nobody particularly cares or even mentions Trump, But we might all just get blown up. There is no clear solution as even with impeachment there would be Pence – better the devil that you know, then the devil you don’t know. Devil is a word that describes both men: evil spirt, demon, fiend, bogie, ghost, spectre; informal spook; archaic bugbear; rare cacodemon.
In order to bring some cheer there is a cartoon purloined from the New Yorker magazine. It strikes me as rather hilarious but I do admit to having a rather bizarre sense of humour.
