Stupid (Not 'Smart') World

I can't believe how stupid the world has become. 1. I just opened my Venetian blind to put my plant in the window. It still has strings on it. You know, of course, that the new ones don't have strings on them anymore. Presumably because someone is afraid someone might use them to hang themselves, or something else utterly absurd. A child might choke themselves, who knows what nonsense they will come up with next? 2. You can't get a donut with peanuts on it anymore because some people have complained about peanut allergies. Well, why not just keep the peanuts separate from the other ingredients? No, don't tell me, I don't want to hear any more ridiculous nonsense from the "scientific" community. 3. "Science" has told us that people can change the gender they were born with. This probably takes the prize for the stupidest move people have made in the current generation. If you can believe that you can believe anything. Anything but the truth, that is. 4. You used to be able to hang something on the Christmas tree that looked and felt heavy enough to actually give the appearance of icicles. They banned them because, they had lead in them. I think. If we're so smart, why can't we find something to use besides lead other than plastic? The modern icicles don't look or feel like the earlier ones. 5. Why don't we have cafeterias anymore? I suspect the "pandemic" had something to do with that, but they were disappearing before 2020. They still exist in hospitals, I notice. That seems strange, because if they are unhealthy, why would they still be in hospitals? Hmm. 6. Why don't we go to drive-in movies anymore? They were fun during the nice weather. I suppose going to theaters with heated seats is a bit more miraculous but why do away with such a fun family event? I know it wasn't because people worried about what teenagers did two by two at drive-ins. Not many people worry about that these days. 7. Video games and "educational" computer programs. Now when you ask a kid what they like to do, about 90 percent of them or more say, "video games." I bet that is what most of them are doing right now during Spring Break. We are all seeing the decline of literacy and the absence of books after about the third grade. The whole idea that technology teaches better than people is just absurd. They learn to be better keyboarders and how to keep clicking until you get the right answer. I am seriously hoping they do something about this sooner rather than later. 8. Not being able to afford a house is really depressing. Higher taxes, higher mortgages, higher rent, single family homes being turned into rentals so others can make more money but average people can't afford to buy. What's smart about that, I ask you? 9. 200 + channels on cable? Who needs that many channels? Two hundred books would be smart, not 200 TV channels. That's ridiculous. And all the other things to "subscribe" to, some free, some with extra charge. Are you kidding? I just avoid subscribing because I don't want to wonder how much it will cost. If they don't tell me it's free I won't be subscribing. I think that's smart, 10. I could go on but I will add one final, because I would like to actually get something done today. I'm singing tonight at the retirement home and my collaborating partner will be coming over in a few hours so I do have something to do besides sit in my room with my laptop on my knees. And so, my final entry is EMAIL. Oh, what a terrible blow that has been. I used to write letters. I used to get letters. Now all I get is political fund-raising mail. I now throw them all away and do work on being generous where generosity is appropriate but deleting 50-to 100 e-mails a day is ridiculous. That's all for now. Blessings to all you actually smart people.