Blogroll

Dec. 14 – Two of these senseless shootings of the past year hit home. My daughter lives in Portland. She told me that several of her friends were in the Clackamas Town Center earlier on the day of the shootings this week. My son graduated from the exact UC Denver medical school neuroscience department that the Aurora shooter had been enrolled in.

I no longer wonder if these tragedies are going to occur. I wonder when and where they’re going to occur. And pray that my loved ones aren’t victimized by them. Also, I wonder if that’s the best this country can do – to hope that the next senseless shooting or the one after that or the one after that doesn’t harm my family and friends. What an awful mess we’re in. My prayers are with the families, victims, students, teachers, administrators, parents and community of the Connecticut school.

Dec. 11 – The federal government should back off enforcement of federal marijuana laws in states like Washington that have legalized the drug, a solid majority of people told a recent Gallup poll.

Nearly two-thirds – 64 percent of all adults surveyed in late November – told pollsters they do not believe the federal government should enforce its laws if they conflict with state law.

In the same survey, respondents were almost evenly split on whether they thought marijuana should be legal. That’s a big jump from 1969, when Gallup first started asking the question and 12 percent said the drug should be legal.

Dec. 10 – It’s one thing to remember the name of someone you haven’t seen in a long time when you bump into that person in a store or on a sidewalk.

Coming up with “Steve” or “Chris” is a good feeling.

But some of us aren’t satisfied with that. Oh, no. Not content with getting that name right, we have to up the ante. After the exchange of pleasantries and good-to-see-yous, we roll the dice.

“And be sure to say hello to …”

Here’s where time can stand still. What is the name of this guy’s wife?

Petronia? Maybellene?

When suddenly in doubt, a couple of options might occur to you: 1) Incomprehensible mumbling. 2) “Your lovely wife.”

Neither is ideal. But at least you won’t then be haunted by images of that guy going home and having some fun at your expense. “Ran into Cuthbert Twilley while I was out. He said to say hello to you. When did you change your name to Samantha?”