"A politician needs the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability afterward to explain why it didn't happen." – Winston Churchill

Now that's a throwback if I ever saw one!

Good morning and welcome to Thursday, April 3, 2025. I don't know about you but I am not enthralled with all the political shenanigans going on 24x7. I need to take my own advice and not watch so much of it. I will make a note to me, myself, and I. We had one senator who has now completed the longest speech on the senate floor. He was exhausted. No doubt. The mainstream media are touting him as a candidate to be a national hero. For what? For mounting a filibuster and reading into the record all kinds of stuff? He did delay the work of the senate and because of that he somehow stood up to the new administration. Really? I do know that what we are seeing from many in the media in response to the shakeup of inefficient government departments is akin to Henny Penny's "the sky is falling". It reminds me of my younger days when I would accompany my grandfather to the meat processing facility to slaughter and process a hog. Slaughter. That's right. Cover your eyes because we used a 22 rifle between the eyes back then. After that, we put the hog into scalding hot water so we could scrape the skin. Talk about a smell! Yuck! Then we would cut it open, handle the entrails, and begin cutting up the parts. Not very pleasant. But, later that evening, my grandmother would fry up some fresh pork rinds and eating them made me forget all the unpleasant but necessary tasks involved. That's how I see what's happening. The new administration is doing what it can to provide a better, more responsive government. Better service at a lower cost. The institution itself (the hog) is not happy with the scraping and cutting process. And, while it is unpleasant to watch, it is necessary if we are to ever make a dent in this self perpetuating monster. This paragraph can be marked under the heading, 'Just Sayin'. The opinions expressed were opined by none other than The Opinionater, that would be little ole me.

 

 “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” ~ “You’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” ~ “I wouldn’t count my chickens before they’ve hatched.” ~ “No point in beating a dead horse.“ ~ “I’m so mad I could spit.” ~ “Well, I declare.” ~ ”Now, if that doesn’t beat all.” ~ “That isn’t worth diddly-squat.” ~ “Oh my stars!” ~ “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes!” ~ “Don’t you worry now. It doesn’t amount to a hill of beans.” ~ “If you lie down with dogs, you’ll get up with fleas.” These are just a few of the dated sayings they tell us we must put aside if we ever hope to communicate with the younger generations. I happen to love them all, period, and it's not the end of the story. Mom used tell me if I didn't straighten up she was going to pinch my head off. I never even thought for half a second that she should be arrested for saying stuff like that, or like, "I'll slap you seven ways from Sunday". I guess our old fashioned lingo has run afoul of the language police. I will admit the dated sayings might cause some of the younger folk to scratch their heads, but, it wouldn't take a second or more, using their phones, to find out its meaning. I will tell you this. Sadly, many of us, myself included, are, at times, intimidated about all of this correctness to the extent we find ourselves avoiding the speech that has been a part of our lives since our birth. Suddenly we bend over backwards trying to accommodate and we become frustrated and uncomfortable in our own skin. (Not as uncomfortable as that hog was, but, uncomfortable, nonetheless.) 

Okay. Knowing when to stop is an important part in the communication process. Stand up. Speak up. Shut up. Sit down. My grandad recognized I had some learning to do in this area. "Son, are you ever going to come up for air?" I am not finished today, but I am walking away. At least for now. I do hope you will have yourself one God-blessed day and always remember to give Him thanks. Always. Amen.