But who picks up after their humans?

People around here are pretty good about picking up dog poop, especially in the parks. They rarely go out without a bag to scoop up the poop.

I’m posting pictures of a few signs that you see around the neighborhood that serve as reminders.

The first sign is vehement and tells people that to not pick up their dog’s poop is nothing less than a crime. And such criminals are guilty of creating a health hazard — that could come back to hit them.

The second sign is explicit but polite. It appeals to neighborliness and refrains from making scofflaws feel guilty of a crime or a social infraction.

One of the local park districts is earnest about helping the unfortunate soul who forgot a bag. By providing bags, no one has an excuse. The notice is polite — a kind reminder. This sign also has icons to teach dog owners how to use the bags. I really don’t know how many newbies there are, but anyone who has a dog has probably long ago figured out how to pick up the the poop in their own backyards.

So now on to my question. Who picks up after the human owners of the dogs? Human “excrement” is not literally poop of course. Americans are toilet trained long before they acquire trash to toss on the roadside.

The next sign is subtle about notifying humans that their littering is also a crime. It’s in legal code that the conscientious sign reader can figure out. “Here are two laws that you’re violating if you dump or litter! Just say NO!” This sign is on public open land which seems to be an inviting place for would-be criminals.

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ve noticed that I’m a person who picks up human waste (sometimes). When I take a shopping bag with me and pass along public or undeveloped land, I can usually fill it. When I take a thirteen-gallon trash bag, in the course of my forty-minute walk I can usually fill it if a few days have passed since I last passed that way with a bag.

I earn cups of hot tea with sugar for my public service.

Trump is acquitted. What next?

Thursday, February 6, 2020

I expect that Donald Trump will abuse the power of the presidency today. If not today, then no later than tomorrow. Yesterday he was acquitted by the U.S. Senate of the two articles of impeachment delivered by the House of Representatives. Most likely, he regards the acquittal as license to do whatever his heart desires.

But, on what basis do I predict that his next malfeasance will be today?

On July 24, 2019, Special Counsel Robert Mueller testified before the House Judiciary Committee, answering their questions in line with the report that bears his name. Mueller’s findings were two: He could not find sufficient evidence that the Trump presidential campaign of 2016 cooperated or coordinated with Russians to sway the vote in his favor. Since Mueller couldn’t find sufficient evidence, U.S. courts would not bring charges. Second, as far as obstruction of justice was concerned, Mueller found ample evidence that President Trump should be charged. Despite this, Mueller refrained from bringing charges because of a ruling that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted.

The very next day after Mueller testified, President Trump spoke to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and extorted him. Zelensky was to investigate Ukrainian corruption in connection with presidential candidate Vice President Joe Biden and his son. In return, Ukraine would get consideration to receive $391 million in military aid. President Trump released a record of the call, saying that there was nothing wrong with the call.

On one day, Trump was relieved of liability from his misbehavior of three years, and the very next day, he abused the power of the presidency.

Yesterday, Donald Trump was acquitted by the U.S. Senate. Today, he already outraged the attendees at National Prayer Breakfast by speaking divisively against politicians he doesn’t like. He publicly nursed his grievances. He spoke this way after the featured speaker spoke about reconciliation. Trump indicated that he’s not interested in reconciliation. He has no shame.

I’ll write later about his public celebration of acquittal that he presented only a few hours after the Prayer Breakfast.

We now have an unrepentant man occupying the office of the President of the United States. Shame on us for boosting him into office.

When I slapped our son’s face

I don’t believe that corporal punishment works. It only demonstrates that I’m bigger and more powerful than our son or our grandchildren.

This one time that I hit our son, though, seemed to be the only way to reach him. His attitude was so arrogant.

He was in eighth grade, and we were sitting at our kitchen table. He was genuinely proud and showed mock innocence of how he and a friend had addressed their English teacher. They were convinced that it was perfectly acceptable to say “fothermucker” since they had exchanged two letters. Of course, both boys knew perfectly well how they had started with a disgusting word.

I wasn’t getting across to him that speaking in such a way was not innocent. His listeners knew perfectly well that he was behaving atrociously.

So I slapped his cheek. He was astounded because I had never hit him before. Besides this, the suddenness was shocking. With that slap, he promised that he would never speak that way ever again.

He may have behaved atrociously again in the next year or two. I reminded him of how I couldn’t reach him then, and I didn’t seem to be reaching him again. “Listen. I’m not going to hit you again. You’re older and wiser. Think about your audacity then and now. I expect you to behave better.” Then I walked away.

I really believe that his memory jolted him. I’m not aware that his behavior was other than “age appropriate.” He was a teenager and lapsed into the poorer behavior and attitude that teenagers sometimes exhibit. But teenage behavior during the teenage years wasn’t going to change much with chastisement. In addition, I had already taught him a life-long lesson.