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    Why, oh why do I even look at the Comments section after reading an on-line article? I regret the wasted minutes every time. It doesn’t even matter if the topic is sports, there’s too little of value to compensate for the other, seeming majority, of comments that range from snarky to nasty to, well, just plain dumb. I’m not even factoring in the egregious grammar and spelling errors that further make me wonder if I wasted 40 years of my life trying to teach English.

Apparently I’m not the only one, however. My favorite news magazine, The Week, is considering following the lead of Popular Science in disabling or eliminating their comments section. I should have learned my lesson a few years ago when the one time I posted a comment to an article resulted in someone calling me a “Moron” for suggesting that a failure to compromise had created some bad historical outcomes. I posted a mild response, but to have continued following the thread (if, indeed, there was anything more to it) would have required more time and energy than I cared to invest. It did make me wonder what kind of life those people have who seem to have nothing better to do than “comment-bomb.”

For that reason I also avoid responding to people who think they’re going to influence someone’s opinion on guns or health care or poverty or corporate greed or, well, you get the picture, by posting on Facebook. If people are such true believers that they’re going to advertise their POVs, what can I say that will change their minds? Not much, I’m thinking.

At least most of the people on social media sites have known identities; I do share some kind of connection to my Facebook “friends.” You want to have a face-to-face discussion on some controversial topic, that might be worth my time. Even a respectful disagreement with dueling Facebook posts could possibly be intellectually challenging, if not particularly productive.

The posters in the Comments section, however, are strangers, and generally anonymous strangers with made up identities. Why subject yourself to their insults and diatribes? Wallow in those stagnant, shallow waters if you want, but I have better ways to waste my time.

Certified Organic Irony

I do love irony, especially when it’s unintentional. 

The organic movement is certainly on the upswing. When we pay more for our organic products we do so out of concern for not only our health but, ostensibly, the health of the planet. And surely second-hand organic smoke must be good for all of us!

So I was unbelievably (as in “I can't believe you believe this”) excited when I just read what I suppose the marketers viewed as a compelling advertisement for the latest product in the certified organic line: tobacco! Presumably this will improve the users’ health, because everything organic is better, right? I can hardly wait to start smoking cigarettes, now that there’s a certified organic version available!

Yom Kippur Revisited

I wrote the piece below last year; I think it coincides well the following article: http://theweek.com/article/index/269195/why-even-non-jews-should-celebrate-yom-kippur

I’ve written previously about my favorite holiday (in the sense of holy day, not secular celebration), but as we approach Erev Yom Kippur I’m called to revisit it. I should clarify, I suppose, that I am not Jewish, not really anything. However, I was lucky enough to sit in its sands for four years, letting its waves gently lap over me, and I’ve grown to appreciate the meaning of the day, a meaning that continues to resonate in what passes for my soul.

I’ve suggested I don’t feel any great need to atone for things. I see myself as a good person, a kind person, one who would never deliberately hurt another, friend or foe. I recognize, however, that we all, at least inadvertently, cause pain for others. In my case, what passes for wit can occasionally serve as a steamroller of others’ feelings. While I may not intend for something I’ve said or written to be hurtful or taken personally, my intent is of little importance to those who feel like a target. Thus do I now ask forgiveness from those who were either direct or collateral damage from my occasional acerbic heavy-handedness.

However, for me at least, the significance of the day is primarily about letting go of your own hurts, those times when you saw yourself as a target. Even if the hurt was, in fact, personal (which, honestly, may over-elevate your place in the universe), it does you no good to hang on to the resentment that comes from whatever pain you suffered. It causes you to miss opportunities to get the most out of what you have now. I learned that lesson in time to have four wonderful (in the true meaning of the word, filled with wonder) years at Schechter/Mirowitz. For that, I will be forever indebted to Rabbi Selis for both giving me the opportunity and helping me to understand that piece of Yom Kippur.

Finally, Yom Kippur also affords me a time to reflect on whatever mistakes I have made and, more importantly, to forgive myself for those mistakes. There is no undo-key on life (Rule #6), and there are only so many times you can apologize for something before it stops being your responsibility (Rule #9). At some point, for your own sake and for the sake of those around you, you have to leave your baggage behind, forgive yourself, forgive others, and move on. We all have baggage, but displaying and carrying it around all the time does you no good and sends others scurrying for cover. My recommendation is to put your baggage in a storage locker and just bring it out for holidays. Yom Kippur serves that function for me.

Shalom.

Short, Random Political Thoughts

It’s a fair criticism of the president that he’s seemingly indecisive about Syria. Those who are distrustful of the Russia plan are certainly justified, based on the past and character of current leadership. Those who oppose military action have any number of reasonable objections. Those calling for military action also have valid arguments. I don't have an answer myself, except to say that the isolationists have always turned out to be on the wrong side of history.

Syria clearly represents a classic “Damned if you, damned if you don’t” scenario -- and that’s about the only thing that is clear. It’s hard to pick a good choice when all you have are bad options. The real problem for the United States is that few of us trust anyone to make any decision we don’t already agree with and the “truth” in this dilemma is not at all clear. We’ll be left with history as the judge and I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for clarification from that source.

Here in Missouri we have a billionaire trying to preserve the law he bought in the last legislative session. Sorry, you’ll not convince me that Rex Sinquefield and his ilk have anyone’s best interests at heart but their own. I’d prefer he spend his money sponsoring chess championships, which I contend will have more positive economic impact than his tax plan.

I’m not saying his plan can’t work. In fact, I, personally, will probably be an accidental beneficiary of it. I am saying that the average Missourian is not really his concern. When in doubt, I tend to go with those who at least try to have the average person’s best interests at heart. The final straw for me is the frantic advertising campaign, which ranges from disingenuous to dishonest. That’s enough to solidify my opposition, but I’m represented by one of the few Democrats in the House, so I’ll just be watching from the sidelines as it becomes even more embarrassing to claim Missouri citizenship. Sharia Law? Nullification? Really? 

I think I’m going to stop correcting the people at telephone call centers when they use the wrong abbreviation for Missouri (MO), except that the options of Michigan (MI), Mississippi (MS) or, inexplicably, Montana (MT) don’t seem all that attractive as alternatives.

Cartoon by Gary Larson. I have the coffee cup.