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Category: ReBlogs

A Rudderless Ship …

Jill Dennison presents an astute analysis of Donald Trump’s fourteen months in office and the transition period before that. It’s shocking, but not surprising. Please share.

Filosofa's Word

A candidate for the office of president spends a year, sometimes longer, on the campaign trail.  His or her sole goal is to make people like them, make people trust them, convince people to vote for them, believing that they are the person who will most nearly meet the voters’ needs and desires over the course of four years.  Then comes election night, and one of the people who spent all that time on the campaign trail is successful in his or her mission and goes on to take the oath of office in two-and-a-half months.  That period of time is a period of transition from being a candidate to learning to be a leader, from having a goal of winning the election to having a goal of doing the best job possible to keep the country and its people safe and prosperous.  During that transition period, the former candidate…

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Good People Doing Good Things —

Good People Doing Good Things by Jill Dennison is the kind of post that warms the heart and rekindles one’s faith in humankind. Please share the good news!

Filosofa's Word

We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give — Winston Churchill

I apologize for missing the Good People post last week, but I hope that this week’s selections will make up for my temporary lapse.  As you all know, every Wednesday, I dedicate my morning post to good people who are doing good things either for humanitarian causes, the environment or the animal kingdom.  Sometimes they are people or organizations that are making huge differences, such as Bill and Melinda Gates and their foundation.  Other times, they are ordinary people like you and I who have simply found ways to make a difference, to leave the world just a little better for their having been in it.  Today’s selections are all people who care about others enough to give of themselves.  Read on …

Biblioburro

Luis Soriano Bohorquez is known as the…

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R.I.P. Civil Discourse

This timely post about civil discourse in 2018 by Jill Dennison is one everyone needs to read carefully and ponder long and hard. The alternative is unthinkable. Please share.

Filosofa's Word

It once was considered good form to engage one’s brain before engaging one’s mouth.  This procedure was known as ‘civility’, or ‘civil discourse’, and was once quite popular.  It was the thing, perhaps, that kept us from killing each other.  It was the thing that kept marriages together, even in times of trouble.  Until one day somebody, and I know not who, gave the process a name:  political correctness.  For some reason, giving it a name made it a process to be shunned, made it unpopular.

The latest evidence of the reversal of civil discourse is a comment I read this morning by republican Senator Orrin Hatch when speaking to a group at the American Enterprise Institute on Thursday:

“[We] finally did away with the individual mandate tax that was established under that wonderful bill called Obamacare. Now, if you didn’t catch on, I was being very sarcastic. That…

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Who’s Killing Our Children? WE ARE!

Jill Dennison has done her due diligence in this hard-hitting indictment of America and its abject failure to protect their children. Please share.

Filosofa's Word

I apologize for yet another piece on guns so soon after the last one, but … folks, this is important.  I had a comment after my last piece from a teacher who said, “As a teacher, this is such a heavy and personal topic. This post actually made me chuckle because your tone and approach was so funny. Thank you for your message. I will be sharing this with teacher friends. It’s a hard time to be a teacher right now but it’s encouraging to get online and see people advocating for smart, sustainable solutions for our classrooms. Keep up with these posts! 👍 Get the word out 😌”  That comment made me think that maybe I’m doing something right.

Wednesday was exactly two weeks after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead, many of them students. In the wake of that tragedy, Donald Trump…

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Trump’s Trade War

Jill Dennison outlines with clarity and precision the consequences to US consumers of Trump’s planned tariff hikes and the trade war they will trigger. Please share.

Filosofa's Word

So, you think Trump’s intention to place tariffs of up to 25% on steel and aluminum imports won’t matter to you?  You’ve skimmed the headlines, shrugged your shoulders, and moved on to the juicier news surrounding Jared, Ivanka, Hope Hicks, Donnie and others in the chaotic White House?  Well guess what … it will matter to you, and in more ways than one.

First, how much did you pay for that last clothes dryer you bought?  Around $400?  Well, if you have to replace it, look for your next one to cost around $600.  The imported beer/wine you like from France/Italy?  Add 30% or so to the price a month from now.  And a new car?  Don’t even think about it.

Long story short, Trump has decided, against the advice of many in his administration, including Gary Cohn, Director of the National Economic Council and Trump’s chief financial advisor, to…

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Black History In Ontario – The 19th Century – A Guest Post by John Fioravanti

Jill Dennison has generously featured me as a guest once again as we complete Black History Month In Canada with this post. Please visit Jill’s great blog site and share.

Filosofa's Word

Today is 28 February … the last day of February and the final day of Black History Month in both the U.S. and Canada.  I have let the ball drop this month, for reasons at least partly beyond my control, but our friend John Fioravanti has helped by sharing with us so much of Canada’s black history!  Last week, I published Part I of John’s guest post, and we thought it fitting to save Part II for the final day of February, to wrap up the month.  I would like to thank John for all the hard work he put into these wonderfully informative posts!  Hey John … what say we do it again next year?

Text dividersPrologue

Upper Canada did not flourish, and Loyalist settlements remained scattered and isolated. Simcoe’s vision of a prosperous, English-speaking province was not shared in London. Britain viewed the fledgling colony as a mere appendage…

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The NRA’s Path To Power

Jill Dennison presents a succinct summary of the rise to power of the National Rifle Association (NRA) in America. It is truly frightening and a must read. Please share.

Filosofa's Word

It’s on the tip of everyone’s tongue, at the center of most discussions, in the headlines of every news outlet:  The National Rifle Association, aka NRA.  The debate about gun regulations is raging, much the same as it always does after a mass shooting, particularly one involving children, but this one may be different, for those children were on the cusp of adulthood, and their friends, those who survived the shooting in Parkland, Florida almost two weeks ago, are old enough to be outraged that a young man, one of their former classmates, was able to buy a military-grade assault weapon, ammunition, and mow down their friends without a thought.  They are outraged to hear politicians skirting around the issue of gun regulation, rather than answering their tough questions.  They are old enough to become activists, and they have a vested interest in doing so.

At a Town Hall just…

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It Comes Down To Reading

Jennie Fitzke has gifted us with an article about the benefits of reading aloud to young children that will prepare them for success in life. Please share.

A Teacher's Reflections

Children who were in my class many years ago are now making decisions on college acceptances.  They stay in touch, and I feel the worry and joy right along with them.  And guess what happens?  They are accepted into the school(s) of their choice.  And, I know why.  I do.

It’s not me.  Really.  It comes down to reading.  Hang onto your hat for these statistics, and one of the best stories about a kid from Russell, Kentucky.

Jim Trelease was spot on when he said “Reading is the heart of education.  The knowledge of almost every subject in school flows from reading.  One must be able to read the word problem in math to understand it.  If you cannot read the science or social studies chapter, how do you answer the questions at the end of the chapter?”

Parents tell me all the time about their child’s struggles in…

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Thursday – A Little Personal – Lucy and Bailey Get Motivated

Lucy and Bailey are independent-minded furry kids in this delightful episode brought to us by author John W. Howell. Please enjoy and share.

Fiction Favorites

Lucy and Bailey

“Hey, Lucy. The sun is out.”

“Wa—huh. Oh, it’s you, Boss.”

“Come on let’s go outside.”

“Aw Boss. You know I’m still recovering from that teeth extravaganza.”

“How about you Bailey?”

“How about you Bailey what Pops?”

“Outside. You and me. Toss around the old tennis ball.”

“Mmm. Sounds delightful but I’ll pass.”

“Here. Take this toy. We’ll play fetch.”

“Gee Pops. Ever hear of siesta.”

“Sure, but you know I have a post tomorrow and I thought we could get some photos of a man and his dogs having a great time.”

“Hey, Lucy. You hear Pops. You in?”

“Oh yeah. I have the toy which you tucked under my paw. Now if I could only get up and take it to you, Boss.”

“Okay, you two. I can see we are going to have to spin this story in a different direction.”

“What are you doing, Pops?

“Bringing out the props.”

“There…

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Honoring The Hero Aaron Feis Of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School In Parkland. FL.

Gronda Morin has gifted us with a moving commemoration of the self-sacrificing actions of Coach Aaron Feis at the Parkland school shooting last week. Please share.

Gronda Morin

There is a cartoon garnering widespread attention for its touching portrayal of a hero who shielded his students from bullets at the 2/14/18 mass shooting tragedy at a Parkland, FL. High School.

Here’s the rest of the story…

On February 20, 2018, Samantha Schmidt of the Washington Post penned the following report, “This single cartoon about school shootings is breaking people’s hearts”

As news of the deadly mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., unfolded last week, Pia Guerra, a 46-year-old Vancouver-based artist, felt helpless. She couldn’t bring herself to go to sleep, so she began to draw.

“About 6 a.m., she came up with an idea. One of the first victims identified among the 17 people killed was Aaron Feis, an assistant football coach and security guard. Feis was shot after reportedly throwing himself in front of students during the rampage. Guerra was moved by the thought of this heroic…

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