Political Conventions

One down and one to go.  The Republicans had their convention in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Democrats will have theirs in Philadelphia, Pa.  Being a political junkie, I watch television coverage from beginning to end, and listen to all the speeches.  When panels of political experts with opposing views argue the pros and cons, I listen.  Aside from the political views, I pay attention to body language and how speakers appear on camera. 

There is a marked difference between how men and women give their speeches.  Women wear their hair in the latest fashion that often covers their face when turning their head, distracting viewers from the point they are trying to make.  They could take a tip from the Queen of England who never lets her hats, or other clothing prevent the public from seeing her face.

As I watch and listen to speakers, I become critical of men and women who constantly wave their hands and bounce their heads in attempt to illustrate their point.  Women tend to talk with their hands more than men do.  The sound of a speakers voice is also something I note.  Some women speakers have a shrill voice which becomes a screech when reinforcing a point of view or when an argument gets hot and heated.

I take notice of the suits and neckties men wear.  Tailoring and choice of tie gets my attention.  I compare fabric designs as well as color when several men are on camera.  I'm less critical of women if they look 'professional' meaning they are appropriately dressed and not looing as if they are dining out on a date.

My critical evaluattions of speakers won't stop me from watching all the political speeches.  I'll be sitting thru the Democratic convention just as avidly as I did the Republican one.  And when the conventions are over, there will be several months of debates and speeches to listen to.  Of course we won't know the outcome until November when a final vote decides who our next president will be.

E Gads!

Has the country gone to Hell in a hand basket?  There's trouble in river city.  What to do Percy?  What to do?
It seems as if everyone in the country is angry over something.  We are in the middle of a presidential election year.  The campaigns of the two opposing parties, seeking to win the election, highlight all the social ills of the country, and blame each other for having created them. 

As if that rhetoric and emotional turmoil wasn't enough, two separate incidents of police killing a black man, once again brought wide spread protests.  Whether or not, the killings were justified, emotions reached a fever pitch when protests against police escalated into ambushed killings of police officers. 

This country has faced many challenges and will undoubtedly continue to do so, but this challenge of racial intolerance is going to require a lot of talking and understanding to arrive at a peaceful and respectful relationship. 

Reading upside down update

I've finished Alexander McCall Smith's book, 'In The Company Of Cheerful Ladies'.  I still have to spell and sound out some words, but its getting easier.  I have trouble deciphering names of people and towns and have to peek at the words to verify the meaning.  This has been a 'pick up' task I gave myself, and I did keep a steady move forward.

Although I had read this book in2004, I was surprised to find myself looking forward to the next page.  The chapter endings didn't continue in the beginning of the next chapter.  In my memory, the story unfolds in a continuous fashion, but in reading it again, I discovered that it took little jigs and jags as details of location, new characters and traditions were added to the story. 

I found the book just as charming this time around as it was the first time I read it.  It was slow reading,, and I noticed that when I had to peek at a word, I had trouble finding my place again.  But constantly finding my place further down the page than I thought, I realized that my reading pace was picking up.

I've chosen a mystery for my second read.  'Hard Christmas' by Barbara D'Amato.  There are 30 chapters and 282 pages.  It may well be Christmas before I finish.  Reading upside down is a brain game and I plan on continuing the game.  Incidentally, two acquaintances have started reading upside down since they learned about my project.  I'll report my progress and update it from time to time. 

Empires

Empires come and Empires go.  I've witnessed the disintegration of one such during my life.  At one time, the sun never set on the English Empire, but with the loss of India, the 'Jewell in the Crown' as Queen Victoria called it, the Empire was diminished.  Now, since the United Kingdom's Brexit (shorthand for Britain and exit) vote to leave the European Union, its highly likely that Scotland will vote for a second Independent referendum, and Northern Ireland will be able to vote on reunification. 

The European Union is an economic and political partnership involving 28 European countries.  It was started after WII on the premise that trading countries would avoid going to war with each other,  It has grown to such an extent that it has its own parliament setting rules for environment, transport and consumer rights, including such things as mobile phone charges.  No one knows how the vote will affect treaties and trade deals.  These agreements are so tangled; merging and re-merging in a way that leaving the EU will affect the rise and fall of global currencies. 

When the dust settles, there may be a smaller England, but we have to remember history repeats itself.  Empires fall and new ones appear on the scene.  When I visited Italy, I had a moment of 'history enlightenment' when I walked among the fallen marble columns where the Roman Forum used to be.  I had never cared much for history, thinking it dull and boring, but after seeing the Roman Forum, history has been my favorite reading material.  

We may not like the results of the UK vote and the changes it will bring, but there's no denying that we'll be watching history in the making.