March 22, 2017 THESE DAYS

 With a NW wind of 26 mph-- it felt like 17 degrees outside SO--I took the day off. Got a run in last night when it was 52 and beautiful so all is well.  The weather changes her mind almost as much as politicians these days--it's a bunch of NEWSPEAK right out of an Orwell novel.  Seriously, Mother nature tempts us to go outside--to trust her as the sun is shining--BE VERY LEERY THOUGH--looks ARE deceiving. Politicians, in their fancy suits, cufflinks and whitened toothy grins, appear trustworthy too right?? The reality is we can't trust a word they say. NOT ONE.  It's hard to live in  the good ole USA these days. DISHEARTENING REALLY. We are the laughing stock of half (probably more) the world. Not sure when Americans became so arrogant, self-absorbed, selfish and ignorant-- I literally find myself shaking my head at least five times a day wishing this BAD dream away. Not sure how a wall will stop terrorist attacks and keep us safe from all the "undesirables" in the world. And who is in charge of making the list of who's to be kept out??  Be careful or you just might find your name on the BLACK list. The leaders of our great nation  are either really DUMB or relying on the fact that the average citizen is.  Is it all smoke and mirrors in an attempt to move their agenda--which is ALL ABOUT MONEY--forward? You decide. As for me, I CAN'T STAND THE RIDICULOUSNESS OF IT ALL. It's gonna be a long four years. Since this blog is about dysfunction, I might as well review one of my favorite dystopian novels of all time Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

Ray Bradbury was seriously  way ahead of his time. He wrote this novel in 1953  before flat screen televisions and ear buds but somehow he knew they would take over our world.  He was a genius.  Anyways, Fahrenheit 451 is regarded as one of Bradbury's greatest novels. It has won several awards and been adapted for both the theatre and screen. It is set in a future American society where books are outlawed. Books are burned in the name of public happiness as they are outdated, confusing, and too much work for the attention span of the public. They would rather watch their "parlor walls". The main character of this novel is Guy Montag, a fireman, in a world where firemen burn books for a living. He seems content with his wife, Mildred, and job until he meets a neighbor named Clarisse McClellan. Clarisse is a free thinker who questions their world and eventually has Montag reevaluating his life. Find out what happens after Montag convinces his wife to read a book--a crime punishable with death. Will they be found out and hunted down?  Will the book say something valuable--perhaps a message that could help society? Find out when you read this great classic. It is only about 160 pages or a 4 mile run that will have you shaking your head at the world Bradbury created--it's not so different from 2017.