Tag Archives: Donald Trump Cabinet

Wednesday, September 13, 2017 – Words, Quotes, Twitter and Education

Wednesday, September 13, 2017 – Words, Quotes, Twitter and Education

Eclectic Wednesday. I do not feel inclined to write anything coherent with transitions so I will do what we, the recovering bureaucrats, used to call “the bureaucrat ramble.” Keep reading and hopefully you will find something that moves you.

I was told early on from two fabulous high school English teachers (Wanda Traugh and Marge Burnside) that I could write. Eventually one believes that you can and you overcome the fear of showing your words to the world.

Remember my goal everyday with HWIT is to make at least one person smile and/or think. That does not mean you like what is written or even agree with it. In fact I enjoy those brave enough to say “I don’t like what you wrote today.” This includes family members and friends.

Here are some of my favorite quotes by some of my favorite writers.

“The idea is to write it so that people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart.” Maya Angelou

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” Benjamin Franklin

Since it is National Peanut Day let us thank those of peanut fame; George Washington Carver, Former US President Jimmy Carter, and Peter Pan. Although we all know that choosy mothers choose JIF.

Speaking of Jimmy Carter, POTUS # 39, offered these words of advice to POTUS # 45 today –

“Keep the peace, support human rights and tell the truth.”

That seems to be good advice for everybody on a daily basis. And it will fit into a Twitter message.

Paraphrasing Dr. Strangelove or How I Stopped Worrying and Love the Bomb, I could say “How I stopped worrying and love Twitter.” Actually I don’t love or even like Twitter, but with one little tweet I went from about 30 followers to 108 in two days with more RT’s, (Retweets) Likes, Hearts and favorable emoji characters than anything I tweeted in over three years.

The tweet? It was a response to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos – aka known as Betsy DeVoucher.

“Usually when one is in charge of the educational institution he or she has an education and understands the issues. You have neither.”

In a previous lifetime I interacted with the office holder of the position of Secretary of Education and his or her staffs on a weekly basis and annually in person. These individuals regardless of political party affiliation had one thing in common – The improvement of public and parochial schools and institutions of higher education. The letters before my name mean I am qualified to make that statement regarding the current Secretary of Education.

May 1985 – Hooding at Texas A&M Graduation = Three stripes on the sleeve, a baby blue color “hood” and flat hat with strings on the side.

“Writers are not here to conform. We are here to challenge. We’re not here to be comfortable-we’re here, really to shake things up. That’s our job.”     Jeanette Wilson

Tuesday, May 16, 2017 – As You Watch History in Real Time

Tuesday, May 16, 2017 – As You Watch History in Real Time or Three for Three

The Constitution of the United States

Article II – The Executive Branch. Section 4 – Disqualification

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Monday, March 27, 2017 – Last Week – That Was The Week That Was (TW3)

Monday, March 27, 2017 – Last Week – That Was The Week That Was (TW3)

Good morning Boys and Girls,

Our vocabulary word for the day is: Mumpsimus. It is a noun that means 1. adherence to or persistence in an erroneous use of language, memorization, practice, belief; out of habit or obstinacy 2. A person who persists in a mistaken expression or practice.

Now please use mumpsimus in a sentence.

The POTUS and his administration are a swamp filled mumpsimus.

HWIT – Rather than increase the numbers in the demographic of poor people with no health care with the new and improved healthcare, President Mumpsimus will just maintain the existing number of poor people who are unable to afford premiums and their outlandish deductibles as currently stated in the ACA. Correct?

While we are looking at numbers, check my math. Aren’t the Democrats in the minority in the House of Representatives? Help me understand, the Democrats that voted against Trumpcare are blamed for it not passing, but the Republicans, that voted against Trumpcare are not blamed.

Oh well, let’s just toss that critical issue of healthcare into the Potomac with all the people effected and tackle tax reform.

Shipwreck off cost of Maine – Photo by me. Maybe I should call it: USS Trump

I am blessed to have excellent health benefits and health care. I am thankful each morning I awake up and think “Thank goodness I am not Sean Spicer.”

Let’ close today with a quote from George W. Bush said early in his first term, perhaps even the first 100 days. “It’s hard to be president.” Never thought we would miss “W.”

 

Tuesday, December 13, 2016 – Sociology 101- Memes and Emoticons

Tuesday, December 13, 2016 – Sociology 101- Memes and Emoticons

Good morning, Class,

Today is Sociology 101. We will be looking at two forms of so called communication. Memes and Emoticons. Spoiler alert: This is one of the HWIT where you think you know where it is going, but you do not.

What is a meme? An internet meme (/miːm/ MEEM) is defined as an activity, concept, catchphrase or piece of media which spreads, often as mimicry, from person to person via the Internet.

Meme sounds like something you call your grandmother. However, it usually involves a video of someone saying or doing something stupid, outrageous and often in a drunken or otherwise enhanced state of mind. It is then immediately and without thought posted to Facebook,Twitter, Instagram, Snap Chat or other social media. Think of it as STD – socially transmitted demonstration.

A meme is not to be confused with an emoticon. Aside from sounding like a laxative, here is a very fancy definition of emoticon to use at the next cocktail party, bar gathering or just to show off to strangers.

An emoticon is a metacommunicative pictorial representation of a facial expression which in the absence of body language and prosody serves to draw a receiver’s attention to the tenor or temper of a sender’s nominal verbal communication, changing and improving its interpretation. It expresses – often by means of punctuation marks – a person’s feelings or mood and can include numbers and letters, as well.

Allow me to translate some big words. Pictorial representation – a picture, somewhat cartoonish in nature. Metacommuncative – multiple means of communications that means different things to different people and to their brains and is dependent upon multiple factors such as current mood, emotional state of mind, alcohol intake, time of day/night, proper parental upbringing, and other social factors.

Prosody is a linguistic term (I like to say linguistic b/c it sound dirty, but isn’t) that means nonverbal cues. You do not hear what the person is saying.

Bottom line emoticons use those symbols and characters on a keyboard that are seldom used in normal communications or they are happy faces on steroids invented by the Japanese.

They all represent the transference of culture among people via technology. Reread that sentence remembering they mean “different things to different people and impact their brains in different ways and they are nonverbal.” Which part of communication am I missing?

In either case I do not use memes or emoticons because I have no idea what the hell they mean. I have no idea what you are saying to me when you use one. I am not learning these hieroglyphics that are device independent and often differ from social media to social media.

For example – do you know what this symbol means? (@_@)

It means socked or confused. http://www.symbols.com/symbol/1149

It is also the look in my eyes every morning to a new cabinet post. What is the meme or emoticon for FUBAR?

Class dismissed.

socked-and-confused