Tag: politics

Quotes

“Every noble work is at first impossible.”

Featured patmcgLeave a comment

Pretty much any interesting/useful/beautiful human achievement you can think of was at first impossible. Mass-printing books? You’re crazy. Sailing ships across the oceans? No way. Putting a man on the surface of the freaking moon? That one still gets me.

While John F. Kennedy gets my award for the best speech about doing the impossible (and within the decade no less!), the Scotsman Thomas Carlyle had summed this idea up nicely a hundred years before.

Every noble work is at first impossible.

Thomas Carlyle

This quote is so clear and to-the-point: it is perfect from a writing perspective.

But can you picture JFK getting up on stage at Rice University in 1962, saying, “Every noble work is at first impossible… let’s go to the moon.” and then just leaving? 😆 I guess politics requires a little more bombast.

Thomas Carlyle, looking a lot like The Most Interesting Man in the World.
The World

Fellow Americans: remember to vote 🇺🇸 (and make it count)

Featured patmcgLeave a comment

I was out for walk last night when a neighbor called out from his yard, “Hey, are you gonna vote tomorrow?” “Yep,” I said. “Okay, cool. Just don’t screw it up,” he said. 😆

He didn’t tell me who to vote for, and I won’t tell you. But I will ask some pretty pointed questions.

Do you think we should do something real about the global climate crisis, or do you think we should sit on our hands and just hope things get better while the world burns?

Do you think we should make our own life-altering decisions or do you think the government should make these decisions for us?

Do you think we should take steps to keep our kids from getting murdered in their schools, or do you think that is just the price of freedom?

Do you respect our elections or do you support officially overturning a free and fair election using made-up claims?

Do you believe in civil discourse or do you believe in undermining political foes in their most tragic moments?

I could go on about how Republican policies are damaging lives. 😩. They also seem oddly scared of you voting and aim to keep that from happening.

If you believe in personal rights, respect for democracy, and solving problems in America, it looks like you may be down to one real option*.

*Libertarians seem consistent and ethical but don’t have a great answer to “things that affect everyone” like climate change and gun violence.

If you disagree, then vote your conscience and let’s get through this together. ✌️

From Ken Burns Tells America’s History Through Six Photographs

You

How To Talk To People You Disagree With

patmcg3 Comments

Lots of people are still hesitant to get the Corona vaccine. Maybe you’re one of them. Or maybe they’re driving you crazy.

If you want to know how to talk to people about this — or really about any subject on which you disagree with someone — then there are some good tips in this example text message conversation.

Hint: It turns out that it’s not helpful to lecture people, judge them, or overload them with information. Who knew? 🤷🏻‍♂️😉