Things that are right with the world.

[Kyle]

I've decided that we (and by that I mean the circle of people I surround myself with) have become overwhelmingly negative- especially in light of the election. It's become easy to complain about Trump and the injustices we see all around ourselves. And I think it becomes even easier to see ourselves as being persecuted, or somehow under attack.

All of this is kind of nonsense, right?

I was talking to my kids the other day and we talked about how we hit the lottery- we were born as white people in the US. More to the point, my son and I were born as white men in the US. It doesn't get better than that. It doesn't get any more privileged than that.

The discussion turned to how we really have everything going for us and that our lives are pretty good. The conclusion we drew is that it's stupid to become obsessed with all these negative things when we're surrounded by extremely positive things-- most specifically, a happy family that can have intelligent conversation.

So my point is this: let's be happy. The president sucks. He's doing shitty things to people. But you know what? Life's pretty good. As Bobby McFerrin once said...

[Phoebe]

Not that I want to be a spoiler here because I like that you have perspective about your own life and are focused on positive things. I'm honestly having trouble getting past the real damage to people, though. Number one is people being deported - this is real and happening, and though not to my family, it affects people around us and it's not the "ok, pick up the loose felons" approach being advertised. My kids are rightly worried about friends who are rightly worried; I'm worried about active things happening at work I don't want to discuss here. One of the few Muslim families in my neighborhood is moving away; one gets a sad perspective on this when hearing one of our young imams talk about all the harassment his community has faced. The fear is palpable and that's terrible; I feel like if we stop pointing it out, it will become "normal" and accepted. People worrying about these things should know that most people are worried about it, too, and willing to speak up.

[Kyle]

I sympathize with everything you're saying. But if we want to focus on the negative, then we could have been obsessed with the hundreds of civilians that Obama killed with his drone project in the middle east. Or how Obama still kept people detained without due process in Guantanamo. Or that our country continued a program of global assassination of people it arbitrarily determined were terrorists. Or that poverty and racism was rampant in large swaths of our country.

None of that changed after Trump was elected.

My point is that if you want to focus on negatives, you can always find them and obsess over them. It will make you miserable. My point is very simple: count your blessings. We have it good. All of us here. Really good. I feel that by over emphasizing the negative things, we lose perspective- which isn't healthy. And you're not going to do any good if you're not in good mental health. Count your blessings. Life is good. Speak out about injustice, but also remember the good things.

[Mike]

Are you kidding? The world is awesome. We just got the majority of our GenCon ducks in a row last night. We're going to have a blast. I get two of my kids with me, and I get to meet Bill and Andrew and Caz for the first time. So awesome. PLUS... there's a They Might Be Giants concert on the first night to celebrate 50 years of GenCon, and it's only 10 bucks a head to get in. I'm in heaven.

Plus, the Senate laughed Betsy DeVos's proposed budget out the door.

And as mentioned on the last podcast, the Supreme Court handed down a couple decisions last week that mark big progress in the battle against patent trolls.

Also, it looks like there might be a successful court challenge to the rolling back of some Obama-era EPA regs. I didn't even know that could be challenged in court.

The point is that while there are many bad things happening, there's still signs that some of our checks and balances are still working exactly like they should. And that's a good thing.

But mostly GenCon.

[Iantha]

I am really, really lucky. Despite being female and a little brown in this country, I have a decent job on just a high school education. Also, I'm an almost-middle-aged female who has the opportunity (and is taking it) to get a post-high school education. I have a wonderful relationship with my daughter and husband. According to pop culture this seems to be no small feat. I'm better off than my parents were at this age, I'm healthier, and I am witnessing culture at large really starting to take steps towards making a more sustainable, healthier planet. And, on this day, I look back at Loving V Virginia and am so grateful to them. My life really is pretty great.

[Phoebe]

They say Betsy DeVos is planning to resign. The reason? Because it turns out that the Department of Education wasn't a tyranny after all, and everyone in the known universe of legit Education is resisting her wicked-cartoon-characterish schemes. I pray - and I don't say that lightly - that the state legislatures similarly throw their hands up and drop this ball.

[mimekiller]

BEMUSED by most of you who are stuck in this Trump hate cycle despite DESPERATE attempts to get you you to talk about anything else, hilarity.

Oh yea, got a debt consolidation loan approved so I'm on track to be credit/debt free in a couple years which is not something I thought I would ever be pumped on but yea its a cool deal.

[Phoebe]

Why should people talk about what other people decide should be talked about, in lieu of talking about what they wish? I talk about all the things and I enjoy every one of them fully. Kind of the antithesis of what's going on in Reed, if you will.

[bralbovsky]

So, regardless which side one is on in Syria, my guess is that Assad is a frequent topic of conversation.
Not because we know him personally, but because of the frequent, tangible impact he has on lives all around us.
Is it all bad? Thankfully, no, but it's not good because he gives a shit, it's accidentally or incidentally good.

It's really too soon to compare presidents with any hope of objectivity.
"It's a mental health issue" said unironically by a guy who authorized mentally ill folks to buy guns.
I'm not suggesting causation here at all. I'm begging for some logic, a sense of a plan more mature than a toddler's.

On the good news front, my son's foster child arrived last week. Delays, disappointments, etc, all surmounted. Great kid. 3% English capacity. Exploded their lives absolutely according to normal expectations. Couldn't be happier.

[Ronster]

My daughter and her friend needed to do a video project for Hamlet yesterday and it was the gravedigger scene. I dug the grave with the tractor scoop saving me time and back pain. They were a hoot! Her friend's dad was pleasant to talk to. His wife has been hospitalized for about 2 weeks and this was his first day away from her side(she has leukemia and pneumonia. We asked them to stay for supper and they agreed. We had expected the daughter for supper so we had soup and grilled cheese sandwiches since they are vegetarian and we don't fix a lot of vegetarian meals. After supper we talked while the kids played xbox and watched Studio C videos on youtube. We talked until almost 8 PM. He really needed a break from the hospital situation. They got a hot meal that did not come from a bag and we came to appreciate what really matters.

My family has no major health concerns. Our kids are kind and intelligent. I am employed at a job that I don't hate. We have a home with heat,water, and lights.

I am happy and I am grateful. Even when things go bad, and eventually they will, I hope I still choose to be thankful and happy.