The World

The world is the United States president saying one thing, then another, then another thing. It makes only some people ridiculously happy because they get to speak about it incessantly.

The world is vehicles that become murder weapons throughout Europe… because why not?

The world is political figures constantly trying to one-up each other just to say they're better, even though when they die they'll all become dust.

The world is businesses that try to innovate even when they've reached maximum saturation. It's only because they feel they must always expand.

The world is taking advantage of debt, reselling it, gouging on interest, passing it around, and forgetting about it via bankruptcy.

People wonder when I hesitate to acknowledge others' thoughts that human beings are the pinnacle of creation.

Things That Leave Me Aghast

So, I saw this on my Facebook feed today…

All I could do was shake my head. Yes, I'm not an immense fan of his because of sometimes the way he reacts to others. I'd accepted on the day the results came out that he'd become the United States president and that, among other things, one should pray for him and the country like any other leader, and that he makes good decisions.

This, like some things that some would characterize he's said, is childish. It serves nothing more than to, as the poster of the video link put it, troll him. Trolling serve no purpose other than to antagonize; it is senseless antagonism.

Senseless antagonism is mindlessly calling him "The Cheeto" or "His Orangeness". And people who'd called President Obama or Hillary Clinton, or anyone else anything, or referred to them as anything other than their names or official titles (and not said them with disdain, even though they have the right to do so) does nothing to solve the ever-growing list of problems this world has.

Trump ends White House tradition of celebrating end of Ramadan

Trump ends White House tradition of celebrating end of Ramadan

From Eid al-Fitr, a Flipboard topic

US President Donald Trump broke a two-decade-long tradition this weekend by not hosting a White House dinner to celebrate Eid, marking…

Read it on Flipboard

Read it on france24.com

The News Cycle

In another thought about news, I sometimes regret being someone who likes to listen to news because it can sometimes trigger one of my giant pet peeves: certain repetition in speech.

Between yesterday and today, I've probably heard some generally-the-same iteration of President Trump's Paris Climate Accord decision. It was annoying. Whether it was the BBC, the CBC, NPR, PRI, American Public Media, or KSL in Salt Lake City, Utah, I got it.

I had to brace to not exhale furiously.

I need to listen to some stories.

Repetition

“To a reporter from Reuters this week, though, Trump had a slightly different assessment of the presidency.

‘I love my previous life. I had so many things going. This is more work than in my previous life,’ Trump said. ‘I thought it would be easier. I thought it was more of a ... I'm a details-oriented person. I think you'd say that, but I do miss my old life. I like to work so that's not a problem but this is actually more work.’”

I have a few pet peeves. One is repetition.

I've accepted that this guy, Donald Trump, is this country's president, and that as much as his bearing, mannerisms, and facets of his personality irk me sometimes, I've done my best to not speak ill of him.

I wish, though, he'd take notice of the things he does and says. He's seventy years old, so changing is not easy. His penchant for repeating things over and over in one sentence really bothers me, though. It's almost as if he can't think of things to say off the cuff, so he repeats himself until he can think of something else.

I hope he can do better extemporaneously as he goes through his presidency.

Germ Warfare

Angela Merkel Asked President Trump to Shake Hands. He Appeared to Ignore Her

From Germany, a Flipboard magazine by TIME

At a photo op with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Donald Trump said little and appeared to refuse a handshake…

Read it on Flipboard

Read it on time.com

Okay, they concentrate on a lot of things Donald Trump lately, but history has shown he's not keen on doing this the way his predecessors have done.

I'm glad they've achknowledged a few possibilities why he might have not taken her hand, and then there's he might have been so entranced in the media presence.

Still, the more important thing would be about what they've spoken and what it means.

Shake hands after.