Reasons to be Optimistic

[BeginnersMind]

“To counteract this bias towards negativity, Gates has asked some of the world's most visionary thinkers to share their rationales for hope, kicking off proceedings with his own list of causes to be optimistic that the world might actually get better this year, including these happy facts:

 

1. Since 1990 the number of children who die before their fifth birthday has been cut in half, saving 122 million young lives.

2. In the same period, the fraction of people living in extreme poverty has gone from one third to one tenth.

3. More than 90 percent of children now attend primary school worldwide.

4. Women now make up more than a fifth of members of parliaments around the world.

5. Workplace and road safety in the U.S. has risen dramatically since our grandparents' time.  

 

https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/bill-gates-here-are-5-reasons-to-be-optimistic-about-2018.html

[Foxx]

Mark but this flea, and mark in this,   

How little that which thou deniest me is;   

It sucked me first, and now sucks thee,

And in this flea our two bloods mingled be;   

Thou know’st that this cannot be said

A sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead,

    Yet this enjoys before it woo,

    And pampered swells with one blood made of two,

    And this, alas, is more than we would do.

[Koko78]

20 minutes ago, BeginnersMind said:

“To counteract this bias towards negativity, Gates has asked some of the world's most visionary thinkers to share their rationales for hope, kicking off proceedings with his own list of causes to be optimistic that the world might actually get better this year, including these happy facts:

 

1. Since 1990 the number of children who die before their fifth birthday has been cut in half, saving 122 million young lives.

2. In the same period, the fraction of people living in extreme poverty has gone from one third to one tenth.

3. More than 90 percent of children now attend primary school worldwide.

4. Women now make up more than a fifth of members of parliaments around the world.

5. Workplace and road safety in the U.S. has risen dramatically since our grandparents' time.  

 

https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/bill-gates-here-are-5-reasons-to-be-optimistic-about-2018.html

 

Nonsense, I've been told that Trump is literally destroying the world, and we only have 12 years left to fix it through radical wealth-redistribution!

[3rdnlng]

30 minutes ago, Foxx said:

Mark but this flea, and mark in this,   

How little that which thou deniest me is;   

It sucked me first, and now sucks thee,

And in this flea our two bloods mingled be;   

Thou know’st that this cannot be said

A sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead,

    Yet this enjoys before it woo,

    And pampered swells with one blood made of two,

    And this, alas, is more than we would do.

WTF? I'm not in the least bit interested in losing maiden head.

[Foxx]

11 minutes ago, 3rdnlng said:

WTF? I'm not in the least bit interested in losing maiden head.

so... your still a virgin?

[DC Tom]

56 minutes ago, BeginnersMind said:

“To counteract this bias towards negativity, Gates has asked some of the world's most visionary thinkers to share their rationales for hope, kicking off proceedings with his own list of causes to be optimistic that the world might actually get better this year, including these happy facts:

 

1. Since 1990 the number of children who die before their fifth birthday has been cut in half, saving 122 million young lives.

2. In the same period, the fraction of people living in extreme poverty has gone from one third to one tenth.

3. More than 90 percent of children now attend primary school worldwide.

4. Women now make up more than a fifth of members of parliaments around the world.

5. Workplace and road safety in the U.S. has risen dramatically since our grandparents' time.  

 

https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/bill-gates-here-are-5-reasons-to-be-optimistic-about-2018.html

 

Why would I be optimistic about there being even more idiots in the world?

[B-Man]

1 minute ago, DC Tom said:

 

Why would I be optimistic about there being even more idiots in the world?

 

 

Target-Rich environment ?

 

 

.

[3rdnlng]

34 minutes ago, Foxx said:

so... your still a virgin?

I don't know what that has to do with anything.

[RochesterRob]

35 minutes ago, DC Tom said:

 

Why would I be optimistic about there being even more idiots in the world?

  I am glad that you jumped into that pool before I did.  Number 5 is the only reason for me to feel optimistic.  There is still plenty of misery and inequality in the world.  I don't root for people to die but we already don't know what to do with the over 7 billion people that are alive today.  Technology is already making the bustle of the 1950's workplace with jobs for even the most unqualified a very distant memory.  McDonald's is looking to be fully automated and if Walmart could get robots to put out stock then you won't see an organic employee in there.  People used to be able to pass the time with simple activities but nobody is encouraged to grow a garden or trim a hedge anymore.  People sitting around all their waking hours being subjected to media stimulation will not be a good thing long term.  

[Keukasmallies]

I used to just pin my holpes on the younger generation...then along came Ms Occasionally-Crazed....

[Foxx]

29 minutes ago, 3rdnlng said:

I don't know what that has to do with anything.

good to know your hyman is still intact.

 

[DC Tom]

8 minutes ago, Foxx said:

good to know your hyman is still intact.

 

 

You misspelled "*****". 

 

Of course, if you spelled it properly, the profanity filter would probably censor it.

[Nanker]

If wishes were fishes, I’d have me a fry. 

[boyst]

4 hours ago, DC Tom said:

 

You misspelled "*****". 

 

Of course, if you spelled it properly, the profanity filter would probably censor it.

Wow. That's funny ***** is word filtered.

 

I actually got a warning point for posting words that used to be filtered that aren't in the shoutbox.

 

Rooster sucker is no longer filtered to stevestojan, Beerball or gugny

[row_33]

Al Franken’s book on the Senate has been sittting in the same spot at my local library’s Hot Reads display for over a year now.

 

makes me smile to see it collect dust there.

 

 

[row_33]

—————-

 

Bill Simmons is on a kick about Art Carney taking the Oscar for Harry and Tonto over Pacino in Godfather 2. A reminder that justice will win out over the thinking of the experts in the end. 

 

 

[/dev/null]

Reason #6: Only two and a half more months until Game of Thrones

[Tiberius]

new Post-ABC polling. Some highlights:

• 57 percent rate Trump’s handling of border security negatively, a remarkable indictment of Trump on his signature issue.
• 61 percent say Trump is not honest or trustworthy.
• 58 percent say Trump lacks the personality and temperament to serve effectively as president.
• 56 percent say Trump has not brought needed change to Washington.
• 65 percent say Trump does not understand the problems of people like them.
• 58 percent say Trump is not good at making political deals.
• 64 percent do not have a lot of confidence that Trump will make the right decisions for the country’s future.

[RochesterRob]

25 minutes ago, Tiberius said:

new Post-ABC polling. Some highlights:

• 57 percent rate Trump’s handling of border security negatively, a remarkable indictment of Trump on his signature issue.
• 61 percent say Trump is not honest or trustworthy.
• 58 percent say Trump lacks the personality and temperament to serve effectively as president.
• 56 percent say Trump has not brought needed change to Washington.
• 65 percent say Trump does not understand the problems of people like them.
• 58 percent say Trump is not good at making political deals.
• 64 percent do not have a lot of confidence that Trump will make the right decisions for the country’s future.

  My friend saw that same pollster at work.  Doing the survey on the corner of Haight and Ashbury in San Francisco.  Not really interested in the results of someone seeking a confirmation bias.

[B-Man]

 

Reasons to be Optimistic

 

 

Killeen, Texas: A line of cars stretching for miles to attend the funeral of an Air Force Veteran with no family.. after fears he would be buried with no one attending.

...Americans are still great