Wise guy

March 29, 2020

It seems that at one time or another I have offended many of our readers.

While never intended, if it is the cost of stimulating public interest in our local situation then I guess it must be.

At 16 years old Benjamin Franklin wrote this under the pen name Silence Dogood:

I am very sensible that it is impossible for me, or indeed any one Writer to please all Readers at once. Various Persons have different Sentiments; and that which is pleasant and delightful to one, gives another a Disgust. He that would (in this Way of Writing) please all, is under a Necessity to make his Themes almost as numerous as his Letters. He must one while be merry and diverting, then more solid and serious; one while sharp and satyrical, then (to mollify that) be sober and religious; at one Time let the Subject be Politicks, then let the next Theme be Love: Thus will every one, one Time or other find some thing agreeable to his own Fancy, and in his Turn be delighted.

I thank you for your continued interest in the blog.  My preference would be that some of the comments the readers make about each other be more civilly constructed.  A point can be made without being rude.

We deserve better

Brutus

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Open line Saturday

March 28, 2020

It’s Saturday.

What’s on your mind?

We deserve better

Brutus

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Why tell the truth when a lie is more dramatic?

March 27, 2020

Maybe I have this backward but if the current idea is to keep people from congregating the announcement below doesn’t make sense:

The streetcars may be the safest public places in town.

I suspect that the real reason for doing this is to save money, an effort that I support.

Honesty seems to be in short supply from the city.

We deserve better

Brutus

5 Comments | City government | Permalink
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Forgetting what it’s all about

March 26, 2020

At the Tuesday, March 17, 2020 city council meeting I believe the mayor made a motion to delete the pledge of allegiance from the agenda.

No explanation was given.

I would hope that city council supports our country.

Maybe they thought that they were too busy that day.

Shame on them!

We deserve better

Brutus

15 Comments | City government | Permalink
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Not today

March 25, 2020

In 1722 Silence Dogwood wrote her first letter to The New-England Courant a Boston newspaper. Silence Dogwood was a pseudonym used by the 16 year old Benjamin Franklin.  Evidently his older brother, the owner and publisher of the Courant would not print his pieces so Benjamin wrote under the persona of a middle-aged woman.

It began,

Sir,

It may not be possible in the first Place to inform your Readers, that I intend once a Fortnight to present them, by the Help of this Paper, with a short Epistle, which I presume will add somewhat to their Entertainment.

And since it is observed, that the Generality of People, nowadays, are unwilling either to commend or dispraise what they read, until they are in some measure informed who or what the Author of it is, whether he be poor or rich, old or young, a Schollar or a Leather Apron Man, &c. and give their Opinion of the Performance, according to the Knowledge which they have of the Author’s Circumstances, it may not be amiss to begin with a short Account of my past Life and present Condition, that the Reader may not be at a Loss to judge whether or no my Lucubrations are worth his reading.[2]

Not now

Much of public comment today is based upon a partial reading of material and is made based upon personal bias and not upon the merit or lack of merit of the piece.

We deserve better

Brutus

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