Category: News of the Day

I am all for science and the advances in medical science are amazing, but sometimes you have to push down on the brakes. According to USA Today, a 74-year-old woman in India gave birth to twins. Her husband is 82. Thanks to the science of in vitro fertilization, the elderly woman was able to give birth to twin girls.

The couple said they always wanted to have children. That’s an understandable want, but because you want something doesn’t mean you should have it or do it. Having children at that age isn’t smart or practical. In my opinion, this is extremely irresponsible.

I hope the couple lives for decades to come but time isn’t on their side. Time is undefeated and there is a good chance these kids will not have one or both parents around by the time they are teenagers. That sounds cold, heartless and extremely negative, but it is realistic.

I acknowledge that studies show that people are living longer. Also, on the flip side, tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone – young or old – but the inevitable is far more likely the older you get.

I know this gets tricky and steps on the rights of individuals, but I think the doctors should have stepped in and said “No, this isn’t smart and we have some real concerns beyond the pregnancy.” Yeah, I know there isn’t much of a chance of that happening and this mindset seems authoritative.

I am sure the doctors talked to the couple about the risks of having children this late in life but it was probably a conversation about the physical risks to the mother during pregnancy. In this case, a conversation should have occurred regarding the risks and consequences beyond the pregnancy. The parents may not be around during the children formative years or the kids may have to take care of the parents while the children are still learning and developing.

Again, I think this is irresponsible and selfish. We all want things – some wants are practical and make sense – others are dreams that aren’t realistic because time and other factors are not on our side.

There are times when the law doesn’t seem right. According to The Washington Post, a Michigan court ruled that a man who bought a lottery ticket and won must share the winnings with his ex-wife. The man bought the ticket and won two years after he and his now ex-wife filed for divorce. The court stated the two were still married when he won, and since they shared losses, the two should share winnings. The ticket after taxes is worth nearly $39 million – the ex is expected to receive nearly $15 million.

I know this is subject to much debate, but this doesn’t seem right to me. The couple was living separately after the divorce filing, so the two weren’t sharing living expenses. The two were living separate lives while they waited for the divorce to be finalized. I will say, the ex-wife is entitled to child support, particularly, since he was allegedly not making child support payments. That being said, getting such a large amount of the winnings when she wasn’t involved seems like crap.

I know the law is the law, and I understand they were legally married when he won, but I think being practical and using some common sense would dictate providing child support and some living expenses. Getting nearly $15 million – I think not. However, we all know that common sense and the law rarely intersect. In the end, he is getting nearly $24 million, so he’s not hurting.

Recently, the U. S. Women’s soccer team was criticized for drubbing Thailand 13-0 in the first round of the World Cup. The score wasn’t as a big an issue as the way the U.S. team excessively celebrated after every goal. The lack of sportsmanship by the U.S. was pointed out by many in the sports world. Of course, there were a few people, particularly women, who accused the people of criticizing the team as sexist.

Let me say this, it’s not sexist to call out the team for poor sportsmanship. The men’s team would have been blasted for doing the same. It has nothing to do with the sex of the person. In sports, you can’t tell someone not to score, but you can control the way you celebrate. Don’t try to embarrass or show up the other team. As the saying goes, “act like you have been there before.”

There are a lot of sexist things that happen in this world, but the criticism of the U.S. women’s soccer team isn’t one them. To turn this issue into one of sexism is disingenuous. Those people are just looking to complain about something.

An argument can be made whether the pay disparity between the U.S. men’s and women’s soccer team is sexist, but showing sportsmanship isn’t sexist – it is about doing the right thing.

In a recent interview, Bill Cosby said prison is an “amazing experience” and that he is a political prisoner similar to Martin Luther King and others who have fought for human and civil rights. How dare he?

He is delusional. Martin Luther King and others didn’t go to prison for sexually assaulting women. Cosby is a fraud and a criminal. What he went to prison for and what he is alleged to have done to other women is unforgivable. His fall from stardom and his deception as a role model for many are disturbing.

Bill Cosby played us for fools. He portrayed himself as a standup man, social and civil rights drum beater, icon for all people, particularly for black people across the world. Now, he is just a jackass and a jerk. His legacy destroyed. He will forever be remembered as a sexual predator.

Recently, PETA made headlines for suggesting new words for phrases that have a reference to animals. Per this article in The Mercury News, instead of saying “Kill two birds with one stone,” PETA advises using“Feed two birds with one scone.” Also, instead of saying “Beat a dead horse,” PETA suggest “Feed a fed horse.”

As much as I love animals, I must say this is beyond asinine. You are worried about slogans that do no harm to animals and don’t even give anyone thought of doing any harm? What is even more ridiculous, the animal rights organization suggested the current phrases are akin to racist and homophobic phrases. Really? You have to be out of touch with life if you believe this. This mindset almost leaves me speechless.

People should ignore PETA’s suggested new phrases. If PETA wants to make a difference, it should ask citizens including its members to promote conservation and important habitat protection. Promote protecting the environment –that’s how you protect the rights of animals across the world.

Comedian Kevin Hart stepped down as host of the 2019 Oscars (article in Variety) after negative tweets he made nearly 10 years ago about homosexuality were dug up by people that appear to have nothing better to do in their life. By the last comment, you probably know how I feel about this story.

I understand people being upset about his tweet but he apologized some time ago. The Oscar committee asked him to apologize again. He initially refused stating he had already apologized years prior to this resurfacing. Ultimately, he decided to step down and offered an apology afterward.

In my opinion, he should not have apologized a second time. Why wasn’t his first apology enough? The problem with America is that some people want their pound of flesh. It’s not good enough that you apologized because some bullies want you to do it on their terms. They want you to grovel and bow down to their will. That’s not right!

How many times does he have to apologize? If this comes up again, will he have to beg for forgiveness? We have to stop this foolishness. Accept his earlier apology and move on.

As I have said in a previous post, America is turning into a joyless society filled with angry people who aren’t happy unless others are miserable. We will never succeed in this society as long as we continue to tear people down for their mistakes.

Let’s do better! It’s time to have some compassion and forgiveness. If we can’t do that, then the next pound of flesh might be our own.