Are you + the U.S. better off than you were 4+ months ago (before Trump made America great)?

During the October 28, 1980, presidential debate between President Jimmy Carter and then presidential candidate Ronald Reagan, Reagan famously called on Americans to ask themselves:

'Are you better off now than you were four years ago? Is it easier for you to go and buy things in the stores than it was four years ago? Is there more or less unemployment in the country than there was four years ago? Is America as respected throughout the world as it was?'

It was a thought-provoking question. And the answer, or so it would appear from Reagan's victory, was "no."

I've been thinking a lot about that quote since Donald Trump took office, and promised to make America great again within 100 days.

So how is Trump doing? Are we (or you) better off than we/you were 4+ months ago?

Speaking personally, the answer is no.

Since Trump took office, our health insurance has gone way up. The value of our house has gone way down. I lost my main source of employment -- and have been unable to find a new one (or one that pays anywhere close to what I was earning, which wasn't much).

I worry about whether we and our children and grandchildren will have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink and whether the Earth will wind up looking like Venus. I worry about Trump starting a nuclear war. I worry about the rights of women and blacks/African Americans and other minorities. And I worry that if I go see a doctor or mental health professional about my anxiety our insurance premiums will skyrocket -- and mental healthcare isn't covered anyway.

As for Reagan's last question, "Is America as respected throughout the world as it was?" The short answer is, no, not even close. In fact, in just over four months, the United States has become the laughingstock of the world, thanks to Trump, who is a constant embarrassment on the world stage. And countries, including the UK (which has its own problems) and Canada, two of the United States's staunchest allies, are distancing themselves from Trump.

Regarding whether it's "easier for you to go and buy things in the store that it was four years ago," I don't have an answer.

And while technically the unemployment rate is low, and was low before Trump took office, I know a whole lot of people who have given up looking for full-time, or even part-time, work, or who found work but now make less money than they did four or 10 or 15 years ago. And I don't see this changing anytime soon, despite what Trump said or says. In fact, companies are continuing to automate and shift jobs out of the country -- and hiring fewer people to do more. And many people who do have jobs aren't paid a livable wage, which Trump and the Republicans don't see as a problem.

Sure, some people -- namely the very rich -- are better off, at least financially, than they were four months ago (thanks to a surging stock market and the rollback of certain regulations). But is America really better off? Are you?

Do we still need watches?

I love watches. Rather than mere time pieces, I have always thought of watches as works of art and science.

Back in the day (as in pre-Internet), I used to sport two or three watches at a time on my left wrist and arm. There is even a picture of me at my first job at a quasi-fashion magazine sporting a fresh manicure and at least eight watches (most of which were donated by my colleagues for the sake of taking a photo, a Polaroid, which I cannot find).

 But for the past dozen years or so, I have rarely worn a watch. I haven't needed to.

Why wear a watch when we are surrounded by clocks? If you work in an office, there is a clock on your computer. Travel for work by car or shuttle your kids, there's a clock on your dashboard -- and on your GPS. Not in front of your computer or in your car and want to know what time it is? Just check your smart phone. Cooking in the kitchen? No need for a watch. There are clocks on your oven and on your microwave -- and chances are you have a TV or computing device or radio in your kitchen, which has a built-in clock. Have cable television? Then you know what time it is every time you pass in front of a cable box.

Just think about last Sunday, when you had to set your clocks back an hour (unless you live in Hawaii or Arizona) and you understand how pervasive time is -- and how little need there is for watches, or clocks, anymore. Except maybe as decorative pieces.

Do we still need watches anymore? Are they relics of the past, a bracelet that keeps time? Or maybe watches have evolved into something else, say, a computer you wear on your wrist?



Time will tell.

Why can't people #$?!@!?

I have questions. Maybe one of you has the answers. Or some of them. (Note: Many of these questions are rhetorical. That is, I'm not really expecting an answer.)

Why can't people (other than doctors) turn their mobile devices off (or at least put them on mute) in theaters? Can whatever it is really not wait?

Why do people bring young children to fancy restaurants after 6:30 -- or to R-rated movies?

Why do brunettes who bleach their hair blond wait until they have two (or more) inches of brown roots showing to dye their hair again? And why do so many bottle blonds insist they are naturally blond, or were when they were young?

What is the deal with tattoos? Is there something in the ink that makes tattooing highly addictive? Do people understand that tattoos are permanent (or very difficult/expensive to remove) -- and look ridiculous when you are over 50 (or 40)?

Why do people sign up for classes (or gym memberships), when they know they aren't going to attend -- or schedule appointments at the time of their class?

Why is it so frikkin' hard for people to be on time, especially in this age of electronic reminders? And why do people wait until they are late to notify you?

And speaking of waiting.... Why do people wait until they are actually turning (as opposed to before they make a turn) to use their turn signal? And why do so many people think they don't need to use turn signals? Do you really think other drivers are psychic? (Psychotic, yes; psychic, no.)

Why do people say "Let's do lunch!" when they have no interest in or time to "do lunch"?

Similarly, why do people inform you they will be visiting your town or city -- and then tell you they have no time or interest in seeing you?

Why do people leave the Subject line in email blank? Are we supposed to guess what the email is about?

Why do people send spam email? Do you really think someone is going to wire money to a bank in Nigeria, or buy your penis enlargement pills, or have you find them a slut? (On second thought....)

Why do people forgive the sinner but never praise the saint?

Why is it so friggin' hard to pass strict gun control measures in this country? (This would be an example of a rhetorical question.) Even the NRA was for it... before it was against it. (You want to dramatically reduce the number of gun-related deaths in this country? Dramatically reduce the number of guns.)

Why are so many people afraid of and/or against a single-payer insurance system, like the UK and Canada have? Do people really love their health insurance companies and overspending on health care so much? (Again, this is a rhetorical question. Though feel free to dazzle me with your brilliance.)

I have more questions. But I think that's enough for now.

Feel free to contribute your own question(s) in the Comments section.

Were people always this awful?

The other day, while whichever political/celebrity/sports scandal was unfolding, I turned to the spouse and said, "Were people always this awful* or is this a new phenomenon?" To which the spouse replied, "People were always this awful. There are just more people."

This led us to debate:

a) If, percentage-wise, there were the same number of awful people as there were 50 or 100 or 1000 (or however many) years ago, or if the percentage of awful people had gone up (or down).

b) If awful people had more or less power now than they had 50 or 100 or 1000 years ago. For example, while what Bernard Madoff did, bilking thousands of people, was pretty awful, and ruined lives, it pales in comparison to what Adolf Hitler did, i.e., murdering millions of innocent people (among other awful things).

And c) While there have always been awful people, or people doing awful things, does it seem like there are more awful people or more people doing awful things because of our 24/7 media -- cable news, Internet news, blogs, talk radio, newspapers, etc?

What do you think?

*By awful I mean bad -- or screwed up or crazy or mean or psycho.