Still learning at 71, Still being "surprised."

• I am a part time reading tutor for first graders. The summer is coming up, and one of my students asked me what I would do over the summer months, I told her I will tutor 3 graders. "Oh, Mr. Rogers," she squeeled, " that's wonderful, you got promoted." Cute.
• The population of Italy is falling off to a point where one demographer said by 2050, the country will be just a theme park. Italian women of child bearing age have formed a pact not to have ANY children, preferring to live la dolce vita. Italy imports third world immigrants to do the work they don't want to do.
• Ditto Germany.
• Third world countries replace children at the rate of one entire "Mexico" every 18 months.
• The rate of family are decreasing in Europe, at the current rate, there may be no more in sixty years.
• I learned that Topomax, a drug for seisures, also cures other ailments, plus, it drops weight off you like crazy. My daughter taught me that. She's 40. I'm grateful.
• Listen to this: " How could things get so bad. It's almost enough to lose your faith in God." That was written by Eva Braun, Hitler's mistress. The note was found in the bunker after she killed herself. (I guess it depends on your point of view, eh?)
• Bin Laden was supposed to be a strict religious man according to his public persona. He had over 25 children and I believe 9 wives, and a recent press release said a "treasure trove of pornography." Hmm. Yes, I am surprised.
• Here in Tucson, endless, overheated debate rages on, but I have to find ANYONE who has actually READ the Ethnic Studies full content. I can't find anyone who can comment intelligently on it's curriculum, or can I find it in print or on the internet, or can I find anyone who can. Nor, can I get anyone in authority who might be able to, to answer my calls.
• When passing through Idaho, (where else) I read a billboard that said, " If voting actually changed ANYTHING, it would probably be illegal.'
• ...my tutor taught me to love hard work, limit my desires, rely on myself, keep my nose out of other peoples' affairs,and to turn a deaf ear to gossip"...Marcus Aurelius.

For your consideration.
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