I haven't blogged much in a while, probably because on social media so much can be said and said easily. However recent events have made it such that tolerating social media has become something I simply can no longer do. I mostly call it un-social media.

My friend Steve likes to say, "Internet muscles are even stronger than beer muscles!" He's right of course and it leads to all manner of poor behavior, so much so that the good out there is overwhelmed by it. What is worse to me is when it's so called friends who do so.

Let me admit that I am a contributor to some less than positive posts, chiefly when I'm traveling by air. As it works out I hate traveling. It's not the people I meet or being away from home that's the problem though, it's flying. When I fly I tend to post negative things. It's venting for me and I apologize for that.

Side note, it's not FLYING itself as I rather like blasting off into the sky and sights from the aircraft and even approaches and landings. One of my favorite series is "Why airplanes crash." Now you might think that means I would be terrified but indeed it's the opposite. Watching those investigations and seeing what is done afterword just reinforces the statistical truth that flying Is far safer than driving. My trip by car to the east side of Michigan in yesterday's morning snow and ice proved that. There were so many cars (mostly trucks and SUVs) in the ditch at points that you needed to call a valet if you wanted to join them!!

Why do I hate flying? It's security theater that makes me drain my coffee cup so I can pay for more 50 ft past security. It's zone 2 people blocking the way to the door already when they've just called first class. It's watching the airlines ignore the carryon policy letting one person roll on two bags, with a bag on top of each and a backpack as well. It's smashing my 6'5" frame into a tiny space and despite checking my bag, no overhead space remains for my backpack. As a consequence, it's beneath the seat in front of me meaning no place for my size 14s and thus my knees are into the back of the seat ahead. Then despite the knees, 10 seconds after takeoff the seat ahead comes all the way back into said knees and making use of a laptop out of the question. (Ironically the short lady next to me on my last flight enjoyed the luxury of the seat ahead remaining fully upright. She hammered away on her laptop with ease. Sigh.) I do try to get an aisle seat but there you get banged and bashed by every backpack etc being shoved down the aisle. In summary it's basically every inconsiderate boob with a completely 'me first' attitude. Yes, I called them 'boobs'.

One thing I have NOT done though is bash people. Sure I point out when they support a policy or hold a position with which I disagree. I might even have gone as far as saying that such a position is silly or ridiculous or even, dare I say, stupid!

I did not support president Obama, however he was always President Obama. Our state has elected a democrat for Governor. I did not vote for her as I think her positions will hurt our state, but she is our governor elect and will be our governor. At that time, I will continue to disagree with many of her positions and actions while agreeing with some. We have had democrat governors before and despite my disagreement with them I DID support some of their actions. Need I say I disagreed with some of the policies and positions of our current republican governor? THIS is the way it should be. It is not intellectually possible to agree OR disagree with 100% of what someone says, does, or believes in.

Today, however, the vitriol for president Trump is off the rails! I thought it might get better with the elections over but with their numerical victory in the house democrat supporters are truly being sore winners and have dialed it up to 11! A huge amount of what shows on my feed from friends is hate and gloating and name calling and and and..., and it's sad. Sure I understand, president Trump isn't a nice guy and personally I don't like him. I wouldn't do work for him nor would I hire him, and I would politely decline an invitation to beer with him (though it would likely be a fantastic beer, an amaaaaazing beer, perhaps the best beer I have ever tasted! LOL!)

And yes part of the problem is me. I am an infrastructure guy. I want to fix things, it's what I do. I point out things that are flatly incorrect. So I find it difficult not to point out when things are flatly wrong. In a discussion recently about trucks and how they damage our roads I was told that I was not a true Michigander because I drive a Prius. "True Michiganders drive 4x4s!" the commenter said. When I pointed out those will do more road damage than my Prius I was told "That's a new one on me, how does a 4x4 damage the road??" When I suggested that since they weigh more they damage the road more simple as that, I was told that was irrelevant! Remember the entire thread was about heavy trucks damaging the roads. Irony. He didn't get it. I didn't HAVE to be part of that thread, but I couldn't resist being sucked in.

The Twitter of course is no better, likely worse. With its short comments it's far too easy to throw verbal Molotov cocktails and run. Or to stand there and throw more on the fire if that's your thing. Take a couple words from a tweet that merely asks a question, take them from their context, twist them, claim they are derogatory and end up by claiming that *I* am the problem with Twitter. I don't need that either.

What it is, is depressing. And I don't need depressing with the days shortening the weather cooling and fires in California and friends and relatives facing serious health challenges. I want uplifting not people bashing. Not driving wedges between us. Not claims that one party is better for electing women because the other party elected men. Not biased media that blatantly tried to sink a nominee by withholding facts proving accusations to be false while still publishing those false accusations. Not memes that take things so very far out of context as to turn them into lies.

Un-social media. It had promise but to me it looks like one of the airplanes in the series where everyone is still alive but dropping 10,000 ft per minute with max power but no controls. The end is near and certain, and it won't be pretty.

Me, I'm the guy in the parachute. Wish I could say it was fun while it lasted. I can't.

DrFranken out.

- DrF