August 4, 2012 
All week, I’ve tried to think of something to say that hasn’t been said, dozens of times before – most of it by better minds than mine. I’ve come up blank.
I have a fair grasp of history, but tend to get lost in the individual histories of those who lived through it, since we never seem to learn its lessons, anyway. Economics never appears to be what economists say it is and finance is a deep and unsolvable mystery to me. I vote, but have no sense that it does any good and no interest in the game of politics. I’ve never excelled at sports. I seem to have only one small gift, that of telling stories from my own unique perspective. So, here is one such story:
A Very Short Short Story
“Is the verdict in?”
“Yes, Mother. As you thought, suicide.”
“Ah. Inevitable, I suppose. I never should have given them opposable thumbs.”
THE END
The Conflicted Doomer 
You mean like up and down?
What? (Sorry, I think the heat has finally fried my brain.)
Thumbs up / thumbs down. Opposable, Bad joke, and I’m blaming the heat too.
LOL. We finally got a respite from the above 100s. Two, in fact. First cool front dropped temps into the mid nineties (from 106 before it moved in.) Second one dropped them into the mid eighties, with nights in the 60s. Both brought good rains and
have allowed me to use my opposable thumbs to get some work projects finished around here. Sure am enjoying while it lasts.
Thumbs up to that Linda.