SEE YOU AT THE POPULAR KIDS TABLE AT LUNCHTIME

FRIGID DAWN

FROZEN SUNSHINE

Friday, 7:45 AM. 13 degrees F at the ferry dock, 10 on the back porch.  Wind variable, and calm to very light.  The sky is overcast but attempting to clear, the humidity 85% and the barometer 30.39" and falling.  Buddy and I are waiting for it to warm up a bit before we take our walk.

   I have been suspicious and apprehensive concerning communicating via the so-called social media (twittering, tweeting, texting).  My concerns have certainly been confirmed by the dust-up over what occurred in the Iowa presidential caucuses, when CNN erroneously broadcast that Ben Carson was heading home and might be dropping out of the race.  Bad journalism, that. 

   The Cruz campaign immediately jumped on the "news "and used social media to tell all its caucus captains that they should spread this rumor and persuiade Carson supporters to cast their vote for their candidate.  Given that there were 1,500 caucus sites, there could have been a considerable shift in sentiment; we will never know.

   The Donald of course, ever bombastic, tweeted his outrage at the Cruz campaign and claimed they  stole the election from him.

   The Cruz campaign then twittered (or whatever) an apology that was not just insufficient, it was really a smarmy denial of any wrongdoing.
   Even NY Congressman Steven King got into the act by twittering that Carson was out of the race and the Cruz people should take advantage of it.  This stuff metastasizes like a cancer.

   So here we go again,  beginning a very serious election season with lies, half-truths and stupidity. 

   I have all I can do, as a fairly serious person, to express myself fully and clearly in actual writing, much less by electronic shorthand, without time to think or reflect.  I suspect that most people are similarly unsuited to using social media for much more than jokes, outbursts of temper or immediate driving or shopping information.  I for sure don't want it used by politicians, most of whom are no more intelligent or thoughtful than me or you.

   OMG...LOL, BFF.  I just tweeted that you are fat and ugly, but I didn't really mean it!  See you at the popular kids table at lunchtime.