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Thoughts XIX

Many people know how to handle kindness, love, and charity. For they know how to give these. Other people know how to handle hate, vengeance, and retribution, for the same reason.

Love is a curious commodity.  Note the word "commodity.".  It implies capacity, intensity, quality, constancy, and longevity.  Humans vary, and so do their expressions and meanings of love. More importantly is their capacity for love.  Remarkably, many have diminished capacity for love, but unlimited capacity for hate, a mirrored expression of feelings.

Soccer is the only sport I know of where the fans regularly sing in chorus.  The songs are filled with joy and enthusiasm. It must be inspiring to the home team. 

In soccer, with relegation* the norm, the excitement of games for teams near the bottom are every bit as high as games between the top contenders.  However, it is relatively easy to see large differences in the quality of the play. 
*The bottom three teams are relegated to a lower division league, meaning huge cuts in pay and prestige, for the next season.

$19/month.  That is the new guideline for giving to big name, heavily advertised help groups and charities.  These groups don't want a contribution of $100 through the mail or by credit card.  Chump change.  They want the brass ring, a monthly contribution from you. Just $19/mo?  That is a contribution of $221/year, this year and the next and the next.  That is quite a lot to a single group. Since most are tapped in to multiple monthly payments (e.g. cell phone, cable TV, Internet, insurance, withholding tax, car payments), they are habituated to this form of payment.  Charities have now jumped aboard.  Who's next to go for the monthly dole?  Political parties?  Heaven help us!
P.S. Yikes!!  Some years ago I gave to a political party.  (I don't give credit card numbers anymore and haven't for a couple of years.) Just yesterday, I received a notice from that party that I would be assessed an amount to continue membership.  Double Yikes.  This means the latest scam is that it is possible that whatever you contribute to may signal continuing contributions without your assent.
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