“The arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed, lest Rome fall.”

Cicero, 55 BC 

So, evidently we’ve learned nothing at all over the past 2,071 years.

More from Cicero. Again, regardless of the time, not much changes.

• Nothing is so unbelievable that oratory cannot make it acceptable. –Cicero
• There is nothing so absurd that it has not been said by some philosopher. – Cicero
• O, the times! O, the morals! – Cicero
• For there is but one essential justice which cements society, and one law which establishes this justice. This law is right reason, which is the true rule of all commandments and prohibitions. Whoever neglects this law, whether written or unwritten, is necessarily unjust and wicked. – Cicero

He was a widower, and she, a widow. They had known each other for a number of years, having attended class reunions in the past without fail.

This 55th anniversary of their class, the widower and the widow made a foursome with two other singles. They had a wonderful evening, their spirits high–the widower throwing admiring glances across the table and the widow smiling coyly back at him.

Finally, he picked up the  courage to ask her, “Will you marry me?”

After about six seconds of careful consideration, she answered, “Yes…yes I will!”

The evening ended on a happy note for the widower. But the next morning he was troubled.  Did she answer “Yes” or “No?” He couldn’t remember. Try as he would, he just could not recall. He went over the conversation of the previous evening, but his mind was blank.  He remembered asking the question but for the life of him could not recall her response. With fear and trepidation he picked up the phone and called her.

First, he explained that he couldn’t remember as well as he used to. Then he reviewed the past evening.

As he gained a little more courage he then inquired of her. “When I asked if you would marry me, how did you answer me?

“Why you silly man, I said ‘Yes. Yes I will.’ And I meant it with all my heart.”

The widower was delighted. He felt his heart skip a beat

Then she continued. “And I am so glad you called because I couldn’t remember who asked me!”

Nancy Pelosi called Harry Reid into her office one day and said, “Harry, I have a plan to win back Middle America in 2016!

“Great Nancy, but how?” asked Harry

“We’ll get some cheesy clothes and shoes, like most Middle-Class Americans wear, then stop at the pound and pick up a Labrador retriever. Then, we’ll go to a nice old country bar in Montana and show them how much admiration and respect we have for the hard working people living there.

So they did, and found just the place they were looking for in Bozeman, Montana. With the dog in tow, they walked inside and stepped up to the bar.

The Bartender took a step back and said, “Hey! Aren’t you Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi?”

“Yes we are!” said Nancy, “And what a lovely town you have here. We were passing through and Harry suggested we stop and take in some local color.”

They ordered a round of bourbon for the whole bar, and started chatting up a storm with anyone who would listen.

A few minutes later, a grizzled old rancher came in, walked up to the Labrador, lifted up its tail, looked underneath, shrugged his shoulders and walked out. A few moments later, in came another old rancher. He walked up to the dog, lifted up its tail, looked underneath, scratched his head and left the bar.

For the next hour, another dozen ranchers came in, lifted the dog’s tail, and left shaking their heads.

Finally, Nancy asked, “Why did all those old ranchers come in and look under the dog’s tail? Is it some sort of custom?”

“Lord no,” said the bartender. “Someone’s out there running around town, claiming there’s a Labrador Retriever in here with two assholes!”

For those of my generation who do not, and cannot, comprehend why Facebook Exists:

I am trying to make Friends outside of Facebook while applying the same principles.

Therefore, every day I walk down the street and  tell passersby what  I have eaten, how I feel at the moment, what I  have done the night before, what I will do later and with whom.  I give them pictures of my family, my dog, and  of me gardening,  taking things apart in the garage, watering the lawn, standing in  front of landmarks, driving around town, having lunch, and doing what  anybody and everybody does every day.

I also listen to their conversations, give them the “thumbs up” and tell them I like them.  And it works just like Facebook.

I already have four people following me:

• 2 
Police officers
• 1 Private investigator
• 1 Psychiatrist