Well, it is the 21st of May and writing about the fact that there is an inch or so of snow on the ground this morning would be boring. I’ve been complaining about the bits of spring snow that persist late this year. I’m ready for spring or even summer, but the seasons come on their own time.

I’m not going to write about the finale of Game of Thrones. I haven’t watched a single episode and don’t even know the basic story line or the characters. I have a colleague who says that I am culturally deprived, but it doesn’t bother me one bit.

I really don’t have much to say about the 2019 World Bear and Mustache Championship. I don’t even know why they spell the word mustache “moustache.” The pictures are pretty amazing, but there isn’t much to say about it.

I don’t watch American Idol and don’t know who won and who did not. That would be a poor choice of topics for me.

I’m annoyed at the anti-vaccine movement and its use of inaccurate statistics and pseudo science, but I am also not an expert on disease and my vaccinations are all up to date.

I am inspired by philanthropist Robert F. Smith’s generous donation that will allow the entire 400-member 2019 class of Morehouse College to start the next phase of their lives without college debt. It is an amazing investment that will yield impressive dividends for society, but the words spoken and written but the students themselves are more eloquent than I could write.

Austrian Formula One racer Niki Lauda was famous for having escaped a near-fatal crash and making a remarkable recovery. But he did not live forever and died at the age of 70. I don’t follow auto racing and I suspect that readers of my journal know more about the story than I.

For reasons that escape me, a lot of attention has been paid to methane emissions from cows. The jokes about cow farts are boring. The ignorance of legislators and other leaders about cattle ranching is appalling. Cows down’t actually have seven stomachs, but their stomachs do have four chambers and are ruminants. They swallow partially chewed food which mixes with chemicals in their stomachs and later is brought up and chewed more fully. The methane comes out of their mouths, not the other end.

Nepalese Kami Rita Sherpa has reached the summit of Mount Everest 24 times, the last two times in seven days. That is a record for all humans. And he’s only 49 years old. He says he plans to keep climbing until he reaches 60. His accomplishments are notable, but I don’t know enough to write an entire journal entry about him.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s restaurant chain is facing financial collapse and if the restaurants close about 1,300 people will be out of a job. I’ve never eaten at one of the restaurants. I don’t even know what kind of food they serve. It wouldn’t be an appropriate topic for my journal.

Using advanced techniques and improved imaging devices, scientists have discovered a host of earth-like planets in recent years. More discoveries continue to be made. What I can’t figure out from the reports is how much those planets are really like our own. And I don’t know what it would mean to discover a planet that is similar to ours but so distant that visiting it could not be achieved in a lifetime. I guess I’ll pass on that for a topic as well.

I’m not going to write about the abortion debate. I think that it is possible that men have done too much talking on the subject when we ought to be listening. Enough said.

I can’t seem to figure out all of the controversy over the Chinese company Huawei. The telecom equipment company has been accused of all kinds of intellectual property theft and unfair business practices. I’m not confident that I understand all of the nuances of the intense competition between companies. I do know that there are huge amounts of money involved. I’d better leave that discussion to someone who understands it.

I’m beginning to believe that very few members of the US House of Representatives or Senate have actually read the Mueller Report, even the redacted version. Then again, neither have I. I’d probably better read it before I comment too extensively.

I can’t even keep track of all of the candidates running for the 2020 Democratic nomination for President. It might be interesting to do a little comparing and contrasting, but that would take more research than I have time for today.

The Golden State Warriors are headed to their fifth straight NBA finals. They’ve been so successful in recent seasons that it is almost boring. I try to avoid boring topics when selecting my journal ideas.

It seems like reconfiguring states is a topic that comes up from time to time. In Illinois, there is always someone who proposes making the Chicago Metro area into its own state, dividing northern and southern Illinois. From time to time a North Dakota legislator proposes dropping the word “North” from their state name. Proposals to divide California into two states show up from time to time. But those things don’t really provide a sufficient topic for a Journal entry. I suppose I could write about what we in South Dakota would do with the name of our state if our Northern Neighbors change the name of their state. It might be vaguely interesting and even amusing.

Memorial Day is coming up. I could write about hot dogs and barbecue and other summer foods. I’d have to brush the snow off of my grill to run a fair test. I will eat a boiled hot dog from time to time, but I far prefer to have them grilled. Perhaps waiting until the 4th of July to write about summer foods would be more appropriate.

I guess, I could just write a journal entry about all of the rejected topics that have come to my mind.

Copyright (c) 2019 by Ted E. Huffman. I wrote this. If you would like to share it, please direct your friends to my web site. If you'd like permission to copy, please send me an email. Thanks!