I've been hearing quite a bit of whining recently, and I'm getting very tired of it. People are whining about how classes should be canceled for a Tuesday or Thursday to "make it even" for Texas Friday. People are whining that their income will be ruined if people start penalizing a poor job. People are whining that there's nothing good on TV. People are whining about poor service. Why doesn't everyone just quit their whining? Yes, I am including myself in this blanket wish.

Take a look at yourself and think about how you whine. Do you ever say, "That's not fair," about life? Life isn't fair. Deal with it. Do you ever deal with a problem you have with someone else by going over the person's head first? The right way to deal with a problem is to go to the source of the problem first. Then, if you still aren't satisfied, go to the next level. The reason that there are set procedures is to try to get problems fixed early. Do you get offended when people make insensitive comments? Get over yourself. "He who dares not offend cannot be honest." -- Thomas Paine. I make no apologies for anything I say in my columns, and I never will. I'm an insensitive jerk. I accept that, and I hope that you can, too.

Most of the time, people who are whining are overreacting to something minor. Most of the time, there's no reason to get upset about anything. We live in the most affluent country in the world. We live in the most powerful country in the world. We live in one of the most moral countries in the world. We have all of this going for us, and yet we don't want to admit it. We want to focus on little details that, in the grand scheme of things, are unimportant. We have the luxury of focusing on the little negatives only because of the large positives.

Recently, I heard two men, who have developed whining to an art form, complain about a movie by and about black men. Apparently, in this movie, the Rev. Al Sharpton and the Rev. Jesse Jackson were offended that anyone would dare to suggest that some of the great figures of the Civil Rights movement during the 1960s were human. News flash: they're human, just like all the rest of us. There's no reason to complain that someone suggests that a great man was, after all, a man.

Now that I've finished on the whining, what would be a proper response to something that might provoke whining? If life is being unfair to your detriment, remember that sometimes, life is unfair to your benefit. If you have a problem with someone, talk to him first. Nothing irritates some people more than hearing about a problem from a third party. If someone says something that offends you, you have the right to disagree. In fact, I would challenge you to start a debate on the topic the next time you get offended by someone's opinion. You can teach the other guy about your perspective, and he can teach you about his. Then, you can form a better opinion, because you'll have more data on the topic. Nobody is more blind than those who refuse to see.
hello there & you too