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Friday, February 17, 2017

"Dumpster Effect": Simple Observations; Difficult Interpretations



For years, I've been coming each and every day to my neighborhood coffee shop that provides seating for three dozen people. Five copies of the local paper, one copy of the Wall Street Journal, and one copy of the New York Times is provided by the owner for patrons to share. All was well until the day after the presidential election. Suddenly, the newspapers began being left in disarray and sections being stolen.

At first, I thought it was just post-election jitters. But the trend continues unabated to this day. Something fundamental in some people's psyche has shifted. In plain terms, they have become more rude, inconsiderate and unappreciative at this not subliminal level. I'll call it the "dumpster effect". It's an odd kind of self-entitlement wherein someone now suddenly feels free to demonstrate hostility. And reading about the "you know who" who dominates the news amplifies it.

[Note: I have had to use a substituted word as the first word in the title so as not to kick off a blizzard of bot hits from the land of the czars. I found an ironically appropriate word that rhymes with the deleted word, hence the word 'dumpster'.]