“Party Politics is the most narrow minded occupation in the World.” – Will Rogers, 29 March 1925 It is sad to say that this is probably more true today than even in Will’s Day. But then again the Republicans in Will’s day were fighting just as hard against Social Security and the WPA as they fight today against immigration, helping the poor and healthcare for … Continue reading Ain’t That The Truth….
Elnora IN – Annual Tractor Fest A common event in rural areas is the annual tractor exhibit. It seems everyone has an old tractor in their shed/barn/garage that they are working on and love to show their machine to everyone who will look at it. Elnora is a very small town in southwestern Indiana but thousands come out for the annual antique tractor show. The … Continue reading Old Time Tractors…
I laughed out loud. Couldn’t help it; I had just overheard Mr. Newport Beach say something about how Obamacare is an unmitigated disaster despite how, of course, it’s not, and if America were to somehow actually develop a health care system similar to, say, Canada’s, that would be the end of America for certain; we’d never recover from such a devastating blow. Or something. And … Continue reading The Worst President Ever….
Apple and IBM are teaming up to bring iPhones and iPads to business customers, the two companies said in a surprise announcement Tuesday. In a wide-ranging partnership, the two tech giants that were bitter rivals for decades will create a suite of apps and services aimed at enterprise clients…. “For the first time ever we’re putting IBM’s renowned big data analytics at iOS users’ fingertips, … Continue reading Bitter Rivals….
Lexington KY – Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill I took this picture on my first visit to Pleasant Hill almost twenty years ago. It is a place at the very top of the center dwelling used to store out of season clothes. Hands to work, Hearts to God was their theme. They did everything to perfection. Continue reading The Perfect Picture….
Lexington KY – Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill The Shaker were all about symmetry. Everything was done in pairs. One side for women and the other for men. The other major characteristic was simplicity. They shunned away from adornment for decoration only. Continue reading Simplicity and Symmetry….
You want to be free. And as you start to feel that you are being corralled into a certain life, you kind of push against it. It may come out very strange, it may be interpreted wrong, but you’re trying to find out who you are.”….she lived with a deep fear of leading a “life half-lived.” “I realized that very young — that a life … Continue reading A Life Half Lived….
Lexington KY… Shake Village of Pleasant Hill One of my favorite places to visit. Shaker lives and their furniture style has influenced much in my life. If you want to get away for a very peaceful time stay at one of the buildings in the village. You will remember is always…. Continue reading A Peaceful Place For a Hectic Life…
We’re okay with accepting Jesus as our Savior, but we’re not so sure we want to follow him as our Lord because that might make things a little uncomfortable for us. Perhaps like many things in life it may not be what we want, but it’s exactly what we need. What I find heartbreaking is when pastors, priests and ministers don’t want to talk to … Continue reading A One Sided Coin….
Central Park in New York City has a strangle hold on my wife. It is the primary reason for adding NYC to her bucket list and therefore our recent visit. The first one here is one I snagged off the Internet, the rest are mine. The pictures were taken on a Sunday afternoon, perhaps the busiest time. Continue reading NYC – Central Park…
Due to these blurred role expectations for adults and children, grown-ups have become a dying breed in America. According to writer and speaker Robert Bly, one-third of adult Americans are actually half-adults. “We have become a nation of squabbling siblings. We have abandoned our children to day-care centers and our elders to old folks homes, while we, like Peter Pan, simply ‘won’t grow up.’” Bly … Continue reading Yin/Yang and American Culture…. Parent /Child Relationship
I had to clip this from a post of a friend on Facebook. One of the duties I didn’t know a husband had before I got married almost three decades ago was waiting for your wife. Shopping is just one of those areas where waiting is called for. When I go to a store I usually have a list of what I want. I find … Continue reading Waiting For Wife….
The U.S. spends the most of any country on its health care system, and yet it ranked the lowest out of 11 industrialized nations in overall healthcare quality, according to a report published Monday by the Commonwealth Fund.The report, which covered the years 2011-2013, compared more than 80 indicators of U.S. health care spending, quality and performance to the likes of Australia, the United Kingdom, … Continue reading US continues its losing streak in health care quality comparison
Americans tend to score poorly on financial literacy tests, but it’s not entirely their fault: School systems don’t generally require personal finance classes, and many parents feel ill-equipped to pass on big lessons about spending, saving and investing to their kids. Here are ten basic tenants you should know in order to navigate today’s financial world: You have to earn more than you spend. SOURCE: … Continue reading Personal Finance Classes???
My religious belief strongly oppose war. I think our military budgets are totally outrageous! We, 5% of the world’s population, spend more on our war machine than the rest of the world combined. With the latest ruling SCOTUS (Supreme Court Of The United States) tells us that religious groups can pick and choose which laws they choose to obey. Thanks to you my tax bill … Continue reading SCOTUS Said So…
This is the last post of my blog series around Stephen Mattson’s post about the misconceptions about Christianity. Christianity is Illogical and Anti-Science Christianity is often stereotyped as being anti-science, anti-academic and anti-intellectual. The reality is that many Christians embrace science and the exciting discoveries that it includes. Additionally, many believers aren’t opposed to doctrines that heavily involve scientific data and research: evolution, global warming, … Continue reading Christianity is Illogical and Anti-Science…
This a continuing pictorial post on our visit to New York City recently. One of the things that got my attention was the number of vendors on the streets selling almost everything. Here are some pictures. Click on any picture to bring up a larger gallery view. Continue reading NYC…. The Vendors…
This a continuing pictorial post on our visit to New York City recently. One of the things that got my attention was the number of vendors on the streets selling almost everything. Here are some pictures. Click on any picture to bring up a larger gallery view. Continue reading NYC…. The Vendors…d
This is a continuation of my Friday posts about the book “Yin/Yang and American Culture” by Kim Eun. It is a book well worth reading about the differences between America and much of the rest of the world. This post is about remaining active in our senior years. Although America is criticized for its youth-oriented culture, American elders enjoy more productive lives than their Asian … Continue reading Yin/Yang and American Culture…. Remaining Active
“My hair is arriving at a sort of a blend that it deserves respect if nothing else. A graying head is a mark of respect in any land…” – Will Rogers, 18 November 1934 I don’t know a lot about the year 1934 but I kind of expect it was different from it is here in the 21st century. When I think of that year, … Continue reading Will Rogers – Mark of Respect…
A stagnant economy has undoubtedly put a lot of financial stress on the middle class. And that is bumming out America’s 1 percenters. “Our country is rapidly becoming less a capitalist society and more a feudal society,” entrepreneur Nick Hanauer wrote recently in Politico, in an open letter to “my fellow zillionaires…. “If we don’t do something to fix the glaring inequities in this economy, … Continue reading I Don’t Have Anything Against Rich Guys….
1. You will spend your life chasing a net worth number you think you will make you happy, but never get there. People talk about their “number,” or the amount of money they think will make them happy and content. I’m convinced these numbers are what most people live for. But they’re dangerous. People are bad at forecasting almost everything, but trying to predict how … Continue reading Unfortunate Realities….
WASHINGTON AP — To hear President Barack Obama describe it, there’s a creeping case of cynicism setting in across the country, leading Americans to suspect that not only is Washington broken, it’s beyond fixing. If that line of thinking continues, it could become a self-fulfilling prophecy with dire long-term ramifications, Obama says. If compromise-minded Americans get so frustrated they just tune out, lawmakers will feel … Continue reading Hope vs Cynicism…
The Community is Morally Superior Christians are sinners just like everybody else. If you’re expecting a perfect utopian environment of honesty, generosity, kindness, respect and inclusive love within Christianity—prepare yourselves for heartbreak. Churches, Christian organizations, spiritual leaders and the people representing Christianity will eventually fail you. Christian communities are far from ideal. Many enter churches assuming that everyone is going to be supportive, wonderful and … Continue reading Christianity is a Morally Superior Community…
One of the things that amazed me about my recent three day visit to New York City was the architecture. I have always been fascinated by the myriad of building in this country and NYC is probably the best of the best. I won’t bore you with more words here. Instead this post is almost all about the pictures. Click on any picture to see … Continue reading NYC… Architecture….
A few months after I came to America, one of my American friends showed me a picture of her sister. “Isn’t she precious?” she said. I was taken aback ; her sister had Down’s syndrome. On another occasion, when I first met my new neighbor, she revealed that she had a mentally retarded son who was sixteen but had the mental capacity of a five-year-old. … Continue reading Yin/Yang and American Culture…. Disabilities
In the old days boys wanted an education. They even had reading, writing, and arithmetic, instead of football. Up to then boys had gone there for their heads and not their shoulders — Will Rogers August 26,1928 In the old days must have been before 1928! I would have figured it to be later than that but maybe what we have been doing since that … Continue reading Wanting An Education
86 percent of strident conservatives think the poor ‘have it easy’ Illustrating the deep divide between GOP versus Democratic support for policies most benefiting the poor, a new Pew survey finds that a whopping 86 percent of steadfast conservatives think the poor “have it easy.” Similarly, business-minded Republicans 77 percent and young Republican-leaning adults 81 percent feel the same way. That sentiment underpins Republican … Continue reading 86% of strident conservatives think the poor ‘have it easy’
Consider this headline from a recent survey of retirees: “Many Regret Decision to Take Social Security Early.” Sounds ominous, right? Well, the problem is that the title isn’t entirely supported by the survey’s actual results, which found that only 38% of respondents “say they wish they would have waited” longer before taking benefits. According to this, in other words, somewhere along the lines of 62% … Continue reading Why You Shouldn’t Regret Taking Benefits at 62
“Republicans are mad at me for taking these actions. They’re not doing anything and then they’re mad at me for doing something. I’m not sure which of the things I’ve done they find most offensive, but they’ve decided they’re going to sue me for doing my job,” Obama said in his speech at picturesque Lake Harriet…. Obama likes to joke that he is like a … Continue reading Driving Me Nuts…..
This is part of the continuing series about the misconceptions of Christianity by Stephen Mattson. Christianity Causes Prosperity Some treat Christianity as a cash cow, a way to become “blessed,” “rich” and “successful.” But this was never Jesus’ intention. Becoming a Christian doesn’t guarantee financial, relational, physical, intellectual, emotional or professional gain. Many have used the allure of “being blessed” and “getting rich” as a … Continue reading Christianity Causes Prosperity…
This is a continuation from last Saturday of my recent visit to New York City. As I previously mentioned the reason for the trip was to fulfill a bucket list item for my wife. This Post is about the people.. Here is a little about what Wikipedia says about the city: New York County is the most densely populated county in the United States, more … Continue reading NYC… People…
“I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” – James Baldwin I am so encouraged to read in my Bible that there have always been people of God who have chosen to be prophetic over being patriotic. I am part of a tradition that has always had prophets … Continue reading Prophet or Patriot ….
This is a continuation of my Friday posts about the book “Yin/Yang and American Culture” by Kim Eun. It is a book well worth reading about the differences between American and much of the rest of the world. This post is about American Women… “There are two kinds of women in the world: American women and women.” This is a joke among Asian men doing … Continue reading Yin/Yang and American Culture…. Women
I snagged the above graphic from one of my favorite Facebook pages over at RoadTrip Nation. I was guilty of doing what Francis Collins said above. I let others tell me what I should love…. One of the troubles with this saying is to understand what you love at that early age which is most often easier said than done…. Continue reading Pick Something You Love…
Nobody wants to be called Common People, especially common people.” – Will Rogers, 21 June 1925 Ain’t that the truth Will, even in the 21st century. It is always surprising at how many people claim themselves to be middle-class versus those who really are. According to Wikipedia most researchers put the middle class in two categories: Upper Middle Class – Those are folks who earn … Continue reading Common People….
RJ's Corner 