What Is This??
I got my macro lens out recently to take this picture. It looks like a bunch of filing folders but in reality it is the underside of a toadstool I found in the yard. Continue reading What Is This??
Month: September 2015
Goodbye ATT/Yahoo News…
I’m not paranoid so I don’t think they are targeting me personally but I am once again very annoyed by my news feed of choice for the last year or so. Let me give you a little background before I wade into this topic. I have discovered that I am without any doubt a morning person. I just don’t seem to be able to conjure up … Continue reading Goodbye ATT/Yahoo News…
The public shaming of America’s CEOs
This shame game just might rein in CEO pay where previous attempts have failed, said Gretchen Morgenson at The New York Times. Once the pay gap is boiled down to an “easily graspable and often decidedly shocking number,” employees and consumers might actually protest, and red-faced corporate boards will be forced to act. As soon as the outlandish ratios begin coming out, we’ll hear from … Continue reading The public shaming of America’s CEOs
The Mark Of The Shepherd…
the mark of the shepherd is you have got the smell of the sheep. You have to go out and not only teach, but listen to the people of God. And he said, my ideal of a pastor was a priest I knew who knew who the name of every dog in the slum…. What he has done, I think, is he has transformed the … Continue reading The Mark Of The Shepherd…
Even In Small Town America…
Pope Francis recently spoke out about “unbridled capitalism”. A good example of that is the unregulated sales of guns in this country. Even my small town of 2,000 now has a gun shop where anyone can buy just about any weapon they choose. Capitalism is the best economic system in the world but when it is unfettered from any moral requirements it is perhaps among the worst… Continue reading Even In Small Town America…
Two Very Different Views Of Being Christian…
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said President Barack Obama “pretends to be” Christian “I’m less concerned about what faith the person has. I’m more concerned about the authenticity of their faith and how that plays out in their politics … I’m also concerned about a guy that believes he’s a Christian and pretends to be and then says he is, but then does things that … Continue reading Two Very Different Views Of Being Christian…
Perhaps They Never Will..
I have to put out a quick post here following Pope Francis’ speech before our congress. To me it was very inspiring but obviously there were those there that simply refused to listen to anything he said. Instead they sat stoically on their hands while those around them frequently stood and applauded. This reminded me of the last words in the final verse of one … Continue reading Perhaps They Never Will..
The Good Old Days…
a world that is boiling over in violence and cut-throat theocracy makes me nostalgic for the days it was merely “simmering in resentment and tyranny Source: How the refugee crisis is teaching us the value of Hussein, Mubarak, and Gadhafi Don’t we all wish for the “good old days” when Saddam ruled with an iron fist and as a result kept the lid on the … Continue reading The Good Old Days…
President Obama’s welcoming speech to Pope Francis
Your Holiness, in your words and deeds, you set a profound moral example. And in these gentle but firm reminders of our obligations to God and to one another, you are shaking us out of complacency. All of us may, at times, experience discomfort when we contemplate the distance between how we lead our daily lives and what we know to be true and right. … Continue reading President Obama’s welcoming speech to Pope Francis
About Drug Addictions…
Of the 2.3 million inmates crowding our nations prisons and jails, 1.5 million meet the DSM-IV medical criteria for substance abuse or addiction, and another 458,000, while not meeting the strict DSM-IV criteria, had histories of substance abuse; were under the influence of alcohol or other drugs at the time of their crime; committed their offense to get money to buy drugs; were incarcerated for … Continue reading About Drug Addictions…
About Creativity…
About Knowing…
I went to quite a few “summer camps” during my corporate career. These were multi-day seminars most often in the summer to teach me one thing or another about how to do my job better. They were rah rah sessions to keep me excited about what I was doing. Some of them were worthwhile, some were just boring. But since the company paid all the … Continue reading About Knowing…
Pope Francis has an unsettling message for corporate America
On Sept. 24, Francis will be the first pontiff ever to speak before a joint session of Congress. He’ll speak in English rather than his native Spanish. And he’ll most likely say a lot of things objectionable to the Republicans who hold majorities in both branches of Congress, and to many champions of American-style capitalism. Source: Pope Francis has an unsettling message for corporate America … Continue reading Pope Francis has an unsettling message for corporate America
The 550 States of America…
I think one of my favorite hobbies is playing around with reformatting the States that make up the U.S. with the goal of obtaining more equal representation. It just seems that the present setup is so much out of skew with our times. When 10% of the country’s population can control the other 90% simply due to having an vastly over proportionate number of representatives in our … Continue reading The 550 States of America…
We Are Not Without Our Dark Side…
We in the U.S. like to think of ourselves as so pure but like almost everyone we also have our dark side. People killing in the name of their religion is not without USA examples… Thanks Bill Day for the thoughts Continue reading We Are Not Without Our Dark Side…
Why Does China Back North Korea???
Even on its best days, the regime teeters on the brink of collapse, simply because most of its people are starving and unhappy. It would take only a tiny push for the straightjacket of terror that keeps the regime together to fall apart, for enough people to become more hungry than scared, and for enough regime thugs and mid-level officers to say, “No, not this … Continue reading Why Does China Back North Korea???
Now That I Notice It…
I don’t know when it first caught my attention but since then I have seen it again and again. It seems that whenever you get a conservative and a progressive across the table from each other with a moderator in between the same thing happens. When it is his turn the conservative spends as long a time as the moderator will allow giving his opinions … Continue reading Now That I Notice It…
Recycling Centers And Local Level Politics…
I recently wrote a letter to the editor of our small town newspaper in response to some members of the city council not wanting to fund the local recycle center. Here it is: Dear Editor, It troubles me to see that our local government would even consider shutting down our recycling center. Some say “the constituents in my district don’t use it” so therefore I … Continue reading Recycling Centers And Local Level Politics…
Black Eyed Susan…
Although they have now come and gone, black eyed Susans are still on my mind… Continue reading Black Eyed Susan…
Some Evangelicals Seem Oblivious To Their Church’s History…
Both Cruz and Huckabee have branded the action against Davis as “judicial tyranny,” tapping into a surge of public support for a figure presented as an outspoken Christian jailed for her beliefs. – ‘Not a leg to stand on’ – But their stance is a thorny one for Republican presidential candidates who, if elected, must swear to uphold the US constitution….. “It [this story] poisons … Continue reading Some Evangelicals Seem Oblivious To Their Church’s History…
Putting a Face On It….
It is heartwarming to see that the tragic picture above has spurred so many of the European nations into further action. Many, especially Germany, have opened their borders to thousands fleeing war and famine in Syria and neighboring places. One image seems to have ignited a fire of response. Thank the Lord. As I have learned “Putting a face on a problem” is the first step in … Continue reading Putting a Face On It….
It’s The Journey, Not The Destination… Well Sort of…
I have been in a “wise guy” mood lately, thus the title above. I am coming up on 70 years of age and when you get that old some of us reflect on how we got here, and why. My wife is not one of those but I am. She seems so content to just do the same thing day-after-day, year-after-year with no desire for … Continue reading It’s The Journey, Not The Destination… Well Sort of…
The Christian Bubble…
So many of us grew up sheltered in small Christian bubbles, restricted to cheesy Christian music titles and overly sanitized book selections, that we are resolved to expose our children to the beauty present in art and literature and yes, even the latest Hollywood blockbuster. This is what drives the Christian Bubble Makers: they believe that raising children in a sheltered environment enables them … Continue reading The Christian Bubble…
The Miracle Of Life…
Without formal education there is no prosperity but with curiosity there is also no prosperity. It’s not an either/or situation. But Albert never said it was… Continue reading The Miracle Of Life…
RJ The Factory Worker…
This is the second in a series of posts about automation and humanity. This one is about my personal experiences with work that has certainly been taken over by a robot. I won’t be getting into the philosophical side of this paradigm shift here. That will wait for a future post. I was fortunate enough to be able to pay my own way through college … Continue reading RJ The Factory Worker…
The Dance of The….
I kind of like this picture now. When I took it I was disappointed the it was not in focus. One thing I have learned about my macro lens is that you really need a tri-pod if you want things clear but sometimes serendipity takes over and make the out of focus picture more artful. If you haven’t figured it out by now this is … Continue reading The Dance of The….
Humanity & Artificial Intelligence…
I am with this post starting a series of posts about robotic machines and humanity. This is a pretty serious topic of which I have some knowledge of at least the beginning of this paradigm shift. This post is what Amazon says about the book entitled Machines of Loving Grace: The Quest for Common Ground Between Humans and Robots. In this series I will be talking … Continue reading Humanity & Artificial Intelligence…
Creative Hubcaps
I see hubcaps nailed to walls many places around the country but I think these are the most artistically done. I’m sure a lot of thought went into the placement of each cap. Continue reading Creative Hubcaps
The Ultimate Hype…
Not being a sports fan in any regard it is amazing to me how so many seem to blindly follow the superstar sports jocks in this country. I guess he is becoming very “old-school” now but Micheal Jordan was probably the epitome of this trend. I know Mr. Jordan was a basketball player for some professional team and I guess he was very good at … Continue reading The Ultimate Hype…
A Work Horse Of The Past..
This flywheel was on a tractor at the farm show I recently attended. I don’t suspect that it has actually been used for quite a while but the scars definitely indicate that it was a work horse in its day. Continue reading A Work Horse Of The Past..
Am I A Philosopher ???
I have been thinking lately about just what a philosopher is and if I might be one? Let’s study this topic some. Philosophy is most often thought of as a high-browed occupation . When most of us who are at least educated in the fundamentals think of philosophy we think of Aristotle, or Plato. Wiki says Philosophy is: the study of the general and fundamental nature … Continue reading Am I A Philosopher ???
Oh The Intricacy
I know everyone with a close up lens eventually takes a picture of a dandelion. It is such an intricate structure. Continue reading Oh The Intricacy
Bent’s Old Fort…
This is another post in the “best of the best” category. This time it is about my favorite western fort. Bent’s Old Fort was a commercial fort not a military one. For those of you who are old enough to remember the TV mini-series Centennial this fort was the foundation of the early parts of that series. They have done a fabulous job of recreating … Continue reading Bent’s Old Fort…
Gluttony and the Seven Deadly Sins….
This post is peripherally to be about “The Seven Deadly Sins” that came out in the Christian church in the middle ages. But in reality I will just be using one of them to make a broader point. Here is what Wikipedia says about the seven deadly sins: The Seven Deadly Sins, also known as the Capital Vices or Cardinal Sins, is a classification of the most objectionable vices which … Continue reading Gluttony and the Seven Deadly Sins….
Another Case Of Don’t Confuse Me With The Facts…
What Is This ??
When I came across this contraption at the O’Bannon State Park in southern Indiana I had no idea what it was about. But a couple hours later there was a full-blown demonstration with oxen and all . It is a hay press from the 1800’s. Back then they didn’t have hay balers as we have today so basically this screw machine pressed the hay into … Continue reading What Is This ??
RJ's Corner 