Although they have now come and gone, black eyed Susans are still on my mind… Continue reading Black Eyed Susan…

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 the brand, and I think we’re already seeing Republicans as a group starting to back away.” Source: Martyr or lawbreaker? Kim Davis case roils Republicans – Yahoo News This is old news now so I guess … Continue reading Some Evangelicals Seem Oblivious To Their Church’s History…

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 any change. She is just not a dreamer or ponderer as I am. Like so many other things we are opposites in that regard. They (whoever “they” are) say opposites attract and I can certainly … Continue reading It’s The Journey, Not The Destination… Well Sort of…

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 to put down strong roots in the Christian tradition. Kids develop a strong foundation in their belief system so that when they go out into the world they aren’t tousled by the prevailing cultural winds … Continue reading The Christian Bubble…

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 with a minimal amount of loans. Dad  as a single parent just didn’t have the resources to help me.  He was busy surviving week to week.  My mother, who was then married to a rich … Continue reading RJ The Factory Worker…

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 the center of a flower magnified several times.   I think it is kind of neat…. Continue reading The Dance of The….

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 on both sides of the topic and also giving you a little bio of my life in its formative years. As robots are increasingly integrated into modern society—on the battlefield and the road, in business, … Continue reading Humanity & Artificial Intelligence…

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

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 putting a ball through a hoop suspended ten feet in the air.  As a result he is now probably a billionaire. Before he pierced his ears and put in ear rings no man, especially a … Continue reading The Ultimate Hype…

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..

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 of reality, existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind and language and breaks it down into several sub-fields of Philosophy of history, Philosophy of language, Philosophy of law, Philosophy of mind, Philosophy of religion, Philosophy of science, and Philosophy of Philosophy called Metaphilosophy Does any … Continue reading Am I A Philosopher ???

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

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 has been used since early Christiantimes to educate and instruct followers concerning (immoral) fallen man’s tendency to sin. It consists of “Lust“, “Gluttony“, “Greed“, “Sloth“, “Wrath”, “Envy“, and “Pride“. Let’s focus on gluttony and how it came to … Continue reading Gluttony and the Seven Deadly Sins….

Continue reading Another Case Of Don’t Confuse Me With The Facts…

We physicians have relatively little understanding of the legal process. And we will say — we say things like, ‘You ought to be out of that house. You ought to be in someplace clean.’ And then I sort of wash my hands of it and don’t realize the downstream implications. Somebody’s got to help them get the resources…. DR. KERRY RODABAUGH, Nebraska Medicine: I ran a medical-legal partnership, and came to find that I could not practice medicine without that. We are learning that we really are impacting health. So, if we can get somebody reinstated with their insurance plan, … Continue reading A Doctor/Lawyer Coalition??

Continue reading Oh The Rat Race…. I Remember It Well..

I suspect some of you recognize the title words above but many,  especially the younger generations, don’t have a clue. These words come from one of my all-time favorite songs entitled The Sounds Of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel. The song was popular in the 1960s and its message was typical of many folk songs during that era.   I keep a copy of the lyrics around to remind me of it. To finish the verse including the title above: And in the naked light I saw Ten thousand people, maybe more People talking without speaking People hearing without listening People writing … Continue reading People Writing Songs That Voices Never Share…