Philadelphia PA – Benjamin Franklin Post Office Philadelphia has a lot of American history. One of those places is the U.S. Post Office run by Franklin. He was quite a character as one of the oldest of the original founders. Continue reading Benjamin Franklin….
Lawrenceburg KY – Bourbon I don’t know about you but when I think of scotch whiskey I think of Scotland. But when I think of bourbon I think exclusively of America and particularly Kentucky or maybe Tennessee. Wild Turkey is … Continue reading Bourbon…
But the problem is we have structured our economy in this sort of death spirally way, where huge profitable organizations like Wal-Mart pay poverty wages to a million workers, and then taxpayers make up the difference in social services programs like food stamps and Medicaid and rent assistance, and so on and so forth. It’s as morally repugnant as it is economically inefficient. It’s a fact that Wal-Mart earned $27 billion in profit last year. They could afford to pay their bottom million workers $10,000 more a year, raise all of those people out of poverty, save tax payers billions … Continue reading Raising The Minimum Wage….
Putnam County IN – Covered Bridge I don’t know if covered bridges are an American inventions but there are a lot of them in my area of the country. The one above is one of my favorites because of the … Continue reading Covered Bridges…
Is the message on this sign outside Old Fisherman’s Grotto, a Monterey, California restaurant, clear enough for you? …. ”Cue the controversy. Since the local news covered the policy on Tuesday, it’s made headlines, prompted debate on social media, and produced a slew of new mostly negative reviews on Yelp. Most take aim at owner Chris Sake, with comments including “Good luck catering only to couples and groups of childless hipsters,” “Don’t go here unless you want to support Mr. Scrooge,” and “The sign is really low-class. Shame on you people.” Calls and emails to Sake and Old Fisherman’s Grotto … Continue reading Kids and Restaurants…..
Claremore OK – Will Rogers Museum Any of you who have visited my main blog over at RJsCorner know that Will Rogers is a major hero of mine. He was a satirist/humorists during the 1920s and 30s. He was very … Continue reading Will Rogers…
Yes, ministry can be brutal. One of the most sobering statistics I found in my research is that for every twenty pastors who enter the ministry only one will retire from ministry. I had no idea how many pastors struggled with depression and frustration regarding their ministry roles. You write that 80 percent of pastors (and 84 percent of their spouses) are discouraged in their ministry roles, that 40 percent say they have seriously considered leaving the pastorate in the past three months, and that 70 percent say they don’t have a single close friend. Those are some really astounding … Continue reading Afraid Of The Consequences…..
Magnificent Mile Chicago IL It has been a while since I took this picture. I know it was in Chicago and I’m pretty sure in was in a mall on the Magnificent Mile. I also know that Lego is not … Continue reading Lego Of My….
I have spent the last several Saturdays giving you a pictorial report of our visit to NYC. This is finally the last post and is made up of some of my favorite pictures not included in earlier posts. As usual click on any picture to bring up a larger gallery view. Continue reading NYC – The Wrap…
Owen County IN – The County Fair I don’t know of anything more American than the county fair, at least the ones that are not in major metropolitan areas. It is the highlight of the year for many rural counties. … Continue reading The County Fair….
Many of us are too busy or distracted to sustain a life of compassionate engagement. We live lives of hurry, worry and striving, finding little satisfaction in our manic work and recreational activities. Instead of being free to create beauty, nurture relationships and seek the greater good, many of us feel stuck in lives dictated by the need to pay bills or maintain a certain often consumptive standard of living. We can’t have it all—the prevailing level of consumption, a life of deeper meaning and relationships and global equity and sustainability. To realize these good dreams we must adjust our … Continue reading Compassionate Engagement…
St. Louis, MO – Brew House Since I showed the horse yesterday I must show the business end of beer today. As you can see the building was built in 1892. That was the time when refrigeration became widely available … Continue reading Brew House
WASHINGTON AP — The United States declared Sunday it is “appalled” by Israel’s “disgraceful” attack on a United Nations school sheltering some 3,000 displaced people in southern Gaza. Related Stories US ‘appalled’ by ‘disgraceful’ UN school shelling Associated Press US ‘appalled’ by latest UN school shelling in Gaza In language that was rare in its directness and severity, the U.S. denounced the attack earlier Sunday, which killed 10 people. The statement released by the U.S. State Department noted that the school had been designated a protected location. SOURCE: US calls Israeli attack on UN school ‘disgraceful’ – Yahoo News. This … Continue reading US calls Israeli attack on UN school ‘disgraceful’
St. Louis, MO – A horse’s rear-end?? Ok, you might be wondering how the rear-end of a horse has to do with the character of America. Well this horse happens to be one of the Budweiser’s Clydesdale in St. Louis … Continue reading A Horse's Rear-End….
Aug. 5, 1861: Needing cash to finance the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Revenue Act — imposing the first federal income tax. Lincoln and Congress agreed that all incomes over $800 would be taxed at a 3 percent rate. Lincoln knew that taxes would be unpopular. But he recognized that America needed to pay for its wars. SOURCE: Today in history: The federal income tax is born – The Week. “The Week” which I believe is British in origin is becoming a daily read for me. Here is a quick quote from them. Continue reading The federal income tax is born…
Apparently, the new iPhone 6 will incorporate a more advanced vibration motor that could offer better tactile feedback to users, depending on the app they’re using or the area they tap on the screen. SOURCE: Secret iPhone 6 feature uncovered? – Yahoo News. I have had my iPhone 4 for about three years now and am for the most part very pleased with its operation. But one areas that needs improvement for me is the vibrate mode. Since I am deaf I rely exclusively on vibrate to let me know when text messages come in. The current vibrate mode is … Continue reading Secret iPhone 6 feature uncovered?
Independence MO – Truman Presidential Library Harry S. Truman was perhaps one of my favorite presidents. He was president in my pre-school years so I don’t remember anything personally about him but being a U.S. history buff I have read … Continue reading Truman Library..
Northern WI – The Dairy Industry I know there is a State currently hanging onto the west side of our country that claims to have happier cows than those in Wisconsin but I kind of thing that is just advertising … Continue reading Wisconsin Cows…..
This is an interesting quiz that is said to melt down politics to its essentials. They say over 22 million people have taken the quiz. I showed it above with my answers tagged. Can you guess where I ended up in the spectrum. Liberal you say?? You betcha….. To take the quiz yourself just click on the image above… Continue reading A Political Quiz…
Dresden OH – Longaberger Basket Factory Who doesn’t need a basket once in a while. The Longaberger basket factory has been in Dresden for over one-hundred years and they make a very “American” basket. It is nice to see somethings … Continue reading Who Doesn't Need A Basket…
I want to bring over a slightly edited archive post from one of my other blogs at RedLetterLiving.net for this Sunday’s post. It is from March 13. I’m not sure who brought up the concept but it is about how churches are actually more like clubhouses than anything else. They are buildings that are built almost exclusively for their members comfort. Yes that comfort does bring in some to hear the message but that seems to be very secondary at best. I had a recent round of comments on this topic and it stirred up some heated words. It seems … Continue reading Everyone Needs A Clubhouse….
RJ's Corner - Having My Say 