Just a quick aside to make sure you see the Dave Granlund cartoon above. It needs no explanation! Continue reading Looking Back… Way Back…

It is terrible to think what the churches do to men. But if one imagines oneself in the position of the men who constitute the Church, we see they could not act differently. The churches are placed in a dilemma: the Sermon on the Mount or the Nicene Creed–the one excludes the other. If a man sincerely believes in the Sermon on the Mount, the Nicene Creed must inevitably lose all meaning and significance for him, and the Church and its representatives together with it. If a man believes in the Nicene Creed, that is, in the Church, that is, … Continue reading Inspiring Radical Thinking……

One more barn for Photo Saturday before I move to another subject. This one was taken somewhere in July in Kansas I think. Continue reading Another Barn…

Source:  Jobs are coming back fastest in services sector – USATODAY.com. Service businesses are leading an uneven jobs recovery that has pushed sectors such as warehouse club retailers back to their pre-recession employment… The starkest difference: More than 70% of jobs lost in service industries have returned three years after the recession’s end, while only 15% of jobs lost in manufacturing, construction and other industries that produce goods have come back. The analysis is based on Labor Department data from January 2008 — when total U.S. employment peaked — through last month Is it a surprise to anyone that 85% of the manufacturing jobs have … Continue reading Jobs are coming back fastest in services sector….

This being close to Labor Day I have been thinking about unions. The traditional labor unions that were so strong in the 1950s through 1970s took a pretty serious hit in Wisconsin not long ago. Was it a death blow? I don’t know? The writing might be on the wall for them as a whole in the years to come.  Now don’t get me wrong, I am very much in favor of worker’s rights and collective bargaining. But, like so many things in this world labor unions just got carried away with the power they possessed during those years. When that happened common sense, like always, went out the window.  It seemed like when unions became so powerful their main goal was to make life difficult for the employers rather of representing the interests of the workers and also doing what was good for the company. It became just too adversarial. Continue reading “How about “virtual” unions…..”

Teachers just can’t seem to get any respect in our society. Why is that?  I think one of the main reasons is the length of their work year. With all the vacations and holidays they end up working less than half a year. What other job gets a twenty week vacation the first year in?  I know the blame for that does not rest entirely with teachers. I imagine many would prefer to work longer, for more pay of course (although per hour they are probably some of the best paid people around)  :). Another possible reason teachers can’t get … Continue reading Teacher Don’t Get Respect…..

We may spend our whole life climbing the ladder of success, only to find when we get to the top that our ladder is leaning against the wrong wall. — Thomas Merton, the American monk I just finished reading a book called Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life  by Richard Rohr. This quote was found in that book. Richard Rohr is a Franciscan monk who believes that we have two distinct parts of our lives.  After this quote he goes on to say: The task of the first half of life is to create a proper container for … Continue reading What Makes Me Significant?….

This Photo Saturday picture is perhaps one of my favorite barn pictures (I have about 500 of them).  It was taken somewhere around Moab Utah in July. Continue reading Utah Barn…

Source: Michael J. Fox’s new TV comedy is headed to NBC – The Clicker. NBC has ordered 22 episodes of the untitled single-camera comedy that will star Fox as a husband and father of three from New York City dealing with … Continue reading Putting a Face On It…..

I am going to shake off my vanity and put a picture of me for this Saturday’s photo. When we lived in New Jersey I developed a definite taste for oysters on the half shell. But I don’t usually get them unless I am close to the source. This picture was taken this Spring in  Baltimore Maryland which is close to the source :)  They were tasty indeed and the local beer was great in washing them down (as if they really need washing down). Continue reading Oysters…..

Source: Post office nears historic default on $5B payment – The Denver Post. Government agencies have a well-earned reputation of moving slowly in response to changes. I think the Post Office is a prime example of that. Here are some words from the source article indicating that molasses movement. FedEx and UPS and the Internet seem to be making the Postal Service obsolete.” Banks are promoting electronic payments, citing in part the growing uncertainty of postal mail. The federal government will stop mailing paper checks starting next year for millions of people who receive Social Security and other benefits, paying via direct … Continue reading Post office nears historic default on $5B payment – The Denver Post