Capitalism….
Can a capitalistic consumer driven society survive when so many have so little money to spend??? If nothing changes I guess we will soon find out the answer to that question… Continue reading Capitalism….
Category: Having My Say
Finding Our Tribe…
I have been pretty melancholy for the last few weeks. I’m sure part of this is because of the isolation due to all this miserable weather we have been enduring. Because of the sub-zero temperatures I have regrettably missed more of my soup kitchen sessions than I have made in the past month. I am beginning to seriously miss all the people I interact with there on a daily basis. The cabin fever is messing with my mind. The title of this post came from an early episode of Grey’s Anatomy that I just watched. As I mentioned before I … Continue reading Finding Our Tribe…
The Thing Is…..
What About The Bible… ? (Chapter 1) I have been spending quite a bit of time lately thinking about the Bible and my experiences with it over the last decade or so. Around 2003 I decided to take up a serious study of theology and in particularly those around the words of Jesus. I naively thought I could get some clear directions for my spiritual life if I just understood why the Bible seems to mean so many different things to so many people. What I have discovered over this period of time awakened me. I did not get the … Continue reading The Thing Is…..
Look Into Their Eyes…
Make no mistake, there are some horrible people in prison, people who delight in the power of causing others suffering. Some are mentally ill. Others have been wounded first and learned that way of life. There is no excuse for violent crimes. I just want you to see their eyes for a moment. I want you to see the pain and the fear. Their eyes don’t change the past for anyone, but they tell us a deeper, more complicated story. They show us that there are some trapped people who can’t find an escape hatch. If they could, they’d use … Continue reading Look Into Their Eyes…
More Birds Of Winter
There must be one-hundred cardinals at our feeder today. I think they sense that more snow is coming. But they are not the only ones here. As you can see the hairy woodpeckers have joined the crew at the suet cakes. The more the merrier…. I have downloaded some larger photos this time. Click on the image to see it in more detail. Continue reading More Birds Of Winter
Dreaming Of Spring…
This picture has been on my desktop screen for some time now. I’m dreamin of Spring……. Continue reading Dreaming Of Spring…
Waiting….
The temps went to -14 degrees last night. When that happens our backyard feeder becomes a frenzied state the next morning. The top picture is of the many cardinals and blue jays waiting in the old apple tree for their time at the feeder below. We go through about 80 lbs of seed a week when snow blankets everything. Continue reading Waiting….
Tax code changes will hit high-income Americans hardest
On top of that, higher-income taxpayers could see their itemized deductions and personal exemptions phased out and pay higher capital gains taxes — 20 percent for some taxpayers. And there are new taxes for them to help pay for health care reform. There are different income thresholds for each of these new taxes. An additional 0.9 percent Medicare tax, for example, kicks in on earnings over $250,000 for married couples filing jointly and $200,000 for singles and heads of household. Same for a 3.8 percent tax on investment income. But the phase-out of personal exemptions and deductions doesn’t begin until … Continue reading Tax code changes will hit high-income Americans hardest
Protecting The State…
Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly, That no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship,place of ministry whatsoever…. Thomas Jefferson — An Act For Establishing Religious Freedom — 1786 From my study of Jefferson I think his separation of Church and State was more to keep the Church out of the State’s business than the other way around…. Continue reading Protecting The State…
Being Called a Heretic…..
If you blog long enough, someone will eventually call you a heretic. Self-appointed orthodoxy watchdogs plague the internet almost as much as porn. Say something outside their particular theological tradition and they’ll damn your soul to an eternity in hell as fast as you can click “publish” on your blog post. My latest accusation of heresy came last week on Twitter. My theological crime? I don’t believe in Biblical inerrancy. I tried pointing out to my inquisitor that Biblical inerrancy is a 20th century fundamentalist invention, not something which is actually intrinsic to the Christian tradition, but things like “facts” … Continue reading Being Called a Heretic…..
Google Is Making Itself a Lot Leaner and Meaner..
First, Google cracked the code on Internet search. Then the company used its search platform to build the world’s largest online advertising business. Now, the Silicon Valley icon is turning its attention toward streamlining its business to focus on next-generation hardware and services, particularly in the mobile space. Judging by Google’s latest earnings report, the company’s core business remains robust, as the Cupertino, Calif.-based cash machine posted strong sales and profit growth on Thursday, sending its stock price surging more than 4% in after-hours trading to an all-time high for the second consecutive quarter. SOURCE: Google Is Making Itself a … Continue reading Google Is Making Itself a Lot Leaner and Meaner..
Here We Go Again…..
Here we go again. Round number (I can’t even remember). They say it is snowing at about one inch per hour as I am writing this post and when it is published we are supposed to have up to a foot of snow on the ground! I can’t remember what it feels like to really be warm anymore. My desktop on my computer screen is of a wildflower meadow. It is the only thing that is keeping me sane right now. :) The generator is back on the front porch just in case the predicted ice happens to knock our … Continue reading Here We Go Again…..
The Things They Do….
We are so used to the things that the Red Cross does, that we sometimes just forget to praise them. But this time, in this flood, they outdid themselves feeding and housing and caring for as many as six hundred thousand. Lord, what a blessing an organization like that is. I would rather have originated the Red Cross than have written the Constitution of the United States. Will Rogers June 19,1927 Sometimes it is hard to remember that the Red Cross has been around since before Will’s day. If this quote moves you a little bit please consider giving a … Continue reading The Things They Do….
A Little Inconvenience….
Officials in Georgia are on the defensive, trying to explain why Atlanta was so ill-prepared for a snow storm that gridlocked highway traffic, leaving thousands of students stranded in schools and on buses, bringing out National Guardsmen and state troopers to help with rescue efforts. SOURCE: Who’s to Blame for the Atlanta Storm Chaos? – ABC News. I know that snow and ice are serious things for our neighbors to the south but those of us who live in northern States are rolling our eyes when we see the massive problems caused by 30 degree temps and a couple of … Continue reading A Little Inconvenience….
Savor The Moment….
One thing I have gotten much better at in my retirement years is to savor the moment. If I am enjoying something I try to take the time to just sit back and thoroughly take in the experience. Some call this “Stop and smell the roses”. Over the years I have always enjoyed the HGTV Dream House that comes out about this time every year. I used to always make sure that I saw that show on TV. Then about two or maybe three years ago something happened to turn me off on it. That is the time when the … Continue reading Savor The Moment….
RJ's Corner - Having My Say 