Category: *Having My Say

On Just About Everything

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Why Incompetent People Think They Are Amazing

RJ Walters

I know the title of this post will get quite a bit of attention because it mirrors someone we all know.  It is known as the Dunning-Kruger Effect. Here is a quote from an article about it: “When psychologists Dunning and [Justin] Kruger first described the effect in 1999, they argued that people lacking knowledge and skill in particular areas suffer a double curse. First, they make mistakes and reach poor decisions. But second, those same knowledge gaps also prevent them from catching their errors. In other words, poor performers lack the very expertise needed to recognize how badly they’re … Continue reading Why Incompetent People Think They Are Amazing

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My 10 Pillars

RJ Walters

I know you don’t care but since I am an addicted list maker I have been tinkering with my blogging schedule here at RJsCorner.  In order to not fixate on the political scene I have committed to addressing more diversified topics.  That diversity is driven by my blogging schedule as shown at the top of this and every page. Monday is the only day I allow myself to concentrate on the political scene inside the beltway and particularly inside the Oval Office topics. Any more than that could drive me to insanity. :)  I have just changed Tuesday to blogging … Continue reading My 10 Pillars

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Compromise?

RJ Walters

I think one of the biggest failures of the Obama administration was their naivete in thinking that they could compromise with the current Republican Party. Here are some words about that:  American needs a loud, proud, uncompromising, demanding, and transformative opposition at this crucial juncture, my friends — one which accomplishes something in particular: a new social contract. What else is this wave asking for? Anything less is failing the moment, the opportunity, the challenge, and the test — of collapse. Trying to fight authoritarianism with gentle compromises and winsome diplomatic smiles is like offering your abuser tea and crumpets. America needs an opposition that can … Continue reading Compromise?

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American Myths – American Exceptionalism

RJ Walters

For this Question Everything Friday I want to bring you another dangerous myth that is ingrained into our country. That is that we are so exceptional that you can’t be compared to any other country.  Here is my quote for the day about that. We can’t compare America to any other country! Especially not strange, dangerous countries like Scandinavia or France! We can’t? Why not? How else do you suppose that nations make progress — if not by learning from one another? Americans have been told that other places are “homogeneous”, so America can’t be compared to them — but “homogeneity” is not the … Continue reading American Myths – American Exceptionalism

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Seeking Wisdom – James Madison

RJ Walters

Another of the major sources of wisdom I frequently visit is the fourth president of the U.S. James Madison. There are a number of reasons for that admiration, not the least of which are the similarity between Madison and myself. He was 5′ 7″ and small stature while most of the other famous people during that period were broad-shouldered and well over 6′.  Since he was a little guy he had to work harder than many to get the attention he deserved. I am currently 5′ 7″ myself (although I was over 5′ 9″ before old age and compression fractures took … Continue reading Seeking Wisdom – James Madison

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Bluster…

RJ Walters

David Brooks from the New York Times and the PBS Newshour recently used a word I haven’t heard in a long time. That word is the title of this post and here is the definition. This word just seems soooo appropriate for someone we all know. I don’t even have to mention his name.   If there is any single word that can possibly contain who this guy is, bluster is it. He is certainly loud, totally aggressive, as indignant as anyone I could ever imagine.  He refuses to believe in facts other than the ones he made up. But I … Continue reading Bluster…

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What If Jesus Meant All That Stuff

RJ Walters

Shane Claiborne is one of my favorite Christian authors. He definitely lives the words of Jesus and he is not bashful when it comes to telling others that Talk is cheap and actions are where you demonstrate your beliefs. At one point Gandhi was asked if he was a Christian, and he said, essentially, “I sure love Jesus, but the Christians seem so unlike their Christ.” A recent study showed that the top three perceptions of Christians in the U. S. among young non-Christians are that Christians are 1) antigay, 2) judgmental, and 3) hypocritical. So what we have here … Continue reading What If Jesus Meant All That Stuff

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Spider Attack!!

RJ Walters

For this “Outside the Box” Saturday I give you a picture of when I was attacked by a giant spider!  Well, not really, but it was a 30 ft or should I say a 10-meter high sculpture of a spider. This photo was taken in Ottawa Canada when we visited there a few years ago.  The sculpture is called Maman and is located at the National Gallery of Canada.  There are so many sites in Ottawa to see. We spent four days there but that really wasn’t enough. Continue reading Spider Attack!!

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Between Fact and Belief…

RJ Walters

Since I have lived the largest part of my life as a scientist I have thoroughly come to believe that when facts clash seriously with beliefs then beliefs need to be modified. I know the current Oval Office occupant doesn’t believe in facts, to him everything he doubts must be fake news and sadly his loyal base blindly accepts that line.  That is one of the scariest things for me about these times. But that is not the main point of this post.  Here are some words to ponder: They are facts. Nothing more and nothing less. Just facts. It … Continue reading Between Fact and Belief…

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Thomas Jefferson, American Hero

RJ Walters

I want to kick off this re-formatted “Seeking Wisdom” category here on RJsCorner with Thomas Jefferson.  He is one of my primary sources of wisdom. He was an idealistic rebel of his times. Even by his compatriots, he was considered a writer for the ages.  He was a young man when he was drafted to write the Declaration of Independence. Some believed him to be just too much of an idealist and too inexperienced to write it, but looking back that is exactly the type of person needed for the job then and maybe even more so now.  He was … Continue reading Thomas Jefferson, American Hero

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My Essence Statement – Who I Am

RJ Walters

In a recent post, I declared myself as living a joyous life of a nuanced skeptic. This post will flesh out that description as to make you even more confused. :)  Now in my old age, I am convinced that it takes almost a lifetime to determine just what your personal essence is.  We can all describe ourselves at various points in our lives but to find the essence of you is much more difficult. Maybe the difficult part is to do it in just a few words. I have been playing with the words above for several weeks now. … Continue reading My Essence Statement – Who I Am

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Snippet – Canadian Countryside @ MyView…

RJ Walters

With this post, I am instituting a new post category called Snippet.  This is where I send you a short note about what I have been doing.  With this snippet, I wanted to tell you I just added a new gallery over at MyViewOfTheWorld Photo site. I think you just might like it. It is from my 2011 month long trip up the St. Lawrence Seaway. There is some absolutely beautify scenery up there.  Continue reading Snippet – Canadian Countryside @ MyView…

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Studebaker…

RJ Walters

I know a good portion of my readership are seniors like me. So, I imagine that they know what the title is all about.  But for my younger readers, Studebaker was one of the few carriage makers who successfully transformed into an automobile maker in the early 1900s.  It seemed that most of them just wanted to throw an engine on the carriages in place of horses. 😎 Studebaker was located in the rather small town of South Bend Indiana from 1852 until 1967.  Many of their cars have become fashionable icons since those days.  Even in the 1960s when … Continue reading Studebaker…

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More Myths Americans Need to Unlearn About America

RJ Walters

Let’s face it, we can’t simply ignore the problems and hope they go away. That seems to have worked for a long time but in reality, it has just allowed the problems to fester and get worse.  America is collapsing and if we don’t do something about it soon, it just may be too late. Just because we have gone-to-the-edge before and survived doesn’t mean it will happen again. Here is the myth for today that we need to unlearn: Myth:    America isn’t collapsing!!! Life expectancy is falling, the vast majority of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, they can’t raise … Continue reading More Myths Americans Need to Unlearn About America

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Seeing Them For Who They Are…

RJ Walters

For this “Seeking-Wisdom” post, I want to try and bust a few bubbles before diving into this category much further. We all must recognize that the inspirational figures in our lives are for the most part like all of us in that they are multifaceted. They have characteristics beyond those that inspire us.  For instance, Thomas Jefferson is one of my top sources of seeking wisdom. Even today, 200+ years after they were written,  his writing and insight simply astound me!  But then there is the fact that he was a slaveholder who likely fathered several children from his “visits” … Continue reading Seeing Them For Who They Are…

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Greenfield Village Re-visited…

RJ Walters

I wanted to visit Greenfield Village once more before we close out another year. This visit is a gallery that shows no evidence of the 21st century.  That is one thing I truly enjoy about Mackinac Island, no cars allowed). Nantucket is a great place to visit but it is kinda ruined by all the cars that have flooded the island.  Anyway, here is my version of Greenfield of the 20th century: Continue reading Greenfield Village Re-visited…

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Churches Are Misleading….

RJ Walters

For my winter 2018/2019 project, I have decided to study the topics of philosophy and spirituality and how they intermingle. I am starting out this study by reading a book entitled “Belief without Borders” by Linda A. Mercadante. I will be putting out numerous Sunday posts about it in the coming weeks. Associated with that study, I have also been visiting some of my more than 500 posts over at one of my other blogs at RedLetterLiving.net  This post was originally written on February 18, 2013.  ======================================================= All of this makes me wonder if pews are misleading in churches. They trick people … Continue reading Churches Are Misleading….

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Be Artsy

RJ Walters

For this Artsy Saturday, I want to present to you the tag banner that will be used for future Artsy Saturday posts.  I have had an artistic tsunami this week so I now have graphics for each type of post going forward.  :) My header above shows the seven daily topics going forward here at RJsCorner.  I am trying to diversify my neighborhood so it doesn’t fixate on all the madness inside the beltway.  I made a promise to you that I would do more to offer hope in these trying times and that is what this new diversification is … Continue reading Be Artsy

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Myths Americans Need to Unlearn #2

RJ Walters

We in America have a pretty inflated belief that we are the best in the world at everything we do. Why else would we stick our noses into so many other countries’ affairs? We have military bases in over 50 countries in the world. How many other countries’ bases are in the US? We think and maybe at one time we actually did have the best technology, the best engineering and the best software talent in the world.  Part of the reason for that is that we recruited talent from the rest of the world. But, as we close our … Continue reading Myths Americans Need to Unlearn #2

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Inspiration

RJ Walters

I am still refining my new format for RJsCorner and that will probably be an on-going process for months to come. :) When I first set up the weekly post categories I deemed Thursday as American Heroes but pretty quickly decided that was just too confining for what I intended.  After a couple of days of contemplation, I decided to make Thursday the day I post about the people and things that inspire me.   Being that I obsessively search for just the right phrase, I want to give you my definition of Inspiration. So, for this first Thursday Inspiration … Continue reading Inspiration

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Offering Hope Is A Hard Sell…

RJ Walters

I am bound and determined to not give up hope here on RJsCorner. I will just not let the current times and the occupant of the Oval Office and his cronies deprive me of hope.  But, offering hope is a hard sell, especially now.  I have seen so many of my blogging friends who have gotten totally negative about the world today. They, and sometimes I, just want to roll up in a cocoon and let the world pass by. Plainly speaking we are sick and tired of being sick and tired, and who can blame us!! Some seem to … Continue reading Offering Hope Is A Hard Sell…

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Cleveland – A Different View

RJ Walters

Last Saturday’s “Artsy” post gave you a snapshot of our trip to Cleveland earlier this year.  This post will put some flesh on those bones. :) Our first extended visit to Cleveland was in 2013. We were visiting a couple of my high school classmates of fifty years ago. We took in the downtown area and most of the usual tourist places during that trip. The trip this Spring was a two-day pass-through one and I was determined to see a different view of the city. As mentioned Saturday, we stayed at the Aloft Hotel on the Cuyahoga River a … Continue reading Cleveland – A Different View

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Coastal Taco – Cleveland

RJ Walters

For the first “Artsy Saturday” post at the reformatted RJsCorner, I chose the Coastal Taco in downtown Cleveland Ohio.  The picture was taken just after sunset from our room at the very eclectic Aloft Hotel. As you can see the restaurant was under a very large bridge going across the Cuyahoga River near Lake Erie.  The food was pretty good and the inside atmosphere was delicious. :) Continue reading Coastal Taco – Cleveland

*Having My Say, Life On the Margins5 Comments

I Need More Balance…

RJ Walters

I need more balance in my life and especially in my blogging. Part of my base character that is associated with my Asperger’s traits is I tend to become obsessively focused on something and everything else just falls by the wayside.  The day-to-day insanity coming from the Oval Office along with the now weekly mass killings is putting me over the edge.  I have to force myself to greatly diminish my attention to these subjects. To do that I am now going to try to broaden the scope of coverage here at RJsCorner. As you can see from the header … Continue reading I Need More Balance…

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Myths Americans Need to Unlearn…

RJ Walters

Umair Haque over at Medium.com certainly gives me much to think about lately. His recent blog post about the myths Americans need to unlearn will be the centerpiece in coming posts here are RJsCorner. I want to start out this series with the end of his post. Source:  Eight Myths Americans Need to Unlearn About America I certainly get my share of those screamers who call me names and tell me if I don’t love this country then I should GET OUT!!! Some think I am a bleeding heart liberal and others, believe it or not, think I am a Trumpster? … Continue reading Myths Americans Need to Unlearn…

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Our Last Best Hope??

RJ Walters

There just seems to be one bad thing after another happening in America today. It is hard to stay optimistic about our future. Our current Oval Office occupant is inciting hatred and ignorance among his “followers” so now they are trying to kill the people he does not like.  Some seem to have gulped down the cool-aid he is serving by the gallon! It just seems to get worse and worse as each day passes.   I am a very strong advocate of Thomas Jefferson’s quote “Hope is sweeter than despair” so I look for hope especially during these trying times. … Continue reading Our Last Best Hope??

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Allegiances

RJ Walters

Let me start out by saying that I take my promises seriously.  When I promise to do something I will do everything in my power to make it happen. The definition of the word “Allegiance” for me is a promise of loyalty.  It means I will be loyal to something, someone or some ideal no matter the circumstances.  I am kinda like my Quaker friends in that I am uncomfortable swearing oaths or complete loyalties. In that regard, it is hard to pledge allegiance to my country when I see it heading down a destructive path that is contrary to … Continue reading Allegiances

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Oblivious To The Chatter…

RJ Walters

I am putting on my soothsayer hat for this post so be forewarned. :) I did my weekly walk at the mall, as usual, this week and again saw so many people thoroughly attached to their cell phones. Many just can’t seem to even put them in their pockets anymore, they have to constantly hold them.  I don’t know what the current generation of cell phone users is called, I can’t seem to keep up with that, but I do know they were introduced to that device at a very young age. They have known about instant communications their whole … Continue reading Oblivious To The Chatter…

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Instead of Makeup…

RJ Walters

Makeup is a multi-billion dollar industry in this country.  Millions of vain women spend hours each day painting their faces with it. Why they do it I’m not sure. Some say it is to attract men. Some say they do it for other women. Some say they do it because of the insecurity of just presenting their natural beauty to the world. In my world, women wearing makeup is second only to the mystery of why women wear high heels/stilts. I just can’t understand how any woman with at least an ounce of self-esteem thinks they need to be taller … Continue reading Instead of Makeup…

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What We Have Been Told To Do…

RJ Walters

I am doing something a little different today; I am leading off with the words that inspired this post.  I can’t say it better so why not just show it to you up front. In the mid-1980s when the capitalist decided to change the rules of the game hardly any of us noticed it.  Up until that point, American capitalism was generally deemed a three-legged-stool. It was driven by the customer buying the product or service, those holding stock in the company, and finally the people creating the product or service. As long as the three legs were pretty much … Continue reading What We Have Been Told To Do…

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Time Just Flies By

RJ Walters

I don’t know how many times I have heard the expression in the title of this post. I don’t know how many times I have said it myself. I have always wondered why time seems to fly by now but in my youth a year seemed like an eternity.  It wasn’t until I got a glimpse of the short article below from the AARP Magazine that I came to maybe understand this time warp a little better. It’s interesting if I at least partially accept what the article says that the reason is stale experiences.  That is, as we get … Continue reading Time Just Flies By

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Humanism And Jesus…

RJ Walters

My conservative Evangelical friends would like me to believe that you can’t be a humanist and also be a follower of Jesus.  From what I have discovered in the last few months, that is categorically false. The two beliefs align very well with one another. Yes, there are differences in beliefs for different versions of humanism, but since there are over 39,000 versions of Christianity that kind of seems a lame argument to me. I’m sure some humanists are more aesthetic in nature just as there are Christians who basically ignore the teaching of Jesus. Jesus was about caring for … Continue reading Humanism And Jesus…

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Proud Beta Male, MeToo…

RJ Walters

I have to give you a quote from one of my most recent regular reads in the blogsphere. It is from John Pavlovitz.  He is a North Carolina pastor who speaks to my heart.  Here is the snippet for discussion in Today’s post. It is about a Trumpster who tried to insult him by calling him a beta-male (as opposed to an alpha-male I suppose): Source: Confessions of a Proud Beta Male Evidentally #CO3 has been using this term in his rallies/self-adoration sessions. He intends it to be an insult/putdown but it seems that many are now proudly taking up that … Continue reading Proud Beta Male, MeToo…

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While I Cherish Change…

RJ Walters

If you have been around RJsCorner I’m sure you know by now that I cherish change. Change allows us to do things better than before. It allows us a second or maybe third chance to get it right. But not all change is good, even for me. :) At least to some degree, I believe in the old adage “If it ain’t broken, why change it”. This post is targeted at bathroom products.  I know that sounds strange but it is a story I must tell.  I have come to cherish my morning shower, especially in my retirement years.  It … Continue reading While I Cherish Change…

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Proudly Ignorant

RJ Walters

I have been thinking a lot lately about the mindset of those who think #CO3 is their savior/hero.  Two words that seem to stick in my mind are “proudly ignorant”. A good portion of these folks just hates the fact that others think they are more intelligent than them.  Even though they know that they are ignorant of many different levels they despise being told that fact.  “How dare those liberals who think they are better than I am!!” To get down to the crux of it they just seem to be proudly ignorant. I admit that I am ignorant … Continue reading Proudly Ignorant

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I Gotta Say This…

RJ Walters

I know I have sworn off things political here at RJsCorner but I have to chime in on the latest ugliness.  I watched part of the Judiciary hearing yesterday and Professor Ford’s testimony seemed very heartfelt and true to me. It seems that most of the political pundits with the exception of Fox News thinks the same as I do. For the life of me, I can’t understand why the Republicans won’t at the very least tell the FBI to investigate her charges further.  If they go ahead with this vote it will prove to everyone just how partisan our … Continue reading I Gotta Say This…

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All About Vanity…

RJ Walters

This post is going to be about vanity and how we all think we are more important to others than we are. Thanks to my online friend Barbara Torris for the idea. Here is her quote that brought on this post. I think it was Eleanor Roosevelt that said, “Don’t worry about what others think of you because they don’t.” It is good to remember that…the world is not looking at us most of the time. Source: http://www.retireinstyleblog.com/2018/09/aging-when-is-rose-rose.html Sometime in my self-illusions, I see RJsCorner solving the world’s problems. Well, not quite that extreme, but I do think I have some … Continue reading All About Vanity…

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The Most Toxic Society…

RJ Walters

Some people, particularly those in Western Europe and the Scandinavian countries say the US has become the most toxic society. Where else do people die for a lack of basic medicine? What other country has a mass shooting per day? If we’re painfully honest, America excels at hate now — whether blank indifference or impassioned cruelty. Everybody seems to hate everybody else, perpetually — not at an individual level, maybe, but certainly at a group level. It’s a set of little tribes — blacks, whites, Asians, liberals, conservatives, rich, poor, young, old — who seem to genuinely despise one another. via Why Americans Love to Hate Each Other … Continue reading The Most Toxic Society…

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What If Someone Better Comes Along?

RJ Walters

The title above is a very interesting one for me.  Due to my self-diagnosed Aspie traits, my social skills have never been anything approaching normal. I just don’t think in the venue as most everyone else does it seems.  Clicking with almost any female was a non-starter for me. I tried it on several attempts but I usually never got very far. So, it totally surprised me when my now wife of 32 years showed an interest in me. I never dreamed I would have a serious relationship let alone get married. I imagine that those more socially prone have asked … Continue reading What If Someone Better Comes Along?

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Haters Are…

RJ Walters

There just seem to be a lot more haters in the world today. They are bitter about one thing or another they envy so many others and covet what they have they voted to put an incompetent, ignorant, bullying narcissist in the Oval Office. I will come out and say it, I think that many of those who voted for this guy are just lazy losers.  They don’t want to take the time to understand the issues that are confronting us as a nation or even on a personal level.  I think they know that he is incompetent and only … Continue reading Haters Are…

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You Always Have A Choice..

RJ Walters

All of us have pity parties at times in our lives. We bemoan that we didn’t get the breaks in life that so many others did.  The strike back reaction for many now days is to publically insult those we stealthily envy. It goes like this “I can’t have it so they shouldn’t either!” I learned the lesson in the above quote later in life than I realized. Whenever life gives you an opportunity you need to realize that you always have a choice.  Many times circumstances that you once dreaded proved to be a jump-start for a new opportunity.  … Continue reading You Always Have A Choice..

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Can We Americans Process Reality?

RJ Walters

I often wonder how the rest of the world see those of us who are born in the US? Thanks to my new friend over at Eudaimonia and Co I am beginning to get a clearer view of that. I know the rest of the world pretty much thinks all of us are obsessed with our guns to the point of being willing to sacrifice our kids in order to keep them. I have known for a long time that most Europeans are fascinated by the junk and inferior products we Americans are willing to accept. I know that during … Continue reading Can We Americans Process Reality?