On Just About Everything
A little group of willful men, representing no opinion but their own, have rendered the great government of the United States helpless and contemptible. — Woodrow Wilson This sounds an awfully like the Tea Party but in reality it was another small group of Republicans who tried to do the same thing. They failed and hopefully this current batch of wing-nuts will too. Continue reading A Little Group of Willful Men….
I admit I have only been keeping half an eye open of all this garbage going on with the shut-down and default threats made by the Republicans in congress. One thing I have been watching is to see if there is any compassion being shown by any of those folks there from the GOP and quite frankly I have found almost nothing there that resembles compassion in any of their actions and words. I wonder if this is typical of their base and those who consistently vote to return them to office? As a matter of fact I find mostly … Continue reading Compassion And The GOP….
“Americans react to the poor with disgust,” said Susan Fiske, professor of psychology and public affairs at Princeton University and the originator of the neuroimaging tests. She has studied attitudes toward the poor for a dozen years. “It’s the most negative prejudice people report, greater even than racism,“ Fiske stated. No doubt part of that response is aesthetic. Some of those who are very poor – especially those living on the streets – smell bad and are unkempt and shabbily dressed. But a deeper part of the response is moral. The poor are stripped of value in the eyes of … Continue reading Hating The Poor….
I came across this saying in a small shop in Middleton Wisconsin while we were recently there visiting the Mustard Museum. Yeah, you got it right. More on that in a near future post. Of course the Groucho here is Groucho Marx. Continue reading Outside Of A Dog…
Bigot — noun — a prejudiced person who is intolerant of any opinions differing from his own Prejudiced — adjective — being biased or having a belief or attitude formed beforehand I know that people are very much offended when you call them a bigot or say they are prejudiced. They usually counter with “Oh I am no such thing!!!” But in reality aren’t we all bigots and prejudiced to one degree or another? So many of us are so set in our beliefs that it is almost impossible to imagine changing our views. Isn’t that the very definition above? So many … Continue reading Being a Bigot….
On How Much to Leave to the Kids The perfect amount is enough money so they would feel they could do anything, but not so much that they could do nothing. Dynastic fortune turns me off. The idea that you hand over huge positions in society simply because someone came from the right womb, I just think it’s almost un-American. On How Much to Give to Charity Ninety-nine percent of what I have will go back to society through philanthropy, because I’ve been treated extraordinarily well by society. I’ve worked in an economy that rewards someone who saves lives on … Continue reading Going Back To Society….
At the end of the day, we are the ones who elect our government. And that means that we are responsible for what happens in Washington and the state capitals. That is the reality of democracy. It is not entirely unlike the old dog-training aphorism that there are no bad dogs, only bad owners. We “own” this government, and if Congress has been doing the equivalent of peeing on the carpet for a decade, then it is our fault. Quote from Centrist Manifesto by Charles Wheelan I love the reference to peeing on the carpet. Being a lifetime pet owner … Continue reading Peeing On The Carpet….
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA Amid escalating threats from North Korea, U.S. and South Korean defense officials will meet over the next few days and discuss whether to extend America’s wartime control over the South’s armed forces, 60 years after a truce ended the Korean War. SOURCE: U.S., South Korea debate military control 60 years after war’s end – CBS News. I was nine years old in 1955 when the Korean war truce was called. My father fought in WW II and fortunately unlike today was not called up once, let alone again and again as our soldier are now. Sixty years is … Continue reading 60 Years… Enough Is Enough…
“And that’s what makes us a great nation. We take the little things serious, and the big ones as a joke.” – Will Rogers, 15 September 1933 I must admit that getting away from the politics of our nation the above quote rings pretty true of these times. But, in these times everything is a joke in politics. I bet when Will originally penned these words in 1933 many people weren’t taking the serious things to do with the Great Depression as a joke! But that was just Will Rogers for you; he tried to put some jovial spin on … Continue reading Taking Things Serious……
I must admit that I spent over an hour yesterday watching the president’s news conference. Boy, does that guy like to talk. But being a former college professor that shouldn’t be surprising. I will admit that I bought into much of his logic about holding our nation hostage for political gain. Are my Republican friends actually considering that option?? But the thing that spurred this post was a Republican 1st term house member that was on CNN immediately after the conference was over. Wolf Blitzer basically let the guy hang himself with his own words. Guess who this yahoo represented? … Continue reading The Tea Party Pledge….
Ms. Alexander was found guilty in May 2012 of discharging a deadly weapon near her estranged husband and newborn baby. She countered that she had long been abused by her husband and had fired the shot as a warning for him not to get any closer to her during what was becoming a physical altercation. He was not injured. Under Florida law, people have no duty to retreat from danger before fighting back, even with deadly force. But a judge ruled that the stand-your-ground law didn’t apply in Alexander’s case. After a jury found her guilty, the judge sentenced her … Continue reading Florida Confuses Me….
Worth reading is a recent interview with Pope Francis conducted by Eugenio Scalfari of La Repubblica. Scalfari, an atheist, had written to request an interview, and was floored when the Pope himself called to schedule a time. The whole interview is worth reading and pondering. I was especially struck by one interchange in which Pope Francis says something very akin to something George Fox said. Said Pope Francis, “From my point of view, God is the light that illuminates the darkness, even if it does not dissolve it, and a spark of divine light is within each of us. In … Continue reading A Quakerish Pope?
I see the Republican leadership, if you really want to call it that, is now claiming that the reason for the shutdown is that the president won’t negotiate with them. I’m not sure how much schooling the new Tea Party members got when they entered the house in 1012 but my lessons in government operations tell me that it is the House leadership, of course controlled by the GOP, that won’t negotiate. Lets stop here and have a little lesson in how our congress is supposed to operate in regards to its budget process. As shown in the above table … Continue reading The President Won’t Negotiate……
“This is an interesting thing to ponder,” he said of his detractors. “That your top agenda is making sure that 20 million people don’t have health insurance and you’d be willing to shut down the government and potentially default — for the first time in United States history — because it bothers you so much.” SOURCE: At Black Caucus Dinner, Obama Vows to Continue ‘March’ on Gun Control, Healthcare – ABC News. The logic currently used by the Republican party in opposing Obamacare bothers me much. I really want to believe that my conservative friends out there actually care about their … Continue reading Making Sure People Don’t Have Health Insurance…
Today (October 4), Christians around the world remember one of the great heroes of our faith, and the Pope’s namesake – Francis of Assisi. But Francesco Bernadone (Francis of Assisi), who died on October 3, 1226 must be laughing at the irony of it all. He was one of the first critics of capitalism, one of the earliest Christian environmentalists, a sassy reformer of the church, and one of the classic conscientious objectors to war. Even though it’s hard to imagine a saint whose life is more relevant to the world we live in today, Francis was not always so … Continue reading About St. Francis , Very Interesting Person…
A robot is a useful piece of technology typically used for complicated or dangerous tasks. Robots, often mass-produced, make no decisions on their own and are completely controlled by others. I’m beginning to realize that every time I go to church I’m becoming a little more robotic – programmed into being the perfect fit as a member of my congregation. I guess it’s inevitable that all churches will have a particular theology that they rally around and teach but it’s important to be aware of what’s happening. We’re always encouraged to accept Jesus as Lord but when we’re rooted in … Continue reading Robotic Christianity.
I am old enough to remember when another small group of radical wing nuts took over control of the GOP. In the 1950s they ran around accusing anyone they disagreed with politically of being a communist. They held hours of useless hearing. The four words above finally took them down. Enough Republicans finally gathered the courage to took back control of their party. I am hoping for the same result this time around. When a small faction of the GOP can get the others to vote more than forty times to take away affordable healthcare to 30 million of our … Continue reading No Shame….
“If I was a President and wanted something I would claim I didn’t want it. For Congress has not given any President anything he wanted in the last 10 years. Be against anything and then he is sure to get it.” – Will Rogers, 5 May 1923 Continue reading Wanting Something…
It is somewhat encouraging to see that a slight majority of the Republicans want to get the government running again and are not obsessed with denying 30 million of our citizens affordable health care. When are you going to get enough guts to finally take back control from those wing nuts who have kidnapped your party??????? Better sooner than later. A good first start would be to put a Speaker of the House in their that has an ounce of guts to stand up to those who are destroying the GOP….. Continue reading A Slight Majority….
Anyone who has read some of my posts know that I am an advocate for universal single-payer healthcare. After all, it is very efficient and cost containing system used in much of the rest of the world. Many of our citizens in the U.S. including this one are currently on a single payer system known as Medicare. After being on it for two years now I can attest that I have found it to be much better than the private insurance mode I fought with for so many years prior. Other citizens also on a single-payer system are those on … Continue reading Back Door Universal Healthcare…
October is America’s Deadliest Month of 2013 Unless we pray and work to change things, 8 people are set to be killed in October. Marshall Gore on October 1 in Florida – KILLED LAST NIGHT BY THE STATE OF FLORIDA Michael Yowell on October 9 in Texas Edward Schad on October 9 in Arizona William Happ on October 15 in Florida Larry Hatten on October 16 in Texas Allen Nicklasson on October 23 in Missouri Robert Jones on October 23 in Arizona and Arthur Brown on October 29 in Texas http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/upcoming-executions SOURCE: Shane Claiborne: October Executions | Red Letter Christians Since this data directly relates to this mornings … Continue reading The Deadliest Month….
It is a fact that when you look at Texas and Florida they are first in many areas. They are the execution capitals of the world. They do the most to inhibit the vote. They are two of the most radically conservative States. But, now I learn that they also have the highest uninsured rates in the country. It seems that Texas and Florida just don’t like poor people very much. They have the highest uninsured rates and they are determined to remain so by not producing a Statewide exchange. That fact does not really surprise me at all as … Continue reading Being Poor In Texas or Florida…..
“Most people and actors appearing on the stage have some writer to write their material. . . . Congress is good enough for me. They have been writing my material for years.” – Will Rogers, 8 June 1924 Continue reading Mine Too…..
The U.S. government and Switzerland have reached an agreement that could expose Americans who have used Swiss banks to avoid paying taxes…. The crackdown began in 2009 after a whistleblower notified U.S. authorities that UBS, the largest Swiss bank, was enabling Americans to evade taxes. UBS settled the case later that year. It turned over account records on 4,500 U.S. customers and paid a $780 million fine SOURCE: Swiss, U.S. reach deal on outing tax evaders – CBS News. I have absolutely no sympathy for those caught trying to hide their wealth in swiss banks in order to avoid paying … Continue reading Swiss, U.S. reach deal on outing tax evaders
Why have so many Christians forgotten how to love? Have we missed much of the point of Jesus because of our obsession with Heaven and Hell? We’re forever arguing, theologizing, systematizing and evangelizing–all with the agenda to get ourselves and others into one place and avoid another. Yet, Jesus steadfastly shows us a different set of spiritual goalposts. He shows us a Whole Pattern and invites us to mature into whole spiritual humans by imitating His work. He shows us how to discover our purpose by doing deeds that most reflect God in our every moment–and realizing that love can … Continue reading Love Without Agenda….
Just a quick note to say I just watched a video of a town hall meeting opposing Obamacare. There was an elderly lady who ranted on and on about it. She was totally convinced that if we allow it to be implemented that it would certainly cause the downfall of the entire country. She finished with the following statement. “I realize that Obamacare does not directly affect me but I just want to make sure that we keep the government out of my Medicare!!” They didn’t show if anyone had bothered to tell her that Medicare is a single payer … Continue reading LOL Moment….
Be Willing to Change: I don’t expect to fully understand God by the time I’m done with middle school, high school, college, or when I retire—faith is a Pilgrim’s Progress, a journey of continual growth and maturity. God is too big and glorious to completely understand within a set amount of time, so my ideas, opinions, and understanding of God—my theology—will change. But why do you remain static in your belief systems? Why do you spend all of your time and energy promoting your theology as being exclusively correct? In the real world, people change. We learn, we grow, and we … Continue reading Willing To Change….
What do we do as Christians when confronted with these harsh realities? The Bible urges us to “remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself!” (Hebrews 13:3). Jesus knew what it was like to have a loved one incarcerated. His cousin, John the Baptist, was falsely accused and arrested (and eventually executed). Perhaps this is why Jesus, in Matthew 25, tells his disciples “when I was in prison, you visited me.” As a victim of false imprisonment and injustice, Jesus entered into solidarity with the incarcerated and exposed the flawed justice system of his day. Of all … Continue reading Jesus… One of “Those” People….
I wish President Bush and many of those presidents before him had taken the words of Jefferson to heart before they did many of the things they did. I know it is against basic human nature to not utilize the power you control. Just look at all those yahoos in congress to see an example of abused power. I have read quite extensively on Jefferson so I know the words above were at the heart of his nature. OOPS – I guess I was in too much a hurry to get this weekend quote out and forgot to add the … Continue reading Less Power….
Another academic year has begun, and if you (or your child) need a good set of wheels for college or high school, here’s a look at Kelley Blue Book’s five top picks for Best 2013 Back-to-School Cars. KBB editors compiled the list by looking at all available 2013 and ’14 models starting at $20,000 or less, then choosing the cars they believe offer the best combinations of style, safety and other qualities key to young drivers. SOURCE: 5 Best Back-to-School Cars to Buy in 2013: Fidelity. And here I thought everyone was struggling to put their kids through college … Continue reading 5 Best Back-to-School Cars???
Roadtrip Nation is a public television series and grassroots movement that encourages young people to hit the road in search of interviews with leaders who have defined their own distinct routes through life. The search for eclectic individuals who have resisted pressures to conform and who have become successful by following their own paths is what drives Roadtrip Nation. This remarkable movement documents these journeys of self-discovery in a free-spirited, adventurous series that encourages people all across the globe to move outside their comfort zones and explore the world SOURCE: Roadtrip Nation | PBS. I recently discovered a very eye-opening … Continue reading Roadtrip Nation…
“They kept saying, ‘What do you think of the Muslim Brotherhood? What are the Egyptian military officers telling you about [Mohamed] Morsi?’” the general recalled, shaking his head in frustration. “I told them, ‘We had our own Arab Spring, now we have a democratic government, we have acute poverty, civil wars and al-Qaeda. Can you please stop talking about Egypt and start talking about Yemen?’” As for Egypt, it seems now that its main relevance in regional and global affairs is as a potential source of trouble. Its combination of instability, corruption and ineptitude makes Egypt fertile soil for radicalism … Continue reading Egypt No Longer Matters
It’s my honest opinion that we all want to leave our mark on this world. Some of us may not recognize this urge, but we all want to change something, to alter things, to create something that will last longer than us. Even if it is a scar. Yes, there are plenty out there who just want to inflict pain, because that’s the only thing they can do. Or the only thing they think they can do. SOURCE: We all want to change the world « Cristian Mihai. Once again my young Romanian blogging friend got me to thinking on … Continue reading We all want to change the world
The major cuts were designed to satisfy House conservatives who rejected more moderate reductions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) earlier this year, but with millions of Americans still struggling to recover from the recession, Democrats are balking at the GOP bill. “What the House Republicans are saying is this: get a good paying job or your family will just have to go hungry,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said on the Senate floor Wednesday. “But there aren’t enough good paying jobs, as you can see… The Republican approach is like saying we’re tired … Continue reading House Republicans pushing for major food stamp cuts…
We are just here for a spell and pass on. . . so get a few laughs, do the best you can. . . Live your life so that whenever you lose, you are ahead.” – Will Rogers, 5 July 1931 I have been reading some new blogs lately. One is supposedly among the top twenty in the world, and I see much in the way of despair and futility. One makes the claim that since the universe is billions of years old and we humans only manage to live less than a century in it so anything we might … Continue reading Just Here For A Spell…
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 Tolstoy & Christianity…
“The money was all appropriated for the top in hopes that it would trickle down to the needy. Mr. Hoover was an engineer. He knew that water trickled down. Put it uphill and let it go and it will reach the dryest little spot. But he didn’t know that money trickled up. Give it to the people at the bottom and the people at the top will have it before night anyhow. But it will at least have passed through the poor fellow’s hands.” – Will Rogers, 4 December 1932 Continue reading Trickle Up…
We tell our children “never be afraid to ask for help”. Maybe the same thing should apply to all those yahoos in Washington. They just can’t seem to get anything done on their own….. Continue reading Need All The Help We Can Get….
In a sane world, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz would also be on the political ropes, in his case, for cheering the late Jesse Helms of North Carolina, an unreconstructed bigot who devoted his life to the defense of white supremacy and the advancement of far-right politics. Instead, Cruz—who in many ways is the ideological successor to Helms—will lose nothing, and continue to act as the avatar for forces that will destroy the Republican Party if they aren’t stopped. First, the details. Yesterday, Cruz delivered a foreign policy address at the conservative Heritage Foundation for the Jesse Helms Lecture Series. (That this … Continue reading About The Heritage Foundation…
Just a quick note to let you know I am going to be away from my computer for a few days. Although I have posts scheduled to automatically appear each day I will likely not be responding to comments as I usually do… Going to visit the in-laws for a few days. Continue reading Away From My Desk…
“The quest to feel certain becomes an idol when a person’s sense of significance to God and security before God is anchored not in their simple trust of God’s character, as revealed on the cross, but in how certain they feel about the rightness of their beliefs.” – Greg Boyd SOURCE: Faith, Doubt and the Idol of Certainty: An Interview with Greg Boyd. I can say with some certainty (pun intended) that Greg Boyd is one of my favorite Christian authors. I think I have read almost all of his twenty some books on the topic. Greg was one of the … Continue reading Faith, Doubt and the Idol of Certainty: An Interview with Greg Boyd
In my life’s experiences I have found that it is extremely difficult to get people to cross a personal barrier in order to accomplish a common good. Politics…… It seems that the common good, that is things that people who have different political views can come together and accomplish, is becoming a rarity in the U.S. the last decade or so. There are a lot of things out there that could be accomplished if only some would learn the art of compromise. Everything doesn’t have to have a political point or exactly mesh with your “principles”. Religion…. The version of … Continue reading Crossing The Barrier For The Common Good….
In the case of UPS, the 15,000 spouses are husbands or wives whose employers also offer health benefits. This appears to be a case where they like the plan they have (they’ve opted for the UPS plan rather than their employer plan) and can’t keep it….. And for the 15,000 who are affected, it’s a bit simplistic to say their options are narrowing solely because of Obamacare. UPS didn’t say the law was the only factor behind its decision. And some health-care experts argue that businesses are using Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) as a convenient excuse for continuing a … Continue reading UPS drops health benefits for 15,000 spouses…
