Misc things that sprout in my mind
I have been thinking about Mesa Verde lately; maybe because a picture from it is currently my desktop image. :) It has been five years since my last visit. I think it is time for another one. Continue reading Thinking About Mesa Verde
After yesterday the Loony Season is now officially upon us.The NYT comes through again. I try to be an eternal optimist but it seems especially difficult this year so I definitely need these talking points from Tucker Nichols. Continue reading Eternal Optimist Talking Points for 2017
There seems to be many opportunities cropping up on this first day of a new administration for resistance to draconian change they intend for our democracy in the upcoming years. I am particularly happy to see Christians in this mode. No, not all Christians are among the 81% of Evangelicals who pushed the current administration in office. In reality they are a small percentage of that community. One of those orgs on the forefront of resistance is Sojourners. Here are some words in a recent email from them. The GOP plans for a juggernaut of action very quickly to gut many … Continue reading People of Faith For Resistance..
Tomorrow is an extremely sad day for many of us in America. Not only for the 53% of us who didn’t vote for the one who won electoral college, but even those who did but now realize the mistake they made. This coming presidency will be like no other our nation has ever faced. It will likely be the epitome of the “Post Truth Age”. How we face this coming administration is as important as anything we have done to date in America. Given the recent “press conference” which was really just another of his Tweet rants but longer. How will … Continue reading Like No Other…
I need another ISOA post to take my mind off this very stressful week. For this week’s ISOA (in search of America) post lets go to the Oklahoma State house in Oklahoma City and focus particularly on the paintings and sculptures there. This was one of the most lavish state houses I have been in and it was also the most paranoid as far as security is concerned. It was my feeling that they didn’t really appreciate people taking pictures. When a young Asian couple were taking pictures of the unoccupied House chamber a guard came up and confiscated their … Continue reading Oklahoma State House..
I will be the first to admit that the last eight years have not been America’s best. We were far too entangled in partisan warfare to really accomplish what is needed to keeping America the envy of the world. And then there was the election of an extreme egocentric narcissist to be our future leader. As many are saying now the USA seems to always take two steps forward and one step back. We are definitely n the “back” part in the coming years. Attached is a letter from President Obama just two days before he leaves the helm … Continue reading Our Collective Futures…
Here we are in mid-January in the Midwest so there isn’t much growing. But that doesn’t prevent me from enjoying the flowers I found in the Des Moines Botanical Gardens a few years back. I haven’t had to deal with much snow so far but I still got the winter blahs…. so I need plenty of flowers. :) As usual click on any pic to see a larger slideshow view Continue reading Flowers In The Middle Of Winter…
I need a smart TV, no I am not talking about one that connects to the Internet and has streaming features for Netflix and Amazon, I have that but not the bandwidth needed to use them from my snail’s pace Internet from AT&T. I am talking about a smart TV with facial recognition. I need one that whenever it sees the face of our soon-to-be president the screen blocks out the image and mutes the volume. Another feature is whenever the words “Oval Office” or the”T” word is spoken the same muting happens. I kind of figure that is about the only … Continue reading I Need A Smart TV…
This is going to be one of those personal posts for me as it delves into my inner being but it needs to come out. I think it is natural that when a person starts to realize his mortality that he tries to summarize his life and the world around him. For some it is about legacy, some just tr I have been doing that a lot the last few months. It is not that I think I will die anytime soon but of course I have much more life behind me than ahead. I have been searching for that one word to … Continue reading Disappointment …
Here is a little snippet I ran across on my Facebook page about Social Security. Are you feeling the Bern now?? By next Friday, I’m sure you will… If only…. Continue reading From the Bern…
My bird feeders certainly get a lot of activity during the winter months. We feed about 100 lbs of seed a month during that time. One thing that always amazes me is that those coming to the feeder usually come in droves. The squirrels were here in mass this morning. There were four of them who did not get included in the picture! Soon the bluejays will come followed by the Cardinals. Later in the day it is usually a very integrated group. Continue reading Coming In Droves…
One of the most impressive city projects I have ever seen is the Wildnerness Park that extends through downtown Omaha Nebraska. I goes on for about a mile with bronze after bronze celebrating the buffalo that once populated so much of that State. Here is a rather extensive gallery/slideshow but it is still nothing like actually seeing them in person. As usual click on any picture to see a larger slideshow view. Continue reading Omaha’s Wilderness Park
For this 5 star Monday I wanted to show you a picture of one of my girlfriends. My wife doesn’t mind my love affair with her. I got her in April 2012 and she had only 7 miles on her. This picture was taken somewhere in Utah but I can’t really remember where.but I know it was her maiden voyage out west. This pic has been used on Chevrolet’s blog site so I guess they must have been impressed. I think “Sasha my sassy Sonic “looks pretty good with the like colored bluffs in the background. She now has about 40,000 miles … Continue reading Sasha in Utah..
Today I thought I would talk to you about my struggle with the inconsistency of the Bible. Philip Gulley who has written several books on this topic is a well know Christian author of the Quaker persuasion. He is one of my favorite authors of any genre. Let’s start this topic with a quote from one of his books. For what good is grace—this unconditional love of God—if it is not extended to those who deserve it the least but need it the most? God is love. Holiness and justice are not competing commitments. God has not chosen to turn his … Continue reading To Those Who Need It The Most…..
Since Saturdays have a pretty low viewership I thought I would start a new top level category of posts primarily for this day of the week. That way a few less of you will come to realize what a loony I … Continue reading Crayon Marks Scribbled Across My Brain..
RJ's Corner - Having My Say 