I think all of us who spent much time in the corporate world had a dream like this one of drowning in paperwork. It could become overwhelming at times.  The foundation of this rendering was taken at the Grounds For Sculpture in Northern New Jersey.  It is a fascinating place to visit. Continue reading Drowning

With this post I am starting another series which will be cataloged as American Aristocracy. The basic foundation for this series is that if nothing in done to prevent it our nation will likely move from a democracy to an aristocracy in the coming decades, maybe even years.  The first installment in this new category is about the “Death Tax”     The quote above came from Adam Smith. His book entitled “The Wealth of Nations” written in 1753 is considered the bedrock modern economics.  Here is a little of what Wikipedia says about him: Smith laid the foundations of … Continue reading Adam Smith… and the Death Tax…

These won’t get teens into college, but will make them better people 1. Write a letter. An actual letter that does not begin with “Hey” and is written, in handwriting, on real paper. 2. Learn to cook a good meal that can feed the entire family, no matter what size family you have. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the average American household has 2.58 people. One nice chicken roasted on a bed of vegetables might even provide leftovers. 3. Hold down an unpleasant job that makes you hate your parents a little bit because they won’t let you quit. … Continue reading 10 Things Teens Really Need to Know Before They Leave Home

But by the time I was in grade school, my parents [who were both pastors] were becoming increasingly convinced that Sunday-morning Evangelicalism just wasn’t enough. No matter how nice the community was, they yearned to be part of a radical fellowship of Christ-followers, learning how to be disciples in their everyday lives. They wanted to live in solidarity with those who are most marginalized in our society. With increasing urgency, they felt that God was calling them to be in relationship with those whom the mainstream culture had taught them to fear…. We’re in the midst of a tidal wave of … Continue reading I Celebrate Post-Evanglism…

There are many places in NYC where the sun just doesn’t shine or the gps don’t work. This pic was taken in June of last year. I suspect it looks quite different today.. Much whiter…  ;)   Continue reading Where The Sun Doesn't Shine

Minneapolis, MN – Mayowood Mansion The Maywood Mansion outside Minneapolis is an interesting place to visit. It is opulent but not exceedingly so as I expect, like Edison, the owners spent most of their time at their clinic. The Mayo Clinic, like the Cleveland Clinic, are the biggest successes in our healthcare system. It is too bad that we can’t envision this type of single-payer system throughout our healthcare industry. Continue reading Mayowood

I think everyone knows that a significant part of the NRA are evangelical Christians. To me that association seems to be a Jekyll/Hide thing. How can you be so irrationally in favor of all guns without ANY restrictions and the resulting violence that it brings and be a follower of Jesus who was anything but a violent man?  It is hard for me to fathom that association but I have to accept that it is there. One thing that Evangelicals and NRA members hold very much in common is the idea of the “slippery slope”. It is very much engrained … Continue reading Evangelicals and the NRA

It is hard to realize all the diversity in flowers…. Continue reading Diversity

In this age of electronic banking the way to shut down any organization is to go after their access to money. It looks like that is just what is currently happening with North Korea at least to an extent. “We need to step up and target those financial institutions in Asia and beyond that are supporting the brutal and dangerous North Korean regime.” When challenged by Royce about “a number of small banks” still doing business with North Korea and the need to choke off the country’s access to hard currency, Glaser replied: “That’s exactly what we are trying to … Continue reading Going After the Money…. We Can’t..

And we still got a year for others who think they would make a good president to join in…… Continue reading A Tisket, A Tasket….

 “Thank you.” A study from the University of California showed that those who feel appreciated by their partners are also more appreciative of their partners-so it goes both ways. The next time your husband does something thoughtful, even if it’s as tiny as remembering to put your wet beach towels in the wash instead of on the floor, say “thanks” instead of “Oh, good, you’re learning!” SOURCE:  9 Little Things Your Husband Never Gets Sick of Hearing | Love + Sex – Yahoo Shine. I am not going to bore you with all nine things men like to hear from … Continue reading Things Your Husband Never Gets Sick of Hearing…

  This building was found in the small town of Hardinsburg KY. I’m sure it was once a thriving business. Maybe a hardware store??   Continue reading A Once Thriving….