Many of us are taught, starting in childhood, to never, ever give up. It applies even more so to those of us in the nonprofit, charitable, and faith arenas. We often work with hurting, broken but incredibly valuable people. We want to be the sort of inspirers who those we love and serve will one day be grateful for. And about us, we hope they’ll say, “When everyone else threw in the towel, this person, never gave up! She was always there for me. He never quit no matter how many times I messed up or tried his patience.” If … Continue reading Doing More Harm Than Good….

After shooting Landsberry and two other classmates, the student (13 years old) turned the semi-automatic handgun on himself and was killed. Federal officials tell CBS News the gun was owned by his parents. SOURCE: Sparks Middle School student: Gunman said “you ruined my life and now I’m going to ruin yours” – CBS News. Continue reading Again, Again, And Again….

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett on Wednesday called the U.S. debt limit a “political weapon of mass destruction” and said both political parties should pledge never to use it as leverage because of the financial damage it can cause. As lawmakers and the White House scrambled to raise the $16.7-trillion debt limit before a Thursday deadline, Buffett said it would be  asinine”  for the U.S. to risk its hard-won reputation for paying its bills on time. “There are certain weapons that are just improper to use against humanity,” he told CNBC. “It is a political weapon of mass destruction and both … Continue reading The GOPs WMD….

I recently read an article that said bloggers are either creating or reacting but I kind of think it is a combination of both.  Lots of things float around in my brain throughout each day. I always have a notepad available to jot down some of the more noteworthy thoughts but many escape before I can recall them. I like to think that even when I use some initial thoughts from someone else I put a creative spin on it and usually take it into a completely different direction. Will Rogers, who everyone who has read even a few of … Continue reading Reacting Or Creating…..

“I have always rather enjoyed being considered a heretic, and have never wanted to be endorsed by any one. I have felt that to be endorsed was to be bound, and that it was better, for me at least, to be a free lance, with no hindrances to my absolute mental and spiritual freedom.”  SOURCE:  Meet Hannah Whitall Smith, a “Convergent Friend” at the turn of the nineteenth century – QuakerQuaker. I must admit that since I was tossed out of my previous church because I didn’t accept that the earth is only six-thousand years old I have kind of … Continue reading Being A Heretic….

I just read an article in the local paper where my congressman proudly announced that he voted to default on our nation’s debt this week.  Of course living blue in a red State it was not in the least surprising.  I am constantly voting against these yahoos who would rather the country default than to give up a small piece of their “principles”. What a joke. I intend to send him an email to tell him that I am happy that at least some of those in his party  had the courage to choose to pay our debts instead of … Continue reading He Voted Nay……

These last few weeks in Washington have been very frustrating to me and I’m sure to you too. The complete breakdown of compromise and trust is not something that should happen to any nation’s capital. Because of the apparent hate that is in our nation’s capital I truly fear for our future as a country.  Seeing all this malarkey often makes me want to just drop out of anything political. But, isn’t that exactly what those wing-nuts in DC really want? If they can get all the folks who have an ounce of common sense and regard for the good … Continue reading Dropping Out…..

But one of the most notable additions to the 35-page bill was a $2.1 billion increase in funding for a dam under construction on the Kentucky-Illinois border, which just happens to be the home turf of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). It has raised the alarm bells of conservatives, who have long complained about Republicans who spend heavily on their home states. One group, the Senate Conservatives Fund, immediately christened the dam project the “Kentucky Kickback.” “The McConnell-Reid bill not only funds Obamacare and suspends the debt limit, it ALSO includes a provision…that increases the authorization for the Olmsted Lock in Kentucky … Continue reading Earmarks…..

I have been having a feeling lately that we, like much of the rest of the world, are dividing ourselves into smaller and smaller factions. We just can’t seem to agree on any common bonds anymore. Everything is “us” vs “them”. Look at Africa. If you look at a world map of 50 years ago you would not see hardly any of the current States on that continent. But then again the rest of the world has also fractured a lot since then.  If you are interested take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_world_map_changes to see the listing of changes. I must warn … Continue reading I Have A Feeling….

Swagger   (verb ) 1.  to walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others ⤻syn: tittup, ruffle, prance, strut, sashay, cock 2.  discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate ⤻syn: browbeat, bully 3.  act in an arrogant, overly self-assured, or conceited manner ⤻syn: bluster, swash I must admit that the word swagger has never been one of my favorite words. It just has too many negative connotations for me. For those of us old enough to remember the first person that comes to mind when they hear this word is John Wayne. I’m sure he was a nice enough guy as Marian Morrison but after so many years in Hollywood he became just too full of himself. He was just not the type of person I would begin to categorize as a hero in … Continue reading Swagger….

A recent poll by the Massachusetts Medical Society, a statewide physician group, finds that most people in Massachusetts today are generally satisfied with the health care system there. “Eighty-four percent of residents expressed satisfaction with the care they received over the last year, including 56 percent who indicated they are ‘very satisfied’ and 28 percent who are ‘somewhat satisfied,’” the survey report states. Seventy-three percent of residents reported that gaining access to health care they need is “not difficult,” and for serious medical problems, 86 percent said the amount of time they needed to wait was not a problem. While no … Continue reading They Might Just Like It…..

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…

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…

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….

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….