In my forty-odd years of employment, I kept a list of things I wanted to do, but for reasons of expense or time, I had to put off. “Fly an airplane” was one of them. “Write a novel” was another. When I retired at the beginning of 2015, I reviewed the list. Some things were […]
Chopstick Dexterity
If the Dems had their way, they would be the only party. They’d tell you who the candidates are and you’d be allowed to vote for (only) them. That’s how it works in China. The CCP (Communist Chinese Party) chooses the candidates in local elections, and then “the people” get to vote for (only) them. […]
Telling A Lie
Words mean things, specific things. A “lie” is when someone knows otherwise but chooses to intentionally deceive others. That’s not the same as believing or hoping something and saying so. That’s not telling a lie. And when those beliefs are challenged but the person sticks to their guns, that also is not telling a lie. […]
Inside or Outside?
Housing prices in Phoenix have skyrocketed with the influx of Californians. With their excess cash, they are “California-ing” the houses including the addition of concrete block fencing in front of the house, and sometimes all the way across the front of the property, albeit a low one. For now. They’re beginning to remind of me […]
2024 Election SNAFU
According to “Biden vs. Trump: The Makings of a Shattering Constitutional Crisis” the 2024 federal election could shape-up like this. In November 2024, some states will undoubtedly invoke the “Disqualification Clause” from Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to disqualify Donald Trump. In those states, the Republican candidate will likely be someone standing-in for Trump. […]
Killing the Earth
The trees did it first. They polluted the air with toxic gas, devoured simple minerals and bound them up in complicated molecules that, after eons, rotted into vile tar and oil. Oxygen, petroleum, waste from them permanently changed our planet. It used to be such a beautiful place. Hot—not quite enough to boil water, but […]
A Man
Several decades ago, my employer moved us and several other families from Memphis to Phoenix. Arizona was, and still is, a very different place. It’s been a state since only 1912, just barely a hundred years, and while you won’t see cowboys riding horses in the downtown area anymore, you will find most of the […]
The Problem with Social Media
With today’s “social media,” opinions and frustrations pull some people together while pushing others away. The net effect is a greater polarization of society, not less. Facebook, Twitter, and the like divide us; because of our human nature, they foster factions and dissonance, not union and compromise. Social media has also changed the mechanics of Free […]
Fifth Estate User’s Manual
The Fifth Estate includes social media, blogs, the internet in general, and all of us. Estates One, Two, and Three The first “three estates” describe the social hierarchy in medieval times. It consisted of the clergy, nobility, and commoners. But the term has been re-applied many times, and not always to denote groups or classes. […]
Their Memorial Day
Our patriots died for the freedoms we so blithely take for granted including free speech, the right to assemble, trial by jury, and the right to bear arms. Many others, around the world, do not have those rights, and have failed in their attempts to assert them.This year marks the 30th anniversary of a failed […]