Right As Usual

The peaceful, mindful lifestyle of Thoreau lives on in the dreams of many Liberals. The hard work of making a living from the soil is bypassed, and glamorized in the essay "On Walden Pond". The FACTS of Thoreau's stay in that cabin are conveniently forgotten. Share

The desire to be seen to be different - better - than other sinners is strong in all of us. It's probably what is the root of the decision to gossip. You share other's sins, so that yours might seem trivial. Jesus encountered that in several well-known stories in the New Testament. This sin is related to not following the New Commandment that Jesus taught. Gossip is a poison that affects not only the person that is gossiped about, but also the person that spreads it around. Share

Far from being a disturbingly prophetic glimpse into America's future, should Trump and his ilk not get ousted, The Handmaid's Tale is a tired, dated, and slanted view of non-Democratic Party goals. Take one aspect of the story: Offred is forced to participate in a bizarrely-described ritual to compensate for the infertility of the ruling class wives. Well, that DOES happen today - we call it 'surrogate pregnancy'. Can't even call it 'surrogate mothering' anymore - the Progressives that favor that practice have divorced the conception part - egg meets sperm in a petri dish - from the gestation part - the fertilized egg is deliberately NOT placed into the woman who donated it, but into another woman's womb. Why? Because by splitting up those parts of a pregnancy, the woman who carries the child for 9 months has no genetic connection to that child, and, hence, absolutely NO messy parenthood rights. The new 'parents' can take the kid, make...

If you only make ONE change this weekend, stop the use of the term "Happy Memorial Day". It is NOT a happy celebration. It is a day to remember the many servicemen/women who are no longer with us. For those who served, remembrance carries the sting of friends lost, lives cut short, and even - for many - a feeling of guilt that they lived, while others died (remember the ending of Private Ryan). Do at least ONE thing this weekend to remember the Military Dead. Go to a parade. See the representatives of those who are no longer living. Pay your respects. Go to a cemetery. Spend a few minutes looking at the graves with the flags on them. Say a prayer for them. Visit a vet. Let them tell you about their service, if they would want to. Donate to a veterans' organization. Good ones can be found in this list (if you know a good organization that is not listed, send me the name, and I'll add them). On this list is the DAV (Disabled American Vets) , which was particu...

It's been a hectic week - preparing to retire, and leave a place where I've sunk in roots is exhausting, both mentally and physically. Not to mention organizationally. I was finally reduced to throwing possessions into boxes, willy-nilly, and dropping them off at the storage locker to be sorted out later. Just a few things to pick up on Tuesday, along with completing paperwork, and then - I'm officially retired. I am breathless with the thought of that (well, that and my asthma has kicked up - probably related to all the dust and stuff I've been stirring up). To begin with - Francis Porretto with a post on manliness. A thought-provoking - if arguable - essay on Whiteness.  For those who think this complete 'bollocks' - as the English say - keep in mind that this IS how the average White person thinks. Doesn't matter whether or not they are justified in their thinking. It's put here solely to give insight into WHY they feel put-upon. Keep in m...

I knew of Andrew Sullivan, in the early days of blogging. He was seemingly everywhere, commenting constantly. It took a toll on him. A few years ago, he abruptly quit - ALL media interaction. I did wonder what became of him. And, now I know. This is one post that I think EVERYONE should read - it's about technology addiction, and how to recover. Share

They need ACTION by their governments, that reduces the chances of this happening again. The killers were known to the authorities. They were already on the 'watchlist' (although nobody seems to have actually been watching them). So, why did those 22 people - including CHILDREN - die? Because they didn't take ACTION. Share

Which, for you not familiar with the codes, means that conditions are favorable for a tornado. Fortunately, my kids were able to complete their final without incident. Share

I was reading something about the change in journalism (the writer called it a crisis), and I remembered an incident from my youth. What the writer said: DETROIT  — If you are a person of a certain age it's odd to drive down a major artery in a large metropolitan American city and strain to find a newspaper box at any of the crossroads. That's especially true in a city such as Detroit, with a storied history of competitive journalism that dug deep into holding power in check, whether it was city hall, the unions or large corporations. It's not that those papers are gone. The lack of boxes is in part because of contractual delivery systems and partly because of vandalism. But the disappearing boxes are mostly because we consume our news differently. What I remembered: I was in my late teens or early twenties, and working in downtown Cleveland. Then, like so many working class girls, I was doing clerical work in some office. Not well paid, but steady work, with ...

The Z-Man has some scary ideas. Sometimes, there is a convergence between ideology and practicality. Importation of thuggish aliens to terrorize the non-compliant population might be such a case. From the perspective of the Progressive Overlords (trademark pending), it's a Win-Win. They both burnish their compassionate credentials, and manage to use the 'undocumented Storm Troopers' to whip the unruly subjects into line with their agenda. Share

I am NOT focused this week - the detritus of my changing life is leaving me with MANY loose ends, which I am trying to deal with, but - usually - only tossing into a box, with a tepid promise to deal with it later (when, presumably, I will have more time and focus). Some tidbits I've noticed: This guy actually talks sensibly about education reform. Naturally, he is relatively obscure, and likely to remain so, as long as he makes sense. This is Sponsored Content, as he is hawking a book, but - well, read it, and see what you think. I don't understand why, in government, so few are fired for what are clearly firing offenses. Take a look at that article, and see if you agree with me.  I'd also like those who are fired to have their pension contributions returned to them, with interest, and have NO pension rights after that. If you do something wrong, you should pay a penalty. Perhaps the possibility of that might discourage the 'Deep State' from cooperating with ...

Actually - Yes. I've been nearing the end of the school year - always a stressful and busy time. But, I've also been involved in my fitness program - down 24 pounds, so far, and MUCH more capable of walking and other activities. And - Ta-Dah! I will be retired at the end of this school year - in only another 2-1/2 weeks! I can't wait! I'm full up with plans for the future, chief among them to FINALLY clear out my house of detritus, and organize what remains. Other plans include: Writing - I have a more-than 1/2-finished book, that I will be expanding and revising. And, a non-fiction book - How to Teach Chemistry Without Blowing Up the Lab (meant for the beginner in a high school setting). Other books to follow, now that I have time. Radio fun - I am currently putting my new workbench together, and will shortly move my radio magazines, books, equipment, and work-in-progress up to the new Ham Shack. When I get my HF rig (probably sometime this fall), I will ha...

Ivanka Trump met with Planned Parenthood, to try to find some common ground. See here what happened. Share

There are two stories about them: The first,  one of the perps,  who never served a day in prison for his actions. He is still angry, despite having benefited from the system's mercy to him - not having to pay, either in money or time, for his crime. The second,  one of the victims,  is still suffering the after-effects of the attack - which included, beating, kicking, nearly having his ear torn off, stripping his clothes off, and spray-painting him black. Oh, and dousing him with gasoline - he is fortunate that no one had a match. He was robbed of money and tools and his truck was torched. And yet, he is married and largely supporting himself. And, not bitter. Funny how that happens. Share

On  the matter of expanding the H1-B Visa program, I am just - NO. Not even. Don't even THINK of it. I - and a whole lot of voters - will NOT - REPEAT - NOT - be mollified by other decisions you make. No matter if you enact, lobby for, fight to your dying day for ANY other bill. Those actions will NOT overcome my visceral disgust for your YES vote on Visas. WHY is that such a big deal? Goldman Sachs estimates that almost one million foreign H-1B contract workers are now employed in college-level jobs throughout the United States, even though many media outlets routinely say the federal government approves only 85,000 H-1B visas per year. Goldman’s February estimate of the huge H-1B population also ignores multiple other visa programs which invite foreign graduates to work in the United States. These other temporary work visas are used to employ an additional 470,000 foreign college graduates in the United States, according to a study released on March ...

There is an Up Side to the decision of Comey NOT to prosecute HRC and the Weiners. This administration can decide to prosecute them ALL, with no double jeopardy involved. And, no Obama-Pardon available. Share

Like a lot of things in politics, it's mixed. However, the 4% that have pre-existing conditions will NOT be thrown out into the streets. Unlike today, when those with the 'wrong' health plan - including some of those with Obamacare - will find themselves unable to get care. Share

I get why the Bowie Bergdahl court martial was delayed until AFTER the election. Obama could avoid dealing with it and possibly screwing up HRC's coronation, and - most importantly - he could play hand-off to her, taking it out of his legacy and blaming her later for any reverberations. The Republicans went along with it, because if they waited until AFTER the election, the incoming President might not pardon him. It was put off until February 2017 - which, if you haven't noticed, has been and gone. So, what's the status? I couldn't find ANYTHING on a search. Nada. So, I'm guessing that it will wait until a more convenient - and less likely to blow up in the administration's face - time. When more important - and urgent - situations push the trial into the background. My guess? Bergdahl will receive a guilty verdict. Then, after getting a middling harsh sentence, be freed after a short time on some kind of a mental/emotional hardship or compassio...

The Iran Agreement (NOT treaty, because Obama refused to bring it before Congress - or to be honest about it's provisions). Share