Rants just come out every now and then, and that’s okay. If we never get frustrated with what is wrong, it will never change.
“Better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.” – ancient Chinese proverb This is the post that I have been wanting (and dreading) to write for months. It violates that age-old admonishment to avoid discussing religion and politics. If fact, they may be the two most… Continue reading
Ever notice how the cows all face the same direction in the pasture, but there is one that didn’t seem to get the memo and is separate from the herd doing his own thing? That’s me. I dislike housing tracts where the nearly identical a dwellings are crammed in close… Continue reading
In this supposed golden age of television, I am having a hard time finding programs I want to watch. Having recently switched to Amazon Fire Stick and Hulu Live, I have found a few movies and series that are pleasant new discoveries, but it seems the vast majority misses… Continue reading
The market is up. Immigration is down. Some people are thrilled. Others think we are led by a scary clown. The United States isn’t. Divisions abound. Legislators are cowards. Or else they vote everything down. Congressmen and senators hold to the party line. They are such a letdown. Volatile… Continue reading
I am not not depressed or feeling all is lost, but I am disappointed by many things that I have been taught to hold dear. I am disappointed by a church (meant in the institutional and local sense) that equates propping up an organization with following Jesus. It acquired too… Continue reading
As I get older, I have a hard telling if I am getting wiser or just crankier, more discerning or just out of touch. Nowhere is that more apparent than in my taste in music. I once heard Justin Hayward (front man of The Moody Blues and solo artist) say… Continue reading
Truth is dead. Apparently, we don’t need it anymore. Instead, we contort what little we know about an incident to support our preconceived viewpoint. Our minds are made up before we even become fully aware of the facts. We speak up with great indignation, believing we are calling attention to… Continue reading
It has recently occurred to me that I am adverse to people telling me what to do. You may think I am just a rebellious, non-compliant, cranky old codger. And you might be right, but I think there is something else at play here. I grew up with an abundance… Continue reading
Let’s play “Cool / Not Cool.” Cool: Female Not Cool: Male Women are cool because they can do anything a man can do, and do it better. Men are not cool because they have repressed women for centuries. They are over-sexed buffoons, controlled by their physical urges. It has been… Continue reading
No, it is not an archaic type of firearm, a wine, or the latest fragrance; it is a town in eastern Iowa where I got a speeding ticket. Sure, I know, “Don’t do the crime, if you can’t pay the fine.” Allow me to explain my displeasure in more detail.… Continue reading
If you say something often enough, people will begin to believe it. If you pronounce it from a place of authority, it may be readily accepted. If it is artfully, passionately, and creatively communicated, it will eventually weave its way into culture as reality, no matter how faulty the logic… Continue reading
Cultural institutions are failing us miserably and that is causing a worldwide season of unrest. Corrupt governments that have been in power for decades are being toppled right and left. Protesters claiming to be the 99%, upset by the widening wealth gap, have “occupied” city centers around the world. Citizens… Continue reading
Figuring out what really pisses you off and agitates you can be very insightful because our motivations and passions flow from our deepest irritants and frustrations. Here are a few of my least favorite things. (I can hear Julie Andrews in my head.) Church programs that ignore the individuals they supposedly… Continue reading
Why is “customer service” so often the worse possible place on earth to receive decent service? Why are we allowing our technology to cause us to avoid having a real, live conversation with another human being? Why are the very best moments in life usually unplanned? Why is there such… Continue reading
“I tore myself away from the safe comfort of certainties through my love for truth – and truth rewarded me.” – Simone de Beauvoir Not thinking is easier than thinking. Believing as we are told is easier than testing those beliefs. Finding a tribe (political party, denomination, unnamed segment of… Continue reading
I usually listen to talk radio streaming on my iPhone as I get ready in the mornings. This morning I began with my usual WPR (Wisconsin Public Radio) program doing their review of political happenings for the week with guests from the Democrat and Republican perspectives. Facts were irrelevant to… Continue reading
Every day, I listen to NPR. I also watch Fox News on a daily basis. I tell people that I am either perfectly balanced or totally schizophrenic. Some of the shows on the more biased news networks are just straight forward news. Some are extended opinion pieces. Some get high… Continue reading
Here are some ideas that will get you branded a troublemaker. Advocacy People should not be pushed to the edges of our society. Some people cannot get on their feet without some help or advocacy. We all do not have the same opportunities because our history and circumstances vary… Continue reading
I am not a fan of “the system”. There is a bit of the rebel and non-conformist in me. It is not as though I don’t understand reasonable expectations and endeavor to meet them. Rather, my issues have to do with the systematizing of everything and disregarding people who don’t fit… Continue reading
