detached?

 I've heard of selective listening. I've even been accused of that by my wife and others. It's not true, I hear every word but we'll just leave that right there. What I get annoyed by is selective reading. That happens a lot on social media, and by some, in my blog postings. Whereas I appreciate everyone that takes the time to read what I have written I wish they would read the entire statement. Or, if they did read the entire statement, ask questions if they didn't understand it. I'm not saying anyone has to agree with my opinion, but at least read it thoroughly. I admit it is annoying when I get accused of an opinion I didn't say. All you have to do is read it! I have taken to not even responding to those remarks. I figure if that person can't take the time to read what was written I can't take the time to explain what I said.
 I've touched on this subject before, this lack of reading and understanding what was written. I would agree that there are occasions when the fault lies with me. Being the author it is my job to make my thoughts understood clearly. I do try to do that as best I know how. The same thing happens in conversation, people not being clear in their thoughts. It can lead to misunderstandings and anger can be the result. I find myself frustrated more often than angry. For many others, anger is the first response. I'll say it again, emotions are great motivators but seldom good guides. For that reason, I do attempt to take a more pragmatic approach in my writings. Strangely it is that approach that seems to anger a few people. I can only assume the truth is somehow bothersome to these individuals. They often attempt to dispute facts with emotion. Righteous indignation is the usual term applied to that action. Something will happen alright, but it usually isn't a positive result.
 It is certainly your prerogative to reject any text you should read. It is also your prerogative to just skim over the text. It is true that not everything written is of great importance. I enjoy lighthearted humorous things as much as anyone else. Not every subject need be discussed in depth. I do feel that if you choose to comment you should do so only after having read the entire text. If you disagree with the content respond to that content, not to the character of the author. Respond with opinion or fact to the premise the author presented. I think that is one of the big issues we are facing today. How can we have a logical discourse on anything if all we do is attack the character of the other person? That's what is happening with President Trump. Those on the left so busy attacking his character that they fail to see any positive results at all. I'm not hearing any responses from that left other than, Trump is this or that. Often times Generals are tolerated during a time of war but vilified after the battle is won. Patton is an excellent example. Brash, crude and bold he got results. After the war, he wasn't regarded quite as highly. There is a theory he was eliminated because he posed a threat to peacetime politics. His usefulness had been expended.
 Now I fully expect someone to leave a comment or remark about my support of Trump. Truth is I offered no such support but mentioned his name in an analogy. I was comparing his actions with those of Patton, similar styles of leadership. I was showing the comparison and how both had their characters attacked relentlessly. Yes, the news at the time didn't always report General Patton in a favorable light. Take the infamous " slapping " incident. Regardless of all the success Patton had, it was an emotional response by the press and the public in general. Was it justified? The emotional response is always, yes! Emphatically yes! A pragmatist such as myself may say it was a necessary action on the Generals part. It was for the greater good. And now I can receive comments about that.
 Well, whatever the case may prove to be, either positive or negative the important part is the interaction. It is how issues get resolved. If we continue on this course of just attacking characters we will never solve the root issue. What is that root issue? The issue as I see it is a simple choice. Either we, as a nation, choose to take care of our own first and foremost or we choose to be the stewards of the world. Should we choose the later the United States of America as we know it will be gone, replaced by what? Socialism? A system of government that we know from history just doesn't work. That was explained simply by Margaret Thatcher. She said, " the socialists always run out of other peoples money. " A simple statement of fact unencumbered by emotion. Remember " We the People " is a plurality, not a singularity. What is for the common good?
 I apologize for this perhaps incoherent rambling. Try as I might I can't seem to pull it all together. I hope you find something in there to think about for today. I write these thoughts in the mornings and only spend so much time in their composition. This is a subject that may require a great deal more time and effort to fully compose. There are times when I question their worth? Well, it is an amusement only and I need to remind myself of that on occasion. I feel better having written it so there's that.     

a beginning

 Is there a beginning to an end ? There is, in as far as defined limits. The challenge lies in identifying the beginning ? When did it start ? Is the starting point a wholly subjective thing ? Yes I think it has to be as we can't know the true start to life. Man has developed many theories about that. The big two being, divine creation and the big bang. I subscribe to the first simply because things don't happen by accident, especially an ordered universe. All that is something I have discussed at length a few times. This morning I was wondering about a beginning to an end. And just what has ended ? Ah, that is the heart of the matter. That is what I am thinking about. Truth is, I don't believe anything has ended, but is in decline. A beginning to an end. I am aware of a moral decline in our society. John Adams wrote, " our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. " What moral and religious practices was he referring to ? In my mind it had to be Judeo-Christian values. Surely the Bible was the guide he used and referenced in his own life. He was a Protestant after all. I think it fair to say we could consider the adoption of that document as a " beginning " of defined moral values. That document separated the religious from the government, not from morality itself. A distinction being lost on far too many today in my opinion.  But, back to the question about a beginning to an end.
 I make no claim to being a historian or a scholar. I am more a collector of general trivia than anything else. I am aware of significant events in the history of our nation. There have been good and bad. It began with those first ten amendments to the constitution. The bill of rights solidifying the founders intentions that were not made clear in the original document. We are all aware of certain ones, the first, second and fifth being the most often quoted. The thirteenth and fifteenth are often cited as well. The point I am making is that all of those rights added to the moral and ethical practices deemed appropriate to the governing of a moral and religious people. The Supreme court has been tasked with interpreting those instructions and further defining those rights. For me, in 1973 that court made a landmark decision. It was a decision that for me, marks the beginning of the end. It was a decision that stated a woman has the right to kill her unborn child. That's correct, the court ruled it is a right to murder the unborn. I can in no way understand how that decision is for a moral and religious people ! Isn't that what John Adams said the Constitution was written to govern ? If that ruling isn't contrary to that purpose, I can think of no other. One could also argue the case for equal rights. If a woman has the right to murder the unborn doesn't that include the man ? After all, regardless of any other modern day thinking it does require a male to create that child in the first place so shouldn't they have an equal say ? You can't get pregnant by accident through any other method other than engaging in a physical relationship. Yes you could get artificially inseminated, that technology exists, by not by accident. All of that is not my point however. What I am saying is once the Supreme court decided murder was a viable choice they abandoned the original intent of the constitution which was to govern a " moral and religious people. "
 Is that the beginning of the end ? In my view it is. If you have to choose a beginning it is what comes to the forefront of my thinking. As I said I'm no scholar or historian and perhaps I have missed something along the way. Maybe other people, more learned than myself could cite other examples equally as egregious. I have certainly seen more " rulings " in the years following that decision that run contrary to a moral and religious people than any other time in history I am aware of. If I am wrong, correct me. That is my thinking this morning. Is there a beginning to an end ? " All good things must come to an end, but all bad things can continue forever. " Thornton Wilder  So I guess what I am asking is, will this continue forever, or is it a beginning to an end ? 

Popularity and profit

 I, along with everyone else in the world noticed the Korea thing happening. North and South meeting in the demilitarized zone, planting a pine tree. The rocket man promising to dismantle his arsenal. But does anyone believe this ? It is being met with extreme skepticism that much is certain and well it should. I certainly don't trust Kim Jung Un.  At the same time hope runs high for those directly effected in those countries. Will there be a reunification ? It may happen one day but not anytime soon. The question on everyone's mind is why. Why is Kim Jung Un willing to negotiate ? Why is it he couldn't be more cooperate ?
 Well I'm no foreign relations expert. I don't know a great deal in the way of foreign policy and diplomacy. I do know he has been heavily sanctioned and it has cost him a lot of money. I'm equally as certain his friends are tired of footing the bill as well. Then his rockets blow up and it doesn't look very good on the international stage. His people have got to be getting a bit upset and restless with all his posturing and rhetoric. He threatens the greatest military in the world, ours, and our president responds with, my rocket is bigger than yours ! Probably not the response he was hoping for or counting on. Regardless of your feelings regarding President Trump he has made it clear that he will not be bullied ! No one, including Donald Trump himself ever claimed he was diplomatic. He is a businessman that is used to making the deal ! Yes, it has always been to his benefit to do so, but that, that is just business. He wasn't running a charity. And, by the way, neither is our government ! Popularity and profit make strange bedfellows. As a general rule, if you are making a profit, especially if that benefits someone else, you will be a popular guy. Doesn't appear to be the case here, with Donald Trump, but his term isn't over either. If he began giving all the profit to charities, you know those that don't want to actually work for it, his popularity would definitely soar ! But, that's another thing altogether.
 The question is why. I think Kim Jung Un is acting the way he is right now for only one reason. It is his desire to remain in power. His generals may be getting a little bit worried about him and figure it is time for him to go. That's the normal course of action when it comes to dictators and such.  His country is running low on funds and no relief in sight. No one in their right mind wants to start a nuclear exchange. Say whatever you want about the little guy he ain't crazy. He is well aware of what could happen and with Trump it is a greater risk than ever before. So Kim in my estimation is now maneuvering a different path. He needs to endear himself to the people. How best to do that ? Join the families from the north and south once again. It is an action similar to taking down the Berlin wall. Kim Jung Un the great unifier ! Surely his generals and others wouldn't dare to harm him if all the people loved him. A promise of peace, unification and prosperity for the Korean peninsula. What a great and magnanimous gesture. And he remains in power ! That's the end game here.
 Who gets the credit ? I don't know and I don't care is my response. If the threat of nuclear proliferation is realized that is all that matters to me. How those people live in their countries really doesn't concern me. I don't feel any great obligation to be the morality police of the world. As long as they aren't threatening to attack me, I'll leave them alone. We have established world organizations to address those human rights issues and international laws. All of that is only done by a gentlemen's agreement. Unilateral condemnation of the actions of certain nations has taken place over the years. Military strikes have been authorized and agreed upon. The big question is, do we have the right to impose our will upon any nation that doesn't go along with that gentlemen's agreement, to any nation that doesn't join the club ? Those in the club believe that they do indeed have that right, and more so view it as an obligation. Best thing to do is just join the club. Go with the flow. Kim Jung Un can proclaim I once was lost, but now I'm found ! World forgive me and make me profitable , I mean popular once more.  

justice

 All aboard the victim train ! Me Too, Me Too. That is what I'm hearing since Cosby was found guilty. It's a victory for every woman that has ever not been believed. A real milestone because we all know that never, ever has a woman told a lie about such a thing. It's a regular celebration ! Yes siree, we got that train fired up now, the smoke rolling out the stack and headed straight for tomorrow. According to the morning news Tom Brokaw is standing on the tracks. He's going down.
 Before you get all upset I want to say if Cosby is guilty, and I believe he is guilty as sin, he should be locked up ! It's as simple as that. It took two trials to reach this point. Even the mainstream media is admitting that it was with the help of the " me too " movement that this verdict was reached. You can view that movement in two ways. Either it is a social justice organization or a bunch of vigilantes.
 That determination depends mostly upon your politics. In my view it really hinges on whether there is an advantage to the individual or not. Really a sort of reverse profiling. Now, I'm not supposed to suspect a black man wearing a hoodie slinking through back yards in a white neighborhood of any nefarious plans, that is just profiling, but if a woman says a man did something inappropriate, even if it was over twenty years ago, I'm supposed to believe her, take it as the gospel truth ! You do see what I mean, don't you ? Both may be innocent, both may be guilty. But wait a minute, " me too. " Or is it being profiled ? Hmm, think about that.
 Look this woman received 3.5 million dollars some years back and agreed to accept that. In my view that was the " justice " she decided upon. She has enjoyed that " justice " for many years. Now she changed her mind, jumped aboard the victim train and hollered me too ! I'm not saying it didn't happen, I believe it did, it is just that she already agreed upon justice to the tune of 3.5 million dollars. And yes, after having received that money it is a lot easier to say " it's not about the money it's about justice. " Same as saying, I'll respect you in the morning. Basically the same deal as this Stormy Daniels. She took 180,000 dollars and agreed to be silent. But the victim train made a stop in her backyard and it was all aboard ! She says she'll give the money back, she only wants justice. Yeah, after signing book deals, making personal appearances and enjoying " fame " she will. In years past when she no more than a common hooker  justice didn't matter nearly as much.
 Tom Brokaw is now being accused of sexual harassment stemming from the 1990's. That could be as long as twenty eight years ago. At a minimum it would be 18 years. That harassment must have been awful intense if it took this long to have its' effect felt. A demand for justice ? Or could it be an avenue for retribution ? Whoever is doing the accusing just may have an axe to grind and now is the time to strike. You know, while the iron is hot so to speak. This is the me too movement, all aboard. I'm not saying if the case has any merit or not, I really have no clue. What I am saying is it appear to be quite fortitudinous given todays circumstances. If she said it, it has to be true !
 Bottom line is this, Cosby was found guilty by a jury of his peers. He will be sentenced. Appeals will be filed and the case will continue. He will spend some time in a prison, one like Martha Stewart was in, a country club. That is as it should be. I do believe he is guilty as charged. He used his celebrity to his advantage, to satisfy evil desires. If he admitted to it or had been caught red handed he would have gone to a " addition therapist " or a " sex counselor " and been cured ! You know, like Tiger Woods did. It's excusable, even commendable if you admit to it, then it's a disease. No penalty for disease. But is all of that a victory for women everywhere ? Is the message now, all women will be believed all the time ! Just what victory was won here ? Was justice served ?
 In order to answer that last question one has to define what is justice ? Is justice the satisfying of the injured party ? Is that the sole purpose of justice, to punish the guilty ? That is the first thought that comes to mind but it isn't the only purpose of justice. Justice is supposed to maintain order and discipline in the society as well. It is supposed to mitigate damages caused by others and provide a means of redress. Justice is determined by the laws of the land. We all know the statue of Lady Justice, blindfolded and holding balance scales. The reality is justice is only satisfied when the injured party agrees that it is regardless of any determination by a court of law. That " justice " is only served when accepted by the receiving party. In the Cosby case this woman agreed that 3.5 million dollars negated that justice, that's why she never took Cosby to court. Then opportunity knocks when the victim train pulls into town and she demands justice ! Excuse me if I don't take her seriously when she pleads that case. She chose her form of Justice and it is my belief she should have been made to accept that choice. 

acheiving success

 Success is defined by the culture in which you live. Wouldn't you say that is an accurate statement ? Meeting societal norms and expectations makes you successful. That has to be true , at least to the others people in that society. If you are acting in opposition to that society you certainly won't be considered a success. And so the challenge for each of us is to be aware of the expectations of that society. Having determined what those requirements to be we either accept them, strive to achieve them or attempt to modify them. The later action we often call progressive thinking, or social change. In the last few years a certain demographic began calling awareness being " woke. " Other segments of the population began to appropriate that term because of political correctness and it has entered the lexicon of the millennials.
 How do we define societal norms ? Well, although an unpopular concept these days those norms are defined in the American society by Judeo-Christians teachings. They are the things that are expected morally and ethically in order to live within the society. America did become that great melting pot we read about in our history books. The key action being the " melting " of  different cultures. They were blended into one society, the American society. The same behaviors were expected of all members of that society. When members of that society failed to live up to those expectations, or acted outside the norm, they were viewed differently. They weren't considered successful that much was certain. The society was not expected to change to suit them ! That is the big shift in thinking we are seeing today. Today there are many that say society has to change, adapt to each individual in the society. Those that are " woke " especially advocate for this action. What those folks fail to understand is what makes a society a society. A society shares, customs, laws and organizations. A society is a collective ! Yes, it contains individuals, but the individuals act for a common purpose. A society shares a common culture. That culture was formed by a melting together of individual morality and ethics into a whole. It is not a bunch of different cultures just glued together in a big lump. It is a whole, unified in a single culture.
 So, if success is defined by the culture in which you live, you have to define the culture ! Isn't that just common sense ? It is,  if that is how you are going to define success. But, is that how we are measuring success in today's world ? I would have to say it is not what is being taught to our young people. The millennials being " woke. " What is this woke ? The urban dictionary says it is a social awareness of injustices in the society. It began primarily with the African-American segment in America. There is no denying the social injustice that has taken place in the past. There is no denying that there are people that still harbor ill feelings towards black people, or any people different from themselves. We call that being prejudicial and it applies to everyone, not just black/white. The major complaint, the reason for discord  is what ? Cultural differences.
 And there you have it. Just what culture are you trying to be successful in ? You will never be successful in a culture that is counter to your own. It ain't gonna happen. If you are not willing to assimilate to the culture you will not be successful in that culture. It is that simple. But, if your measure of success is wealth or material things that changes the construct of the whole society. Is that the basis for the American society ? Is that what America has morphed into ? Is being a success in America solely dependent upon wealth and property ? Is that the goal of the society ? Or have we created a society where the only means for success lies with wealth and property ?
 That would be the case if we eliminate the initial building block of that society, Judeo-Christian values and teachings. That would certainly alter the entire structure. Those first settlers came to this land to escape persecution in Europe.  They came here to work hard, pursue their dreams and most importantly to them, practice their religious beliefs free from persecution. Different colonies formed as a result of that as well. We would look at them as denominations today, same basic teachings, but differences in practice. Culturally the expectations were the same. The expectation was a life ever after, that is the reward. That is why you strive to meet societal expectations and act within the norms of that society. It is the common goal ! That is success. Is success is a personal thing ? All depends upon the measurement doesn't it ? What are you measuring it against ? What is the standard ?
 Culture defines that standard. But it only defines it to others in that society. In the end you have to define success for yourself. Before you can do that you must first decide what takes priority. Is it the culture in which you live, or is it a personal accomplishment ? Really depends on this. If you want to be remembered by the culture in which you lived you have to be a success in that culture, indeed exceeding the expectations of that culture. Or, you could be remembered for being a total failure as well. A criminal or mental defect. Or do you measure your success by personal accomplishments. Actions taken and not necessarily known to others. Have you remained faithful to your God ? Which is the more important ? 

fate and compliance

Sometimes I find myself longing for the past more than looking to the future. That does seem to be happening more these days than it used to. I think most of us feel that from time to time. The good old days. We long for them. When we were younger we had certain milestones we looked forward to. Things like getting a drivers license or graduating school. The future was full of promise and was anticipated. As the years go by we learn differently. The grass on the other side of the fence isn't always greener, that lesson may be met with sorrow. We may find the grass is greener and the reason for that.. The grass has been fertilized. We all know what makes a great fertilizer and it isn't pleasant. And most, if not all of us, have stepped in that.

“A man must know his destiny… if he does not recognize it, then he is lost. By this I mean, once, twice, or at the very most, three times, fate will reach out and tap a man on the shoulder… if he has the imagination, he will turn around and fate will point out to him what fork in the road he should take, if he has the guts, he will take it.” 

Those words were written by General George S Patton. I find them to be true and inspirational. Some say Patton was an egotist and a bit touched. I think he just believed. He believed in himself and his purpose. He was convinced, since an early age, of his destiny. He knew he was to be a soldier and a leader of men. He went forward with confidence. His brashness was often misunderstood and some were offended, it made no difference to Patton.  

 Like Patton,  I believe we all have a destiny. Forrest Grump thought so too. The parallels have not been lost on me. Both man and character moved forward, convinced of their actions. Both had a singleness of purpose. The major difference between the two, the man and the character, is Patton knew he was to be a General someday, but the character just answered fate with compliance. Forrest just went with the flow. We can learn a lot from both.

 I believe we look to the past because of the comfort there. We can rest. There is nothing we can do to change anything there, so there are no actions to take. We can look back and relive past accomplishments. If we are wise we learn from those past experiences. The truly wise will recognize the forks in the road and which ones were taken. That is what Patton was talking about when he said, " fate will point out to him what fork in the road he should take ", in other words knowing the highways. Where has a certain path of action taken you before ? Like another notable man said, " Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. " That was Einstein. 

 Everything we do in our lives serves a purpose. I believe that. We may or may not be aware of what that purpose is. If we are still here, than our purpose has not been fully completed. We still have more to do. Call it fulfilling destiny if you like, or just call it life, it makes little difference. The important thing to recognize is that you are here to serve a purpose. That purpose lies in your future, not your past. Fate lies in the future !  Patton said, " if he has the imagination ", and I think he meant a dream, you will see your destiny, your destination. Do you get to choose ? Yes, I think you do. If you believe in God and free will than you would have to reach that conclusion. I can see no other option. We are given the chance. Once, twice or at the most three times ? Perhaps, but I think the choice is there as long as we are alive. 

what used to be

 There was a man wearing nothing but a jacket that shoots and kills four people at a Waffle house. The news reports it as an attack by a man with a semi-automatic rifle. The suspicion is he has mental health problems. I had to stop , cock my head to the side a little bit, and think about that. This guy, apparently naked, shoots two people outside the Waffle house and two more inside, may have mental health issues ? He's not crazy, just having an issue. Then, I find out he was using an AR-!5 style rifle. Well, the initial report was a semi-automatic rifle and but I know they are the same thing. I couldn't help but wonder why the media wasn't using that as the lead in , the headline to the story. Man with assault rifle attacks Waffle house ! Could it be that this story doesn't fit the current narrative ? Could it be that people killing other people with guns really do have mental issues ? Nah, it's the " assault " rifles that do that, not semi-automatics.
 What an inconvenient story that is. A crazy person with a gun shooting people. Just how are we going to blame the gun this time ? The guy was naked, even the most liberal thinker is going to realize this guy isn't playing with a full deck. We can't tie this to a racist attack either. I don't remember them even saying the race of the people shot. Later, it was revealed an African-American  disarmed him. Oh man, a black person acting as a hero, just how is he being oppressed. There is just nothing useful about this story. He was known to the Secret Service, had his guns taken away in fact, but his Dad gave him back the guns. He stole a car about a week before this but the Police didn't know that until after the fact. Man the only thing glaring in this story is the guy is a nut ! And that truth ties in with the concept of people killing people, not guns. An example of a crazy person with a gun doing crazy stuff. And people knew he was nuts or at the very least suspected it. And now, the news is forced to report him as a suspect in a shooting ! Notice they don't call it a mass shooting though, that's reserved for other incidents, not this one. And he is just a suspect, could have been a different naked man with a semi-automatic rifle, we have to wait for the trial. They are holding this guy in a jail cell. Why isn't he in a mental ward ? He's nuts ! I don't have to go to school to know that much.
 I don't know all the gun laws. I don't know the criteria for losing those guns and the right to posses them. I do know the Secret Service caught this nut in a restricted area by the white house and confiscated his weapons. For what I can only assume are legal reason those weapons were returned to his father. The father gave them back to his son. The son, obviously mentally unstable used one of them to commit murder. It's apparent to me the problem is,  the guy is a nut ! You can't blame the gun ! If the Secret Service returned the guns due to legal reason , you can't blame them. Can you blame the father ? Perhaps you can assign a degree of blame to that man if he was aware of how sick his son is. Is he responsible ?
 To me a great deal of this stems from those liberal people hollering for gun bans, more restrictions, and all of that. It is those folks that insist you mustn't call a nut a nut ! It is those same folks insisting gender dysphoria isn't a mental illness. Is it any wonder they don't recognize a nut job when they see one ! The very same bunch screaming and protesting that it is " my choice " to murder the unborn upset when a crazy person makes that choice,  and then blames it on the gun ! Oh no, whatever deviant or aberrant lifestyle I choose is my business and you can't say anything about it. You don't want to hold anyone accountable for their choices, not even express an opinion on any of that. Those that do will be labeled as some sort phobic person ! And then nuts with guns shoot people and you want to blame the gun ! Well I remember when the normal thing was to point out when a person was acting like a nut case. I remember when if you did bad things you were held to account. Of course I remember when normal was normal, today I'm not sure that exists anymore. What's normal today ? All I know is, it ain't what it used to be. 

Trinkets

 I was talking with my sister last evening when the conversation took a turn toward the nostalgic. Seems that happens a lot these days. I guess after a certain age we do that unconsciously thinking it was only a few days or weeks ago. It was only after counting up the years we both realized we were talking about fifty years ago or so. Yes, I said fifty years or so that nonchalantly. Ah, what's a decade here and there. Anyway, we began to wonder what the grandkids will remember from today that will be nostalgia for them. I mean, what will they remember as a every day thing that will no longer be around ? As an example my sister and I remember buying bottles of coca cola from the vending machine for ten cents. Then we got a two cent deposit returned to us. I see those type of things on Facebook all the time. Things like pencil sharpeners, can openers or roller skate keys. Do you remember ? Of course I remember, I'm not senile you know.
 We both found it difficult to imagine what type of things those kids may remember. Will smart phones change ? I recall having to ask the operator to make a long distance call, what will the kids remember ? Funny how things just creep in without you really being aware. I didn't give it much thought until I looked it up but pocket calculators weren't around when I was little. They didn't arrive until I was in high school ! Yet, I remember them as always having been around it seems. A transistor radio was a novelty when I was young too. Cable television ? Microwave ovens and personal computers. Just what will those kids remember fondly ? Maybe it will be something as mundane as cash money. Will actual paper money and coins disappear in favor of electronic transfers ? That seems within the realm of possibility. It is difficult to imagine. I gave my own grandkids rides in the back of my pick up truck and they already talk about that like it was a big deal. To them, I suppose it was and an experience not shared with all their friends. Almost like riding in a horse and buggy in their minds. It was that old school to them.
 Following that the conversation turned to what those same kids may cherish in that future. What little items might they have an attachment too ? Could it be a pocket knife ? I don't know, I still carry one every day although it is risky business. I have to remember I have it when going to the airport or other high security places. Will they be brave enough to retain that or view it in a different way. I have a few hand tools that belonged to Dad. I have some painting done my Mom. That is the type of things we were wondering about. Property and money are all transient things. It is the trinkets that become treasure. Our memories could be viewed as trinkets in time as well. All the little things.  Trinkets ? No, I think they are just too valuable to be called that. They are the treasures of time. 

one rule

 There are winners and losers. I know that isn't a popular statement these days, it being reality and all, but it needs to be understood. Oh, I know about victims and survivors, they are plentiful. I hear that all the time. You know why that is ? Victims don't have to assume responsibilty for anything and the survivors are the heroes. That's the premise behind all of that. It is far better to have been a victim than to admit you made a mistake. And having to face reality, having something happen to you, something  you didn't plan or don't like, well you just have to survive that ! You don't have to accept it, or deal with it, just survive it.  I'll fill you in on another reality,  you won't survive life, eventually you will die. It is best to get used to that reality.
 Now for some that seems like a harsh reality but it is a simple statement of fact. We are here for an indeterminate length of time. That is something we really have no control over. Oh sure there is suicide but that doesn't always work either. I don't believe you can force the hand of God. I also don't believe you should test that hand ! But all of that is a personal decision, one I surely hope I never face. It is a decision I surely can't understand and will no make pretense that I can. The best I can do is accept that for what it is. It is no way related to winners and losers. I don't mean to imply that is any way but needed to mentioned as a qualifier. There are those that will insist we have control over life and death, and I disagree with that.
 No, what I am thinking about are winners and losers. The question is how do you measure a winner ? A winner is somehow who, staying within the rules, plays the game and succeeds. A winner doesn't make exceptions, modify the rules, or blame others for cheating. In short winners aren't victims ! The moment you decide to accept the premise that you are being victimized that is when you begin to lose the game. In this case, the game of life. The object is not to survive being a victim. Being a survivor doesn't mean you won, it means you survived. When you make a gain, you are winning. That is the distinction being lost today. The primary thing that needs to be learned are the rules ! That's how you win, staying within the rules. What is the rule ?
 The Golden rule, it is that simple. It is also the rule we make more exceptions to than any other rule there is. We muddy the waters to avoid adhering to that rule. We attempt to modify that rule to say, do unto me as I want you to do, not as I do to you. You see, I'm a victim. I'm entitled to special consideration,  I survived, I earned that consideration. That's the reason you should just give me what I want. I am the exception to the rule.
 See how that is the liberal view of things ? See how that modifies the rules ? A reinterpretation of the rules, in some cases disregarding the rules altogether, and I suggest, as a whole, losing as a result. But now we are seeing a push to enforce those rules. An ever increasing portion of the population realizing that we need to play by the rules as originally written. Yes, the very nature of mankind has not changed over time. The things that give us true happiness, the things that make us successful have not changed. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is just as valid today as the day that phrase was penned. Even the ancients were aware of that, it hasn't changed.
 There is right and wrong. That's another rule the liberal folks like to change whenever it becomes inconvenient. That's why the argument that one thing is no worse than another. We won't necessarily come right out and say something is right, but it is no worse than. A slight change to the rule ? No, that action turns it into a wild card, it can be whatever, whenever. Pretty clever, eh.  Avoid having to say the truth of it and offending someone. A truth like I was born male but think I'm a girl. We'll call that identifying instead of just saying, you're wrong, you're a boy. Another clever trick to fool ourselves into believing some alternate reality. In that way if someone should tell that person they are wrong, that person will then become the victim ! If that person survives, they will be rewarded. Then everyone feels better about themselves. We are survivors !
 So what is a winner ? A winner in life is the one who can accept reality for what it is and not be dismayed by that. A winner realizes that happiness is the final reward. Happiness isn't given as a reward but is earned by the choices we make. If you play by the rules, avoid taking those shortcuts, you will reach the end. Well, you will reach the end of the game as we know it regardless, that's a simple truth. The winner reaches the end content with having been here and given the opportunity. Life is as difficult as you choose to make it. It's a lot easier if you just follow the rules. Really just the one rule will do fine.  

Waiting on a breeze

 

 

 I have been known to use sailing metaphors. I guess it is because I grew up on an island and spent twenty years in the Navy. It somehow seems appropriate. Perhaps it is a bit cliché but I enjoy it,  so what the heck. If I could pull it if I would talk like a pirate ! Of course that speech is just stereotypical and mostly Hollywood. That doesn't matter to me though, I am not known to be politically correct. I have been accused of being " insensitive. "
 I mention all of this as an introduction to the following statement. I feel like I am in the doldrums. I have been in this area for some time now. A few days or a week is a long time to remain so. The thing about the doldrums is there is nothing to do but wait. Eventually the weather will change and a breeze blow up. When that happens you can move on. Until such time all one can do is wait and perhaps " paddle, "  In the days of sailing ships they would launch their rowing dories and attempt to tow the boat. That is how desperate you can become in the doldrums. You are willing to try anything, just to be doing something.There is nothing necessarily wrong with being in the doldrums, it's better than being in a storm. The thing is I am getting anxious to continue the journey. I'm not certain of the final destination but adventure awaits, I'm sure of that. There are places to go and things to do. The sails are up but no wind is forthcoming. I am not wishing for a gale, just a gentle breeze will do. A fair wind as the sailors of old would say, and a following sea.
 I realize that life isn't all smooth sailing and adventure. The journey has many legs and charting a course is not easily accomplished. One does have to change the course often due to varying conditions. Storms can be exciting but dangerous. Sometimes we run with the tide, fast, but that can also make it difficult to navigate. Other times we just sail along, oblivious to the horizon, watching the skies. Sailors look to the sky to foretell conditions. Red sky at night, sailors delight, red in the morning sailors take warning. Gathering clouds foretell a storm. It is said that sailors are superstitious souls and I would agree. That makes me wonder, what has caused this set of circumstances ?  That is what superstition is all about, an attempt  to explain the unexplainable. Is it something I have done ? Could just as easily be something I failed to do as well. I had best not whistle. Whistling was considered a bad thing in the days of sail. At least whistling on ship was. One could " whistle up a storm " and create a regular maelstrom ! Not worth the risk, in most cases. It could be as simple as leaving the house and reentering with the right foot. Sailors would never board or disembark a vessel with their left foot first, bad luck mate ! Always board ship right foot first, same leaving.
 When in the " doldrums " it is best to just do nothing . You have to wait it out. Patience is the key here, don't do anything foolish. Any move you make may bring disaster. Attempting to tow the boat is the last resort. It is best to use this time to repair and reflect. We all need a break now and again. I am growing impatient however and wish to sail on. This sailor isn't ready to set the anchor just yet. I am not " floundering " which a totally different thing, but becalmed. I'm just waiting on the breeze

standardized answers

   I just love a rousing discussion and yesterday I had several. I get amused when the only ideas coming from the other side are suggestions about what I might do, or where I may go. One has to be amused. Yes, call it a smug satisfaction if you will, but the truth is the truth and stands alone. I just shake my head in wonder at some comments directed my way. Some of these folks are obviously reading my profile and that amuses me. Do you read strangers profiles when interacting with them ? I can't say that I have ever done that myself, I don't see the point. I certainly place no faith in the accuracy of what may be written there. I'm not saying people are dishonest, but some are,  shall we say creative. Now I never attended a college or university and so I say I graduated from the university of life, I think that was a suggestion posted on a drop down list or something like that. I can't tell you how many have referenced that as evidence that I am surely unintelligent ! Yes it's true, if you went to college you are smarter than other people. Those college folks know that because they were taught that, you guessed it, in college ! They even took out loans to pay for that without realizing they had to pay those loans back, and then accuse me of ignorance. Very amusing. Even more amusing is when they want me to pay for their education because I have a job.
 Look I admire and respect the value of a good education as much as anyone else. I am also aware of the criteria for achieving that diploma. The requirement is to be able to answer the questions posed by the professors teaching your class. No different than high school really. Read the material, have the teacher explain what you read, and then test you on that material. Did you remember the correct answer ? If you did and repeated it like you were taught, you pass. That's how it works. Is that a measure of intelligence ? I'd say it was a measure of your ability to retain information presented to you. Is that intelligence ? No, no it isn't. Intelligence requires that not only can you acquire knowledge or information but apply that same knowledge in actual practice. I have to say I have certainly known a number of college graduates that had information but no idea how to apply it. Nowadays they call that critical thinking, it's a course you can take.  They will teach you how to do that. Think, common core. This how you are to think. Well, just remember this,  you are not to think for yourself.
 Well, whatever the case I had a good time. I left the discussions feeling pretty good. I had made my point and the responses just validated that. That's why the name calling, that's what you do when you can't respond with anything intelligent, you fall back to default mode, repeat the standard answer. You're an idiot, or some other disparaging remark. Very amusing. I even had one individual referencing my hygiene habits. I did assure that person I did indeed cleanse by rectal area after defecating as it seemed of importance to that person. Yup, I wipe. She must have learned that answer while in college or kindergarten, I can't be sure which. Of course the bottom line was the standard response. I enjoy white privilege, know nothing of the struggles of the minorities, and am surely a Trump supporter. Hah hah. And my biggest fault ? I believe that people are accountable for the choices they make. Imagine that it is your fault ! Well that fact combined with the nasty habit of telling the truth as I see it. I listen to what others are saying and then, gasp, state my own opinion. I apply what knowledge I have acquired in life and arrive at my own conclusion. Then I won't apologize for that. I get called names. That is supposed to influence my thinking I guess.
 I love my life and I'm not afraid to live it. It has to be terrible being afraid all the time. Afraid to have an opinion, afraid to admit the truth, afraid of everything. What if I'm not popular ? What if I don't say the expected answer ?  I don't understand how those folks live with all that insecurity. Is that why those same folks want the government to decide everything ? Independent thought is just too hard ! I have been told the answer, I'll just repeat that, no matter what. 

evidence ?

 In listening to the reports of the incident in Philadelphia one thing struck me. Why is the media and everyone else automatically assuming it was racially motivated ? I mean, they are not just assuming that premise,  but reporting it as a fact ! But, let's examine the evidence. Two men are in the restaurant hanging out. Okay, that's cool. Then they are told they need to buy something in order to stay after requesting to use the rest room. I don't see anything unusual about that, They both refuse. The manager of the place, a woman calls the police. It is at this point where it is decided this is racially motivated ! Why ? Well it is because the men are black and she is white so therefore it has to be race. It couldn't be that she was afraid of two men refusing to leave, she certainly wouldn't have been afraid or reacted in that way if the guys were white, or if it were two women ! Muslims or Hispanics may have been an issue as well because, well, it was a white person that called the police. And whenever a white person calls the police on anyone besides another white person it is racist ! It just has to be. What bothers me is no one seems to question that at all. The chief executive officer of the corporation immediately apologizes, promises to close 8000 locations for two hours to have racial bias training and never once questions the motivations of either the patrons or the manager. GUILTY. That is what is being reported without a shred of evidence other than she is white and they are black. And this is supposed to improve race relations ?
 First off are all Starbucks employees white ? I don't think so, so will they require racial bias training as well, or are they already fully trained in that area ? In the 36 years of being in business has Starbucks never had a manager of color ? If they have, did that manager never ask a white person to buy something before using the restroom ? If they did why wasn't this training held then ? Surely there was racial bias 36 years ago. Why has it taken Starbucks this long to respond to that ?
 On another note it has been reported that this manager is to meet with those patrons in the hopes of reconciliation. The impression is that she did something wrong and has to apologize to them. What about their refusal to leave ? Why should this manager have to apologize for following the company policy ? Are we making exceptions to the policy based on race ? It sure seems that way to me.
 The bottom line for me is this. What evidence do you have to substantiate the idea that this was a racially motivated incident ?  Is it because those men are black ? Is that evidence ? Did this manager say anything that was racially biased ? Well, did she ? I don't believe so otherwise we should surely have heard those words a million times by now, the media surely wouldn't allow those words to go unspoken ! It would have been the headline ! So, there is no proof at all. We are all just supposed to accept that judgement as the absolute truth ! That is the narrative and there is to be no deviation from that. To even suggest otherwise will get you labeled ! I have been labeled already for my thoughts but I really don't care I'm just speaking the truth of it.
 

it's complicated

 I'm not certain how to explain it. It seems the older I get the harder it gets to focus on some things. As an example I am considering buying a new camera. Oh, I have had a digital camera for a number of years now, almost from the first ones. My Nikon Coolpix has been a great camera but I thought I should upgrade a bit to a digital dslr. I was feeling fairly informed as I knew that a dslr meant digital single lens reflex. And I knew that is the type of camera that used film back in the day. The single lens reflex camera is superior to a regular digital camera for image quality and speed. Yes, I was feeling pretty good about my knowledge base. That ended the moment I googled a simple question, " what dslr camera should I buy to photograph my grandson playing soccer ? "
 After scrolling down the page past all the ads for cameras, the " opinion " pieces and sales pitches I began to read. It didn't take much reading for me to understand one thing. I didn't have a clue what these folks were talking about ! I didn't know the type of SD card made a difference, let alone the processor. There are ones with mirrors, ones without mirrors and interchangeable lenses. The more I read the more I became confused. I began just typing in more questions. All kinds of " can I " questions. All I know for sure is that if I spend enough money, I can. Eventually I became overwhelmed with knowledge and just closed the tab. Maybe I'll go to a camera store and just ask the guy or girl there. That's usually frustrating as well as I know they want to sell me something. So, I have to take whatever they tell me with a grain, as the saying goes.
 There was a day when I would have researched this question until I was satisfied I had a grasp on the subject. I don't know anything more about how to choose that camera today than I did yesterday. The thing is, I just can't stay that focused on the subject. I find myself saying, the pictures you have taken in the past are good enough, just stay with what you have. Hey, I had a Polaroid swinger back in the day and those pictures were just fine. The Brownie instamatic wasn't bad either ! The question I really wanted answered was, which camera has a battery that lasts a long time, you can zoom in quickly and take a picture every time you push the shutter button ? I have grown annoyed with having to push the button half way down, wait for the camera to focus and then take the picture. Can't I just point and shoot ! I had a 35MM camera with auto advance that did just that and that was thirty years ago. Now, from what I can figure out I need to spend over two thousand dollars for a camera that will do that. But, it does comes with Wi-Fi !
 Well I'll chalk this up to age and technology. I'm not going to say I can't figure it out, that I can't understand it,  but I feel like I just don't have the time. I'm not getting younger you know. Maybe it is time to just relax, enjoy the things I know and leave the rest to the young folks. I still enjoy my coffee from a percolator and I'll keep on driving the car by myself, I will never allow a car to drive me ! And I will never wear athletic shoes with support hose and Velcro closures ! Truth be told, I'd still be happy with waiting for my film to be developed, it was always exciting to see how they came out. Patience, it took patience. That's something lacking in todays world for sure. We aren't teaching our children or grandchildren the value of patience. Patience breeds appreciation. An appreciation of something often leads to that thing being cherished or highly regarded. It is valued. Valued objects aren't replaced.
 Yesterdays technology seems so simple to us today. The reason is obvious. It is because we understand it completely. It is the tech we grew up with and became comfortable using. I remember when you could put a piece of aluminum foil on your tv antenna to increase reception. Remember when you could replace a tube in your television ? Old technology, a thing of the past. I mistakenly believed I could just google a simple answer to a complex question. Seems everything is complicated these days. We even argue about whether someone is a boy or a girl ! It's complicated. My question is, does it have to be ? Not to my way of thinking it doesn't.  

searchable ?

 The judge orders a searchable database of documents, without examining those documents. My question is, just how do you do that ? If I want to create a database, don't I need the data ? I don't know, I'm confused here, but then again I didn't go to college and law school. Surely this has to be some liberal logic at work. I have the documents, I need to organize those documents into a searchable format, but I can't read the documents ? Is it that searching is different than reading,  or reading different from searching ? I suppose you could say searching is looking for something specific and you can't do that. That would be like reading a book but not following the plot or understanding the meaning the author was trying to convey. I can create a list of every subject in those documents, making the subjects searchable, but I can't search the subjects. To further complicate this logic the judge does say, a copy of this database will be provided later on.
 So, to review. The FBI raids an office confiscating documents that they haven't read. Then they are tasked with creating a searchable database of those documents, without searching the documents. After the database is created it will be shared with the owners of those documents. Then, I'm assuming everyone will be allowed to search the database for whatever it is they are looking for. Thing is, everyone already knows what they are looking for. They are looking for records relating to paying a porn star to keep silent about an alleged affair from 11 years ago. That's what the warrant was for.  Of course the Porn star has already broken her silence, an illegal act to go along with possible other illegal activities she has been involved with, but we won't mention that.
 The bottom line in all this is what we are really looking for is an excuse. The DOJ, FBI, CIA and other government agencies have been trying to find some excuse for Hillary Clintons loss in the election. That's all it is. We are all aware of all the Russian collusion theories, voter fraud, the electoral college,  and Cambridge analytical. Well, and Facebook, Facebook enabled the Russians in influencing who we voted for. Now, we will condemn the morality of the man. He had an affair ! Shocking ! Well now,  if that isn't grounds for impeachment I don't know what is. We'll search the database. A database that will be created by those that confiscated the documents in the first place but they won't search them while creating the database ! Hey, the judge ordered that so I'm certain they will comply !
 The thing is, in these documents we will find evidence of campaign finances. That's right, somehow a lawyer paying a porn star to not talk about her affair with a presidential candidate , an affair that took place eleven years ago, has influenced the election in his favor. That 130,000 dollar payment took it over the edge for sure. We don't know how that happened but it will be in that database, we just need to be able to search it ! Sounds more like we have  " documents " and now we need to make the documents fit the narrative. I know, create a database that is searchable because we already know what we want them to find. It's a kind of reverse engineering. Payoffs to porn stars are always documented in campaign records.   

that's cool

 It has been a few years since I was in high school. Forty seven years to be exact about it, but that's not important. Heck, it isn't really that long a time. Why it is less than half a century, just a tick in the tock of time. What I have observed in life since is how much society stays the same. What I mean is the social structure stays pretty much the same. You have all the little groups and cliques. You know what I mean, the nerds, the ones with money, the intellectuals, and last, but not least, the " cool " kids. It is the last group that amuses me the most, always did. I am amused because they may possess other traits, like intelligence, money, position in the community by virtue of their family name, even be a sports star, but they seldom think for themselves. No, they are the " cool " kids that adopt the latest fad and fashion without question. In fact, they will go to great lengths to support those choices no matter how silly those choices may be. If it is a new, progressive idea they're in ! In my day it was called being cool. I'm not sure what the kids say today, something like being " woke " or some such thing.
 I'm still amused to this day when I see those of my age group being the cool kids. It's like they just can't admit to the truth. They have this need to belong to current events that is like an addiction. They just have to adopt the current narrative no matter what, I'm cool ! Sure I'm in my sixties now but I'm still cool. I will support and defend the latest proposals regardless of rhyme, reason or logic. Right on brother, lit up that doobie ! It's free love all over again, I'll support that ! For me the whole thing just comes off as disingenuous. It appears to me they spend more of their time trying to convince themselves of their choices than anyone else. Just go with the flow. Just like high school they just call everyone else unflattering names, but use big words to do it. Well that has changed somewhat, it now being cool to use as foul and crude a language as possible. Yes, I'm an adult but will use whatever language I want, I really don't care about what society thinks ! You know why ? I'm cool. That's why. I'm current, in the moment. And well, everyone is doing that. That's the most important thing, do not speak out in opposition. What are you , a nerd ?
 I see the whole deal as an insecurity. I know that is what the therapists might say too, but I arrived at that conclusion all by myself. It is far easier to be popular than it is to be sincere. Your popularity is dependent upon you having something to offer to others. It's really as simple as that. The more you have to offer, the more popular you become. Couple that with a willingness to sacrifice you own thoughts and beliefs in order to foster that popularity and you have the cool kids. The cool kids live for that instant satisfaction. The whole thing is what do you offer ? Popularity or sincerity ?  It's possible to have both, but a rare combination. The formula has to be based in consistency. If you keep changing your beliefs based on current popular trends, that is impossible. You just have to sacrifice your beliefs at every turn. Security comes not from accepting everything that comes along, but security comes by discretion. I guess what I'm trying to say is this. Not every new idea that comes along is a good one. Everything doesn't have to change or be improved. Some things are just fine the way they are. For me, that's cool. 

tunnel vision

 Last evening I attended my granddaughters dance recital. I have been watching her for years now and this may be the last one. I can't be certain but it's a possibility. Morgan has persevered like few others when it comes to dancing. I can't remember all the broken bones she has suffered and just one year ago a major surgery on her back. Undeterred and determined she once again graced the stage, not only with the company,  but in a duet and as a soloist ! That she displayed style and grace is unquestioned. Surely, all the girls that know and dance with her must be inspired by her sheer grit ! And , trust me, she has grit.
 As I watched the show I had a sort of tunnel vision. I would see her performing and at the same time see her shows from the past. It was like looking down a tunnel of time. From watching her do " I'm a little teapot " to " waves " by Dean Lewis, whoever that is, I watched her dance. To describe the time as bittersweet is surely a cliché. Still, I can't think of a better term to explain my emotion. My granddaughter, grown and dancing. I see the little girl in her every move, her every smile and grin, although her form denies that. A woman child for sure. Time can play tricks on your mind and sometimes your memory.
 I wonder what future challenges await her. I have no doubt she will overcome any obstacles put in her way. There are still a few years of high school, she has time. I do believe the dancing has become an amusement she no longer enjoys as much as she used to. It has to be painful at times, not to mention inconvenient. She has reached that age where the pursuits of a teenager may not include commitment to a dance company. You are obligated to be in certain places at certain times, not always enjoyable. She certainly has the right to choose her hobbies, and this dance is exactly that. Morgan has no delusions of grander, she is aware of her abilities and limitations. What is more important is that she is aware of that, accepting of reality, and is okay with that. Definitely a sign of maturity, she is growing up.
 Was this the last dance ? That will be up to Morgan. I am fine with whatever she choses. She has earned the right to decide for herself. She has earned my full support. Yes, she worked hard, persevered and returned to dance when most would have quit. Morgan has set all that aside, the surgeries, the rehabilitation, and yes, the naysayers. She strode out upon that stage and performed ! And now I can feel my eyes starting to leak a bit, must be the pollen in the air. Just as surely as Spring has arrived, Morgan danced her way across my heart once again.

a strike

 It's early and I haven't listened to the news yet this morning. I did turn on my computer to hear we, along with England and France sent some missiles into Syria. My initial reaction was, this ain't good. It was news I read with some degree of trepidation. I believe anyone with a brain in their head should feel that way. But after the initial reaction I had to agree that it was necessary. All this talk and diplomacy has failed, it is time for action. I'll be watching and listening to see what develops from all this. The anti-Trumpers are going to be going ballistic is my feeling. That's no surprise. They go ballistic no matter what he says or does. I am pleased that our allies joined in. It's about time.
 Whereas I don't always feel like what other countries do is necessarily our business, I am a bit of an isolationist, we couldn't let that go unpunished. There are international laws and agreements that bind the world together. We can not allow nations to go rouge. They have been warned, repeatedly and continue in their actions. I'm not certain what the response from Russia will be. I'm hoping it is nothing more than strong words and posturing. Putin is no fool and doesn't want to engage in any major conflict. It's a battle of ego's and determination. Just who will blink first !
 I expect the Navy will make it's presence known in the area. A battlegroup will surely be deployed, if it isn't already. I can't see troops on the ground. At least not during an active strike against Assad. Perhaps after the major damage has been done, troops will be sent in to maintain order. But all of that is for the politicians to decide and figure out. Diplomats will settle the dust. As I said I haven't listened to the news yet. I can say this much, I'm betting there is oil, profits or some other resource as the underlining factor in this. We aren't doing it just because we are the " good " guys that want to help the Syrian people. That's the part the pundits will profess. I harbor no such illusions. That doesn't mean I don't agree with the action, only the motives for those actions.
 I'm anxious to see what happens next. What will be the Russian response ? That some group or groups will attempt to retaliate to some fashion is without question. Americans are in danger, no doubt. Still it had to be done and we must not be intimidated. It is time to stand firm, the first blow has been struck, we shouldn't hesitate or falter in our resolve to settle the question.
 

without exception

 The majority of us are raised in the Judeo/Christian tradition. It is true that an ever increasing population of Muslims has existed as well. There have been Native American traditions and Wiccans and a few others. I believe it is safe to say, all have taught their children the same basic tenets in life. Simply put, the golden rule. We teach our children right from wrong. We teach them the Bible stories and about forgiveness and understanding. We teach them about charity, compassion and caring. These are the behaviors that will gain entrance into heaven, or whatever your conception of the afterlife is to be.
 Concurrently we start teaching the " exceptions. "  We call that a denomination , a sect, or any number of different things, but what they are, are the exceptions. Exceptions to the rules that are  acceptable, justifiable,  for reasons having nothing to do with the spiritual instruction we have received. We may disguise these instructions as " life lessons " or simply being pragmatic. So, for those reasons I say we all live exceptional lives. I am no different than anyone else in that regard, I live a life of exceptions. I label those exceptions beliefs. They are my beliefs, my interpretation of the rules. When I was young I was instructed in those beliefs just as surely as I was instructed in the spiritual. As I grew and matured, a debatable statement, those beliefs were modified. They are modified to fit my current environment. I feel it is that way for us all. Face it, if you lived in a Monastery your beliefs and behaviors would certainly be different than what they are now.
 The balance we must strike is between the spiritual and the pragmatic. We know the rules, I would suggest those rules are an inherent property of being human, but we live by the exceptions. In my belief, only one man lived without exception, and he was crucified ! There have been some that lived with few exceptions, but they are exceptional people. Ideally we would all live that exceptional life. Those that strive to do so are often viewed as being pious. That is a cover for our own shortcomings, our list of exceptions. We believe that they are just keeping their list hidden. That is the struggle we all face daily. Some will choose to ignore the spiritual altogether, that I believe, is a temporary solution. I question the sincerity of that action. Denial first requires acceptance of a precept. You can't deny something that you don't believe exists in the first place ! Yes, you may doubt, but you have to acknowledge existence to deny it. The most difficult person to convince of anything is yourself ! That is simply because we will make an exception based on our current needs or wants. That's what people do. The person that denies themselves in favor of doing what is right is an exceptional person. They are exceptional for not making an exception ! That's how it works. The goal ? To live a life without exception ! I've fallen way short of that goal. I'm thinking I'm exceptional. Wait, is that a good thing or a bad thing ? 

Permament

 You see them on Facebook, those meme's that ask if you remember or do you know what this is ? I enjoy seeing them and identifying the objects of the past. I have even subscribed to Reminisce magazine because of them. I guess advertising does work , I've been influenced ! Hey, isn't that a bad thing ? Well, no,  unless the Russians are doing it that is,  but that's another story for another day.
 Something that came to mind yesterday was permanent press clothing. Do you remember when that was a new thing ? I did a Google search and discovered it really began, in the retail market, about 1953, same year I was born. So, to be accurate I can't say I remember that innovation as a new thing. I do remember my Mom complaining that it didn't work and that those shirts and pants still required ironing. Fact is, Mom is still ironing those shirts and pants to this very day. In her opinion it still doesn't work. I know my clothes are only ironed for special occasions, permanent press works fine for everyday use. I wear blue jeans and either a polo style shirt or tee shirts so it really doesn't matter at all. I do recall when it was stylish to press creases into your blue jeans ! Yes, I even had a jean blazer at one time, very fashionable.
 My grandmother was a laundress. Now there's a term you don't hear often. She washed and ironed other peoples clothes for a living. The customers dropped their laundry off at her home. She washed them , by hand in large wash tubs in her kitchen. They were hung out to dry, then ironed, folded and wrapped in brown kraft paper tied with a string. An itemized bill was pinned to the bundle. Grandma didn't think much of scotch tape, that stuff was expensive and didn't work very well ! Just tie that bundle closed with string and use a straight pin to attach the bill. That is how it was to be done ! And her irons were those flat irons. She had a complete set warming on the coal stove most every day. Well, except for wash day, wouldn't need them on wash day. No electric steam irons for her. They didn't have sufficient weight to them and required you to press down too hard. She had larger ones that weighed a few pounds for doing sheets and such, all the way down to small ones for cuffs and collars. A sprinkler bottle was used to wet the clothes before pressing, that created steam enough. How well I remember the sound of her wetted finger striking the flat of those irons when she tested the temperature. She checked her oven temperature the same way. I never asked her about permanent press fabrics but I expect she would have just laughed about that.
 That is the purpose of those meme's to jog your memory. I remember this or that, the things from your childhood that you took for granted. They were just everyday things as common as a housefly. From Grandma's house I remember those irons and the smell of them on the fabric. I can hear the creak of the ironing board as Grandma pressed those clothes. Grandma used octagon soap and bluing on her laundry. I can remember helping set up those wash tubs and filling them. They sat on saw horses. Hot water was brought over from the stove in big kettles, added as needed. Draining those tubs was work too, had to be bailed out. One tub for washing, one for rinsing and sometimes the third one for bluing. That's when you were doing whites.
 All of that are just memories now. Permanent press ? Yes, I guess we are, when are we going to have permanent clean ? Now that would be an innovation ! I do remember Grandma doing that laundry in that fashion. Mom always had a regular washing machine and later on a dryer too. I didn't grow up at Grandma's house. We didn't have a coal stove and so an electric iron was in order at my house. Mom still used that sprinkle bottle though, it just worked better. That modern steam iron always leaked just a bit, an annoyance. A sprinkle bottle was better. Truth be told, a good solid flat iron works best too ! Permanent press still isn't all that permanent.  
  

I'm amused

 I have the news on as I write these blogs. Before I began this morning I heard this little news story that amused me. It seems the cheerleaders for the Baltimore Ravens have filed some complaints about their working conditions. They have been told to go to the tailgating section and mingle with the crowd. The issue ? While they are there they have been subjected to cat-calls, inappropriate comments and in some cases unwanted touching. I know, I know, who could have anticipated that happening. I got chuckling so hard about this that I didn't hear the end of the story. I quickly arrived at the solution, don't require those ladies to mingle with a crowd of men drinking alcohol !
 Listen, I'm not saying any of that is appropriate behavior. I am saying it is an inevitable as the sun coming up in the east. Groups of men, alcohol and females , the result is 100% predictable. What I found so amusing was reporting this as a news story. Just who was surprised by any of that ? And funnier still, what do you expect anyone to do about it. Are we going to post signs saying , act like gentlemen at all times ! Is there any expectation of changing that behavior, by any means ? That is what I find laughable. You are not going to change that, not ever.
 Now I realize that those ladies didn't sign up for any of that. They did however try out to become a cheerleader. I can't help but feel a certain level of vanity has to be involved with that decision. I mean, let's be honest here, the ladies selected are based on their appearance , as much as their cheering abilities. To try and deny that is just kidding yourself. Yes, a portion of the job is to look attractive ! The outfits chosen are not chosen for utility, but for a specific reason, to appeal in a visual sense. Now send these ladies into a crowd of drunken men. Well, there you go. If any of those ladies went in there expecting to be treated with complete and total respect just who is being foolish ? As I said, the solution is do not require them to enter that environment ! If they choose to do that, on their own,  they should expect to be a bit uncomfortable, or not, depending upon their own sensibilities. To expect to modify the behavior of every man in the crowd is just not realistic at all.
 The only legitimate complaint I feel those ladies have would be a requirement to enter that crowd. Is that a condition of employment ? I don't know for certain, but I expect it is in the contract somewhere. If they choose to sign that contract surely they have to anticipate a certain level of, shall we say, immature behaviors from the crowd. I do believe they should certainly be provided a degree of security at all times. No touching ! To do so should result in immediate expulsion from the event ! No ifs' ands' or buts' about that. Cat calls and inappropriate suggestions should just be ignored. It is going to happen !
 I guess I'm just deplorable, as I am not offended by the obvious, or reality. There are people that don't like me, don't agree with me and question my intelligence. I'm not offended, I expect as much. I understand that guns don't shoot people, people shoot people and that I am responsible for the choices I make. I accept the fact that there are some that will say inappropriate comments, directed at me ! I know, surprising isn't it. I wasn't surprised when I took a job at the sewer plant and there were foul odors involved. I'm not surprised when I state my opinion and others want to punch me ! I know, people should just listen politely and be considerate of others feelings. And I wasn't surprised or offended to hear that those cheerleaders had been subjected to the behaviors they had. I really didn't need a news team to inform me about that. It was an amusement though. Guess it is just me, but I find myself amused a lot by the news these days. The news is getting to be more like the National Enquirer than any serious journalism. The President is alleged to have had an affair ten years ago with a porn star ! It's headline news. Enquiring minds want to know. 

where you going ?

 Is where we go, where we have been ? I believe many of us pray for just that. The idea of heaven. Filled with our family and friends, free of sickness and certainly no drama, just a place of rest. It is a comfort to believe such. It doesn't have to reside in the empirical portion of our minds, that isn't where belief lives. Belief lives in the soul. We can certainly believe, but belief isn't a certainty. And for me, it doesn't have to be. Belief, for me arrived as a quiet acceptance. I accept that I can not understand it all and that I will never understand it all. My confirmation is in a simple statement, I believe. I'm thinking the certainty of death will reveal the final truth.
 That we will die is no mystery. The when and why of it uncertain but the act itself is not. I don't feel any particular trepidation about that, it is just a fact. I see no reason to become overly concerned about that eventuality. I'll do what I can to stay alive, that much is sure, but that to me is only prudent. Prudence is an action we should all exercise. In our youth we often ignore our better judgement and act with some preconceived idea of impunity. The impetuous reaction of the young. Strange how it is those actions that we remember the most. That is the time we wish to return to. It is the places we have been.
 I wonder why our advancing years are called the Golden years ? Is it because that is the time we sit and look back upon all the golden moments in our lives ? I rather like that thought and will stick with that. We are told to not store up treasures for ourselves here on earth,  but to store up treasure in heaven. But what is that treasure ? That treasure is your past. It is a paradox of sorts. When we are young we often act without regard for consequence. We fail to consider how our actions may affect ourselves or those around us. Life is filled with drama and excitement. The " treasure " we are collecting isn't always so golden ! We don't even recognize it as treasure most of the time. It all comes as a quiet acceptance. We are busy looking forward. Then when we reach those golden years, we spend a great deal of time looking back. That is the paradox !
 Looking back, we question where we are going. Does it end ? That is the big question isn't it ? I don't believe it does. I am rather hoping for a do-over of sorts. My past wasn't always golden. I could have done better. I not hoping for a reincarnation, just a continuation. You know how some folks have an old soul ? That's a continuation. Maybe some of us are just scrapped altogether, a sort of cosmic recycling takes place. I say that because the energy that is our soul can not be destroyed. Energy is always transformed from one state to another. Is where we go where we have been ? I hope so, the familiar is a comfort. and I want to be comfortable for an eternity. If you're praying for an invitation, you have to please the host.  

living by a code

 We have all heard and read about chivalry. Proud Knights fighting for the right and treating the maidens fair. A period in history romanticized in books and films. It was a code that really did exist. It was a loose collection of religious, moral and social codes or behaviors practiced by the knights. It was never formally codified but its' tenets were passed down by tradition. Still, the basic concept has existed since. In America it developed into the Code of the Old West. Where there actual practitioners of this code ? I suppose that depends upon who you ask and how you wish to define that code. That there were certain expectations back in those days can't be denied. In a land where actual law and order was scarce and a man had to defend himself,  I'd say it was a necessity. People weren't quite as trusting of others as they tend to be nowadays. There was good reason for that. There were bad people then and there are bad people now, that much hasn't changed a bit.
 Now when I was growing up we lived by a code as well. It wasn't anything so defined as the cowboy way or anything like that. It was a loose collection of accepted and expected behaviors. Yes, I'd say that is what it was. There has certainly been some revisions to that code in the last fifty years or so. What I think of as the " man " code is quickly disappearing altogether. Many of those behaviors are being thought of as misogynistic ! That's a word we never heard of back in those days. Now you have to be very careful about any of those behaviors. Just saying the wrong thing, at the wrong time,  can be labeled as an assault ! Even suggesting that women are somehow different than men is an offense. It seems the goal here is complete gender neutrality. That's a concept I will never grasp. I may not be highly educated, I may not be current, but I do know the difference between boys and girls. They are fundamentally different creatures designed for fundamentally different functions. It's just a fact of nature. Yet, many will take exception with my saying so. A battle of semantics will follow, along with a listing of exceptions to the rule. I won't deny there are exceptions, but stand by my general statement, boys and girls are different !
 You see all these codes over the centuries developed for the same reason. The purpose was to establish rules for people to get along with each other. At the most basic level there are boys and girls. So, it stands to reason that is where a social code should begin. Call it simplistic, label it black and white, day and night, whatever you choose,  but there are two distinct entities at play in this dynamic.
 All codes define how we should interact with one another. Even today,  with all this talk of equality,  a man striking a woman is considered especially vile. A man striking another man, ah, not so much as long as it was a fair fight. Why is that ? The answer is because that's different. Women being raped is a horrific thing, everyone agrees with that. If a man gets raped ? Well, now that is debated, ignored, or just not spoken about. Why ? A man should have been able to fight off the attacker, it was a failure on his part if he did not ! That's the general perception isn't it ? Yes, it is.
 Moral virtue is a part of this code. I don't think anyone can deny the definition of moral and virtuous behavior has drastically changed. For some, if you are to believe what they say, it has been abandoned altogether ! Morality has come to mean, I won't speak against your " choices. " The only moral choice is to keep my mouth shut, to tell you otherwise labels me as prejudiced. If it is profitable, I enjoy it, and it doesn't directly hurt anyone else, it is a moral choice ! That's the thinking now.
 I find this all very troubling. How are we supposed to function in a society without boundaries. Yes, those codes defined a boundary. They did establish an area in which you where expected to operate. Go outside the boundary and you would be corrected. None of those codes had the " rules " written down. There is a good explanation for that as well. All codes form in response to the society. The codes were enforced by the members of that society. But if a society once decides there should be no boundaries, no expectation of compliance , can we expect an ordered society ? I just don't see how that is possible.
 The thought I had this morning was, just what is the code today ? What are the expectations of society ? Are there any boundaries ? For an ever increasing number of folks the removal of boundaries appears to be the priority. Could it be that is because the removal of boundaries is the removal of self restraint ? With the removal of restraint comes the removal of responsibilty. I believe we do have a responsibilty to our fellow man. It isn't all about us, but about something much bigger. That something bigger, whatever you choose to call that, has been recognized since the beginning. Each time that has been denied or ignored the collapse of the society followed. It really does go back to a code.