the value of giving

  It seems to be a recent trend, at least to me it is, but I'm told it has been a thing for quite some time. I guess it started with the wedding "registry" thing. What I'm thinking about is the practice of telling others what gifts you want for every occasion. I agree it is a very practical thing to avoid duplication of gifts. That can certainly be annoying when you have to return them to the store to get something you really wanted. Yeah, pretty unthinking of people isn't it. Well, the problem really is they are thinking. That's why we should all have a list available of the stuff we want. A list that can be checked and inventoried to avoid all that duplication. No need to think about anything other than how much you wish to spend. Gifts should be listed with the prices and where they can be purchased as well. Now that's the spirit of giving.

  When I was growing up it didn't work that way. Well, unless it was Christmas, and you made your list for Santa Claus that is. Even then it was a conditional thing, you had to have been good all year. Just behaving for a few weeks before wasn't going to cut it. If only in July I hadn't, well, maybe next year. I was told you should put some thought into whatever gift you chose to give. The recipient of the gift wasn't supposed to be expecting anything. Yes, receiving a gift was supposed to be a surprise. Now we all expected to get a gift when we invited others to our birthday parties, Christmas or whatever. Thing was you weren't supposed to show that, and you were expected to be excited about every gift you received. Some of us were better at that than others. I was told, it's the thought that counts. And yes, it certainly is the thought that is the most important part of all that. Something I'm afraid many aren't learning today. It seems today doing your research is more important than thinking about what gift to give. 

  Perhaps it is just me, but I feel a little pressured when I'm given a link to a gift registry. I'm aware that many stores have them these days and of course online. I feel like I need to check the list, see what has or hasn't been purchased and pick accordingly. The one receiving the gifts has spent some time anticipating these purchases. Like I was when circling the items in the Sears Christmas wish book! I circled the items I wanted, highlighting certain ones that were more desirable, while providing some low cost alternative choices for my siblings to choose from. Yes, it was all a very calculated thing. And I think that is what bothers me about this gift registry stuff. Seems like they are expectations. Having a registry doesn't make it easier for me, you aren't doing me any favor, just causing stress. I also don't like the fact that the recipient will know exactly what the cost of the gift was. That's one reason I hate giving gift cards. Here's a few bucks, pick out your own gift, I can't be bothered with that.  

  I have never personally had a gift registry of any kind. I'm not counting the lists, the letters to Santa or the marked-up Sears catalogues. If you choose to give me anything I'm hoping, you think about it for a bit. What do you think I would like? For me the objective is always to make the person smile when they open that gift. Whether the smile is because the gift is just silly or because it is something they secretly wanted makes little difference to me. The objective is to make them happy. That's what gifts are for.

  I believe gifts should be the same for adults as they were when we were children. They shouldn't necessarily be what we need, but what we want, or didn't know we wanted. The latter makes the best gifts. As a kid I knew I needed new clothes, socks and stuff but didn't want those for Christmas, that isn't what was circled. I circled the mini-bike. Didn't need that, knew I probably wouldn't get that, but it is what I wanted. Then I got something I didn't know I wanted and what a surprise that was. They were the best gifts. That's why I ripped into those gifts. What is it? Checking it against the list is something I never did. By Christmas morning I had forgotten what was on the list. Birthdays were like that on a much smaller scale. Gifts aren't about practicality, about what you want or need. Gifts should be the vehicle another person uses to express their affection, thoughts, or feelings toward the recipient. Think about it. Yup, still true to this day, it's the thought that counts. Gifts are an expression of gratitude. I'm grateful you are my friend and here is something to signify that. You don't need this, but you should have it! You are that valuable to me.    

• "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill

the need to know

  I've started several times and set it aside several times. Writing a book. I was using a website called Fastpencil that provided a free template for writing. I did enjoy that as it formatted the pages and chapters for you. I know very little about using Word or any other program like that to format pages and I hate trying to learn. I'm trying to remember where I left my coffee cup most of the time so remembering all that seems like just too much effort. But I had a good start and had several chapters written. Then I set it aside. When I went back to it that website was no longer available. Seems they have changed their name, and I couldn't access that site either. Some sources say it was all a scam anyway. Whatever the case is all of what I had written is lost. Reminds me of an episode on the Waltons when the house burns. John Boy lost his manuscript in that fire. Then he can't get started again. Later he does, of course, but things always work out pretty good for the Waltons when you think about it. I'm not a Walton.

  Thinking about what I had written so far, I realized that it was more an explanation than anything else. My thought when I began was to document my journey through life. I was including whatever insights I felt were important to pass along to the next generation. The more I thought about what I had written the more I thought, well, not much was really lost, that manuscript wasn't very good. I had thought also to leave a record. My thinking there was to tell the story myself in that way getting the story right. What I mean is we all hear the tales about those that have passed on, told by others, that may or may not be the facts. Legends are born that way and so is notoriety. Today I'm questioning all that. 

  Do I need to leave an explanation? The truth is that it is solely up to me. It is up to each of us. Explanations are given for two reasons. The first one is to convince others to react in a certain way. The second is to convince others that you were right. There is a subtle difference between the two. You have to decide upon the intent. What is the intent of the explanation. When I began writing that intent was to leave a record. That's what I told myself anyway. I simply wanted to set the record straight. Now I'm questioning that as well. Could be I just want the last word, something I have been accused of a few times. But that leaves me in a bit of a quandary. If I'm not writing to accomplish that, what I am writing about? I have no interest in simply writing a piece of fiction. I'll leave that to Stephen King or JK Rowling. 

  My sister wrote each morning in her journal. That is what she called it, not a diary. She told me that when the journal was full, she just discarded it. No one else read those journals, not ever. She wrote them solely for herself, a type of self-help therapy or whatever. I have been writing these blogs nearly every morning for thirteen years and each entry is available to anyone. There is a difference however between what my sister was writing and what I write. At least I believe that would be true. Having never read anything she wrote in those journals I'll never know for certain. 

 But that is the mystery of journals or diaries, isn't it? You aren't supposed to know. Those are the places secrets are recorded. The difference in what I write is, I don't write down my secrets. That doesn't mean I don't have them. I do know this much for certain. If you want to keep a secret, don't tell anyone. Pretty obvious isn't it. It is a lot easier to do if the secret isn't a burden. That's why we share them, to lighten the load. But carrying the load makes you stronger is my thinking. And that's the reason so many are weak today. They just can't carry the load, bear the weight of their own convictions. 

 When sharing a secret, the intent is to gain sympathy. Sympathy when given is called empathy. That's what those receiving it would rather it be called. I suspect that is why the word was first invented. It's what we tell ourselves.

  We need secrets. That's the long and short of it. There are some things that are simply none of your business. That is what is causing a great deal of the issues we are facing today. Too many sharing secrets with those that have no need to know. Listen to the news on any given day and you can see evidence of that. Pick a topic, any topic. The problem with sharing those secrets is that it doesn't lead to transparency. Oh, that is what those wanting to know all the secrets will call it, transparency. The truth is it isn't transparency at all, it provides an opaque view of things. You don't get a clear picture at all. All you are getting is what the one telling the secret wants you to know. Works that way in journals and diaries too. My advice is to quit worrying about what you don't know and concentrate on what you do.   The hardest advice to follow is your own. Now, what was it I was thinking about? I don't know it's a secret, I guess. Do I really need to know? Apparently not, I just keep on writing.  

getting the look

  At least one expert has suggested that the human brain isn't fully developed until about age twenty five. That is supposed to be based in the science. Legislators here in Maryland now want to change the age of accountability for crimes. Yes, some are saying if you're under twenty-five any offenses should be handled in the juvenile justice system. Those offenses would then be expunged from the record after you reach age twenty-six. I know, a bit incredulous, isn't it? But I'm being told to trust the science on that. This same group of legislators want all previous offenses committed by convicted criminals expunged from the record if the law gets changed. The prime example of that are marijuana offenses, such as selling or possessing pot with the intent to sell. Now that the law has changed the idea is to release all those criminals and expunge their record. Some are even calling for reparations! Well because you got locked up for breaking the law, but the law changed now so you should be compensated for your time spent in jail. That's the logic. No mention of refunds for speeding tickets or parking tickets should any of that change, however. No mention of removing any of that from your driving record either.

  Now this same group of people are the ones saying kindergarten children should get to choose their gender and preferred pronouns. They are in full support of hormone therapy, puberty blockers and all of that nonsense. The same ones saying books and movies about the gay lifestyle should be read to those children as well. Drag Queen story hour must be funded and indeed, encouraged. I guess the thinking is you have to do all of that before their brains are fully developed otherwise you will not be successful. I can think of no other reasoning for that. And these are the same people that place the blame for homicides on the weapons, not the person. It's assault weapons! When we all know inanimate objects do not assault anyone. Assaults are carried out by other individuals. Their choice of weapon makes little difference when it comes right down to it. Remember this:  Timothy James McVeigh (April 23, 1968 – June 11, 2001) was an American domestic terrorist who perpetrated the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people, 19 of whom were children, injured 680, and destroyed one-third of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal …( from Wikipedia) He used assault fertilizer!  

  In Maryland there was legislation passed recently that no one under the age of thirteen can be charged criminally. A few days ago, on the news it was reported a twelve-year-old called in bomb threats to four different schools. The schools were of course evacuated immediately and the bomb squad responding. It was all a hoax on that child's part. When the investigators interviewed that child, his response was, you can't do anything to me, I'm, twelve. Things is, he is 100% correct. He could not be charged with a crime just referred to a counselor. No record of that offense is allowed to exist. We have to simply forget about that. And now they want to make it unlawful for an investigator to even speak to anyone under the age of thirteen. They have to get lawyered up first! 

  His brain may not have been fully developed but it was developed enough to know he couldn't be charged with anything. The criminals are well aware of all that and often use these kids as mules for their illicit dealings. Hey, you don't have to give a twelve-year-old much to convince them. A pair of sneakers, an I phone, or a new bicycle.

  Now these kids have parents and/or guardians. If we can't charge the kids, we should be able to charge the parents and/or guardians. The argument against that is, but then the kids wouldn't have anyone to care for them, to guide them or provide support. If those kids are doing that stuff, they already aren't receiving any of that! Can't see where it is going to make that big a difference. There has to be accountability for this. I'm sick and tired of hearing all these excuses. I'm sick and tired of no one being held to account. There has to be consequences, immediate and severe consequences. It really is as Barney Fife used to say, you have to nip it, nip it in the bud! 

 Yes, that was pretty funny stuff, but the reality is it works! That's how I was raised. I screwed up and was corrected immediately. It was no one else's fault! Even when it was someone else's fault it was my fault for listening to them. I was reminded, you know better than that! All it took was "the look." You knew the look and you responded to that. The "look" preceded action unless you took the appropriate action to prevent that. That usually involved shutting up and doing what you knew to be the correct response. That's all it took most of the time, the look. After a while you started doing that stuff without anyone having to look. That was what we called integrity. Doing the right thing even when no one is looking. You did that to avoid consequences. Learned that long before I was twenty-five. By twenty-five I had learned two lessons well, nothing in this world is free, and you get pretty much what you sow. The problem with these criminals today is they never got the look! Their parents/guardians are always looking the other way. And now the criminal justice system wants to do the same thing, just look the other way.  

Halloween

  Trick or treating sure has changed since I was a little guy. Today trunk or treating rules the night. It is done for the obvious safety reasons and is a very good thing. I do find it a bit sad that it has come to that. So many children today that will never know the excitement of walking in the dark on the scariest night of the year. How well I remember wearing our homemade disguises and going door to door. I remember a gentle breeze blowing the leaves around and the sounds of the night. Outdoor lighting was very little, if at all, maybe just a porch light. We traveled in small packs the older kids watching out for the younger ones. And the older kids were about 12 or so, you didn't dress up much past that age. 

 Most houses we went to had those little bags of candy all ready to hand out. Each bag had three or four different treats. Cookies, brownies, apples, oranges and other fruits may be handed out as well. One home I went to had a large punch bowl filled with pennies. You got to reach in with one hand and take what you could get. An elderly lady sat by the bowl and watched you carefully. We went until we were tired, or the candy ran out. When the lights were out in the house, so was the candy. There were no set times back then that was up to Mom and Dad. We never went until it was dark. They usually decided when we were done as well, although their where times that didn't happen. Back then it wasn't uncommon for Dad to have brought along a few beers to keep him refreshed. We were usually good as long as the beer held out. 

  Another activity associated with Halloween where I grew up was soaping the shop windows in town. That was the older kids doing that stuff. Armed with bars of soap and cans of shaving cream things got real messy. A few kids might have some rotten eggs to throw as well. I only recall a few incidents where anyone got hurt or any property damage occurred. Part of the fun was going back the day after and asking those shop owners if they needed their windows washed. A kid could make a few bucks that way. Later on, when I was older and not trick or treating the town organized a block party for Halloween night. I didn't attend that party but heard that it didn't go well. Things got a bit out of hand from what I was told. 

  Everything changes over time. What we remember is generally what we believe to have been the best. I'm certain there are little children today making memories at trunk or treat. They will one day tell their children or grandchildren of how great a time that was. Yes, a time when adults actually gave out unhealthy foods and tried to scare you! A time when monsters were celebrated! I'm certain they will tell of all the elaborate decorations in the yards all over town. Yes, there will be stories told. As for me I remember dressing up as a hobo, a very popular character at the time, and Mom burning the end of a cork to rub on our faces. Yes, we mascaraed as homeless people. That is if we weren't pirates, clowns or the mummy. Kids today will never know that. That's alright though, they will make their own memories. And those memories will just as comforting, just as pleasant as the ones I have.  

                                                                                 

                                                              Remember 

That was long before we had to x-ray the candy, to be certain. Is it paranoia or practicality? 
 

together again

  Yesterday I received a surprise in the mail. My niece sent me some photographs. Her Mom recently passed and she is involved in the process of going through her things and settling on their disposition. It is something I hope to never have to do personally. That has to be one of the most difficult tasks you could be faced with in life. I've had siblings, one of my sons and numerous friends that have faced just that. I have so far been spared. As much as I was excited to receive those photographs that was my first thought after opening the envelope. I felt an almost overwhelming sense of sadness, it was a finality. That was expressed in the attached note, although I'm certain that wasn't the intent. The note said, "I was going through some stuff at Mom's house." It is a simple declarative statement that expresses far more than can be written. 

  Now these pictures were of myself with my siblings. The number of photographs I have with all of us kids together are very few. They number less than five. The only ones I did have were when we were young children, old black and white images taken by proud parents. As we grew up and moved away, we scattered to the four corners of the country. There just weren't any times we all got together. Our family lives weren't like those Hallmark movies you see at this time of the year. No one was flying in for the holidays and staying at each other's mansions. No, we were and still are just regular folks. But in June of 1990 we did all come together. That is when the pictures were taken. We were together to attend the graveside service of our father. It was 1990 and no one was celebrating life back then, it was a solemn occasion. We gathered at my brother's home and that is where the picture was taken. 

 Those pictures remained there for thirty-three years. In what I can only view as a bit of irony I got them yesterday. To anyone that reads my posts regularly you may remember yesterday I wrote about a picture. I had selected a picture that brought back memories of a time long ago, a time with my brothers, family and friends. Then, later in the day these photographs find me. Destined? That was a question I pondered yesterday as well. It would seem these pictures were destined to become mine. I can only thank Mona for saving them all these years. And as with most things the story goes much deeper, but that story is not for this medium. Perhaps I will include that in a personal memoir should I decide to write that. For today, for now, all I can do is express my happiness for having received them and my deepest sorrow for the reason why. That picture was also the last time all four of us were together. A lot can happen in thirty-three years. Well, a lot has happened. 

                                                                                    

                                          Left to right: Harold, Ben, Millie, Dan   

destined

  Having something to write about, an opinion to express, or just a simple observation every morning can be a challenge at times. Many themes and thoughts have been repeated over the years just as history predicts that it will. Yes, life is indeed a circular event. What's old becomes new again and vice-versa. This morning I thought to just select a picture and write something about that. I did just that a few days ago and was pleased with the result. I wish I could say that about very post I made but that wouldn't be honest. Some are better than others. If Google analytics are to believed, a story I wrote about the Dugan Man is by far my most popular. It is the one I have certainly received the most comments on. 

  I went to my pictures folder and scrolled through a bit until a picture jumped out at me I felt I could write something about. I wanted to write something that contains more than a brief description of the picture. It has been said a picture is worth a thousand words and there is truth in that. Still, someone has to add those words or at the very least imagine them. The picture I selected takes me back to 1962. I was ten years old. I know it was 1962 because of the image itself and that's a good thing because I surely would have had to take a guess. This is that image: 

 

This patch belonged to my oldest brother Harold. He was on the basketball team for St. Lukes Episcopal church, East Hampton, Long Island, New York. My other brother Dan was on the team, and I played for that team on at least one or two occasions. Each church in East Hampton had a youth basketball team and we competed with each other. It didn't involve a great deal of money for uniforms, equipment or venue. 

 We played our games at the "Neighborhood House." That building was what we would call a community center today. There was the basketball court in one wing of that building. The locker rooms were on one end of the court and a stage marked the other end. Yes, we often ran into the wall at the one end and the stage at the other. It was on the stage that the spectators sat, there was no room on the sidelines. When I see that patch all those memories flood back at me. Hard to believe that was sixty-one years ago. Six decades. 

  The year all that ended I'm uncertain of. I heard that there was some unsportsmanlike conduct becoming a frequent part of after the game activities and so it was decided to disband the church league. If that was the true cause or not, I can't really say. By 1971 I had left the church and the town and so don't know if it was ever revived. But I have this little patch, a relic, a piece of sports memorabilia that I suspect few have. My brother must have purchased this patch. I do not recall my other brother or I having one. My brother Harold would have been sixteen in 1962 and so had a job and the funds to buy that.

  My brother Harold is gone now, he passed in 2014. I recall another teammate of his Asa Peckham, Asa is also gone now. The other names and faces have become somewhat of a blur to me. Hey, I was only ten remember. But I remember Asa especially because of his aggressive style and he was good, very good. Although not as tall as the others he was quick and a good shot. How many of those teammates remain today I couldn't say. 

  But that image of that patch does contain a thousand words, or more. The patch itself is just in a safe place, tucked away with other memories and mementos. One day I will decide upon the fate of that little patch. I'll find a good home for the memories locked inside. I have no photograph of my brother in his basketball uniform, if we even had them. I'm thinking we may have had shirts but I'm not certain about that. I do remember the cheerleaders from some of the other teams. The "mighty, mighty Baptists" stood out as the loudest of the bunch. I can't explain why I remember that, but I still hear their chants to this day. 

  All of this took place long before social media, selfies or "organized" sports as we know them today. Today even the smallest of teams would have far better facilities than we ever saw, uniforms and fundraisers. There were no team photographs either. Today it is all very professional. Wasn't like that at all back in '62. We just all showed up for the game and played. There may have been a practice or two, but it certainly wasn't anything regular. I'm not sure if there was a "champion" at the end of the season. If there was, it wasn't St. Lukes. I don't recall much about any of that. 

 I do remember playing in my first game. It was a big deal you know. I was playing on a team! I was given the ball at one point in the first half and managed to score a basket. Pretty exciting stuff. We came out for the second half. I got the ball again and drove to the basket. Jumping as hard as I could I did a layup! Two points! But that is when I learned you change baskets at the half. I had scored two points for the other team! Well, in my defense it was the only Christian thing to do, it was a church league after all. It was also the end of my basketball career. I never played on another basketball team after that season. 

 It's only a small cloth patch. I have written about this before, if only a brief description of what it is. But it is what it represents that is important to me. It's like a time machine. That, of course, will be lost forever when I'm gone. There is no one else that will attach any memories of 1962 to that particular artifact. It will become, at best, a curiosity. That thought saddens me a bit. Still, I'm well aware that it will happen to a lot of the things I regard as treasure. I'm just grateful that I have it at this time to remember that time. I think that is the purpose of that item, unknown at the time of purchase. It was destined to be. Yeah, it isn't only people that have a destiny, so do objects. Is destiny created? Apparently so.     

too much fun

  Meta is being sued for addictive practices. That is the headline on this morning's news. A group is suing Meta, formerly Facebook, because their children are addicted to using the platform. The accusation is that they provide entertainment that is too addictive, it's just too much fun. Their platform is constructed in such a way as to entice younger adults to continue using it. Well now imagine that. A business that wants to continue selling its' product, even when the consumer creates that product. And then the public wants to sue that company because they are continuing to use it. 

 You have to be thirteen years old to have an account. That is an international requirement. You are required to provide your birthdate to create that account. So, everyone on Meta is a teenager. Now this group of Attorneys general from various states are saying, among other things, these accounts are leading to teen suicide. These teenage children get on there and get their heads filled with all sorts of ideas. They see the same things over and over again. Then, there are others on that platform that disagree with their opinion, dislike their taste in music, or otherwise say mean things. Sounds exactly like the playground when I was a kid, only you would get your butt kicked if you ran your mouth in that way. Guess that saved me from being addicted to the playground. Got a reality check real quick back in those days.

  It needs to be understood the same group of liberals filing a lawsuit against Meta and Instagram for addictive practices are the ones saying a child in kindergarten gets to choose what gender they want to be. Reading books to them about little Johnny love's little Jimmy and they can grow up to be drag queens isn't harmful, no harmful influences there. The same people that attempt to sue McDonalds because their kids got fat getting big Macs. It is the responsibility of the parents to either limit or modify the amount of time their children use social media or eat at McDonalds. It certainly isn't the fault of Meta or McDonalds. 

 They are a business! The objective of a business is to sell the product, whatever that product happens to be. There is no physical addiction associated with any of that, it is a mental addiction. No different than a person that gets addicted to gambling. You can't sue the casino or the state lotteries for any of that. Are their advertisements causing an addiction? What about all the pharmaceutical companies with their constant barrage of advertisements. Aren't they contributing to paranoia and fear in the general public. What about the federal government itself with their mandates for a vaccine. The message being broadcast is, if I don't get that I will die and kill others in the process. But there is no problem with any of that. None of that is addictive. None of that is designed to influence anyone, no, it is just public service announcements. 

  You know when I was kid and dad thought I was watching too much television, becoming addicted to that, you know what he did. He turned it off, told me to go outside, go read a book or find something else to do. And that is what parents need to do today. It isn't up to the company selling the product to limit access to that product. No, that is the function of the parents. Maybe they should get off of their accounts and start paying attention to what the kids are doing on there. Meta, Instagram or any other social media platform are not responsible for who uses them and how often they do that. As long as they are complying with the existing laws concerning content that is the extent of their responsibility. Jack Daniels isn't at fault if you drink too much. Whoever manufactured Pokémon should be sued using this logic. So many people addicted to that. People sold their homes to buy the rare card or figure whatever it was. They were addicted! It was just too much fun!     

a penalty

  I keep seeing this political advertisement on television for a candidate named David Trone. A democrat running for some office here in Maryland. This campaign piece features two criminals recently released from federal prison. One tells how being a prisoner for 27 years was dehumanizing. Then the other appears and says some rhyme about doing time and time to change the pain and some other words that are supposed to be meaningful. I guess it is supposed to emulate a rap style song, you know, those socially engaging songs about the plight of the black people in America. But whatever the case is supposed to be towards the end the first ex con brags about getting his college degree while incarcerated. How it melted the barbed wire. He says he was a straight A student. The other criminal reappears and says how he maintained a 2.8GPA. 

 Then the big message scrolls across the screen. 95% of those with a college degree do not go back to prison! Well, my response is this; those that do not commit crimes do not go to prison regardless of their educational level! That's how you avoid going to prison and how you avoid returning to prison. Do not commit the crime. The solution to crime is not giving a college education to criminals!

  Now I'm not saying anyone is going to prison to get a free education. What I am saying is that going to prison shouldn't be advertised as some sort of finishing school. There is a program in place to give preferential hiring status to those that complete their programs while in jail. Yes, commit a crime serious enough to be incarcerated for four or five years and complete the program and you get rewarded. Like you have anything else to do while in jail. A good portion of employers look for those with a diploma of some sort because that diploma shows they will show up for work voluntarily. If I'm in prison do I really get that choice? I mean, what else do I have to do.  Maybe if those criminals had been made to go to school, obey the rules and laws of the land in the first place they wouldn't be in prison! But no, that isn't what is happening at all. The new narrative is giving folks everything for free, blame the past or the wealthy for their failures, and reward them for getting locked up! It isn't their fault. 

  At least one program in the city of Baltimore makes being an ex-con part of the job description. Yes, that's the truth. Some are hired to be "violence interrupters" in Baltimore's flagship program called Safe Streets. They are hired because they were the ones causing the violence in the first place! The thinking is they can stop it, or slow it down, by using threats of violence of their own. That is their redeeming quality, right. That's the way I see it. Turns out a good deal of the funding for this Safe Streets program is being spent on expensive shoes and clothing that is listed as "establishing good relations" with the neighborhood. Also, a good deal was spent on taking trips to Las Vegas for conferences. Doesn't take much to figure out what is going on. When you hire criminals to run a program, it will be run in a criminal manner. 

  I'm just sayin'. This liberal logic is contributing to the crime we are seeing today. When you make having committed a crime, becoming a drug addict or an alcoholic, something to brag about, something to include on your resume, it isn't doing much in the way of deterrence. That is what is happening. Look at me I'm a survivor and I recovered from all of that. Sure, I was irresponsible, careless, didn't care about anyone or anything but myself, stole property and wounded and killed a few people but I've changed. I should now be celebrated for that! I should be given a position in society, a position of authority! 

 You haven't done anything wrong; you have no experience and no street cred. You don't have prison tattoos or a cool nickname. All you did was go to school, get an education and obey the laws. You can't speak to any of my experience because you haven't had any. And I say, that's all true. The objective in life is to not make stupid choices. It isn't to make as many bad choices as possible and recover from them! Prison is a penal system! Penal involves a penalty, not a reward. When you get out of prison, you get a second chance. While you are in prison you are punished. Really not a difficult concept to understand. 

  The concept needs to be taught and reenforced throughout childhood. It all begins at home. Doesn't matter what the home is really. Doesn't have to be your parents, it can be anyone that is charged with raising you. It doesn't involve how much money you have. It doesn't matter what your house is like. It doesn't matter what happened to your distant ancestors. What matters is how you are taught to respond to all of that today. The best way to prevent crime is to not raise criminals! That's the bottom line. And when criminals are caught you lock them up. Yes, it is dehumanizing, as it should be. That's the point. You choose to commit the crime, that was your choice. 

resolved

 And as they sat and chatted of the years gone by a smile came to his face for the memory of it all. From horse drawn wagon to driving a Desoto Floyd had done it all. That is his name, and he was my great grandfather. He is seated on the right resplendent in his suit and tie wearing his Sunday best. It was a big day this day, his moment in the spotlight, his time to be the authority. He was soon to leave his home and his treasures were on display in the yard. A photographer from New York City was there to capture all of that as he explained their uses and told his tales of old. These items were going to a museum now, forever to be preserved, a tribute to time. He was assured his name would be attached to the display, a sort of immortality. A lifetime of memories once covered in dust sitting in lonely rooms now exposed to the light of day to be admired. If only those artifacts could speak. But that was his function on that day, to speak for the past.

  The man seated with him was Charlie Mott a neighbor and lifelong friend. Mr. Charlie as I knew him often came to visit, smoke his pipe and talk about whatever old men discuss. On this day I suspect the conversation turned to the old days and the old ways. Charlie knew Floyd well; they had grown up together. Little remained secret between them, their lives intermingled as is the case in small towns everywhere. Happiness, grief, sorrow, triumph and failure. They spoke of yesterday with the familiar conversation of today. 

  Then the day was ended, his memories packed away, transported to another place for another time. He would never see those things again as they weren't placed on display but stored away. I did go some years later and visit the museum where these items were to be displayed. I saw not a one and nowhere did I see his name. I inquired about that but was met with, I don't know. It appears Floyd and his contributions had been forgotten. But I haven't forgotten. I have my memories. And with those memories comes a smile, an understanding of time. I think that is what Floyd is smiling about in the photograph as Mr. Charlie shares his thoughts. Old friends remembering. Old friends sharing secret knowledge that comes with age and the passage of time. All is resolved and a smile remains. A smile for the memory of it all. 

  That is the best any of us can hope for. A life well lived, memories made, and memories saved. A chance to tell our story, and in the end, a smile. A knowing smile. A life resolved. A life resolute in that knowledge. Content. That's about it, I think. It's enough. 

                                                                                            

an objective view

  It's amazing to me how so many can embrace technology so quickly without questioning its viability. So many so quick to get the latest thing. These are the same people that are quickest to bring a lawsuit against any product or service. as well. Now I'm not opposed to trying new things, new inventions and ideas have improved our world in innumerable ways. I do believe there is more than one to skin a cat as we used to say. Still, I've always been one to do a bit of research before trying something new. Fools rush in where wise men fear to tread. Another old adage that seems a lot of folks have either forgotten or never heard in the first place. But what amazes me even more are those that have jumped into the water and refuse to accept how deep those waters are! They just keep treading water believing it will somehow get better. The complete refusal to accept fact and reality. That is what leaves me shaking my head. 

  A good example of that happened yesterday. There was a picture of an automobile made in 1909 that was an electric vehicle. The comments beneath that picture where mostly from those saying how great that was, how we should have stayed with that technology and on and on about the virtue of using electricity. We all know that fossil fuels with be the end of mankind and the planet unless we immediately adopt this all electric attitude. Now me, being me, just had to point out some basic facts about those electric vehicles, both those made in 1909 and those being made today. They both use batteries which are expensive to manufacture and toxic when fully expended. In 1909 those batteries were lead/acid and gave off hydrogen gas while being charged, just a slight risk of explosion, nothing to worry about right. 

 Well, if we were charging thousands of those batteries if just might get to be an issue. So today we are using lithium-ion batteries. No charging gases given off with them, they just spontaneously burst into flame, but only occasionally so no problem. But the bigger problem was the range of those vehicles. We have the same issue today, even with all those "charging" station located across the country, as long as you stick to the main highways that is. Yes, the infrastructure to keep those batteries charged just doesn't exist and the experts say it will take fifty years or more to do so. Beyond that however is the larger issue, the ability to produce and store that electricity without using fossil fuels. That's why there are hybrid vehicles you know, to be able to extend the range of those vehicles. 

  I could go on listing all the negatives with this push for all electric vehicles but that isn't really what I'm thinking about. I'm just wondering how it is that those people with the money and resources to afford those expensive toys remain so blind to the facts. I'm thinking another old adage sums that up, a fool and their money soon part company. Now I agree that if you can afford the expense of having a charging station in your home, there are charging stations where you work, and charging stations within the range of every electric vehicle made no matter where you drive in the country it is a good alternative. I'm thinking they'll figure out how to keep those batteries from bursting into flames one day. 

  As I said when I first started out, I'm amazed at the number of people defending this as a viable option. All it is, in my opinion, is another example of virtue signaling. I'm going to adopt and embrace this new technology no matter what and I will never admit that it just isn't viable at this time. It is a technology suited to the wealthy. A fancy toy, nothing more. It's true that the automobile replaced the horse and buggy as the means of transport. It wasn't always the best choice in the early part of the 20th century because of the availability of gas and oil. Thing was, that could be put into barrels and shipped anywhere it was needed. You can't really put electricity in a barrel that way, the battery gets way too big and heavy to be of any use. 

 Some areas of the country are experiencing brownouts and blackouts today because of the lack of infrastructure to deliver electricity and the lack of available electricity as well. Is it really reasonable to believe that electricity will be available to charge all these vehicles? It is estimated there are 268 million vehicles operating on our roads every day. 268 million! How are you going to charge all of that? And that is the problem facing this new technology. Like it, hate it, it doesn't change a thing. Cars were an expensive toy enjoyed by the wealthy folks too until old Henry figured out how to produce them cheaply. There is nothing cheap about buying or operating an electric vehicle. The lowest price quoted for a level one charging station, for one vehicle and the majority of homes today have at least two automobiles, is 750 dollars. That charger will take eight or more hours to fully charge your battery. A top-of-the-line supercharger can cost over fifty thousand dollars! And it is at least ten thousand to replace the battery when it goes bad. And yes, they degrade each and every time they are recharged. The more often you recharge them, the quicker they die! 

  I'm not anti-electric vehicles. They are good for those that can afford them. They are good for in town chores and general use. They are quick, no doubt about that, and loaded with electronics. Of course, if anything goes wrong with them there are no roadside repairs with the exception of changing the tires. In fairness that is getting to be true with the fossil fuel powered vehicles as well. Electric powered vehicles much bigger than a sedan aren't very good at all. Their range is severely limited by weight vs power requirements. It's an engineering thing. I'm really not anti-electric I'm just being realistic. I'm modern, up to date on new technology but I still use Android because it is more affordable and is capable of doing everything I want it to do. I'm using a desktop computer for the same reason, it's cheaper, more dependable and capable of doing whatever I want. No need to spend thousands of dollars for an I phone or the newest Laptop. If you can afford all that, good for you. Maybe one day I will have those things too, when they become more affordable. But, of course, by then you will be insisting on some new technology that is so much better and it will save the planet! It comes down to supply and demand. It is foolish to create a demand with no means of supply. Unless the real purpose is to control that supply that is. Control with the flip of a switch. Could come in handy. 

listening

  The season is changing and so to our daily routines. Summer has been packed up and become a memory. From the attics, garages and sheds of America the trappings of fall have appeared. A renewed wave of nostalgia and expectation sweeps over us. Depending upon your past and your location that will be different for each of us. I think the majority of us relate to the seasons in the manner we experienced them in our childhood. That's the whole nostalgia thing, and most of the time we aren't even aware of that. Of course, those with something to sell remind us of all that and promise us the experience once again. Yes, we are sold our own memories.

  With the coming of the fall and winter seasons our activities begin to center around indoor things. Yes, there are those that engage in winter sports and look forward to all of that. Those that hunt relish in the season. Still, the majority of us simply enjoy the warmth of our homes. Those comfort foods make it to the table. A great deal of decorating is also involved as each holiday approaches. That is something that has certainly increased over the years. When I was young Christmas was the biggest occasion for decorating. 

  Today I see quite large displays for Halloween and Thanksgiving as well. Those large fan inflated figures are quite popular in yards everywhere. A sign of the times I suppose. Just plug and play, so to speak. Very convenient. A far cry from when I was young, and it was time to decorate for Christmas. That activity involved quite a bit of work, beginning with harvesting the greens needed from the woods around my house. Lots of walking through the woods, trimming the best branches off the very best trees, eyes peeled for that elusive mistletoe. There was the running pine to gather for trimming the mantle or the handrail on the stairs. Princess pine was mandatory. Those are all my memories of the season.

  At this time of the year, I would be helping with the burning of the leaves. In reflection that seemed more of a traditional thing to do rather than one of necessity. On a cool crisp day we would rake up those leaves and put the match to them. Dad would have the garden hose handy, just in case. It was an event. I loved the smell of that smoke, the sound of the leaves burning was also soothing in some primordial way. A method to extract the last of summer's heat from those leaves that had provided shade, completing the cycle you might say. The lawn furniture was stored away, the garden turned under. The grass took on a dull green color as it entered winters sleep. And the windows were closed shutting out the sounds of the night. It seemed like the world had gone silent.

  Now I do little decorating as it is just the wife and me. The grandkids are all grown and busy living their lives. I have no leaves to rake and burning them is prohibited anyway. Government protecting me from my past I suppose. I usually put up a few decorations, but the excitement is gone from that activity. I think like a fine wine all of that has mellowed down and is best enjoyed just a sip at a time, in moderation and selected carefully. Each piece of decor chosen for a specific sentimental reason. A season assembled from a lifetime of memories. 

 The enjoyment of the memories has become the focal point more so than any expectations. You have to reach a certain age to understand that. Indeed, you have to have reached a certain degree of maturity to appreciate that. You learn to enjoy the seasons and become acutely aware of their changing. When you are young you hear the chiming of the clock on the hour, if at all. Later on, you will hear each tick, each tock, as the clock progresses through the hours, days and years. And that will be true even in this digital age when the clocks make no sound. 

 "I hear hundreds of years of life. I hear wind, and rain and fire and beetles. I hear the life of the trees this wood came from." (Garth Stein) 

  

 

disheartening

 I did listen as our president mumbled and stumbled through his speech last night. It's disheartening to say the least, but he is the president, if only in name. His speech had no substance, nothing to offer any hope to anyone. He skirted some issues and spent more time talking about Ukraine than Israel. He wants the congress to give another 500 billion dollars away! Think about that, That's the request, 500 billion dollars to give away. He attempted to justify that by calling it an investment. He also said it would only be used for humanitarian efforts. Efforts like providing, rockets, bombs and munitions. He made the claim he opened a highway for relief vehicles to enter Gaza, well unless Hamas diverts that or attacks it, we'll have to wait and see how that works out. But be of good cheer we are defeating Russia and China! And we're doing that without using any ground troops. According to Biden fifty other nations in the world are supporting the Ukraine! Yeah, I suppose some others are cheerleading and perhaps sending motivational messages of hope. 

  There is no little doubt that this conflict with expand. It's only a matter of time. Biden made a big point of calling the United States an integral nation, indispensable. Well, that's true enough, where else is all the money coming from? China is happy to lend us the money. Biden insists that the two-state solution is the only way to go. It should be obvious to anyone that it will not! You are not going to get people to accept that. According to the latest poll the majority of those in the Gaza strip support Hamas. In spite of their brutal methods Hamas is the favored group for one reason. That reason is the promise of a return of land they believe belongs to them. It's as simple as that. Hamas exists for one simple reason. Their one objective is the destruction of the Jewish state. It's true that not all want to kill the Jewish people but it's true that they do not want the Jewish people to have a home! That is what Hamas wants to do, eliminate Israel as a nation. There is no way those factions can exist as neighbors! The two-state solution is no solution at all. 

  The United States has stretched its' resources almost to the breaking point. We are becoming more vulnerable every single day. Just who is streaming across our borders? We don't know for certain. What disease that may bring with them is unknown. What ideology they bring with them is far more dangerous, however. And this administration is bussing them all over the nation, overwhelming cities and towns with people they can't support. And so, we the people borrow more money increasing our national debt billions of dollars every single day. A member of Congress organized the takeover of a government building at the capital! And what was it supporting? Hamas is the answer, and we are supposed to endorse that action in the name of inclusion? Our congress is fractured, and our president is weak and addled. Our citizens are busying shooting each other in record numbers in the major cities because the drug trade is allowed to flourish and prosper. Children are not being held accountable for their actions and as result grow into teens with no respect, no understanding, and no compassion. The solution to wrongdoing is rewarding them. That's the plan.

  In my opinion that had to be the weakest speech I have ever heard from a sitting president. He basically said nothing at all. What solution did he offer? He didn't offer any solution is the answer, His plan is to continue to fund Israel and the Ukraine so they can continue the fight and provide housing, food, medical care, jobs and educational opportunities to any illegal crossing our border! The plan is to fund and support them all! The United States is being taken as a fool. That's what happens when you have a fool leading the way even when he is being led by another fool. And I'm convinced he is not making any of these decisions, he is just doing what he is told by his handlers. 

time and place

  I see a lot of do you remember posts on Facebook. I enjoy looking and yes, remembering a great number of them. A great deal of that depends upon where you were born and raised and your family's financial status. Funny as a kid I never thought much about that as I often heard, who do you think I am, Rockefeller. The actual cost of the item didn't seem to matter that much. I heard the same thing about a candy bar as a new bicycle. I do remember playing outside, although we had no streetlights to tell us when to come home, we just knew when it was suppertime. If you didn't get home in time not only where you in trouble, but you were going to bed hungry. This isn't a restaurant you know. Yes, I remember. 

  Today I was thinking about that stuff and remembering where I grew up. My little town had a hardware store, a shoe store where you could buy new shoes or get your old ones repaired, a candy store, a toy store, 5&10, two pharmacies, two soda fountains, several lunch counters and a couple barber shops. I figured every town had all those things. I still believe that they did, back then. Today I don't think many small towns have anything even close to that. Oh, I forgot to mention the corner deli, the little mom and pop grocery stores. All of those places were available to us. As a kid riding my bicycle, I visited each of those shops frequently. Yes, I lived in a time when we had a stationary store! It actually sold stationary, not bicycles, stationary to write letters to other people on. It is where I bought my first space pen! The stationary store was an exciting place to shop. Every kind of pen, pencil, crayon or marker you could dream about. Pads of paper lined and unlined and in every color. Staplers, paper clips, and ink wells. Yup, had ink wells to go along with the fountain pens they sold. You could also buy a fountain pen with that little tube inside, new technology! And yes, for graduation many kids got a pen and pencil set. The fancy ones in gold or silver in a velvet lined case. Some were even engraved. Got those at the jewelry store.

 I remember. I knew the names of most of the shop owners and their employees. They knew who I was as well. There was a direct connection from those shop owners to my parents should the need arise. You were watched, closer in some places than in others, but definitely under surveillance. That was well known by everyone and had a tendency to keep you honest. I remember. I took a piece of Bazooka Joe bubble gum from the 5&10 one day while I was there with my mom. We got in the car, and I began to chew that gum. The inquisition began! I quickly folded under the pressure and confessed my crime. I was taken back in the store to make my further confession to the owner of the store. I was met with a stern face and a simple question. Why didn't you just ask? I had no answer. The gum was purchased, I was humiliated and went home in shame. My siblings were all informed of my transgression that evening at dinner. I was exposed as a thief! I remember. 

  Yeah, there are a lot of things I remember both good and bad about those days. I find myself longing for the good and forgetting about the bad. Remember but don't relive is my advice. In that way you can view the past with a positive outlook. Far too many today are looking to the past for reasons for their disappoints or failures today. Some are looking hundreds of years back. That's a mistake. You can't go back and change a thing. It's my thinking you can't change tomorrow either. Que sera, sera. Isn't that what Doris Day sang. Yeah, I remember. It was a different time and place.

  We all say it, things were better back then. The truth is in many ways they were. You sure had less to be concerned about that's for certain. I could ride my bicycle and venture just about anywhere in town I decided to go. Yes, there were certain neighborhoods that were a bit sketchy, a little risky but not really dangerous. Thing was I had no reason to go there most of the time. If I did have a reason I would go however, just be a little nervous about doing so. I think of my childhood days as being free range, but I rarely was further than a few miles from home. It sure seemed a lot bigger back then, but then again, so did the house I grew up in. I went to visit that home many years later and the lady was kind enough to allow me to roam around. Man, that place was small, a lot smaller than I remembered. Still, it was a home full of happy memories, warm, safe, and very comfortable. That home is gone now, torn down and replaced. 

  I've lived here in Greensboro long enough that I'm starting to say I remember. I remember when we had a hardware store on main street. A hardware store with those wooden floors that creaked and groaned when you went down the aisles. The shelves were packed with all sorts of things, mostly loose like nails, screws, door hinges, all that sort of hardware. It wasn't hanging in sterile blister packs that you need a chain saw to open. All manner of things hung on the walls. The floor was splattered with pain in the paint stirring and mixing area. The old wooden counter gouged, dark in color with cigarette burns along its' edge. That store is long gone now, it was remodeled and is now the pharmacy. The old pharmacy is now a "bodego" a word most likely unknown in this area twenty years ago. The bank on the corner is still there although the name has changed at least three times. The only mom and pop store still operating is being run by Indians or folks from Pakistan. I confess I don't know which and feel it impolite to ask. I remember having only one stoplight. Now we have twice as many, along with lighted digital signage. It was better here twenty years ago. 

 Well, I'm getting on as the saying goes. I'm so old I remember when there were only two genders and political parties weren't defined by which candidate was hated the most. I remember when, for the most part, people trusted our government to do the right thing. I remember when everyone went to church in their Sunday best, and to funerals the same way. Nothing much open with the exception of those little mom and pop stores on the corner. No beer sales until one o'clock on Sunday! I remember when just taking a drive was going out. And sometimes on those hot summer afternoons, on a Sunday, after church we changed our clothes and took that drive just to check that the ocean was still there, the bay was where it was supposed to be, and the lighthouse was standing. Sometimes we even got ice cream! Yeah, I remember. A different time and place.    

are you buying

  I wrote it some time back, I think there is little I haven't written about or at least touched upon in these ramblings of mine, but thought it bore repeating this morning. "Maturity is the acceptance of consequence." That's it. It is what your parents were saying when they said, you're old enough to know better. Although the phrase I heard most often was, you made your bed now lie in it! Seems to me far too many have never heard that message or been forced to comply with that lesson. I certainly was. You got yourself into this mess, figure out how to get out. Paying the piper or the fiddler whatever the case happens to be was my responsibility. There was no "go fund me" when I did something stupid. I had to pay for that myself! 

  I'm left a bit puzzled at times. I hear otherwise mature and reasonable adults promoting the most ridiculous of ideas. Gun control tops the list. The reality is that people are using guns to assault each other. The guns aren't assaulting anyone. I just don't understand why so many can't seem to grasp and understand that reality. There are an estimated 400 million guns in the United States. Those guns are available to anyone that has the money to purchase them. It doesn't make a bit of difference to the ones selling them what the age of the person is, what their race, creed, color, religion, sexual preference, political affiliation or legality of the transaction. The only thing that matters is having the money! Period. That's the same reason there are illegal drugs being sold on the street. It doesn't matter to the one selling them whether they are safe or not, what matters is making a profit. Drug control. You don't hear anyone hollering about needing drug control, do you? No and yet drugs are still being sold and killing people every single day. If we are to respond to the gun problem the same way, we should just be handing out bullet proof vests! Narcan is the solution being offered to the drug problem. No one is blaming the pharmaceutical companies for manufacturing drugs. No one is saying, after an overdose, if only Pfizer couldn't sell those pills. The problem is not the guns or the pills. The problem is those willing to misuse them. And what do you do about that? 

  Well, that is purpose of religious teachings isn't it. To establish a moral code, to delineate right from wrong. It makes little difference if it is one God or a thousand Gods and Goddesses. What is important is in teaching correct behaviors. I've read the argument that you can be a moral and ethical person without being a religious person, you can be an atheist, deist, or whatever. I agree that you can. The thing is if you are you are following the moral and ethical behaviors of those that are religious peoples. That's just the straight up reality of the situation. 

  You can deny the God, but not the action. Call fire water and it will still burn you, see my point? Man created government to do much the same thing. The purpose of government is to do what? Provide for a peaceful co-existence among the people. To me that is the primary purpose. Just like religious practices, governments vary widely in the way they attempt to provide that security. Still, the objective is to delineate what is acceptable and what is not. Also, the reason for the establishment of a penal code. A penalty must be imposed when infractions occur. The ultimate penalty is the loss of your life! Why is that? Because your life is your most precious possession. Yes, that's the reason for that. 

  In the Bible God didn't blame or punish the snake! No, Adam and Eve were held responsible for that action. The snake deceived Eve with the promise of power. Indeed, the snake told Eve she would be equal to God. Adam and Eve chose to disobey the one commandment given to them. God didn't make the snake disappear as some think they can do with guns, God simply punished Adam and Eve. We all know how that worked out. Cain kills his brother with a rock. God doesn't make all the rocks disappear either. 

  The simple truth is it the choices that people make that are to blame. It isn't the snake, the rock or the gun. It is the decision by someone to use those items to cause harm upon others. You can't remove every object capable of causing harm to others. You can restrict the acquisition of those items but never completely make them inaccessible because of one thing, money. Yes, it is money. The love of money is the root of all evil. Note, it isn't the money that is evil! That money is capable of great things and can be a benefit to all of humanity. All forms of vice involve money in some way. Gambling, prostitution, illegal drug and alcohol use. All involve a lack of self-control on the part of the person participating in those vices. And there are always those willing to provide whatever it is, for a price. And what do you do about that? 

 Answer that question and you will have solved the problem. Until that time comes all we can do is punish the wrongdoers! You have to make it, not worth the price. When you remove the value of a life, as we are certainly promoting today with the idea that taking a life is a viable choice simply for the sake of convenience, that changes everything. Maturity is the acceptance of consequence. The thing is that the consequences have to be swift and sure! That is what is lacking today, in my estimation. We need to bring the gavel down! There will always be those willing to sell, what we need to eliminate are the salesmen. You do that by making whatever it is they are selling unprofitable. And only you can control that! Not God, not government, you. What do you want to buy?    

retention of power

  We all hear about the bias in the media. It's a real thing, no doubt about that. The reality is there has always been bias in the media depending upon who was paying to get what published. It is on a 3x5 card on the bulletin board and in the national news broadcasts. It exists on every social media platform. What I'm writing at this very moment contains bias, my bias. But all this has been taken to new heights never before seen. In some instances, it has exceeded the boundary of bias and entered the realm of outright lies. Far beyond an opinion, an outright falsehood. It is about driving the narrative. That's a phrase I'm tired of hearing, the narrative. Yeah, what we used to call the story. The story is closer to the truth of the matter as a great deal of this reporting involves story telling. And we openly admire and promote influencers. Is being influenced a good thing? It isn't in the connotation I was raised with. I was warned about those that were a bad influence but encouraged to emulate those that acted in the correct fashion. Of course, I was simply told, be like him. The vocabulary was different, but the meaning was the same. 

  This bias, this influencing, was brought to the front of my thoughts once again with a television advertisement. This advertisement isn't selling a product per se, nothing made by a specific manufacturer. No, this advertisement has the sole purpose of scaring the consumer into not using the product at all! Natural gas! In this advertisement you are warned of the dangers of this gas that emits methane when burned, it's silent and deadly. You will have no warning at all. Toward the end of the commercial a house explodes in a ball of flame! If that doesn't get your attention, you must be a boomer! Well, I am a boomer, and it did get my attention. It's obvious that the push for all electric is being funded in a big way and backed by "government" entities in some fashion. Gas stoves and furnaces are just too dangerous! Instead, we should all switch to clean electric power that the government can control with the flick of a switch. We do not have the infrastructure to support an all-electric system. It doesn't take much thought to realize that. This isn't about saving the planet, greenhouse gasses or any of that story. The real story is about control! 

  This advertisement, public service announcement, or training film, whatever you wish to call it, will certainly frighten children and the millennials. The same tactic is being used to force vaccines upon the population as well. I'm constantly barraged with warnings that I am at risk! I'm over fifty, I have medical conditions and those germs are out there! I should be taking every precaution possible, every shot, every medication and be seeking mental health and wellness at every turn. If I do not, I'm pretty much a goner! And all of that is centered on control as well. No better way to track the population than through medical records. Ever really read those questionnaires you are given at your appointments. Ever really think about why they are asking you those things. Do you own a gun? Have you ever thought about hurting yourself? What are your sexual preferences? All that besides your name, address, financial status, ethnic group and how you identify yourself. Then all that is entered into the data base. A "medical" data base that can be shared between "medical" providers instantly. 

  Orwellian? Well, I certainly think that it is. All is not as it seems. Now I admit to not having read Orwell's novels, not a single one of them, including 1984. I have an understanding of what the term Orwellian means, and if this is what he was writing about, it is accurate. Call me skeptical if you will but I firmly believe all of this is about power and control. It is always about power and control. Those who rule always want to ensure their continued ability to rule. No matter the method they choice to use the objective is the same, the retention of power. The only way to retain power is by restricting others. And that is what this is all about. Control with the flip of a switch.  

who's first

 I'm listening to the news and Joe Biden is insisting that the two-state solution is still the way to go. It should be obvious to everyone that it will not work that way. I have no solution to offer, I'm not that smart or informed, but know that a house divided will not stand. I learned that from Abraham Lincoln! It isn't anything new. In the end someone gets the house! It's as simple as that. When others are viewed as your enemies, you aren't going to allow them to live in your house. And those groups in conflict have been arguing over the house for many centuries. I can't see that ever changing. The best we can hope for are periods of peace. That is usually what follows conquest, until the conquered regroup. And that is proven throughout history to be the case. 

 Who has the right to the land? That is the heart of the matter and how do you decide upon that? Here at home the "Native Americans" claim ownership of the north American continent. Their claim being they were here first. The many tribes that occupied the land were in constant conflict with each other. Their territories expanded and contracted as battles were won and lost. Then the incursion of the Europeans played a role in all of that. Alliances were made, deals cut, and conflict continued. It was the Europeans that united the land. That's the point of view of Americans. The Native Americans see it differently. But does anyone really know just what group was here first? I don't believe we know that answer and it changes periodically. Will the Native Americans ever regroup and take back the land? I don't think that will happen on a battlefield but in the court system a measure of revenge will be gained. Tax breaks being the big thing. For all the reporting of poverty and hardship among native Americans there are large sectors that enjoy great wealth! Those sectors don't appear to be actively helping the others. They aren't spreading the wealth. 

  Who owns Jerusalem? If history is correct the Canaanites have the best claim to that place, they were there first. According to some sources they were an ancient people descended from Canaan a grandson of Noah. He was cursed because of some sin against Noah. His people were wicked and idolators! The Canaanites were not a nation but rather a group of eleven tribes that occupied the general area of Israel, Palestine and Syria. They were conquered by a host of other nations. The Canaanites eventually disappeared, their civilization collapsing. Scholars debate the reason for that collapse. But my point is simply, they were there first. Rather ironic when viewed in a historical sense. A city founded by a cursed grandson of Noah became the religious center for three major religions. It is that city that is at the center of all we are seeing today.

  Who owns the Gaza strip? That is central to solving this issue. Who was there first? Well, it was the Canaanites. They were conquered by the Egyptians, and then by the Philistines, some other groups and Alexander the great. So, the Canaanites no longer exist, they can't claim ownership. The Egyptians are next in line, should they control the Gaza strip? They are the group that are still around anyway. But it isn't that easy at all. In 1948 the United Nations designated territory as an Israeli state. The first in 2000 years. That has been in dispute since the day after the declaration! 

  I'm just attempting to understand what is happening. I could just turn a deaf ear to all of this, but I feel the need to be informed. I'm not interested in taking sides, I just want to know why. Nothing I can say or do is going to influence anyone or make any difference at all. What happens will! And that is what concerns me. Even when living on the extreme fringe of things I am living in a historic moment in time. And yes, in the big picture all of this is just a brief moment in time. A time repeated. It isn't that way to those directly involved, those directly affected. It is imminent history. Can we really use the events of thousands of years ago as justification for the actions of today? Is the argument, we were here first, a valid one?   

ideally

  Ideological borders are the strongest kind. The imaginary lines drawn on a map mean little when it comes to all that. It is ideology that has driven man's exploration and conquest. It always begins with the noblest on intentions and degenerates from there. Those that believe they are in the right, truly believe, cannot be stopped. Golda Meir said, "you cannot negotiate peace with someone who has come to kill you" The truth in that statement lies in one fact. Those that believe, truly believe in their cause, are willing to die for that cause. That's true whether you are the attacking force or the defending force. It was believed the Japanese people were willing to fight and die to the last man, woman and child. The use of the bomb was thought to be the only means of ending the conflict. There was no negotiating with the Japanese until that willingness to fight was broken. Their ideology didn't include surrender or compromise. Overwhelming force was the only means. It remains a point of contention, a topic of debate to this day whether it was the correct thing to do. In my view that action did save lives in the big picture, there was simply no other option. It was a national thing. It spoke to the Japanese people of honor, respect and loyalty. All very noble ideals. The objective was to create a "new order in east asia" by any and all means. Japan was to be the leader in this new east Asian order, an economic order in essence. 

  It is an ideological border that is being contested in the mid-east today. Israel appears to be attempting to take control of the Gaza strip. The attacks came from that area, and they have little choice. Those attempting to flee the carnage have few choices. Where are they to go? Those fleeing do not subscribe to the same ideology as Hamas, they are simply trying to stay alive, to survive. Support from their neighboring nations doesn't appear to be forthcoming either. More refugees on the world stage, those folks are simply caught in the middle. The only relief has to come by the destruction of Hamas. Hamas whose ideological concepts involve total destruction of the Jewish people. As Golda Meir pointed out, there will be no negotiating. Hamas has come to kill. They are willing to kill to gain what they believe to be their homeland. 

 The scholars and politicians can argue and debate about all of that, and have for centuries, but it won't change that belief. Hamas is willing to fight and die to the last man and kill anyone that impedes them. There is nothing noble in their actions! It has little to do with religious beliefs. That may be the excuse, the reasoning, the justification in their minds, but that has been perverted beyond recognition. It is the same mindset as the missionaries of old. You will be converted even if I have to kill you! It's the same logic. It's true that I may indeed get you to submit, to surrender to, at the very least openly proclaim whatever it is I want to hear, but I'm not going to change your thoughts. The only way to defeat that is to erase history. The problem being, you cannot erase history. And history will always be viewed in two ways, through the lens of the victors and through the lens of the defeated. It is quite a different view. 

 It is ideological borders that sustain and destroy nations. Nations collapse from within when they do not share a common ideological goal. Forces from outside that nation may attack that nation for a variety of reasons. It may be for the acquisition of territory or for the resources that territory can provide. Whatever the reason is there will be some ideology to support that.

  In the case of the United States, we called that manifest destiny. Some embraced that concept while others rejected it. Perhaps most notably Abraham Lincoln rejected the notion of manifest destiny. The desire for more lands, more resources and the promise of wealth won out in the grand scheme of things. Those that had rejected the idea had done so on moral grounds and morality makes for a weak border. Ideology makes the strongest border! 

 The founding fathers created a republic separating the ideological from the spiritual. The reason is simple enough to understand. Spiritual Ideology generally leads to a bitter end involving a violation of both ideals and whatever religious beliefs are incorporated in that. All armies going into battle believe their God will protect them and bring them ultimate victory! The righteous shall prevail. But the spiritual always falls short of the ideal. That is in the Bible and often quoted. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of god". Still the founding fathers were aware of all that and prevailed upon "natures god", "the creator", the "supreme judge of the world" and the protection of "divine providence" in those documents. The plea being for help in maintaining the ideal. In his address to the Massachusetts militia president John Adams said, "…we have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." That is the ideal. 

currently

  I've been doing some reading lately and have learned more about the middle east than I really care to know. This is, of course, due to current events. It has come true those words my history teacher used to say, world events are current events. That was back when little was heard about things outside of my world, New York City and Hollywood were the big topics most of the time. Foreign wars and conflicts were not talked about that much. We were taught who the good guys were and who the bad guys were. That was about it really, the causes, what led up to that wasn't discussed that much. The conflict that occurred in Vietnam changed that a great deal and I became more aware, especially so as I was at the age of the draft. My response was to simply join the Navy before I could be drafted, a preemptive move you might say. But that wasn't the real reason for joining the Navy, it was just a matter of practicality. The truth is I flipped a coin. One friend was joining the army and one the navy. I wanted to be with one of them, so I flipped a coin to decide. No one gets their feelings hurt. Yes, it was that simple. As far as Vietnam went, I was prepared to do my duty. I had no idea why we were there beyond the fact we, the United States, had made a promise, signed a document, pledging our support. That was enough for me, politics be damned. 

  Now this conflict between Israel and Palestine, to my surprise, isn't nearly as old as I had thought. The issue really began in 1946 as a result of the UN. It was a resolution of the United Nations that the land be divided creating Israel and Palestine. From my reading it turns out that it isn't really a religious war, although that certainly plays into a great deal of the situation, but a dispute over territory. The city of Jerusalem being the crown jewel in this package. As we all know Jerusalem is the center of all three major religions in the world today. So, in essence, this fight, this conflict is more like a family dispute about who gets the ancestral home. There are Muslims, Jews and Christians all making their claims. All these claims are based in historical events, traditions and cultural beliefs. It isn't about religious beliefs, all those groups have co-existed in peace with each other over centuries. The big problem is about what is home. 

  This terror group that calls itself Hamas isn't really Palestine. It's true that Hamas controls the Gaza strip with brutal force and imposes its' rule upon the occupants of that area. The how and why of the state of Palestine allowing this, indeed providing support for that, I haven't discovered yet. Many of the inhabitants do not support Hamas. The intensity, the differences are far greater, along with the consequences, but similar to the Republicans and Democrats fighting for control here in America. It is the imposition of an ideology upon the population. Basically, the house divided problem.

And that is pretty much my rudimentary understanding of the situation. Whatever the final solution may be the destruction of Hamas must come first and foremost. Hamas is not fighting for a better world, to secure anything for its' people, Hamas is simply a terror group bent on power and control. It is not some new shining example of government. No, it is quite the opposite. As is the case in every conflict the innocent will suffer the most. And yes, there are innocents on both sides of every conflict. 

  Can the differences ever be settled? That territory has been in dispute since Biblical times. That's what the fight has always been about. Religious belief is the motivation, the excuse, the reason for that. Jerusalem has been taken by conquest between twenty and forty-four times in history. I'd say the peaceful transfer of control is highly unlikely. Could Jerusalem ever become an independent state, similar to Vatican city? Perhaps, but just who would be in control, the authority. Who is going to be the head of the house? That's the real dispute. 

  It turns out that world events are current events. That's true even when what is current has been ongoing for centuries. Currently a terrorist organization is attempting to wrest control. This must not be allowed to happen. Hamas must be destroyed.      

the lesson

  I heard about a new Tic-Tok challenge of stealing a car using a quarter. It is the Kia's and Hyundai's being targeted once again. The last challenge just required a usb cable. The manufacturer is being blamed for this. Now I may be in the minority on this one, but I don't see where the manufacturer should be held accountable for what kids are doing. During the last challenge the city of Baltimore was using taxpayers money to hand out steering wheel locks. I didn't think that was acceptable either. It's your car, it's your problem. To me this is the same logic as blaming a gun manufacturer for the misuse of their products. The same as blaming McDonalds because I got fat eating big Macs! They are in business to sell a product. The same is true of automobile manufacturers. They are not responsible because someone wants to steal it and figured out a way to do that. I never heard any great outcry when you could simply hotwire a car. I never heard any calls for change when it was discovered you could simply pull the ignition and steering wheel lock out of the steering column. Yeah, just takes a simple slide hammer. The ones stealing the vehicles are the ones responsible for the theft, not the manufacturer! This liberal logic has to be curbed! Pun intended.

  I just wonder how we got to this point. How is it the fault of the manufacturer or the one selling a product when that product is misused. Oh, but the children are being influenced on social media. Yeah, no kidding, when I was young we had a name for that, doing stupid things. If Johnny jumped off the roof, would you do that too? We were expected to have better sense than that and when we didn't, we were punished for that. The punishment may be the physical pain we experienced or take some other form but we were held accountable for that. It wasn't the fault of the roof or the fault of little Johnny, I told you he was a bad influence. Then I hear about the drug dealers selling illegal drugs on the street corners. Some of those drugs are deadly. Who is at fault? The one selling the drugs or the ones buying those drugs? There is talk of increasing the penalties for selling illegal drugs if those drugs cause death. Just how this is going to be determined I don't know. The person buying the drug isn't going to tell, they're dead. Do I need to get a receipt? Or are we now going to test those drugs before allowing their sale on the streetcorners and in back alleys. Some cities have responded by setting up safe spaces to inject those drugs under medical supervision and having a supply of Narcan readily available, you know, just in case. So just what is the message? It's okay to do illegal drugs as long as they don't kill you. It's okay to sell illegal drugs as long as those drugs don't kill people. Just what is the logic here? Just provide the severest penally for selling illegal drugs is my answer. If I caught you selling that crap, I'd inject you with it! Oh I'd give you the normal dose, under medical supervision of course. Do you want to purchase some Narcan? Well sorry, the store is closed.

  I just fail to see how it is the responsibility of the manufacturer to make the vehicle theft proof. When the bank is robbed it isn't the fault of the safe company. If I shoot myself in the foot, it isn't the fault of the gun manufacturer. Those vehicles have all the safeguards in place that is normal. Figuring out how to bypass the electronics is no different than figuring out how to bypass the mechanical interlocks of days gone by. There is an old saying and it is very true, locks are only there to keep honest people honest. As far as kids being influenced to steal cars by Tic-Tok I don't see what can be done about that. Influences are everywhere and always have been. That's why there are good and bad, right and wrong. It's about decision making. I get sick and tired of hearing all these "experts" spouting off about cultural values, social influencers, and insisting our children need to be coddled and protected. No, what our kids need is to be held accountable for their choices. I should be able to leave that quarter on the table and my children do not touch it because it isn't there's. It isn't my fault for leaving the quarter there, it is their fault if they take it. That is what needs to be taught. The lesson is really quite simple. You made your bed, now lie in it! 

  

humanity

  I haven't written anything about the war going on in Israel. I really can't fathom the horror of it all. I have no understanding of why any group would do such a thing. I will not attempt to place blame anywhere other than where it belongs, with those that committed the act. The how and why of it can be discussed forever and most likely will be. I can't pretend to have any understanding of that at all. I hear the cries of those that are caught up in this. There are those that are simply living in a time and place not of their choosing but it is their home. I hear the pleas for support. That support should be for humanity in general, not limited to the Jewish people. This attack and retaliation must be based solely on that, just simple human dignity! But that is also the nature of war, inhumanity. 

  The question is how to defeat those that believe they are right. All terrorists have that belief, that motivation. That belief is so strong they will disregard all humane treatment of their fellow man. It has always been so. Historically in wars attempts have been made to limit the carnage to the participants. The innocents should be spared. In every instance that has violated or indeed ignored altogether. When the sole objective is to destroy the enemy, the enemy is everyone that isn't helping you. That provides the justification for those criminal activities. The loser is always the criminal, and the winner is the righteous one. Whose God helped the most? And that is what this hinges upon. This Hamas is what? A militant religious group bent on overthrowing government rule. Muslim fundamentalists is a term often applied to them. Their objective is rule over the Jews and the Christians. That is the big difference between the Muslims and the Christians and Jews. That belief, that domination is a part of their religious belief. How do you defeat belief?

  Israel was attacked and has every right, indeed an obligation, to respond to that attack. The rest of the world should join in to immediately to stop this slaughter. Religious beliefs have no place in this discussion at all. It isn't a religious dispute; it is a dispute concerning all humanity. Hamas must be brought before the court of all humanity and face judgement. Palestine itself should do everything possible to eliminate and expel this terror group from their land. There should be no safe harbor, no place on this earth that Hamas should be allowed to exist! I realize it isn't that simple, I wish that it were. I support humanity. The world needs to respond to this. Only a global response will be effective in crippling this group. You will not eliminate them, that just isn't going to happen. But we can cripple them, limit their ability to do harm, harass and hound them in every corner they try to run and hide. We must be unrelenting in this effort. There is no way this group should ever be able to purchase arms, munitions, missiles or any means of waging war! Anyone that enables that is just as guilty as the terrorists themselves. 

  My prayers go out to everyone affected by this. My prayers aren't asking my God to defeat another God. My prayers are for my God to provide relief and comfort to those being affected even if they don't believe in my God. My God doesn't care about that. My God is concerned with all humanity. That's my belief, all are the children of God. My God created the earth and on one occasion destroyed it. According to the text that will happen once again when God decides enough is enough. When man's inhumanity to man is judged to be intolerable, that will happen. It isn't going to matter one-bit what religion you practiced or didn't practice. This is about humanity.