Friday, February 28, 2014
MAJESTIC HOTEL BURNS IN HOT SPRINGS
That's one way to solve the vacant buildings problem in downtown Hot Springs. Get the hot dogs and marshmallows.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Monday, February 24, 2014
FIVE THINGS I DON'T LIKE ABOUT HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE
1. There are way too many Republicans. Unfortunately, most are of the right-wing variety. My brain don't work that way, I don't understand it. It seems such an undeveloped, self-interest ideology. I continue to believe it is rooted mainly in racism. These people are all fearful that someone is going to take away their stuff. Thus, the gates.
2. The roads are very difficult to drive in the Village. As everyone grows older, the number of accidents is going to dramatically increase. Desoto is terrible. I take Highway 5 whenever I can, which is no picnic. I don't know who would build roads like these. I've never been able to figure that out.
3. There are a lot of rules. This comes with a conservative crowd. Most appear as a result of fear and lack of trust. Signs. Signs. Everywhere there are signs.
4. Tied into # 2, you have to drive everywhere you go. This is a design flaw in the Village. Cooper built the place for the young, not the old. Unfortunately, the young can't afford to live here. When you get too old to drive, you're goose is cooked. The only salvation from this is to develop neighborhoods, which at this point will be very difficult to accomplish.
5. Related to number 1 & 3, everyone is too wrapped up in what they used to be. WE have a lot of ex-military and ex-CEO's, whose potty training seems to have been too harsh. They lack trust and do not take well to listening and accepting advice. They never have had to, and find it an impossible adjustment. It's their way or the highway. This results in the status quo being the general rule. If this attitude prevails, the Village will disintegrate into sameness and lack of progress. Diversity needs to increase, and conservatism needs to decrease.
2. The roads are very difficult to drive in the Village. As everyone grows older, the number of accidents is going to dramatically increase. Desoto is terrible. I take Highway 5 whenever I can, which is no picnic. I don't know who would build roads like these. I've never been able to figure that out.
3. There are a lot of rules. This comes with a conservative crowd. Most appear as a result of fear and lack of trust. Signs. Signs. Everywhere there are signs.
4. Tied into # 2, you have to drive everywhere you go. This is a design flaw in the Village. Cooper built the place for the young, not the old. Unfortunately, the young can't afford to live here. When you get too old to drive, you're goose is cooked. The only salvation from this is to develop neighborhoods, which at this point will be very difficult to accomplish.
5. Related to number 1 & 3, everyone is too wrapped up in what they used to be. WE have a lot of ex-military and ex-CEO's, whose potty training seems to have been too harsh. They lack trust and do not take well to listening and accepting advice. They never have had to, and find it an impossible adjustment. It's their way or the highway. This results in the status quo being the general rule. If this attitude prevails, the Village will disintegrate into sameness and lack of progress. Diversity needs to increase, and conservatism needs to decrease.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
BENEDICTION-SENDING
May you depart knowing the invitation of God, to move
- from comfort to insecurity
- from what we know to what we have yet to discover
- from where we have been to where we have yet to go
- from safety to a place of risk
- from comfort to insecurity
- from what we know to what we have yet to discover
- from where we have been to where we have yet to go
- from safety to a place of risk
Go in the example of the saints before you,
the Israelites in the wilderness,
Paul blind in Damascus waiting for Ananias.
Go in the name of Jesus, our Christ,
who said ‘follow me’ without saying where he was going,
just promising transformation and relationship
with the Triune God along the way. Amen.
SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER
VICTIMS....and PERPETRATORS
Mighty God, giver of Peace, slogan for war,
We watch wile cities burn and
children cry and
woman weep
We listen while tanks roll and
missiles zizzle, and
mobs assemble.
We smell while
flesh burns and
old tires smoke and
oil wells flame
out of control.
We dare say,
we dare imagine,
we dare confess, that yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the
Glory.
We come to you as victims of terror and
mass death.
We come as perpetrators of death and massacre.
We come as citizens and patriots and taxpayers
and parents and children.
We come bewildered, angry, sorry.
You, you beyond the smell and the din and the smoke.
You, beyond our hopes and our hates.
You, our beginning before time
our end beyond time.
Be present in ways we cannot imagine.
Be present---save us from our power,
save us from our violence,
save us from our fear and hatred,
save us as only you can do.
Save us as your have before saved us...
in love and power
in compassion and justice
in miracle and in waiting.
Save us because we are your people
and because this is your world.
Mighty God, giver of Peace, slogan for war,
We watch wile cities burn and
children cry and
woman weep
We listen while tanks roll and
missiles zizzle, and
mobs assemble.
We smell while
flesh burns and
old tires smoke and
oil wells flame
out of control.
We dare say,
we dare imagine,
we dare confess, that yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the
Glory.
We come to you as victims of terror and
mass death.
We come as perpetrators of death and massacre.
We come as citizens and patriots and taxpayers
and parents and children.
We come bewildered, angry, sorry.
You, you beyond the smell and the din and the smoke.
You, beyond our hopes and our hates.
You, our beginning before time
our end beyond time.
Be present in ways we cannot imagine.
Be present---save us from our power,
save us from our violence,
save us from our fear and hatred,
save us as only you can do.
Save us as your have before saved us...
in love and power
in compassion and justice
in miracle and in waiting.
Save us because we are your people
and because this is your world.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Judge: NYPD's Spying on Muslims Is OK, Reporting On It Is Not | Common Dreams
Judge: NYPD's Spying on Muslims Is OK, Reporting On It Is Not | Common Dreams
Another judge bites the dust. When will it end? (I already know that answer).
Another judge bites the dust. When will it end? (I already know that answer).
Friday, February 21, 2014
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Many people consider the things government does for them to be
social progress but they regard the things government does for others as
socialism."
[Address to National Press Club in Washington DC, as quoted in Freedom and Union (April 1952)]”
Earl Warren
[Address to National Press Club in Washington DC, as quoted in Freedom and Union (April 1952)]”
Earl Warren
ECONOMIC BALONEY
What
economic development is not:
* It's not a
bunch of white guys sitting around a table deciding what is best for a city.
* It's not
something that should happen behind closed doors. It affects everyone and
should be decided by as much public input as possible.
* It should not
be a giveaway fest. "We'll build in your community if you give us this." I say
go away.
* There has to be
some kind of measurable result. Otherwise, why keep spending the money?
* In the final
analysis, economic development is not much more than a scam. Companies will
move or start their businesses in places that are friendly, progressive,
diverse, with good schools, nice parks, efficient health-care, and an energetic
atmosphere. Short of an ocean, or mountains, or year round warm weather, that's
about all it takes. Well, that and cheap labor.
The Monstrous Merger of Comcast and Time Warner Must Be Stopped - Now | Common Dreams
The Monstrous Merger of Comcast and Time Warner Must Be Stopped - Now | Common Dreams
Bye, bye, Miss American Pie. Our ranking for Freedom of Speech and Free Press will go from 46th to 146.
Bye, bye, Miss American Pie. Our ranking for Freedom of Speech and Free Press will go from 46th to 146.
YOU TALK ABOUT A REVOLUTION
Ukraine: Yanukovych’s Last Throw? | Common Dreams
Some comments from the Ukraine would be good. Appears a revolution is in order. We need one here. Any advice would help.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
NO COTTON IN ARKANSAS
TOM COTTON, U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, RUNNING FOR SENATE, IS WRONG FOR ARKANSAS, WRONG FOR AMERICA, AND QUITE POSSIBLY WRONG FOR THE WORLD.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The end of democracy and the defeat of the American Revolution
will occur when government falls into the hands of lending institutions
and moneyed incorporations.”
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Ukraine: Yanukovych’s Last Throw? | Common Dreams
Ukraine: Yanukovych’s Last Throw? | Common Dreams
Some comments from the Ukraine would be good. Need for information is great in America. Appears a revolution is about to unfold. We could use one here. Any information will help.
Some comments from the Ukraine would be good. Need for information is great in America. Appears a revolution is about to unfold. We could use one here. Any information will help.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
ANSWER TO IDEA TO INCREASE GOLF PLAY AND INCREASE REVENUE
To: welk@grics.net
Thank you for your suggestion
to increase golf rounds and revenue. It is always a pleasure to receive
positive suggestions from the membership. Your suggestion looks as though it
could, indeed be a win-win for everyone. The program, however, would be near
impossible and very costly to monitor. In addition, the opportunity for abuse
is overwhelming. For instance members would just play the same hole over and
over, forward and backward, but never talk to the pro shop. They could also
play the same hole from, say 50 yards, over and over again. These actions would
lead to wear on the course and no increase in revenue. In addition, they would
not know if someone on the course was coming up on to them. We currently have
the problems where members are jumping on the course and are not annuals.
Because of the action required to monitor this program we cannot go forward
with your suggestion.
If you have any questions.
Please contact me by phone (922-3954) or e-mail at jackanet@sbcgloble.net.
Thank you again.
Jack Slattery
Golf Committee chairman
It would appear an arbitrary answer was given by the chairman of the golf committee with no consultation with the other members. While the proposal may be problematic, it deserves discussion by the committee. To unilaterally dismiss it is typical of the Village. Not trusting us to be reasonable about implementing some type of similar proposal is a serious issue residents need to take up. Bruce
WINTER OLYMPICS
Russia does seem like a beautiful place. I particularly like the
buildings. I'm not much of a winter Olympics person, but I have enjoyed
watching. Well, everything but figure skating. I'm clearly not into
that. My favorite skater was Tonya Harding. I'm more of a curling
person. Shot, drink beer. Shot, drink beer. Drink beer, drink beer. My
kind of game.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Thursday, February 13, 2014
FILLLING IN NON-PLAYING TIMES ON THE GOLF COURSES AT THE VILLAGE
Allow residents living on each course to play, say after 6pm, (during daylight savings time), starting from their place on the course, as many holes as they want. Charge x amount for a pass, single, or husband and wife. More play, more money, and residents would not abuse the course. A win-win situation. And among other things, an incentive to live on the course.
QUOTE OF THE DAY-HIS MIND-SET BEFORE THE PRESIDENCY
“Maybe the critics are right. Maybe there's no escaping our great
political divide, an endless clash of armies, and any attempts to alter
the rules of engagement are futile. Or maybe the trivialization of
politics has reached a point of no return, so that most people see it as
just one more diversion, a sport, with politicians our paunch-bellied
gladiators and those who bother to pay attention just fans on the
sidelines: We paint our faces red or blue and cheer our side and boo
their side, and if it takes a late hit or cheap shot to beat the other
team, so be it, for winning is all that matters.
But I don't think so. They are out there, I think to myself, those ordinary citizens who have grown up in the midst of all the political and cultural battles, but who have found a way-in their own lives, at least- to make peace with their neighbors, and themselves.
...I imagine they are waiting for a politics with the maturity to balance idealism and realism, to distinguish between what can and cannot be compromised, to admit the possibility that the other side might sometimes have a point. They don't always understand the arguments between right and left, conservative and liberal, but they recognize the difference between dogma and common sense, responsibility and irresponsibility, between those things that last and those that are fleeting. They are out there, waiting for Republicans and Democrats to catch up with them.”
Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
But I don't think so. They are out there, I think to myself, those ordinary citizens who have grown up in the midst of all the political and cultural battles, but who have found a way-in their own lives, at least- to make peace with their neighbors, and themselves.
...I imagine they are waiting for a politics with the maturity to balance idealism and realism, to distinguish between what can and cannot be compromised, to admit the possibility that the other side might sometimes have a point. They don't always understand the arguments between right and left, conservative and liberal, but they recognize the difference between dogma and common sense, responsibility and irresponsibility, between those things that last and those that are fleeting. They are out there, waiting for Republicans and Democrats to catch up with them.”
Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
WHAT HAPPENED?
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
VILLAGE ELECTION COMING UP-CANDIDATE FORUM
The candidates are Mike Medica, Mary Nelson, and Lu Otto. All of them said we need to preserve and enhance our amenities, improve our financial status, and somehow let the world know that we exist. Nothing new.
The most critical question for me was "what about secret, or closed, meetings. Media took himself out of the election by suggesting that he would have voted for the closed meetings. The other two gave much more sensible answers. There are times that an elected body can go into closed, or executive session. They include some financial issues, the most often being lawsuits against the body. Personnel issues can also be discussed in closed session. But never, ever, can a public body vote in closed session. This is a violation of public trust. We have no way of judging how the Directors are doing if we cannot see it and discuss it.
My vote goes to Nelson and Otto. Hopefully, they will remain true to their word, and this policy will get changed.
The most critical question for me was "what about secret, or closed, meetings. Media took himself out of the election by suggesting that he would have voted for the closed meetings. The other two gave much more sensible answers. There are times that an elected body can go into closed, or executive session. They include some financial issues, the most often being lawsuits against the body. Personnel issues can also be discussed in closed session. But never, ever, can a public body vote in closed session. This is a violation of public trust. We have no way of judging how the Directors are doing if we cannot see it and discuss it.
My vote goes to Nelson and Otto. Hopefully, they will remain true to their word, and this policy will get changed.
Monday, February 10, 2014
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished
unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.”
Voltaire
Voltaire
MONDAY MORNING PRAYER
REMEMBERING
It was the end of the war,
V-E day and then V_J day,
V-J victory over Japan,
wrought be the bombs of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki.
That Awesome fiery cloud---
a new mode of power in the world,
a new capacity for destruction,
a new means for victory and for defeat,
an offer of security....and savage inhumanity.
Some remember best the relief,
the troops coming home,
the end of fear,
the sober, solemn surrender of the USS Missouri.
And just below that surface,
some recall as well,
the destruction and burning homes,
the scarred children,
the wrecked cities,
the wounding and abiding contamination.
And now years later,
we have learned, so it seems, so little
after all this time,
and still the anxious quest for security,
still the many bombs and missiles,
now more sophisticated, but just as lethal,
still the anxiety for our young at war,
and still a body count of countless bodies,
and destroyed cities,
and wounded children,
and the long procession of fear and hate
and vengeance.
We learn so little so late,
remembering in the nix of pride and anxiety
of hope and some shame.
So teach us to reckon our life differently,
to count our days as gifts of your mercy,
to value our children and all the children,
to settle for less oil, and
less control, and
less force.
Finally, to cast ourselves on your fragile
gift of life.
Undue our anxiety;
undo our arrogance;
make us finally yours,
and not our own,
given over to your goodness
and not to our violent fear.
We pray in the name of Jesus who blessed the peacemakers.
Prayers for a Privileged People, Walter Brueggemann
It was the end of the war,
V-E day and then V_J day,
V-J victory over Japan,
wrought be the bombs of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki.
That Awesome fiery cloud---
a new mode of power in the world,
a new capacity for destruction,
a new means for victory and for defeat,
an offer of security....and savage inhumanity.
Some remember best the relief,
the troops coming home,
the end of fear,
the sober, solemn surrender of the USS Missouri.
And just below that surface,
some recall as well,
the destruction and burning homes,
the scarred children,
the wrecked cities,
the wounding and abiding contamination.
And now years later,
we have learned, so it seems, so little
after all this time,
and still the anxious quest for security,
still the many bombs and missiles,
now more sophisticated, but just as lethal,
still the anxiety for our young at war,
and still a body count of countless bodies,
and destroyed cities,
and wounded children,
and the long procession of fear and hate
and vengeance.
We learn so little so late,
remembering in the nix of pride and anxiety
of hope and some shame.
So teach us to reckon our life differently,
to count our days as gifts of your mercy,
to value our children and all the children,
to settle for less oil, and
less control, and
less force.
Finally, to cast ourselves on your fragile
gift of life.
Undue our anxiety;
undo our arrogance;
make us finally yours,
and not our own,
given over to your goodness
and not to our violent fear.
We pray in the name of Jesus who blessed the peacemakers.
Prayers for a Privileged People, Walter Brueggemann
There Is No Warming "Pause," says Study: The Planet Is Burning Up | Common Dreams
There Is No Warming "Pause," says Study: The Planet Is Burning Up | Common Dreams
I still hear people talking abut people making up global warming. It's very discouraging, especially here in the Village. A lot of rich, right-wing, Republican morons. Never let it be said being rich has anything to do with intelligence.
I still hear people talking abut people making up global warming. It's very discouraging, especially here in the Village. A lot of rich, right-wing, Republican morons. Never let it be said being rich has anything to do with intelligence.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
BENEDICTION
With the good news of God still moistening our mouths,
let us go seek our salvation with the least of these.
May we be a well of hope to our thirsting neighbors;
an oasis of opportunity to all we encounter.
Amen.
let us go seek our salvation with the least of these.
May we be a well of hope to our thirsting neighbors;
an oasis of opportunity to all we encounter.
Amen.
SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER
We Are Takers
You are the giver of all good things.
All good things are sent from heaven above,
rain and sun,
day and night,
justice and righteousness,
bread to the eater and
seed to the sower,
peace to the old,
energy to the young,
joy to the babes.
All good things are sent from heaven above,
rain and sun,
day and night,
justice and righteousness,
bread to the eater and
seed to the sower,
peace to the old,
energy to the young,
joy to the babes.
We are takers, who take from you,
day by day, daily bread,
taking all we need as you supply,
taking in gratitude and wonder and joy.
day by day, daily bread,
taking all we need as you supply,
taking in gratitude and wonder and joy.
And then taking more,
taking more than we need,
taking more than you give us,
taking from our sisters and brothers,
taking from the poor and the weak,
taking because we are frightened, and so greedy,
taking because we are anxious, and so fearful,
taking because we are driven, and so uncaring.
taking more than we need,
taking more than you give us,
taking from our sisters and brothers,
taking from the poor and the weak,
taking because we are frightened, and so greedy,
taking because we are anxious, and so fearful,
taking because we are driven, and so uncaring.
Give us peace beyond our fear, and so end our greed.
Give us well-being beyond our anxiety, and so end our fear.
Give us abundance beyond our drivenness,
and so end our uncaring.
Give us well-being beyond our anxiety, and so end our fear.
Give us abundance beyond our drivenness,
and so end our uncaring.
Turn our taking into giving … since we are in your giving image:
Make us giving like you,
giving gladly and not taking,
giving in abundance, not taking,
giving in joy, not taking,
giving as he gave himself up for us all,
giving, never taking. Amen.
Make us giving like you,
giving gladly and not taking,
giving in abundance, not taking,
giving in joy, not taking,
giving as he gave himself up for us all,
giving, never taking. Amen.
--Walter Brueggemann, from Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth: Prayers of Walter Brueggemann.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Blood Simple: Uncle Sam Wants You, Especially When There's So Much Illicit Money In It | Common Dreams
Blood Simple: Uncle Sam Wants You, Especially When There's So Much Illicit Money In It | Common Dreams
THE USUAL SONG AND DANCE OF THE MILITARY. SING THE SONG AND WAVE THE FLAG.
THE USUAL SONG AND DANCE OF THE MILITARY. SING THE SONG AND WAVE THE FLAG.
Friday, February 7, 2014
QUESTIONS?????
Question: Why do you think people run for public office?
Answer: Most of these people have already been truck drivers, parking lot attendants, waitresses, or street line painters. Some have never had to work, their mommies and daddies gave them a lot of money. The only qualifications for most are that they either have to be a Republican or a Democrat, which any numbskull can be.
Question: Is capital punishment a good idea?
Answer: No. The wrong people are always put to death. I don't mean like those people who were found guilty by a jury of their peers who were subsequently found innocent by a bunch of grade school children doing a science project. No, I mean people who are normally executed should be replaced by CEO's who cheat their employees out of their retirement, or military generals who order the bombing of innocent civilians, or white collar businessmen who are the money behind the drug deals, or the politicians who ignore the environment in favor of helping their friends get rich, or school teachers who have sex with students, or parents who beat their kids, or fast food owners who pay minimum wage to their employees, or used car salesmen who sell us a lemon, or any telemarketer, or.......
Question: Is evolution a scientific fact or science fiction?
Answer: If evolution is not science, but science fiction, as preached by creationists, how can you explain New York?
Question: How do you know when drinking has the best of you?
Answer: Answer these two important questions: 1. Do you have control of the drinking or does the drinking have control over you? and 2. Are you spending a lot of time on your back?
Question: Do you think elections are fair?
Answer: No. They take place during the day, when the working poor have to work. They don't put near enough choices on the ballot. Computers now count most of the ballots, which puts computer geeks in charge. Many of the polling places are in churches, which scares people.
Question: Do you believe there will ever be a nuclear attack on the United States?
Answer: Yes. You can't trust some of these countries. Take for instance Nova Scotia. They are strategically located, have big burly women, and the residents are all real cranky about this time of year. I personally never trusted Alaska. They are located right next to Russia, have a long history of using guns to shot bears, and I do not see it above them to send us missile-nosed Salmon, which would make a real big mess. And how about Texas? How can you trust a place that produced the likes of Tom DeLay, George Bush, Jr., and Spanky McFarland.
Question: Unlimited guns. Is it best that way?
Answer: Guns worry me. It's not so much owning one as it is shooting one. Another. I do understand why people get nervous about this. If we have no guns, and the state, or federal government, has all the guns, how would we ever be able to overthrow the government, should it become necessary, as called for in the constitution? This doesn't particularly bother me. I think we can easily outsmart them.
Question: Are you confident that the insurance industry can run our health-care system? ObamaCare put them in charge.
Answer: And who says Obama doesn't drink?
Question: Do you believe in the existence of life beyond the Earth?
Answer: Yes. Why would God allow only us to have all the fun? Somewhere, somehow, there has to be someone else. I do not, however, believe they have ever tried to get in touch with us. This would prove them to be extremely stupid. We would kill them, stuff them, and put them in our museums. Think about it. If you were not from the Earth, would you try to get in touch with you?
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr.
All the President's Middlemen: The Public-Private Profiteers | Common Dreams
All the President's Middlemen: The Public-Private Profiteers | Common Dreams
MEDICARE FOR ALL. WHY WE SHOULD ALL PRETEND TO BE 65.
MEDICARE FOR ALL. WHY WE SHOULD ALL PRETEND TO BE 65.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE PEEVER
* In the beginning, there
were no humans. And it was good. The world flourished. Then God got this
brilliant idea: Why not ruin everything?
* Ten commandments are not
near enough. I would have 5,354, most having to do with the rich screwing the
poor.
* People mistake the Garden
of Eden for creation. That was an orgy. Evolution is the creation story.
* Thou shall not kill. How
much simpler can I make it?
* Do not take people like
Oral Roberts, or Jerry Falwell, or Pat Robertson, or Dr. James Dobson, or Rev.
John Hagee, or Jim Bakker, as spokespersons for Christ. He would have nothing
to do with them.
* If God would have known
people were going to get in wars over religion, he'd have never thought this
stuff up.
* I have been noticing most
people are not praying, they're begging. You got to quit that.
*In the end, there was
nothing left but politicians. And God said, "This is bad. Peever, why
don't you take over." And a deep hush fell over the land, and a voice
could be heard crying from the White House: "Oh shit!"
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
IT DOES MATTER
IT DOES MATTER
Killing people with drones is not
justified under any circumstances. It does matter how you conduct yourself in
times of war.
Arming everyone with handguns is
insane. You say it’s for safety. I say it’s for fear. It does matter.
You preach on and on about the
hungry and how terrible it is that children go to bed at night hungry. Yet,
have you every handed a hungry child a sandwich? It does matter.
So you are against abortion. After
all, your minister thinks it’s sinful. Have you ever talked to a woman about to
have an abortion? Have you asked her why? It does matter.
You believe that politician when he
says climate change is a bunch of liberal garbage. Did you ask him where he got
his information? Or did you ask to see his relevant Ph.D. It does matter.
You think white people are superior
to all others. Can you hear your fathers
or mothers voice when you think that? It does matter.
You believe the rich should get all
of the governments resources and that the poor are living high-off-the-hog on
food stamps and welfare. How about I help you trade places with someone who is
down and out. You too can lead the good life. It will matter.
You think the government interfering
in our private lives and private talks is a matter of security and safety. Have
you given any thought at all in terms of what it means to democracy? It does
matter.
We seem to believe it is alright to
torture the enemy in the name of freedom and democracy. If so, they can do the
same when they catch us. You don’t think it matters, but it does. Endorsing
evil always matters.
WHERE DID I GO RIGHT?
• I met the one woman in all the world who would put up with me. How lucky is that?
• For as dumb as I am, it’s incredible I got through graduate school.
• I’m very grateful for being left handed, having played left field, and for leaning left in my politics.
• Although I’m not overly good with children, we have two of the best.
• We have enough money to pay our heating bill, which I didn't think would be a problem down South. This winter sucks.
• I was taught to never feel superior to anyone. Only luckier.
• I didn't made a lot of money professionally, but I feel good about what I did.
• I have way too much stuff and not enough marijuana.
• I’ve known lots of good people, and very few bad ones.
• To have almost died makes you think about where you did go right. Make your own list.
Monday, February 3, 2014
MY TOP TEN NON-FICTION BOOKS
1. "Fast Food Nation," Eric Schlosser. Single-handedly gave McDonalds a migraine. A must read for all meat lovers.
2. "Crazy White Men," Michael Moore. The best selling
non-fiction book in 2003. Extremely well done. Well documented. Not a
single sentence has been disputed.
3. "Silent Springs," Rachel Carson. An environmental classic. Apparently not on Bush’s "must read" list.
4. "Nickel and Dimed," Barbara Ehrenreich. A well documented expose’ on the welfare to work debacle.
5. "Reefer
Madness," Eric Schlosser. This guy seemed to come out of nowhere.
Another extraordinary work. Documents the underground economy: drugs,
pornography, and cheap labor.
6. "Working People Talk About What They Do All Day
and How They Feel About What They Do," Studs Terkel. Studs is a great
Chicago character.
7. "The Gnostic Gospels," Elaine Pagels. What the big boys left out of the Bible. Louie, Dewey, and Huey would cry.
8. "Wisdom of the Ages," Wayne Dyer. An excellent book, although I’m not overly crazy about the author.
9. "Sacred America," Roger Housden. Explores how
numerous people around the country express their spirituality. A breath
of fresh air.
10. "Tuesday With Morrie," Mitch Albom. This is the
smallest best book that I’ve ever read. A must read for anyone
interested in writing, reading and/or life in general.
We Made New Cancer Drug For Rich White People Not (Ick) Poor Indian People, Pharma Giant CEO Actually Says Out Loud | Common Dreams
We Made New Cancer Drug For Rich White People Not (Ick) Poor Indian People, Pharma Giant CEO Actually Says Out Loud | Common Dreams
We need a revolution to right our health-care system. The rich are getting richer off of the sick backs of the poor.
We need a revolution to right our health-care system. The rich are getting richer off of the sick backs of the poor.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
BENEDICTION
Let the powerlessness of God on the cross embrace you in every
aspect of your life. No longer strive to emulate those who act out of
desire and power, but rest in that terrible grace that emerges out of
nothingness. Go now, in this grace, this life. It is eternal. It is God. It is you,
in so far as you dare to live in it. Amen.
SUNDAY MORNING SERMON
I have numerous people who ask me about my religious beliefs. I
suppose because I am usually all over the place. Most my friends know
that I was a seminary student in my early life and that I now do an
internet Sunday service on my blog sites, often featuring one of my
professors in seminary, Walter Brueggemann. I suppose it is reasonable
that people wonder just exactly what it is that I do believe.
After giving the question some thought, here's what I came up with: I'm half Christian, one-forth Buddhist, and one-fourth Native American. This probably still doesn't make a lot of sense to anyone, but luckily, it does to me. So I have crosses with Christ on and off, statues of Buddha and pictures of the Bodhi Tree where Buddha received enlightenment, and a medicine wheel in the yard. It kind of all boils down to doing unto others as I would have them do to me. That lesson shows up in every religion. You don't need a whole lot more.
After giving the question some thought, here's what I came up with: I'm half Christian, one-forth Buddhist, and one-fourth Native American. This probably still doesn't make a lot of sense to anyone, but luckily, it does to me. So I have crosses with Christ on and off, statues of Buddha and pictures of the Bodhi Tree where Buddha received enlightenment, and a medicine wheel in the yard. It kind of all boils down to doing unto others as I would have them do to me. That lesson shows up in every religion. You don't need a whole lot more.
SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER: THE STATE OF THE UNION
(We watched the other night) the State of the Union message:
We heard the Sergeant of Arms say dramatically,
"Mr. Speaker, the President of the United State."
We watched the choreographed procession down the
isle with much backslapping, applause, and good humor;
They were all there:
the leading military people,
the chief justice,
the senate leader,
the house leader,
and a few momentary "heroes" in the balcony.
We heard that the state of the union is in good shape:
the war is being won;
the economy is coming back;
migrants are facing new rigors;
unemployment is down.
There was much applause----
and we were glad for such political performance.
Except, of course, we know better.
For this is not an assembly of the union,
this is a gathering of "the suits,"
the men---and some women---who have good educations
and even better connections.
It is a meeting of wealth, and entitlement, and privilege.
We watched and noticed with some wistfulness
all those who were absent from the meeting:
the poor who lack voice,
the pensioners who lack health coverage,
the unemployed who lack benefits,
the gays who still live under threat,
the victims of disasters who still need our help,
the prisoners who live at the very edge of
their constitutional rights.
We embraced the buoyancy of the speech with gladness
and with great dis-ease,
because we know better.
We know better because our Lord has told us about
the lame and the blind,
the hungry, the homeless, the poor,
the prisoners, the ones who thirst.
And we are in touch, with our baptism, with them.
We hope and pray and work for a more perfect union,
a binding of all by dignity and security and well-being,
and less binding by money and connection and power.
Our Lord is so weak and so foolish and so poor,
and yet he is our Savior.
We are pulled apart by our double awareness
of self-satisfaction and dis-ease.
We submit to your goodness our vexed lives
that we cannot resolve.
Give us honesty and openness that we may become aware
of the true state of our union.
Adopted from: Prayers From a Privileged People, Walter Brueggemann
We heard the Sergeant of Arms say dramatically,
"Mr. Speaker, the President of the United State."
We watched the choreographed procession down the
isle with much backslapping, applause, and good humor;
They were all there:
the leading military people,
the chief justice,
the senate leader,
the house leader,
and a few momentary "heroes" in the balcony.
We heard that the state of the union is in good shape:
the war is being won;
the economy is coming back;
migrants are facing new rigors;
unemployment is down.
There was much applause----
and we were glad for such political performance.
Except, of course, we know better.
For this is not an assembly of the union,
this is a gathering of "the suits,"
the men---and some women---who have good educations
and even better connections.
It is a meeting of wealth, and entitlement, and privilege.
We watched and noticed with some wistfulness
all those who were absent from the meeting:
the poor who lack voice,
the pensioners who lack health coverage,
the unemployed who lack benefits,
the gays who still live under threat,
the victims of disasters who still need our help,
the prisoners who live at the very edge of
their constitutional rights.
We embraced the buoyancy of the speech with gladness
and with great dis-ease,
because we know better.
We know better because our Lord has told us about
the lame and the blind,
the hungry, the homeless, the poor,
the prisoners, the ones who thirst.
And we are in touch, with our baptism, with them.
We hope and pray and work for a more perfect union,
a binding of all by dignity and security and well-being,
and less binding by money and connection and power.
Our Lord is so weak and so foolish and so poor,
and yet he is our Savior.
We are pulled apart by our double awareness
of self-satisfaction and dis-ease.
We submit to your goodness our vexed lives
that we cannot resolve.
Give us honesty and openness that we may become aware
of the true state of our union.
Adopted from: Prayers From a Privileged People, Walter Brueggemann
Saturday, February 1, 2014
SOME THOUGHTS I HAD AT THE START OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM-UPDATE IN ITALICS
1. Gambling will become a major problem. We will be seriously sorry for supporting government with dirty money. Now we have casino capitalism and zombie politics. All designed to give false hope to the poor.
2. The merging of the media into a few companies will pose a serious threat to free speech. What free speech. In one poll, America is rated 14th in the world for free speech and freedom of the press. Today, most of what we see and hear is corporate owned and government censured.
3. Welfare reform will plunge millions of additional people into poverty. Right-wing controlled legislators are forcing many to survive in any way they can. That's why the rich live in gated communities and have elaborate security systems. The new welfare system gave us "the working poor." Now people have two and three jobs in order to survive. Oh, it will get better. The rich aim to drive us into the ground, just short of death, cause they need us to do their work and they don't want us to have a whole lot of energy left at the end of the day to spend organizing against them.
4. If we continue to exploit the Earth for profit, this millennium may be the last. Welcome to fraking. And more pipelines. And still those who think the Earth is not warming. Looks like we'll need to crawl out of the primordial ooze for the second time, in say, a billion or two years.
5. If we continue to treat children the way we are, particularly the disadvantaged, we deserve to have it be the last. One in four children go to bed hungry at night in Arkansas. Need I say more.
2. The merging of the media into a few companies will pose a serious threat to free speech. What free speech. In one poll, America is rated 14th in the world for free speech and freedom of the press. Today, most of what we see and hear is corporate owned and government censured.
3. Welfare reform will plunge millions of additional people into poverty. Right-wing controlled legislators are forcing many to survive in any way they can. That's why the rich live in gated communities and have elaborate security systems. The new welfare system gave us "the working poor." Now people have two and three jobs in order to survive. Oh, it will get better. The rich aim to drive us into the ground, just short of death, cause they need us to do their work and they don't want us to have a whole lot of energy left at the end of the day to spend organizing against them.
4. If we continue to exploit the Earth for profit, this millennium may be the last. Welcome to fraking. And more pipelines. And still those who think the Earth is not warming. Looks like we'll need to crawl out of the primordial ooze for the second time, in say, a billion or two years.
5. If we continue to treat children the way we are, particularly the disadvantaged, we deserve to have it be the last. One in four children go to bed hungry at night in Arkansas. Need I say more.
Nearly Half of Americans Living Paycheck to Paycheck | Common Dreams
Nearly Half of Americans Living Paycheck to Paycheck | Common Dreams
JUST THE WAY THEY WANT IT. CAUSE YOU'LL WORK FOR NEXT TO NOTHING AND YOU'LL NEVER GET AHEAD.
JUST THE WAY THEY WANT IT. CAUSE YOU'LL WORK FOR NEXT TO NOTHING AND YOU'LL NEVER GET AHEAD.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)