PERPLEXING

RIGHT-WING REPUBLICANS. RIGHT-WING BILLIONAIRES. KKK MEMBERS. GUN LOVERS. PRO-BIRTH MALES. ANTI-CHOICE FEMALES. POLITICIANS GIVING ANY KIND OF ADVICE. CONFUSING.

FLYING

ALWAYS ON EDGE. YOU NEVER KNOW. RECIRCULATED GERMS. COUGHING. SNEEZING. WHEEZING. CRYING KIDS. DRUNK PILOTS. COULD LIVE WITHOUT IT. LONG SWIM TO PARIS.

DISTRACTIONS

• Globalization distracts us from the systematic dismantling of labor unions.
• Intelligent design distracts us from intelligence.
• Shopping malls on the outskirts of town distract us from downtown.
• The Victoria Secret Holiday Special was a major distraction. 
• Speaker of the House Ryan is a distraction from  common sense and decency.
• The oil industry distracts us from developing alternative energy sources. 
• Cell phones are a major distraction for drivers.
• How many times have I been distracted by tight jeans?
• The corporate, political news media distracts us from the truth.
• Right-wing Christians distract us from finding God.
• Alcohol and drugs distract many people from becoming the person they would want to be.

HOME SWEET HOME

Hot Springs Village. It’s an ok place. It’s not Montpellier, Vt. Or Santa Fe, NM. Or Naples, Fl. Or Kula, HI. Or even San Diego. Or Navarre Beach, Fl. Or Nashville, TN.  It sure beats Chicago and New York and Kansas City and LA and Denver. And Little Rock and Pine Bluff and Possum. It’s not the best place for old people. The roads are hard to drive. It gets real dark. The summer is too hot. There are too many snakes. There are too few good restaurants. Finding people willing to stay up past 8pm is difficult. You have to have something medically wrong with you to fit in. And it doesn’t hurt to be Republican. On the other hand, the scenery is great. It’s a golfers dream come true. We have plenty of water to swim in, bath in, boat on, or drink. We do have a few good restaurants. Lots of paths to walk.  Clubs of every sort. Card clubs, radio clubs, acting clubs, social clubs, military clubs, investing clubs, garden clubs, craft clubs, walking clubs, boating clubs, fishing clubs, dancing clubs. We even have clubs for people who don’t like clubs. There are lots of interesting people. Some more interesting than others. Plenty of churches. Mainly Protestant. Probably has to do with the closed gates. We could use better leadership. Most POA presidents lately have been military. Not the best place to find democratic leadership. They don’t like anyone questioning them. We could use fewer rules. Again, probably the military influence. Autonomy is frowned on. Diversity is nonexistent. It wouldn’t hurt to have warmer winters, although this past winter was good. And more bakeries would be good. Cranford’s would not be my choice of grocery stores. How about a Whole Foods? Less crying, more doing would help. And more words allowed for editorials in The Village Voice. I would grade The Village a B- to C+.

THE TAO OF PEEVERISM

 If you think you can escape the chaos of the world, forget it. The world was born out of chaos and will end in chaos. In between you had better pay attention.
* People are not willing, or allowed, to work to their greatest potential.
* Government would be wise to minimize expense by moderating desire and ambition.
* Never underestimate your personal power. But first, you need to find it.
* Lavish buildings and frenzied profit-making are not the signs of a wise society. Feeding the hungry and housing the homeless are.
* Capitalism uses cunning and deceit to dress up profiteering and imperialism.
* Do not expect yourself to be perfect. After all, you are probably human.
* Life's three biggest vices: Doing nothing; being satisfied with doing nothing; and doing something that amounts to nothing.
* People like the good-old-days. They know what to expect because they have already been there and lived them. It is comforting and predictable. But try as we may, the good-old-days will not return. That is not the way of the world. These people end up not knowing what is what.
* Justice is far more important than profit. Immature people crave profit and ignore justice.    

PARTING HYMN: Big & Rich - That's Why I Pray (Official Music Video)

BENEDICTION

The news is that God's wind is blowing.
           It may be a breeze that
               cools and comforts.
           It may be a gust that
               summons you to notice.
           It my be a storm that blows you where you have
               never been before.

Whatever the wind is in you life,
               pay attention to it...
                          and the blessings of God,
                          Father, Son, and Spirit,
                                 will abide with you always.
AMEN

SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER

Since our mothers and fathers cried out,
since you heard their cries and noticed,
since we left the brick production of Egypt,
since you foiled the productin schedules of Pharaoh,
      we have known your name,
      we have sensed your passion,
      we have treasured your vision of justice.

And now we turn to you again,
    whose precious name we know.
We turn to you because there are
    still impossible production schedules,
    still exploitative systems,
    still cries of pain at injustice,
    still cheap labor that yields misery.

We turn to you in impatience and exasperation,
    wondering, "How long?" before you answer
           our pleading question,
     hear our petition,
           since you are not a labor boss and do not set wages.

We bid you, stir up those who can change things;
     do your stirring in the jaded halls of government;
     do your stirring in the cynical offices of the corporations;
     do your stirring amid the voting public too anxious to care;
     do your stirring in the church that thinks too much about purity and not enough about wages.

Move, as you moved in ancient Egyptian days.
Move the waters and the flocks and the herds
   toward new statutes and regulations,
        new equity and good health care,
        new dignity that cannot be given on the cheap.

We have known now long since,
         that you reject cheap grace;
even as we now know that you reject cheap labor.

You, God of justice and dignity and equity,
keep the promises you bodied in Jesus,
          that the poor may be first-class members of society,
          that the needy may have good care and respect,
          that the poor earth may rejoice in well-being,
          that we may all come to Sabbath rest together,
              the owner and the worker,
              the leisure class and the labor class,
          all at peace in dignity and justice,
              not on the cheap, but good measure,
              pressed down,
              running over....forgiven.

Walter Brueggemann, Prayers for a Privileged People

SUNDAY MORNING SERMON

BE KIND. BE CONSIDERATE. GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO HELP OTHERS. ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO GOOD. SMILE. BE POSITIVE. HELP THOSE LESS FORTUNATE THAN YOURSELF. CONFRONT THOSE WHO MAKE LIFE MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE POOR AND ELDERLY. DEMAND TO MAKE A LIVING WAGE. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONE'S. DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU. IF YOU ARE DOING YOUR BEST, KEEP YOUR HEAD UP AND LOOK ANY SON-OF-A-BITCH WHO IS TRYING TO KEEP YOU DOWN IN THE EYES AND REFUSE TO LET THEM DENY YOU YOUR HAPPINESS.

CHARITY

Giving. No conditions. No mandatory praying. Give with no expectation of praise or promotion. Give to alleviate pain and suffering. Not to cause it. No publicity. Compassion.

LETTER TO GOD

Dear God,

It’s hard waking up at 3am and having your life flashing thru your mind. Doesn’t make for a good nights rest. All the things you would like to do over. I’m not like the one who says they are satisfied with their life and wouldn’t do anything over. I could use a couple of second chances. A couple dozen. Usually, I don’t think much about the things that I did well. Those things don’t haunt you. It’s the mistakes, the failures, the missed chances. When I get to the pearly gates, there will be a lot of explaining to do. I figure I’m a pretty good talker. And St. Peter has got to be getting old, so I might have a chance. None the less, I hope you are a forgiving God, bcause I’m going to need it. Forgiveness, that is. With a little compassion thrown in. And maybe a golf course or two.

Thank you,

The Peever

INVISIBLE

Seeing the invisible. Ghosts following in behind a family coming for therapy. Mysteries to unravel. Boundaries to cross. Generations of old rules to be changed. Welcome to therapy.

Dodgy Dave and How the Panama Papers Reveal Scandalous Hypocrisy

Dodgy Dave and How the Panama Papers Reveal Scandalous Hypocrisy



THE SAME SHOULD HAPPEN FOR CORPORATIONS INCORPORATING IN NEVADA, DELAWARE, AND THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. MANY MORE RICH AMERICAN NAMES WOULD SHOW UP, INCLUDING MANY POLITICIANS.

KETCHUP

Red. Not green. Not a big variety. Hunts. Heintz. Brooks is my preferred. From Collinsville, Il. Biggest ketchup bottle on Earth. Watertower. Buy local. Now made in Canada. Crap.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“It was one of those humid days when the atmosphere gets confused. Sitting on the porch, you could feel it: the air wishing it was water.”  

Jeffrey Eugenides, Middlesex

WATER

Water.  For sale to the highest bidder. Fresh. Sweet. Not brown. No lead. Expensive. No ownership. God sent. Free. The new rich man’s gold. Don’t be stupid. Revolution pending.

WHITE VS RIGHT

SINGING THE WHITE SONG AND PRAYING THE WHITE PRAYER DOES NOT A GOOD CITIZEN MAKE.

Once Ahead by 60 Points, Clinton National Lead over Sanders Has Dwindled to Zero

Once Ahead by 60 Points, Clinton National Lead over Sanders Has Dwindled to Zero



Let's hope for a good showing tonight. If Bernie can come within 5 percentage points today, Clinton will be rattled. A win would send Clinton home crying. Her behavior has been terrible. I'm still undecided about voting for her. Between Trump, Cruz, and her, I would seriously consider moving. But to where? They're everywhere.

LETTER TO GOD

Dear God,

All the politicians are arguing that Iran and North Korea should not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. My question to you is: Why would you allow anyone to have nuclear weapons? Particularly your chosen people. I know you don’t like to take responsibility for all the dumb things we do, but this is different. This could result in ending your creation. While I realize that could be your plan, you figuring you made a horrible mistake, I think you should intervene. Normally I wouldn’t ask you to do so, but so far I haven’t asked you to help me win the lotto, so I figure you owe me.

Thanks,

The Peever

LETTER TO GOD

Dear God,

I was watching some drug commercials on TV last night. They take more time explaining the risks in taking the drug rather than the benefits. I was wondering if that is ok with you? They charge tremendous amounts of money to give you a drug that is worse for you than the problem you are taking it for. Jesus didn’t heal people that way. He laid on his hands or rubbed some mud on them and they were fine. There was no warning about seizures or violent diarrhea. I don’t think this is something you should be endorsing. Would you please let me know the direction you are going to take in this matter?  I may need to sell my pharmaceutical stock.

Thanks,

The Peever

ADVICE FROM A FAMILY THERAPIST

For you spring newlyweds:

·        Congratulations. You finally succumbed to societal pressure.

·        Be sure the person you are marrying is not an alien. That’s outer-space alien. Otherwise, just ask to see a green card.

·        If you are marrying someone of the same sex, well, never mind.

·        Never marry a relative. You can’t figure out who the in-laws are.

·        Communication is key to good marriages and the start of all divorces.

·        Remember this while you’re standing at the alter swearing to God that you will stay married till death do you part: one in two marriages end in divorce.

HELP IS ON THE WAY

·        Overeaters Anonymous is a big group. I went to a meeting a while back figuring I could lose a few pounds. I suppose it went pretty good. I only gained two pounds at Dairy Queen afterward.

·        Emotions Anonymous is a good thing. By the time I found the meeting I was really upset. They said to take a deep breath and visualize the ocean. I guess they didn’t hear about the hurricane.

·        Gamblers Anonymous is a sorry group. Half of them bet me I wouldn’t come back for another meeting.

·        Alcoholics Anonymous was the first self-help  group following the AA model. They only give first names at the meetings. You wouldn’t believe how many Mary’s and John’s are alcoholics.

·        Debtors Anonymous is mainly for persons who abuse credit cards. One person had 126 cards. I didn’t go into any details.

·        Sex Anonymous is for people with too much lead in their pencils. Or pens. For obvious reasons, the guys sit on one side of the room, the gals on the other. When researching this group, they made me wear a blindfold to the meeting, for obvious reasons. I had to attend Cheaters Anonymous the next night.

·        The Mannequin Lovers Anonymous group turned out to be a bunch of dummies.

·         Politicians Anonymous meets every week to help those folks who have an overriding urge to enter politics. They talk and talk but never say anything. An interesting observation: Their noses all seem unusually long.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“It has always seemed strange to me...The things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling, are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest, are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second.”
― John Steinbeck, Cannery Row

$1,400,000,000,000: Oxfam Exposes the Great Offshore Tax Scam of US Companies

$1,400,000,000,000: Oxfam Exposes the Great Offshore Tax Scam of US Companies



I PAY MORE TAXES NOW THAN I EVER DID IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.  WELCOME TO OLD AGE.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Live in the present, remember the past, and fear not the future, for it doesn't exist and never shall. There is only now.”
Christopher Paolini, Eldest

PEEVER LAW #81

PEOPLE WHO LIVE BEHIND CLOSED GATES ARE GENERALLY FEARFUL OF LIFE.

SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER

ON PONDERING LAMENTS

We celebrate your steadfast love.
We praise you for your mercy.
We count on your faithfulness,
    We celebrate and
        praise and
        count on.

And then the world does not work right.
   We find ourselves unsafe and anxious,
    caught up in greed and selfishness,
    beset by a culture of violence and threat.

We wonder about the mismatch
     between you and our creation.

Mostly we trust,
     down deep we sometimes do not.
We risk truth-telling
     about your absence and silence and withdrawal.

We do such truth-telling,
    telling it to you,
  you...absent, silent, withdrawn.
  You we address, you, our only hope
     in this world and in the world to come.

Prayers for a Privileged People, Walter Brueggemann

PEEVER LAW #97

AS SOON AS YOU ADD IDEOLOGY TO THEOLOGY, IT BEGINS TO STINK.

What's Going On There? Asks Bernie in 2011 About Sketchy Panama Free Trade Deal That Hillary and Most Everyone Thought Was A Great Idea

What's Going On There? Asks Bernie in 2011 About Sketchy Panama Free Trade Deal That Hillary and Most Everyone Thought Was A Great Idea



THIS IS THE BEST GUY TO BRING DOWN THE CAPITALISTS. OTHERWISE, STAY BENT OVER.

WAR

Revolutionary War. Mexican-American War. Civil War. WWI. WWII. Korean War. Vietnam War. Granada(skirmish). Iraq. Afghanistan. Others too numerous or secret to mention.

LEFT HANDED

10%. Smeared ink. Better Hebrew writers. Lousy scissors. Higher I.Q. Baseball-pitcher. Better memory. I think. Faster stroke recovery. More visual than verbal. Usually.

PANAMA PAPERS

TAKE A LOOK AT THE PANAMA PAPERS. YOU'LL SEE HOW BADLY THE RICH SCREW THE REST OF US. IT'S WORLDWIDE.

PEEVER LAW #54

THE COLDER IT GETS, THE HIGHER THE COST TO STAY WARM. THE WARMER IT GETS, THE HIGHER THE COST TO STAY COOL. THIS IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES SET FORTH AT THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION OF 1956, IN SUPPORT OF THE OIL AND COAL INDUSTRIES.

WHAT HAPPENED TO AMERICA?

Just the other day, things were so good. Not really. Always problems. People get goofy. Everyone has an agenda. Unfortunately, there are 322,000,000 of us. That’s a lot of goofy.

Bolstered by Polls, Fundraising Haul, Sanders Surges Forward into Wis. Primary

Bolstered by Polls, Fundraising Haul, Sanders Surges Forward into Wis. Primary

DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN?

Is there a difference? Maybe. Maybe not. Both like war, large corporations, Wall Street. Neither seems in touch with the everyday Joe. Or Darlene. Status-quo defenders.

PEEVER LAW #56

POWER IS A VERY GENTLE THING.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“This is the strange way of the world, that people who simply want to love are instead forced to become warriors.”
Lauren Oliver, Requiem

WARRIOR OR WEENIE?

WHICH WILL IT BE? DO YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE? CAN YOU FEEL THE DIFFERENCE? TASTE THE DIFFERENCE? STAND UP. MAKE A DIFFERENCE.  WEENIES ARE FOR ROASTING. WARRIORS ARE FOR REAL.