BENEDICTION

I'VE WALKED OUT THESE DOORS A LOT OF TIMES. I'VE ALWAYS COME BACK. SEARCHING. WONDERING. LONGING. STILL, IT ELUDES ME. WAS TODAY THE DAY? DID IT FINALLY SINK IN THAT IT IS ME WHO HAS TO CHANGE, NOT THE WORLD?

PAIN

Have you ever walked down a road where you can’t stand the pain? How do I get to be the person I would like to be? What is it that holds me back from being a better me? Do I have to spend every minute worrying about the world and how I react to it? Can’t it get along without my attention? Every day I try to be a better person. Am I as devoted to that as I am to my golf game? My community needs me to help. Now? Can’t it wait until next month? Besides, what can I do? I’m a 67 year old man. Is there no rest? When the road gets painful, am I willing to keep stepping forward? Or will it burn holes in my shoes?

SECOND QUOTE OF THE DAY

AMERICA'S HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS SECOND ONLY TO JAPAN, CANADA, SWEDEN, GREAT BRITAIN...WELL, ALL OF EUROPE. BUT YOU CAN THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS WE DON'T LIVE IN PARAGUAY!

Homer Simpson

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"DOING NOTHING FOR OTHERS IS THE UNDOING OF OURSELVES."

Horace Mann

TEN THINGS TO DO IN THE VILLAGE

1. YOU CAN COUNT THE NUMBER OF RIGHT-WING, REPUBLICAN, EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS. THIS WOULD TAKE UP QUITE A BIT OF YOUR TIME.
2. COUNTING THE PERSONS WHO VOTED FOR TRUMP WILL BE EASY. PRETTY MUCH THE SAME PEOPLE IN NUMBER 1. WITH A FEW THOUSAND MILITARY PEOPLE ADDED ON.
3. YOU CAN GO TO EAT. USUALLY DURING THE "EARLY BIRD" SPECIALS, ALTHOUGH IT CAN BE BUSY.  PEOPLE ARE STILL AWAKE.
4. DRIVING IS A CHALLENGE. BETWEEN THE ROADS, GOING UP AND DOWN AND AROUND; THERE ARE THE DRIVERS. OLD, OLDER, AND PARTIALLY BLIND. 
5. PLAYING GOLF IS A FAVORITE PASTIME. WE HAVE 8 COURSES, ALL OF WHICH LOSE MONEY. THE COURSES ARE NICE, AND TROON MANAGES THEM. WE PAY THEM TO DO SO, ALTHOUGH THE POA WILL NOT TELL US WHAT WE PAY THEM. THEY DID, HOWEVER, GIVE US AN AWARD. YOU CAN HARDLY BLAME THEM. WE ARE THEIR BEST COSTUMER, WHATEVER WE PAY THEM. IT'S A SECRET.
6. WE HAVE ALL SORTS OF CLUBS YOU CAN JOIN. WE HAVE CLUBS TO TEACH YOU HOW TO START CLUBS. WE HAVE A CHEER-LEADING CLUB FOR THE POA. THEY RAH--RAH ALL OF THEIR DECISIONS, NO MATTER HOW STUPID. 
7. WE HAVE A LOT OF NICE TRAILS. NONE OF THEM LEAD TO ANYWHERE, BUT STILL, THEY ARE NICE. 
8. I LIKE READING THE VILLAGE VOICE. I'M NOT SURE IF IT IS A POA PUBLICITY STUNT, OR A MILITARY STORY-BOOK, OR A RELIGIOUS JOURNAL. 
9. FISHING IS A NICE PASTIME. WE HAVE LIKE NINE LAKES, SOME OF WHICH HAVE FISH IN THEM. 
10. AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, YOU CAN COUNT THE NUMBER OF SNAKES YOU SEE. I'M UP TO 15 SO FAR THIS SUMMER. I DON'T MIND SNAKES. THEY ARE, GENERALLY SPEAKING, MORE INTELLIGENT THAN HUMANS. YOU LEAVE THEM ALONE, THEY LEAVE YOU ALONE. THEY PRACTICE NO RELIGION, HAVE NO ALLEGIANCE TO POLITICAL PARTIES, AND DO NOT SEEM TO BE RACIST. AND THEY WON'T BITE JUST ANYONE, LIKE MOST HUMANS.

SUNDAY MORNING SERMON

MORE OF THE SAME THIS WEEK FROM TRUMP. COMPLETE IDIOCY. HE LIKELY EITHER HAS A SLEEP DISORDER, OR IS USING DRUGS. HE CAN HARDLY FUNCTION. DAZED, TIRED, AND UTTERLY USELESS, HE REPRESENTS THE UNITED STATES TO THE WORLD. IF YOU ARE NOT EMBARRASSED, YOU ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION. HERE IN THE VILLAGE, PEOPLE STILL SUPPORT HIM. THESE ARE BY AND LARGE EDUCATED PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE SOME MONEY. THEY DIDN'T TAKE A LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION SERIOUSLY. THEY REMAINED PETTY MUCH LIKE THEIR FATHERS AND MOTHERS. CLOSED TO NEW IDEAS. RETROGRESSIVE, BELIEVING THAT ONLY WHITE, CHRISTIAN PEOPLE DESERVE GOD'S BLESSING. THEY DON'T WANT GOVERNMENT TO HELP THE POOR. THE POOR ARE MOOCHERS IN THEIR EYES. THEY TAKE AWAY MONEY BEST USED FOR THE RICH. THESE SAME PEOPLE GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY AND CLAIM TO UNDERSTAND THE MESSAGE THAT CHRIST GAVE US. I PERSONALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND ANY OF IT. IT ESCAPES MY LOGIC AND UNDERSTANDING OF LIFE. I GUESS I WAS BORN ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS. IT UPSETS ME AND MAKES ME SAD TO WATCH.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

AMERICA'S HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS SECOND ONLY TO JAPAN, CANADA, SWEDEN, GREAT BRITAIN....WELL, ALL OF EUROPE. BUT YOU CAN THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS WE DON'T LIVE N PARAGUAY!

Homer Simpson

PEEVER LAW #110

IF YOU VOTED FOR AN IDIOT FOR PRESIDENT, IT SAYS A MOST DISAGREEABLE THING ABOUT YOU.

GUNS R US

THE ARKANSAS GOVERNOR JUST SIGNED THE CONCEAL CARRY LAW, ALLOWING GUNS INTO JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE: COLLEGES, CHURCHES, BARS, BUSINESSES, SPORTING EVENTS IN STADIUMS. WELCOME TO HELL.

In Face of TrumpCare 'Abomination,' New Jersey Latest State to Join Single Payer Push

In Face of TrumpCare 'Abomination,' New Jersey Latest State to Join Single Payer Push



IN SPITE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD.

PEEVER LAW #45

THE TRUTH IS LIKE WATER: IT'S HARD TO GRASP AND EASY TO CONTAMINATE.

THERE MUST BE THOUSANDS OF PARADES

THERE MUST BE THOUSANDS OF PARADES, ALL ACROSS AMERICA, DEMANDING THAT DONALD TRUMP AND THIS BAND OF CLOWNS LEAVE WASHINGTON. IMMEDIATELY. THE LARGEST SHOULD BE IN WASHINGTON, SURROUNDING THE WHITE HOUSE, DETERMINED TO STAY UNTIL THEY ARE GONE. THESE PARADES WILL BE A CELEBRATION OF DEMOCRACY. WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO NOT ALLOW OUR COUNTRY TO BE HIGH-JACKED BY THESE RECKLESS FOOLS. THEY ARE LAUGHING RIGHT IN OUR FACES AS WE SIT ON OUR ASSES AND ALLOW THEM TO TAKE WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY OURS. THEY KNOW THAT MANY OF US ARE WRAPPED IN THE FLAG AND HAVE BEEN DUPED BY FALSE ELECTIONS AND CAPITALISM MASKED AS DEMOCRACY. WE ARE THE ONLY CITIZENS IN THE WORLD THAT WOULD ALLOW WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR GOVERNMENT TO CONTINUE. ANY OTHER NATION DECLARING ITSELF A DEMOCRACY WOULD HAVE ALREADY REMOVED TRUMP AND HIS BAND OF FASCISTS. WE SIT BACK AND HOPE THE GOVERNMENT WILL RIGHT ITSELF OF THIS CANCER. IT WILL NOT. WE HAVE TO REASSERT THAT WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT, AND WHAT IS HAPPENING IS UNACCEPTABLE. AND WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO. NOW.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

GIVE PEOPLE WHAT THEY NEED: FOOD, MEDICINE, CLEAN AIR, PURE WATER, TREES AND GRASS, PLEASANT HOMES TO LIVE IN, SOME HOURS OF WORK, MORE HOURS OF LEISURE. DON'T ASK WHO DESERVIES IT. EVERY HUMN BEING DESERVES IT.

Howard Zinn

FICKLE AND IRRESPONSIBLE

WE ARE A FICKLE AND IRRESPONSIBLE NATION. WE KNOW WHAT DONALD TRUMP IS GOING TO DO. IT WILL BE NOTHING BUT HEARTBREAK AND SADNESS FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE. HE WILL DESCIMATE THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE NAME OF PROFIT. CHANCES ARE PROBABLY 85% THAT HE WILL GET US IN A WAR WITH SOMEONE. WE ARE THE LAUGHING STOCK OF THE WORLD. PEOPLE SAY "IF THAT IS HOW DEMOCRACY WORKS, WE WANT NO PART OF IT." HE WAS A GREAT WIN FOR THE ENEMY. AND WE, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, SIT BACK AND WATCH. ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD, HE WOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN REMOVED. HE IS A CANCER THAT IS EATING AWAY AT OUR FREEDOM AND OUR GREATNESS AS A COUNTRY. WE HAVE ALREADY DECLINED TO 3RD WORLD STATUS. ONLY THE RICH WILL BE ABLE TO SURVIVE. WE CANNOT WAIT FOR TOMORROW TO GET RID OF THESE CLOWNS. THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON MUST HAPPEN TODAY. IF WE WAIT FOR CONGRESS TO DO SOMETHING, WE WILL PERISH. AND WE WILL DESERVE IT. THE TIME IS NOW. THE PLACE IS WASHINGTON. THE CALL IS FOR ALL OF US.

Kick Donald Trump’s Circus Out of Town

Kick Donald Trump’s Circus Out of Town



THE TIME IS TODAY. LET'S REMOVE TRUMP FROM THE WHITE HOUSE. AN IMPEACHMENT MARCH ON WASHINGTON. FILMED BY MICHAEL MOORE. PRODUCED BY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. 

WORK

People moan and groan about the perceived unwillingness of those on welfare to work. Yet when I’m around any country club, which isn’t very often, the most esteemed and admired seem to be those who don’t work. I’m sure there is an explanation, and I can imagine who paid for it.

THE UNDERTAKING-THOMAS LYNCH

"IN THIS WAY, THE DEAD I BURY AND BURN ARE LIKE THE DEAD BEFORE THEM, FOR WHOM TIME AND SPACE HAVE BECOME MORTALLY UNIMPORTANT. THIS LOSE OF INTEREST IS, I FACT, ONE OF THE FIRST SURE SIGNS THAT SOMETHING SERIOUS IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. THE NEXT THING IS THEY QUIT BREATHING. AT THIS POINT, TO BE SURE, A GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE CHEST OR SHOCK AND TRAUMA WILL GET MORE INK THAN A CVA OR ASHD, BUT NO CAUSE OF DEATH IS ANY LESS PERMANENT THAN THE OTHER. ANY ONE WILL DO. THE DEAD DON'T CARE."

MONEY VISIONS

    Food bank for the rich. Why not? They got everything else. They could save more for whatever. Maybe stocks. Maybe fine wine. Maybe a Rolex.  Maybe just to look at. Money visions.

THE ART OF PAYING ATTENTION

BACK FROM A TRIP TO SAVANNAH AND CHARLESTON. I DON'T CARE FOR AIRPLANES. IT'S NOT THAT I FEAR FLYING. IT'S MORE I FEAR THE OTHER PASSENGERS. I DON'T WORRY ABOUT ANYONE BLOWING THE PLANE UP. I WORRY ABOUT THEM BLOWING THEIR NOSES. IT'S WEIRD HOW PEOPLE BLOW THEIR NOSE AND LOOK AT IT. WHAT THE HELL THEY LOOKING FOR? MAYBE THEY ARE AFRAID THEY BLEW OUT SOME OF THEIR BRAINS. THAT DOES SEEM TO BE GOING AROUND. I GUESS IT'S NOT UNLIKE GOING TO THE BATHROOM. EVERYONE LOOKS TO SEE WHAT CAME OUT. YOU SHOULD PRETTY MUCH KNOW, BUT HEY, YOU NEVER KNOW. ALWAYS THE POTENTIAL FOR A TAPEWORM, OR SOME BUGS. A SNAKE WOULD BE UNUSUAL. I'VE NEVER ACTUALLY SEEN ANY OF THAT, BUT IT DOESN'T HURT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. YOU JUST REALLY NEVER KNOW.

SIMPLE TRUTHS

IF YOU ARE HUNGRY, WORDS ARE NOT GOING TO CUT IT. IF YOU ARE HOMELESS, NO NEED FOR A SERMON. YOU NEED FOOD AND SHELTER.

PAIN

Have you ever walked down a road where you can’t stand the pain? How do I get to be the person I would like to be? What is it that holds me back from being a better me? Do I have to spend every minute worrying about the world and how I react to it? Can’t it get along without my attention? Every day I try to be a better person. Am I as devoted to that as I am to my golf game? My community needs me to help. Now? Can’t it wait until next month? Besides, what can I do? I’m a 67 year old man. Is there no rest? When the road gets painful, am I willing to keep stepping forward? Or will it burn holes in my shoes?

Hundreds Gather at Trump Golf Course and Spell It Out: 'Resist!'

Hundreds Gather at Trump Golf Course and Spell It Out: 'Resist!'



RESIST

THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION

WE GOT PLENTY OF RIGHT-WING REPUBLICANS WHO WRAP A LOT OF BULLSHIT IN THEIR PRAYERS. IT'S TIME WE CALL IT WHAT IT REALLY IS-BULLSHIT.

CHILDREN ON MOTHER'S DAY

WE ARE CHILDREN TODAY OF MANY MOTHERS,
       SOME OF US GRATEFUL AND GLAD,
       SOME OF US CYNICAL AND DEFEATED,
       ALL OF US LIVING LIVES THAT ARE PURE GIFT
             FROM YOU AND FOR YOU.

AS WE GIVE THANKS FOR OUR MOTHERS,
       SO WE THINK OF CHILDREN WHOM YOU TREASURE
              AND INVITE CLOSE IN.
       FOR NEWBORN BABIES ARRIVING IN THESE RESTLESS DAYS,
       FOR CHILDREN LOVED AND LOST AWHILE---
              JOSHUA, CHARLES, MICHAEL, SOPHIE, AND A WORLD OF OTHERS,
       FOR CHILDREN BORN FEEBLE AND TROUBLED
               AND LOVED IN THEIR NEED,
       FOR CHILDREN INFUSED WITH NAPALM AND
               SHRAPNEL AND HATE AND FIRE,
       FOR CHILDREN WHO KNOW THE SHARP EDGE OF PHARAOH AND HEROD,
                AND A THOUSAND OTHER UNEASY MEN OF FORCE.

IN THE MIDST OF THIS PARADE OF INNOCENCE,
       WE SUBMIT ALL THE TREASURED CHILDREN OF THE WORLD TO YOU,
       THAT THEY MAY PROSPER, AND THAT WE MAY BECOME MORE FULLY
                 YOUR DAUGHTERS AND SONS,
                  CHILDREN OF YOUR COMMANDMENTS,
                  RECIPIENTS OF YOUR GIFTS,
                  BEARERS OF YOUR HOPE.
YOU HAVE SAID, "LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME."
HERE WE ARE---YOURS....
                                                THAT WE MAY RECEIVE YOUR NURTURE
                                                                                        AND YOUR DISCIPLINE.

Walter Brueggemann-Prayers for a Privileged People
                             
                  

CONTEMPLATION

Flying in a six-seat Cessna at 5,000 feet on a clear night can be an exhilarating experience. What a sense of freedom and escape. Looking at all the lit-up towns is truly fascinating. Small patches of 50, 1000, 5,000 lights. Single lights off in an isolated nowhere. Imagine, under all those lights, the stories people could tell: fathers trying to teach their sons how to be a good man; a wife wondering why she married an abusive husband; daughters yet to be married; grandchildren yet to appear; careers still to be realized. Births, deaths, town heroes, town whores, lovers of life, killers of hope. Things beautiful and thoughts ugly flood into my mind. The plane turns dark, except for the lights below and the zillions of stars above. The constellations look like they are alive. The Milky Way, pouring out its miracle elixir. Orion, ready to do battle with evil. The North Star, about to get a new job. It will need to guide us home.The regulator on the plane is out. The instrument panel is black. There is no way to know if the landing gear went down or not. It is a pity such a beautiful night ends with such bad news.

Garbage In, Garbage Out: Happy Birthday, George Carlin

Garbage In, Garbage Out: Happy Birthday, George Carlin



WE NEED GEORGE. BOY, WOULD HE HAVE THE MATERIAL. HE ALREADY KNEW WE WERE GOING TO GET A TRUMP. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEORGE.

WELCOME, MR. WESTERMAN, TO RIGHT-WING VILLAGE.

I SEE THE REPUBLICANS HELD A SECRET MEETING WITH ONE OF OUR ESTEEMED REPRESENTATIVES FROM ARKANSAS IN THE VILLAGE. DEMOCRATS WERE NOT ALLOWED. THIS WAS A QUAINT, QUIET, FASCIST MEETING WITH THEIR RIGHT-WING SUPPORTERS HERE IN RICH, WHITE, RIGHT-WING LAND. I SUPPOSE I CAN'T BLAME THEM. I WOULD HAVE BEEN STANDING OUTSIDE HOLDING A SIGN READING, "WELCOME REPRESENTATIVE BRUCE WESTERMAN. I DO BELIEVE YOU ALSO REPRESENT ME. ALTHOUGH ADMITTEDLY, POORLY."

TRUMP IS THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY

THE FIRING OF COMEY IS BEING REPORTED BY THE MEDIA AS AN INSANE MOVE BY TRUMP. I'M WONDERING WHAT TRUMP HAS DONE THAT ISN'T INSANE? I'M BEGINNING TO THINK WE ARE ALL INSANE FOR NOT REMOVING HIM FROM OFFICE. WAIT FOR CONGRESS AND WE WILL ALL BE DEAD. ANY TIME WE MOVE ON WASHINGTON, I'M IN. I HAVEN'T EVERY BEEN TO WASHINGTON. DON'T WANT TO CATCH THE DUMBS. OR TURN RIGHT-HANDED.

"THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY," BY DONALD TRUMP

• ERRATIC BEHAVIOR, SELF-DEFEATING BEHAVIOR, BEHAVIOR DANGEROUS TO YOURSELF OR OTHERS.
• MOODINESS
• THINKING YOU KNOW EVERYTHING.
• BELIEVING EVERYTHING YOU THINK.
• ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOR.
• REPEATEDLY SAYING ONE THING AND DOING ANOTHER (SEE #1).
• LACK OF SLEEP. TROUBLED SLEEP. 
• WEIRD HAIR-DO. SPRAY PAINTING YOURSELF. ALL IN A MISGUIDED ATTEMPT TO LOOK NORMAL.
• WHEN 50 PSYCHOLOGISTS OR PSYCHIATRISTS SUGGEST YOU ARE INSANE, YOU PROBABLY ARE. BUT YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT. BECAUSE YOU'RE INSANE.

POSITIVE DOUBT

     We are spending a lot of money on gate security in The Village. Another $250,000 or so.  I do have to admit, I’m feeling safer already. I would suggest a wall around the entire property, but that idea has already been taken. The five or so gates we have make up a very small percentage of the area a person could walk in on, rob someone, and drive out, through the gate, with their stolen car. 

     On a completely different note, I looked over the statistics that Frank Lemming puts together each year. (He, by the way, was the best director we have had).  Since 2012, golf rounds have been down. Seems we always blame the weather, which in part is true. A clear endorsement of climate change, since it has gone on for 4 years. And the Alice Cooper Award from Troon. I like Alice Cooper, but I would rather know what we pay them than receive an award. Which, by the way, we paid for.

      Marketing is by-and-large an illusion. No one ever knows if it’s working, although it is always reported that it is. Put realtors in the Balboa clubhouse and invite people to the village for a free round or two of golf and a night of free hamburgers, entertainment, and a sales pitch or two. Cut the shenanigans.

     And finally, I would like to make it known that this writing is an example of expressing “positive doubt.” This is not whining. I hate whiners. Positive doubt questions decisions made by our leaders that don’t quite make sense. It does not cast dispersions on their character or attempt to harm their reputation. It is the standing up to the status quo, or conventional wisdom, and asking for clarification or reconsideration. It is what the idea of democracy is based on.