Disagreement Doesn’t Necessarily Equal Stupidity

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I seem to be writing about humanity's deficits of character lately.  While I don't claim to be a moral authority, in any way, I've noticed some trends, lately, which really bother me.  Over on my Liberal Christian blog I just wrote about our willingness to hate, and this piece feels like a companion to it.  We have a bad habit, me included, which leads to division within society.  When we take a position, we tend to write off people who take the opposing viewpoint as being "stupid."

Publicly traded MEME

Perhaps the most relevant expression of this judgmental phenomenon involves COVID-19 vaccinations.

To vax, or not to vax, that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of COVID-19, 

Or to take arms against possible contraction 

And by vaxing remove my mask... 

Personally, I'm tired of wearing a mask and having things closed, so I was eager to get the shot.  Some believe I'm gullible and stupid for obeying the government and medical community. 

On the flip side, my best friend, of twelve years, WILL NOT be vaccinated.  She doesn’t want to put something into her body, which she's not sure of.  Some people think that makes her stupid. 

I don't think either of us stupid. 

When I have trouble with my computer, I consult the experts at Geek Squad.  When I have a question about a recipe, I consult a cookbook written by experts.  And, when I have a question about my health I listen to medical experts, aka doctors.  It's what experts are for.   Thus, I believe a 70% vaccination rate is our best and only road back to normality, because that's what the experts are telling me.

I don't agree with my friend, but she has a point.  For obvious reasons, these vaccines were rushed to the public.   We don't know what the long term effects of these shots are.  For all we know, the "anti-vaxxers" will be laughing, in five years, when those of us who took the shots start growing third eyes and craving salt.  I don't think it'll happen, but I can’t say people are stupid for being skittish.

Writing "the other side" off as stupid, and dismissing their point of view as being stupid, it makes it easy to devalue the people with that point of view.  It's much easier to hate a person once we've devalued them. 

Acknowledging the validity of another point of view isn't the same as agreeing with it.  A person can understand another point of view while holding onto their own.  

Questions Of Rights

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Major League Baseball has chosen to relocate its 2021 All-Star Game and amateur player draft out of Atlanta in protest over Georgia’s new voting law. Conservative lawmakers, such as Senator Ted Kruz (R-TX), are crying foul, claiming the MLB is infringing on the State of Georgia’s First Amendment rights.

Such an infringement isn’t even possible. The First Amendment makes it unlawful for the government to curtail the speech of an individual or privately owned body. It says nothing, noooooothing, about not allowing a privately owned body’s reaction to a government action. One could even argue the MLB is doing exactly what we want responsible businesses to do.

For a completely unrelated reason closer to home, I’ve been doing considerable thinking about the right to speak lately.

Publicly traded MEME

Let me take a moment to assure you that I'm a nice man. Enlightened Christian morality is VERY IMPORTANT to me, and I go out of my way to be kind. That being said, I have a dark sense of humor which many people don't appreciate. In order to sate my appetite for dark (not racist) humor, I joined a Facebook group for dark humor. Interestingly, the group in question was created, and is moderated, by nurses as a way to blow off steam after work.

Said nurses fashioned their own rules against racist humor, sexist humor, and humor depicting child abuse. Yet, the group’s founder, and its moderators, are frequently afraid of being temporally, or permanently, being banned from Facebook as the result of a group member complaining about the humor.

As annoying as the situation is, I'm forced to admit this isn’t a First Amendment issue ether. Facebook, while used by most of the public, is a privately owned website. They charge nothing for use of the site. Thus, they can ban anyone for any reason. Facebook could ban people who wear yellow hats in their profile picture if they wanted to.

Of course, you have to wonder about someone who joins a group for dark humor then reports posts to Facebook because they are offended by the DARK HUMOR! I can't help but think of such people as either @$$holes who like to start trouble then sit back and watch the ensuing drama unfold, or bipolar nut cases.

As Americans, not only do we have the right to speak freely, but we have the right to not listen to anyone we want. Personally, I’m a die-hard liberal, so I don't belong to a group for fans of FOX NEWS. I let them have their own misinformed corner of cyber space, and I belong to groups of people who share my interests and/or views. It's what mature adults do.

Hope For A Burning World

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I haven't posted here for a while.  I've been working on a political piece about the systematic erosion of our constitution, but I find myself not caring about the subject at the moment. 

|Subject: Conditions outside Newburg, Oregon home during wild fires | Date: 09/09/2020 | Photographer: Kyle Jordan |

Crimson clouds of smoke have filled Oregon skies, carrying with them blankets of thick ash.  Flames have devoured Cherry Grove & Detroit, Oregon as several other populations listen for evacuation orders they pray will never be issued. 

As series of wildfires (some caused by accident, some not) has gripped the entire west coast in fear. 

With two months to go until the general election, I expected to be writing a myriad of political pieces designed to help oust Trump from the White House.  Yet, right now all I can think  about is how little that stuff matters. 

While partisan power brokers are busily tossing campaign slogans back & forth, everyday people are doing everything the can to help their neighbors during a genuine time of crisis.  I only have to glance at my Facebook feed to see notice after notice from people offering to open their homes to people with nowhere else to go.  They're offering food, shelter, and basic first aid to people in need. 

No  one cares who's a democrat and who's a republican, or which  God somebody worships.  None of that matters right now, if it ever really did.  People are simply helping people.  That simple fact and glorious truth gives me hope for the future of our country. 

In about eight weeks our leaders will be vying for power and challenging results.  Meanwhile, everyday people will be showing kindness, mercy, and generosity to one another.  When I look at the flag from now on, I won't see it as a symbol of politics or political leaders spouting promises and skewed truths.  From now on, my eyes will see a representation of a compassionate populace I can take pride in belonging to.

Life's Too Short

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This week, a good friend of mine posted on Facebook that she is going to unfriend (yes, "unfriend" is a verb now) anyone who's going to vote for Trump.  Now, I'm a political animal, and a liberal one at that.  So, when I first saw the post my initial reaction was, "right on Babe!"  I was going to do the same. 

As I began to make my hit list I realized I was listing people who are near and dear to my heart.  I don't agree with these people about politics, religion, or even pandemic precautions, but I love 'em.  I agree with these people about the important things, namely how to treat people. 

Before you say it, just stop yourself.  Not everyone who supports Donald Trump is a racist.  They're not all like that.  People of good conscious and character can have differences of opinion which have been shaped by individual life experiences.  Voting for a particular candidate doesn't make a person evil or racist any more than going to a particular church makes a person good.

Do I think we have a selfish moron in the Oval Office right now.  Absolutely.  Is it worth ending friendships over?  Not even a little bit.  If I axe people from my life who don't agree with me, I'm out a friend and it's not going to change the outcome of the next election. 

Yes, we should blog and campaign for the people and causes we believe in.  Yet at the end of the day, life's too short to lose EVEN ONE friend over outcomes we have no control over.  Maybe, just maybe, if we all nurture our personal relationships we might wake up to a country which isn't arguing over which lives matter.  WE ALL MATTER!  

• Black lives matter.  
• White lives matter.  
• Hispanic lives matter.  
• Asian lives matter.  
• Native American lives matter.  
• Liberal lives matter.  
• Conservative lives matter.  
• Homeless lives matter.  
• Veterans lives matter.  
• We all matter, 

so lets not put what we can't control over the value of the people around us.  It's not worth it.

The Blogging Blahs

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I’ve hit a dry spell blogging-wise. It’s not that I don’t have any opinions regaining current events, food, and/or spirituality. Of course, I do. Everything is simply a jumble right now, and I’m finding it hard to focus my thoughts.

Being an election year, I thought I’d be doing lots of president critiquing right about now. Yet, it seems wrong to write divisive material during a time when we need to be coming together.

My Community Circa 2015

Right now, political parties and differences in God concepts seem trivial right now. I mean, they're not, but they need to be on the proverbial back burner right now. We can blame the government and/or God for the position we’re in, but doing either would be pointless and counterproductive. What's important right now is that we come together as people and support each other.

I’m not quitting blogging. I may blog again tomorrow or two weeks from now, I simply won’t be doing it on a regular, pre-pandemic schedule. Stay healthy, safe, and sane, my friends.

My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys

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According to The Los Angeles Times, John Wayne said, "I believe in white supremacy until the blacks are educated to a point of responsibility," in 1971.  As a result, people want Orange County's John Wayne Airport to be renamed.

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Don't get me wrong, racism is down right ugly.  For thousands of years it has been used as an excuse for one group to oppress another group.  That being said, I'm not sure that racism is at the heart of this issue.

We all have heroes, people who are larger than life, who we look up to.  These people have done something which has inspired others on some level.  In September of 2014, I wrote a blog about meeting one of my childhood heroes, Dirk Benedict.

Mr. Benedict, played the part of two action heroes on television when I was growing up.  I was excited to meet him.  When I did meet him he turned out to be a right wing nut job.  I felt betrayed until I realized he didn't owe me anything.  He played a role on TV and made a little boy happy, and that's all he was suppose to do.

We idealize our heroes.  We assume that because they inspire us that they have no flaws.  One could argue that FDR, JFK, and Bill Clinton were three of the best presidents of the twentieth century.   Yet all three men cheated on their wives while in office.  Does this flaw mean that they should not be honored for their contributions?  Should we take their names off grade schools?

Heros are people and people have flaws.  Yes, John Wayne made a stupid racist comment.  I, for one, am glad he never ran for public office.  However, his job was not to make laws or serve as a moral compass.  His job was to make movies, and he did that.  His body of work has entertained and inspired generations of Americans.  The airport is named after the inspirational figure not the flawed man.

If we insist our heros be perfect before we honor them, we won't have any heros to look up to.

Leave My Holiday Traditions Alone!

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Make no mistake, I'm a liberal Democrat.  I believe in universal health care, government assistance programs for the poor and disadvantaged, legalized marijuana, a woman's right to choose, gay rights, etc.  However there are limits to even my liberalism.

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A movement has arisen, in America, to ban certain Christmas programs for not being politically correct.  The most vocal argument revolves around Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.  Those who object to the cartoon point out that the other reindeer and Santa Clause bully Rudolph for looking different.  They only welcome him into the fold once his disfigurement proves useful to them.

Objectors would also ban A Charlie Brown Christmas.  They argue that Lucy bullies Charlie by moving the football when Charlie goes to kick it.  These self-appointed guardians of the airwaves also object to Linus quoting the bible at the ending of the story.

Last but not least, or maybe it is least, they object to Frosty The Snowman for having a corn-cob pipe in his mouth which, in their minds, promotes smoking.

I could spend a good four paragraphs arguing each and every point that they make.  I could argue that Rudolph overcame the bullying, etc...  Yet, I'm not going to waste my time arguing the merits of the stories point by point.   I am more concerned with the underlying assumption that everything that is controversial should be banned.

Even though we see cartoons as mundane bits of pop culture, they are, in fact, products of artistic expression.  It has been said that the job of art is to provoke emotion.  It doesn't have to be  positive emotion, it just has to provoke something within us.

If you believe that the story of Rudolf is about bullying, why not use the cartoon to start a discussion with children about bullying?  If you object to the way Lucy treats Charlie Brown why not use it to talk to your kids about friendship?

Of course, there is another very easy solution.  If you don't want to look at anything that challenges your world view, you can click the off button of your remote control.  If you don't like it you don't have to watch it.  If, for some reason, that doesn't work, you can close your eyes, put your fingers in your ears, and hum loud enough to make sure that no messages you don't approve of get in.

Banning cartoons creates what we call a slippery slop.  Today, we ban a few objectionable cartoons.  Next, Baby It's Cold Outside is pulled from the radio for promoting Weinstein-esc behavior.  Then, certain movies can not be shown on television or at the local theater.   Before you know it , we will all be gathered in a public square buring copies of Catcher in the Rye and The Road by Jack Kerouac.

Cultures that suppress artistic expression inevitably collapse.  To suppress art is to suppress the voice of the people.  In order to maintain a free society we must allow all ideas to be expressed.  It is then up to us to listen or not listen, to look or to not look, as we see fit.

Shifting Gears

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This blog will be a bit different than most of my blogs, namely because this whole blog will be different from now on.

Me at a Pink Martinis concert

10 years ago, I began this blog as a writing and literature blog.  I had just written a novel and I wanted to build an online following, to make myself more attractive to publishers.  It didn't work.

Publishers didn't want to look at my book until I had an agent, agents didn't want to represent me until I had been published.  Talk about a catch-22.  The reality is I am not going to get published.

Back in the day,  I used to do the occasional political/current events Op-Ed in between my writings about books and the writing business.  Gradually, the opinion pieces began to outweigh the literary posts.  Truth be told, it's become harder and harder to care about the newest American novel when we live in a country run by a buffoon.

No kidding, when our president is constantly under under investigation and we're poised on the brink of war, I can't get worked up about the next Victorian thriller to hit shelves; I don't care what kind of sexual metaphors are in the book.

Therefore, I have redesigned the look of this blog to reflect what I actually write about.  Keep in mind, THIS IS NOT a news blog!  I can no more break a hot story than I can run a marathon.  If you knew me, you would know how impossible running a marathon would be.  All I can do is give my perspective on the news that's already out there.

I'm under no illusion that my opinion will actually change the world.  The most I can hope for is that I can change the way a few people think.  If I can do that, then maybe I can influence one election to some degree.  We'll see.

Confessions of a Prejudiced Man

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This may, or may not, be my last blog for a while.  With that in mind I'm going to write some things which may or may not offend some people.  It is not my goal to offend anyone but I'm not going to hold back either.
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Subject: American Flag | This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

For years I have spoken out against prejudice.  In college I was one of the only students leaders to give public speeches against ballot measure 9 (an anti-gay bill, which would have made it legal to fire people on the basis of sexual orientation).  I always prided myself in not being racist, sexist or homophobic.  However, this week my own prejudice hit me upside the head.

Last Wednesday I gave a talk to a group of college students.  During the talk, I briefly mentioned that I belonged to a Bible study. After the talk a female student came up to me and asked if I could do bible lessons with her husband at my house.  When I asked about their beliefs, she said they are conservative Christians who take the Bible literally.  My insides reeled upon hearing this.  I instantly labelled her and her husband as naive and ignorant.

I thought about this all the way home and I realized while I am not racist, sexist or homophobic, I am conservative-ist.  I have been labeling all conservatives as the enemy.  That's wrong.  Just because one has a difference of opinion does not necessarily make them the bad guy.  One can believe in zero tolerance for drug use, a strong military, and vouchers for private school without being a bad person.

It's been said that we have more values which unite us than divide us. Most of us want to do an honest days' work for an honest days' pay.  We want our kids to be happy, healthy, productive people.  We don't want to live our lives hurting others.  It's only the details which separate us.

Go to a baseball game and look at the crowd just for a second.  You can't tell who is liberal and who is conservative; who believes in the Bible and who believes the Quran.  We're just all there to enjoy baseball and eat popcorn.  We have that in common.

I will always believe that the government should take care of the least among us.  I will always believe that the Bible is a book of metaphors designed to teach us about the values of God, rather than being a historical document.  However, I need to learn to respect those who don't agree with me. I don't believe I am alone though.  Pundits on both sides can stand to tone down the partisan rhetoric so people can come together to solve our country's problems.

2 A.M.

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Subject: A shot of the glorious full moon that visited my Bible class on 09/08/14 | Photographers: Linda Waltmire |

I'm a great person at 2 a.m..  I stare at the ceiling's shadows, depicting borders of fictional nations, and ponder the events of the day.

I grimace at the thoughtless comment I made, eleven hours earlier, when my mental filter temporarily slipped into neutral.

Then I kick myself for watching YouTube's cheesy offerings when I could have been blogging, or emailing my friend after her knee surgery.

With closed eyes, I apologize to God for the prior day's deficits and faux pas, hoping to receive the continued gift of grace.

Upon ending the prayer, I earnestly vow, as God as my witness, to; break my bad habits, double my work output, pay better attention to the fabulous people in my life, and budget my resources better.  And, HOLY HUCKLEBERRIES, I SINCERELY MEAN EVERY WORD!

3 a.m. arrives, and with comfortable slumber my brain slips back into default.

Reflections On Death

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Photo poster of David Bowie
courtesy of Amazon's Affiliate Program.

We're all going to die.  There's no denying it.  There's no escaping it.  Yet, most of the time we can push death to the back of our mind; we have to.  If we thought about the inevitable end to our mortal existence, on a daily basis, we couldn't function.  Recently, I've been having a harder time ignoring death though.

We've lost four legends in the last month.

• David Bowie, singer of Life On Mars and numerous other hits, died on January 10th.
• Harry Potter's Snape and Die Hard's Hans Gruber, Alan Rickman, died on January 14th.
• Dan Haggerty, star of Grizzly Adams, died on January 15th.
• Glenn Frey, founder of The Eagles and solo singer of Smuggler's Blues, died on January 18th.

Of course, all four of these entertainment icons have done much more than what I've listed.  The roles and songs listed above are simply the works I remember most when I think of these men.

Them dying back to back, as they have, has brought the concepts of death and time to the forefront of my mind.  Bowie had just released a hit album when we lost him, reminding us that, despite our plans, things can change in an instant.

While such a thought can be viewed as a depressing excuse to hit the bottle, it can also be seen as a reminder to cherish life now.  Tomorrow, a ten year cat or an eighty year old uncle may die.  Embrace today, for this day, this moment, will never come again.

"Sailors fighting in the dance hall, Oh man! Look at those cavemen go. It's the freakiest show. Take a look at the Lawman beating up the wrong guy. Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know he's in the best selling show. Is there life on Mars?"

Was The Force Ever Asleep?

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On May 25th, 1977, fans of science fiction caught their first glimpse of the Star Wars Universe.  The newest chapter of this saga has been entitled "The Force Awakens," yet I have to wonder if it's ever really been asleep.

The tale of laser wielding knights, bounty hunters, royalty, monsters, and villains has, so far, spawned six more movies, weekly cartoons, novels, comic books, toys, games, t-shirts, posters, buttons, and other bobbles.  The franchise's fictional Jedi Order even inspired the formation of The Temple Of The Jedi Order: Church Of Jediism in Texas.

 While most fans haven't adopted the saga as a replacement for their personal God concept, the franchise has made an indelible mark on pop culture and, arguably, society in general.  Besides being entrenched within "nerd culture," the franchise has wormed its way into unexpected parts of civilization.

• On March 8th, 1983 President Reagan referred to the USSR as "The Evil Empire."
• The same president named his ill-conceived missile defense system "Star Wars."
• On 4 May 1995 during a defense debate, UK MP Harry Cohen referred to a the date as "Star Wars Day: May the forth be with you."
• Star Wars also made its mark in the 2001 census, when over 390,000 UK respondents entered their religion as Jedi. 
•  On March 1, 2013, President Barack Obama spoke, saying that some people expected him to do a "Jedi mind meld*" on the Republicans who refused to make a deal.
• To wish someone good luck, many of us say, "May The Force Be With You."

There are other examples, of course, but my point is that the past 38 years have been influenced, to some degree, by this fictional realm.

Two months from now, fans will be treated to the next cinematic chapter.  Stores have been selling the action figures since August, and Fandango is already selling tickets for the December 18th opening.

The current mania reminds me of the 1999 craze.  There had been no big screen offering of Star Wars during most of the 80s & 90s, so when Episode I was announced we were clambering to see Vader's origin story.  In that pre-Fandango world, light saber duels were being conducted and cutters were being mocked by fans in ticket lines which stretched around entire city blocks.

Even though that particular chapter proved to be the least "stellar" of the collective, the sense of mania is repeating itself.  Some say, the excitement is at such a high level because to original performers are returning.  Yet, I wonder if it's not simpler than that.  As psuedo-ideological as it sounds, I think Star Wars simply resonates with people in a way other stories don't.

In any case, I have my tickets.

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Epilogue Added 11/17/2015:

I’ll be taking a break from blogging. During the next 6 weeks I’m going to; design & send this year’s Christmas card, design next year’s calendar, rewrite a few chapters of my book, and look into raising money for a copyright lawyer so I can self publish “Murder According To Hoyle.”
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* = President Obama actually confused the "Jedi Mind Trick" with the "Vulcan Mind Meld."

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Watch Your Phrasology

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Not long ago, on my food blog, I wrote about the misuse of food terms, and explained why things such as "eggless mayo" and "beefless burgers" are logical impossibilities.  Not long after I wrote about the misuse of food terms, I was reminded of our rampant misuse of ideological terms.

I was at a dinner party when the conversation became about an individual who doesn't approve of same sex marriage.  One guest said, "Well, she's a Christian," and everybody nodded in understanding.  They were using "Christian" as a synonym for "intolerant."

Surely, there's precedent for such an equivalence.  Jews were tortured by the church during the inquisition, the Confederacy sited scripture to justify slavery, and Governor Wallace tried to use the Bible to justify Jim Crow laws.

All that being true, there are plenty of Christians who are not intolerant of minorities.  I'M ONE OF THEM!  My Bible study is full of them.  Christ himself was tolerant of others; John 4 verses 7 thru 10 says, "⁷ When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, 'Will you give me a drink?' ⁸ (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)  ⁹ The Samaritan woman said to him, 'You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink? (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)  ¹⁰ Jesus answered her, 'If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.'"  He accepted and respected everyody.

Now before I get too uppity, I have to confess to using the word "Republican" to mean "bigot."  That's not fair either.  Yes, there is the extreme fringe of the Republican party who wants to outlaw same sex marriage, undo the Voter Right Act, and build a wall across the southern border of Texas.

Yet, there are many republicans who; believe in smaller government, believe in zero tolerance for crime and drug abuse, believe in a strong national security, and believe in putting people to work instead of giving them government handouts; who don't believe in making America into a heterosexual white men's club.

Of course, these days if you really want to slur someone you simply have to call them a "Muslim."  People will argue over whether Obama is a Muslim.  Rather than proving he's not a Muslim, which is easy to prove by the way, educated people should be pointing out that being a Muslim isn't a bad thing.

The five pillars of Islam are the declaration of faith, prayer, fasting, charity, and pilgrimage.  Our enemies, Al-Qaeda and ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) have as much to do with the legitimate Islamic Faith as members of the KKK have to do with Christianity.

Finally, we come to my favorite.  There are individuals who will earnestly rail against "those Communist Nazis."  Communists are an extreme liberal faction who believe people should be 100% equal, even if it means outlawing religion to create an artificially level playing field.  Nazis are an extreme conservative faction who believe in the absolute superiority of a single race, based on a twisted view of religion.

Graphic drawn by James Kiester for this blog.

While both philosophies are fundamentally flawed, they're products of diametrically opposed schools of thought.  One can't be both.

In the U.S.A. we're allowed to say anything we want, but wouldn't it be nice if we used the correct terms when we do?
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The Wrong Standard - Micro Blog

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"Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor." ~ Romans 12: 9

 We hear it all the time.  Someone thanks a person for helping them.  The helper bats their hand dismissively at the comment, and, with a look pride, gives it the ol', "Ah, it was the least I could do."

The least I could do?  What kind of a standard is that?  It's same as saying, "I knew you needed help, and I gave you the bare minimum."

Shouldn't the standard be, the most we could do?  Shouldn't that be the standard by which we conduct ourselves?
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Goodbye Grocer

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The shelves had been picked half clean by the time I arrived. Memories of mothers with bee hive hairdos and cat-eye glasses clung to the few remaining cans of instant soup.

Subject: Hank's Thriftway | Date: 06/17/15 | Photographers: James Kiester & Dani Cogswell | This picture was taken by the author of this blog. |

The morning paper told me Hank’s Thriftway was in the process of closing its doors after 80 years. When I was a child, in Aloha, in the 70s, there was Hanks and the TV Highway Safeway if one wanted to buy groceries at a supermarket. We didn’t even have a local 7-11 store until I was 10 years old. Thus, seeking the best price involved driving between the two stores.

I typically do my shopping, these days, at the cheaper Winco, or the gourmet oriented New Seasons and Whole Foods. However, I had business in Hillsboro on Wednesday, so I figured I’d do my grocery shopping at Hank’s to take advantage of the liquidation sale, and to say goodbye to the remnant of my childhood. I also thought I'd be able to write a blog about “progress steam rolling the little guy.”

I can’t write the blog I’d planned.

The shelves were understandably half empty by the time I got there, such is the nature of a liquidation sale.  Yet, their "sale prices" were higher than other stores' regular prices.  For example, Hank's was selling boxes of 6 Pop Tarts for $5.00 ($1.25 per Pop Tart).  Walgreen's offers boxes of 8 Pop Tarts for $2.59 ($0.32 per Pop Tart).  Of course, to off set these prices, if I'd subscribed to the newspaper on the way out, I could've received a gift card to use on my next visit.

It's true, I had only shopped at Hank's three times a year, if that, for the past twenty years.  Thus, the death of this Hillsboro landmark is partly the fault of convenience oriented shoppers, such as yours truly.  However, if the prices and promotion I saw were indicative of business as usual, I have to wonder if better management could have saved the place.

Sadly, we'll never know.
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Some Things Confuse Me

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Some things in life confuse me.  I'm not talking about an inability to understand certain parts of quantum physics or not being able to read ancient Hebrew.  Those are things few people have mastered.  I mean there are parts of

Subject: McDonalds' Chicken McNuggets | Date: 10/04/2011 | Photographer: Evan Amos |The copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide.

every day life which make me scratch my head and keep me awake at night.  A friend of mine tells me that thinking about such things is what causes my chronic headaches.  Maybe so.

The boast, "100% white breast meat," confuses me.  I get what they're claiming; their nugget or patty contains only white meat from the chickens' breasts.  Yet, when dark meat has so much more flavor, I'm not sure why only using blander white meat is considered to be a good thing.

The Bible confuses me.  I'm not referring  to its lessons or message; I personally believe the Bible to be a reflection of God's word.  However, in a literary sense, I don't understand

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what constitutes a verse.  Using the English Standard Version, the Bible's shortest verse is the two word verse John 11: 35, "Jesus wept."

By contrast, its longest verse is the two sentence long passage Esther 8: 9, "The king's scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day. And an edict was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded concerning the Jews, to the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language."

Just looking at these examples, one might say a verse is defined by the expression of a single idea.  If that's the case though, what do we do with single sentences which span more than one verse?   Acts 1: 1-2, "1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen."

I'm sure there's a highly technical answer explained within the dusty pages of some book housed in one of the Vatican's secret vaults.  Nevertheless, the inconsistency of the Bible's verse structure perplexes me. 

Extravagant pet products confuse me.  The production of such products doesn’t confuse me.  Big companies have found a cash cow, and they’re milking Bessie for all she’s worth.  It’s the American way, I get that.  It’s the demand for these trinkets that baffles me.

A well cared for pet needs a bed (a pillow or soft blanket will usually do), food, a bowl to eat out of, water a bowl to drink from, snacks to promote dental health & good behavior, somewhere to relieve itself (a clean litter box or ample yard), a brush, nail clippers, a collar, a leash, and a few toys.  That's it.  OK, I grudgingly concede to the idea of a tooth brush & paste, only because vets are recommending such things these days.  But, that's it. The rest, including dressing a pet and pushing them around in a stroller, seems silly to me.

I was at Target and thought I'd get some treats for my new puppy. Target has 2 entire aisles of dog & cat toys, food, and treats.

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I saw balls of every conceivable color, including day glow colors, for dogs which can only see black & white.  There were balls with bells, squeaky balls,  mini-tennis balls, balls fastened to each end of a cylinder to mimic the shape of a bone, and a mind numbing array of other pet oriented balls.

I was equally surprised by the multitude of gourmet flavors pet snacks come in.  I saw animal snacks in; salmon & herring, venison & sweet pea, turkey & sweet potato, bison & lentils, free range chicken, and filet mignon with bacon; varieties.  Not that a dog would know a filet mignon from a skirt steak, but if Fido did score such a snack, he could finish it with Peanut Butter Flavored Frosty Paws Ice Cream for dogs from the frozen food aisle.

I'm perplexed by other things too, including commercials which treat viewers as stupid, people who go onto talk shows and court shows to air their dirty laundry, and Family Feud contestants who believe the dirtiest possible answer WILL BE on the survey board.  However, what really confuses me is the idea that very few people seem to be questioning any of these things.
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The Big Questions

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Subject: Faith/Science Comparison | Source: Lani Kai Akers' Facebook Feed |
This morning a friend of mine posted this cartoon on Facebook.  It's a humorous attempt to point out the fallacy of religious thought and promote the value of scientific thought.  The graphic got me thinking about the age old debate.  Rigid scientists tend to label the devout as being ignorant and superstitious, while some religious zealots think of scientists as heretics.

I've wrestled with the question of science versus faith for years, decades even.  After much reflection, I don't think it has to be an either/or kind of thing. As I see it, science tries to explain HOW the universe works, and faith tries to explain WHY. They're different approaches to different questions.

Science can; tell us how atoms react, map the functions of the human body, and let us see galaxies light years away.  Faith, on the other hand, can answer the moral questions and put our existence into some kind of perspective.

Now some people are about to call me a heretic, and other people are about to call me ignorant, but by my way of thinking, claiming we're here by the happenstance of a cosmic explosion is just as outlandish as not getting a child medical help in the hope God will cure him/her.  

Balance is necessary if truth is to be realized.
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50 Years Gone - Tomorrow Looms

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Isaiah 56: 12 ~ “Come,” they say, “let me get wine; let us fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure.”

I came across this verse during my daily reading today, and it struck me.  At first glance,  it looks like the author is advocating drunken partying.  However, it’s actually about hope for the future.  The verse is basically saying, relax and enjoy the day, tomorrow will be just as great as today.

This is an attitude I’ve been lacking lately.  Fifty years ago, our country was in the middle of racial upheaval.  African Americans were sending society the message they would no longer tolerate being; banished to the back of the bus, shipped to separate schools, or denied the right to vote.

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Their message was punctuated by the March 7th march on Selma.  600 angry citizens found themselves attacked by police for calling attention to America’s unequal distribution of civil rights.  The public’s reaction to the treatment of the marchers pressured law makers to address the civil rights issue and make reforms. 

In less than 2 months, history buffs and liberal activists are planning to converge on Selma to mark the 50th anniversary of the historic protest. 

As airline tickets are being purchased and hotel reservations are being made, our nation again finds itself divided.  The Supreme Court has overturned key elements of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  Many cities have seen protests over court rulings regarding police officers' treatment of African American suspects.  A rift has even formed between New York’s mayor and police over the perception the mayor has sided with minorities over the NYPD.

With racial tensions as high as they are, what was scheduled to be a remembrance of a heroic stance, will undoubtedly become a tumultuous reflection of the currently churning storm.  While I’m all for the gathering taking place (I even have a good friend who’s making the trip), I find myself overcome with a sense of foreboding.  Once gathered, will a horde of well intentioned activists allow current events to fuel their emotions until riots ensue?

On one hand, I hope; cool heads prevail, no one gets hurt, no property is damaged, and intelligent people can peacefully make their voices heard.  Of course, the darker part of my soul recognizes that things may have to come to a head before they get better.

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2014 And 2015

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Last year, at this time, I made a series of New Year’s Resolutions.

1. Keep up my personal log/diary as well as writing my blogs - I had ignored my personal log/diary since 06/25/11|
2. Be less anal to the extent I can wear sweats in public, store DVDs out of chronological order, etc…|
3. Call friends more|
4. Treat people better|

The first one is a habit I’ve been pretty diligent about.  I sometimes amuse myself by picturing people pouring over my journal, after my death, and thinking, “That’s what he thought?  Man…”

Number two is one I apparently nailed better than I’d thought I had.  While I’m still particular about the filing system for my movie collection, I’ve become known for appearing publicly in sweat pants, something which was UNTHINKABLE pre-2014.  I can be certain of my success in this endeavor since more than one person felt I needed new sweat pants for Christmas.

The third & forth goals are ones I still have to work on.  I have the bad habit of focusing on projects and forgetting about the outside world.  Thus, I’ve lost track of a number of people I shouldn’t have.

2014, like most years, has been a mixed bag of ups & downs. 

Best Part of 2014:

Even with the myriad of publicized glitches, “Obama Care” has helped 10,000,000 people get access to health care.  I personally know one lady who’s finally receiving help for her chronic back pain, after years of suffering with no way to get relief.  If only 10% of the newly insured have similar stories, that’s 1,000,000 people who are suffering less, today, than they were suffering one year ago.

Worst Part of 2014:

Thanks to a few careless officers, and some even more careless rulings, many hard core liberals have vilified the police.  This, to me, is sickening.  99.99% of police are men & women who put themselves out there in order to help others and do the right thing.  Yet, many of us have allowed a few bad apples to spoil the reputation of the collective whole.

2015:

Taking both the good and the bad into consideration, I have high hopes for 2015.  At our best, our society, or the majority of it, has made helping the medically needy a priority.  At our worst, even though we’ve demonized a few too many public servants, it’s, at least, been made clear that citizens can’t be victimized, by abusers of authority, without the public taking notice.

Next year, our society has some work to do.  Not only do we need to protect the progress we’ve made in assisting the neediest among us, but we need to learn how to curb our reaction to travesties by making sure we only blame those who are directly responsible for such crimes.  Of course, once such offenders are identified, we need a system which will hold them accountable.

On a personal note, I have my work cut out for me too.  Like last year, I resolve to keep in better touch with people and to treat people better.  Additionally, I need to research the possibility of self-publishing my novel, write SOMETHING everyday, and find a way to cope better with my physical pain.

No one knows exactly what 2015 will bring.  However, with a bit of concentration, hard work, and luck, there’s every reason to believe it will be a good year.
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I Don't Wanna Grow Up

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This week I watched NBC’s live presentation of J.M. Barrie’s classic tale, Peter Pan. Sadly, I cringed every time a character stepped across a “body of water” on the cartoonishly

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painted set, and scoffed at the silliness of a poison cake. Every time Christopher Walken, as Captain Hook, ordered someone to walk the plank, I pictured him helping Robert Wagner give a similar sentence to Natalie Wood in 1981.

I was mid eye roll when I caught myself being hyper critical of the play. It was SUPPOSED to be a cartoon-esc fantasy for children, and I was knocking it for being what it was supposed to be. I was acting like a closed minded……. well, like a closed minded grownup.

I remember thinking, “I’m not like this, when did I get old?” Considering that fact that my home office looks like the inside of a comic book shop, my cantankerous reaction to the expertly choreographed and performed presentation was baffling. Then, I watched the NEWS.

Reports of; anti-police protests, ISIS perpetrated violence, and people stealing UPS delivered Christmas presents from porches; flickered across the screen. I realized I’d allowed such stories to rob my spirit of some of my youth. I’d allowed being informed to make me jaded.

Perhaps, I should take a lesson from Peter. Sure, we need to be responsible, but maybe there’s room for the magic, especially during this time year. Perhaps, if more of us believed in fairies, and embraced a bit of silliness, we wouldn’t be putting people in illegal choke holds and stealing packages from porches.

Do you believe in fairies?
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