Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Happy Thanksgiving

  For those of you in different countries, this American holiday, is simply sitting down with family and loved ones, where we take time to remember our many blessings. A time of reflection and sharing. I would suggest that this day become not only an American holiday, but a world one. Besides digging into the feast set before you, it was customary for the head of the family, to lead the group in prayer. Sadly, this most important element of the holiday rarely occurs anymore. Sometimes, at least my family has tried, you go around the table telling one thing that you are thankful for.
  The world is in a very dangerous place right now, and that is a huge understatement. Take the time, whether with or without a feast, to pray in ernest. You don't have to be a gifted speaker, or struggle to use any religious terms, just pray that God comes to the aid of his people, ask him for strength, and for wisdom in these very confusing times. The prayer need not be eloquent, just heart felt.
  For those of you who think it nothing more then a waste of time, just sit quietly and reflect. You might be convinced that it won't help, but surely, it won't do you any harm either. This war is like none you've ever seen. It is a spiritual war, and in order to defeat the vermin that commit such heinous crimes, you must kill the spirit that drives them. It is different, because it isn't driven by the desire for territory or money. Men in battle don't kill over anger, but they fight for love. Love of family, love of country, sure, but love for God is something that makes no sense to the world. But that is what we are up against, a bond so strong, that they would gladly give their lives for it. The Christians showed that kind of resolve when they stood bravely on the floor of the Roman Coliseum while being devoured by lions. But with the Islamists, the sacrifice they make by killing themselves, means nothing unless they take non believers with them.
  Christ tells us to pray for your enemies, and so you should. These people too are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, and they are capable of love. They have been led astray by evil men, and the god they serve is a spirit, but he is not God. Pray that they come to see the light.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Pixie Dust

  Just another clean sheet of paper, a new day filled with possibility, or just another day? After my morning coffee, I went to sit outside, to see just what type of day that this day was shaping up to be. It wasn't too long before I felt the hope of yesterday had come and gone without any real change. And so, I made myself more comfortable in my lawn chair, and took on that melancholy mood that comes with, just another day.
  But sensing movement up and to my right, I saw the neighbors cat perched in my tree. Ain't this a bitch I thought, I wonder if he will need help getting down from there? He seemed pretty calm and confident up there, and not panicked at all. So I figured, maybe he can make it by himself, I just hope he doesn't seriously injure himself. Maybe I should go and tell the neighbor, afterall, it was her cat, let her decide. Then I'm thinking, well, at least it won't be boring for a while, but also, what a hassle it is going to be with the fire department, hooks and ladders, and a yard full of onlookers trampling my wife's flowers.
  But the cat, remember him? God bless him, he took matters into his own hands. and started down the tree. This, he did head first, which amazed me, because if I were him, I would have gone down tail first. But he made it to ground without incident, and I said to myself, Nimble little minx. Then I wondered whether it was minx or minks, one being part of a coat, and the other of pixie dust.  

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Obama Legacy (part two)

  Truly, much of who Obama is, and how to account for his meteoric rise from Community Organizer from Chicago to the presidency of the United States of America in such a short time, is shrouded in mystery. The reason for this are many, but owed by no small account to a national press, who wanted little more then to aid him and his office. Their reasoning for this lack of interest are both personal and corporate. Headline news, real barn burners of a story were left, more often then not, to die on the vine. The idea being, to never chance making the President look bad. The most abhorrent of the presses reluctance to do what is entrusted for them to do, was by far and away, Benghazi. Try to imagine what those four brave souls had to endure before their murders. Then imagine that they meant something to you personally, as if they were your father, son, or brother. The headline? Four Americans succumb to their wounds and die, after a thirteen hour gun fight, which pitted four Americans with rifles and small arms against hundreds of terrorists who were armed with mortars and rocket launchers. The reason for this attack was terrorism, made more apparent as it was executed on 9/11. Couple that with the many phone calls, emails, and personal connections, that begged for more security, or, permission to do as others had done, and close our Embassy. This went on for months prior to the actual attack. And then, being in full knowledge of this, Hillary assures her daughter and others on the night of the attack, that it was a terrorist attack. Then, to have the President, Secretary Clinton, and Susan Rice, make speeches in the United Nations, and on the Sunday morning talk shows and lie some more to the people, a full three days after the event, blaming the whole thing on some obscure video, solely for political reasons. Hillary, a mother herself, looked another mother in the eye, whose son was one of the men in the flag draped coffins, and lied to her too. That is a special kind of cold, the thought of it still makes me sick. The point of telling the story again now, is to show to what extent the press is willing to go to protect their guy. Who is Obama, and where is he, so we can understand him? Hiding behind the press. For this administration, scandals are just a way of life, in some weeks two or more scandals would emerge, all needing to be handled and made to go away. Nothing must be linked to the President. Even before he was elected, hints of scandals began to emerge. It was Hillary who asked about his berth certificate, as she asked for proof that he was born in Hawaii, and not Indonesia. Next was the question as to whether he was a Christian or not. A reasonable question, as his father was a practicing Islamist, and as you can see from his book, Dreams from my Father, he admired his dad a great deal. But he claims, that this time, the apple fell nowhere near the tree, and that he was a Christian. He did sit for twenty years under the tutelage of Jeremiah Wright, a rabid racist who can be heard thundering from his pulpit, God damn America! Lastly, what are the man's politics, what types of ideology interested him in his college days? How were his grades, and was he drawn to marxist type friends and professors? This too is a mystery, as it is said that his college transcripts are sealed. So as we enter these perilous times, what is needed is a leader, someone honest, someone who can be trusted with so noble a cause as protecting the American people. So again we ask ourselves, who is Barack Obama, and what will his legacy be? I guess that would depend if you can find it?

Obama Legacy (part one)

  As the world moves quickly toward another war, the people of the world, and Americans themselves want to know, Who is Barack Hussein Obama, who is this man who sits at the most powerful seat in the world?  What is his response, and by the office he holds, what is America's response to the Islamists whose aim it is to acquire a base for the Caliphate state, and  to install Sharia law as the law of all people. As a way of simplification, instead of the mouth full of words needed to refer to the terrorists, I propose that we make the distinction between the evil and the good, that the terrorists be called Islamists, and their peaceful brethren as Muslim. Thankfully, the Islamists are the minority.
  But as it is clear to most everyone, the world stands at the beginning of a third world war. With the stakes so high, and the ramifications of the decisions that countries make regarding this world threat being so dire, it is a fair question to ask. Who is this man, and where is it he hopes to lead America and her people regarding this clear and present danger? Under normal circumstances, it would be none of anyone's business outside of Americans themselves, as to what America can be counted on to do during these extraordinary times. But today, with an enemy so clearly an enemy to free people everywhere, everything is everyone's business. We must come to be what is needed to defeat a common enemy, and that is, to be united as one. Indeed, two countries who had little in common, have joined together to defeat this common enemy. Russia and France have decided to table their political differences on lesser matters, and to join forces in order to defeat this evil which threatens all of us. They too must be confused by America's lack of resolve, and as citizens of the world, they have the right to ask, What is Obama's plan in all of this, and can America be trusted with his regime at the helm? So, who is Barack Obama, and why is he so content to let others lead the world's fight against this evil. Where is America, and how long will she content herself to be a follower rather then a leader? The ghastly way they murder, with crucifixions, beheadings, burning people alive, the rape and degradations they inflict on their victims, rival the Nazi party in the horror and total lack of morality, paling only in the sheer numbers of the Nazi atrocities.
  Because the Obama Whitehouse has been the most secretive and least transparent in our history, conspiracy theories flourished as a way to understand the outlandish decisions made by his administration. Their lack of simple truths and common sense only fueled those theories. But even though most of these theories can't be proved or disproved until years after the regime leaves office, because of the importance of this time in history, they cannot be dismissed so easily either. Who is this man really, and why are his actions regarding Islamist terror so far removed from what the vast majority of what the civilized world believes? It is a legitimate question, and except for the monumentally stupid among us, can no longer be attributed to phantom racism either. Because, like most Americans in this day and age, could care less whether a man is sky blue pink. All we want from our president is to admit the obvious, and then, tell us what it is he intends to do about it. To do nothing in the face of evil, only assists that evil, and to be content to pass this mess onto the next guy is wrong.  

Friday, November 20, 2015

I Love Mutts

  Three cheers for the all American mutt, for no other breed is so loyal. I have had dogs all of my life, from my boyhood right up until now. Max, my current dog is one of those, "designer" breeds, being a mix of a pure blood pug with a beagle, making him a Puggle? He's a nice little guy, a bit dangerous around food, but also came with what I have never seen in any of the Mutts before him. Max has a variety of conditions, which can best be described as psychological. In fact, ole Max is so odd when compared to his predecessors, that it would take a team of Freudian professors months to unravel the ticks and mannerisms that is his way. High strung, and who needs a dog who's anxieties are only going to conflict with your own? Now you owners of pure breeds, don't get me wrong, as there are many fine dogs who are as pure as the driven snow. Had me a German Shepherd for a while, and he was a great companion.
  But speaking generally in a general sense, I find there is nothing better then a Mutt. Most Americans are Mutts, by far and away, all of our families go back at least two generations. Yup, the good old Heinz 57 mix is the most loyal and trust worthy, in short, I love Mutts. I'm a Mutt, German/English, a good amount of Irish, and a splash of this or that along the way. It's inevitable, new groups who came, cloistered at first, for reasons of language and culture. But eventually breaking out, even to inter marry with those from a different group. Italian/Irish, Greek/French, and well, you get the picture, it's called assimilation. But even as these boundaries fell, the ones most dear eventually fell too. Jew married Christian, believers married non believers, and we all swirled around as if in a big pot. What came out of that stew was a new breed of people, a people made strong because of their diversity, the fabric that came to be America made strong, not limited to one type of yarn or silk, but made from the best thread that each culture could provide. And like a huge blanket, these many fabrics became one, a new type of blanket, one not seen until America forced her way boldly among the world's leaders, and brashly demanding attention. The world's stage had become America's stage. The point of this started out to be another subtle way of explaining why, especially now with what is going on in the world, the importance of a proper vetting system. One required of all locations of entry, and not limited to the refugees only. That all, no matter their situation, all be vetted conclusively before being allowed into the country. But as I wrote this, I could feel my anger rise, and I thought to myself, This is bullshit! Why should I waste time trying to explain the importance of vigilance with compassion, when it'll only fall on deaf ears? So in the next post, I'm going to finally say what I have held back saying for so long now.  I mean, that is the beauty of being a nobody, what can they do to me, sue me? Man, I'm too broke to pay attention!    

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Murder by Choice

  What reason there is for it, I do not know? I don't know more then I do, but still at times, I figure I know more then I should? This war, this next stop in history, is one that you do not understand, because it is a spiritual war. But what does that mean? You might identify more with it, if I were to call it religion. There seems to be a lot of religions in the world, but the truth is, that there are really just two. One is true, and one is not. One speaks of love and refuge , while the other speaks of cleansing the land of all who of all who will not come. The choice is that stark, one is evil, and the other good. Free will may have been bought at the Tree of Knowledge, but it is most clear today. One seeks murder as a cleansing, a matter not without merit in the spiritual world, because the spirit lives also in the flesh. But understand that this is a war of transition, from the spirit to the flesh. What once couldn't be seen at all, is now seen by all. But again good soldier, there are only two sides, one the right way, and the other the wrong. The world is beset on two sides now, by forces that will first take from you, something for which you have already paid the price, Freedom of Speech. The two are joined forever you know? Freedom of speech and God. For now, the two who oppose Him, are together as one. But one will devour the other, when their service is no longer needed. But for now, it is a two pronged attack, Socialism and the Caliphate, they have come to take away your freedom, and they have come to take your life.
  But if you are not a spiritual person, how are you to know the difference? It is impossible for you to understand spiritual truths, if you are not spiritual. I will try to explain it to you, you who do not understand it. One faith says to you, You may be asked to die for your faith, innocent and alone, and that there is honor in that, while the other says to it's followers, murder, and take as many with you as you can, and that there is honor in that. One seeks murder, while the other makes you a target for murder. To murder, or be among the murdered, isn't as easy a choice as you might have thought.
  Two Gods, one who comes to murder, and the other, who came into this life to be murdered. Which of these two legends of scripture do you serve, the one who came to earth to be murdered, or by the one who did the murdering?

Saturday, November 14, 2015

I Am

  What is the power of words, I tell you that their power is without limit! Before the would be kings became King, words as thoughts first came to their mind. In his mind he schemed and made plans to achieve his goals. And when he told others of his vision for the future, he presented his words in a way that made others excited. Coalitions were formed, vows made, and by putting pen to paper, words were made to become law. Wars are fought because of them, and when cooler minds prevail, peace accords are reached.
  But two words, made complete in three letters, are the most powerful of them all. When God himself was asked his name, he did not say Jehovah, or Allah, but He answered, I Am. Think of the completeness of it, think about the depths of thought such an answer brings to mind. I Am. I am God, I am life, I am man, I am the way, I am the truth. And with all the affirmations that those words give, in reverse, it gives the other side of life. The kind that bring doubt, Am I? It is from these questions that  science and the arts are spawned. In the ying and yang spin of life, it asks of itself, Am I? The answer of course is yes, I am God, I am all those things and more, says the Almighty.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Unusual Politics Too

  For those of you who watched last night's debates, congratulations, you are now an integral part of our Democratic process. First, let me get this off my mind. For you Christians out there, if you did not watch the debates, because you think why bother, safe in the knowledge that Christ is in control, shame on you. Yes, God is in control, but that doesn't mean you should shirk your responsibilities as a citizen.
  The event itself did exactly what it was supposed to do, it was informative, and even if you are on the left of center, learned something from it. In short, it was an intelligent debate. So what did we learn? Well, we see that what the group as a whole offers, is an extreme difference from the Democratic agenda. The simple truth, is that which the middle class already knows, is that this country cannot take another 4 years of the socialist leaning left. Because of that ideology, this country is far worse off on every important subject then we were 8 years ago. Obviously, to change this course, the country must elect the Republican. But which one, as that was the finer point to be decided last night.
  In line with that, the conversation until the next one will be, who lost and who won? What will those so important polls tell us? (last sentence best with a grain of salt). I though all in the four man debate did well, and any of them will be better then what we have. In the big boy show plus one, there were some clear losers. The front runners committed no serious gaffs. Mr. Trump showed that he can be a gentleman, and solid points were made by all. The sad truth for the Democrats is this, because the extremists have taken over the party, and the difference so glaring, that any of them, in either debate will be better then four more of the Obama Hillary show. But still, which one for the Republicans? Interesting to me, was that the two on the end hurt themselves the worst, Rand Paul is convinced that if we strengthen our military, that you cannot be a conservative? That mentality would have fit well back in the ten years from 1950-60, but not today, not with the world wide threat of Islamist terrorists. At the other end, a very bright man, made himself to look annoying, constantly interrupting people's train of thought. He looked agitated and confused, but he was the guy who had no problem with the agenda driven sham over at NBC. As for them all, the vetting system will winnow them out as needed. Why? Because surprise, the American people have finally woken up. Apparently, we aren't stupid after all.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Unusual Politics

  The amazing thing about politics in this country, is that Liberals and Conservatives agree on more then  that to which they disagree. We have a two party system in place for a long time, but how well is it working for us? Pardon the pun, but with a two party system, you are only one party away from a Monarchy. Everyone understands the importance of money, after all, it is money that drives the bus. Those who have the most of it, and those who control it, have all the power. The two party system is most evident when the Presidential elections are held. A percentage point or two, often decides the winner, and for the most part, the electorate is pretty evenly split. What this even split does, is consolidate the money and power between two groups. Ask yourself, What do these parties do, what is their function? They are in the influence game, and just by the nature of that business, they attract lobbyists and special interest groups by the score.  The opportunity for abuse, in the form of cronyism and back room deals is not only a possibility, but it is widely assumed, that it goes on all the time. The simple question is, by limiting ourselves to the good old fashion way of the two party, have we been a part of allowing such abuses? Too much power, being controlled by too few, is always a problem, and it is a problem for those on either side of the ideological fence. Influence peddlers, their methods and their money, just naturally breed opportunities for corruption. One thing is clear to the working class, and that is, that it is them who'll get screwed in the end. No matter the promise or who made it, it is the working class men and women of this country who will pay for it, they always do.
  Now, you would think, that people on both sides of our national debate, would recognize the problems inherent with our current system, and at least explore other methods? You would think that, but you would be wrong. One of the biggest shared traits between Conservatives and Liberals, is their fear of change. You would think by their labels of liberal or progressive, that the Democratic party would be open to new ideas, but in this, they stand in lockstep with the Republicans. Holding onto the old ways so hard, that they are even against term limits. Fear of change is a common enough trait, but with a change like this, it is a legitimate fear for them, and they would fight hard to keep it in place. Why wouldn't they, as they are one of the two who share power. There is an alternative, as we, the people, don't need either one of them, and it could be very easily done. To go from the two party system, to a no party system is really hot hard. For room sake, I will spare you the details. Briefly, as an example: Start with 12 people. These would be people who might start out championing one cause or another. They would start with a small following, but as they gained in popularity, they would have enough followers, and be able to get the required amount of signatures on a petition. A petition requesting that their guy, be considered as one of the twelve. By a structured procedure of vetting, all paid for by the taxpayers, so that no special interest need apply. The goal would be to get four finalists, and these four, all with equal ad money, (no more billion dollar campaigns), would compete equally for the Presidency. No more labels of one or the other, except for maybe the first one to become elected in such a way.  We could call that one, the first Candidate of the People.
 

Friday, November 6, 2015

The Power and the Majesty

  There is power in the sky, there is strength, there is majesty, and there is direction. For in the skies, often are signs, signs to be read, signs huge, like billboards along the highway. If you can read them, and see that they do not come only from atmospheric conditions. For these signs appear when the prevailing winds are calm, and the clouds can have their way as they move slowly overhead.
  And I looked up, and at the head of this huge bank of clouds was clearly the formation of a dove. The white dove type that are sometimes released at weddings. But as I watched, the formation changed from that peaceful dove, into a bird of prey. I didn't understand it at first, but caught up in the grandeur of the scene, I praised God. I was struck motionless with my arms outstretched at my sides.
  And then the cloud spoke to me. Not in an audible sense, but clearly in my mind, and this is what it said. The time has come, when you must change from the dove and become the eagle again. You were born for this moment, founded on a covenant with me, and so, it has fallen to you, to be the defender of the free world. But you have allowed yourself to be led astray, your conscience has been seared from horror, and you have long since forgotten who you are. For you were born, not to follow, but to lead. Chosen by God, it is why you became so rich and powerful in such a short time.
  But though you are fearful of what history has yet to tell, you can shirk your responsibility no more. For like it or not, it doesn't matter your politics, war is at your door. As is always true with free will, you have a choice. That choice is, whether we choose as a nation to honor our covenant with the God on whom is our base, and go confidently ahead into this coming of great trouble, or, continue as a nation to reject him, and go it alone? Remember that you have been birthed by God, sealed by the truth of God, and it is he who has made you great.
  But understand this, Just because you have been chosen for battle, doesn't mean you are destined to win. Free will must have its way with you, and so, if this country continues in it's wicked ways, rejecting his leadership, and choose to go it alone, without God, well, we will win some battles, but lose the war.

Just another day

  Just another day in the litter box. It is a figure of speech, to which I may, or may not have coined? A figure of speech, according to what I figure, is a pre programmed response to an often asked question. For instance, in the common occurence of everyday pleasantries, one might say to you, How are you doing today, how's it going, that type of thing. Now if you are anything like me, you might choose to use a bit of sarcasm here, just for comic effect. The answer I had been giving was, Whats the use of complaining, nobody listens, but I'm now using, Just another day in paradise.  Just another day in the litter box, just popped out for the first time today, where it came from I do not know, and I may, or may not have heard it somewhere before? At this point, you are probably wondering what this has to do with anything? I know I am. But I'll go on anyway, since I'm already started.
  When you are figuring whether to use figure of speech's in your daily response to such pleasantries, you should also consider, that far more often then not, they are received well. In reality, when people say such things in casual encounters during your day, they are rarely interested in how you are, or how your day is going, but are only being polite. In these instances of polite conversation, Figure of Speech statements are usually understood, sarcastic or not. Even though what is really going on here, is that no real answer is necessary, because they, like you, are in a hurry, and would rather go on with what they were doing. So go ahead and use a figure of speech to blow them off, it is perfectly acceptable and polite.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

What is cool?

  I have been told that I should continue writing here on my site, and when checking, realized that it has been quite a spell since I have. My reasoning was sound, as I looked to finish a book I had started, and thought that I should concentrate more on that. Though it is very close to being finished, it still isn't. I've found that book writing takes discipline, something I was never good at. But I will finish it soon, though it has morphed from one book, to a short one with three short stories. (no pun intended)
  Anyway, cool, what is it? Do you have what it takes, are you cool? Being cool is something I've strived for all of my life, and for the most part, I have accomplished that. My first attempt was regarding engineer's boots, white tee shirts and rolled up blue jeans. Later, seeing as how we are on foot wear, came cleats nailed to the heels of your shoes, so that you would click when you went down the hall. The engineer boots, or at least it is my belief, came originally from train engineers, but made famous by returning GIs, who, returned from the war, and started motorcycle gangs.
  So what is cool, does it always change with the passing fads, or is it something more basic then that? The one thing I can think of that has remained cool through it all, is to be a rebel. To be rebellious, to rage against the machine, take the road less traveled, be your own person, be one of a kind. But it takes guts. But, if you do it, you'll be as cool as the cat's pajamas. To find where the cooler then cool are, you must never look for them in the majority, but only in the small groups.
  So now all you need do, is pick a small group of intelligent people, and join it. Individualists, always congregate in smaller crowds, it is where art is found. Wanna join the most select of all groups, one that does rail against the machine, one that, cast in stone will make you the coolest of all?
  Be a Christian, because there is nothing more courageous then announcing that you are a Christian. No other group is so maligned, and it isn't an easy road. That's what makes it cool. Of course, there is the alternative, the world's way, their idea of courage? If you choose that one, the small group you want to join to become cool, protests for gender neutral bathrooms.