Opus 2017-426: A Final Note

What a difference a year can make.

One year ago we had a new president elect and even those of us who voted for him did not know what to expect.  We knew the alternative was disaster but had serious doubts about the choice the country made.  Even the true believers would have had a hard time expecting the kind of changes we see.  Consider the courts, and smile.  Consider ISIS, not ISIL, and how it has been decimated in a few short months.  Maybe this was what Obama meant when he called them “junior varsity,” or maybe he was talking about his administration.  Consider regulations and breathe easier. 

What a difference a year can make.

One year ago I was still an inmate in the People’s Republik of Kalifornia.  I was hoping I could finish my teaching career without anything blowing up in my face.  My wife was looking for the perfect place in Texas.  We had sold our home and were living in an apartment.  We knew about earthquakes but not hurricanes.

What will be the difference a year from now?

Stay tuned.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-424 (?): On the Street: Remember the Funnies?

Do they still exist?

When I was a child we had two newspapers in our suburb of Los Angeles.  One came in the morning and one at night.  At different times we subscribed to both or one at a time.  We had a ritual and a pecking order.  My dad got first go at the paper and as he finished he would pass it out to the rest of the family.  He might share parts he wasn’t interested in or that he would get to later but it was a ritual at his mercy.  On Sunday we received a paper but were not allowed to look at it until after church.

The funnies were the comics page.  Some were serials and others one day stuff.  Some was drama, some humor.  We had Little Orphan Annie, Beetle Baily and Mutt and Jeff.  In addition I would always go to the editorial page for the political cartoon.  Salted throughout were things like “Why we Say...” and “Love means...”.

I don’t know if such a thing still exists.  Last time I saw one the majority of cartoons were meaningful only to people with too much drugs in their system or an extreme leftward leaning indoctrination.  That assumes that the two categories are mutually exclusive. 

Now I browse the different web sites that collect humor.  There is more variety but I still miss the old rituals.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-425: Modifications

I can’t help it, I read labels and directions.  Usually it is a waste of time.  Occasionally I find something that is important to know.  Other times I get a laugh.

My daughter sent me some gadgets that she picked up in a store in Japan.  The label is in Japanese and English.  On the back, under “Notice”, I was given this warning.  “Please do not bring close to the fire.  There is a fear of modification.”  I would think so.

On another it explained the purpose of the object, “Small mesh case with zipper and erastic wristband.”  At least they got “wristband” right.  The stereotype was by the stereotyped.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-423: Enjoying the Moments

I am the only one up at 9:30.  As I looked out the kitchen window at the house down the hill I thought of how different their Christmas morning is from ours.  They have three small children.  I can picture them already opening presents or eating breakfast or whatever their Christmas morning routine is.  I have been their with children and I was a child.

It is different now.  Everything is slow and mature.  The gathering is different.  The grandparents are all gone.  We are the older generation now.  The children have grown up and moved away.  My son has flown in but we touched our daughter and son in law with Skype.  It was not as good as being here but surprisingly joyful.  That is one of the blessings of technology.  They are literally around the world yet can be in our living room at the same time.

At the Christmas Eve service I was able to enjoy the noisy babies and hyperactive toddlers around me.  Been there.  Done that.  And my grown up toddler towers over his mother and I.  But it brings back wonderful memories of times that were real trials but have been covered with the varnish of time.

Eventually everyone will get up.  Eventually we will have breakfast.  Eventually we will add to our traditions.  It is kind of a human version of the holiday we are celebrating.

(Galatians 4:4 KJV)  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Enjoy the moments in memory and motion.  Celebrate the eventually of God.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-422: The Lottery Christmas

Merry Christmas.

I am aware that it only has a 1/365 chance of being the right day.  I would be glad to mark a day that everyone could agree on.  Everybody vote.  December 25?  Works for me.

I am aware that it has become commercialized to the point of being eclipsed as a spiritual milestone.  Doing away with Christmas because people make money in the celebration is like doing away with medicines because the people who develop them make money.  I could live with that.  It might make me slightly less comfortable and shorten my life by a year or two.  For you it might bring total destruction.  My frustration with gifts is I am not very good at choosing them. 

I am aware that it is a Christian holiday and might offend others in the community.  Then why do so many of them celebrate it?  Why do Jews put up Christmas trees.  Why do Buddhists hang stockings?  Why do atheists watch Charlie Brown’s Christmas?

I am aware that Joseph probably looked more like Yasser Arafat than Justin Bieber.  It does not bother me at all that African Christians portray a black infant or in Tokyo He looks Japanese.  The Bible says He created man in His image, male and female.  It doesn’t say He created us red and yellow, black and white.

In spite of that I still celebrate the incarnation.

(Galatians 4:4 KJV)  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

We went to a Christmas Eve service.  It was a truly Christian event because it not only presented the birth narratives; it also presented the Gospel and John 3:16. 

So I send you the appropriate greeting.  Take your pick or add your own.
    Merry Christmas
    Radiant Incarnation Day
    Happy Week before New Years Day
    Happy Who-Ever-Heard-of-it-before-20-Years-Ago Kwanza
    Good morning.
    Bah Humbug, in the most warm and gracious way
    ______________ (Insert your person touch)

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-421: Headline: Water Is Wet

The headline on Instapundit sounded exciting:  A diet that could reverse diabetes.  Since I had reversed my diabetes I was interested in finding out what this magic formula was.  The link was to something called Science Alert.

Alas, it was just another come on.  The diet consisted of eating less than 1,000 calories a day.  It was discovered that if they followed the diet and lost the weight, the diabetes went away.  Okay.  Where is the news?  Two things here are common knowledge.  First, almost anyone who consumes less than 1,000 calories a day will lose weight.  Second, if you lose enough weight, and you body is not already badly damaged, you will go into remission. 

So where is the big break through?  The problem is that people will not limit their intake for long and the weight will not stay gone.

I am waiting for the high Cheese-It consumption diet that will do away with diabetes.  That I would volunteer for.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-420: Headlines: Deus Ex Machina

English newspapers.  Love them or hate them, English newspapers.  They seem to have a certain love of the outrageous predictions.  When I am driven to Drudge, if I see a headline about a miracle cure coming out tomorrow I know it is an English newspaper and the claim is simply click bait.  This time the Daily Star made an even better claim:  People will begin worshiping robots as gods.

Two reactions to that.  First, I am not sure that has not already happened in many ways.  People are addicted to their electronics.  If they want information they turn to Siri or Google and accept the answer as definitive.  They are lost when their phone battery runs down.  When you Google Siri part of the response it, “Siri is always with you and always here to help.”  Sounds like a god claim to me.

My second thought is that no one ever figured a robot as the anti-Christ.  Many Christians understand the Bible to teach that a political figure will rise to head a world government that will target God’s people and bring about what is called the tribulation.  This is why you hear so much concern about “one world government” and groups like the Trilateral Commission and the Illuminate.  I never thought of a robot taking on that role but it is an interesting thought.

My third thought, and I know I said two, is that people who make these claims don’t understand the nature of the Biblical God.  They have in mind a pagan version.  Take this statement:

“It’s not a god in the sense that it makes lighting or causes hurricanes.

“But if there is something a billion times smarter than the smartest human, what else are you going to call it.”

What the average American-Cheese pagan doesn’t understand is that even being a billion times smarter than a human does not even come close to approaching the “smart” of God.  Infinite difference is something they cannot accept because they fall into the trap that Satan lays for us.  They consider God to be measured in terms of man rather than man being created in the image of God.

We live in an interesting world full of variety and nonsense.  Much of it is in English newspapers.  Enjoy it before the robots take over.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-419: Headlines: People in Glass Houses...

I am guessing that the city council of Philadelphia was elected by the same voters that came out for the last presidential election.  You know the one, the election where more people voted than were eligible to vote.  Take a look at this headline and scratch your head.  This one is from Fox News.

It seems that the city council is doing away with safety glass in some shops.  According to the headline this is causing “outrage”.  We see this time and again in areas heavy with Democrats.  The people elected do the opposite of what the voters want.  So to show their anger the voters reelect them.  Makes sense to me.

It adds fuel to the statement that people get the kind of government they deserve. 

The article revealed a typical refusal of Democrats to enforce the law.  Evidently there are places that have licenses to operate as restaurants.  Part of the requirement is to have a certain amount of seating and to sell food.  A lot a joints seal off the seating and turn off the kitchen and simply sell booze through the little windows in the bullet proof glass.  They are clearly in violation of the business license.  That should be easy to correct but instead of enforcing the code as written, they write some more code.

And they will probably be reelected.

Let me share my political wisdom with the voters of Philadelphia:  Vote the suckers out.  And while you are at it, clean up your voter roles and make your elections honest.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-418: Headlines: A Democrat Rediscovers Due Process

The Democrats continue the charade of being law abiding.  Now the Boston Herald tells us that Senator Leahy is recanting on his call for Al Franken to step down.

“Sen. Patrick Leahy says he regrets calling for Sen. Al Franken to resign instead of waiting for an ethics investigation.”

His reason is a sudden conversion to the rule of law.

‘The Burlington Free Press reports the Vermont Democrat released a statement Monday, saying he has "stood for due process" throughout his career, and that he regrets "not doing that this time." He says the Ethics Committee "should have been allowed to investigate and make its recommendation."’

I wonder if his conversion extends to Roy Moore.

I wonder how many other Democrats will suddenly become converts to due process.  What they forgot is that “due process” can become the refuge of the scoundrel as much as the innocent.  For the criminals in congress you refer it to a committee.  Keep in mind that when you want nothing to get done you refer it to committee.  Every chairman of the board knows that. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-417 English Lessons

Most of us are familiar with the liberal bias in American newspapers.  It is a given.  I thought I would look at an English newspaper and see how they were doing.  I turned to The Independent and I will let you be the judge.  Here is the first sentence in the article,

“If there was anything to beat in mediocrity the childish and delinquent declaration by Donald Trump that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital, it was the pathetic response from Muslim states.”

Do you sense any bias here?  I realize that this is an editorial, but to start out calling President Trump’s statement “childish and delinquent” seems a bit foam-at-the-mouth to me.  Am I really supposed to take him seriously?  I guess if I were a brain damaged liberal I would be shouting “Amen”, but I am not and I didn’t.  I tried to read a few more lines but it was more of the same.  Maybe you can get farther than I did.

I will keep looking.  And just as “Deplorable” has become a badge of honor, we may need to get stickers printed up that say, “I am childish and delinquent”.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-416: Headlines: Another Campaign Promise Kept

President Trump has kept another promise.  He has ordered the state department to move our embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.  Many of you are thinking, “Well, duh.”  That makes you a bit smarter than our political leaders.  Evidently congress gave permission for this to happen in 1995 but the pressure was too much to see in completed.

One thing I learned from this article in the Daily Signal was that Jordan has administrative control over the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem and they will continue to be in charge of that.  Why has that been so much below the radar?  Could it be hatred for Israel in the media?

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-415: The Original Big Ten

Actually the first Original Big Ten was the Ten Commandments.  I was looking over The Patriot Post and saw a reference to the birthday of the Bill of Rights.  I think it would be good for us to celebrate that birthday before the Democrats and RINOs put us in a position to celebrate its funeral.  There is still time.

You might want to take a bit of time to read them in the original English.  Ignore what people tell you they mean.  They are simple enough for you to understand them yourself.

You might be surprised at what you find.  Did you know that you have a right to face your accusers?  That might come as a shock as you keep reading about anonymous sources.  Did you know that the government does not have a right to read your private papers or invade your home without jumping through some hoops?  Did you know that unmentioned powers belong to the states and people, not Washington D.C.?   If you have never read them, don’t admit it in public or to anyone you don’t really trust. 

And then, next time we have an election, take that into consideration when you vote.  I think you will find that in many cases it is time to vote the suckers out.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-414: Headlines: The Fox Is Cornered by the Hounds

Disney has bought Fox.  I saw the headline on Drudge but noticed it was linked to a CBS source so I looked elsewhere.  It did not seem to be a big story anywhere else I looked. 

If I had seen the headline a couple of years ago I would have been shocked and horrified.  At that point Fox was definitely “fair and balanced”.  They made a genuine effort to give both sides a voice.  They were the source for those of us seeking to know what was really going on. 

Now, I am not surprised.  Fox has been on the slow drift for years.  They still have a few solid conservatives but more and more they are taking the path of least resistance.  They have been tweaking and watering down.  They have been filtering and word shopping.  They ceased being my trusted source of news long ago.

So farewell Fox.  You reached success because you were different.  Now you have joined the other dandelions in the weed patch that only dare raise their head so high for fear of being lopped off.

Will another network reach for the stars?

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-413: Headlines: Hypocrisy Is Bipartisan

I think the title of the article in the Washington Times demonstrates the kind of hypocrisy we usually see in modern Democrats,

“After Roy Moore’s loss, Republicans turn wrath against Steve Bannon”

Roy Moore lost.  He lost by a minuscule margin.  It was a minuscule margin after unrelenting, unsupported accusations by the entire media establishment.  It was minuscule after all the moderate Republicans, read RINO, did everything they could to cast dispersions against him.  It is amazing that he was close given the mindless response of the masses.

Roy Moore lost.  Now everyone is trying to say it is because he is a flawed candidate.  Maybe he would not have been so flawed if the people who were supposed to be non-partisan were not so flawed.  Maybe he would not be so flawed if the people who were supposed to be his allies did not keep stabbing him in the back and then complaining about the blood.

Maybe.  But Roy Moore lost.  The big question is, “Who won?”  Not Jones.  Not Alabama.  Not the United States of America.  The elite establishment won.  Character assassination won.  Dirty politics won.  Corrupt journalism won. 

Republican elites have always been after Steve Bannon.  Roy Moore’s loss is not the cause, it is the result.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-412: Headlines: Jones Wins, America Loses

I, for one, am deeply disappointed in the results coming out of Alabama.  Now we are going to see the forces of socialism and the nanny state reinforced in Washington.

Is it the end of the world?  No, of course not, but I keep remembering that statement that keeps me concerned about our future:  People get the government they deserve.  It seems that the kind of government the people of Alabama want is high taxing, gun confiscating, baby killing, transgender bathrooming, socialized medicating tyranny.  Alabama wants to become another California.

The same can be said for the dim bulbs who are the guiding lights of the Republican party.  I already wrote about the senior senator from Alabama voting and speaking to water down the message of Donald Trump by trying to turn people away from his party’s candidate.  I saw a headline about a Florida RINO taking the same route.  We know that Mitch McConnell worked against Ray Moore.  I would suggest that anyone who plans on donating money for the next election make sure that the money goes to people who will hold up the values of America.  That looks like making sure that you don’t donate to the party, only to individuals.

Now we will see the second chapter of the sleaze campaign that the Democrats and their media clones have been running.  We will now see all the dramatic accusations against Ray Moore fade away.  No longer will the reporters from the Fake News Media wine and dine any woman who can come up with a new story about the Republican candidate.  My guess is that the accusations will be forgotten like all the accusations against other conservatives.  The women had their moment in the sun.  They have influenced the direction of the country.  I hope they got paid in cash because the checks will bounce.  They are now yesterday’s date.

I must keep reminding myself that slightly under half of the people of Alabama voted with their brains.  It just wasn’t enough.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-411: The Accent on Carols

I am listening to the Christmas music I have scrambled on my I-pod.  I never know what will come up next.

At the moment the piece is “White Christmas”.  I love the song but this is not my favorite arrangement.  As I listened I said to myself, “This guy speaks funny English”.  I checked my screen and it turns out it was an opera star singing and my guess is that he might not speak English or if he does it has a marked accent.  People can learn to sing in foreign languages that they do not speak.

Have you heard Nat King Cole singing Adeste Fideles?  It sounds good to me but I don’t speak Latin.  Have you ever heard the Vienna Boys Choir sing Jingle Bells?  They are very precise and correct but it is obvious they don’t speak English.  I do, so I can tell the difference.

We run into this in life.  Have you ever met someone trying to speak Republican and it comes out RINO?  They may know the right words and talking points but there is something off in how they present it.  I love to ask people if they are liberals.  I personally have not had any just come out and admit it.  They know that the title is loaded with baggage so they avoid it.  It still doesn’t take long to know their heart.

In the same way those of us who know Jesus can often tell that some people trying to talk Christian have something about their accent that just doesn’t sound right.  They may have all the vowels and verbs but they put the accent on the wrong syllable or some such thing.  I am not talking about how some Texans make “oil” into a three syllable word.  I am talking about how Xians need to take a full paragraph to explain why they can’t simply answer “yes” or “no” to a simple question like, “Are you born again?” or “Do you believe the Bible is truth?”

So rejoice in Advent season with the Christmas music playing.  Much is totally secular but beautiful.  Some is on the level of “Grandma God Run Over by a Reindeer”.  Others touch heaven like “Joy to the World” when it tell us “No more let sin and sorrow grow”.

Merry Christmas, or for you Grinches out there, Happy December.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-410: Headlines: Worth Watching

I have not looked at Drudge very closely but it seems to me that this should be a banner headline.  The Daily Signal tells us the House has passed a Right to Carry Reciprocity bill.  From here I assume it goes to the Senate. 

It elevates your license to carry a concealed weapon, a Constitutional Right, to the same level as your drivers’ license.  Since the requirements to exercise a right are more rigorous than what it takes to get a driver’s license, this just makes sense.

It remains to be seen whether the Senate has any sense or not.

The only thing mentioned that concerned me was that there is an increase in information on the back ground check.  That could be good or bad, depending on the information being gathered.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-409: Election 2018: On Spades and Not-Spades

I voted for Donald Trump with my eyes open and my nose held.  It is becoming one of those rare times when things work out better than you could have hoped.  A recent post of Power Line hits on a vital part of why that is true.  After commenting about how the media has been lying about Trump it says,

“But maybe that is too charitable. Maybe these reporters have been lying for a long time, and we finally have a Republican leader with enough guts to call them on it.”

Donald Trump seems to be the first Real Republican since Calvin Coolidge.  There is no problem with calling a spade a spade as long as it is a spade.

As we look to the future we need to see that we elect people to government who will support the direction that Trump wants to take the country.  The key will be the primaries.  That means that we need to work to unelect some RINOs sitting in positions of power.  I don’t care if they did get you a new bridge or a contract for your local manufacturer.  This is bigger than what is good for you.  It is about the future of America and the world. 

Elections matter.  Vote the RINOs out.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-408: Monday Pulpit: The Complete Message of the Incarnation

Sunday was the day that the church we attended had their Christmas Music Choir Special.  The music was excellent.  The message was even better.

What is often lost in the “spirit” of Christmas is the basic reason for the incarnation.  Jesus came for a reason and it wasn’t so we would have a special time of celebration and family get togethers.  Those are just pleasant contemporary side-effects.  The real reason to celebrate Advent was expressed through the music we heard Sunday.

The baby Jesus came to die on the cross.  We heard about the crucifixion.  The manger was just the opening scene.

Jesus came to be the perfect sacrifice to pay for our sins.  We heard repeated mention of sins and redemption.  We don’t like to hear that we are sinners in need of a savior.  That is one of the reasons why the celebration of the incarnation has become a capitalist’s dream. 

Jesus came to rise from the grave and give us assurance of victory over death.  We heard them sing about the resurrection. 

Jesus is coming again.  It will be the second advent. 

I am ready.  Are you?

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-407: Headlines: Listen to Your Betters

I thought the headline was deeper than the editors wanted it to be.

“Richard Shelby on Roy Moore: 'The Republican Party can do better'”

I know who Ray Moore is.  I have known for a long time.  I have seen him resist the forces trying to do away with the public display of the Ten Commandments.  I have seen him stand for truth and morality.  I have seen him refuse to cave.  My first question was, “Who is Richard Shelby and why do I care what he thinks.” 

I had to read the article to find out.  Richard Shelby is “Alabama’s senior senator”.  I don’t remember hearing from him before this.  Maybe I just missed it.  Has he been so busy fighting the gun control lobby that he has not had time to speak?  Has he been picketing in front of Planned Parenthood clinics so he missed the press conference?  I may have not been paying attention but I notice he has time to criticize Ray Moore and, if you read the article, basically not vote in the coming election.

My second question was, “Since when does the Senator elected by the citizens of Alabama become a decision that is to be made by the Republican elites?”  That is what generated these comments.  I live in a country where the elites already have too much to say about how my life is run.  Could the Republican party do better than Ray Moore?  Possibly, but Ted Cruz can’t run in Alabama and Donald Trump is already president.  I think that there was another man in the primary who would have been just as good but he didn’t make the cut.  I doubt is he would be the one that Shelby thinks the party should have chosen either.  He would have been more Moore than Moore is, if you get my drift.

So the party is not the one that makes the decision.  That kind of politics went out of style over a hundred years ago when we began having conventions with elected delegates and with the emergence of primaries instead of back room deals. 

Let the people of Alabama decide and in a few years they may have something to say about Richard Shelby.

Also keep in mind that this site has endorsed Moore’s opponent in the Senate race.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-406: Headlines: Referendum on Trump

Crickets.

That is what we are hearing about what I think was a recent election.  I say, “I think” because the article itself doesn’t give the date.  Such is the nature of modern journalism, in this case found in the Boston Herald.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_politics/2017/12/gop_candidate_flips_dem_senate_seat_in_central_mass

We have heard a lot of PC rhetoric since the election in Virginia.  A Democrat won, replacing a Democrat in a state that Hillary took in the presidential election.  That was hailed as a warning for Trump that his days were numbered.  What have we heard about this election in Massachusetts?

Crickets.

Why would the “unbiased” media not make a big deal about this election?  Massachusetts is about as deeply blue as you can get.  Democrats hold 33 out of 40 seats in the state Senate.  The senator being replaced was a Democrat.  He was beaten by a Republican.  That Republican was also an immigrant.  This was news.  What have you heard?

Crickets.

Two elections.  Score before the elections:  Democrats 2, Republicans 0.  Score after the elections:  Democrats 1, Republicans 1. 

Sounds like a referendum on Trump to me.  Like I said, “Crickets”.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-405: Headlines: Shut Up and Ski

Now I know who Lindsey Vonn is.  I must admit I am not a sports fan and the Olympics have been off my radar for years.  Now we have a skier who lets her political mouth race faster than her skis.  She acts like she is proud of her country and flag but then says she will not be on the snow for the President.  Drudge linked this to a CNN source.

It is great to live in America even when we are represented by insensitive fools.  Maybe she is just a racist.  If someone had said something like that about Barak Obama that is the label they would get.  And as she has the freedom to express her opinions I have the freedom to express mine:  If she does not ski for the president, she does not ski for me.

I can add the Winter Olympics to NFL games as something I won’t be watching.  It would be a more impressive sacrifice if I had actually planned to watch either but it is the best I can do.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-404: Thanks Thoughts: Fear but no Want

As I was going through my morning ritual I am looking out the dark window into what would be a snowy landscape.  “Would be” because the inside lights make it seem dark outside.  We got snow last night, in Texas.  I doubt if it will last until Christmas.  Is there a song, “I’m Dreaming of a Snowy Day in Advent”?  I didn’t think so.  Hurricanes and floods are so last month.  Now it is snow.  And as I am going through a time of thanking God I touch not only on the beauty of the view but the warmth of my room.

That turned me to all the people in the world who were not warm and safe.  I thought of those who don’t know when their next meal will be available.  I have so much to be thankful for in this advent season.  And the thanks can go back over a lot of years.  The closest to freezing to death was in the blizzard of 78 when Boston was shut down and the power went out for a few days.  I had a time when I had one can of soup on the shelf and was a month behind on my rent.  I have come close to suffering and known the fear it generates, but the power came back on, the church surprised me with a table full of groceries and God provided.

Seventy years of pointless worry and inadequate gratitude.  It helps to keep things in perspective.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-403: Headlines: Collateral Damage

A Republican bites the dust in the current feeding frenzy of the media.  His name is Trent Franks and he is from Arizona.  He has not been on my radar so I know nothing about him except he has caved to the feelings of some snowflakes.  His sin?  According to the Daily Signal he raised the topic of being surrogate mothers with a couple of staffers and made them feel “uncomfortable”.

The issue of surrogate mothers is an ethical issue that I am not trying to address.  Since the congressman and his wife already had twins by a surrogate mother, I would assume that the issue is not the legality of the process.  If the issue was raised in the proper way I don’t know how you would find a surrogate mother but to ask.  Although I have a lot of questions about it, I would think it an honor for someone to think highly enough of me to bring it up.  But two women felt uncomfortable and thus this man is resigning.

I guess he is trying to be noble and spare his family from the media circus which brings me to the scary part of his statement,

“Rather than allow a sensationalized trial by media damage those things I love most, this morning I notified House leadership that I will be leaving Congress as of Jan. 31, 2018.”

He is resigning rather than face “trial by media”.

This is dangerous.  There are a lot of maybe’s here.  Maybe he has other skeletons he does not want to come out.  Maybe he did more than ask politely.  Maybe he is a key vote that the Democrats wanted to remove.  Maybe, maybe, maybe...  The fact of the matter is that we have a man driven from office by innuendo and implication.  It could be the right choice.  More than likely it is the first of many surrenders to a media that wants to overthrow the last presidential election and doesn’t care how much damage they do to liberty in the process.

Is Trent Franks guilty of something that requires him to resign from congress?  Not that I read about, but he feels intimidated enough to back out gracefully.  How about the others?  I am in favor of Judge Moore hanging in there because he has the guts to resist the bullying of the Democrats and media (redundant, I know) and the RINOs that are their allies. 

What will you do when they come for you?  You don’t think you are important enough?  Wait until they want something you have. 

Will you be a Trent Franks or a Roy Moore?

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-402: New Terms: National Dementia Syndrom

Never Forget!

Pearl Harbor.  The Holocaust.  9/11.

Why do we remember?

First, some reasons are not acceptable.  We do not remember to keep the hate and rage alive.  We do not remember to exact vengeance and make them pay.  The first part of the phrase, “Forgive and Forget” is important if we want civilization to move forward.  When there is a pot hole in the street you don’t curse it.  You avoid it until you can get it filled.  Evil happens.  We have fought wars to bring down the evil perpetrators.  It is time to move on.

We remember so that we can learn from the pain.  Pearl Harbor was a reminder that when we stop being vigilant we can pay a big price.  The Holocaust reminds us that evil can overcome any culture from within if we do not keep standing up for what is right.  The Twin Towers remind us that the world is not full of lovely people and the “Religion of Peace” seems to have a lot of heretics.

So we remember.  When?  At election time we need to remember the kind of politicians that have no sense of right and wrong.  At budget time we need to remember that the best way to avoid war is to be so strong that the enemies of America know they will be destroyed.  When talking about immigration we need to ask ourselves what groups are committed to destroying us and our way of life.

We need to avoid National Dementia Syndrom.

And since I am now in Texas, Remember the Alamo!

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-401: Headlines: Be Careful What You Wish For

Should Al Franken resign?  We need to be careful of our answers because, as conservatives, we believe in the rule of law.  That means that we don’t have one set of rules for us and one for them.  We are not liberals who think the rules only apply to people who are not special like they are.

Why would I like to see him resign?  First, he should not have been elected in the first place.  As I had read several places, he is a jerk.  In addition to that I would like to see him go because he is a force for political evil.  He also has one thing that almost demands resignation:  He has admitted to a lot of disgusting actions. 

Why am I cautious?  The same reason I call for reason and law in the case of Judge Moore.  So far it has been trial by media and hysteria.  As a member of the faceless masses I caution my fellow faces to stop reacting with mindless emotion.  Stop condemning someone just because the media wants blood.  If you get on a jury, listen to the evidence and give the verdict.  If you have an opinion, share it.  Never forget that we have rules and those rules are supposed to apply to everyone.  We have laws against rape.  We have laws that protect our physical person from unwanted touching and our mental person from verbal assault.  Apply them.

Don’t join the lych mob.  It doesn’t matter how nasty the victim.  Remember,

(Proverbs 29:27 KJV)  An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.

The disgust goes both ways.  Every exception to law breaks down the rule of law.

Having said that, I hope the guy crawls back under the rock that spit him out.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-400: On the Street: Liberal Confession

It is snowing in Hell.  My wife met a woman who admitted she was a liberal.  When my wife encouraged her to move to California and replace us she said she was thinking about it.

If you are into prayer you might be remembering her and encouraging the move.  Texas would be a better place and California won’t even notice.  Also pray for her safety.  Anyone who would admit they are a liberal might walk out in front of a yak or something.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-399: Executive Action Required

Is it time for history to repeat itself?

Does the acronym OSS mean anything to you?  It did to the Nazis and the Japanese war lords.  It was the arm of the Untied States government that dealt with intelligence during World War II.  It ran our spies and directed our secret work of infiltrating and influencing our enemies.  It was created by FDR and “Wild Bill” Donovan.  It was needed and provided a vital role.

When the war was over it was dissolved.  Granted, its activities were simply transferred to other agencies in the government but the OSS was gone, by presidential order. 

It is time for history to repeat itself.  The CIA has become the tail wagging the dog.  It has become a power unto itself.  The role it plays is necessary but the organization is probably beyond redemption.  Dissolve it and move on.

Now about the FBI...

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-398: Headlines: Another Day, Another Accusation, Garrison Keillor

I wonder sometimes if the media is playing with us to keep ratings up.  Do they have a long list of revelations about celebrities and politicians who have erred and they are stretching out the release in order to get us to tune in?

Yesterday it was the turn of Garrison Keillor.  Drudge sent me to Minnesota Public Radio.  My total experience with him involves reading Lake Woebegone Days after years of hearing about how the children were all above average. 

I read through the article and no specific charges are made, just “inappropriate behavior”.  That lets the imagination run wild.  As I look at the headlines about yesterday’s expose I see a wide assortment of actions being attributed to Matt Lauer.  I am not going to read all the articles because if the media follows its regular path there will be no way of knowing which are the ugly truth and which are ugly lies.  It is the job of the justice system to work those out.

It seems that the situations with Matt Lauer and Garrison Keillor were both known by many people for a good time and nothing was done.  Maybe at last it is.  If they are guilty of serious crimes like rape or molestation of children then the death penalty would be appropriate.  If all they did was pat someone’s derriere, then maybe being fired will be enough.  I hope they get a jury but I don’t want to bet on it.

There is good and bad coming out of all these accusations.  The good is that a winked at behavior that was demeaning to other human beings is finally getting some attention.  The bad is that the press corps is using emotion to railroad the rule of law rather than due process to seek justice under the rule of law.  In our enthusiasm for one we must not let the other be lost.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-397: Headlines: Another Day, Another Accusation

I would be more shocked at reading that Matt Lauer was fired if I had ever watched him.  It was a name I knew but I had to read the article to find out why.  Being a talking head on NBC means that he will be easy to replace.

My issue is bigger than a broken heart and a sense of disappointment.  I want Matt Lauer and every other liberal to get the same due process that I think Judge Moore in Alabama should be getting.  I read the article at Fox News.  All I saw was the accusation of one woman.  With that, he was gone.  Is there any evidence?  Has he been allowed to face his accuser in open court as the Constitution demands?  It was interesting that they pointed out this is the first complaint in the twenty years he has worked for them.  One complaint after twenty years and he is gone?  It makes me wonder what he may have done that really makes them want to get rid of him.  Of course this is business, not the government, so the same rules do not apply but as a conservative who believes in the rule of law, I am getting very weary of trial by media and indictment by innuendo.  One woman sharing his pain and he is gone.  Al Franken with pictures and pubic confession is still in office. 

If they ever get a conservative it will drown out all the Democrats that have strayed.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-396: On the Street: Millennial Baby Care

Modern technology is taking twists that I would have never thought necessary but are being embraced by the younger generation.  The older generation is having a hard time getting excited about these innovative tools that I learned about on Thanksgiving.

For the first time ever we were at a non-family home for Thanksgiving.  That in itself was an eye-opener.  They had a meal but there was no thanks given and no God acknowledged, but what I am writing about involved their joy and trial of having a newborn.  I got to hold a baby for the first time in years.  I did well.  I am glad they did not ask me to demonstrate my diaper changing skills.

They shared with us new baby care products that were amazing.  I was shown the Windi.  It is labeled as a “Gas and Colic Reliever”.  It is an innocent looking device that you insert in the rectum of a baby and it provides a clear path for the inner joy to be expressed.  It seems they are single use disposable.  I did not ask for a demonstration.  They did not offer.  If you don’t believe me check it out on Amazon yourself.

If you follow the Amazon page down you will find something called a “Nasal Aspirator”.  This is a snot sucker.  You, the parent not the guest for dinner, suck the snot out of the baby’s nose through a long tube with a filter to keep it from getting in your mouth. 

How did our children ever survive?

(I receive no financial reimbursement for this information nor do I suggest that either product is safe for non-professional use.)

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-395: Election 2018: Campaign Issues, Voter Fraud

One of the big issues that the politicians keep sweeping under the rug is voter fraud.  President Trump has appointed a commission to look into it and is meeting little besides resistance.  This would seem a no-brainer to me.  How can we have legitimate government if our elections are not run with integrity.

An article in The Daily Signal looks at the potential for fraud by the counties that have more registered voters than they have people eligible to vote.

The logical concern is expressed this way:

“When dead people or those no longer living in a specific voting jurisdiction continue to be registered there, voter integrity advocates argue, the likelihood for voter fraud increases.”

Again, that is something so clear it should require no brain to understand.  What is there to disagree about?

The response goes like this,

‘In a statement published in several media outlets, however, Grimes spokesman Bradford Queen said the Judicial Watch lawsuit is “without merit” and is an attempt to “make it harder for people to vote.”’

Taken at face value this is ridiculous.  Dead people can’t vote so how can you make it harder?  Non-citizens are not supposed to vote so why should you not make it harder? 

At the current point it is mainly the Democrats that don’t want to clean up the roles and the Democrats that are in favor of corrupt elections.  That may change in the future but that is the reality of now. 

Give it a read.  The only way you can be against cleaning up the voter roles is if you want to cheat and manipulate the elections.  I think that if this were presented clearly and repeatedly it could be a winning platform issue in 2018 and 2020.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-394: Headlines: Will the Stupid Never Stop

Just when you think that the liberals have lowered their IQ as much as they can and still not need to be reminded to inhale and exhale, they continue to be the gift that keeps on giving.  You will love to read in the Boston Herald about how banning cell phone use in cars is now racist.

Yes, you read that right.  If you feel your life is in danger by fools texting while driving you are guilty of targeting minorities. 

What about those in the minority who don’t talk on their cell phones?

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-394: Pumice Proclamation

Whereas Order in the Universe is essential to strong teeth and healthy gums, and

Whereas some People need clear rules in order to be comfortable, and

Whereas many stores have been stocking their shelves since Halloween, and

Whereas Thanksgiving is over except for the leftovers,

I hereby proclaim that it is now okay to play Christmas music.

Signed, November 24, 2017.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-393: A Thanksgiving Warning: Call Before You Dig

You have seen the signs.  They warn you about power cables and possibly buried plumbing.  If you start digging without knowing where the danger is you can find anything from death to calling a plumber.

Apply that to your family and friends as you gather for fellowship this year.  Today is Thanksgiving and Christmas is coming.  They say there are two topics that are risky at best:  Religion and politics.  They are also some of the most vital.  You may need to go there but it always pays to know where the 220 cables are before you start the backhoe.  Tread gently.  Know where reverse is.  Start with the knowledge that you may be wrong and you definitely don’t know everything.

Perhaps a review of a Biblical principle is in line.

(1 Peter 3:15 NAS77)  but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;

This is about religion but the principle applies to politics or anything else that is touchy.  Start with the right attitude.  Let other people bring things up.  Explain clearly.  Always be courteous and kind.

And keep in mind that you don’t know how well they are wired.  We had a light that would not work.  We thought that it was because it was getting no power.  The electrician found out that it was somehow connected so it was getting power from both wires and touching either could at least give us a nasty shock.

When in doubt, dig somewhere else.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-392: The Traditional Post

Sometimes there are two sides to our thanks.  I am thankful that Hillary is not president.  To my surprise, I am thankful that Trump is. 

I am thankful for a room in which I can’t hear the sound of a television.

I am thankful that the aches and pains I feel are all due to getting old and are within the range of annoying rather than crippling.

I am thankful that, as of yesterday, my children are still speaking to me.  And of course I am glad I still want them to speak to me.

I am thankful that so far I have seen the scorpions before they have seen me.

I am thankful that I have everything I need even if I don’t have everything I want.  And I am thankful that I know the difference.

The list could go on but you have family, friends and chores. 

Happy Thanksgiving and may your list be long enough to bore others.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-391: Headlines: Ukraine Channels Spain

The Daily Signal had an article in the side bar about the struggle between Ukraine and Russia.  It reminded me of the way in which the Communists and Fascists fought a proxy war in Spain before World War II broke out.

In case you missed it, World War II have an opening act in Spain as the Communists and the Fascists fought for control of the country.  It was brutal and bloody.  Recruits came from all over the world to fight for one side or the other.  Nations experimented with equipment and tactics.  In the end the Fascists won and Franco came to power.  He lasted for decades until his death in 1975. 

Is Ukraine a place where the forces of east and west are meeting to flex their muscles and beat their chests?  I know Russia is involved.  I don’t know how much we have contributed.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-390: Thanksgiving Countdown: Those Evil Pharmaceutical Companies

Are you thankful for the bounty of medications that are readily available?

What stirred this was the little red blood thinner I just took.  When I was paying the co-pay they cost around $14.00 a pill.  With Medicare D they still cost about $8.00 a day.  I understand that is cheap in relation to some drugs people are taking.  But you know what, I could probably live a long time without them.  The danger of not having this medication is statistical, not definite.  Yours could be literally life giving.

What about the things that are not expensive?  How about all the generic, over the counter remedies that we have?  I just took some ibuprofen for a day.  I don’t know if I have ever done that before but my joints were getting sore and I am getting old.  It was cheap.  It helped.  It was a miracle that the Founding Fathers might have written into the Bill of Rights if they had known.

I know that some people can only see the profit that the drug companies make.  They don’t see the billions that go into research.  They don’t see the billions that go into lawyers and insurance.  They don’t see the free drugs given to people in need.

Does greed exist?  You betcha.  Keep in mind, and be thankful, that the greed of profit is what may bring a cure to cancer, HIV and even the common cold.  Poor people are also greedy.  If you don’t believe it, watch the news on Black Friday and observe people being trampled to death at your local Walmart when they open the doors.  They aren’t looking for miracle cures.

And be thankful that you don’t need to be in that mob.

Happy Thanksgiving.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-389: On the Street: Invisible Tragedies

Word came yesterday of the children of friends who have suffered the agony of a miscarriage.  It doesn’t help to know that miscarriage is more common than people think.  It does nothing for the pain to know that they are young and will be able to have more children.  It is a loss and my heart goes out to them.

It is just a reminder that people are often going through difficult times that we are not aware of.  It is why we are told,

(1 Corinthians 13:4 NAS77)  Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,

We do not know what struggle, loss or failure is dominating the thoughts and emotions of people we meet.  It could be that the clerk in the store is not really surly, they may have just heard they have cancer.  The guy cutting you off may actually be going to a fire. 

As a follower of Jesus it is my responsibility to give the other guy the benefit of the doubt.  It is why we are told to answer softly, go the extra mile, forgive and love our enemies. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-388: Thanksgiving Countdown: An Exercise

Some mornings when my brain is extra flaky I have a hard time being thankful.  I have a little exercise that helps me zero in on how God is providing for us.

Take any object you have used without thinking and trace it back in the process of production.  Thank God for the hands and skills that went into the final product.  Don’t use your computer, that is too easy.  Pick something really common like the chair you are sitting in.

For instance I have an insulated cup filled with coffee on the desk beside me.  I am mindful that somewhere in the world there is a person who picked the beans and others who processed them on their way to market.  There are many people of varied skills that went into the roasting.  A whole string of people were involved in making the grinder I used and delivering the clean water to my house.  You can go on this way for as long as you have time.  The list of semi-miracles required to get a simple beverage is awesome. 

So be thankful.  I am sure that when you are in the groove you will be reminded of some really awesome blessings that are a bit more significant than a cup of coffee.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-387: A Howler of the Week

After the repeated frustration of trying to find a source of news that is not rabidly left wing I went to Google to see if there were any conservative newspapers.  I took a quick look and bookmarked a few.  In my search I came across this howler at a site called Quora.

“The major U.S. newspapers do not represent a very broad ideological spectrum because the ethics of U.S. journalism include attempting to be fair and even-handed in all matters and because they are financed by wealthy people. At best they range between just barely center-left and fairly far into the right -- essentially pro-capitalist, with leanings toward reform or toward laissez faire.”

With that kind of a lead in, why would I bother reading any farther?

When I get done laughing and run out of screams I may try again.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-386: Thanksgiving Countdown: Thank-list

Lack of gratitude it our default.  We take our blessings for granted.  Think of all the people who do things for you on a regular basis and don’t expect a “thank you.”  When was the last time you thanked someone for doing your laundry or were thanked for washing their dishes?  I don’t remember anyone showing that they appreciated me walking quietly through the house when they were trying to sleep or leaving the music turned off until they were up.  Thankfulness is a state of mind that needs to be stirred up, thus Thanksgiving Day.

Part of that is familiarity.  We get used to things and take them for granted.  How many times have you seen someone thanked for doing what you do all the time?  Maybe if we thought about all the little things we do for others it might help us see examples of them doing for us.

So play like you are Santa Claus.  Start a list.  Check it twice.  See if you have been naughty or nice.  Then use the list to find someone to thank.  Maybe you could even thank someone for doing a small thing for someone else.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-385: Headlines: Mugabe Out, Mnangagwa In, Maybe

Have you noticed how America lives in the ostrich bubble.  We are so caught up in our own soap opera that we forget there is a world going on out there.  Today there was a reminder of why we should be glad to live in America, at least until the Progressives are in total control.

The Daily Signal had a headline that used two names that many Americans probably think is a bit of cuisine from a local ethnic food joint:  Zimbabwe and Mugabe.  For those who were sleeping in my history classes, Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in southeast Africa.  It used to be called Rhodesia and was known as the breadbasket of Africa.  When it gained independence and took over the farms owned by whites it began a move that has brought it to the point of poverty, starvation and violence.  The man most responsible for this is the 40 year dictator Robert Mugabe.

As the headline tells you, he has been removed by a military coup. 

That might be considered good but you need to read the article to be glad you are American.  The military has been hand in hand with Mugabe until recently.  Since he was no longer doing things their way, they removed him. 

This is not really great news.

“However, there are no guarantees that whoever ultimately replaces Mugabe will be a significant improvement.”

One of the names submitted to be the new kingpin is Emmerson Mnangagwa.  His nickname is “the Crocodile” and he has also been involved in massacres and other pleasant pastimes.

So Africa is being Africa.  Petti-dictators are being replaced by petti-dictators.  The people of Zimbabwe continue to starve and be murdered. 

Think about that next time someone calls Trump a Hitler or you get mad at our military.

This should go on your list of things to be thankful for.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-384: What Happened to the Rule of Law?

I am so disgusted to be a Republican.  I keep thinking I am going to register as an Independent but they are just as disgusting.  Which is more a danger to our future freedom, due process and the assumption of innocence until guilt is proven or accusations of inappropriate behavior that took place 40 years ago?  To me the answer is so obvious I wonder why Mitch McConnell and his cronies don’t see it.  Or maybe they do and don’t care because it is all about being loved by a mass media core that hates them with every ounce of their being.

So let me act like you are mature adults dealing with a bunch of middle school students making an accusation.

First, consider the source.  When I have a student accusing someone of something I would sometimes ignore it and other times get concerned.  If a student who would not know the truth if it were on his lunch tray tells me something, I am a bit skeptical.  People who lie regularly about whether they have gum in their mouth or whether the trash on the floor is theirs can’t be trusted to tell the truth about anything of importance.  Who is the source of the accusations against Judge Moore?  The Washington Post and a reporter with a long record of deceit and partisan activity.

Second, consider the accused.  When someone tells me that another teacher has said something I always ask myself if that sounds like what that teacher would do.  Students would have a hard time convincing other teachers I had cussed the student out because no teacher has ever heard me use profanity or vulgarity.  The principal would believe them but she isn’t known for her discernment or objectivity.  I have followed Judge Moore for years and have seen a man of principle and integrity that has stood up to the forces of liberal anti-Americanism and anti-Christian bigotry.  The accusations just don’t sound right.

Third, is there an ulterior motive?  You may not get out much but when a student is caught red handed they often try to distract from the issue at hand.  Or they may be mad at someone who did something they didn’t like and they are out to get them.  Can you really expect a football player at UCLA to say anything nice about a lineman from USC?  Picture all the sport events you have seen with players getting in the face of the referee trying to convince them that they have been wronged.  Unfortunately we do not have instant replays of events from 40 years ago.  We have a press corps that is in the pocket of the Democrats.  They hate conservatives.  They hate Christians.  They hate traditional values.  To them Judge Moore is fair game.

Is it possible that he acted in a totally unacceptable way 40 years ago?  Of course it is.  It is also possible that the American astronauts on the moon were really on a Hollywood set or that Bill Clinton never cheated on his wife.  This is why we have courts.  This is why it is on the accuser to prove his case in front of an impartial jury.  Let’s look at a few of the trials by media that we have faced:  Herman Cain, Clarence Thomas, George Zimmerman, The Baltimore Police, Bruce Herschensohn, Dan Quayle, etc.  The list is long.  The charges have usually not been filed.  When the charges were filed we find that they were false.

There are times when I feel like I live in the France of 1793 (Reign of Terror) rather than America in 1868 (Impeachment of Andrew Johnson).

The American solution is to let the election proceed, file your charges and see where the chips fall.  If he is guilty then he can serve his time in the Senate and the State Pen concurrently. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-383: Headlines: How Cruel

I don’t go often to Breitbart but I am getting desperate for news that goes beyond the smoke and mirrors I am getting.  I didn’t get far before I saw a title in the sidebar that read “...SNL Cruelly Mocks Alabamans (sic) as Rednecks”.  That kind of surprised me so checked it out.

It didn’t look like it was anything more than SNL doing what SNL does.  I did not watch the clip.  I had just had my oatmeal and wanted it to settle a bit.  I didn’t see anything to get upset about.  I remember when they lampooned Sarah Palin.  I like Sarah Palin.  I did then, I do now.  She was the reason I could vote for John McCain.  They mocked her and did a good job.  It was funny.  I can laugh at myself.  I can laugh when the humor is real.  It is not “cruel mocking”, it is humor.

That is what comedy is supposed to be, funny.  If it is a bit offensive, get over it.  Stop wanting to be a right wing snowflake.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-382: Thanksgiving Countdown: Why?

Thanksgiving is coming.  It is a national holiday and like most national holidays it is celebrated with a full agenda and an empty head.  I checked out Wikipedia which has a decent article on Thanksgiving, at least the parts I read.  There is a lot of debate on where the first Thanksgiving was held.  Hopefully most of it is friendly like the discussion of the best recipe for stuffing.  Proclaiming days of thanks or days of petition have a long history in Christian circles at least.  I think the day we can look at as the beginning of our national holiday began where so much else began.

‘As President of the United States, George Washington proclaimed the first nationwide thanksgiving celebration in America marking November 26, 1789, "as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God."’

Notice that it is public and based in a faith in God.  Note also that this is in the first year of the new Constitution.  At this point only Rhode Island was holding out.  There was much to be thankful for.

Why do we celebrate this holiday today?  Is it just because it is on the calendar?  Whom, or what, are we thanking?  If you do not believe in God, welcome to the festivities but why did you come?  It might be like your wife watching football with you.  For some it is just a day to watch football.

As Christians we thank a God who is aware of our thanks.  We thank the God who is the only God and who created and maintains our world.  The pagans might also give thanks.  I understand that many in hunting cultures would thank the animal for giving its life.  We are not thanking the cow for becoming hamburger.  We are not thanking the tree for becoming a toothpick.  We are not thanking the rock for not stubbing our toe.  We are thanking God for His blessings.

One of the significant items on the Pumice Calendar is that after dinner on Thanksgiving Day we can start up the Christmas music.  That is something to be thankful for.  What makes it so easy is I-Pod, I-Tunes and Bluetooth.  What makes is special is we are singing about the Incarnation.

Blessings.

Opus 2017-381: I Know Green Baloney When I See It

Have you ever had jury duty?  I used to get summoned every couple of years.  I only made it on one jury because defense attorneys don’t want me sitting in judgement on their clients.

Why?  Because they judge my life experiences as disqualifying me from being unbiased.  I don’t drink so they assume I cannot be fair on a case involving alcohol.  My house has been broken into multiple times so obviously I can’t determine if someone is guilty of such a crime.  Family members have been assaulted, and so forth.  You get the picture.  They want people like the ones who march in snowflake rallies.  Thinking is not an option; it is forbidden.

Why?  Because my values and experience make me a good judge of evidence.  I tend to be skeptical of authority and question sources.  Or is it the other way around?  Either way, they want people they can fool, who won’t ask the simple question, “Really?”  When I hear that someone has shot themselves while cleaning a gun I tend to say, “Really?  That is God’s way of trying to raise the national IQ level.”  Defense attorneys, or for that matter prosecutors, want people who will buy the new cereal because the label says, “New and Improved”.

So if I can’t qualify to sit on a jury, how does a reporter like the one who wrote the hit piece on Judge Moore get anyone to listen to her?  Various other sources list her qualifications, or lack of them.  The last I heard was that she had worked on the Clinton campaign.  All I really need to know is that the Washington Post hired her.  It is like the pot calling the wall “white privileged”.  (In this PC world we can’t use the original form of the saying, racist you know.)

Of course, just because the can is bent doesn’t mean that the contents is spoiled, but would you want to serve the beef stew inside to your family?  Knowing the history of the can would help make a decision.  I don’t really know anything about this reporter.  She is just another mouthpiece for the Democrat party if she works for the Washington Post.  Judge Moore I have been watching for years and I approve of what I see.  So, if I got the can of stew out of an old abandoned house I would throw it out.  If it had been in my pantry for a year, I would enjoy.

Don’t lose your baloney filters.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-380: All Vets Are Not Equal

Today is Veterans’ Day.  It is appropriate to thank a veteran for serving, but like many things in life it should be done properly.

I write as a Vietnam veteran.  I was drafted.  I did not enlist.  I did not want to take time out to serve in the military but I accepted it as a part of my civic duty.  I am glad I served but I would not want to do it again.  I was not in combat and, although I did go places where people had died, I never was seriously threatened the whole time I was there.  I was one of the majority who struggled with boredom more than the Vietcong.

I do not deserve the same thanks that a warrior deserves.  Everyone cannot be a warrior.  Armies are made up of a minority who actually fight and a majority who support them.  That is the way it works.  Those who end up being warriors do not always volunteer for the position, but they serve anyway.  They are the ones who really deserve our thanks.

So, thank you warriors.  You paid a price that the rest of us cannot understand, even those like me who did their duty.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-379: Get Rid of the Silencers

I have laughed along with the rest of you at the humor proposing that the government needs to issue permits for the rental of trucks since they are being used in acts of terror.  If you stop to think about it, it isn’t funny.  They already do.

The trucks must be registered and licensed.  They must pass safety tests and pay extra taxes.  There are limitations on caliber, or size, and where you can drive them.  The driver must have a license.  Think about it.  There are people in the elites who want to take us out of our cars.  Cars represent mobility and liberty.  They allow us to choose where we live, work and shop.  Simple little things but the Progressives want to make those decisions for you.  Of course it is for your own good.

So don’t laugh too hard.

In the spirit of bipartisanship I have a suggestion to make though.  We need to make trucks safer.  One of the reasons they are so dangerous is that people don’t know they are coming.  They can be used to commit crimes without being heard.  So, just as we have outlawed “silencers” on guns, I think we should make it illegal for trucks to have mufflers.  Drivers can wear hearing protection.  Pedestrians can wear hearing protection.  We can sound proof our homes.  The important thing is that our safety would be insured.  After we get the trucks under control we can move on to cars, generators and lawn mowers.

So write to your congressmen.  Speak up at town meetings.  Maybe we can get it passed by a few cities like Berkeley and New York and then California will jump on board.  I predict a groundswell of support as people become more aware of the killing machines around them.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-378: Family Feud Education

Sometimes you need to get out of the forest to see how many trees have been destroyed by the beetles.  As a teacher I was always being indoctrinated in the idea that there are many types of intelligence.  It is more than book learning and the ability to do well on the SAT.  There is a logic to that, I admit.  I think of my brother who could build you a house but had a hard time writing a letter.  I, on the other hand, can’t cut a board straight.  He would have been what is called kinesthetic.  I was a traditional linguistic.  Originally, according to Gardner, there are seven intelligences.  Not to let a good idea go to waste that was expanded to nine and for all I know has grown beyond that.  I think many of them could be covered with snowflake intelligence because there are so many that can only learn in their isolated safe-space.

What was interesting to me is that Gardner did not honor the traditional method of research and analysis of data.

“Gardner’s approach is also radical in that he does not defend his theory with quantitative data.  He draws on findings from anthropology to zoology in his narrative., but, in a field that has been intensely quantitative since its inception, Gardner’s work is uniquely devoid of psychometric or other quantitative evidence.” page 18

What that means is there is no evidence for his theory.  It is true because he likes the idea.  The dangerous part of this is that education now thinks this way.  The standards and techniques that are in control of education are based on what the elite wants to be considered.  It is kind of like Family Feud research.  If you have watched the program, the right answers are determined by a random group of people giving a response.  It is accurate for those people that day but it is not scientific.

So when someone tells you how smart their child is you need to understand that they may be talking about the kid’s ability to throw tantrums, not his ability to write an essay.

Herrnstein, Richard J. and Murray, Charles.  The Bell Curve.  New York:  The Free Press, 1994.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-377: Headlines: Just a Finger of Speech

Perhaps you have seen reference to the woman who gave the finger to the presidents motorcade.  I ignored it until I saw it at Fox News.  I didn’t know whether to laugh or scream in rage.

I would laugh because it is such a trivial thing.  A frustrated lefty gives the finger.  It is an everyday event.  We see pictures of illegals going it all the time.  How does this make the news?

I want to scream because to me this is a first amendment issue.  It really doesn’t matter that I don’t agree with her.  It isn’t important that I would consider her a brainwashed lefty fool.  What matters is that in the decayed culture of today giving the finger is so common that it is something to be ignored.  Also it is specifically the kind of thing that the right to free speech is supposed to cover:  An out of power person saying something that the in-power don’t like. 

It would seem to me that if you can burn a flag, stand over a picture of a corpse with a “Trump” tag on the toe, put on a play with a presidential look-alike murdered and so many other offensive actions, you should be able to give a stream of cars the finger.

Maybe this is time for another presidential pardon.

Maybe she just doesn’t like Cadillacs.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-376: Do You Need a Cat?

I would never describe myself as an animal lover.  Neither would anyone else that knows me, but I am not an animal hater either.  Right now I have our new kitten sitting on the file cabinet by my desk purring and tonguing.  I have not thrown him out or thrown anything in his direction.  I have been working on kittenizing my desk and my morning routine.  Animals are like the coaster under my coffee cup.  They serve a purpose and can be ignored most of the time.  They are also hard to find when you need them, although why you would need a kitten I don’t know.

My wife is an animal lover.  She needed a new kitten so we got a new kitten.  It was kind of like a drug addict needing a fix or a gun guy lusting after the most recent shinny.  Now that she has it she locks it out of the room so she can have some peace.  That sends it to me for companionship. 

She wishes it would do for her what it is doing in my office.  It is taking a nap with its head hanging in my direction like it is asking to be petted.  Cats are not really loners.  This one needs to be near someone even if it is me.  It just wants our relationship to be on cat terms which means the cat is in charge.

I go to the kitchen to refill my coffee cup and when I turn around there is the cat.  I find myself talking to the thing as if it could understand.  I don’t talk to my coffee cup, at least not often.  I also am not tempted to kick my coffee cup across the room.

Do you need a kitten?  I envy you.  I also worry about you.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-375: The End of Savings

I just discovered one of the joys of retirement.  I forgot to set my clocks back and it didn’t matter.  I had been up for over two hours and was showered and ready to go on the weekly pilgrimage to find the perfect church.  Then I noticed a post about turning our clocks back.  I checked my date book, my computer clock and my phone.  They all agreed.

So I had an extra hour before I left the house.  As they say, “No harm, no foul.”

Being retired, it could have happened any day of the week without a penalty.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-374: History Is a Riot

One of the major attacks to our liberty lately has been the riots on university campuses whenever a conservative speaker shows up.  Historically it goes back to the brownshirts of the rising National Socialists.  It is designed to silence opposition and drive them from public forums.  It worked then, it is working now.  When is the last time you were willing to speak up on an issue that the left doesn’t like?

History did not jump from the 1930's to the twenty first century.  This has been going on a long time.  I came across a similar situation as I began working through the book The Bell Curve.  It seems that way back in 1969 even the liberals were noticing that the educational programs of the War on Poverty were not producing the results they wanted.  They made the mistake of asking someone who might know, Arthur Jensen of Cal Berkeley.  He made the mistake of giving them an honest answer.  He did it in the Harvard Educational Review.  He was immediately attacked in print but it even went to the level we have been seeing. 

“During the first few years after the Harvard Educational Review article was published, Jensen could appear in no public forum in the United States without triggering something perilously close to a riot.” page 9

Notice the date.  This was just after the height of the so called Free Speech Movement, also from Berkeley.  The left has been concerned for their own freedom of speech and silencing everyone else for a long time. 

Herrnstein, Richard J. and Murray, Charles.  The Bell Curve.  New York:  The Free Press, 1994.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-373: How Much Is Enough

The comment is attributed to different people but it goes like this:  How much money does it take to make a man happy?  Just a little more.

Maybe Donald Trump has found out.  He has raised children that seem to be an asset to the country.  He has played with a successful TV program.  Maybe he has made enough money to feel successful and he is ready to give back.  Maybe one of his great traits is that he cannot be bought.

Hillary Clinton has not come to that point yet.  She is still seeking to make a memorable mark on the world and it doesn’t seem to be going well.  It is obvious to anyone paying attention that the Clinton Foundation is just a front for laundering bribes to influence their political decisions.  She is in the midst of a power grab and has slippery fingers.

Donald Trump seems to be a happy man.  Hillary seems more and more desperate with each passing day.   Be glad that we have the president we have.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-372: Headlines: Not a Presidential Question

The headline seemed to be asking the right question.  The Washington Times quotes President Trump as wondering why the Department of Justice was not investigating Hillary Clinton.  It is a good question but the wrong person asking it.

The Times shows the president’s tweets and he seems to be asking why the DOJ and FBI are not looking into all the scandal around the Clintons.  I am confused.  Isn’t he the president?  Isn’t he in charge of the executive branch?  He may not be able to give the FBI orders but he can certainly sit down with Secretary Sessions and say, “Now look, Jeff, here is a list of crimes I want you to get busy on.  If you can’t do it and need to recuse yourself from any or all of them, let me know.  I will find someone who can do their job.”

So, Mr. President, do your job.  Don’t just ask questions, give orders.

Your doing fine on the big picture but it is time to realize that the swamp is in your administration.  Start draining.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-371: Headlines: Head Fake in the Right Direction

The headline that greeted me on the Washington Times site talked about something we have needed for a long time.  I know it is spun as an attack by mean Republicans on decent, hard working DACAs but in reality it a gesture toward the government doing what it needs to do:  Cut spending.

Tax cuts are well and good but they are just candy being given out to childish people by evil clowns.  They are bribes for votes.  All we are missing is the white vans.  If the clowns ever want to become super-heroes then they will pull spending cuts out from under their capes.  Of course that is like offering fat children broccoli instead of chocolate. 

I would be willing to let the taxes stay as they are if the government would simply limit next year’s spending total to the same dollar amount it was this fiscal year.  In order to make it work there would be no adjustments for inflation or cost of living.  There would be no escape clause for emergencies.  It would be just like my allowance as a kid.  Here is your money.  Spend it as you please.  Don’t bother asking for more.

We need to grow up and be the parents to the children in congress. 

Slap their hands and vote the suckers out.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-370: Should-a-Beens: Hillary Indicted

If special prosecutor Mueller had any integrity the indictments that were issued would have been for Hillary Clinton instead of Manafort.  If he can reach so far as to look into common criminal behavior in a businessman then you would think he could find treasonous behavior by a powerful politician.  The way our justice system goes she would probably be allowed to plea bargain down to jay walking as long as she gave testimony against Trump.

This kind of thing breaks down the respect for law and justice that has been a part of traditional American culture.  That is the whole point.  That is why the elites allow it to happen.  If the courts worked properly they would be the ones in jail.  They need to make sure that does not happen.  On an even more sinister level, they know that if they can make enough people feel there is no justice in the courts then vigilantes will emerge and we will have the kind of anarchy that Antifa is pushing.  That will lead to a police state with them in control.

Will the Republicans step out of the elite conclave and start standing up for America?  Most of them don’t even know there is a problem.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-369: Dumb Question

Speaking of cultural appropriation, is the cowboy hat an attempt to channel John Wayne?  I keep seeing pictures of this congresswoman in garish headgear.  How come I am not hearing any protests by the PC police?

Dumb question. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-368: Headlines: Oh, Well

The headline in The Federalist read that Bill Gates admits the Common Core Curriculum (CCC) has been a failure.  For those of us who went into the classroom with our brains turned on and our memory intact that is no surprise.  CCC was simply another attempt to move public education toward a socialist propaganda tool by dumbing down learning.  It stressed group work and feeling good about a process while ignoring data and facts.  There was nothing new.  It was just well financed by people like Gates and their political cronies.

What struck me about the title was the honesty of the word “experiment”.  The liberal education establishment was simply using your children as a guinea pig to further their desire to substitute a docile mass of sheep for what used to be thinking Americans.  The following statement by Gates in a speech sounds noble.

“If there is one thing I have learned,” Gates says in concluding his speech, “it is that no matter how enthusiastic we might be about one approach or another, the decision to go from pilot to wide-scale usage is ultimately and always something that has to be decided by you and others the field.”

The next sentence is the indictment on the CCC movement.

“If this statement encompasses his Common Core debacle, Gates could have at least the humility to recall that Common Core had no pilot before he took it national.”

A pilot program is a carefully controlled experiment that is run before a new technique or product is introduced.  There was no pilot program to see if the ideas of Common Core had merit.  One of the hidden truths of public education is that there never is.  The testing is done on the children with trillions of tax dollars.

I don’t so much blame Gates as the teachers and administrators who sat like mute slugs while this was being pushed in our schools.  Gates meant well but children are not computers.  The teachers should have known better.  The problem is that the teachers were trained by people who had drunk the kool aid.

It will take years for CCC to be removed from the system.  If history is any guide it will be replaced by something just like it by the same people that brought this debacle.  I am so glad I don’t need to argue with them any more and be patted on the head.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-367: Happy All Saints Day

One of the explanations for Halloween is that it is just a celebration before All Saints Day.  With that in mind I think that everyone who went out gathering candy yesterday or partying last week should now go down to the church and spend an equal amount of time acting like a saint.

Why do I not expect a big crowd?

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-366: Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

When the kids at school would ask me who I was going to be for Halloween I would tell them, “An old white guy”.  They were not impressed.  It did give me a reason to explain why I don’t celebrate Halloween or as the Latinos label it, The Day of the Dead.  As a kid I saw a chance to get free candy.  At times I even got into dressing up.  I had a whole get-up of a Revolutionary War soldier that I enjoyed but at 6' 1" people wondered what my problem was.

As I get older I see a lot more of what is going on behind the scenes.  Halloween still has pockets of fun and innocence but the forces of darkness are stronger all the time.  They were probably there all the time.  You can read the testimony of people who have come out of witchcraft and Satan worship who explain what has been happening in the shadows.

I have the same feeling about a lot of the music I listened to as a kid.  I understand the concept of “I don’t listen to the words.”  Yes they do, they just don’t understand what they really mean.  As a young teen the meaning of, “Tonight your mine, completely” and “Will you still love me tomorrow” went completely over my head.  Now I understand.

In re-reading a lot of the science fiction of my youth I find it hard to swallow the left wing whacko story lines.  I wonder how I survived the brainwashing going on.  My salvation was probably rooted in the fact that I read for the action and ignored the attempts to influence my thinking.  Reading them as an adult I see the foundation for such things as the modern foolishness of global warming and hatred for Christianity.  I start a lot and finish a few.

Have a safe evening.  Turn on your brain.  Look around you.  Ask yourself if you really want to be a part of all this.  Sometimes it is hard to grow up and call evil what it is.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-365: Headlines: Manafort Skootered

It looks like the Trump haters have found a victim or two.  “And the winner is...” Paul Manafort and Rick Gates.  I am sure that they are guilty of something.  Maybe they misplaced a decimal in one of their tax returns.

The story linked by Drudge was in the Daily Mail.  Basically what we have at this point is nothing.  The only information is what has been leaked to the Main Stream Media.  And then the judge orders the indictment sealed so that no one can read it.  To put frosting on the liberal Halloween cake the administration is told they can say nothing.

This is called justice. 

We need to keep in mind that there are so many laws and regulations in this country that all of us are guilty of breaking at least one of them every day.  It is a wonderful way for people who have the wealth of the nation behind them to keep the peasants quiet and down on the farm.  We will see how this works out with Manafort.  Is he squeaky clean?  I doubt it.  Was a special prosecutor appointed to investigate the business dealings of a citizen for his entire life or was he appointed to find out if there was any collusion between Trump and Russia?  Is this just intimidation to try to get Manafort to stab Trump in the back.  Is there an indictment for Hillary in the works?  Of course not, she is a Democrat.

It may be called justice but it isn’t.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-364: New Terms: Scootered

As we watch the joke on justice being played out by the Special Prosecutor Meuller we hear the rumors about an indictment.  Of course there will be an indictment.  If you dig deep enough and ask enough questions eventually someone will make a mistake and you can play gotcha.  It is what happened to Scooter Libby.  Did he commit any of the crimes they were investigating?  Of course not.  Then why did he go to jail?  Because in the course of the intimidation, threats and questioning he got mixed up on an answer so he went to jail for lying to the investigators.

Will there be an indictment?  You bet your sweet liberal saliva there will be.  Will there be a conviction?  That depends on how well they chose their judge, but keep in mind that liberals are really good at railroading justice.  Someone will be convicted of something and the media will hoot it up like it was a house giving out See’s candy on Halloween.

One interesting difference will come up.  George Bush did not stand my his man.  He let Libby twist in the wind and then commuted his sentence.  Trump will be a different kettle of fish.  He probably has a pardon already filled out except for the name.  Remember Sheriff Joe. 

I have not checked the headlines yet so I don’t know who the rumors are about.  In a perfect world the one being indicted would be Hillary or one of the series of conspirators who tried to set Trump up with the Russia nonsense.

The country should get so lucky.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-363: Where Did My Sun Go?

Did you know the sun moves?  I don’t mean from east to west.  Even children in public school know that.  They may not know east from west but they know the sun moves.  I mean it moves from north to south.  I have always known this intellectually but living in Texas it has become very clear.

When we first spent the night in our new house I noticed that the sun came up on the left side of our kitchen window.  I have watched it move to the right until it is now coming up behind the roof of the garage and we still have almost two months of movement coming. 

I know to some of you this is old hat but for me it is an unusual phenomenon.  In California I had to struggle with the sun in my eyes as I drove to work or shining through my rear view mirror going in the other direction.  Here it is a pleasant observation as I stand by the coffee pot.

Retirement has its moments.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-362: 2-2

My wife is enjoying her first World Series as a Texan.  She is rooting for the Astros because she now lives in Texas.  Added frosting on the cake is that the other team, who shall go unmentioned, are from California.

We have not been able to watch.  She has not been able to find the game on the TV connections we have but that does not keep us from enjoying the progress.  It would be a welcome gift to see our first baseball season in our new state ushered in by a win for the home boys.

Go Astros.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-361: Being on the Cutting Edge

My son in law has a fast car.  My daughter will never drive it.  It isn’t that he won’t let her.  She just doesn’t know how to drive a manual transmission.  I concede that I have failed her.  When my son was working on his driver’s license we borrowed a car without an automatic and found and empty parking lot for his to experiment in.  She slipped through the cracks.

I doubt if it has ruined her live but she will never know the joy of laying scratch from a stop sign.  It is more fun when it is your father’s car and he will pay for the new tires and worn out clutch.  I learned to drive a stick on dump truck.  Did you know that dump trucks can lay scratch?  I am not sure my father ever knew that.

How many experiences are closed to us because we refuse to learn new skills.  Sometimes it is a matter of waiting.  When we had our first internet connection it was a dial up.  I refused to learn to use the internet because it was too slow.  My son, on his way to becoming a techie, found it addictive.  We found out how addictive when we got the phone bills.  When the connections got faster I took the plunge.  There are parts of the internet which make it worthwhile.  How many people refuse to learn about e-mails and texting just because they are abused by so many?

How many experiences are not worth having?  Do I really need a Facebook account?  Will Instagram change my life in a positive way?  Would I have a heart attack if I went skydiving?  These are questions that each person must answer for themselves.  I don’t have time to look for new experiences.  My wife has a long list of experiences she wants me to have.  They will take me into the next century.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-360: Election 2018: Shaking off the Flakes

I love the spin that the media puts on events.  It seems that Senator Jeff Flake has smelled the roses and is withdrawing from reelection.  He probably watched what happened in Alabama and can tell that what he is smelling is not roses.  Arizona Central calls his announcement a “bombshell”.  Many of us would label it an answer to prayer. 

He tries to make it sound very noble with the comment,

"there may not be a place for a Republican like me in the current Republican climate or the current Republican Party."

It seems that at last the light has broken through.  You would think that this was a real sacrifice but it is simply political survival.  As the article says he has been “struggling in the polls”.  The reason for that is there is a true conservative running against him who will get on board with the president’s agenda instead of being a John McCain clone.

The media will spin this as a move toward the Republicans losing seats in the Senate.  My spin would be that this will insure that they will keep this seat.

Things are looking up.  It must be time for another scandal out of the DNC and MSM.

homo unius libri