A Tale of Two Families
I learned to be frugal and resourceful from my mother. I kept it up all my life because it makes perfect sense- spend less and have more. We were very poor most of my childhood, but many people might not have guessed the extent of it, because somehow we usually managed to have what we needed. This was a lesson…
Anacostia – An Inspiring True Story
I came across the most interesting video at YouTube last night. I was intrigued, and today, I did some searching and discovered a wonderful, uplifting story! The Anacostia neighborhood in Washington, D.C. was a run down slum. The primarily black residents were living in abject poverty. Children had little hope of advancement in life. In the late 1960s, the Smithsonian…
Shades of Homelessness
People who have not been homeless, and have not intimately known the homeless, have some very wrong perceptions about the subject. Those on the far right think that if the homeless would stop being lazy and just get jobs, the problem would be solved. Those on the far left think we should round up the homeless like stray puppies and…
Conspiracies, Science Denials & Hoaxes – Intro
This is an introduction to a series of posts I’ll be writing about conspiracy theories and science deniers. Before I begin, I have a couple of opening remarks: [1] Some people use religion (usually the Bible), to “prove” their points. I will be using religion to answer these arguments. Sorry if that offends anyone, but that’s how it is. The…
Right vs Left and Short Memories
All my life I’ve seen presidents get blamed for things their predecessors did, or for things they have no control over. I wonder if John Adams got blamed for stuff Washington did? This political blame game probably dates back to kings, emperors and pharaohs. One modern example is the so-called Obama Phone. The consensus from the right seems to…
A Not-Greedy Oil Company
It’s funny how a random memory will pop into your head out of nowhere. Everyone has bad things to say about greedy oil companies, but here is a 100% true story. My mother had had a Texaco credit card for at least 30 years, and had always paid the bill off every month. She was 59 when…
Introduction
Welcome to my personal blog! Some of you already know me, and some of you don’t. But either way, I urge you to read this (very long) introductory post before you read the regular blog posts. It will lay the groundwork for various topics I’ll be covering, and perhaps prevent some confusion. (Affiliate Disclaimer) I’ve had a chaotic life with…
Christians Only (Update May 7)
Links to “Christians Only” posts will be in here. That will make it easy for those who aren’t interested to skip them, and those who want to read them will still find them easily. Every time I publish a new post in that category, it will go at the top of the list. Click the titles below to visit the…
How the West Wasn’t Won
I love love LOVE watching old Western shows- from the early silent films, to the 30s and 40s matinee series to the 50’s TV shows. They can be dramatic, funny, suspenseful, romantic, corny, high quality or low budget. But whatever the flavor, they seldom reflect reality. ANIMALS Horses can gallop hard for 25 miles or more without ever slowing…
Yankee Doodle
Yankee Doodle went to town riding on a pony Stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni Did you ever wonder what that second line means? To be “macaroni” was to be sophisticated, upper class, and worldly. In “Yankee Doodle,” the British were mocking what they perceived as the Americans’ lack of class. The first verse is satirical…
The Ben Ben Stone
I frequently see posts on social media and elsewhere on the internet about the Ben Ben Stone. The text accompanying the photo varies, but typically goes something like this: The Pyramid of Ben Ben has puzzled scientists for thousands of years and until now they have not been able to solve the puzzle. The pyramid is located in the Egyptian…
Me, in Search of Self
This is a post I’ve been putting off, but it needs to get done and over with. It’s about me being born a little smarter than the average bear. No matter how many times I say I’m not bragging, some people will think I am. But the truth is, I have spent most of my adulthood hiding it due to…
