I could not agree with your post more. My wife goes to church to interact with her friends as much if not more than for spiritual enlightenment. I enjoy teaching at the apprentice school because 90 minutes before class, i congregate with a coupla’ old timers and we just “shoot the bull” before our classes begin. When school ends for the summer, I…[Read more]

I investigated that idea in 2016 after the beginning of the first Trump Reich. The main problem I encountered was that although these countries have universal healthcare, you could not “buy” into the system as an immigrant. I found moving to New Zealand to be intriguing.

Regarding your moniker “old timer”: As you may remember, we watch our grandson, Wesley, twice a week at his home. Because his parents are “Gen something or other” , they have eschewed cable tv and instead rely on streaming services for their smart TV. They have grouped these services according to the persons(s) watching. These groupings are…[Read more]

Mother Nature is going to foreclose and evict us.

We’ve had the “Nextdoor” app, site, whatever ya call it for several years now. It’s a great way to see how uneducated your neighbors are. It’s like the neighborhood Facebook page, which I joined and unjoined in rapid succession. You can’t have a battle of wits with an unarmed person.

Your story on the voters data base “ERIC” was featured tonight on the PBS Newshour.

You’re still mobile. You’re just slower than you used to be. You have some ground to work that some people would die for in the “non-sketchy” neighborhood you live in. I’m the last person anyone would label as Mr. Positivity, but count your blessings. You have “something to get up for”. You may be my very senior brother, but I get it. I used to…[Read more]

3 songs – Grandpa was a Carpenter – John Prine
Rikki Don’t Lose That Number – Steely Dan
Beast of Burden – Rolling Stones
2 popular singers – Linda Ronstadt, Robert Palmer
1 song of spiritual insight – Like a Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan
1 song of melancholy – Sloe Gin – Joe Bonamassa
1 song that makes one want to…[Read more]

I continue to find the parallels between the world today and the 1930’s. A dictator is illegally annexing territory in Europe ( Hitler, Putin) and one group in our country is so self absorbed that the defense of democracy is meaningless ( America First’ers, MAGAts). Those who do not learn from history are indeed doomed to repeat it. Will it take…[Read more]

To quote you: “It won’t be long before nations of the world have to stop profiteering and fighting wars in order to commit resources to Mother Nature’s style of reform.”

I admire your optimism, but don’t share it. We as a species are doomed due to our misplaced values and failure to embrace education, particularly science. I believe we are…[Read more]

If someone else will provide the ponies and cart, I’ll kick in the black trousers and suspenders, bland grey long sleeve shirt and straw hat. You’ll have to grow your own beard.

To corroborate your observations on the public’s knowledge of their voting district: During the last election, I noticed campaign signs in my neighborhood for a Republican candidate for county council. Unfortunately(or fortunately depending on your point of view), the candidate they were supporting was running in the district next door, not our…[Read more]

The men who trained me listened to WITH-AM, the “Music of your Life”. I can identify Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and Harry James. They were their GOAT when they were fighting in WW2.
I still listen to Little Feat, Johnny Winter, Robert Palmer and Steely Dan. It’s all relative bro, it’s all relative. They were the Greatest of All Time.

That would require white folks to recognize people who look different from them as equals – something that won’t happen in our lifetimes. On the plus side, as more and more immigrants come to our country and as the white folks as a percentage of the population dwindles, perhaps our society can embrace the idea that we are all in this together.

I hope these survey results are correct. The young people (18-29) I deal with in my classes are either apathetic or easily led by misinformation on social media. I fear for our Republic. Every now and then I find one who thinks independently and can see more of the whole picture through their own diligence at finding the truth.

I find your memories a lot like the movie,” A Christmas Story” with Ralphie. I am amazed at how different your Christmas was from mine growing up even though we had the same father. My memories of Dad are him buying the Christmas tree way too big. Dragging it home on the top of the car. Realizing after we were home that the tree was 3 feet too…[Read more]

We have quite the divide in our union, the United Association of Plumbers, Pipefitters and Sprinklerfitters. Many of the rank and file, and I mean many, supported the Orange Baboon in the last election, despite the UA leadership endorsing Biden. What the Magats didn’t know is that the leadership personally interviewed all the candidates prior to…[Read more]

With the stay at home mentality required to guarantee our continued existence, we spent a great deal of time on our screened front porch, watching life in the ‘hood. Now that cold weather has arrived, that time well spent together reading and talking about big things and little things will be sorely missed.

When John McCain ran for President in 2000, campaign reform was a predominant plank in his platform. Unfortunately, the Republican party saw that it would put an end to their corporate contributions, so they put their energies and weight behind a candidate who would continue to take money from special interests – George W. Bush.

Who wants to have sex with a pile of lizard skin anyway?

The secret to aging in later years is keeping oneself busy and feeling productive. Some days I spend just reading. But between teaching,consulting and home repairs I have more than enough to keep me busy. It’s just life at a slower pace for those of us that can’t keep up.