Some thoughts for the New Year
Dear Readers,
As I start my 62nd trip around the sun, please allow me to simply let out with a stream of consciousness, with no particular point to make, in no particular order:
--If a guy is standing outside your door with bad intent, and is telling you what he will do when he gets in, it isn't racism or any other "-ism" to be cautious and not let him in.
--Its kinda hard to defeat an enemy if you won't even acknowledge him.
--I have a right to defend myself, as does every one else. Is it not my choice as to how to accomplish that?
--I worked for a government entity for 35 years. That government is inefficient and does little very well (or cheaply) is an axiom in our society. So why do we seem to want them to do so many things?
--There is some dispute about who said it, it may have been Einstein or Freud or even the old guy at the Wal Mart who greets us when we walk in, but the definition of insanity really is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
--Just a look at the political parties' offerings in this election year makes me wonder what in the hell we are doing. Are we buying a car or electing leaders? I think we put more rational thought into buying a car than we do electing a President or member of Congress.
--No one ever made a sound, rational decision based on emotions. Remember that in November.
--The unfortunate part of freedom of speech is that you are going to hear things that offend you. Get over it. I have read my copy of the Constitution several times (Yes, I am one of those wackos who actually has a copy and knows what it says.) and I can't find a right to not be offended.
--Come to think of it, I can't find anything there that says there is a "wall of separation between church and state," either. One person tried to tell me that when he wrote the Constitution, Thomas Jefferson put it in. Just for the record, Tom was in Paris at the time the Constitution was written, in 1787. That often quoted phrase comes from a letter he wrote to the Danbury Baptists in January of 1802.
--speaking of the First Amendment, what part of "...or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" is hard to understand?
--A friend told me that they thought that Ayn Rand was prophetic in writing "Atlas Shrugged," since so much of it seems to be happening in our world. She was nothing of the sort, unless you call being a keen observer of human nature, who is able to see the logical outcome of an action, a "prophet." I just call them "rational." Rational is not a word anyone would use to describe a prophet, but it is a word Ms. Rand would have used to describe herself.
--I seldom make New Year's resolutions, but this year I have. The main one is that, in this election year, I will not allow politics to take my dignity, nor my rationality. (Thanks to Fox News' Dana Perino for the inspiration for that one!)
--My dignity and my rationality are all that separate me from my dog. Don't get me wrong, though, I love that furry reprobate dearly, and I am so jealous of his ability to sleep at the drop of a hat.
--Overheard someone complaining about all the folks who get some form of government help. We could cut that number in half, if we would simply take care of one another. Its a thought...
--I read the other day that the US Postal Service is losing money, and that a lot of that loss was attributed to e-mail, texts, social media, etc. That is probably true, but like me, do you get the feeling that when our written communications took longer to be delivered, we were more thoughtful about them? Now, it seems that we just react without thinking, and that we have lost the ability to consider the implications of our words. Just saying...
--On that note, I am going to sign off and book a flight to Key West for March. Want a sure bet? It won't be on American Airlines!
Wishing you all blessings and happiness in 2016!
As I start my 62nd trip around the sun, please allow me to simply let out with a stream of consciousness, with no particular point to make, in no particular order:
--If a guy is standing outside your door with bad intent, and is telling you what he will do when he gets in, it isn't racism or any other "-ism" to be cautious and not let him in.
--Its kinda hard to defeat an enemy if you won't even acknowledge him.
--I have a right to defend myself, as does every one else. Is it not my choice as to how to accomplish that?
--I worked for a government entity for 35 years. That government is inefficient and does little very well (or cheaply) is an axiom in our society. So why do we seem to want them to do so many things?
--There is some dispute about who said it, it may have been Einstein or Freud or even the old guy at the Wal Mart who greets us when we walk in, but the definition of insanity really is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
--Just a look at the political parties' offerings in this election year makes me wonder what in the hell we are doing. Are we buying a car or electing leaders? I think we put more rational thought into buying a car than we do electing a President or member of Congress.
--No one ever made a sound, rational decision based on emotions. Remember that in November.
--The unfortunate part of freedom of speech is that you are going to hear things that offend you. Get over it. I have read my copy of the Constitution several times (Yes, I am one of those wackos who actually has a copy and knows what it says.) and I can't find a right to not be offended.
--Come to think of it, I can't find anything there that says there is a "wall of separation between church and state," either. One person tried to tell me that when he wrote the Constitution, Thomas Jefferson put it in. Just for the record, Tom was in Paris at the time the Constitution was written, in 1787. That often quoted phrase comes from a letter he wrote to the Danbury Baptists in January of 1802.
--speaking of the First Amendment, what part of "...or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" is hard to understand?
--A friend told me that they thought that Ayn Rand was prophetic in writing "Atlas Shrugged," since so much of it seems to be happening in our world. She was nothing of the sort, unless you call being a keen observer of human nature, who is able to see the logical outcome of an action, a "prophet." I just call them "rational." Rational is not a word anyone would use to describe a prophet, but it is a word Ms. Rand would have used to describe herself.
--I seldom make New Year's resolutions, but this year I have. The main one is that, in this election year, I will not allow politics to take my dignity, nor my rationality. (Thanks to Fox News' Dana Perino for the inspiration for that one!)
--My dignity and my rationality are all that separate me from my dog. Don't get me wrong, though, I love that furry reprobate dearly, and I am so jealous of his ability to sleep at the drop of a hat.
--Overheard someone complaining about all the folks who get some form of government help. We could cut that number in half, if we would simply take care of one another. Its a thought...
--I read the other day that the US Postal Service is losing money, and that a lot of that loss was attributed to e-mail, texts, social media, etc. That is probably true, but like me, do you get the feeling that when our written communications took longer to be delivered, we were more thoughtful about them? Now, it seems that we just react without thinking, and that we have lost the ability to consider the implications of our words. Just saying...
--On that note, I am going to sign off and book a flight to Key West for March. Want a sure bet? It won't be on American Airlines!
Wishing you all blessings and happiness in 2016!
Comments
Post a Comment