Farewell to My DevotionThe title of this post, my last here, comes from Chaucer via Shelby Foote. I can not think of a better title for the last post at the blog that I spent so much time writing for so long. I have made nearly 2000 posts here- some spanning 2 or 3 pages, others 1 or 2 words. Counting my previous blogs, it has been over 5 years, and frankly, it’s a little past time for me to stop.
When I started blogging in 2003 (at another site) there were about 3 million blogs world wide. Today there are over 200 million. Even then I was at the end of the explosion.
Mainly, I have tackled almost every subject I care to. On a secondary note, there are other subjects I would like to write about but can’t and won’t. I am going to be writing about those things at other venues. I just don’t need a home base any more to do it. For my many friends, I will still be visiting your blogs and sites, I just won’t have one here. At my profile, you can find an e-mail address to keep in touch, and I would very much like it if you would.
If I cant make this blog what it used to be, I won’t do it any more.
It’s time for me to stop. Arise Ye People
The once proud and too serious Hipster is now reduced to cat blogging, but you have to admit this is a great cat.
Harvey Korman, RIPstory Breakfast Before School
Behold the "hazzards" of my job. This bear decided to come down from the top of the mountain adjacent to the school and grab some breakfast. One of the 10th graders snapped the picture….from a distance.
NOW he feels like talking, does he?---Scott McLellanSo, the guy who was supposed to be telling us the truth about the White House wasn't telling us the truth, and now that he is out of power, he decides to tell the truth? I can hear the cash registers ringing now. Memorial Day Thanks Vets
Fishin'The blog is up on concrete blocks right now. It needs a tune-up and an overhaul. I will put the tires back on. Keep checking back... 46It is my sister's 46th birthday! When we were growing up, my sister took great care of me and pulled me through everything life dished out. Happy Birthday, sis. No I3The mountains are no place for a highway. The AnalysisFor those of you out there who (like me) have grown cynical about politics and for those of you who wonder why "the left" keeps losing elections and has to cobble together 18 state electoral victory strategies (as opposed to just winning outright), look no further for explanations.
Here, in a nutshell, is why insane right wingers bloviate boldly every other November.
The link is to Counterpunch.org, which always has something interesting. Once there, you can read a left-winger getting all upset over People Magazine's list of the 100 pretty people or some such fare.
Why would something so trivial bother this guy so much? Happiness is....Happiness is waking up on Saturday morning and then realizing within seconds that you don't have to go to work. I did that this morning and thought of how nice it was to be able to stay in bed.
Of course, seconds later I contemplated the glory of it all and was so excited I just couldn’t stay in bed. I live for the weekend. In Praise of LocalismThe closest I get to revelation of sorts is when I am in solitude, and quite frankly, sweating it out jogging or riding a stationary bike. The other day I thought that at the heart of all the big political events, money was the key to understanding things. I have a second rate (average) mind and own a degree from a first rate public university, but that cant change the fact that I truly know little about Karl Marx.
I never trust a secondary document to tell me anything definitive. I try to consult the primary. Now that I have the disclaimer out of the way, I think he was on to something when he intimated that capitalism leads to war. Just one example is Iraq.
Every reason given for getting into that thing was wrong, or a lie, or shady. Deep in the heart of it though, was "security" or US access to oil. Oil is just a resource, and it’s a resource that belongs to the Iraqis. One of our politicians running for President freely admitted this week the whole thing is about oil.
It is the Iraqi people who should have control of the oil, just the same way that our Midwestern farm states belong to us, and not the Cambodians or people of Zimbabwe. If you follow the same logic that we used in invading Iraq, then by all rights Cambodia and Zimbabwe would be well within their rights to invade and conquer us. Sheer force prevents it.
Globalism has been, for all intended purposes, a disaster so far. The Clintons and the Bushes and the Congresses that put on us on the road to where we are now should disappear from the political scene and start rehabilitating themselves.
Let's go local. PathwaysThe best thing one can do for one's self interest is to look forward. This is difficult for me. I catch myself, in moments of solitude, looking backwards at my life's events and thinking about good and bad turns in the road.
This can be a mistake. I think of times past as times dead. While reflection on state or organizational affairs can be useful (in the right hands), sitting around living in the past is too much an easy game. Not thinking of the good turns in life one has made, the game can turn into a life of pure regret. That's the thing to avoid.
My trouble is training myself to look to the future, to have hope. I think that comes from growing up in poverty. One gets used to making ends meet. WordI don't have a lot to say right now but keep checking back in. My lack of ink is only a public one. I am still writing every day, in fact, I am writing more than I ever have in my life. Most of it, though, is of a private nature. There will be more posts soon enough. Atlanta Hawks Leave Paul Pierce and Celtics FruitlessThe Atlanta Hawks won last night and forced a game 7 against the mighty Boston Celtics. As I wrote a few weeks ago, just making the playoffs was a big deal. I never would have dreamed the Hawks would have won one game. Even if they lose the series, taking the Celtics to the last game sets the tone for a great year next year. From the article...
Pierce has apparently seen enough of Atlanta. He had already cleared out of the locker room by the time reporters were let [inside]. The only thing left behind was a banana peel.
Yeah.Stop SignsLast night I came home to find a four way stop sign had been installed at the end of the complex. That has more to do with my life than Obama, Clinton and McCain combined.
What this world needs is one more story about some preacher. 2008 Steelers Draft
NFL Draft weekend has arrived. As I have done for the last two years, I will be posting comments on the Steelers Draft Picks and updating this post all the way to the last pick on Sunday. Nostalgic? Here's a look at my 2007 coverage and 2006 coverage.
 1st Round- Rashard Mendenhall (Illinois) RB- This guy is a 5-11 back built like a bulldozer. I suspect he will be groomed to give Willie Parker some relief. I am a little surprised since the Steelers added Mewelde Moore in the off season. I'm not sure what their planning is. Of course, the big difference between Mendenhall and Parker is that Parker was undrafted. This is the highest of picks to spend. Mendenhall had only one season as a starter at Illinois. One of the sites I visited has him listed as a top 10 overall pick. He was Big Ten player of the Year. This guy is an elite back playing in an elite college conference. Also, this site points out that he had a fantastic combine. It looks to me like he just kept falling in the picks until the Steelers knew there was no way they could pass this kid up. After reading a bit more about him, i am feeling optimistic. More from the NFL here. If the hype is real, Moore may never play a down for the Steelers. Just ask Kevan Barlow about that.
 2nd Round- Limas Sweed (Texas) WR My initial reaction to the Steelers going with this guy was astonishment. That was before I did a little more reading about him. I thought that they would have wanted to address Linebacker with the loss of Clarke Haggans, or the O-line with the departed Faneca and the signing of Roethlisberger to the big contract he got in the off season. Also, there are needs in the secondary. However, Sweed seems to be a bargain. He is a big, tall wideout, which we have been lacking since Plaxico's departure a few years back. At one point he was regarded as the best receiver in college football, but a wrist injury sidelined him for most of what was to be his senior year. He didn't get to play much and his production went down. When you go to the NFL web site, you can see that this guy has always been a stand out. I have seen Sweed mentioned in comparison to Roy Williams of the Lions. Maybe there is something to the comparison since they are both the same size and came from the same school. If he is comparable to Williams, look out AFC North! Its little wonder the Steelers took the opportunity to grab him since he appears to have been (at one time) a sure fire lock for first round selection. The Steelers may have picked up a great deal at the end of the second round. Me thinks the name cedric Wilson will be a very bad memory soon enough...
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 3rd Round-Bruce Davis (UCLA) Def Lineman- Football is in his blood...his dad played for the Oilers and Raiders in the 70's and 80's. Interesting that his Father was a rival of the old school Steelers, because us old timers grew up hating those teams back in the day...He averaged a sack per game at UCLA last year and has other great numbers. The analyst on ESPN just noted he will be used from a standing stance on the line and will take about a year to develop. His NFL profile indentifies him as a "Classic Steeler." This was one of the Steelers' position needs for sure. (NFL Notes)
 4th Round- Tony Hills (Texas) - Off Tackle- - He played a little Tight End at Texas. At 300 pounds he is "small" for the NFL. There were some hints of bad things to come last year in the Offensive Line, but the Steelers never get these lineman ready in their first year.
 5th Round-Dennis Dixon (Oregon) Clipboard QB- Roethlisberger has to have a backup and Charlie Batch is 33 years old. Like so many other NFL players, he was a stand out in High School. After he got to Oregon, he was a Heisman contender and PAC 10 P.O.T.Y. He's another tested ball player. The problem for Dixon is that Charlie is also a tremendous backup. Dixon's task will be convincing the Steelers they need him on the practice squad or as a last minute keeper. He is a very, very long shot to make the team. Where will he fit on the Steelers? NFL Profile
6th Round-Mike Humpal (Iowa) LB- He appears to be a fundamentally solid and reliable player. At Iowa at the end of his college days he averaged about 7 tackles per game. He might be a good understudy to Farrior.
 6th Round-Ryan Mundy (West Virginia) S - "Mundy is a safety who can run well. He's not real big, but was a productive three-year starter at West Virginia." NFL
Bulk Buying of Rice in CaliforniaToday while watching just a very few minutes of CNBC, I saw one of the suit-humpers talking about Wal-Mart limiting the amount of rice people can buy. Before you panic, the story I found about it on-line says the corporation is limiting people to purchases of 80 pounds at a time. So, there's no need to think we are going to have food shortages for little guys and gals like my family (and most of my beloved readers). However, I must admit, I am rubbing my chin in contemplation of the savings I might get by doing a little bulk buying after pay day. There's been at least one report of bulk buying on the Left Coast.
It's just a little…er…"food for thought." This is especially relevant in light of the fact that wheat prices went up more than 2% on the commodity market today alone.
Friday Update: There does appear to be some panic buying or hoarding of rice in the Frisco Bay area. Costco and Walmart are running out of rice. Newest School Shooting/Bombing PlotAnother sad kid is charged with trying to kill and hurt people at a school. This fellow was in South Carolina, and allegedly wanted to mark the anniversary of Columbine (these things seem to happen around this time of year). He was a senior in High School which is a little older, I believe than many of these kids. It seems to me that the majority of these children are in their Middle teens. Earlier coverage from this week said he was a very quiet kid and his parents were most surprised to learn how deeply angry he was. If he really was plotting this, one might take comfort in the fact that he was stopped before he carried his plan out. Unfortunately, intervention didn't stop him. His parents found out when 10 pounds of ammonium nitrate arrived in the mail for him. Lottery in NC Nears 100 Million Per Quarter$98 million dollars have been raised from lottery funds for North Carolina schools. The funds came from the first quarter of 2008. A Hard Day of Nothing Much At AllIt's an absolutely beautiful day outside and I feel like getting out in it. You should too if you can! Its not even 9 in the morning yet and I have already been running, listened to a little Beethoven (some Piano Sonatas) and taken a steaming hot bath. What does the future hold for me? A hard day of nothing much at all….a walk to the Post Office, a book and an hour to read, a fish sandwich for lunch, snapping some green beans while I watch some TV, maybe another Sanford and Son rerun……other than that I have no plans. Choosing the teaching profession was a wise move….. Get Off My Porch, Religion PeddlersI got visited yesterday by some people from the Church at the end of the complex driveway (the one where the kids have target practice). I am minding my own business on a blue sky Shabbat evening, cooking up a mess of red beans, sausage and rice when they come ambling up onto my porch.
The first thing the lead woman does is ask me for canned goods, to which I politely tell her I will drop them off later if I have any. Then she asks me "Do you know the Lord?"
In our family history, stretching back nearly eleven years, we have had probably a dozen of these pests come to our door in various forms: Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Pentecostals, Baptists. The ironic thing about the forthcoming story is that I try to get to the door before Bird, because she can be a real tiger with them. Me? I always just try to get them to go away without engaging me.
…but something went wrong with me yesterday……
Somehow the thought that someone would come to my door, on my Shabbat, asking for something from me, and then start quizzing me really stuck in my craw. Her audacity really annoyed the hell out of me (no pun intended). Then I said "Yeah, do you?" and the Lady started to bristle. Really, I just wanted her to go away, but I thought I would toy with her since she seemed to be so smug (and stupid).
So, then she asked "If you died tonight where would you go?"
Those words, from some old "Roman's Road" sales pitch, so impersonal, so cookie cutter really angered me. The condescending tone in her voice….speaking to me as if I am a dopey child. Suddenly I felt as if I was back in Mississippi, dealing with some of the dunces and hypocrites I had to grow up with. How many times did I hear that hollow rhetoric growing up? Even when I was in college, I would hear that crap from some of the lame-brains I knew.
So, I said "Yeah, I know where I would go."
"Where would you go?" asked the pesky Jesus-Christ-as-something-you sell-door-to-door saleslady.
"The morgue, probably," I answer, "do you know where you would go?"
Now I am in full-fledged smart-ass mode looking down at my feet trying to hide my smirk, my contempt and my growing anger all at once because I have a pushy ignoramus right in front of me. I can't figure out whether to laugh in her face or tell her to get the F*** off my porch.
So then she said "well, I think I would go to heaven" and I answered "great!"
She invites me to church and I smile and say OK. She says "Where do you go to church" and I say "around here" and she is about to open a can of theological whup ass, because I DO go to church around here. I just don’t go in a building. Happily for her, she doesn’t engage me about my "place" of worship. She gets smart with me and says something like "I have never heard of that church."
Maybe she would be interested to know I try to maneuver my dog into their church yard to leave her calling card every morning.
Then I thanked her for her concern and she said "well we are concerned about you."
So I told her I appreciate that and I was very concerned about her too.
They left and as they did, I impulsively went out on my porch and unfurled my American flag for them to see. Its too bad they are likely too stupid to know I unfurled at them, and not for them. I love freedom. So, get the F*** off my porch, religious peddlers.
Now, for likely the only time in my life, I can say I know what Dick Cheney meant when he said cursing at Senator Leahy "felt pretty good" and that he wasn't sorry.
The beans and rice were delicious. I still love Jesus very much, in spite of his followers. Elvis and Nixon
Sometimes in the realm of sophisticated geopolitics, decisions are made that deeply affect us all. Other times, behind closed doors things get downright weird. I would have liked to have been there when Elvis met Nixon. So, when Nixon came in, did they play "Hail to the Chief" and when Elvis came in, did they play "CC Rider?" I'm thinking that when Elvis left, someone went on the White House PA system and said "Elvis has left the White House." Since Nixon played the piano, did they sing a duet? The full gallery is here.
Good ReadAn inspiring teacher provides advice for motivating groups. Green In So Many WaysAll my life I have heard that farming is hard work. Maybe it is time to find out.
Yesterday I engaged one of our local characters in a conversation about a garden that some of the people here in the compound keep. Bird and I had been talking about trying to grow some vegetables this Summer but we have been apprehensive. The reason, to be quite candid, is we don't know a dern thing about gardening. Naturally, within minutes, our neighborhood pal offered to plow a couple of rows for us and I agreed. We are going to give it a shot.
We might save a little money growing our own food. We will both certainly learn something new. We will both be getting good sunshine and exercise and of course get the pride of eating something we have grown with our own hands. We have a deep freeze to preserve this stuff and vegetables are super good for you. Also, I teach a lot about agriculture, so I am ready to see what it is like to have a couple of rows.
What shall I plant? I know I want tomatoes and corn.
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