Bug-eyed!

I have sat in front of this computer entirely too much today!  I'm used to seeing highway in front of me, not a computer screen.  My eyes are tired.  I need to look at some trees or green grass or something.

I have been fortunate for the past 20 years to have jobs that allowed me to be out of the office frequently.  I quite frankly get claustrophobic, grouchy and generally disagreeable if I am stuck in an office all day long.  I know it works for many people, but not for me.

Sometimes, though, office time is necessary.  I tend to let the office work build up more than I should.  I usually have good intentions of getting it done from the road, but it doesn't always work the way that I plan.  My list is long.  Yuck.

It is a good thing that we are all created differently.  With all of the variety in the types of jobs that need to be done, it seems there are people whose personality and likes fit each and every one of them.  When you think about that it is pretty amazing.

There is an often misquoted verse from Proverbs (Prov. 22:6) that says, "Train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it."  A better translation might be, "Train a child according to the way he is bent and as he grows he will excel at it."  The word bent means essentially the way he is designed or made -- the "what makes him tick" part of him.

I am frequently taken back by people who do not fit well into their job or career or who seem maladjusted to life.  Often, when you dig beneath the surface, you will find that they followed someone else's advice and direction for their life rather than finding their own path.  When we are young we should look at our desires and dreams as clues to what we should do for the rest of our life.  I believe God plants them within us as guideposts to the role He made us to fulfill.  It is the best path to happiness.

²⁴ “This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb:

I am the Lord,
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself....  Isaiah 44:24

Retaining Heifers

One thing a ranching operation has to think about is whether to retain heifers to replace aging or unproductive cows or to purchase replacement animals.  It is expensive to raise a young female to the age where she can bear young.  For a beef cattle operation they usually need to be about 18 months of age before breeding them.  That puts them a little over two years old before they bear their first calf.

There are advantages to retaining the better heifer calves from your herd and raising them as replacements.  One of the primary ones is that you know their lineage -- their genetic makeup -- their parentage.  You also know how they have been handled from birth if you keep good records.  This should give you an indicator of how their progeny will perform -- from birth weight to weaning weight and ultimately to either a selling weight or retention into the herd.

Selecting replacements can be very technical through the use of various tools available to good ranchers.  DNA samples can be taken and analyzed for some of the desirable characteristics that one would wish to bring into their cattle herd and records can be analyzed to "predict" their performance.  Or, the animal can be visually appraised and selected merely on how it looks.  Things like: Does it have good muscling?  Is it at a desirable size based on its age?

If a replacement female is purchased, the same selection criteria come into play.  Can records be obtained that would give good indication of future performance?  Does the animal have the visual characteristics you are looking for?  What does its DNA profile indicate?

Ultimately, though, there is a chance that one will be disappointed in the outcome.  No matter how carefully one considers each animal and the available information, they won't all perform as predicted.  It is just "educated" guesswork.

It's a lot like many things in life.  Decisions are based on imperfect knowledge.  Usually we don't think much about them unless they have long-term implications or are concerned with large sums of money.  We make decisions every day.  Some are just educated guesses.  Some turn out better than others.

Many people that I know agonize over even the smallest decision.  They become almost paralyzed with fear that they will make the wrong choice.  I think a part of wisdom is knowing that you won't always make the right choice, but, with any choice there is opportunity to learn and frequently to benefit.  As my friend Neal likes to say, "The secret to making good decisions is to make one.  If it isn't the right decision you make another."

I like the way Paul says it in Romans 8:28

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose.

To me, that verse says that whatever the decision, God will use it for our good.

Should I keep her?? 

9-month-old Tiger-stripe heifer

Waiting for More Rain

I got out and did the chores early this morning.  Well, not that early, but my goal was to be through before the rain came.  We've had some already and it looks dark in the west with more on its way.  I hear it rumbling in the distance.

I enjoy the rain.  I remember as a kid watching it pour for days.  It rained so much that our little old West Texas town was isolated because of flooded roads in every direction.  The playa lakes filled and overflowed, blocking every highway into town.  I can still bring the images to mind as though it was yesterday.

Earlier as I sat here in our living room with the curtain open watching the rain, I thought about how it is soothing as it falls gently.  However, as many around the world experience every year, that which in moderation is a great thing can turn deadly if in excess.  Fortunately, where we live now is well designed to accommodate rain.  Creeks and rivers in every direction allow the excess water to run off quickly. 

Heavy rains cleanse the creeks and the streets and the fields.  They wash the dust from the grass and the trees.  They wash away the loose debris and bring a freshness to the land.  The dangers come when we build where we shouldn't.  Blocking the natural flow of water from the land creates danger because the water builds until it finds a route of escape.

What is the life lesson here?  I think it is that God replenishes and God cleanses by pouring his goodness into our lives until the dams of self-imposed resistance break and the accumulated garbage is washed away.

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  Matthew 7:24-26

Readjusting

Why did I pick this title?  It just came to me.  It is as though I am on autopilot posting nonsense about something or perhaps just nothing.  Readjusting.

I am readjusting to many things I guess.  A short week on the road after a "vacation/staycation" of one week.  I guess that would be readjustment.  A change in the reporting structure at work would be readjustment.  Yep, there was a change.  I haven't decided whether it is a demotion or a logical change.  A scheduling change for the day.  Yep, definitely a readjustment.  I thought I had a meeting this afternoon but, apparently, the person I was meeting with had other plans.  Daily blogging.  I had every intention of posting something daily after this most recent "re-boot" of this blog but, as you have clearly seen, I missed yesterday.

What does readjustment mean?  I guess it just means that we are flexible in our scheduling.  We are willing to change based on the circumstances.  Well, change is inevitable.  Without change there is only death.  I vote for change.  I will adjust with changing circumstances.  Until I die.  Oh, well.

Am I just typing nonsense?  Perhaps.  But, at least I am posting.  Perhaps that is a readjustment to the lack of inspiration.....

"Cruzing" by the Rules

If you didn't make the rules for the game then you had better learn them.  Otherwise, you will lose by the rules even if you play the better game.

We see it in football.  Sometimes the better team loses on penalties.  When they don't follow the rules they are penalized to the point that touchdowns may be called back, first downs may be negated, or any of hundreds of other scenarios in which skillful play is defeated by minor infractions.

Today we are seeing the necessity of both skillful execution and knowledge of arcane rules as Senator Ted Cruz works to defeat ObamaCare.  On the surface, his move to block a bill that would defund the legislation yet fund government is the opposite of that goal.  It is not.  There is an obscure, but sometimes used rule called Cloture that is in play. 

Cloture is a motion to stop debate on a bill.  It is used typically to prevent filibuster.  The article linked here is a good treatise on how it is used.  (The quotes below are from the article.)

"Although not explicitly provided for in Senate rules, it has become common practice for the

majority leader to make a motion to proceed to consider a measure, immediately file cloture on

that motion, and then withdraw the motion to proceed. This allows the Senate to conduct other

floor business while the cloture petition is “ripening” in the background. At the time appointed by

Rule XXII, the cloture petition on the motion to proceed is automatically laid before the Senate

for a vote."

This is where it gets tricky.  Once cloture has been invoked, all amendments to a bill are subject to ruling by the Presiding Officer on their germaneness.  Any language in a bill that has been added as amendment can be stripped by the Presiding Officer. 

"If an amendment has been offered to a bill, the Senate may invoke cloture either on the bill or on

the amendment. Sometimes Senators prefer to invoke cloture on an amendment instead of a bill

because after the Senate invokes cloture, it may consider only amendments that are

germane. This germaneness requirement applies to amendments that are pending at the time that cloture is invoked as well as to amendments that Senators offer after the Senate has voted for cloture. Thus, if the Senate invokes cloture on a bill, the presiding officer immediately rules on whether any

pending amendment is germane. If the amendment is not germane, it falls and is ineligible for further consideration."

  

The original Cloture Rule required a 2/3 "Super Majority" to invoke.  That was changed in 1975 by a Democrat majority so that it now takes only 60 Senators in most cases to invoke.  This rule has been used to "ram through" legislation that would not otherwise have passed because of the way it gives the Presiding Officer extraordinary power to rule on the germaneness of amendments. 

 

Yeah, it's a bit complicated.  The ability to amend legislation is how the Founding Fathers envisioned the Legislative bodies compromising so that the resulting laws would not favor either extreme but, would more closely align with the wishes of the majority.  So, Cloture allows for a concentration of power not intended by the Constitution.

 

Now, what about the Filibuster?  Its definition is basically "to pirate the process."  It is not a specific rule but is based in each Senator's "Right to Debate" a question before the Senate body.  (see Filibusters and Cloture in the Senate)  They must be allowed to debate uninterrupted once recognized by the Presiding Officer who must eventually recognize any Senator seeking recognition.  It is important that each and every Senator have the ability to debate questions before the body.  Otherwise, a majority could hijack the process and silence all dissent.

 

So, my point is this:  Knowing the rules of the game is important.  They might work for you or they might work against you.  But, if you don't abide by them you will surely lose.

I personally do not believe that a 2,000 page legislative document that was passed without debate in a very short period of time can possibly be legitimately in the best interest of the people of this country.  I have not read it.  The excerpts from it that I have seen portend an expensive disaster and further loss of personal liberty for the people of this country.  I find it even more disturbing that it is supported by large corporations -- particularly insurance companies.  When have they ever had the best interest of the people at heart?  There are many "bleeding hearts" who naively buy in to the story that the current Administration is trying to help the little guys.  Don't believe it.  This, like most other legislation, is about power and control.  It shouldn't just be "de-funded" it should be killed.
 

Back in the Groove

It seems like only yesterday that we purchased music on vinyl records.  They always intrigued me.  They were the reason that I considered a career in sound engineering at one time.  I couldn't figure out how a piece of plastic could hold sound.

They worked by capturing sound which vibrated a cutting stylus that created a continuous groove in the surface of the plastic.  The vibrations were transmitted to the groove so that it wasn't smooth, but instead was much like photos you have seen of a seismograph that draws the jagged lines on paper.  To play back the sound, a similar reading stylus was run through the groove, tracing the jagged edges and the vibrations were then amplified so they could be heard. 

The key was that the stylus was placed in the groove and stayed in the groove from the outside of the record all the way to the center as it spiraled inward.  It was continuous.  If the stylus ever left the groove there was a skip in the music.

Vacation is over.  Today I got back in the groove.  Let us hope that the result is a harmonious mixture that results in a pleasant experience for those around me.  May my work be something that does good for others.

 ^"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."  Ephesians 2:10

Checking Cows

One of the things necessary for any rancher, be he a large operation or a very small one, is to "check the cows."  It very simply means to go look at them.  To observe them.  The object is to 1) make certain they are all accounted for and 2) make sure they are healthy.  It seems simple and repetitive.

There is a little more to it than that.  It first assumes that the rancher knows how many animals should be there.  He is responsible for them.  It is important that he keeps track of them to be certain they are safe -- not stolen or strayed.

It also assumes that he knows enough about the animals under his care to be able to detect when there is something wrong.  Cattle are "prey" animals.  Their eyes are mounted somewhat on the sides of their heads so that they can see almost 360 degrees around them.  As prey animals they also tend to hide any problems.  If they have a newborn calf, they sometimes leave it hidden in the grass and move away from it so that it will be undetectable.  If they are lame, they try to hide their lameness by staying in a group of animals or by attempting to minimize any limp.  If they are running a fever, as long as the rancher is in sight, they keep their head up and alert and will at least nibble at their feed rather than acting lethargic and without appetite. 

So, the reality is that the rancher has to "know" his cattle.  He has observed them frequently and is able to detect behavior that is not as it should be.

But, it also means that the cattle "know" the rancher.  Because he checks on the cattle regularly, they become used to him.  They accept him.  They know that he is there (hopefully) to take care of them and not to harm them.

It is a relationship built on frequency that leads to knowledge and trust.  It is just like the Biblical illustrations of the Good Shepherd. 

It's amazing how everyday tasks can be examples of how God cares for us.  If you have "gone astray" however, you can't develop that relationship.  You have to get back with the herd.  Fortunately though, He comes looking for you wherever you may have gone. 

John 10
Luke 15

Small Town "Antique" Shops

One man's junk is another man's treasure.  At least that's what I've always heard.  I think for the most part it is really just recycled junk.

Today we made a circuitous tour of Northeast Texas small town antique shops.  I know they were antique shops because that's what was on the signs.  I think sometimes we are a bit loose with our definitions.  Most of them should replace the word "antique" with "old junk".  But, truth in advertising is not what we are used to seeing.  Just watch a little television and you will know what I mean.

There might have been a few "gems" hidden among the piles of stuff that we saw.  I doubt it.  All of it looked to have been thoroughly picked over and little was left but junk.  Yeah, I repeat myself.  I can't think of a better way to describe it.

Perhaps a more descriptive name for many of the shops would be "Fleece Market."  No, not "Flea" market.  I think some of them were out to "fleece" as many ignorant people as they could dupe into buying a 50Cent item for $10. 

OK, enough of that.  Perhaps it is because my interests are pretty narrow when I enter one of the aforementioned establishments that I have such a narrow view of them.  I'm looking for two different kinds of things.  Old books (preferably Texas or Western U.S. History or collectible science fiction) or maybe an odd-and-end Western collectible such as a Roy Rogers memorabilia or a Hopalong Cassidy coffee mug.  It is rare that I find such anywhere east of I-35.  But, I'm always hopeful.

I'm sure there is a "Life Lesson" somewhere in today's excursion.  But, my mind just isn't really tuning into what it might be unless possibly that it doesn't do much good to go digging around in the past for rare treasures.  All you end up with is the leftover junk.  Real treasure is something that is stored up in the future.  It is something to look forward to rather than to look back to find. 

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  Matthew 6:19-20

Sharp Knives

Where, oh where, has my whetstone gone?  Where, oh where, can it be?

Knives need to be sharp.  Otherwise what good are they?  I guess they can serve as letter openers.  Or, paper weights.  Or, something to keep in the left jean pocket to balance out the wad of keys in the right one.

I prefer a good old fashioned "black steel" knife instead of the newer stainless or carbon blades.  Now, you can even get porcelain bladed knives.  But, me, I like the old-style blade that you can sharpen with a whetstone and put a razor edge on it.  The kind of knife where the blade just gets narrower and narrower over time until it eventually is sharpened away.

I know there are ways to sharpen the other kinds of blades.  I just never could get the kind of edge that I really wanted on them.  There are also easier ways to sharpen than a whetstone.  But, again, I could never really get the kind of edge like I want with anything else.  I don't know if it's just because this old dog is stubborn and doesn't want to change or if there is really something to it.  I just have my preferences I guess.

I think a good knife and a whetstone are a great illustration of our lives as we age.  If we want to be of use we have to keep the dullness rubbed off and lose a little hide now and again.  If we don't, we eventually become useless, left to sit in a drawer and rust. 

A good knife with a sharp edge can have a long and useful life.  That's what I want to be said of me when I'm gone -- he never lost his edge. 

Hard Labor

Yeah, I know, I'm supposed to be on vacation this week.  I mentioned in an earlier post that it's more of a "staycation".  I am off the road.  Staying at home.  Doing all the things I can't seem to get around to because of the travel demands of my job.

I know there are sometimes more efficient ways to do things than the way that I choose.  I make the choice consciously.  One of them is that I intensely dislike using herbicides and pesticides unless absolutely necessary.  Don't get me wrong, I think they have their place.  But, just like everything else, we should think about our reasons for using them, the potential consequences -- both short and long term -- and what alternatives are available.  I often choose a little more physical labor rather than the "easy" route of chemicals.

I hoed a patch of weeds this morning.  I occasionally take up the hoe and go after a patch of weeds that could be sprayed and likely more effectively controlled with chemicals.  I just hate adding those chemicals to the environment.  Especially since our place is laced with creeks and water drainage.  The water that washes down our creek is generally full of trash and debris anyway.  I think most people would say, "It's already nasty, how could you possibly make it any worse with the minimal possibility of a little runoff?"  I don't buy that argument.  We all have to do our part.  I will do mine whether others make the same choice or not.

I guess in a way I am a little bit of an environmentalist.  Actually, it would be more accurate to say that I believe in good stewardship of the environment.  That is all of our responsibility.  It can be as simple as properly disposing of trash rather than throwing it on the roadside.  Or, as complex as re-purposing things like tires into mineral feeders or water tanks.  You might ask how that is complex -- well, it isn't exactly easy to do it properly, therefore it must be complex....

But, what does all this have to do with labor?  Well, it is pretty simple.  We surround ourselves with labor-saving devices.  Riding lawnmowers, automobiles, weed eaters, edgers, electric hedge trimmers, leaf blowers, and on and on.  All of those things require more resources, more energy and contribute more to waste both in exhaust and the used-up item than would be contributed if we put a little elbow grease into the task. 

One of my pet-peeves is to hear about people who pay large membership fees to a local gym so they can "work out" yet have riding lawnmowers and all of the labor-saving conveniences money can buy.  It seems to me that it would be a wiser use of resources (money being one of them) to apply the physical labor to those things where we have the "labor-saving conveniences" and drop the then unnecessary membership to the gym.  Oh, well.  What does common sense have to do with anything anymore...

Yeah, I'm physically tired.  But, I'm also probably in better physical condition than most people my age.  Part of that is genetic.  Part of it is that I have never felt myself to be above physical labor.

My first job that I remember working for someone else was hoeing cotton.  There wasn't any cotton involved today, but there was a little hoeing.  Brought back some memories.  I think I used some muscles I haven't used in awhile.

Chasing Rainbows

Dreams are important.  I'm not talking about the kind you wake up from in the middle of the night.  I'm talking about those things that you want to accomplish with your life -- the big things.  Like owning your own business or writing a book.

I believe that when we quit having something to work for we start dying.  There has to be something to make us get out of bed in the morning or we will start to moulder and decay.

The "Entitlement Society" that has been created in this country is a group that has no dream.  Their dream was stolen by dependency.  They are going through the motions of living but have no purpose for their life except to get the next handout.  If it is not forthcoming they cry foul and protest the injustice.  They are decaying and it can be seen in the very fabric of our country.  The rot is spreading because it is easier to succumb than to resist.

There are exceptions.  Occasionally there are those whose fall into dependency was caused by uncontrollable circumstance.  Most that fall into that category detest their state and have a desire to escape.  Some will but many will not.

So, why did I title this post "Chasing Rainbows?"  Because it is better to chase after something that we will never catch than it is do nothing to improve our circumstance.  Somewhere along the way perhaps we will find real treasure that isn't a pot of gold at the end.  We will find treasure in the relationships and accomplishments that we garner along the path.  But, even these are fleeting unless they are rooted in eternity.  Only a few find that narrow path.

Taking Time Off

Taking time off is something I have never done like I should.  I could be considered a workaholic I guess, but I don't really see myself as one.  I work because I have to, not because I have a compulsion to. 

I do believe that when we commit to a job we should do it with all our being.  It should be done to the absolute best of our ability.  It should be something that represents who we are.  When complete, it should be something that others will see as well done.  It shouldn't be done at a minimum just to earn the pay.

Well done.  That's what it is all about.  We are here for a purpose.  We are each uniquely suited to something.  We should do whatever that is in a way that when completed we will hear, "Well done my good and faithful servant."

Back to the time off.  I find myself working at things for me and my family during my time off.  I guess that makes it a "staycation" of sorts.  I do find mental rest in it though.  I am trying my best to set aside "my job" for a few days and focus on other things.  And.....I am writing again.  I think that is a sign that my mind is resting from the job.  That's probably a good thing.

When It All Comes Undone

Another shooting incident today.  Another crazy makes the headlines.  More people died.  I am not insensitive to the tragedy.  People are hurting.  But, in reality, we are all going to die someday.

Why do we react the way we do to such senseless acts of violence?  We go into outrage.  We call for retribution.  We call for prayers.  We don't address the root problem.  It is a fallen world.

Well, the straight news is that we can't fix the world.  I know there are those who call for world peace.  There are those who think we should all just come together and respect each other's differences and "love one another right now" in a world of harmony and peace.  Ummm....I will just say it like it is; those people are clueless.  They have not read or don't understand history.  They do not observe nor understand human behavior.  They do not see the disparities between the "haves" and "have nots" and they do not recognize the frailty of the human nature that succumbs to power, to desires, and to the selfish nature that is inherent to all of us.

The Bible is very clear that the troubles of this earth are due to the fallen nature of man.  That fallen nature is due purely to man's tendency to think that he is equal to God.  It is the belief that he knows best.  If you don't think so, read the story of Adam and Eve.  It isn't about the temptation, it is about man thinking he knew better than God.

We will continue to have such incidents until it is "all rolled up like a scroll" and God takes His own home.  Just like we have seen such incidents throughout history, such will repeat until Jesus returns.

Is It Reality or Perception?

I am watching the end of a movie called "Vantage Point" that shows how we see things differently depending on our relationship to events, our past experiences and our frame of mind.  Everything is clouded by perspective.

It is especially interesting to me since I had a similar experience at church this morning.  Quite simply, I disagreed with the points the teacher was making based on the Biblical passage being read.  Oh, they were valid points and a good lesson, but not what I think the passage was intended to teach.

I have an uncle who was a Professor of Psychology.  He was always talking about "truth" and how it depended on ones core beliefs, point of view, religion, etc.  He denied, or at least appeared to based on his arguments, the existence of a Truth.  It was classical moral relativism.

I think the reality is that our lives are filled with misperception.  Our thinking is clouded by our experiences, our attitude and our current frame of reference.  That makes it even more important that we recognize the existence of an overarching Truth.  It is only then that we can accept our own fallibility.  We are not perfect.  There is only One who is. 

Jealousy and Johnny Football

As I read the comments and commentary on Facebook about Johnny Manziel, I wonder how much of it is jealousy.  Do we hold the successful and talented to a different standard than we do the average?  I think we do.

I also think it is because we need heroes.  We need people we can look up to.  People who operate at a higher standard than we ourselves do.  We need the affirmation that it can be done because we are all too familiar with our own weaknesses and failures.

There are a few who occasionally appear to rise to that level.  In my lifetime I think Billy Graham and possibly Zig Ziglar might be in that category.  I would bet that both, if able to respond, would admit that they too have/had failures of moral character. 

There is only One who has ever lived a perfect life.  He paid a very high price for it.  He paid the price for all of our weaknesses and failures.  We crucified Him for His perfection.  Johnny is only human.

Rains of Biblical Proportions

That was the basic headline describing the rains in Colorado yesterday -- "Rains of Biblical Proportions".  I wonder if the writers of those headlines had a clue what they were really saying.  They likely just view it all as a myth.  The Great Flood. 

Why, according to the Bible, was there a Great Flood?  It had something to do with the fact that all, with the exception of Noah, had turned away from God.  I think we are fortunate that we have rainbows.  If you don't understand the reference, read the story.  In the Bible.  Not just some one's interpretation of it. 

Perhaps the "extreme climactic events" we are having are God's reminders to us that we are to worship Him alone.  I think this world has forgotten that He even exists.  Expect more floods until we either "get it" or He decides it is time for the Final Cleansing.

Think Time

Required
To bring order
Within the jumbled thoughts

A period of less doing
And more being
Required

Resting
Catching up with
The hyper neural pathways

Halting distraction of action
A mental exercise
Resting

Thinking
Within the different levels
Subconscious order rising hierarchically

As the tangled webs unwind
Deep in our mind while
Thinking

Sometimes What It Seems Ain't What It Is

Acts.  Posturing.  Downright Lies.

The "Bully Pulpit" is the place from which the unbelievable becomes believable to the gullible because of the office of the deliverer......Who by the way is NOT THE Deliverer.

Without discernment the sheep follow the wolf instead of the shepherd.

Discernment is not an innate gift that benefits the masses.

P.T. Barnum did quite well deceiving the gullible.

Open your eyes America.  The Self-Annointed One is deceiving you.

Deceipt is a lie.  Who is the Father of Lies??

Let's Try This Again

Last night my "It's Been Awhile" post turned into a semi-rambling-rant I suppose.  Although, I must admit that I have a hard time admitting that it was something of a rant, I guess some might see it that way. 

So, I step back from it today and ask myself if I really think the situation in the Middle East is as bad as I indicated yesterday.  Yes, it is.  The Islamist World is uniting into a Sharia State that surrounds Israel.  The U.S. is the "Great Satan" that stands in the way of the obliteration of Israel.  Maybe.  I suspect they can do quite well on their own.  But, there is Russia that seeks to be relevant again by backing the so-called "little guys" like Syria.  And don't forget China that is eagerly licking its chops over the potential to step in and gain control of a significant oil resource.  Yep, the U.S.A. is in the way of a lot of folks who crave to get their hands on the Cradle of Civilization that is anything but a civil place to live.

My money is on the Nobel Peace Prize Winner/Pretender who sits enthroned in Washington.  He will turn this farce of a crossed Red Line into a brokered Peace that will last for, oh, about 3 1/2 years which is just about enough time to finish wrecking our economy.  Hmmmm.....an interesting number.  Any guesses where it might have originated?

Been Awhile

Yep, this is the predictable "It has been awhile since I posted anything here" post.  That being said, I wonder why I started this because I really can't think of a thing about which to write!  So, does that mean I am being introspective when I continue to type about why I am writing while uninspired?  Or, does it just mean that I finally walked off the virtual cliff of reality into the unknown world of total, stark-raving lunacism?  Hmmm....is that even a word?  Probably not, but it seems to work.

But, I digress from the predictable into the unpredictable.  Unless, of course, it truly is lunacy in which case the unpredictability is predictable.  Or is it?  If it is predictable then it wasn't truly unpredictable in the first place.  Therefore, that which is presumed unpredictable is in reality predictable and therefore not lunacy, but, merely predictable behavior given particular circumstances. 

The whole world seems to have gone insane -- at least in the politico-military-mega-bank-superpower realm.  We have a President who is either completely incompetent or diabolically super-intelligent or at least dangling from the strings of a diabolically super-intelligent puppet master.  The farce of the so-called Presidential Kingdomship of the Obamaniac is driving us toward a perfect Armageddon scenario in the Middle East.  All the players are there.  Russia, China, the Anti-Christ (no, not B.O. -- Islam).  The only real wild card in the bunch is the good old U.S. of A.  But, that card will be negated when the Anointed One finishes wrecking our economy. 

I know there isn't really a role in Armageddon for the U.S.A, but, think about it.  If this nation that was founded as a Light Shining on a Hill were to fall, everything is in place for the end-times scenario to play out post haste.  Maybe it is arrogance on my part (on behalf of what this country once stood for) but, I do believe we have been a bastion of good holding the forces of evil at bay for many years.  But, we are falling and it is at the hands of the current power-brokers in Washington who I think are mere puppets to the true wielders of power who are scattered throughout the world in various corporate offices.

Am I a conspiracy theorist?  No, not really.  Merely an observer who resides in this world but is no longer a part of it.