Category: Common Sense!

Oh, It Really Twas!

‘Twas the night before a holiday, and all through our lives,

the only thing stirring was governmental strife.

The GOP and the Dems were in their usual best,

making sure the constituents again would lose rest.

 

And I with my checkbook and Mama with the bills,

had just settled in to see which gas tank gets filled.

When what do my wondering eyes should see,

but a temporary agreement to set congress free.

 

Off to their condos or nice vacation homes,

those who don’t work were all free to roam.

And to the rest of us who struggle, and scrape day to day,

we wonder how it is that they get to go play?

 

Because they belong to this group or that,

they only see life defined oh so narrow and flat.

No ‘outside the box’ thinking allowed with their way,

“our way’s the only way”, I once heard them say.

 

So off to our slumber since tomorrow’s an early rise,

to go make our minimum and hope for a prize,

That someday our government will soon get a clue,

that running a country involves more than a party of two.

 

Common Sense can prevail when you open your mind,

and see the big picture, not just your side, but also mine.

Amazing is what can happen, open the view

cuz ’tis the season for giving, not taking for you.

 

No dashing, or dancing, or prancing, or vixens.

No vomits, cupids, dummies, or getting blitzed then.

 

Hear us all as you drive out of sight, “you better watch out, you better not whine, quit your pouting, we’re telling you why…election time is coming around”!

 

May this new year be fresh with Common Sense!

It could happen.....(keep clicking your heels together!)

Correct Me Now!

Simply amazing.  A 7-year-old child is being bullied at school to the point where he was choked by the assailant.  The boy, in reactive fear, kicks at the other child and strikes him in the groin area.  Now that child is accused of sexual harassment.  A 9-year-old boy says to another student that his teacher is cute. The teaching assistant hears the comment, now he faces a sexual harassment complaint.  A choir teacher at a school makes the kids sing the  Christmas song “Deck The Halls” with the word “gay” replaced with “bright”.  And so on, and so on, and so on…..

Actually, simply amazing isn’t the correct address to the recent news events.  Let’s us simply ridiculous!  Before I point out the obvious to you, I would like to take a moment to ask that anyone in the audience that takes offense at people being offended by America’s misdirection of political correcting, to please step outside.  I am one of those that is currently being offended by politically correct being allowed to run rampant in society today. I can almost guarantee that you will be offended. 

For many, obvious seems to be clear.  The arguments against the rampant stupidity have already aired throughout the various media.  What I don’t understand is why does this continue to happen?  If we look back throughout our history, we see an ever-changing tide of mentality towards various subjects.  That happens. Views change, people grow, things once important are no longer relevant.  It’s called evolution.  Society continues to evolve, thus the change in styles, music, politics, habits, and a host of other aspects to our existence.  But the one continuous thread that is supposed to underlie our momentum forward into the future is common sense.  Somewhere along the roadway, that thread was either cut or snapped.  I know it didn’t wear out from overuse!

I find that the evil whiners that push this politically correct agenda today are the source of our downfall.  That minority with loud voices have somehow swayed various government and business leaders in the U.S. to go along with their radically nonsense way of thinking and it really has me sad and scared for our future.  To remove common sense in such a way as to think that an 11-year-old blue-eyed, blonde haired boy has been, and still is, on the TSA’s no-fly list, has my jaw on the ground is utter disbelief.  His first pat down was at the age of 2!  Hello? People?  Because he shares a common name with an actual potential threat, he is stopped and checked thoroughly.  Calling Captain Obvious?

 We live in an age where news travels faster than it ever has in our history. You would almost think that the powers-that-be would be keenly aware of this fact and know that their every move is constantly scrutinized and studied.  So, when the school decrees that an elementary student must be suspended because he falls under the definition of  “sexual harassment”, you would think that someone would have stood up and pointed out the irrational thinking.  But sadly, no one did.   Has the “decision makers”  sunk to such a level of paranoia that even a seemingly well-educated person cannot make a common sense call here because they fear backlash from a radical minority of idiots?

What are we afraid of here? Clear thinking? practicality? We really must be! From this recent kind of overt craziness to the extremists blowing up their own people, society has become scared to confront the flagrant disregard to common sense!   Quit worrying about the handful of babies that fuss about “feelings” getting hurt or think that everyone should have a right to do anything they want!  It’s not a right to bully someone!  And, destroy a child’s life because he said a person is cute?  When did “sticks and stones” leave the room?

Everyone talks about the over-sensitive events that are clearly ridiculous,  but no one is “fixing” it.  Let’s stop putting bandages on these wounds that bleed our sanity!  I know that there are more than a couple of brain cells that can be rubbed together to create a spark of reality in this place.  Enough is enough, as they say. At some point, simple thinking has to catch hold and begin to put some clear reason at the forefront of our decision-making.  If it doesn’t, the stupidity is going to continue to spread like the infection it is and we will be restricted from all thought, word, and deed! 

“Call the police, that person looked at me!”  “Get me a lawyer, that person stood too close to me in the elevator!”  In time, congress will create a law of all laws and everyone will be guilty of something!  Let’s get off of the “be sensitive to every little thing” ride and get back to serious reality! This planet is a mess and we certainly have bigger problems out there that need our full attention.  Let’s stop allowing these trivial, nonsensical, isolated incidents to take center-stage when the real issues are people starving, children without a place to live, and stupid folks affecting our Common Sense!  Step up to the plate, put your foot down, and tell the world that Common Sense is back!

An Open Letter To Mr. Claus

Dear Santa,

It’s been over 30 years since my last confession and I have to confess that things have really gone askew!  I’m not even sure my toilet swirls in the correct direction when flushed.  The world has gone mad and I was hoping that you could get things fixed.  I know you’re a busy guy this time of year, with all the labelling and legal hurdles you have to clear before you can bring goodies on your sleigh, but, I just need to know if the old Santa is still there…the one that can put fear in children that they might be on the naughty list.  The Santa who can actually have children sit on his lap without the threat of lawsuit.  Where have you been all these years?  I mean, you are still Santa, right? The jolly ol’ elf that has an independent operation in the north pole? You haven’t become the “Elf formerly known as…”, or “And now, here’s Santa, sponsored by…”?  You didn’t get caught up in any Ponzi schemes, did you? I don’t know why I worry about these things. Just do.

Are you feeling severely limited these days with all the regulations, restrictions, taxations, and legal ramifications? A person of your position is probably scrutinized 24/7.  Labor watchdogs, potential whistle-blowers, children services and such.  No wonder you don’t have the power you once did!  It’s a serious shame!  Innocence is lost, but not solely to perversions.  It seems that it’s lost to the governmental controls, corporate greed, and the individual narcissism of people today.  With all that going on, sorry to say, you never really did have a chance to survive.  The world today is heading down the path of anti-Clausism.  No one, save but a few, have the desire to believe in miracles. The days of dreaming have been replaced by the days of medication.  Your role is being replaced by paranoia.  How sad is that!

I’ve done my own tally and the best I can discern is that your “nice” list has to be really, really short.  I firmly believe that all the idiots that refuse to go beyond 40 MPH down the freeway on-ramps until after they have a mile or two under their belts should not be on that list.  I think you would have to agree that most of our world-wide government leaders have probably slipped from one list to the other.  There is so many situations of violence, mayhem, and, just plain disorder throughout the world that one would have to imagine your trip time would be half from what it once was.  Too bad you can’t take some of these “naughty listers” out behind the reindeer barn and give them all a yule log upside their heads!

Enough of that, though.  I am worried for you.  It is certainly hard to keep your mental and physical health intact these days with all that is going on.  I remember that song with the kid singing “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth”.  I still sing that nowdays because I can’t afford the dental work.  Have you seen the out-of-pocket prices? Wow!  So, I sing….and sing….and wish upon a star, (or HMO, or bank loan).  Plus, it is really hard to keep one’s sanity together during these times.  I’ve found that the reindeer games really take a toll on folks these days, and all you end up with is the droppings! You must know that one first hand!  How do you cope?

Well, I suppose I should get on with my self-indulging list of ‘what I want’ for Christmas.  I am not going to ask for world peace, family love, food and shelter for the poor in the United States, bringing home the troops from overseas, justice for Caylee Anthony, our political parties to pull their heads out, jobs for the unemployed, corporate greed to subside, the end to selfishness, medical and dental care for everyone in the U.S., religions to calm down, crime to decrease, and several million other things.  I am not going to ask for any of that because I believe that you have already heard those requests from the folks on your “nice” list.

What I am going to ask for is you. The Santa Claus.  The one I knew as a kid.  The one that captured my excitement of Christmas and kept me dreaming of magic.  The Kris Kringle that created dreams inside each and every one of us.  The Jolly Ol’ Elf of yesteryear is what I ask.  I want to have that happy, carefree feeling within my heart, if but just for a moment. To experience the power you once radiated throughout the world that said ‘it’s ok to believe!’  If all the adults felt that, imagine what could really happen!  Common Sense says that the results would be wonderful!  The world needs you now, more than ever!

Sincerly,

The Cannon

 

Dirty Rotten Chaos!

Into each life, a little chaos must fall….and hard!  All around you at this very moment is change and disorder. You might feel that there is balance and harmony going on in your life, but let me be the first to burst your bubble…it’s not!  You have your good days, you have your bad days, and in between those days is chaos at work.  That creature of disruption moving about, tipping the carts, changing the lights, casting its confusions.  Chaos.  What is this beast and why does it seem to be getting bigger, stronger, faster in the world around us and, for many, within us?  Let’s define:

Chaos:

  • Complete disorder and confusion.
  • Behavior so unpredictable as to appear random, owing to great sensitivity to small changes in conditions.

I love those definitions!  They sum up the animal at work.  I often picture a mythical faery-like being with an evil grin, fluttering about, doing its will on unsuspecting people and things.  Many religions have given chaos a persona of some demonic entity that works in the spiritual realms to ruin their prey. Loki was the Norse god of mischief constantly working to thwart mankind, as well as the gods themselves. Lucifer of the bible,  the great deceiver, who started the entire downfall of mankind by creating confusion on the first humans that lived in bliss.  Many different cultures label some single source for all the problems of the world.  What it boils down to is the events of chaos.  Altering changes that disrupt our plans, processes, procedures, policies, and presence!  From the simple distraction to the fall of empires, chaos has, and always will, be the thorn in our sides!

What can we do about this? Is there any way to fool-proof our dealings in life so as not to be ruined by chaos?  I think not.  Back in 1785, Robert Burns characterized this chaos in his great poem, “To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest with the Plough”, by writing “But little Mouse, you are not alone, in proving foresight may be vain. The best laid schemes of mice and men go often askew, and leave us nothing but grief and pain, for promised joy!”

So, the best laid plans…askew! Whether by divine intervention or just natural chaos, we can plan until the cows come home, but somehow, someway, chaos will often rear its ugly head!  Does it happen all the time? Of course not! It finds pleasure in allowing us some of the promised joy, lulling us into a false sense of security…then, BANG! Knocks us down some notches! We get up, dust ourselves off, curse the very fact chaos exists, and try again. Oh, our humanity of persistence!

That is the one thing about chaos…though ever changing, it is the only constant that we share.  At points throughout our lives, we have felt the hand of chaos on our schemes, even when they have been well planned.  So, if this is a constant during our walk through the time given, then why is there such an impact of frustration, anger, and even defeat?  We should know by now that at some point in our design on how we think life should go, that chaos will inevitably intervene and have its way with us.  I would say this is the predictability of the unpredictable!  In a future writing I will address one reason that it impacts us so harshly and why we react the way we do. (It’s called narcissism.  A sometimes over inflated view of self-importance.  Another time, though.)

So, in the present, we see this swarm fluttering all around our everyday, buzzing with the possible of changing our directions.  It happens, and for some folks it happens more often than others.  There is no pre-disposition to the ailment of chaos. It isn’t a contagion that we get by standing too close to someone afflicted (though people may argue that the fallout of one’s chaotic attack can be adverse enough to create a sense of chaos in their own life)!  No matter what it is construed as, chaos exists, it affects, and it strikes anyone, anywhere, at any time!

The strength that chaos can have is given only by the reactions we have to it.  The turkey slides off the serving tray onto the ground right before it’s time to eat. Chaos ensues!  We can either crumble to the ground in utter defeat, allowing the tears of shattered dreams to wash all our intentions away, or, we can realize that our plan to serve may be altered, but the fact that our family and friends are there to share with us is so much bigger.  Chaos might trip, but it can never replace.  You may have lost something or someone, but chaos can never remove the memories and moments that mean so much more.  We are supposed to give thanks during thanksgiving, no matter what chaos has done in the past or even the present. It’s when we lose sight of the precious, the true reality of what we have, that’s when chaos has truly won. 

Don’t let the knowledge of impending chaos be the ruin in your heart.  Our time is measured, and there are so many more important things to be thankful for.

Un-Social Media

Breaking News!  Social media is destroying humanity!  Okay, perhaps it isn’t breaking news. And maybe it hasn’t destroyed it completely. But, the extent of my statement really depends on clarifying some definitions of news, destroy, or social.  Let us take a look at those definitions and see what we end up with!

News reporting agencies can be funny entities. They are often the very heralds of doom and gloom, and yet thoroughly pride themselves as being the “first” to bring it to you. How thoughtful.  Yet in this day and age of information demand, we clamor at every source we can to stay informed and aware. As many of you know, I am one such junkie. I often find myself confused when I bring a news item to a conversation and no one is aware of the story.  Really?  I thought everyone was in-the-know about the feral cat problem in Hindustan!  (I jest…somewhat…)

But our sources of information are missing out on a really big story. That there seems to be a lack of awareness of the degradation of human interaction around us. “Social” has been morphing from how we interacted with one another into a cold, barren way. It is caving in to the world of electronics.  The explosion of social media websites is nothing new. From the advents of My Space to the highly popular Facebook and Twitter, there is certainly no shortage of internet places to “socialize”.  Major companies like Google and Yahoo have also thrown their hats into the ring with versions.  The goal: get you to use their system so that they can make money from advertisers.  Simple as that. This is corporate America looking for a means to get money.  But, at what cost?

I’m all for businesses making money.  After all, this is the land of opportunity!  Where I have a problem is when socializing is stripped down to impersonal typed words and picture postings.  Where human interaction is via electricity and not face to face.  Where emotions are conveyed by ‘smileys’.  The word social is generically defined as companionships or relations, in community versus isolated.  People are, by nature, social creatures and have the need to engage with others.  Social is key to society…groups of people together.  In the past, people would socialize with one another by gathering together.  These would be the times for friends and families to talk, share, help, care, love, support, and belong.  Sadly, that type of socializing is being replaced.  Actually, it is being destroyed.  I don’t think I need to define destroy.

It would seem that people today find solace in checking their cell phones or computers for their social fix.  Online you can post comments and pictures, share your feelings, give a virtual hug or pat on the back, date, and even break up.  Yes, that all happens on there.  Many of the things that used to be done “in person” are now “impersonal”.  People have had entire relationships online. If that doesn’t make you sad, then you may want to go see someone “in person” to get some help.  I say that bluntly with hopes of a wake up call!  Socializing is an imperative part of being human, and having human interaction is a necessary part of our mental and emotional well-being.  Give thought to the punishment of ‘solitary confinement’…separation of humans from humans.  It’s a punishment, not a reward.  Sociologists and medical experts know that the key to our sanity is the need for human contact.

It can be safely said that social media is destroying humanity.  Humans have social needs and, quite frankly, social media does not fulfill that need.  We may think that we are socializing, but it should not be the replacement to actual face-to-face socializing.  Sitting in your room with the computer is not giving you human contact.  If anything, it is numbing the human right out of you!  I would love to see the withdrawals people would have if they didn’t have their internet social medias to check every 10 seconds.  They might actually have to learn some face-to-face skills!

I understand that friends and family separated by distance use these formats as a means to stay in contact.  No issues here with that.  It’s when it becomes your everything, your lifeline to the outside world that is standing right next to you.  When people can gather in a room with one another and hardly speak to each other because they are busy “socializing” online.   I am always amazed, but rarely shocked anymore, when I see groups of people in the store walking down the aisles with their faces in their phones and no interaction with those whom they are with.  I feel sad by this, but this is evidence of the destruction of socializing.

Try something here…a new social media.  I call it talking.  This type of media requires two people, in the same location, each equipped with a mouth and ears.  This social media requires no electricity, data plan, or computer.  You simply speak what you would normally type and the other person hears what you said!  Then, the person that listened to you will probably say something back, which you would use your ears to hear it!  Crazy, I know, but when you repeat that process, possibly adding more people together….oh, the socializing that can happen!!!  Don’t call me a pioneer…I checked my history and found out that it was all the rave long ago!

Let Freedom Ring

This writing comes to you with a heavy heart.  A deep sadness that runs the course of my veins and has me filled with waning hope in some people.  Today is a holiday, a day marked on the calendar since 1919 to be held in reverence, reflection, and salute.  I share with you Veteran’s Day.

This day each year on November 11th is where we remember.  Remember the men and women who served this great country with bravery and honor, defending against the storms of evil that desire to creep into our borders and usurp our great way of life.  Remember the men and women of the armed services!

As you know, I love history.  We learn from history so that we can have common sense!  So, why today?  How did this day start? My message today is not so much about where this holiday came from, but it helps to know where it all began.  As the end of World War 1 neared, various peace accords were being brokered between the countries involved in that large-scale war with Germany and her allies.  Though differing truce dates ran from September of 1918 all the way through to the Treaty of Versailles on June 28th of 1919, we would officially note the 11th hour of November 11th, 1918 as our countries armistice day.  It officially became a national holiday the following year and was to be commemorated each year on that date.

In 1954, President Eisenhower wanted to assure that the dedicated veterans of World War II, those who came home and those who never did, were remembered as well and officially changed Armistice Day to Veteran’s Day, a day to remember all military personnel who gave the greatest sacrifice for our country.

Fast forward to today.  The date has never changed, the holiday is still marked as Veteran’s Day.  What has changed is the people.  The people who mark this day as a ‘day off’ from work, or a shopping sale date, or a day that passes like any other day in the calendar.  Quite honestly, this particular year is only getting a bigger notation because the date and time will be a rare, once every hundred years, palindromic occurence.  So, novelty wins out on patriotism.  It’s sad when so many stupid things win out over patriotism in this country.

The (thankfully) former Governor of Minnesota, Jessie Ventura recently went on a tirade in front of the news media declaring that, even though he is a former Navy Seal, he is giving up his love of this country that he served.  He has bellowed that he will not stand in due respect during the National Anthem.  He will not salute our flag.  He is even adamant about locking-in his citizenship with Mexico (since he lives there now, half of the year…).  All this whining and fussing because he was violated.  This self-proclaimed rough and ready ex-Seal was violated by a TSA agent who patted him down during a trip to the airport.  Really?  Sadly, yes…that’s his big reason for hating America now.

I know that there are many opinions regarding that TSA process, and quite honestly, I am not going to go there right now.  I have personal issues with people getting onto airplanes and either blowing them up or flying them into buildings, so I will just shut my mouth regarding that matter.  What I will say is simply this:  if you love this country, then show it!  If you don’t love this country and would rather see it over-run by crazed lunatics who blow up their own people, kill their own children, violate and treat people as animals, restrict freedom to choose, and force their beliefs on to you….well then, get the hell out!

I don’t know about you, but my heart is heavy with sadness that the people of this country have forgotten.  They’ve forgotten how we got here, why we got here, and how we stay here!  Is it so tough to ask for even one day out of 365 each year to stop and really count your blessings?  I’m not talking blessings as in turkey and stuffing, I’m talking about blessed that we have freedom to choose, that our country (though mismanaged at times) is still the greatest country in the world to live in and raise a family!  We can’t even get folks to really put aside the novelties that seem to get attached to a day of remembrance like today and reflect on who we are to this great land.

I’ll just close with this:  Whether you served in the military, whether you supported someone in the military, or whether you just have great respect for the protection of our way of life that our armed forces have given, and continue to give, to each of us….remember to stand for the flag, salute our troops, and always, ALWAYS remember how we got this freedom in America today.  A lot of sacrifices were made so that we can be free.  And if you and Jesse don’t like it, me and some of my true patriot friends would be more than happy to help you out the door.  You want to live here because of the freedom, then thank a Veteran.

This message is brought to you today by a Veteran, because of Veterans.  God Bless these United States and all who have served and still serve!

A Dad’s Letter To His Children

There is so much that I could and should say.  The “how-to” train of thought doesn’t necessarily run in one direction when it comes to being a Dad.  I have stood on the outside and I have stood on the inside, and I have found that no matter where you stand, the position of being a Dad is fill with millions of mixed messages.  Do this, do that, say this, don’t say that, be firm, be gentle, hold tight, let go, be strong…..cry.  But, now that your young years have flown by, I look back…with my own mixed views…to the times I did good and the times that I let you all down.

It seems that no matter how a person views the role of being a Dad, there will always be personal self-reflection that points out the times when things could have been done differently.  I can’t say whether or not I have more than other Dads.  I think that I do, but I guess it really comes down to perspective.  From the time that you were born, the thoughts of “what do I do” seemed to be a daily occurrence.  Sadly, I never got a definitive answer.  Mixed messages came from everywhere.  It was from a barrage of ideas, thoughts, and world-views that I would sort through and try to mix in my own gut feeling to come up with a “proper” fatherly direction.  Sadly, I have to admit, consistency was never there for each of you and probably added to the chaos in your lives.

You each had strong personalities that brought color and variety to life.  Trying to cater to the ever-changing tides of interest was, to say the least, a challenge!  We tried the sports, we tried the music.  We tried for academics and we tried for talents.  So many areas to expose you to, was there some that were missed?  I believe there was.   But Dad’s are supposed to know.  To have the answers ready when the questions come.  To be able to guide and direct you to the correct paths that each of you should follow in your journey to being adults.  I was never really sure myself…you each have so many gifts! 

Dad’s are also supposed to be able to adapt to any situation.  Be strong during times of fear and uncertainty.  Be bold in knowing what is and what isn’t when it comes to life’s challenges.  Be a foundation that is always unshaken during life’s storms.  Be the  encouragement to all of your ambitions in life.  The 20/20 hindsight is clear in understanding that you didn’t always get that Dad.  The times when I should have been were probably the times when I was slow in sorting through the “what is a Dad supposed to do” messages.  Believe me when I tell you that my heart was always the Dad you needed, but the mind was slow in giving you that person right away.  Missed moments.

Now that you are all above the High School line of measurement, life for each of you will hit on all sides.  The ups and downs will come and you may be in a position where you need to rely on lessons from your youth.  I hope that those are the lessons that were filled with consistency and solid truths.  You see, in the Dad manual (that doesn’t exist), there are too many variables that make knowing absolutes impossible.  And since this Dad was filled with so many differing “answers”, I never did get a chance to figure out which way was the right way.  If only I had more time, more resources, or…better yet…more involvement.

There is one constant from all the mixed messages out there on how to be a Dad. It is simply to be there. Be involved. Be a presence in your children’s lives.  That “how-to” was lost in all the chaos of my mind.  Years later, it had finally come through the fog, but regrettably in the closing hours of your childhood.  The phrase “missed the boat” rings louder with each passing day. 

I can’t pretend to know what each of think when you look back on your years growing up, but on those moments when you wonder to yourself, ‘where was Dad”,  please know that I was there, trying to get the answers you needed…it just took longer than I had hoped for.  My wish is for your understanding. 

With love,

Dad

….and so we fight.

The plague had thus afflicted many with a stench of vile filth.

And the world keeps spinning.  Round and round it goes. The stars still shine their light from billions of miles away and the sun still warms this planet.  In nature, the order of events still moves on without regard to the chaos that humanity continues to bestow upon civilization.  Therein is the effect of man on all that surrounds him.  Kind of makes you want to throw up, some days!

I had the opportunity the other day to sit outside and listen.  My mind filtered out as much as it could related to humans.  I pushed out the sounds of cars and airplanes.  Ignored the drone of lawnmowers and chain saws.  Blanked out the chatter of children and their parents throughout the neighborhood.  What I really did was to focus all my attention on the nature.  As much as I could, that is.  It was a tranquil moment! The visions of trees and the vastness of the blue skies.  The feel of grass and soil below me.  It was wonderful, and it all seemed…normal. 

What I discovered was that there sure was a lot of nothing.  Nothing, in the sense of peace and quiet.  I found that, though nature was all around me, there was a sense of craving that was occurring, a craving to be in that ‘world’.  As much as mankind has injected his will and way throughout planet Earth, the other inhabitants were still alive and well and doing just fine!  I was really enjoying their company for the moment.  It was a mini-vacation from the ‘plague’.  The ‘plague’ is a sickness that has been spreading like a wildfire throughout humankind.  It has been discovered that it destroys the brain by tearing out the common sensory lobe and then starts to dissolve the emotional cortex.  All that remains is an uncaring, no-conscience, zombie-like thing that seeks to inflict misery on whoever and whatever is around.

What made me really dwell about this were some of the events in recent weeks.  You see, I’m a news junkie.  I find myself searching for updates to the happenings that go on, not only local, but nationally and internationally.  A story breaks out here and I need to know.  Not just what the media filters to us, but the whole picture.  Don’t give me a nugget and tell me I’m content!  Facts, figures, pictures, summaries….I want to know it all!  Junkie! But recent reports of people pistol-whipping elderly women for their purses, thugs shooting at police indiscriminately, violent home invasion on a family with young children, and an elderly man shot by a thug as he walked into his own home, I’m finding that there is such a thing as ‘too much’.

With all of that coursing through my cranium, I’m finding there are some adverse physical and emotional effects from the worldly feed, as well.  I’ve heard the phrase before: information overload.  And it seems to be overloading with sadness, despondency, pain, suffering, violence, and destruction.  The sickest part is that you don’t have to go international or even national to be filled with this negativity.  It’s in your back yard.  It’s down the street.  It is permeating throughout what was once called civilization.  Uncivilization. The plague.

So what’s the solution? Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t have one. Like a seeping cloud of vileness, this uncivilization is moving throughout the lands, decimating good things, tearing away the very fabric of decency that could, and should, be our humanity.  You and I could sit for days upon days and point the finger at this and that and never really hit the source because there isn’t just one source.  This is an evolution of allowances that have continued to bloom into the destruction of decent folk.  In the past, when people would do nothing but commit horrible acts upon others without remorse, we called them a scourge upon society.  But nowadays, there seems to be an acceptance to such violent behavior. Amazing how someone can commit such atrocities, but because we have to be concerned about their ‘feelings’, we have to go soft on them.  Thus, the plague is back on the streets in no time, doing what it does best: destroying.

Uncivilization.  It’s funny how we can look back at each generation in our little worlds and think that those before us were so “uncool”.  Our parents thought our manners and actions were barbaric.  Their parents thought they were out of control.  Their parent’s parent’s thought their kids were the end of civilization itself.  No one point to blame, because it’s been an evolution of degradation.  I believe the term used in the past has been ‘the decline of western civilization’.  But somewhere, somehow this has to come to a stop.  And I sure hope that it hits the brakes before our blue earth looks like some postapocalyptic scene from a science fiction movie.   

Demographics aside, it has become a global thing.  People groups aside, it has become a social stain.  Religious groups aside, it has become the bias.  Ethnicity aside, it has become separation.  It doesn’t matter who or what anymore, what matters is that it is.  It is a violation inherent in the system.  Can we tune out?  Are we allowed to turn our back on the seemingly senseless disregard for people and property?  No! We cannot!  Just because it is all around, we can still pick up the pieces and continue the good fight.  We may not impact the whole world, but we can impact our little world.  There is too much at stake here and anarchy running rampant is not an option.  We fight at the local levels.  We fight against the liars and cheats. We fight against evil that is now accepted. We fight against the all these things that are rotting our moral flesh.  We fight against the plague. We fight!

And so I listen all around and try to isolate the tranquility of nature.  I try to focus on serenity that will sooth a weary soul, worn out from the information overload.  I know that it is out there.  If, but for a moment in time, we can find some peace.  Because we cannot bury our head in the sand, we seek some solace from the uncivilization that surrounds.  Just a moment of refuge.  I know the plague is spreading.  I’ll be there in a minute…have to re-energize for the next round.

...and desolation remained, lest man stand to push back

Arrested Development

My son is a hardened criminal.  Arrested in the commission of a heinous crime just the other morning.  Another vile perpetrator off our city streets.  We can rest easy tonight.

In the bustling city of St. Paul, Minnesota, the crowds of people are rushing to and fro, starting the day early in the morning.  Sidewalks fill with commuters coming into the city, destined for their places of employment, others are merely on one of many stops en route through the city via buses.  On this ordinary day, during a typical morning, one young man had exited his first bus and was walking the one city block to catch his next bus to get to his final destination.  But during the course of that short walk, he was approached by another young man who had asked him for a cigarette. Without breaking stride, he reached into his pocket and produced one and handed it over. Then, without deeper thought, continued on his way until…..

A police officer that witnessed the transaction summoned him back to the scene of the crime.

The officer and the other half of the criminal duo stood waiting.  Unbeknownst to my son was the fact that this cigarette requester was a minor!  He gave a minor a regulated substance. Provided this underage person with tobacco products!   Now, under the circumstances, I could understand the law is the law and justice must be dealt swiftly.  How else can the perpetrators learn their lesson, if not by showing them the error of their ways and stop their wayward path to becoming a boil on the buttocks of society?  Issue that ticket, give a stern warning, and move on. Simple, but not.

We don’t know if this is part of a major crime ring.  This could be the tip of the iceberg in something bigger.  Sure, from the outside it appears that some passerby bummed a cigarette from an unsuspecting commuter in the big city, but let’s not draw any conclusions. This just may be the fringes of a large crime family operation!  Maybe the beginnings of a drug cartel!

But who are we kidding. As I said before, it was a passerby asking for a smoke from one of thousands of commuters. Yes, a ticketing offense. The part that has me wondering is why this small act warranted an actual trip to the jail house for the two ‘actors’ in the event. Are you really going to pull an officer off the streets during the morning rush hour in down town just to haul in these two collaborators of crime?  Two, who got nothing more than the ticket that could have been written right there on the street!  I sure hope they did a full and proper investigation here. Maybe run the fingerprints through the system, have CSI analyze the clothing, recreate the crime with multi-dimensional computer imaging, and have the district attorney interview everyone on the streets.

Come on common sense! There isn’t more to this act that needs pointing out.

I think about how various government levels are under deep scrutiny to tighten the budget belts, cut spending, and operate with less. In fact, the police chief of St. Paul stated, not too long ago, that they are trimming 2.2 million dollars from their budget.

Okay. Good to know that they are eliminating waste. But common sense would show you that writing a ticket and getting back to fighting drugs, gangs, robbers, and prostitution is a much better use of the tax funds your department receives. Trim the waste, not the sense.  Don’t get me wrong, now.  I am a huge supporter of our peace officers and all involved in fighting crime.  I actually wish they had more investigators, officers, and better equipment so they can do their jobs more efficiently and safely.  I understand what they face out on the streets everyday and think that the criminal justice system needs to get tougher.  But, let’s measure some reality in with our system here.  The officer wasn’t dealing with punk gang members.  In fact, my son was texting while riding in the back of the squad car on his way to jail!  He had his phone and pocket contents still with him! Even in the holding cell, he still had his phone.

Now he wasn’t in for very long.  Took his ticket and left the jail a free man.  Even more fortunate for him was that he still got to work on time, he just had to find a ride.   The overall event has a touch of comedy to it.

But, as I told my wayward son…keep up that perceived criminal mindset and activities, and before you know it, you are on America’s Most Wanted! Don’t worry, folks….I’ll keep my eye on him.

The Ever-Mystical Sock Vortex

A deep part of humanity is the passion to know, to understand the how’s and why’s of the universe around us. Therein lays the problem. You see, this passion can oftentimes create more havoc than solution, and will, if the technically challenged are left unsupervised and with tools. 
My dear friend became a victim of an overzealous desire to solve one of life’s great mysteries, and perhaps a mystery that is best left unknown. The Ever-Mystical Sock Vortex!

His crusade began one Saturday morning with the simple task of getting dressed. The jeans and t-shirt combination were as usual. Socks and shoes would round out the basics and then off to the store for groceries.  The process halted at the sock drawer. One sock here, nothing matching there, missing partner somewhere. The investigation continued in the laundry hamper. 

Clothing pulled from the deep basket, piece by piece.  Piles grew as he continued the search.  “Why don’t any of the socks have a match?” He questioned under breath.  His wife called out from the kitchen with a what?

“Nothing”, he muttered. “I’m looking for a match to some of my socks”, he said as he raised his volume so she knew he was paying attention.  All the way down to the bottom of the basket, and nothing. How could this be? Where did the other half of all these socks go? Is this some sort of prank?

He walked out to the kitchen looking as a sleuth investigating a crime scene and looked at his wife quizzically.  “My socks”, he muttered. “Where is the other half of all my socks?”  She glanced up from here newspaper and shrugged both shoulders while trying to convey her best puzzled look.  “I dunno.”

The dryer. That must be it, he thought. That’s the place they say the socks disappear from.

He stepped through the kitchen and into the laundry room. A simple area with a washing machine, that dryer next to it, and various cleaning solutions lining a shelving unit next to the machines.  He opened the dryer door and glanced inside the drum. Reaching in, he felt around the tub hoping for a handful of socks to just magically to appear, ending his quest. Nothing. No socks within and nothing on the right or left of the outside. 

His mind became filled with cartoon images showing the intricacies of the dryer’s operations. Ok, he thought, the vent hose that comes out of the back of the machine goes to the hole in the wall and out of the house. Yes, that’s it! Outside! The dryer has pulled the socks through the drum, through the vent, and out of the house and into a pile in the backyard! That’s where they went!

Grabbing a pair of sandals on the way to the back door, he shuffled to the backyard. Finding the exit port for the dryer, he studied the ground around.  Nothing.  Nothing but leaves, grass, and dirt. He peered into the vent hole, squinting in deep study. “This is ridiculous!” He muttered.

Back inside, he knew what needed to be done. Grabbing his tool box, he understood that the best way to solve a mystery is to dismantle the cause of the mystery! Time to take the dryer apart!  This, of course was met with some stern warnings and skeptical verbiage from his wife!  She tried to explain the rational to him, but knew that this issue would not rest until he had satisfied his own quest.

“I’m gonna go to the store. You do whatever it is you think you have to do.” She stated with authority. “But, by the time I get back, this whole mess better be cleared up and that dryer in full functioning capacity!” And, with that, she passed through the front door, head shaking slowly side to side. 

He peered down at the magical box and grabbed the screwdriver.

Later in the afternoon, my dear friend’s wife arrived back at their house with an arm full of groceries and a sunken heart.  There, from laundry room and into the kitchen, lay the remnants of a once operational dryer.  The machine that worked great was now in pieces and strewn around the floor.   He glanced her way while holding a box with wires in his hand.  “Nothing,” was all he could muster.

Her face said enough, but her raging mind wasn’t done yet.  He looked down and with a defeated gasp said “I just don’t understand where the socks go.” 

Before she could let loose with both barrels of infuriation, the last semblance of calm allowed her to utter a piece of rational thinking.  “Did you ever stop to think that maybe the socks disappeared before they get to the dryer?”

With that, he looked at the washing machine with revelation in his eyes and reached for the screwdriver.