Life On A B-I7

Hall of Mirrors

Elon Musk’s X is a worthless poisoned hall of mirrors. Those are not my words, but if you look at where the posts on X are coming from, you’ll discover that those posts that claim to be “America First” are coming from places like the Middle East, China, Eastern Europe (non-NATO countries) and Russia, to name just a few. You get the idea. If you believe in America first, and if you are a patriot, you will get off X! Musk is not concerned about America, he is only concerned about becoming the first human with a financial portfolio worth one trillion dollars.

Evolution

I’m starting to evolve. It’s about fucking time. I’m starting to feel love for (almost) everyone… For those that don’t inspire love in me, I’m finding in myself the capacity to grant them space, with modest amounts of scorn and very little hate.

Russian Interference

Russia helped Donald Trump get elected. Russian hackers spread Democratic emails under false pretenses to influence voters. It’s hard to imagine this was done without Trump’s acknowledgement and consent considering the company he chooses to keep. This makes Donald Trump a traitor to his country.

Don’t take my word for it. Read the book “Cult of the Dead Cow,” by Joseph Menn. His writing can be trusted, if you read his book, you will understand.

Toast To The Bride

As father of the bride,
who adores his daughter,
let me just say…

…a few words about Scott.

Scott has a creative mind

and is very talented,
he’s also an accomplished

skier and climber…

An accomplished skier…
for a guy that skis on strange bindings,
and funny shaped skis…
but don’t try to follow him down Mid-Cirque,
unless you know what you are doing!

I’ve hung-out enough with Scott,
that I can say without reservation,
He’s a terrific guy,
I couldn’t ask for a better son-in-law.

Least I fail to mention…
You’re pretty cool too Kelsey!

Let me finish very simply…

May your love guide you,
May your love sustain you,
and may your love fulfill you
for all the days of your lives!

Somewhere around 2022

Brahma Muhurta

I acknowledge the Creator and give thanks for the opportunity to greet another day. It is my intention to honor this day by presenting my best self to the world. It is my goal for today to be kind to everyoneI meet. I will look for the best in everyone and treat everyone I meet with kindness and respect. I will share a smile whenever I can because I believe a smile has the power to make lives better.

A Skier’s Prayer

I acknowledge the Creator and give thanks for the opportunity to ski another powder day. It is my intention to honor this day on the mountain by presenting as much of my skis to the snow as possible. I will strive to present my skis to the mountain through all three phases of every turn. I will honor this day by remaining in an athletic stance. I will show respect to the mountain by always looking ahead. This will allow me to choose the path the mountain wants me to take.

What is the Meaning of Life?

That is the question that everyone should ask themselves. We should be seeking the answer constantly, recognizing that it can change over time. There is no one answer out there to be found. The meaning of life is different for everyone.

I believe the meaning of life is simply to practice justice, and courage, and avoid those things that might bring harm to others.

Father Forgive Me

Father forgive me for I have sinned. I have looked at people that profess to be righteous and I have called them out in my mind as sinners. This shows a lack of compassion on my part. To be more specific…

I think Donald Trump is a sinner. I think Mike Johnson is a sinner. I think Pete Hegseth is a sinner. I think all those people that have given money to Donald Trump are potentially sinners. I have no compassion for any of them. Yes I realize all of us are sinners, but let’s face it, it comes down to a matter of degrees does it not?

For the record I’m not particularly religious, but that really has no bearing on my feelings and certainly no bearing on how I treat my fellow citizens. Treatment which hopefully is of a kind and generous manner, even if they are “sinners.”

Flaw

We need a Constitutional Amendment to prevent the Speaker of the House from keeping the House in Recess for more than two weeks in any given year.

Article I, Section 4, Clause 2 of the Constitution reads:

The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day.

Let’s wait and see what happens, but it seems to me that Speaker Johnson could convene for one day and then dismiss. If that happens it is the end of Democracy in America and also a gaping flaw in our Constitution. I suspect the authors never expected anyone to use the power to dismiss as a means to give the Executive the ability to rule like a dictator.

Sadly, we are now in an era where Constitutional Amendments are functionally impossible.

Apology

If you are accustomed to coming to my blog and seeing stories about what is going on in my life and now you have noticed a different slant, you’re not imagining it. I am distressed about what is going on in our country and I’m using my site more-and-more as my way of speaking out against what I see happening. I still publish entries on other topics, stoic aphorisms, adventure stories, and simple musings, which I will continue to do more or less daily. But there is no escaping the fact that my writing has also become more political, I believe for good reason. All I ask is that you read what I have to say with an open mind. I will do my best to keep the invective to a minimum, after all, that is one of the things that has caused me distress, even though there will be days when avoiding invective will be difficult to do.

Professor Jack Lynch, Associate Professor of English at Rutgers University has written that it’s okay to start a sentence with the word “but,” as long as it enhances the flow of your writing. In fact there is no rule against starting sentences with a conjunction. Probably the only reason you were taught not to do that in school was because teachers didn’t want children to write the way the talk.

Mentally Ill

This summer Chicago recorded the fewest number of killings in 60 years. So why is President Trump sending the Texas National Guard to Chicago? There is no reason, other than his grand scheme to turn “red” against “blue” in the hope of starting a civil war in America. You probably think I’m being melodramatic, but I’m not. Trump is mentally ill, this is a manifestation of that disease.

Hate Speech

“I hate my opponents.” The President of The United States spoke those words. You couldn’t ask for words that would do more to discredit a leader than those. I wish more people understood that. Hate is corrosive. It not only destroys your health, it will destroy the health of your country.

Another indication of this President’s lack of health is his continuous bragging about himself. To hear him talk you would think he’s a combination of NFL Quarterback and Nuclear Physicist. That’s ridiculous of course, and so is his incessant bragging. Not the sign of a healthy mind.

Everyone around him needs to ask themselves, what am I doing to limit the damage this man’s declining mental health is reeking on America.

The Answer

If you find yourself disillusioned with America, the answer is, get on your bike and ride. Ride across America. Your experience and the insight you gain will be inspirational. Along the way you will meet real people and have the opportunity to share with them. You can share your experiences and they can share theirs. That’s how you make a difference, one person at a time. If all goes according to my plan, that’s what I I’ll be doing next year.

Let Your Voice Be Heard

It is better to be a tiny voice in the wilderness than to have no voice at all. Speak your mind. We are now living in a time when it is more important than ever to encourage people to participate in their governance. Without participation, all will be lost.

Everyone Has Intrinsic Rights

“In the ancient empires of Babylonia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, only those whom rulers regarded as their peers had value, or what the Romans called dignitas.” —Elaine Pagels

Rights were bestowed at the discretion of the ruler. So here we are 2,000 years later, and an exclusive group of bigots, ostensibly holding power in Washington D.C., wants to take us back to that era so long ago. It would be disgusting if it weren’t so repulsive.

Month in Review

This closes out the month of October. It’s been a terrific month. I’ve been able to spend time with my daughters, including celebrating the birthday of one that lives out of town. I’ve also had the pleasure of attending the baby shower of a close friend’s daughter. I spent time camping on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon with good friends. I was also able to get back on the bike this month. Of course, not the least of my pleasures this month has been spending time with my wonderful companion. I cherish each and every day that is given to me with her. Who could ask for more? Showing gratitude makes these experiences even more memorable. I’m a very lucky person.

Pickleball for Real?

I saw this book and was immediately intrigued. It is a history of Pickleball. I have no reason to doubt the author, but I am curious to know if the author got the story right. The reason I say that is because a good friend and companion, dare I say love-of-my-life, is intimately familiar with the origins of the game. She is closely related to one of the founders. I think it will be fun to surprise her with a copy of this book and see what she has to say about its accuracy. I don’t have to worry about spoiling the surprise by mentioning my intention here — she doesn’t read what I write… and who can blame her!

Sunset

This is a sunset photo taken off the back deck at my daughter’s home in Salt Lake City. They don’t get any better than this.

Robert Reich

This is a cartoon by Robert Reich. He is writer/commentator that I like. I’m impressed by his artistic talent as well as his writing skill. I’d love to have his talent at both. Sadly…

Life’s Lessons

I’ve got some advice

If your ready to listen

These are a few of life’s lessons…

Lesson number one

Be true to yourself

Lesson number two

Be kind to everyone else

Always choose love

In the face of transgressions

These are a few

Of life’s lessons.

This world can be so cruel

It’ll drive any man insane

But you will never see the sun shine

Till you make it through the rain

When your feeling weak

What seems like a curse

Might just turn out to be a blessing

These are a few

Of life’s lessons.

Lyrics courtesy of D.K. Harrell.

Tariffs are Beautiful

This is how Switzerland is responding to Donald Trump. This from one of my favorite Swiss businesses:

“Due to disruptions caused by US tariffs imposed on the EU, shipping to the US is currently unavailable. We apologies for the inconvenience.”

If I were them, I wouldn’t apologize. My favorite coffee is no longer shipping to the U.S. due to Trumps (likely) illegal tariffs.

All Christians Should Be Liberals

It’s not too hard to figure this one out, except this is not the norm — in far too many cases.

Why?

If you take a close look at political leaders on the right what you see is a manifesto that leverages sexism, racism, and homophobia in order to garner votes. This is a great way to appeal to the baser instincts in people, but is this really the way Christians should be looking at their fellow humans. After all, who can possible argue against the statement that Christ is likely the greatest liberal in all of human history? (At least that I know of in the Western World.) There shouldn’t bet a difference between religion and politics when it comes to ethics or morals. That is where I think things tend to get confusing for a lot of religious people. My notion of the two is tightly woven. If your theology is not a guiding light for your politics, then you are missing the religious points that Christianity wants you to incorporate into your life. To put it simply, you can’t go to Church on Sunday and be a bigot Monday through Saturday, nor can you be the sort of religious person that ignores the plight of your fellow human.

Crazier Than I Am

Donald Trump is losing his mind. It would be a wonderful day indeed if his enablers woke up and banded together to have him impeached. Better yet, impeached and committed.

Why do I waste my time writing fantasy?

Because it makes me feel better.

Nobel Peace Prize

The announcement of this year’s winner of the Nobel Peace Prize having been awarded to someone other than Donald Trump is a genuine relief. He has campaigned aggressively for the award but despite his almost constant argument, the committee awarded the prize to Maria Corina Machado of Venezuela. What makes the committee’s decision even more satisfying to those of us that think Mr. Trump is the last person on earth to have earned the award, is the fact that Machado has worked tirelessly for democracy in Venezuela against it’s authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro. No small hint of irony there, since Donald has worked tirelessly himself to move the United States in that same direction. The United Sates today resembles Venezuela more than it resembles it’s former self before the uniquely under-qualified and overblown king of bragging and whining. took office. (That name, a good one, was taken from a New York Times article.)

What To Publish?

These are the choices Austin Kleon makes when determining what to publish in his newsletter.

I take a slightly different approach.

Is it useful or interesting?

Yes: Share It,

No: Share It,

I Don’t Know: Share It.