Pie in the Sky

Where Does Space End?

The thought
should be enough to give us pause.

A picture of eternity.

A tiring mind push.

So, we create reality.
A show to watch.
A triviality.
A gothic play
that lacks originality.

So much knowledge.
So little wisdom.

Perhaps if we had no food
we could focus.
We don’t leave the mirror
long enough to care.
Our lives are air.
It’s all about what’s fair.
Rights without responsibility.

It will not last.
It never has.
The cycle will repeat and
we’ll be forced to scratch
for scraps of bread.

And,
for a while we’ll understand
the beauty of a loaf.

Dennis Price

The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it. George Bernard Shaw

No Surprises Here

I am sitting here this morning trying to come up with some emotion. I have none. I tried to reach some of you, encourage others, and I think to some degree I may have been successful. I am not at all surprised. Perhaps saddened would be a proper description of my mood. We apparently have a new President elect. The first hyphenated American to ever occupy the white house and I'm sure some social apologists have a great weight of guilt lifted from their shoulders. I'm also sure some who voted have no idea who the President elect is other than who they were told to vote for. I can tell you I would not have had much more emotion had the election gone the other way. If you noticed, my posts were not glowing recommendations for the other side, rather reasons for not choosing the Barack Hussein Obama. Not a real strong position from which to argue. I am an old law dog. I was educated in the South. I do not have great social standing. I am a Christian. None of these things qualify me to make believable or academically sound arguments to you about anything according to modern day standards. However, for thirty years I dug through the trash of our society without regard for race, religion, or social standing and I learned a thing or two most outside the field don't know. While I was kicking doors and taking names, I saw what goes on behind those doors. I lost my naivete. I learned to look beyond what could be seen on the surface and I learned to listen to what was not being said. I knew a lot of things other people don't know and I couldn't let them know. I presented sound evidence in court and watched well meaning jurors wearing rose colored glasses ignore the facts and turn felons loose. I am jaded. When I retired, the political gag was lifted as were the shackles of politically and socially correct speech so in vogue today. I will pray for our new President elect, and for our country. I put great stock in the power of prayer. I have no crystal ball, and I can't predict the future, but I know the one who controls it all, and I feel certain there is a reason for the apparent blindness of many of our people.

This was sent to me as a humorous depiction of where I might be this morning. I think it might be better applied to some of you who voted Democrat. It might be a look into the future after you've spent two years under the thumb of President elect Obama and his entourage. I don't plan to move an inch. Google might cut me off. I understand they donated heavily to the Obama campaign. I'm not mad at anyone, puzzled, but not mad. Many problems still need our attention and input. I think we should all watch what goes on in D. C. and become very active in communicating our feelings and ideas to our elected representatives. If they don't do what we sent them there to do, then impeach them or defeat them at the ballot box. I hope the fog lifts in this once great country of ours. I'm Pappy and I approve this message.

The place where optimism most flourishes is the lunatic asylum. - Havelock Ellis

Wonder what the poor folks are doing?

If you have any of the items mentioned in today's post please don't feel obligated to defend yourself to me. When I was a little boy, I thought we did just fine. I had no problems with our house or with anyone else's for that matter. We didn't have television, but then not many people did back then. We lived close enough to the "quarters" to walk there and we didn't feel superior when we arrived. We had enough to eat, and we had a nice dry place to sleep and carry on the other functions of life. To tell you the honest truth, I don't remember when I started wondering if what we had stacked up against other folks. I imagine it might have been in my teens. I can remember hearing my dad say, "Don't ever park a Cadillac in front of a Ford house." It was usually when we passed by some hovel of a house with a big T.V. antenna attached to the side. I didn't understand the remark until many years later. I am keenly aware of the emotion that caused him to utter that line now that I am in the early fall of my own life. I was driving behind a Lincoln pick-up truck this morning and I said to Bebe, "Why would anyone want a Lincoln pick-up truck?" I look at a truck as utility transportation. In my mind they should be sufficiently dinged up so you don't have to worry about where you go in one. I get a similar feeling when I see a decked out Hummer parked in the "Hood". I know how much they cost, and I get this feeling that something is out of balance in the picture. I also get the same feeling when I see people with lots of money with a zillion times more stuff than anyone could ever use in a life time. My second cousin was in his eighties when they struck a big oil well on his meager property. Of course he had maintained the mineral rights and was entitled to a pretty big check every month. I had never seen him wearing anything but bib overalls. His house did not have running water when I visited there as a child. He lived in poverty all of his life. He was sitting on a piece of cardboard under a tree watching the oil well in its final stages. The driller came over and asked him what he was thinking about and he, still wearing his bib overalls and chewing a plug of Reynold's Natural Leaf, said, "I was just wondering what the poor folks are doing?" What kinds of things cause you to do a double take?

If there's anything unsettling to the stomach, it's watching actors on television talk about their personal lives. - Marlon Brando

Change?

God made everything out of nothing, but the nothingness shows through. - Paul Valery

For those of you who visit but live outside of the U.S., the story is valid and carries a good message. For those who live here, think about what is being said in this political year. Change is not always what it seems. Modern Democrats always sound good, but I've yet to see a plan of action from them that is workable in reality. Many years ago I was right about candidate Jimmy Carter. Remember, for all their carping about current events, the Democrats have been in control of both of our legislative bodies (and making law) for several years now. Do you really want more of this?

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

"Not very long," answered the Mexican.

"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.

The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.

The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs... I have a full life."

The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day and you can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge enterprise."

"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.

"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.

"And after that?"

"Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!"

"Millions? Really?" And after that?"

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."

Know where you're going in life... you may already be there!

A taxpayer voting for Obama is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders.

I'm Pappy and I approve this message. This is a non-paid political announcement.

Athletes Awful Behavior

What's wrong with this picture? I guess you could make the case that we are what's wrong. We the fans have excused bad behavior and demanded more superior athletic performance at any cost. It only takes a few bad apples to make the entire basket start to rot. I was never the rabid fan of any sport. I enjoyed watching a variety of events especially when it looked like the participants were giving their all and enjoying the sport. Now, with obscene salaries and purses in almost every sport, the face of athletic performance has changed. Some athletes are willing to sacrifice their health and mental well being for a few years of exceptional play. Sportsmanship is passe, and doing something for the team is rapidly becoming an attribute of the past. We began by dropping the rules so that some athletes who were less than gifted academically could participate for four years in high school, then college. Then we started ignoring the rules of the game and fair play to allow physically gifted athletes, who had never learned how to behave or follow the rules, a chance to "show-off." It is most easily seen in basketball where fouling, palming the ball, double dribbling, and taking four or five steps to the hoop without penalty have become the norm. Football beyond the high school level has deteriorated to a trash talking, unsportsman like, all about me, ghetto freak show. Boxing is abysmal with rare exception from whatever angle you care to look. Even golf is hurting when the really great performers will only play the major events. Drugs of every variety are widely used to enhance physical ability, mask pain, and increase alertness. I still like to cheer for the underdogs and overachievers who win without artificial help. I like coaches who demand discipline, and stress team play. I have stopped watching pro-athletics for the most part because the behavior of some ruins the game for everybody. I don't see it as a problem for our government to address. They have enough behavior problems to address withing the House and Senate to keep them occupied for the remainder of time. But, I do think as fans we could have an impact by refusing to watch, buy tickets, or attend games until changes are made. I think it could be brought back under control, but first we are going to need to exercise self-control.

It's never just a game when you're winning. - George Carlin

Check's in the Mail

What is the deal with mail-in rebates? Every camera, computer, electronic device, and accessory is marketed with the promise of a mail-in rebate. I hate them. They look good on the surface, but once you have taken the bait and had the experience, you know it wasn't worth the effort. Why not just take the rebate off the price of the item to begin with? I am of the opinion goods are overpriced by whatever rebate is offered. This goes for anything marketed with a rebate. New vechicles are another product offering rebates right off the bat. I have determined not to buy any of these products. I will accept an instant in store rebate, but I'm no longer convinced I'm getting any kind of a bargain. If you have done the rebate exercise lately, you know that the fine print is important. You must collect certain things before you leave the store. The rules usually state you must have an original receipt. This usually requires asking the clerk to print off several extra copies. These receipts are printed with ink that fades after you get them to your car, so you should put your rebate package together in the store before you leave. You are also required to get specific bar code information off the packaging to be included with your request. I would say on any given package there are at least ten different bar codes. On larger purchases they are printed on the outside crate material and must be removed with a reciprocating saw. Once you have read and re-read the instructions and gathered all the necessary proof of purchase, then you must find an envelope of sufficient size and strength to carry this bundle. Postage at today's rates will probably be near ten dollars. Note here, you are not sending this to the manufacturer, but to some rebate holding facility located in Douglas, Arizona. After waiting for about six weeks you may receive notification that the original receipt you sent faded in transit and is no longer readable and the entire package must be replicated and sent again. If all goes well, you should receive your rebate in about six months. If you are like me, you probably forgot you sent it in and when the check finally arrives, you are left to wonder who sent this to you. You are overjoyed until you remember it is your money in the first place, and it has been held in Douglas, Arizona for six months and sent back to you. When you subtract postage, handling, and long distance phone calls inquiring about the status of your rebate, you realize the net amount has shrunk. Companies bank on the percentages. People get the item and when they get home realize they do not have the proper proof to send off for the rebate. The majority will give up and eat the rebate rather than go back to the store for proof. This means the company keeps most of the money it has over-charged in the first place. For those determined souls who complete the process, they keep the cash long enough to earn interest on it and send it (your money) back to you. I say charge what it's worth and let that be it.

When you receive your check, you should go back to the store and purchase the extended warranty on whatever you bought. It has probably been around nine months since you bought it and if everything is on schedule it will start giving you problems the day after your rebate arrives.

It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument. - William G. McAdoo

Can you hear me now?

From some remote outpost comes the question of this age; "Can you hear me now?" I think a better question would be; "Where can I go so I don't have to hear you?" I don't really want to go to the Amazon to get a little peace and quiet. I would prefer responsible action by some of my fellow citizens. I feel confident if I followed some SUV's around town, and watched their thirty something drivers, I would never see them put down their cell phones. Now what could be so important in this day and age that it couldn't wait until you got home or to the office to be addressed? It got handled in all those years before, why not now?

I remember cell phones when they weren't cool. When I was a criminal investigator, we got these brick phones. I guess they were called that because they were rectangular and about the size of a standard brick. These replaced the larger and more cumbersome bag phones. We thought we had arrived. And, not everyone in the entire world had one. Most were in the hands of business people and we didn't carry them with us everywhere we went. Now, however, people with no qualifications what-so-ever other than cash or enough credit to get signed up have them. They carry them everywhere and there are no rules in most places to govern their use. It's like introducing a species of Carp into a lake to eat unwanted plant growth and having them take over the entire lake and all its inhabitants. I am not sure, but it looks like almost all the drivers in our area think it is mandantory to talk on the cell phone while you drive. They rarely make eye contact at four way stop signs, or in situations that call for a yield - This makes me very nervous. Early attempts at hands free usage were not always satisfactory and caused some circulation problems to arise.

Now with Bluetooth technology everyone who wishes can walk around talking into the air. In the grocery store I hear people talking near me and turn around to see them staring into space engaged in conversation. They have nothing in their hands, and I'm moved to respond to them. Then I realize they have some sort of remote phone hookup plugged into their ear. In the past, people were sent to the funny farm for such behavior. People walking around looking at their phones watching sports, stock market reports, reading books, checking e-mail, and getting GPS coordinates, anything and everything but paying attention to what they need to be paying attention to. We could be attacked by outside forces and very few in this country would know about it unless someone sent them a text message. Those special and unique ring tones can be heard in every venue imaginable; church, movies, business meetings, the operating room, wilderness areas, and almost any other place within reach of a transmission tower. If I were a real king, I would have a thing or two to say about over communication. I wrote this poem early in the inundation period, I hope it is still valid today.

TRANQUILITY LOST

Whoever thought a modern invention,
designed to assist us,
could cause such contention?

In theory it’s great,
a freeing contraption.
But freedom’s a dream,
an illusive distraction.
.
We’re free, but we’re not.
We can’t get away.
It’s there in our lives
every night, every day.
No rest at a meal,
in a movie or church.
No relief from the thing
at play or at work.

“Turn it off, turn it off.”
There are signs and announcements,
admonitions and pleadings,
proclamations, pronouncements.

We forgot to consider the human condition.
That one fatal flaw that leads to perdition.
“It’s mine, it’s mine.”
they say as they flaunt.
“I’ll force you to listen.
I don’t care what you want.”

We swerve and careen
ever faster and bolder
with that hard plastic case
pinned twixt cheekbone and shoulder.

We’ll pass laws I am sure,
but who will obey them?
We’ll never return to those
days without mayhem.

Most modern calendars mar the sweet simplicity of our lives by reminding us that each day that passes is the anniversary of some perfectly uninteresting event. - Oscar Wilde

Generation Why

I'm a boomer and I've always been in a crowd. I suppose the last letter defined generation was "Y". Now, I don't particularly like being in crowds, so I haven't always been in sync with my own generation, but I find myself increasingly out of touch with the other letters of the alphabet. I'm told it's my age, but on most issues it seems to be a matter of common sense and decency. More and more we are bombarded with the notion that we should be tolerant of whatever anyone else wants to do or say. Historically, that approach never has worked. Your freedom to flail your arms about ends at the point where my nose begins. The previously stated notion implies there are no absolutes and therefore everything is O.K. I beg to differ. In every culture and civilization that has lasted for any significant length of time there have been absolutes. In our country and I'm sure in others, we have created protected classes of people. We are constantly told if we criticize members of these classes we will face legal sanctions. Laws are made to try and punish attitudes towards these classes more severely than the actual provable offense already on the books. For example, hate crime legislation. If someone commits murder we have already made laws and penalties to deal with the offense of murder. All citizens are covered. However, when we add to this, a penalty regarding your mental state when committing murder against certain classes, we move into an area which cannot be proven, and which tips the scales of justice in favor of the protected class. I don't really need law to tell me how to properly relate to others. My parents, schools, churches, and other social institutions molded me, and in addition I am currently in the last years of study at the School of Hard Knocks. I think most of us, though silent in our protest of aberrant behavior, have had similar education. I'm really tired of the influence of these "bottom of the barrel" members of society in our fashion industry, sports, church, politics, music, schools, entertainment, and life in general. When I argued as a child about my behavior being better than someone whose behavior was obviously worse, my parents told me not to compare myself to the "bottom of the barrel" gang, but to try and model my behavior after those who were doing the right thing. It only takes a little tolerance of this selfish behavior to spoil any venue where people come together. We have all probably shown our backsides accidentally when bending over with a shirt that wouldn't stay tucked in, but I am talking about showing it on purpose all the time with clothes designed by some misfit who doesn't have good sense to begin with. So, I say to all who are from the bottom of the barrel, or who have chosen to follow this crowd, cover it up, turn it down, and get out of my face. You have gone as far across the line toward my nose as I can tolerate and I'm in a surly mood. "Don't tread on me anymore."