Ramblings

 I've watched several videos on YouTube about people who are blaming their Smartphones for being distracting, how they're leaving them at home, not taking them here or there because of all the notifications, etc. The thought that came to me is "You know you can turn that stuff off, right?" Seriously, you can turn off notifications, set specific ones, silence the phone, etc. You can even, wait for it, TAKE APPS OFF THE PHONE! I have no social media on my phone. Zero, zip, nada. I have some work apps, some banking apps, that sort of stuff, and the notifications are turned off. When I'm out to eat with someone, or in church, the ringer is on silent. Seriously, you can do this. Yes, there will be an adjustment period, but after a while, YOU will be controlling the phone, not the other way around.  I often ask myself why I'm addicted to smartphones, but not computers. My laptop is 6 years old, my iPad 5. I upgraded my home computer last year, after 5 years. I upgra...

 What a year it has been. Trump will likely be inaugurated on Jan 20th. I say likely as the Left isn't as vanquished as so many crow about. They have no inkling just how deeply corrupted the bureaucracy, aka The Swamp, is nor how many politicians are corrupted. Also, those corrupt politicians wouldn't be there but for an oblivious or corrupted electorate. Do you see where this is going? As a Nation, we are fundamentally corrupt. We've pulled away from God and decided WE know best. We've seen the results of this across the entire spectrum of our Nation and Culture. That is, those of us with our eyes open. There is no area of life that has not been touched by this evil. When so-called teachers are pushing 'trans' on children, and many are just fine with that, then you know just how low we've sunk. Yet, there are lower levels to be reached.  I keep hearing people say that with the election of Trump, Wokeness, DEI, etc have all been repudiated and we're on a...

 This Nation has gone insane on many fronts over the last 20 years. It's even more 'In Your Face' these days. The latest is the so-called 4B movement by women of the far-left persuasion. I need not go into the insanity seen on Tick-Tock and Youtube by these people. At first, I was derisive and looked at it with contempt and a certain amount of smug satisfaction, much to my shame. Then, after contemplating it my thoughts changed somewhat. I started feeling sorrow and compassion for them while at the same time, they need to be held accountable. You see, many of them have been fed this Leftist garbage and poison their whole lives because we as a society didn't stop it when it first reared it's Hydra head in 'education'. Thus, Society at large bears some of the burden. We all know how impressionable kids are, how much we were at that age and need responsible adults to guide them. This didn't happen. They then went to universities that were run by the same po...

 Have we as a Nation forgotten how to be grateful? I often wonder at the lack of it. If you take the time to look around you, you will see so much to be thankful for. I marvel at what I see most days. The advancements we've made in so many areas are truly amazing. Think of the variety you see in stores from groceries to things like televisions and furniture to cars. There is much more variety than when I was a kid. We didn't have instant news or 'news' that the internet provides. Heck, we didn't have the internet! Grocery stores had the staples but did not have the quantity and variety we have now. The same goes for department stores. Oh, you could order something through a catalog and then await its arrival, but the options available today were nowhere in sight. When I see what is available today, across all spectrums, I marvel at it. I am very grateful. Yet, a majority aren't. Either they didn't grow up in the times before this over-plenty, or they've ...

 I think it was around 1974. I was 10 and mom was slowly granting me more range in roaming around town. I had time limits, so I knew roughly how far I could go. I don't think she was aware of just how FAR my pals and I could go. It was different in the winter though as the bikes had been put away and we were on foot. If we weren't roaming around with shovels to clear driveways or help someone stuck in their cars to make cash, we just roamed and talked and used our imaginations. We were boys, and we had expansive and vivid imaginations.  One fine afternoon I had been out selling tickets to my Boy Scout Troop's spaghetti dinner. I didn't do too bad, but it was cold and I decided to head home. My pal Kevin was with me. We decided to take a shortcut across Duncan Creek. It was frozen for the most part and we were 10 and skinny. As we were going across we noticed an opening in the ice and, floating in the center, a nice Hockey Stick! What a prize! I started edging towards it...