Five Hundred Words

My friend posted to his Facebook wall an example of odd things agnostics say:

“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.” ― Marcus Aurelius

I say that this is odd because it has a number of flawed suppositions that I would think would be self-evident. Continue Reading

I look up at a TV monitor while working out at the gym and saw a news report on “Meggings” – men’s leggings. These are skin-tight stretchy pants that cling to the legs. My first thought was, “Why are gay men no longer content to design clothes and shoes for women?” Then I asked “How in the hell is this news? Did the world suddenly get it’s shit together?” Then I thought…“damn!”

Brothers, hear me. Your wife or girlfriend may come to you with a pair of meggings and will say something like “Put these on, you’ll look hot in them!” If dumping her on the spot is not an option, you need to look that chick in the eye and say “No.”

Better yet, do not say “No” but rather “Hell No.” Make sure you say “Hell No” like Samuel Jackson being asked for a drink of water in the desert by a Klansman. Continue Reading

In spring of 2012, I visited with a group of men and women on a remote piece of property in rural Missouri.  They called themselves “Three Percenters”, a reference to the fact that the American war for independence was waged by only three percent of the colonists.

I went with my wife to meet with a family member who helped organize the meet-up.  I was going to talk about making and using a rocket stove, an innovation that allows third world residents cut their consumption of fuel. My wife was going to demonstrate canning. Continue Reading

This year, the pending holiday season found me feeling out of sorts. Black Friday turned into Black Thanksgiving Day, a sure sign we are losing our balance. Then came a raft of bad news, sad news, and outright horrific news that made this December feel bleak and ugly.

The economy is performing worse than was reported in the runup to the election. The president seems determined to run us over the fiscal cliff. Then reports came in from Newtown that broke our hearts. Continue Reading

As calls for a ban on “assault rifles” ring out, a little knowledge about the most popular “assault rifle” is in order.

The AR-15 replaced the heavier M1 Garand rifle that fired a powerful 30.06 (pronounced thirty ought six) cartridge, in Missouri, the 30.06 is a favorite among deer hunters. The weapon that ultimately became the main battle rifle of US forces fired a much lighter, higher velocity 5.56 mm cartridge.

There is a long spring in the back of the AR-15 that is compressed by a metal cylinder when the gun is fired. This spring and buffer soak up recoil from the fired round. This in turn keeps most of the “kick” of the rifle off the shooter’s shoulder. This innovation makes the AR-15 a relatively painless rifle to use. Being easier to shoot makes it easier to master shooting accurately. A combination of synthetic parts and sturdy, aluminum made the AR-15 rifle much lighter than equivalent firearms. Continue Reading

For many in America – myself included – the “fiscal cliff” is a forgone conclusion. We are going over. Exit polls in November showed a substantial number of Obama voters still blame President Bush for economic troubles and America voted for more of Obama’s medicine. The GOP was wrecked by FDR for decades, even though the Great Depression ground on despite (or because of) the New Deal. Post-cliff deprivations might be worth it to the President for a new Progressive hegemony. It’s not like any of his friends will go hungry.

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I can tell you from first-hand experience, that dealing with the mentally ill is difficult, and fraught with an endless maze of conflicting interests.

When a loved one begins exhibiting signs of mental illness – even something as simple and common as depression – you quickly realize how powerless you are to help. For more severe disorders where a break from what you and I might recognize as reality occurs, it can be extremely difficult to get your loved one the help they need.

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“Gun Free Zones” are so incandescently stupid that only college-educated liberals could take the idea seriously. Review any recent mass shooting and you’ll not find one person who was saved by a “No Guns Allowed” sign. Bringing a placard to a gunfight is an idea that richly deserves unfettered ridicule by every man woman and child who gives a damn about public safety in a world where monsters live.

Teachers should be armed. Any teacher who is an otherwise law-abiding citizen and has a mind to should be permitted to carry a firearm. Personally, I would like to see teachers carry a firearm on their hip as a public warning to any who might menace their charges. Continue Reading

I think quiet horror and reflective prayer are the appropriate response to the mass murder at the Sandy Hook school in Connecticut. We who have lost a child know the incoherent grief confusion and the desolate wall that slams down on your spirit in the immediate aftermath of the news that your baby boy or little girl is no more.

Would that our society have the grace to allow some time to pass after an event like Sandy Hook, Columbine, Aurora before we make comments on political policy. We have had more than enough opportunity to develop those habits. It would be a kindness to the families to provide space for reflection.

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Visiting Central Pennsylvania on a business trip, I stopped in at a favorite restaurant, The Filling Station. Normally I am there for lunch will colleagues, but this visit had me flying solo. I took a stool at the counter, ordered coffee and an omelette. My order arrived promptly and like any good 21st century guy I took a photo of it with my cell phone and posted it to Facebook. While I was doing this, the door opened and the waitress said “Hi Scott, the usual?”

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