Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

The Garden of Eden
Thomas Cole
Twelve score and nine months ago I started this blog. One of the things I stated back then was -
...tread carefully here, this is meant to be a place of dignity and respect. I will not tolerate abusive comments or personal attacks. Though things may get heated at times, I expect a certain amount of civility and decorum. So please, play nice. (Source)
While the blog has grown considerably since then, from less than a thousand views per month to something like 22,000 views per month since June of 2017, three short years ago, I fear that we have drifted slightly away from the "certain amount of civility and decorum" since then. I am guilty of it myself.

I've also noticed that in election years, things tend to heat up here and in society in general. And I am tired of it.

I don't care if you don't like the Democrat Party. I don't care that you don't like the Republican Party. I really don't care for them either, I'm a "Small-R Republican," and speaking generally I'm not a big fan of party politics. Regardless of which party one is talking about.

I don't care if you don't like people from other parts of the country or even other parts of the world. I really don't care. What I do care about is comments that tend to say things about others which may, or may not, be true. While I am interested in the opinions of others, this blog isn't really the forum for political views. It's one of the reasons I avoid posting about current events like the plague. As an historian, I know that often the real story of an event doesn't come out until long after the fact.

Yes, I've been guilty of some of that shite myself. I need to remember that not all Democrats are out there to give your tax dollars away and not all Republicans are in the pocket of big business. Yes, a lot of them are corrupt sonsofbitches, but damn it, they're American sonsofbitches, OUR sonsofbitches. Don't like 'em, don't vote for 'em.

Let's all try to be a little nicer in the future, m'kay? I know it's hard, I know you want to unload on some of these politicians but seriously, give it a rest. I'll try to steer clear of posting on current events, if you really want that, go to koobecaF, you can get your fill of unsubstantiated rumor, "fact" checking, and the opinions on viruses, the Constitution, and a whole bunch of other things from folks who violate a cardinal rule of polite discourse, to wit -
It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt. - Mark Twain
I am just so tired of all the drama out there and would rather it stay out there.

As to the title of today's post, that bit of Scripture is a rather important tenet of Western Civilization. At least as it applies to the United States of America - we were founded by men who had faith in their Creator, a higher power if you will. It was reckoned by Jesus to be the second most important commandment, second only to "Thou shalt love thy God...". It's mentioned at least nine times in the Bible, so I'm sure it's in there for a reason -
  • Leviticus 19:18
  • Matthew 5:43
  • Matthew 19:19
  • Matthew 22:39
  • Mark 12:31
  • Luke 10:27
  • Romans 13:9
  • Galatians 5:14
  • James 2:8
I'm guessing we're all guilty from time to time of hating our neighbors, but remember -
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? - Matthew 7:3 (KJV)
So keep that in mind no matter what you do in this life, whether it's on a blog, on Facebook, or just out and about interfacing with your fellow human beings. You don't have to agree with everything another person says, or believes, but you don't have to voice your disagreement either. Sometimes it's best to just keep schtum. (As our cousins across the water might put it.)

So there, frustration vented, all gauges returning to nominal readings, stand down from General Quarters. Really, I'll be fine, just needed to let off some steam.

Carry on...





72 comments:

  1. One of the cardinal tenets my brothers and I were brought up with was "If you can't say anything good about someone say nothing". We have tried to pass that on to the succeeding generations. Old Guns

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    1. I do believe I have heard that from my elders (grandparents and parents) more than a few times.

      It's good advice.

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  2. I bought an old car in high school. Dad found it. The Road Runner I found was the same model dad saw wrapped around one of those big live oaks on 19th street. 3 dead teenagers out of 4. I remember him being moody for some time after working that accident. His reaction to my pick was.... vigorous. The old Olds I bought was overheating on the way home. I stopped and got some water, but it had a leak. Dad had taught me to leave the radiator cap loose when that happened. It didn't build up pressure and the water stayed in. I ran the heater full blast too, trying to give the radiator some help. Made it home.

    Some times, folks have had different experiences than we have. If they blow up, I'm inclined to let them. I don't know their history. Over time, I'll know if they are prone to blow, have a leak, or just have a bad day now and again. I'll adjust my responses accordingly.

    I can understand your post, you're the Sarge, and the responsible adult in this platoon bay. Thanks for keeping it orderly.

    "Watch them grammar."

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    1. Most days everyone plays nice, some days things may get a bit overheated. I don't want to be "that blogger," you know the "straight down the line conservative, every thing liberal is evil" kind of thing. As the Bard said, "There are more things in heaven and Earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

      I am liberal in some things, conservative in others, like I said, "small-R republican."

      Thanks for getting it STxAR.

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    2. Ya gotta wonder how many folks these days know about running the heater full blast to "cool" the car down. I can remember driving across I-10 in North Florida on the way to Miss Jeanie;s ancestral home of Live Oak. All the windows down and the heater on full hot. Shirtless (me, that is) we must have looked like some folks out of an Al Burt book, maybe the "Tropic of Cracker". I'm wondering if you can even run the "climate control" full hot in our new fancy human moving systems.

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    3. Been there, done that. Uncomfortable but it beats walking until you can get it fixed!

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    4. I had a 1991 Chrysler Imperial (hey, it ran, for some values of 'ran') that was stuck on 'Cook Passenger Compartment.' Which would have been nice but only 2 of the 4 windows worked. So I had variable air conditioning as a summer work drive. Which was nice because that meant I only sweated half the water out of me that I would riding a bike 10 miles home over increasingly hilly terrain. And much worse using the Imperial Shuttle to go to fighter practice and back, already smeltering after high-intensity workout for 2-3 hours.

      Fortunately the steady degradation of the electrical system which did not allow me to use the lighting system without setting the car on fire kept me from using that car too much once, well, it caught on fire one or two times. Actually sold it for pieces parts for $1000 to a junker.

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    5. I was ordered to take my younger brother to California when I passed through VA making my way from first ship to next ship homeported in San Diego. I drove the car I'd left in his care while I was deployed for a year and found that it was missing all of the tail pipe, muffler, etc. He claims he didn't notice it departing the car on one of his trips from Penn State to Ann Arbor. The car had a bad radiator but I thought I'd replace it in CA. Ended up driving most of the way with the heat on full blast in the middle of may and kept it just below the red line. Every time I let my brother drive he'd turn on the AC and then whine when I smacked him. Finally got a new radiator and new tires when we repositioned to Seattle for overhaul. Of course I waited until the damn thing melted and had to do it in Sacramento enroute to Seattle. It's funny, there was never time for car maintenance back then but plenty of money. Weird that.

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    6. That had to have been an awful lot of fun.

      Not.

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  3. Amen!! Also, thanks for using the KJV of the Bible for quotes. It is the one I was raised on, and with the Book of Common Prayer, represents the elegance and beauty of the English language far better than the more modern "Translations".

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    1. I do love me some KJV. Our church switched from the NIV to the ESV, while the NIV is easier to read I noticed over at Bible Gateway that the KJV and the ESV are very close in their translations. Just the ESV doesn't stick to the English of the time the KJV was written. While I do like the "thees, thous, and goest" style of the KJV, sometimes it's heavy weather to get through a long passage that way.

      But the KJV is my "go to" for quotes. I'll also go with it in church for the rare occasions I get to be up in the pulpit. (For Calls to Worship, that sort of thing.)

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    2. I considered the KJV the "secret handshake". It takes a bit of education to understand that let means hinder, too. Or that cleave can mean stick together. I memorized KJV verses in Bible Memory Association work back when... Everything else is difficult to remember!!

      Back in the day, I used to sign birthday cards with a Bible verse. Acts 1:18b Just to see if anyone bothered to read it. I got a birthday card from my coworkers at KHCB that had all manner of like quotes from the OT. It was amazing. I wish I could lay my hands on that card now.

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    3. That's quite a graphic verse!

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    4. Would you say it takes a lot of guts to write that on a card?

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    5. That's a fair assessment. 🤣

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  4. Sounds good Sarge, your blog, your rules. I just have to remember to count to twenty more often now........

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    1. We're all guilty of it from time to time. In the heat of the moment it can be hard.

      The Missus Herself tells me that there are times I should count to a hundred before speaking. Wise woman she is.

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  5. Whenever I’m out of sync with the environment (nature, politics, neighborhood, family, whatever, ad nauseum), eventually it comes around to what’s my part in it.
    Can I fix it?
    Should I walk away?
    Would I rather be right ...or happy?

    Politically, it’s way too bad that the major parties are so biased that they believe in all or nothing, leaving no wiggle room for others who might not be entirely in their camp.
    Sadly, we’ve public servants, on both sides, who believe they lead by stirring things up.

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    1. Too true Skip, too true.

      It's the main reason I hate party politics, it's always the party first, then the people who give money to the party, then the constituents, then the local level, and then (maybe) what's good for the entire country. The main problem, as I see it, is that these folks are so focused on getting re-elected that they fail to do the job they were hired to do. Impose term limits and that might fix that problem. Though I fear they'd still focus more on self and party than the good of the nation.

      I suppose it's a "feature" of human behavior. (Though I view it as something of a "bug" in these modern times.)

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  6. My 1st cousin, Lt Gen C. M. Talbott (now deceased) was of the generation of serving officers that, as a matter of general principle, were professionally politically neutral in that he never voted. However during the rancor of the '68 election over the war in Vietnam and the domestic social upheaval he became so disgusted with the politics of it all that, in protest, he voted for segregationist George Wallace and his VP running-mate :) "Bombs Away With Curt LeMay." (although LeMay was SAC and Maurice was TAC and those two parts of the AF "community" got along like oil&H2O) just to stick a finger in the eye of the system and siphon off votes from both maj. parties.(So he confided to my Mother, his child-hood playmate)

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    1. I remember the apolitical officer corps. Long time passing...

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    2. My grandfather had just retired from 30 years with the Army and was so disgusted he ran for congress in '68 as a rethuglican in Maryland. He was not elected.

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    3. Now that's pretty disgusted, to actually run for office in order to change things. But Maryland? Pretty "blue" in those parts innit?

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  7. Many of the new translations of the Bible are created because our language has evolved. Unfortunately, many are created because of cash flow problems at the publishing house. One has to be really careful in regard to selecting one to base one's faith upon. I wish folks would read it - most any version. I can't understand why pastors don't encourage their parishioners to read the Bible more. I have never understood this.

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    1. My thought on pastors not encouraging people to dig into Scripture is perhaps they don't want their flock to ask too many questions. When I read the Bible, I always have questions. Probably too many.

      Yes, the language has evolved, though there are some translations out there which I really don't care for, they try to describe the writer's intent when they wrote the passage. Good for a commentary, bad for a translation.

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    2. There are lots of controversies about the King James translations.

      It doth differ from the Catholic version (non-translated) of the time just a weeeeeeee bit.

      Now, if you really want to get serious, do like the Puritans did and learn Hebrew and look up their version of the Olde Testamente (which, of course, was one of the many reasons they were disinvited to continue in England... and kind of hinted to by the Dutch to politely leave also (well, the more vociferous and loudmouthed members, at least.))

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    3. People have died over which translation of the Bible to use.

      Kind of defeats the purpose. But people will be people, even if it kills them.

      One thing that struck me in the few Catholic services I've attended is that there were no Bibles in the pew. Not sure if they didn't want the common folk "fact" checking the priest during the sermon, or perhaps they really want the parishioners to pay attention to the guy up front. (So now you can guess what I do when my pastor gets boring.)

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    4. We have the missal, which has the readings and selections for the service for each day of the week. And then the hymnal.

      Bibles are for home study.

      You are expected to listen to the service and to the priest and not go wandering into your bible, the missal or the church bulletin during services.

      Part of it, obviously, is the whole 'priests used to be the only ones capable of reading' thingy going way back when, then only the priests and a few still read Latin, then... well... er... um... you're supposed to pay attention to the priest and the Mass, young man!

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    5. Ah yes, the missal, I forgot the missal. And here's me who works on missiles, er, different spelling, oops.

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    6. My mother works at Smithsonian and has for about 33 years now. She told me about Thomas Jefferson's bible. If you haven't read anything today, read up on how he cut and paste his own bible using just the gospels that he thought were real and using the greek, latin, french and english versions of the bible. As with most of the things he did, it was fascinating.

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    7. Wow, that is awesome. Though I have to admit, I'm more impressed that your Mother works at the Smithsonian.

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  8. There was another site that had a lot of humor and bon mots, and I enjoyed interacting on it.
    Then election season came around, and all humor fled.
    The threads became an ongoing adventure of relentless seriousness, with name calling, and I found myself becoming less and less inclined to go there.
    Finally I stopped.
    Frank

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    1. Yes, it's awfully annoying. Especially when many of the participants don't really know what they're talking about.

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  9. I do remember some of the first rantings that attacted your (OLDS, juvat, Tuna) attention was me ranting to some dufus about some political thingamabobery (I do believe it was abooot the big 2nd Amendment.)

    But, yes, I tend to rant loudly in a very 'punch him in the mouth to shut him up' way as I tend to use words as ammo, and I firmly believe in using all the ammo I can when blazing away at a political subject.

    So, yeah, I'll work on toning it down, boss, here, at The Chant, because planes and shiny things and good stuffs.

    As to Bible quotes, having grown up Roman Catholic, our quotes are sometimes a tad different than you Protestant people. It gets weird sometimes.

    But... then there's the 'Good News New Testament.' Yikes, easy reading but, dude, like, you know, gee, dumb it down much?

    What's weird is a good translation of Genesis from one of the Talmud versions is basically "God repopulated the Earth." Whut?

    And thus many fights, which got me nearly banned from my Junior High School Youth for Christ group, ensued. Especially once they found I was a solid Roman Catholic and didn't want to convert to one of their many Protestant versions. I guess I was the Token RC in the club. Very weird. They would go one way on a discussion and I'd be following in my RC official Bible and, 'vrrrrrrrrt,' my version or their KJ version would skid off the road and discussions became... interesting.

    Shoulda figured, as the local Priest suggested I didn't need teen bible school, called CCD or something, about the time when the class leader did the 'Draw God' thing and I came up with kind of a ying-yang nebulous cloud, as I postulated that, yes, we were made in His image, but so were any other intelligent species (if they exist) and what part exactly was made, our soul, our thought processes, our bodies, what exactly...

    Yeah. Trouble. That's me.

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    1. Not that the Priest thought I was wrong, but that my thoughts were of a different caliber than my fellow students and might confuse them, which they did.

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    2. Beans the First - Ah yes, you were definitely noticed. 😉

      As to the RC Bible versus the Protestant Bible, how about throwing in the big conference where the "authorities" of the day decided what should actually be in the Bible and what should not. Most confusing to a layman.

      That whole "God repopulated the Earth" thing, not the first time I've run into that. We had a temporary pastor who loved to tell us of the "War in Heaven" and that's why God had to do the whole repopulate thing. He was "interesting" as he never really explained where he got all of that. Now I know. Somewhat along the lines of "shall not kill" becoming "shall not murder" I'm sure.

      Being a student of foreign languages it's often tough to translate something directly as the nuances of a language don't always translate very well. (Which leads some would-be scholars to say, "this can't be translated into English," which really means "this can't be EASILY translated into English."

      We had another pastor who had a Bible which was a word-for-word translation from the original into English, complete gobbledygook without the all important nuances and cultural "built ins" which every language has. (Korean is VERY context sensitive and also has varying levels of formality in the language. Hard to get right, but easy to pick up the simpler bits. Korean has no articles - a, an, the - and no plurals.)

      Draw God? Why? I mean, look around, He's literally everywhere. (As I wax philosophical...)

      Yup, trouble, that's you. It's why we love ya.

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    3. Beans the Second - Good man that priest.

      No doubt you would have confused them!

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    4. Well, sometimes Beans your thoughts confuse me! OOOPS, Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa! Broke Sarge's new commandment. "Thou shalt not..."

      Just kidding, BOTH of you! ;-)

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    5. Well, my own thoughts confuse me at times.

      😁

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  10. While on exchange to the RCN, I had occasion to frequently work with the RN. Both often employed signals encompassing a Bible verse appropriate to the occasion, usually involving a humorous reference.This led me to make an "Encode" booklet wherein key words were referenced to Bible verses; the "Decode" was, of course, the KJV Bible. I still have that booklet somewhere.

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    1. How very British! Sir Charles Napier upon having conquered the province of Sindh in India, was alleged to have said "Peccavi," the Latin for "I have sinned." I used to think that was an actual fact, today I learned that it was not. Apparently an Englishwoman submitted that as a pun to Punch magazine. Sigh...

      Still, very British.

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    2. You might be interested (if you haven't encountered it already) in 'Make Another Signal', by Capt. Jack Broome, which is a collection of RN signalling stories, including several biblical references, e.g. on HMS Phoebe parting company: Romans 16:1-2 "I commend unto you Phebe our sister... ". Together with signalling history and various tragic and funny ones. Sadly out of print, but worth looking out for.

      Broome was the officer who received the infamous signal "Convoy is to scatter", when commanding the escort of PQ17. His book about that is, unsurprisingly titled "Convoy is to scatter".

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    3. I remember Captain Broome for another reason, David Irving (noted discredited "historian") wrote about PQ17 which Captain Broome sued him over (for libel). A suit which the Captain won.

      Sounds like it would be worth the effort to track his books down.

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  11. Left off an example. During a particularly tedious transit in very rough weather, on about the third day, the following was sent by the junior (and smallest) ship:"Hebrews 13:8".

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    1. Brilliant!

      For those who don't wish to chase that down, Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."

      I may use that in the future!

      Describes my life today very well!

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    2. Whose consent do I need to put that verse on the church signboard out front? Just "Hebrews 13:8", not the whole phrase. Old Guns

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    3. As moderator, I say do it. As Sir Winston said, "Action this day!"

      That would be awesome. We will, of course, need a picture. So if you do, let me know. Mum's the word!

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    4. (Don McCollor)...that reference was also used on a WW2 sub officer commenting on the unimaginative evening meal...

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    5. (Don McCollor)...It had repercussions...they asked a devout messman to bring his bible to the "wardroom", then waited until he left until they looked up the verse. Next evening, he brought his bible again..."Thought you would want it Capt. We got a lot to be thankful for today"...after that, an officer would always read a few verses...

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    6. Oh, I have no doubt there were repercussions.

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  12. Sarge, for what it is worth, I try to discuss neither politics nor religion (except for my own struggles) when I blog mostly because it seems that it becomes very difficult for folks to disagree without being unkind or mean. I probably do not end up saying everything I meant to say, but it does manage the tone fairly well.

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    1. I'm leaning in that direction. People are so, I dunno, contentious these days.

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    2. Contentious is probably the nicest word that one can use. And maybe the most positive, given the general attitude during these times.

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    3. I find myself endeavoring to not be too judgmental in this day and age. Lord knows, people get offended by the smallest things.

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  13. Y'know Sarge, I have been feeling a lot of what you have related here, as well.

    I am so sick and tired of all the ugly anger this pandemic and shut down has generated, and I'm feeling a sense of shame for contributing to it on my blog. The memes started out to be humorous, but now they aren't funny anymore. Also, I feel bad about the political flavor I have inserted into my posts of late, which is something I was determined never to do...how'd it get away from me?

    I've been feeling like I want to hang it all up and not do it anymore. I have so many other things I have to do, why am I wasting my time with a worthless blog? I think I need to go back to posting pictures that chirk people up and forget about what's going on.

    Thanks for the jostling, Sarge. I needed it.

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    1. Love the pictures you post. It brightens the day.

      Things these days are getting out of control. I don't like, so I don't want to contribute to the nastiness!

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    2. Barbacat - Do not despair. I think it happens to a lot of us, and we do not even realize it. I have become much more selective about the memes I post because there is so much nastiness around. But do not give up. The world needs inspirational quotes and beautiful pictures all the more.

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    3. Thanks so much for the encouragement. It really helps.
      I think I will step away from it all and focus on my gardening for awhile...it's where beauty lives.

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    4. A garden brings great peace, DAMHIK.

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    5. (Don McCollor)...Do not despair Barbacat. I do so enjoy your postings. The WW2 cartoonist Bill Mauldin drew hundreds of cartoons, some funny, some poignant, some sad, a few a little barbed (although you need to know some WW2 history to appreciate a lot of them). The important thing was that they mirrored what the soldiers were thinking and feeling. Once you feel that, know that you are not alone, and even laugh at your plight, things feel much better

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    6. (Don McCollor)..one of my favorites is Christmas...Willie has two dirty little ragged children sitting on his knees comforting them. Joe is standing there cold, dirty, tattered, and tired saying "Wish somebody would tell me is a Santa Claus"...

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    7. (Don McCollor)...One of my favorites is his Christmas cartoon. Willie is holding two small ragged children on his knee comforting them...Joe standing cold, ragged, dirty, and tired saying "Wish I had somebody to tell me about Santa Claus"...

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    8. )Don McCollor(...oops posted twice...

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    9. That was a good one.

      No problem on the double posting, I sure wish Blogger would give us the ability to edit comments. (I asked, no response.)

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  14. I think that change is something that none of us truly either enjoy or deal well with--even change we institute ourselves.

    And there has certainly been LOTS of change going on in our world over the past 3 months. Having to work from home--with kids, or cats, or puppy-dogs under foot...husbands, wives, children(!!!) having to spend A LOT of time together, folks being told they are "not essential", especially in a society that prides itself on saying that EVERYONE is special and important...having to follow rules that are not fun--ya have to stay home, ya have to wash your hands, ya have to wear a mask which is hot, sweaty, and makes my ears look like I am related to Dumbo and my face break out at an age that is WELL past puberty, or you will kill Gramma. Having to cook 3 meals a day, plus snacks, again, and again...and it is Friday night, whadda mean we can't go get a pizza--oh, the place is closed...sigh...And then having to listen to bickering on TV/radio/internet...is anyone else totally sick to death of the phrase "social distancing"??? Just say quarantine for Pete's sake!!! That High School and College graduations and summer vacations are all cancelled...as are fancy weddings, and funerals!!!

    That grocery clerks, truck drivers, doctors, nurses, custodians, cleaning folks, folks that work on manufacturing lines to make American made PPE, or ventilators are all "heroes"--folks to look up to for "sacrificing" and getting up every morning and going to work to do their job...turns out it is a very important job after all. Even if they are not on TV, or in the "entertainment industry, the music industry or play on a sports team". Shocking!!

    Changes make everyone a bit twitchy, and some deal better than others...but I think everyone has a time when the gauges tend to rise toward the red line territory. I miss beinging able to hug folks--Hello, my name is Suz, and I am a hugger---not my Mom, not my grandkiddo, (who is running and getting big and isn't even a year old yet), not my patients--some of whom really do not understand all of this, and just like to hug the nice nurse on the last day of home care services...sigh

    Not being able to go to church!! And, yes, Sarge, when the parson in the pulpit is droning on, the church bulletin, and then the Bible both get perused, for which I refuse to feel guilty as I am sitting in God's House, reading His Book. And yes, it does make me think lots, or look at things differently, which isn't a bad thing...usually. I am always asking LOTS of questions, so I do more reading to see if I can find the answers.

    Glad that all of your gauges have returned to nominal. When they tend to drift up, turn off the "social media", which, let's be honest, really isn't very social lots of times, go outside, sit in the sunshine, listen to the birds, and cuddle with the feline staff, and with your wife. She lives with you, her you can hug!! Give thanks that you live in a wonderful country, that is still wonderful even with all of the issues that lots of folks are happy to point out. Most of which, in the long term, wont be remembered in 2 or 5 or 10 years. Don't worry...be happy!! Now there's an earworm for ya :)

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    1. An epic comment Suz and a very good one.

      As to change, ever notice that when you move something which has been in a certain spot for ages, that a cat will immediately notice. They'll walk over to the moved object, walk around it, sniff it as if it were some new and possibly dangerous thing but eventually they get used to it. That's how I am about change, but there are things I refuse to "get used to," the current political ire and the "rules" laid down by politicians who have apparently never even glanced at the Constitution. But I get it, there are far too many people who refuse to be adults and have to be coerced into doing the right thing.

      Sigh, I almost got upset there for a minute. Deep breaths, deep breaths.

      Thanks Suz. (But not for the earworm, though I do have a remedy for that. A cover of Black Mountainside my kid brother recorded a number of years ago. Works every time!)

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  15. Sarge, have you forgotten "Praise in public, criticize in private?" You didn't have to write a whole post to ask me to cease and desist! You could have just called. /SARC/ HAHAHAHA. Anyway, understood. It is often "all politics all the time" to some extent. While rants are my shtick here, it doesn't have to be, although I don't have many sunset pics left. I take some consolation in that I haven't posted in quite a while so something or someone else must have led to this post. Although, you do have access to my fb posts and I'm quite prolific there! Well, leave my name up on the masthead if you would. I'll have to get more creative than angry, but there's a first time for everything!

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    1. Your rants are pretty even-handed Tuna. So you have carte blanche to continue as before. I think you've been very good at staying within the limits of what is right and proper. You don't have to change.

      Angry is good as long as it ain't too personal. But call a spade a spade, that is more than acceptable.

      Delete

Just be polite... that's all I ask. (For Buck)
Can't be nice, go somewhere else...

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