Monday, March 18, 2024

Where is this Going?

A few years ago I met an old curling friend for golf. After a short discussion we decided to play in Canada. I crossed over the border one Sunday, we played 18 holes, went to a pub and grub for a couple pints and some, well, grub, decided to hit the links again soon, and parted ways.
It was next, in my return to these United States, that the story became in my mind kinda weird.
I stopped at the guard booth and dutifully handed the attendant my enhanced license. "Citizenship?" he asked brusquely.
You just swiped my license, so you know the answer to that, I thought brusquely myself. But I obediently answered, "U.S."
"Purpose of your trip?"
"I was golfing with a Canadian curling friend."
The man turned to look at me and asked, I thought rather harshly, "What have you got against golf in the United States?"
"N, nothing," I heard myself stammer. "We just decided to golf in Canada."
He began staring me down, and I have to admit I was starting to feel intimidated, "Why would you decide that?"
"Well, no big reason. It seemed cheaper for me cross the border and pay in Canadian dollars, that's all."
"So what's your problem with US dollars?" continued the interrogation.
I wasn't sure how to answer that, as I truly love US dollars as much as any red blooded American. I responded meekly, "It just seemed cheaper."
The guard harrumphed, and turned to look at his monitor. "And how did you meet this 'curling friend'?" I swear you could see the quote marks hanging in the air.
I really wasn't sure how to answer that; from his tone it didn't appear as though there was a right answer. "Uh, well, curling?" It sounded even to me like I responded with the lilt of a question. That's not gonna help here, I thought with no small fear.
He asked, "Do you have your clubs with you?"
"Yes. In the back of my van." I stupidly indicated where the back of my van was with a twist of my head.
"What kind are they?" he demanded.
I answered incredulously, "Clevelands." Where's he going with this?
The guard turned again to me, handed me back my license, smiled broadly and said in the happiest tone, "Good choice. Have a nice day!"
I don't know about you, but it struck me a rather bizarre return interview.

Sunday, March 17, 2024

St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Get your Irish on. Listen to a few reels, dance a few jigs, and easy on the Guinness and the Jameson's.

Irish music really is good you know. Not just the sing alongs, but the reels too. And other than Danny Boy, they tend to be happy. But I suppose there has to be one cry in your beer song. 

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Date Mongering

Yes, it's fun. But like with so many other fun things, it gets into overkill all too quickly.

This week alone we had Pi Day, March 14, or 3.14. An obvious math pun, following an entire day after 313 Day, March 13, celebrated (if you can call it that) in Detroit because our area code is 313. And everybody knows May 4, or May Fourth, as Star Wars Day. Our own dear Upper Peninsula likes September 6, or 906, since that's da UP's area code. 

I'm sure more will be coming out of the woodwork, because that's exactly how these things work. Anyone busy 824? I hear it'll be a blast.

Friday, March 15, 2024

Death Comes Knocking

There was an old woman who used to live down the street, I'll call her Mrs. Cloyce just to give her a name, who regularly bugged me brother Phil for help. Now, I'm all for helping someone in need, especially the elderly. Phil is too. Yet Mrs. Cloyce had become extreme in asking for favors. It had become constant.

I don't recall details, only that the bulk of it was nonsense yet difficult stuff which me brother dreaded. He came to loathe seeing Mrs. Cloyce come up the walk.

She began to catch onto that, though. One day after asking Phil for yet another pesky favor Mrs. Cloyce opined, "I bet you'd rather see Death come along than me, ha ha!"

'You aren't far off', thought Phil to himself. Then he went on and helped the old woman.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Feelings

I think one of the biggest mistakes we make today is the emphasis on feelings over reason. We ignore that feelings cannot be measured, but reason can.

I cannot know the intensity or trustworthiness of what you feel, nor you, me. We simply feel what we feel; in that sense mere feelings are amoral. We can't judge them. They just are what they are.

Yet we can judge reason through logic. We can look at how others act and make judgments for or against it. You might feel justified in lifting that hundred from your brother's wallet, but I can still assert quite rightly that you're stealing. Perhaps you, ahem, feel he owes it to you. Well then, make your case, that I might be able to see that you have one. Yet if all you've got is the feeling you deserved that Franklin, you need to give it back and seek forgiveness. 

I believe our modern progressive friends trumpet feelings over reason exactly because feelings left to themselves avoid larceny and any other violations of right, wrong, or general propriety. They want to feel however they want to feel and act on that without recrimination.

Just don't tell them how you feel about that. Yes, I'm being snarky.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

It Isn't About Science After All

I am totally ripping off my son's response to a blog I wrote awhile back, lamenting that progressives 'worship' science, because I find his response more apt. Science, or more appropriately scientism, is another tool to alter society and nothing more. The original post is here if you care to reference it.

I agree with your post, but I'm also starting to come to a new conclusion: "science" was only a front, and there are no true science worshipers. Certain people found that "science" would allow them to try to discredit religion (at least in their minds). Evolution? No God! Heliocentrism shows the Sun at the center of the Solar System; therefore the Catholic Church is flawed, and nothing else it says is right!

But now we have moved beyond that, and the idea of science as the worshiping altar is pushed aside because it no longer benefits the current theology (the theology of "Me" or "I Want" or something along those lines). Science teaches us that a biological man is a biological man, and nothing, even the most serious of drug regimens and barbarous body alterations, actually changes that at its core. *Science* tells us that, but we conveniently ignore it. Science teaches us that babies in the womb can think, hear, feel, react, and have emotions (the same emotions we trump as the end-all in today's world), but again we ignore our centuries-old, stalwart champion.

And so I'm increasing convinced that finding an ultimate truth in science was never really the goal, and it was a mere tool to attain unscientific-but-desired ends. They don't believe in science as the end-all, and now science is merely becoming another battered, broken body in their wake. It's just another flimsy attempt to justify the whims of current modern desires.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

On The Bayou

Jambalaya. I hadn't had it in ages. Truth is, I only had it once, probably twenty years ago. It was at an event at the Detroit Historical Museum. Why they were hosting an event featuring Cajun foods (or why I was even there) is lost within the misty halls of my memory.

Anyway, they had jambalaya and it was good. A tad on the spicy side, but that's fine. But the bottom line truth is that I hadn't thought a lot about it until yesterday.

It was close to Noon, and all I wanted was something different for lunch. For no better reason that to seek that something, I found myself trolling the aisles of the local supermarket. In the freezer section I stumbled onto single serve microwavable bowls of jambalaya. So I bought one. Why not? If I didn't care for it I was only out $3.79, much less than a fast food lunch these days.

Wow. I'm happy I did. It was rice and okra with pork and smoked sausage and a couple of other vegetables all mixed into a light sauce and boy, was that good. I do believe jambalaya is back on my radar. Of course that old Hank Williams song is now my earworm, but I can live with that. It's a good song.