Archive for March, 2009
Marijuana, Natural or Unnatural? Challenging Bill Hicks.
Check out Bill Hicks. He is obviously a comedian. We appreciate comedians as folks who often high light truth with humor. We admit that as a class of mammals, us humans can be pretty ridiculous. In this youtube clip Bill Hicks expounds the virtues of marijuana. Listen to this and we will visit the logic […]
31Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | ContinuedHow to Handle a Heckler
In case you ever get the notion that you might launch your comedy career from the seats rather from the stage, I hope that this will be a reminder that the brave and the truly funny are always the people on stage. You are just the annoying person in the audience and, trust me, no one there is cheering for you.
31Mar2009 | bryan | Comments Off on How to Handle a Heckler | ContinuedHypochondria – The Disease Of The Elderly
I am in the class of people politely referred to as ‘Senior.’ When I was young I thought Senior meant really old, fragile, frail, sickly, helpless. Today I understand Senior as that stage of life before Elderly. Senior is a prelude to an honest understanding of illness and mortality. Senior is that time of life where we begin to examine the ailments we will experience as elderly. I used to be a hypochondriac, but now I think I have something much worse. – it is called aging.
30Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Hypochondria – The Disease Of The Elderly | ContinuedTaxing Tobacco
Tobacco taxes our health care system with many chronic ailments. And tobacco is taxed by the government. On Wednesday, April 1, 2009, the federal tobacco tax on a pack of cigarettes will go up $.62, from $.39 to $1.01. This must surely be a good thing, right? Well, like other efforts at social engineering, it cuts two ways.
30Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | ContinuedObama’s War – Afghanistan
At what point does President Obama assume responsibility for a war? Is accepting responsibility for the war the same thing as owning the war? When does any President ‘own’ a war? This is a curious talking point for the 24/7 news media. Historically, we generally do not tag our Presidents as owners of wars that […]
28Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | ContinuedPicking on Catholicism
During my quest of becoming a better disciple of Christ, I thought it only fair to try and understand some other beliefs. I understand that the bible can be left open to interpretation to whom ever reads it. And to some degree must be evaluated to different times. But evaluation should not lead to amendments. […]
28Mar2009 | Cole James | 7 comments | ContinuedAnger Is More Fun Than Sanity In The Media
At thefiresidepost.com we write opinion – occasionally adding some news. I have written around 1500 articles and it seems that anger is much more fun than the boring facts. Anger is much more fun than fairness. The media went to town for a drink on Saturday night, joined the lynch mob, and never came home. […]
27Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Anger Is More Fun Than Sanity In The Media | ContinuedCreating Countries in Our Own Image
President Obama has upped the ante in Afghanistan. He is sending another 17,000 troops to the beleaguered nation to ‘take the fight to Al Quaeda.’ One of the criticisms of past military efforts in this erratic region of the world is in defining the mission. Well, what is the mission? It is two fold: We want to punish those who attacked our country on 911, and we want to make sure they do not attack us again.
27Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Creating Countries in Our Own Image | ContinuedIf You Like The Pentagon, You Will Really Love National Health Care
The congressional hearings on the economy are dominating the national media. One of the Republican members just made a cute comment. He said, “If you like the way the federal government you will really love national health care.” Cute and clever commentary makes for poor decision making. Clever is very different than being smart. We wonder if the congressman would make the same analogy with our military?
24Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on If You Like The Pentagon, You Will Really Love National Health Care | ContinuedRovian Media, Applying the Dark Arts to AIG
We confess right up front, we are guilty of capitalizing on the economic crisis. We have fallen into the trap of a mob mentality. When you look into the mob, you can see me on the third row from the front, last person on the left. Fortunately for all of us, Atticus Finch and his […]
21Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | 4 comments | ContinuedMonetary Worth of Bush and Cheney
It seems to this writer that when George W. Bush entered the White House he had a net worth of about $21 Million. I don’t recall ever hearing the worth of Dick Cheney. When a public servant enters an office like President or Vice President they put their assets in a blind trust. Someone else […]
20Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | ContinuedBonuses for Republican Big Bosses
AIG – yesterday’s poster child for successful business – today’s poster child for greed, corruption, and righteous indignation. The AIG big whigs are getting big bonuses, paid for by you and me, taxpayers. So here is the question – how do you think these folks voted last November? Did they vote for Mr. Deregulation John McCain, or the upstart Barrack Obama? Are they Republicans or Democrats?
17Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | 6 comments | ContinuedTrust God, But Lock Your Car
The finger pointing has only just begun, and there is reason this is so. People across this country have been devastated by the collapse of our economy. The natural stages of grief have kicked in. The initial stage is denial (John McCain said the fundamentals of the economy are sound). Denial is followed quickly by […]
16Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Trust God, But Lock Your Car | ContinuedPondering Faith
I have always considered myself a Christian. Once I even thought I had a vocation. So I attempted to start online classes through a Christian University. I made it through one class which was the study of the Old Testament. What I found out, was it requires a lot of work. Anyone who has read […]
14Mar2009 | Cole James | Comments Off on Pondering Faith | ContinuedBernie Madoff, Adequate Sorrow, Adequate Punishment
Madoff had his day in court. He will have more. Madoff plead guilty to eleven felony counts of fraud – of stealing from trusting customers. But Madoff did not just steal the jewelery like a common burglar, he took the whole house, the car, the children’s teddy bear, and the family retirement account. In his […]
12Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Bernie Madoff, Adequate Sorrow, Adequate Punishment | ContinuedConservative Hypocracy on Earmarks
The Fireside Post has been criticized in the past for supporting President Obama. The criticism often points to conservative railing points – most notably congressional earmarks in budget bills. The last assault noted the study of the sex habits of some obscure creature in South America. Of course, this was an exaggeration intended to discredit any argument for the President. But the tables have been turned today.
11Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | 3 comments | ContinuedMiddle School, Learning to Say NO!
The adventures of grandpa as the driver for my thirteen year old granddaughter continue. Her family moved to Texas or Wyoming, I can never remember which, and she is staying with her Nana to finish out the school year. She was not ready to punch cows, and lasso boys. Anyway, my job is of after-school-driver. […]
9Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Middle School, Learning to Say NO! | ContinuedEaster Ideas – Part I
Now is the time of year when you walk through your local mega store and find Valentines candy 50% off sitting next to an array of colorful baskets filled with toys and candy. Speculation leads me to believe that Easter today, like Christmas, is another way to get the children to behave for a month. Be […]
7Mar2009 | Cole James | 2 comments | ContinuedCalling Rush Limbaugh, Debate Michael Moore
Rush Limbaugh, the fat mouth piece of the Republican Party has challenged President Obama to a debate. Of course, Limbaugh knows this is a safe challenge – because it will never happen. Rush is like that – safe. Limbaugh has captured and audience of angry malcontents, people who are looking for some one to blame for their miserable lives. Limbuagh feeds their anger, thus keeping them in the fenced yard. If Limbaugh wants to really debate someone, why not challenge Michael Moore.
5Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | 8 comments | ContinuedMiddle School, Crash Course in Social Regulation
I have been relegated to driver – and drivers are best seen and not heard. The girls chat, and chat, and chat. I think they call each other on their cell phones and talk to each other in the car. I drop the first girl off and twenty seconds later she is calling one of the remaining girls in the car. Chat, chat, chat. That is how it goes. They talk about how other students were dressed, what was said in response to question from the teachers, and other things that I do not quite understand. They speak the language of the future – I speak the language of the past.
5Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | ContinuedCapitalism is Stronger with a Christian Alloy
Capitalism is the iron of our economy. Long ago men found they could melt iron ore and produce new weapons and new tools. Iron improved the lives of everyone and would eventually launch the industrial revolution. I have cast iron pots and pans even today. But iron was found to be brittle and easily broken. […]
5Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | 3 comments | ContinuedMcCain Continues Trivial Pursuit
John McCain demonstrated his proclivity for trivia in the last election for President. While the country was facing two wars and an economic collapse beyond any seen in recent memory, McCain was harping about Bill Ayers. He lost the election but has not lost his desire to make a big deal out of small things.
4Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | 4 comments | ContinuedOf Bankruptcies and Health Care
My friend, Frank, has big problems – financial problems. Like so many people today, his youth was consumed with self gratification. I remember those days – living like there is no tomorrow. Now he is fifty years old, has marginal labor skills, and the financial shock of an encounter with modern health care.
1Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Of Bankruptcies and Health Care | Continued