Letters From Home
Drug Court – Systemically Flawed
A quick check of the court briefs in the local newspaper gives startling evidence of losing the war on drugs. The paper reported six people sentenced to prison – all for drug charges – five methamphetamine and one cocaine. We are talking about rural northwest Missouri.
The first Drug Court was established in Dade County Florida [...]
Everything Happens for A Reason
Son,
“Everything happens for a reason.” How many times have we heard that? And how many smart people have we heard make that comment? The statement is usually made in the context of spirituality or religion – seldom in the context of science. But the statement is only true in the context of science. And the [...]
Ron Paul – the Physician Metaphor
Son,
Ron Paul is a physician, a doctor, a M. D. Some folks think that qualifies him to be President. He is obviously very intelligent and very well educated. I suspect he knows a thing or two about health care issues. His physician experience is as a flight surgeon in the U. S. Air Force and [...]
Piling Snow on Snow
Son,
I live in the Midwest. We have been in the bullseye of weather systems for several weeks. The Great Ice Storm of 2007 took away our electrical power. Now we are inundated with snow on snow.
I have about 250 feet of sidewalks to be shoveled. And I shovel with my little red snow shovel. [...]
The Point of Leadership
Son,
Leadership is not personal. Leadership is not about what I do at home in the evening, when no one is watching. Leadership is about what one does when everyone is watching.
I really don’t care about the televangelist who privately has a couple of mistresses on the side. Who cares – what is the message that [...]
The Christams Aftermath…
Dad,
Christmas is over, and my house is a wreck. I have been doing laps around the kitchen and living room with my son getting geared up to clean. I have had two cups of coffee and have checked my email twice, trying to get through the neglected part of my inbox. I started some music [...]
Chris Matthews on Morning Joe
Son,
Chris Matthews has lost complete touch with reality. Matthews is the host of the MSNBC program Hardball. They call it Hardball because Matthews is supposed to be asking the hard questions. That was probably true – a couple of years ago.
On Morning Joe this morning, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough, Joe and Matthews were talking about the [...]
Creativity, Spirituality, and the Golden Compass
Dad,
I believe that creativity is a natural result of spirituality. The two are intrinsically linked, and you can’t have one without the other. The creative process, though, much like lifestyle choices or world views and paradigms, is a result of a lifetime of experiences and degrees of nurturing. Everyone has a different life experience, therefore [...]
Family Life and Family Values
Son,
I respect the values you and your spouse have adopted. But life is not all or nothing – your choices have actually provided your family opportunities that others will not have. This is not criticism, this is a compliment. The ideas of no debt, of frugal money management, of thrift store shopping, of minimal material [...]
Simplicity and the Five Person Family
Dad,
As you now know, my wife and I are having another baby. We are leaving the two child paradigm and entering into a new phase of family life. The idea of three children is a little daunting, but I think it will be good for us. The question becomes, “How do we maintain a lifestyle [...]
MU and OU – A Trail of Tears to the Dust Bowl
Missou went into hostile territory a few weeks ago without their star running back – and with their weakened offense took the game to the Sooners. Mizzou is on the march, they are stepping in cadence, they are at full strength.
26Nov2007 | Ohg Rea Tone | 0 comments | Continued
Philip Pullman – The Golden Compass
Son,
Get ready for another wave of hoopla about literature and Christianity. Philip Pullman is a writer. He makes up stories. Like C. S. Lewis, he has written children’s stories of other parallel worlds. His trilogy, “His Dark Materials,” is viewed by many as a response to “The Chronicles of Narnia,” by Lewis. One of his [...]
Cronyism – It Never Works
Son,
Good Old Boys, buddies, cronies, buds – terms of endearment. Harry Truman had a bunch of cronies. He gave some of them jobs in the White House. Not important jobs, just a paycheck to hang around and play poker at night. The important jobs of Vice President, Secretary of State, and Secretary of Defense were [...]
Old Dogs and Progress
Son,
Your sister had a dog, Sadie. Sadie is half schnauzer and half cocker spaniel. A pain in the ass combination. At 14 pounds that dog thought she was the boss of the world. She had springs for legs and was always jumping around, growling and barking at something – she had the disposition of a [...]
Economies of Scale and Dumpster Diving
Son,
There is great interest in recycling. And there should be – we are probably experiencing the most wasteful society in history. Global views of business and economy have distracted us from understanding individual need. But mass production outweighs, or at least minimizes, waste.
I remember when I went to work in the world of business almost [...]
Freegans and Hippies: Counter Culture Movements
Son,
I read your post on Freegans with great interest. The interest of a father and grandfather, and the interest of one who was once called a hippie.
Back in my hippie days many of us thought of ourselves as the first great generation to “change the way we think about our culture,” to quote your post. [...]
Cabela’s Deer Camp – no Assault Rifles
Son,
There is a big advertisement inserted into this morning’s newspaper. The title is catching: Cabela’s countdown to Deer Camp. Cabela’s is a big outdoor paraphernalia producer and marketer. The colorful ad is four full pages. One entire page is dedicated to arming oneself for the foray into the wild – the firearm must be the [...]
Dump Joe Cannon as editor of the Deseret News over Pedophile Cover Up! 
I can't believe McDonald's is trying to sell "gourmet" coffee. Who the hell is going to go to a cheap ...
Why don't they do an All Star season with all the past winners. 
James Spader would be great!! I LOVE him. ANd Tim McGraw. MMMMMMMMMMMMM 
White is 'almost' the best because one cannot be the best until the sport is more than four Olympics old. 
Interesting post.
My experience with 12-step programs is that it's been more about finding the ways that you are already motivating ...
I'm moving from Central Texas back to my family homestead in southeastern Oklahoma.
The very least you could have ...