Life
The Modern Retreat to the Castle Keep
The worry is not that we are getting more or less safe, but that our perceptions of safety are changing. We have recreated the walled and gated villas of the past and, between our fenced yard, our attached garage, and our parking garage at work, can go entire days and weeks without seeing someone from our neighborhood, let alone someone from around town. We are creating a sense of safety that is grounded in separation rather than reality. We are raising a generation of children who are housed in homogeneous zones that have a comfortable, rhythmic vibration of sameness.
20Dec2008 | bryan | 2 comments | Continued
Selling Your Home Using A Lease Option
The housing market today is in shambles and it’s no secret. You will be hard pressed to sell your home at fair market value. Even if you can afford to sell for less it has become about impossible. So what can we do short of letting the bank take it back? If trying to sell […]
20Dec2008 | Cole James | Comments Off on Selling Your Home Using A Lease Option | Continued
Pay Day Loans and Porn
There are scavengers among us. They prey on the poor, the oppressed, and, strangely enough, the military. There are some things that the poor, the oppressed, and the military have in common. Loneliness, desperation, and a lack of money. I think that it is time to call a rat a rat. Two of the industries […]
13Dec2008 | bryan | Comments Off on Pay Day Loans and Porn | Continued
The Counter Culture Personality
I recognize that there is an inherent selfishness in many of the current social movements. Coordinating efforts to reduce waste and to organize distribution to the needy are certainly valuable, and could be more effective in reducing waste and assisting the needy than digging through the trash. Sometimes, though, it is our individualism, maybe even […]
12Dec2008 | bryan | 1 comment | Continued
The Freegan Insurrection
My wife and I have been attempting to evaluate our lifestyle for some time now, hoping to live out our values as followers of Jesus and to create a sense of equity in our lives with the less fortunate. We have taken up recycling and composting, selling off our excess and getting back to the […]
12Dec2008 | bryan | Comments Off on The Freegan Insurrection | Continued
Santa Claus Is Coming – So, You Better Watch Out
My family has been working on simplifying our life for years. We have sold most of our stuff, paid off our debts, downsized in apartments, streamlined our food budget, etc. We drive old cars and shop at the thrift store. We are not saints and are not trying to be, but the lengths that we […]
12Dec2008 | bryan | Comments Off on Santa Claus Is Coming – So, You Better Watch Out | Continued
The Poverty Paradigm – Misunderstanding Charity
We talk charitably about social justice, often with the liberal view of defending the disenfranchised. Taken out of context we might be seen as classic do-gooders who only enable irresponsibility. That is the common refrain for shallow, heartless capitalists who do not realize that there is profit in assisting the impoverished. Dr. Muhammad Yanus, an […]
12Dec2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on The Poverty Paradigm – Misunderstanding Charity | Continued
Thoughts on Misunderstanding Charity
The holiday season is upon us, and everyone is geared up for the giving season. I think that a conversation on the merits of charity is essential at this stage of the game. I read an article on Trying To Follow a while back about clothing drives. It has some great fodder for conversation. In […]
12Dec2008 | bryan | Comments Off on Thoughts on Misunderstanding Charity | Continued
Do What You Do On Purpose
‘I have talked and written at length in articles for this magazine about the lifestyle choices that my wife and I have made for our family, but I feel it would be appropriate to spend some time on why we make those choices. Having a purpose in your decision is as important as the decision […]
10Dec2008 | bryan | 1 comment | Continued
A Chat About Laughing – A Social Regulator
My son and I chat every day – usually on line – (We live in different States). Sometimes we cut and paste the conversations into an article, usually when it is relevant to something that is being discussed here at The Fireside Post of when it is relevant to a current event. This one is […]
9Dec2008 | bryan | Comments Off on A Chat About Laughing – A Social Regulator | Continued
5 gifts that can change the world
It is that time of year when I scramble to get the last gifts before all of the other saps try scrambling to get the last gift, thus, I beat the crowd My family has been trying to get away from the obligatory knick-knack purchases that we have always ended up getting for those that […]
9Dec2008 | bryan | 3 comments | Continued
Axioms of Simple People
The world often seems over populated with simple people. Simple people generally expose themselves rather quickly. They may be conservative or liberal, Democrat or Republican, Christian or atheist, black or white, rich or poor. We recognize them through their life axioms. The simplified axioms seem harmless on the surface – but that is the problem. […]
8Dec2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Axioms of Simple People | Continued
The Scout Initiative: Naming Social Injustice
I have been thinking more about how to deal with social injustice, and I dug up this clip from To Kill A Mockingbird. There are layers of great stuff in this clip: There are several examples here of the actions that make a social movement. When Atticus learns that the Sheriff is not around, he […]
6Dec2008 | bryan | 1 comment | Continued
A Conflict of Ethics
All of us have ethics. We may not think consciously about them – but we have them. Sometimes these ethics are in conflict with each other – when that happens we find Hamlet, struggling with self doubt, pondering, “To be or not to be?” Ethics do not follow a smooth continuum of linear progression, with […]
6Dec2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on A Conflict of Ethics | Continued
The Two Nap Dilemma
My children are in different stages of development. That makes life hard when you are trying to be appropriate with them and maintain your own sanity. My son doesn’t really need two naps during the day. He has been sleeping for about an hour in the morning and for a little over two hours in […]
6Dec2008 | bryan | Comments Off on The Two Nap Dilemma | Continued
OJ – Celebrity Tragedy
OJ Simpson has been a darling of the media for forty years. Few celebrities reach this level of achievement, we might think of Elvis and the Beatles. We could debate the similarities of these celebrities – rags to riches, riches to rags, stardom and tragedy. But OJ is strikingly different. Elvis Presley was a confused […]
5Dec2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on OJ – Celebrity Tragedy | Continued
The Value in Hunting
Every year folks from all walks of life participate in hunting. From the poorest redneck to the high brow elite, young and old, men and women all enjoy hunting. Some are strictly trophy hunters only going for the big buck, tom turkey or whatever their fancy. Some of us hunt for the combined thrill and […]
24Nov2008 | Cole James | Comments Off on The Value in Hunting | Continued
Drive Free, Retire Rich
Dave Ramsey has good advice for managing the expense of owning an automobile in America today. Check him out at Drive Free, Retire Rich We Love Our Cars The normal way of thinking Dragging a Payment What they don’t tell you After Six Years What if… Let’s Think Differently A Major upgrade Let’s keep going […]
16Nov2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Drive Free, Retire Rich | Continued
The G.O.P.’s Five Stages of Grief (Video)
Grief is an emotional response to loss. Our original curiosity was around the five stages of grief after the election – but the folks who produced this video recognized the grief began before the cancerous terminal patient died. Curiosity drove us to enter “Election Grief” in the youtube search engine. This one video stood out […]
13Nov2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on The G.O.P.’s Five Stages of Grief (Video) | Continued
Keeping up with the Jones’
Economists tell us we need credit to make the world go round. Rarely is anything bought with cash anymore. Unsecured credit is available everywhere you look. We all want the next big thing before our neighbors. So do we become our surroundings? Most of us have been there or are close to someone who has. […]
11Nov2008 | Cole James | Comments Off on Keeping up with the Jones’ | Continued
Oh Deer! Concerns Raised About Venison
By Carla Baranauckas They’ll be harder to spot in a North Dakota blizzard than they were in a Maine meadow. (Pat Wellenbach/ Associated Press). Schools are closed in some districts in North Dakota today, but it’s not because a blizzard hit the state on Thursday, shutting down some of the main highways. In places like […]
10Nov2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Oh Deer! Concerns Raised About Venison | Continued
Of Courage Undaunted
Mental illness strikes at the soul of man. The insanity degenerates with the ‘righteous’ who are quick to pull the sin card. Meriwether Lewis, that great American icon of exploration, suffered a mental illness that we know of today as depression.
6Nov2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
Redneck Gazette – Obama Uses Common Sense
Redneck Gazette Second Edition Punkin Center, Missouri, BR-777 Obama Uses Missouri Common Sense Fannie Mae is goin fishing We been listening to that fella Barack Obama. It sounds like he uses plain old Missouri Common Sense. Figure this out. Obama is talking about that over on Wall Street. We think that is in a big […]
3Nov2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Redneck Gazette – Obama Uses Common Sense | Continued
Bubble Wrapped Kids
Halloween has got some of us all reflecting on our childhoods when we would gather with our friends and run around the neighborhood in our plastic masks. Or like the times my friends and I would play baseball using the four street corners as bases. Today people would hardly let their kids walk to a […]
31Oct2008 | Cole James | Comments Off on Bubble Wrapped Kids | Continued
Rebuilding the Kansas City Chiefs
Every 10 years or so, professional sports teams go into rebuilding modes. When teams are saying rebuilding, it means out with the old in with the new. Aging players are let go, traded or benched for the new fresh stock of prospective rookies. The New England Patriots have been successful in building their team from […]
28Oct2008 | Cole James | 1 comment | Continued
Thrift Stores-Savings and Charity
Over the course of this year we have seen everything go up in price. Gas has hit over four dollars per gallon and the price milk is up 30%. With rising energy costs, living expenses and the high rate of unemployment, we are all searching for ways to cut costs. Thrift stores can be a […]
27Oct2008 | Cole James | Comments Off on Thrift Stores-Savings and Charity | Continued
Lincoln’s Rhetorical Flourishes, Shame on McCain/Palin
The idea of responding to Sarh Palin is contemptible. Responding to McCain is bad enough. But McCain has put the country in this position – and respond we must. The latest attack by Palin is to suggest in a demeaning manner that Barack Obama “… knows something about rhetorical flourishes.” Be whatever you want, Sarah […]
24Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Lincoln’s Rhetorical Flourishes, Shame on McCain/Palin | Continued
I Am A Pregnant Teen
It was difficult for me to sleep last night. I was checking the statistics on our magazine yesterday. The statistics page gives us two views of where our readers came from. ‘Referrers’ lists the other sites that reference our site. ‘Search Engine Terms’ is a list of the key words individuals used to search the […]
22Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
The Prophecy of Barack Obama
Two years ago Barack Obama decided to run for President of the United States. There were others. Seasoned politicians. Politicians who have been representing people in an official capacity for years. Each of the candidates spoke to the people. Each presented their case. Obama said, “This is about change.” We the people cheered. Think of […]
21Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 6 comments | Continued
Embracing Casino Gambling
Casino gambling has spread across this great nation. In Punkin Center, Missouri, where this writer lives, we see our neighbors leaving to go to “the boat.” Wow, we think, right here in Punkin Center. But that is not all. Casino issues are on ballots across this country. The Presidential election will draw big crowds – […]
19Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Men At Work
We were driving down the street this morning and we noticed three men putting in a retaining wall. We saw a couple of shovels and a wheelbarrow. There were stacks of those pre-formed hex-shaped concrete ‘stones.’ The men had dug out the bank and were placing the stones in place. No more mowing of a […]
14Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Men At Work | Continued
Paul Newman – Salad Dressings, Gunslingers and Plastic Jesus
Paul Newman led a life we can all admire and hopefully emulate. He wasn’t just a good actor, he was a great humanitarian. This writer is not fully qualified to write a biography of this man, we would just like to host a brief celebration of his life. This writer’s first introduction to Paul Newman […]
12Oct2008 | Cole James | 4 comments | Continued
Obama’s Journey – Don’t Stop Believing
Barack Obama is on a journey. The destination is unknown, but every mountain, every valley, every raging river will be crossed with determination, with hope, with optimism. The forest is full of danger, the valley in the shadow of death, Obama fears no evil. Obama knows that the truth is with him. His cup is […]
12Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
Finding Love On-Line For Old People
This writer is a member of the AARP – that should tell you something. We are on the AARP e-mail list. Yesterday we received an email titled, “Ohg, Find Love On Line.” We are laughing as we write – the imagery of old people and internet dating was just too much for our sensibilities. Perhaps […]
11Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Immigration – Underground Railroad
We are talking about people. Suffering people. oppressed people. Oppressed by poverty, by repressive land owners, by corporate greed, by poor health care, and by an unresponsive government. North, they are told. North to a land of opportunity. A land where they will not be subjected to the fierce drudgery of poverty. They have relatives […]
11Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 11 comments | Continued
Belonging in the Lower Class
As we grow up from a child to adult, we are always looking to be a part of something. We are constantly in search of whom we are and our purpose. Throughout our adolescence we play sports, participate in the band, or other school activities. As we mature the path becomes more precise. Our experiences […]
10Oct2008 | Cole James | 1 comment | Continued
An Intro to the American Coffee House
From the truck stop burners to the gourmet air pots of the local coffee shop to the drive through of the Starbucks on the way to work, coffee dispensing has become more American than preemptive strikes. Coffee has been around. It is nothing new, really. It is not even a product of American culture. In […]
8Oct2008 | bryan | 1 comment | Continued
Coffee and the American Gourmet Experience
Coffee is in the news. There is a lot of talk about providing a gourmet experience for consumers. McDonald’s is the latest to join the coffee experience bandwagon. Discretionary income is down, but the enjoyment of coffee continues to proliferate. The inherent problem here is that we are seeking an experience with coffee, as in […]
7Oct2008 | bryan | 3 comments | Continued
Old people exercising
A couple of months ago this writer decided that we needed to get our body into shape, one more time. We were once an active member of the local YMCA for about thirty years. A few years ago we stopped exercising and began to really enjoy evening ice cream and a movie. We are paying […]
5Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 6 comments | Continued
I Am A Pregant Teen
It was difficult for me to sleep last night. I was checking the statistics on our magazine yesterday. The statistics page gives us two views of where our readers came from. ‘Referrers’ lists the other sites that reference our site. ‘Search Engine Terms’ is a list of the key words individuals used to search the […]
5Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on I Am A Pregant Teen | Continued
Tina Fey In The Debate
Saturday Night Live has hit a gold mine with Governor Sarah Palin. Tina Fey has mastered the impersonation. This particular piece of October 4, 2008, captures the comedy of Joe Biden and Sarah Palin in their one and only vice presidential debate. …… Check out Brian Williams with David Letterman HERE.
5Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Wind and Wild, energy and nature
The Global Warming phenomenon is powerful. People across this great country are taking action. They are not waiting for an Act of Congress to be responsible. I drove the rural countryside on Saturday, traveling deep into the Missouri hills. Along the way I saw a sight right out of a Holland Science Fiction movie. There […]
5Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Coming to yourself – escaping parental domination
We commented in an earlier post that ‘original sin’ equates with escaping the dysfunction of your family of origin. That includes escaping the domination of parents. Parent are powerful – the most powerful two people a child will ever experience. That is the fundamental triangle of life, Father, Mother, Child. The lens through which we […]
29Sep2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Coming to yourself – escaping parental domination | Continued
United Way – agency corruption
This writer is a big supporter of the concept of United Way – with skepticism for the actual practice. The concept is simple – there are many social service agencies in all communities that compete for the limited local dollars available. The idea of the United Way was to eliminate all of the individual fund […]
25Sep2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 14 comments | Continued
Debt, Spending, and Social Justice
We admire the determination of people who do not have debt. The Congress and Administration should be so wise. As a young parent we ventured into the world of credit cards. The result was that our children lived in virtual poverty. We had a good job and made good money – but the debt […]
24Sep2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 3 comments | Continued
I am a house-husband, not a space man
I am a house husband. I think that there is still some social barrier within me that creates a stigma around staying at home with the kids. I create my own stigma, I guess, I still feel a little weird when telling people what I do. Its a lot like telling them that I am […]
24Sep2008 | bryan | 6 comments | Continued
Being a House-Husband
I am a house-husband. That is, I stay at home with the kids and my wife works full time. We are a non-traditional family, I guess, and it suits me fine most of the time. I get the impression, though, that the pats on the back that I get from people are not always genuine. […]
22Sep2008 | bryan | 2 comments | Continued
Herm Edwards – Flaws of Cronyism
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 […]
22Sep2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 4 comments | Continued
Resurrecting Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Lightfoot is one of the most polite and graceful of all Folk Legends. He is quiet and unassuming. We are grateful to have lived in his lifetime. His music and his life deserve a resurrection. From Parade Magazine Personality Parade: In 2002, Lightfoot suffered a ruptured aortic aneurysm, similar to the condition that killed […]
21Sep2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Resurrecting Gordon Lightfoot | Continued
Total Loss of Control
Inspired by Bill Cosby – he is making a big toot about the irresponsibility of his fellow black people. Rather than lump a race into the same bucket – we should probably consider behavior rather than color. We have some literature that is not of our making. This literature has been copied and copied again. […]
18Sep2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 5 comments | Continued