society
Trial of John Doy
TRIAL OF JOHN DOY.In the month of January, 1859, Wm. A. Newman, of Platte County, had a favorite servant to run away from his home, in Weston, to Lawrence, Kansas. Dick being an active, intelligent and skillful carpenter, Newman offered a large reward, and in the month of February, 1859, at a point fourteen miles […]
9Jan2015 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Trial of John Doy | Continued
Alcohol is Not a Truth Serum
My volunteer work takes me to the front lines of the war on addiction. Yesterday I was quietly minding my own business, in a place known for alcoholism traffic, when a staggering drunk passed by. Ron was a happy drunk. He laughed when he told the obvious, “I’m pretty drunk”. Personally, I don’t believe anyone […]
26Jul2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Alcohol is Not a Truth Serum | Continued
On Alcoholics Anonymous – A Letter From Prison
Corresponding with an inmate in the Missouri prison system can be rewarding – and it can be heartbreaking. My friend Joey is again in prison. Joey is not a criminal – but four DUI’s will get anyone some time behind bars. I met Joey when he was in Drug Court. He was my client. As […]
22Apr2013 | Gary Clark | 1 comment | Continued
Jung and Alcoholism and Drug Addiction
Carl Jung was a genius on the level of Albert Einstein. Jung might say that he and Einstein were able to tap their unconscious and the collective unconscious for what appear to be ideas of the human imagination. Jung’s work now defines an entire branch of modern psychology – in his lifetime he captured the […]
18Feb2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Jung and Alcoholism and Drug Addiction | Continued
Trayvon Martin – Racism – and the Media Message
We live in difficult times. The murder of Trayvon Martin in Florida has refocused our Nation’s conscience on racism. After a month of media review it appears that the murderer, George Zimmerman, was an over zealous wannabee-police-officer neighborhood watchman. Zimmerman was looking for his chance to be a hero. He saw a young black man […]
24Mar2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Trayvon Martin – Racism – and the Media Message | Continued
Buy American
There use to be a time when there was no need to campaign for “buy American”. Buying American made products was the norm especially in the 1950’s when our country was strong pre and post war. But those times are gone and the reality is they will probably never return – at least not with […]
13Nov2010 | Cole James | 3 comments | Continued
Youth Violence – Not Just Fight or Flight
Mark Twain used youth violence as a humorous anecdote necessary to the maturing process of young boys. In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer two boys (one is Tom) confront each other on the street; they taunt, tease, dare, and then scuffle. Tom is victorious when the other boy cries ’nuff!’ Not one sociologist at the time raised a stink about Twain’s portrayal of youth violence.
22Aug2010 | Ohg Rea Tone | 3 comments | Continued
The Short End of The Regulation Stick
The hard earned emotions of our life influence our thoughts. They distract us from our initial purpose. I often begin a post and when finished I have to change the title to reflect the actual post – the burr under my saddle led me off course. Many of us have burrs under our saddles that […]
5Jul2010 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Intellectual VS Emotional Struggle With Death Penalty
I am not a great intellectual liberal – just an average intellect liberal. I try to understand issues at practical and ethical perspectives. For instance, it is unethical to bomb cities – but I agree that Harry Truman was right to use the A-Bomb for extremely practical reasons – he avoided the imminent invasion of […]
23Apr2010 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
The Criminal Paradigm, Fiddling around on the Roof
We were watching the old Topol character in Fiddler on the Roof. He portrays a man who struggles with tradition, struggles with the idea of changing ideology, struggles with changing his cultural prejudices. The movie is so universally accepted because all people relate to changing times and changing cultures, and the gut wrenching emotion those […]
16Apr2010 | Ohg Rea Tone | 8 comments | Continued
Taxing 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 | Continued
The Curious Case of Nadya Suleman – Octo-Mom
Is Nadya Suleman crazy, or what? She had six children by in-vitro fertilization, then had a whole bunch of frozen embryos implanted, resulting in eight babies at one birth. She now has fourteen children. She has no husband and no job. She lives with her mother in a home that is about to be foreclosed. Is she crazy, or what? This is a case of immaturity meeting Dr. Frankenstein.
25Feb2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | 5 comments | Continued
A United Methodist Perspective
I am a United Methodist. My wife and I joined a United Methodist church in Sugar Land, Texas before moving to Nashville, TN, and when we moved to Iowa, we transferred our membership to a church that was just down the street from our house. We went through the ceremony for becoming a member of […]
16Feb2009 | bryan | 2 comments | Continued
Homeless Community
This writer has worked and volunteered at the same social service agencies dedicated to cleaning up the river banks, to rescuing the downtrodden, to saving the helpless, threading the eye of the needle as a gateway to Heaven. We will walk through the Pearly Gates and God will thump us on the forehead with his middle finger, look at us in disgust, and then invite us in to the ultimate shelter from damnation. We will be seated in the middle row, the homeless will have front row seats.
9Feb2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | 3 comments | Continued
The Changing Face of Etiquette
As we, our culture, are catered to by technology and the marketing machine, we begin to feel more entitled to the things that we consume and the benefits of our service industry. The idea of serving others is lost on those who become complacent with being served themselves.
20Jan2009 | bryan | Comments Off on The Changing Face of Etiquette | Continued
Breed Specific Legislation
BSL is another rights stripping phenomenon that has gained momentum through fear tactics. This is another example of individual’s willingness to accept anything from the media as the gospel truth. BSL has snowballed in that last couple of years. What this type of legislation does is either outright ban a certain breed of dog or […]
3Jan2009 | Cole James | 2 comments | Continued
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 […]
21Dec2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Clean Electricity in Ten Years
We have written several times on Global Warming – now real money is being invested in educating the human populations about this fundamental truth of our time. The following is a video advertisement running on many television networks – This writer likes the music and the imagery. [wp_youtube]ydOPBL5iO2Y[/wp_youtube] Wecansolveit.org has several good videos. We are […]
10Sep2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Clean Electricity in Ten Years | Continued
English – a Mandatory Language?
We have a new pork processing plant in our town – we think the Triumph Foods Human Resource office is located in Mexico City. You know how these big corporations are. Our local school system is being challenged to offer a regular old American education to children who cannot speak the language. There is great […]
2Sep2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
Sex Addiction – Real or Not? (Video)
CBS has done a nice job reporting on actor David Duchovny’s recent admission to a rehabilitation facility for Sex Addiction. My question is the same as most – Is Sex Addiction a legitimate addiction, or a legitimate mental illness, or both, or what? This writer believes that Obsessive Compulsive disorders are real, they are destructive, […]
31Aug2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Sex Addiction – Real or Not? (Video) | Continued
Michael Phelps, Pro Bowl in Eight Positions
Michael Phelps won eight gold medals in one Olympics. Mark Spitz won seven in the 1972 Olympics. Johnny Weissmuller won four in the 1928 Olympics. All in swimming. So multiple gold medals is not unheard of. But it is certainly unusual. Why is this so? This writer has been digesting the news of the Phelps […]
20Aug2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Michael Phelps, Pro Bowl in Eight Positions | Continued
Phelps sets Olympic record
Michael Phelps is an American Swimmer. That felt good to type – and it is sweet music to American Olympians. His story is remarkable. Some questions are posed because of changes in the technology of swim wear and the configuration of the pool in Beijing – we’ll get to those issues in a moment – […]
13Aug2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Phelps sets Olympic record | Continued
The Bird’s Nest – Cradle of the Future? (Video)
China has given the world a demonstration of their claim on the future. The opening ceremonies of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics are unrivaled – and will remain unrivaled for generations. The grandeur of the Chinese coming out party was a delicate mix of technology and humanity. At the center of the spectacle was “The […]
10Aug2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on The Bird’s Nest – Cradle of the Future? (Video) | Continued
intimate anonymity in the electronic age
If you are reading this article, then it is no surprise to you that our electronic culture is changing faster than we can measure and our connectedness boasts the largest geographical and numerical network in history. The phenomenon of our communication age is a child of several technologies that all dramatically shaped our culture, and […]
2Jun2008 | bryan | Comments Off on intimate anonymity in the electronic age | Continued