The Fireside Post

Mr. Gates Goes to Washington (Again)

Yesterday, Secretary Gates took his place in the new administration as an agent for change and an advocate for a more responsible approach to our defense budget. Strangely enough, the supposed champions of fiscal responsibility have been the first to cry foul.

Sunday Is For Religion, Tuesday Is For Politics

We obviously have a system that promotes a separation of Church and State. The week begins with Sunday at Church – then we take a day to cool off and return to a mentality of sanity, so we can go vote. Most elections are held on the first Tuesday of November or April. Church is always on Sunday, no matter which month. And that is how America works – faithfully keeping religion separate from politics.

The Big Disconnect Between Haves and Have-Nots

A really fascinating dichotomy occurs when community leaders have to go to the public for support on tax initiatives.  Our example is of a microcosm of modern America – the town of St. Joseph, Missouri.  We live in rural northwest Missouri, just outside of Punkin Center, and we watch the local economy.  The St. Joseph […]

How 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.

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.

Picking 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. […]

Creating 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.

Rovian 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 […]

Bonuses 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?

Pondering 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 […]

Conservative 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.

Easter 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 […]

Middle 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.

McCain 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.

Obama – Spending or Investing, Big Differences

President Obama has proposed a huge federal budget.  In actual adjusted dollars the budget is the largest since 1945, just as we were coming out of WWII.  The Republicans are shouting and whining and crying the traditional refrain: “The Liberal are spending our money!  Run for your life!”  Obviously, there is much spending – but […]

Promoting the Liberal Myth

There seems to be a mythology of the liberal cause. The term ‘Liberal’ is used as a noun to describe a secret sect of devil worshipers. The implication is something like this: Liberals meet in secret places, conduct secret rituals, and are the root of the new world order meant to destroy freedom and prosperity. Liberals prefer socialism to capitalism. Liberals prefer dictators to democracy. Liberals want to reward terrorists. Liberals think Labor Unions should run businesses. They are like the Freemasons, except they are more organized and more evil.

Caring For An Old Dog

Sadie is almost sixteen years old, her birthday is next July.  She is beginning to show the inevitable signs of aging.  Sadie has moved from the definition of ‘Senior” to something resembling ‘Elderly.’  Watching her age is painful – and presents moral and economic delimas. Sadie is half Schnauzer and half Cocker Spaniel – sort […]

Mortgage Conundrum – Who Deserves Help?

Last week 60 Minutes did a segment on an elderly woman who seems to be the victim of predatory lending. The bias of the program was clearly designed to support the case of the woman and to discredit the lending agency. This problem is not so simple.

Where Have All the Liberals Gone?

So many people are unclear today about what it means to be liberal and conservative, democrat or republican, Methodist or Episcopalian. I think it would be a good idea to examine these things and to make conscious decisions and form intentional and reasonable conclusions about current events, rather than subscribe to an ideology or system of beliefs because our parents did, because the media is in an uproar, or because of the all-to-common cult of personality.

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.

Non Combat Troops – An Oxy Moron

We should take all ‘non-combat troops’ out of Iraq. That is one of the compromises proposed as a resolution to the conflict in Iraq. The suggestion is that American troops will not be dying in Iraq. That sounds pretty good to most of us. But is there such a thing as ‘non-combat troops?”

Beyonce – “At Last” – along with Etta James

Beyonce demonstrated her great talent, a beautiful voice, with her rendition of “At Last” at the Presidential Inaugural Ball for Barack and Michelle Obama. It seems Etta James, the original recording artist of this great song, felt slighted and took offense at the Beyonce interpretation. Here they are – you decide for yourself which rendition is most appropriate for the occasion.

Identity Confusion

Who am I? Sounds like something Descartes might have asked – but I am not nearly so complex a creature as Descartes. There are a few things that are certain. I know I am a father and a grandfather. But those are mere biological truths (I defer here to Descartes). But the ideal of world politics, of a world community, of being an active participant in my world – leaves me a bit confused. I am just trying to figure out if I am liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican. It seems to me that the question is most often defined in terms of economics – and sometimes in terms of culture.

Delusional Politicians, Pelosi, Boehner, Blago

These folks are really off the rail, sidetracked, stumbling over old rhetoric. I am talking about politicians who somehow think that worn out political tactics can continue to fool the public.

The most obvious is the Illinois Governor. The Illinois Senate is holding impeachment hearings for unethical practices by the Governor. The Governor, known now simply as Blago, is tooting his horn in any parade that will have him. Blago made the rounds of the New York based talking head shows – he claims he is a martyr, being nailed to the cross of injustice by local politicians who want to rape the Illinois treasury. It is only Blago who stands between the corruption of the Illinois Congress and the safety of America. Just about everyone is entertained – and not convinced.

Redneck Gazette –

Redneck Gazette Fifth Edition Stimulating Economics Stimulating Economics Ohmydidhesayjihad We is having some trouble figuring out what we is hearing.  We got us a new President hoping that he would fix the problems this country is having.  We don’t know nothing about economics.  We only know that we should save more than we spend. We […]