Other Recent Articles
A Few Thoughts On Tiger Woods Recent DUI
From a friend: A few thoughts on Tiger Woods. Regardless of whether you like him or not and for whatever reason you like him or not, I think the police dodged a bullet on this one. We’ve all seen the videos, some of you may see a drunk, some may see a drug addict, some […]
4Jun2017 | Gary Clark | 1,038 comments | Continued
A Facebook discussion on Drug Addiction
Ron Taylor shared Jordan Rice‘s post. May 5 at 11:09pm · Jordan Rice April 23 at 12:21pm · Thank you. Edit: I didn’t explain why I agree with this or any experiences I have which left people opinion to make a bunch of dumb ass opinions about my logic. I don’t have the time to […]
8May2017 | Ohg Rea Tone | 190 comments | Continued
A facebook Discussion On Single Payer Insurance
Robert Stuber Yesterday at 9:24am · AN EXPANDED MEDICARE 1. Of course, start with Medicare for all 2. Cover medicines, thus eliminating Part D expense to Americans 3. Give Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies 4. Expand Medicare so that there would be no need for expensive tie- in supplemental private […]
21Apr2017 | Gary Clark | 891 comments | Continued
AARP Is A Communist Plot To Destroy America!
Allow me to first reveal my bias. I am a member of AARP. I am over sixty years old. I am a male. I am educated. I know how to type. There! Now you know my background. AARP is very obviously a communist plot to destroy America. We need only look at the AARP Bulletin, […]
16Mar2017 | Gary Clark | 1,197 comments | Continued
Single Payer – What Is It and How Is It Better Than What We Have?
The health care debate rages on. Our system has been flawed from the beginning. Powerful Unions negotiated with employers to provide health insurance. Good for the Unions and unionized workers, not good for everybody. Insurance companies liked the deal because they could negotiate big lucrative packages. Actuaries ruled the day. It is actually simple math […]
10Mar2017 | Gary Clark | 1 comment | Continued
Trump – Nostalgia Is Not What It Used to Be
Donald Trump, the so-called President of the United States, is fundamentally ignorant of history, literature, philosophy, and the humanities in general. Trump epitomizes the romantic ideal, completely unaware of his failure to understand reality. This is a common trait of people who are intellectually lazy, and particularly the intellectually lazy who are born with the […]
5Mar2017 | Gary Clark | 0 comments | Continued
The Homosexual Paradigm – Personal Experience
(Originally posted May 1, 2012. Re-posted out of a sense of need for the current discussion). There is no universal homosexual paradigm – but there are strong paradigms that drive our society. Previous generations of Americans often ignored the Gay community – you stay in your closet, I’ll stay in mine. Today we find the […]
1Mar2017 | Ohg Rea Tone | 8 comments | Continued
Denying Freedom Of Press is Impeachable Offense
It is being widely reported today that the White House has selectively denied access to a news conference by the White House. The first amendment is clear: Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or […]
24Feb2017 | Gary Clark | 2 comments | Continued
The Pain of Awareness
Awareness is generally thought to be a good thing. Certainly we advocate being aware of one’s personal budget, of politics, of education, of science (Climate Change), of job opportunities, of our health, and even an awareness of our ignorance on various topics. I think it is useful to be aware of proper use of the […]
24Feb2017 | Gary Clark | 6 comments | Continued
Fireside Issues | Gun Violence
We have to protect our society. It is a moral imperative. We have to stop arguing about which guns you can own and which guns I can own. That has mostly been settled. The real culprit here is an industry unchecked, riding the wave of public opinion to profits beyond your imagination.
22Feb2017 | bryan | 1,199 comments | Continued
Fireside Issues | Abortion
If you want to end the practice of abortion, as I do, you will have to do that in partnership with women and providers.
29Jan2017 | bryan | 3 comments | Continued
Electronic Medical Record – Great Idea, Problematic With Lazy Docs
Get out the cheese and crackers because I am getting ready to whine. It was long, long ago, about 2005, that my primary care physician was an accomplished in Internal Medicine. I had switched to his practice when I was fifty years old, reasoning that as I aged I would need someone with a more […]
16Jan2017 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Truth Versus Faith
Truth, belief, and faith – three legs on the stool of human endeavor. We seem to require all three but only truth can be measured and verified. Some people will get all up in arms about at that statement. They will say that I am challenging their faith. I am not. I am only saying […]
2Jan2017 | Gary Clark | 3 comments | Continued
Terror Pranks By Brothers
It was 1955. I remember because I was on the receiving end of an older brother prank. (I have said before that I come by my prank-ing personality honestly – this is an example). In previous posts I tried to explain my pranks on my younger brothers in a manner that most excuses my errant […]
31Dec2016 | Gary Clark | 2 comments | Continued
Older Brothers and Pranks
Whether I come by my fascination with pranks honestly or not is sometimes irrelevant. I say ‘honestly’ because I come from a family of pranksters. And my two older brothers often tested their pranks on me. What was I to do, I passed the pranks on to my younger siblings. Like the time when I […]
30Dec2016 | Gary Clark | 2 comments | Continued
Big Stick Diplomacy
President T.R. Roosevelt is quoted as having said, “Speak softly and carry a big stick”. Don’t you just love those easy clever witticisms? Bumper sticker diplomacy at its finest. Wit is not the same as wisdom. Clever is not the same as wisdom. Wisdom speaks softly and carries a big stick – and carries the […]
10Dec2016 | Gary Clark | 1,077 comments | Continued
Page Displays In A Mobile World
thefiresidepost.com launched in 2007. We had some success. Success caused a ripple in our egos – my son’s and mine. Some people liked our political commentary while others preferred our essays on recipes. Where should we focus? was the question. By 2008 we determined that we had an online magazine. Our magazine knows no bounds […]
2Dec2016 | Gary Clark | 1 comment | Continued
thefiresidepost.com is Back On Line. Bluehost, SiteLock, and Malware
What a pain in the whazoo. Sorry for the down time folks. We are back on line. Here is the deal as I understand it. I am not a good wordpress site administrator. My son usually does that work but he actually has a real job so I have been taking care of updating our […]
1Dec2016 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on thefiresidepost.com is Back On Line. Bluehost, SiteLock, and Malware | Continued
Artistic Interpretation of Trump Victory
Ben Franklin was a Founding Father who used political cartoons as a means of persuasion. With biting with he would cause a person to reflect and reconsider. And that was not his day job. Some people are just naturally gifted at imagery and symbolism used a tools for thoughtful discourse. I am no expert on […]
13Nov2016 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Artistic Interpretation of Trump Victory | Continued
USA 2016 is Analogous to Iran 1979
This is a bold commentary by someone with limited actual knowledge. My recall of history says that the invention of the internal combustion engine, followed by Henry Ford’s assembly line and mass production – put the oil rich countries of the Middle East on the map. My memory says the Saudi family took charge about […]
9Nov2016 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on USA 2016 is Analogous to Iran 1979 | Continued
Post Cards In The Eighth Ward
On this election day in 2016 I have been reflecting back over past elections. Elections that were personal. Elections that had real consequences. Elections that shaped the education of my children. Elections that shaped the quality of life for my neighbors. Elections mattered then and they matter now. This post is not a diatribe of […]
8Nov2016 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Post Cards In The Eighth Ward | Continued
My Psychiatric Nerve
I have problems; always have had, likely always will. One of the problems is in naming my problems. Naming problems is categorically dependent. When naming a problem, do I use the language of religion, psychiatry, layman, political party – or some variation of modern self-help-ism. As with most spoken words it depends on the audience. […]
7Nov2016 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on My Psychiatric Nerve | Continued
New Fireside Post Format
Well, here we are, almost ten years into the grand experiment of a father and son chat on the internet. We quickly became thefiresidepost.com and have had a couple of major upgrades since. My son, the Administrator of this magazine, got a new job, went back to school, had more children, yadda, yadda… He became […]
27Oct2016 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on New Fireside Post Format | Continued
Donald Trump Late Night jokes
“Yesterday, Donald Trump said, ‘If I lose, I don’t think you’ll ever see me again.’ So finally, a Trump campaign slogan we can all get behind.” –Conan O’Brien
24Oct2016 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Donald Trump Late Night jokes | Continued
More Donald Trump Jokes
“Over the weekend, three pages of Donald Trump’s 1995 tax return were leaked, revealing that he declared a $916 million loss from his three Atlantic City casinos. That’s right. Donald Trump lost money on casinos. You know what they say, ‘The house always loses.’” –Stephen Colbert “You started your campaign by accusing Mexicans of being […]
24Oct2016 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on More Donald Trump Jokes | Continued
Trump The Democrat? Runs As Republican?
Donald Trump actually does have New York values. What does that mean? Generally, when people congregate in large urban areas they become more liberal. Why? Donald Trump has held liberal political views all of his adult life. He ran for President ass a Republican because he knew the Democratic Party would not accept his lack […]
19Oct2016 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Trump The Democrat? Runs As Republican? | Continued
Early View of President Obama’s Legacy
In a couple of weeks, we the people of the United States of America shall elect someone to follow President Barack Obama as president of the United States. This election is as important as 2008 when he was first elected and in 2012 when he was affirmed by the people with reelection. President Obama is […]
19Oct2016 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Early View of President Obama’s Legacy | Continued
My First Tattoo
Oceanside, California, is located on the border of Camp Pendleton, that really big Marine base. I was there. Not Camp Pendleton, Oceanside. It was 1969 and I was doing what I would later learn was called a ‘walkabout’. I was drifting with the wind, facing the draft, Vietnam, adulthood, and ultimately responsibility. Oceanside was […]
26Sep2016 | Gary Clark | 1 comment | Continued
When Peaceful Protest Becomes A Lynch Mob
The near riots and riots in recent memory have the same feel as the mob rule of a hundred years past – the difference being the color of the skin of the protestors. Make no mistake about it – these protests are about justice. Immediate justice. In every case the protesters are compelled to […]
23Sep2016 | Gary Clark | 2 comments | Continued
BREAKING NEWS!!!
BREAKING NEWS!!: We just realized today that, based on historical statistics, our mortality may be in jeopardy. Seriously, we cannot support the idea of immortality with any historical facts. And even more serious – aren’t these statements obvious! So why did I start with “BREAKING NEWS!!!” I was born at about the same time as […]
21Sep2016 | Gary Clark | 1 comment | Continued
Donald Trump Jokes
“Last night, Donald Trump said if he’s elected, he will employ a ‘deportation task force.’ It’s not really necessary, because if he’s elected most people will probably leave voluntarily.” –Conan O’Brien “The Boston Globe just reported that according to his campaign staff, Donald Trump wouldn’t take any vacations as president. I think that’s because he […]
15Sep2016 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Donald Trump Jokes | Continued
“Undocumented Immigrants” Are Not Criminals
There are graduated laws identifying the seriousness of offense. The undocumented immigrant ‘violation’ is in the nature of a misdemeanor – more like a traffic violation than an armed robbery. Our system of justice uproots lives and sends someone to prison in only the most egregious of violations. To uproot and deport someone on the […]
5Sep2016 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on “Undocumented Immigrants” Are Not Criminals | Continued
Clinton Trump Debate Can Go Off The Rails
WOW! We are in for a treat. Maybe I should restate that – if we like fireworks we might like the Clinton Trump Debates. If we like the idea of diplomats debating world affairs we are probably not going to enjoy the evening. Let the debates begin – with more potential for fireworks than any […]
30Aug2016 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Global Warming Is Not Intuitive
Science is not always intuitive. Science is often counter-intuitive. We humans like to keep things simple. We also like to answer the question “Why?” Thus we look at nature and when there is no immediate, obvious, answer we, over time, have been inclined to just give God credit. The result has been a slow response […]
24Aug2016 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Global Warming Is Not Intuitive | Continued
“Conservative” Does Not Mean Smaller Government
Ronald Reagan hijacked the term “Conservative” and twisted it to his own political purpose. Remember his famous quote, something like this: “Government does not solve the problem, government is the problem.” The dingbats get goosebumps every time they hear that quote. More military they say, but less government. The government should leave my social security […]
24Aug2016 | Gary Clark | 1 comment | Continued
Ignorant Voters Challenge One’s Sanity
I actually know some of these people. This conversation showed up on my facebook page. These people are angry because Obama will not let them vote a ‘split ticket’ in the August Primary Election. They throw terms around like “constitutional rights” and “denied the right to vote”. These people are Trump supports and they are […]
5Aug2016 | Ohg Rea Tone | 4 comments | Continued
thefiresidepost.com is back – Down Because of User hits
Some computer got a hold of thefiresidepost.com and started adding subscribers automatically – they hogged the entire server and we were shut down while we searched for a solution. We are going to delete 95,600 subscribers. Anyone who currently subscribes to thefiresidepost.com and want to continue subscribing must sign on and sigh up again. We […]
26Jul2016 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Refried Beans In My Chili
OK – right up front, I am an anomaly. Just about every group of people that I run across eventually figures this out. This reality struck me yesterday when I was thinking about supper. Bored and not willing to invest the time in some cuisine of taste and health I rummaged around in my pantry, […]
22Jun2016 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
White Suits
Mark Twain enters my mind, Takes a seat, and I become his front porch. For a man with such great potential Of explosive wit and verbiage– He says nothing as he strikes A match… …And lights a fine Cuban cigar. The sun is shining brightly so That the white suit he so […]
21Jun2016 | Josh Clark | 1 comment | Continued
When “Political Correctness” Inhibits Honesty
I have some friends, 300+ on facebook. They represent every aspect of American society. Rich and poor, old and young, educated and uneducated, wise and not-so-wise, liberal and conservative, black and white and gray, and some very opinionated. I have been reluctant to post dramatic political points of view for fear of alienating someone – […]
16Jun2016 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
My Practicality
My practicality is a pesky little imp. Like a gremlin sabotaging my Creativity. My creativity rests in the bosom Of Mystery; And this fair lady–she always beckons. She pleads with me to embrace her, Ungrip the secure and chase her. And I start to run– But I find myself tethered. […]
9Jun2016 | Josh Clark | 3 comments | Continued
Once Upon a Time in St. Joe
Once Upon a Time in St. Joe The dross falls away and she stands revealed. I have been talking at length with a dream. The coal train moves on; her rails course the fields. The nights fall, the conversations appeal, We meet for coffee, she takes hers with cream. The dross falls away and she […]
5Jun2016 | Josh Clark | 4 comments | Continued
Introduction from a Casual Observer
Hello everyone! My name is Josh Clark and I’m the newest contributor to this most intriguing online magazine. I feel compelled to give some backstory on myself as an introduction. Foremost, I see myself as a poet. I say this unapologetically. I have no true passions in life to speak of, save three–writing, love, and […]
1Jun2016 | Josh Clark | Comments Off on Introduction from a Casual Observer | Continued
Josh Has Joined thefiresidepost.com
Josh was once a good boy. He lost his way. We find him today hanging out with the outlaw of his family – Ohg Tone. Seriously, Josh is my nephew, and a fine writer. I have watched him over the years, watched him grow in to a young man, watched him explore religion, watched him […]
31May2016 | Gary Clark | 2 comments | Continued
A Vet on Jules Street
From a facebook post by my Brother’s son: A Vet on Jules Street (A haibun) It seems like an odd duality really, in regards to time. Memory can do this. I’m taken back to when I was a boy sitting on my Grandparent’s front porch on Jules Street; so many years ago, but just yesterday. […]
23May2016 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Sadness, Depression, Grief, The Deep Struggles of Life
Let’s get personal about the issues of sadness, depression, and grief. I can see these things playing out in my family – my parents, siblings, in-laws, my children, my nieces and nephews. These sensations are not all-or-nothing. There seem to be degrees of sadness, a continum. My personal life has covered the spectrum. I believe […]
17May2016 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Shouts of Despair Go Unheard
I work with others. Mostly volunteer work – but I find my self in the horrid trenches of the front line battle against despair. The Four Horsemen of Terror, Bewilderment, Frustration, and Despair march the earth seeking human souls. What do I see? What do I hear? Last week a man happened upon me – […]
17May2016 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Shouts of Despair Go Unheard | Continued
Where is Woody Guthrie
It was hot. And dry. The wind blew and a dust storm raged. People finally just started calling it a dust bowl. The Midwest was overwhelmed with drought, the country overwhelmed with depression. People got tired. They got hungry. They got desperate. They could not feed their children. But they heard a story, a story […]
15May2016 | Ohg Rea Tone | 4 comments | Continued
“…misogynistic narcissist or the underwhelming oligarch?”
My son, Bryan, used the title of this post in a sentence the other day. He was referring to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Well? What do you think? I looked up the words to be sure I understood what Bryan was suggesting – very interesting. Donald Trump is a misogynistic narcissist – among other […]
4May2016 | Gary Clark | 1 comment | Continued
“…an organized, nationwide system of care…”
Civilized industrial nations have searched for many years for an appropriate response to public health. Individual health care financing in the United States was somehow attached to one’s job as a part of the benefit package. A good job came with good health insurance. By 2008 there were fifty (50) million individuals without health insurance. […]
18Apr2016 | Gary Clark | 3 comments | Continued