The Fireside Post

Some “Pope” Resignation Headlines

Pope Benedict the something has resigned.  Some of our politicians might consider the example.  No Pope has resigned his office in the last 590 years.  Shocked, the news media went into action.  There were some pretty funny and clever headlines. Here are a few: “Holy see you later” “Vacancy at the Vatican” “Can Popes do […]

Obama, Racism, And Gun Violence in South Chicago

A family buried their daughter today.  15 year old Hadiya Pendleton was killed earlier this week by that crazy phenomenon of irrational gun violence.  Did I mention that Hidiva was black?  Did we note she was killed on Chicago’s South Side – the epicenter of gun violence in new reports.  This is tough to talk […]

Gabrielle Giffords is a Real Champion

Wow, check out Gabrielle Giffords testifying before congress.  The former Representative from Arizona was seriously wounded last year is one of those now obnoxious shootings that have come to be common in America.  Ms. Giffords suffered extensive brain trauma when a bullet passed through her head.  She has come to testify before Congress – to […]

The Demise of Ohg Rea Tone

Ohg Rea Tone has passed nine months hither.  His demise was non-dramatic, no violence or accidents, just worn out.  Some say he was haggard,  a value judgment Mr. Tone would have found appropriate. Mr. Tone was a son, a brother, a father, and a grandfather – yet he had no family.  Mr. Tone was well […]

Creepy Ad by drawtheline.org

My first take on this ad was that it was produced by some anti-abortion provocateur to discredit the celebration of 40 years since Roe V. Wade. This smooth talking black guy is offering a rose and a glass of wine as a toast to the judicial victory. I interpreted an image of Obama – clearly […]

Colbert and O’Reiley on Racial Insensitivity

Here is another great video from Colbert: The Colbert Report Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Lt. Gen. Boykin Conservative Video and Response

YIKES!!!!  Check out the video and a response by a thoughtful man in Virginia.     The following diatribe was cut from a conservative email floating around the country – this is an example oof how really crazy some people are – We are not talking about a healthy think-outside-the-box crazy – but dangerous crazy. Here […]

Why Obamacare Isn’t Enough

We have been entangled in a running debate in our society about health care, the related skyrocketing costs, and how we are going to pay for them.  In spite of the political backlash initially endured by the White House Administration, the Affordable Care Act, where the rubber meets the road and where the pocket book […]

Grand Canyon 2012 Winter Expedition

Does Astrology Deserve a Second Look?

Astrology – that demonic foolishness of psychics, the dreadful life of superstition, the means by which Nancy Reagan corrupted the White House.  How many ways can we dismiss Astrology as something not of sane purpose?  Have we been unfair?  I only know that I have.  I never gave Astrology a first look.  I dismissed the […]

Grand Canyon Rafting – National Park Service Orientation Video

Excitement abounds.  After a hard year in my life I will wrap up 2012 with a very dear old friend on a 25  day rafting/camping trip down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon National Park.  The trip has a degree of danger so the Park Rangers require an orientation – first by video (included […]

Who Am I? Searching for the Modern Identity

I am liberal, angry, Aries, impatient, intolerant, loving, forceful, kind, intense, educated, brother, son, father, grandfather, friend, forgiving, humble, proud.  Which defines me?  Any?  All?  Am I modern?  Post-modern?  And who are you?  To whom do I answer?  What philosophy?  Religion? Country? Club?  We live in a complex world, a fast world requiring quick judgement […]

The Crusades of the Religious Fundamentalists

The 21st Century is shaping up much like that of a thousand years past.  A few Muslims poked us in the eye and all of our kinfolk came out of the woods to defend our honor – something like that.  We do not intend in any way to suggest the the horrid attacks on our […]

When The State Fails To Protect The Citizens

Long ago, in a less complicated time, my family lived in a quiet neighborhood.  The homes were close together in that old neighborhood.  This was not suburbia.  The lots of the Harris Addition were fifty feet wide and one hundred and fifty feet deep.  The depth was measured from the street to the alley.  Our […]

Ban Movie Theater Costumes – Not Guns

We live in an increasingly strange world of conservative logic.  Last week a disturbed man went into an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater, armed with sophisticated guns, and shot 71 people – 12 died.  This is a time of national mourning.  The conservative politicians and pundits are saying, out of respect for the dead and wounded, […]

Can Hatred Counter Love?

Is hate more powerful than love?  Does hate match love dollar for dollar? Hate is proportionate to love – the more one loves, the more one can hate.  The comparison is not one for one. Have you ever been consumed with bitter hatred for many weeks, stretching into months, or years?  Hate does that.  Hatred […]

Courtroom Humor

This was copied from a facebook post.  We fid humor to be refreshing – humor helps keep our sanity from a complete meltdown.  Enjoy. HOW DO COURT RECORDERS KEEP STRAIGHT FACES???? These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down […]

The Rule of Law and the United Methodist Mistake

The next generations will inherit this church, and I am afraid they will inherit a church that does not reflect the kind of inclusion and hope for humanity that they are seeking in order to understand their relationship with God.

Drop Secret Service Protection, Arm The Candidates

FOX News is making a big toot about a recent law that bans protesting within a certain distance from anyone who is protected by the Secret Service.  FOX is proud to note that “Obama signed the Law” – as if the President acts alone in passing laws.  The Republican House passed the law.  The Democratic […]

An Open Letter To Obama Haters

Once again my friend Herb Shane has posted something on facebook that is so well done that I am compelled to cut and paste it into a post on this site.  Thanks Herb.   Open letter to the Obama Haters: To your distress, for most of the rest of your life, you will bear this: […]

George Carlin on the GOP of 2012

He may not be a saint in the eyes of all – but George Carlin has a way of getting to the truth.  Carling strikes quickly.  He is accurate and very precise. So why do working people continue to vote to support corporate greed?

Poor Judgement in a Fast World

Dear Readers of thefiresidepost.com: I have to personally apologize to readers of thefiresidepost.com (FSP).  I am the Editor – and sometimes I need to be edited.  I have said before that I am more clever than I am smart – and I proved that point again this week.  The visual at the top right is […]

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 […]

80 Miles Per Hour – Republican Math

One of the people in this car is a Republican.  There is clear Republican math being used.  If we cut taxes we will reduce our revenue thus we will not hove as much money and so our debt will go down. The Republicans must have different size tires on their car. Video: Woman can't explain […]

“…a false sense of urgency.”

We are worn out from GOP primary fatigue.  Is that redundant?  Doctor John Sharp, Harvard Medical School psychiatrist and  author of The Emotional Challenge, recently said, “…fatigue dis-emboldens us.”  The 21st Century has proven to be fast and furious.  War is present.  Facebook dominates.  Ipad, ipod, smart phones, wi if, financial upheaval – economic uncertainty, […]