Other Recent Articles
Save Yourself – Then Pull Up the Ladder
It is not in the nature of man to escape danger and then abandon fellow humans who face the same danger. We see examples in every war of courageous self sacrifice to rescue fellow soldiers. We often see firefighters or police officers risk their own safety to help others. The idea works well at an […]
8Mar2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
People at Wal-Mart Video
I can not help it. Most of these pictures were taken at the South Belt Wal-Mart in St. Joseph, Missouri. Two of the people are my siblings – but I will not say which.
1Mar2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
“…Universal Masculine Purity” – The Conservative Ideal
Are we ready to return to the morale of Victorian England? It was the age of ‘class structure’. It was the age of male domination. It was the age of female submission. It was the age of child labor in textile mills. It was the age of long work days and poor health and nutrition. […]
29Feb2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on “…Universal Masculine Purity” – The Conservative Ideal | Continued
Santorum – The George McGovern of the GOP?
1972 was a desperate year for liberals. Civil Rights Acts were passed, anti Viet Nam protesting succeeded, Martin Luther King was gone, Robert F. Kennedy was gone, Richard Nixon was steamrolling with the Kissinger detente, women’s rights were on the table – and desperation to regain the White House led to fanatical overdoses of liberalism […]
14Feb2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
The Passion of Gun Lovers and Pit Bulls
Gun lovers can sure be passionate. We might have used the word fanatical – but that word has negative connotations. Is it possible to be passionate about guns and not be fanatical? Yes. Is it possible to be passionate about anything and not be fanatical? Yes. I wrote a post last week titled The Phenomenon of Modern Guns. That post instigated a healthy debate by gun lovers – and leads directly to this diatribe of values examination.
11Feb2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 13 comments | Continued
More Thoughts on American Education
The internet is an enigma. So is youtube. While having the power to distribute information with immediacy to all corners of the world – The shortcuts sometimes ignore legitimate research. But today we will use youtube to demonstrate the troubles with American education. My own experience with American education comes in four basic contexts: my […]
3Feb2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on More Thoughts on American Education | Continued
NASA – Visualization of Global Warming
Imagine Pat Robertson and NASA agreeing on anything. The anti-scientist and the pure manifestation of science are on the same page. Pat Robertson recently spoke on Global Warming on the 700 Club television spectacle, saying, They are defending the society. But I tell you stay in doors ladies and gentleman. Stay cool. Get fans or […]
30Jan2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on NASA – Visualization of Global Warming | Continued
The Coming Culture of Mean-Spirited Dissent
Mean-spirited dissent has replaced statesmanship as a guiding principle. The maddening downward spiral of political retribution has become the norm. The madness is magnified and given inertia in direct correlation to the speed of modern communications and the unleashing of vast amounts of money in SuperPacs. There is no time for thoughtful reflection. Every encounter […]
29Jan2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 4 comments | Continued
Three Wise Men and One Virgin
You can’t make this stuff up. I have heard that before – but these guy made this stuff up: Jay Leno said, “The Supreme Court has ruled that they cannot have a nativity scene in Washington, D.C. This wasn’t for any religious reasons. They couldn’t find three wise men and a virgin.” Sometimes the comedians […]
24Dec2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Three Wise Men and One Virgin | Continued
Schizophrenia – A Family Affair
I am convinced that mental illness permeates my family. There are no diagnosis – no testimonials of counselors or case workers. There is fear. Fear of venturing to ask any questions. Fear of unknown possibilities. Fear of helpless damnation. Families keep secrets because families are ashamed. And that, my friends, is the problem. Ignorance abounds. […]
13Dec2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Schizophrenia – A Family Affair | Continued
Cisco – A Tale of Addiction, Justice, and Redemption
People are dying. Our Prisons are full. Families are being destroyed. Government sponsored religion in the Criminal Justice System is not working. Federal, State, and Local funds are rewarding bad behavior. We are talking about the Criminal Justice System sanctioned treatment programs for alcohol and drug addiction – substance abuse treatment. Cisco, A Tale of […]
1Dec2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 3 comments | Continued
Traditional Conservatives – An Oxymoron
There was a time when to say someone was conservative was to say that they were invested in healthy tradition. Change for the sake of change was a foolish notion. In the world of the twenty-first century the conservatives have changed the meaning to something more like: Progress for the sake of Progress is a […]
5Nov2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
Mormons – the beginning theology
Mitt Romney has refocused thought on the Mormon Church. Some evangelicals have problems with the Mormons – and I think they should. We have to consider the Mormons in a historical context to understand some of their faith positions. I will attempt to address this topic from memory – we’ll see if I have to […]
8Oct2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 4 comments | Continued
2011 – Dawn of the 21st Century
On September 11, 2001, the rooster crowed. A new age was upon us but the world was slow to awaken. Stumbling in the early morning darkness we knocked over two countries, alienated our friends, and disrupted world commerce. The people of the United States have finally wiped the sleep from their eyes and the Dawn […]
11Sep2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on 2011 – Dawn of the 21st Century | Continued
Returning to the “Good Old Days” of Conservatives
We have to ask: What exactly doe conservatives mean when they say things like ‘we need to return to the days of common sense’? We found some old advertisements which may point to the more specific intentions. These advertisements came by way of an email. You know the kind – blanket the world with propaganda […]
18Jul2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Returning to the “Good Old Days” of Conservatives | Continued
Gun Lovers – This Guy Shot Himself
We have written before on the passion of gun lovers. Personally, I enjoy some guns. I teach gun safety to my grandsons. We enjoy shooting clay pigeons, blue rock, skeet – whatever you call it. We go to the local shooting range located just outside of town. It is run by the Missouri State Conservation […]
11Jul2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Gun Lovers – This Guy Shot Himself | Continued
Crude Men Jokes
Sorry folks. Sometimes things just strike me as funny. Certainly I recognize that jokes can be offensive, can promote prejudice, can alienate others, and can frankly make some people very angry. Racial and ethnic jokes have long gone by the wayside in the interest of political correctness. I get it. I understand the sensitivities of […]
2Jul2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Crude Men Jokes | Continued
Why We Continue to Support Our President
President Obama had a news conference last week. He talked sincerely about the state of our economy. We agree with him. We believe that the partisan politics in Washington is as responsible for the down economy as any other given factor. We really do find ourselves in a chicken-and-egg scenario. Current budget projections are based […]
2Jul2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 3 comments | Continued
Bryan – 37
As it turns out, we spelled Bryan’s name correctly. The majority of Brians in the world use an ‘i’ – some use a capital ‘I.’ We used a ‘y’ and it has come to symbolize the namesake. When Bryan was young, like three years old, I taught him some silly youth songs. He sang with […]
21Jun2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
A Father Reflects on Father’s Day
Father’s Day. A day for celebrating our fathers, and a day for fatherly reflection. I am in the later category today. I was not a particularly good father when my children were small – and that gives one pause for reflection. Young and foolish, temperamental and energetic, smart and dumb-as-nails, motivated and selfish, educated yet […]
19Jun2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on A Father Reflects on Father’s Day | Continued
Dear Oprah – You Are Mistaken About Addiction
I wrote an email to Oprah. Her address is oprah@oprah.net. Some of the attachments from the email are included as Adobe pdf images following the text in this post. The Cisco Synopsis follows. Dear Oprah, Your daily talk show has inspired many, including myself. But I am troubled at something you said. While interviewing Ralph […]
14Jun2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Dear Oprah – You Are Mistaken About Addiction | Continued
Recommended Reading – for Adolescents and Young Adults
High School Literature Teachers are really fascinating people. This past year I participated in a School District as an occasional Substitute Teacher. The most memorable and pleasant days were invested in High School Literature classes, where I substituted about ten days. These were memorable days because in every one of the classrooms there were perhaps […]
10Jun2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Recommended Reading – for Adolescents and Young Adults | Continued
Pride, Prejudice, Persuasion, Sense, and Sensibility
I have done Jane Austen a disservice. The post was on Romantic Literature as a modern value system. The post suggested that Jane Austen was very predictable – the good guy always gets the good girl, the fool marries the fool. When I wrote that post I had finished Pride and Prejudice and was about […]
9Jun2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
Everything Happens For A Reason
Have you ever heard anyone say, “Everything happens for a reason?” I have. And I just shake my head in wonder. It seems that people need some assurance that someone or something is in control – if not themselves. What do you suppose was the ‘reason’ for the shooting of Representative Giffords? I surely do […]
9Jun2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 6 comments | Continued
The Romantic Ideal – Flawed Thinking or Good Old Optimism?
The good guy gets the good girl – and conversely the good girl gets the good guy. Bad guys always lose. High moral standards, good character, hard work, and unwavering principles always find victory. Bad governments do not endure while noble governments prevail. The era of romantic literature has revisited modernity – with predictable disastrous […]
28May2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on The Romantic Ideal – Flawed Thinking or Good Old Optimism? | Continued
NFL Dispute – Three Parties: Owners, Players, Public
The NFL Labor dispute is really aggravating. Such a labor dispute might be none of our business – except we the public are heavily invested in the NFL. There are times in our history when labor disputes have so directly impacted the public at large that our government has been forced to intervene. Think of […]
24May2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on NFL Dispute – Three Parties: Owners, Players, Public | Continued
American Idol: Dump Randy Jackson, Jamie Foxx as Judge
American Idol has transitioned a few times in the past ten years – often with improvements in the judging. The most notable failure of inspiration is the retaining of Randy Jackson as a Judge. Randy talks too much and never says much. Jackson is worthless as a judge. Clearly, Randy Jackson feels inferior to the […]
19May2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
Made in USA….an experiment
After thumbing through the want ads received in the mail I noticed an ad for our local lumber yard called Menards. They were having a Made in the USA sale. They have these frequently. When they mail ads that are just plain run-of-the-mill type, yet they still place little Made in the USA tags on […]
23Apr2011 | Cole James | 1 comment | Continued
A Lax Regulatory Culture
Law, regulation, rules, structure, order, justice, fairness, equality – whatever we call the excretion of government – some of us will agree and some will not. From the Code of Hammurabi to the speed limits in Punkin Center, Missouri, rules have given structure and order to the culture of mankind. Hammurabi, as noted in the […]
23Apr2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Birther Bullstuff, Obama, Trump
Donald Trump with Meridith Vieira – This episode is a tragedy of American Journalism. Vieira let Trump ramble around without challenge. NBC should step up, as a network that claims professional journalism, and correct this travesty of justice. It is a travesty because millions of people get their world view from the NBC Today Show […]
7Apr2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Treachery On The Trail To The Presidency
Every four years scores of people venture out on the trail to the Presidency. Ultimately only one will finish the journey – will reach the goal. There is danger at every turn. One false step and the candidacy can be doomed. Some recover from a slip or a slide – some perish, dashed on the […]
26Mar2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Treachery On The Trail To The Presidency | Continued
The Obama Doctrine – Think, Feel, Act
There is a new sheriff in town. He has decided to round up the rascals in Lybia. President Obama is not inclined to act on feelings of insecurity – as we witnessed in the immediate past Administration. Presidential Doctrine has been a subject of debate for about as long as there have been Presidents. We […]
20Mar2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
Japan 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami (Video)
Tragedy is unfolding as we type. The fifth largest earthquake ever recorded, 8.9 on Richter Scale, struck Japan about eight hours ago. Youtube has become a conduit for video information. Here are several examples of the results of the Japan quake. Tsunami: More Tsunami: Another view: The following video may be the most comprehensive: The […]
11Mar2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Japan 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami (Video) | Continued
Test post for Market and Money
This is a test
5Mar2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Test post for Market and Money | Continued
AA and Addiction Treatment Have Failed Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen is in the news – again – and his choice of words directly reflects the misguided efforts of contemporary addition treatment. These efforts do not address psychological health – but rather demand conformity to some loosely defined notion of ‘proper society’ or of ‘Christian values’ or of something called ‘spiritual health’. This addiction […]
2Mar2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
Let The Wild Man Out
I don’t mean to be chauvinistic – but this post is about men in particular. More specifically, how do boys become men? There are many ideas – participate in sports, become an Eagle Scout, join the military, go to college, get a job and get married and have children – these events will make men […]
28Feb2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Let The Wild Man Out | Continued
Disastrous Fialures of Human Endeavors
TwisterNederLand has some great videos of epic failures of individual human endeavors. This is funny – and can cause pain to viewers.
28Feb2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
From Egypt To Wisconsin – Protests Were Inevitable
Form the earliest times of humans organizing into tribes the leaders were aware of simple realities: Throw a few crumbs to the masses – enough to feed their children – and you could stay in power. Deny the masses and suffer protest and eventual stripping of power. Government leaders across the globe – from Egypt […]
20Feb2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Finding Meaning in the National Debate About Debt
We have had a major crisis in our house recently that started with a heated conversation about our budget, and I thought that I would share the events that led to our household meltdown so that we might learn from my mistakes and apply those lessons to our national debate about money. It was budget […]
18Feb2011 | bryan | Comments Off on Finding Meaning in the National Debate About Debt | Continued
A View From Egypt
The firesidepost.com has no concrete position on the present happenings in Egypt – Only because we do not have enough information or insight into the present day problems. We are happy however to present information from others that we find reasonable and thoughtful: This post was taken from islamreview.com. Written by Tawfik Hamid I was […]
30Jan2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on A View From Egypt | Continued
Investing Our Self In A Cause
When we completely invest ourselves in any cause we risk our sanity. From religion to politics to civil rights to social justice – to being employed in a noble profession – any cause can be consuming. Problems come when we identify ourselves in the context of the cause. We risk losing touch with social norms. […]
14Jan2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Investing Our Self In A Cause | Continued
Faded Roses
A rose blooms. With depth of beauty representative of all of nature. Whether red or yellow, the fragrance enchants. Color does not matter – only purity of exquisite life. Fragrance to capture the soul of the most forlorn. Time passes, roses fade. The memory of the rose grants hope for the next season. Such is […]
5Jan2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Faded Roses | Continued
Repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
In 1993 Former President Clinton and the 103rd Congress implemented Title 10,654 otherwise known as the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy. While there was some resistance, this was a great way to get bipartisan support on a delicate issue. With every bill passed there will always be an inherent flaw, but for the most part […]
27Nov2010 | Cole James | 1 comment | 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
Respecting Farmer John, And Others With Whom We Disagree
The political climate in 2010 America makes for tough friendships. Actually, the problem rests with widespread, instantaneous information that is neither accurate nor useful. We at thefiresidepost.com write opinion. We are right up front about our process. We do not uncover secret plots by Muslims breeding like rabbits and take over the world by shear […]
14Oct2010 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Respecting Farmer John, And Others With Whom We Disagree | Continued
Moms For Motherhood Denied By GOP
President Obama was mocking the variety of wacko groups springing up as ethical family values organizations. The President noted a fictitious group he called Moms For Motherhood. He immediately qualified that he just made up the name. We think the President cleverly used sarcasm to denounce the most recent scam of political operatives. We […]
8Oct2010 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Elvis Presley – Amazing Grace (Videos)
Truly amazing, we were graced with Elvis. Elvis Presley came into my life through Ed Sullivan. The Sunday evening custom in our home was chocolate cupcakes with white icing while we watched Ed Sullivan. My older brothers and I could not sit still on the old wood floor – while my mother and father wondered […]
6Oct2010 | Ohg Rea Tone | 3 comments | Continued
President Obama Teaches Kindergarten
President Obama is like a Kindergarten teacher – patiently bringing his pupils along. We the pupils are not so patient. This reminds me of a story about one of my grandchildren. Jubilum is one of the younger children in my growing family. She is as sharp as a whip, quick as a snap, curious as […]
27Sep2010 | Ohg Rea Tone | 4 comments | Continued
Islam’s Double Standard
Bias statement: Most people think of me as a liberal. And if I had to categorize myself I would agree. But this post probably would not be held in high esteem by the liberal elite. Why? Because this post is all about the bias of the main stream media (MSM for the radical right). The […]
11Sep2010 | Ohg Rea Tone | 3 comments | Continued
The Redneck Walks The Immigrant Trail
The trail ends at Saint Joseph, Missouri. Some say it also begins there. The Immigrant Trail has not yet been officially documented by historians – but the trail exists today. When documented there is good cause to believe there will be a trail of tears. But I get ahead of myself. I live just outside […]
8Sep2010 | Ohg Rea Tone | 4 comments | Continued