Let’s get ICE off our streets and into our beverages.
I’m not making light of our situation. ICE is focused on rounding up the wrong people. Illegal immigration is not a felony. There are plenty of felons in Washington D.C. that should be arrested and brought to justice before we get obsessed with illegal immigration.
The only conspiracy in America is the conspiracy by the current administration to convince Americans that there are conspiracies in America.
George Orwell put it succinctly in the novel “1984.”
”The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears.”
To see the truth takes discernment and willingness.
I’m headed to Joshua Tree in a couple of weeks. That is the home of the California Desert Tortoise. I remember when I was a kid, probably elementary age, my Grandmother brought me a tortoise she picked up in the desert. She thought it would be a good idea for me to have one because at that age I was allergic to dogs and cats, almost everything in fact. Of course, it is illegal to remove a tortoise from the desert, they are protected, but that didn’t stop my Grandmother.
I named the tortoise Joe. I have no idea if he was male or female. That dian’t make a huge difference since the tortoise was 1,000 miles from home with very little chance of meeting another of his species living in my dad’s closet. Occasionally I would take Joe out of the closet and admire him, I discovered very soon that Joe was not like a dog at all, he didn’t want to play with me. I would give him some lettuce occasionally. He liked berries as I recall, but that was pretty much the extent of our play.
One summer day, not too many months after Joe came to live with us, I took him into the back yard to let him wander around in the grass and forage a bit. I set him down and left him alone for 30 minutes or so, when I came back he was gone. I remember being upset. I looked high and low but no Joe. We had painted our phone number on his shell, for just such an event. A few days later we got a call from a neighbor three blocks away enquiring if we were the owners of a “turtle.” Well, that was the end of Joe’s foraging days. Phone number or no, It was time to find him a better home. We did our best to remove the phone number from his shell and donated him to the Woodland Park Zoo.
I will never forget how thoughtful my Grandmother was, if not a tad bit misguided.
I want to write beautifully. I’m not talking about the words or the meaning, although that would be nice. I’m talking about how the writing looks when I put pen to paper. I want the writing to be fluid. I want each character to express itself as beautifully as it can. When I look at the page after I set the pen down, I want to be proud of what I see — even before I read it. That means taking it slowly and focusing on each moment of the experience. Sometimes the words in my head will get ahead of the letters that are coming out on the paper. That’s okay. I can hit rewind and retrieve them, but once the ink is on the page, I can’t go back. The essence of writing by hand is engaging the brain on multiple levels, physical and mental, simultaneously.
I want to ski the same way that I want to write.
“Fight for the things you believe in, but do it in a way that will cause others to join you.” —RBG
I prefer to say “make others want to join you for the right reason.” Good lesson to remember in these troubled times.
I’m cooking for eight guys in Joshua Tree National Park for three days. I’m assuming you are one of the many that sets an alarm every day to read each new post that I put up… Oops, I just realized that last bit I wrote after accidentally taking a second recreational gummy. I suppose demential has benefits. I’ll give myself a bit of time before continuing this entry.
Now that the gummy is beginning to wear off I can continue my rambling on Dutch Oven cooking. If you want good food in a campground, I don’t think you can do much better than to haul an assortment of cast iron ovens around in the back of your truck. There’s also the steel cook stand and all the accessories that go along with this sort of cooking. The benefit is you have available a wide range of menu choices from which to choose. Main dishes, side dishes, deserts, and everything in-between. You can do some of that with a stove, but not all. That’s what makes Dutch Ovens such a great choice, You can also use them at home in the back yard when you’re not in the campground.
For this trip, I tested all the recipes at home and fed my neighbors with leftovers for a week prior to heading out to Joshua Tree. The good news is I got good reviews from all the neighbors. The bad news is they are going to be expecting more of the same.
All of the recipes for this upcoming trip I found more or less at random. Some from the internet, some from the Lodge Dutch Oven Cookbook. Here’s the menu for the trip.
| Day | Main | Side | Desert |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Polly’s Baked Beans | Corn Bread | Peach USD Cake |
| 2 | Beef Stroganoff | Crispy Red Potatoes | Pumpkin Pie |
| 3 | Sloppy Joes | Apple Slaw(1) | Chocolate Brownies |
(1) Not in a Dutch Oven
I’m going to throw in a few surprises in addition to what’s above. I plan on a hot Queso dip with chips one afternoon, and maybe a baked hot dog lunch as well. I’m also going to be preparing breakfast on my bad-ass Camp Chef 3-burner stove top.
After I put this menu together I found the ultimate Dutch Oven cooking website. I can’t believe the recipes there. It’s going to be a blast making all of these!
Cheers!
Wake up America.
“If you remove a dictator and put yourself in charge without an election you are a dictator.”
That is the best statement I have seen yet that summarizes Trump’s illegal and immoral action in Venezuela.
The second co-equal branch of government is asleep. The primary role of Congress is oversight. They are also the sole authority to approve an act of war. Their abrogation is appalling.
The third co-equal branch of government has completely lost any moral authority they might have once possessed. What could they possibly be thinking, weakening voting rights and raising the office of President above the law. And that’s is just for starters.
Welcome to 1846. How did that go?
We don’t understand how lucky we are. As a country and as a world community. And yet there seems to be an abundant willingness to throw it all away. I heard someone that lives near me say recently, “I don’t do anything the government tells me to do.” I have no idea what that person could possibly mean. I can’t help but think that person needs to leave America and go live in Iran, or Russia, or China in order to fully appreciate how lucky we are.
There’s an old saying, women spend more time wondering what men are thinking than men actually spend thinking. It’s also been noted that men and women’s behavior is very different.
I think a lot of the difference in behavior is cultural. Here at home in the United States I wouldn’t hesitate to give a close male friend a hug in greeting or farewell, but wouldn’t occur to me to hold hands with him while walking down the street. In India where I was recently traveling, an Indian man that was one of our guides frequently reached out to take my hand as we were walking. At first I was taken aback, then I realized this was his way of saying that he loved me and respected me. Women probably would not have given this a second thought. Now that I have had the experience, I have to admit, it was gratifying.
Der Spiegel Magazine in Germany has Trump’s number. These are the covers from six issues published since the start of Trump’s second term.
Historically speaking, Germany has a bit more experience with Fascism than America. Perhaps that’s part of the reason why approximately 60% of Americans still support or are undecided when it comes to Fascism in America.
Free speech is a wonderful thing. But the thing about free speech that most people don’t understand is that it is illegal to use it to lie, cheat, and steal. It’s a shame that just saying it is immoral is not enough to stop some people from using it as a shield against the perpetration of illegal acts. We are living through an era where the most powerful people in our country are fully aware of this and are still using free speech to cover their aim of ripping off Americans while enriching themselves and their friends.
I never expected to see something like this in America. It’s possible this is what happens when you take civics out of the public education system, but I’m not going to rest the blame there. Our infatuation with social media and our inability apply moral filters to the content we are consuming is another important factor. The fact that Americans are slipping into illiteracy is not a trivial piece of the puzzle. Perhaps most significant, political actors with autocratic leanings realized that Donald Trump is the perfect tool for them to use to shift our nation to the right in ways that the people that voted for Trump never suspected.
It would be nice to get back to a political culture that embraces truth and respect over politically motivated lies and self aggrandizing tweets.
I’ve been nominated to be the camp chef for our little group of misfits. It was actually more self-selected than nominated. I volunteered. I love cooking in the wild. Dutch Oven cooking is the only way to go. I’m excited for this year’s conclave. Cast Iron Cooking in Joshua Tree National Park
Night 1 - Pork and Beans, Corn Bread, Peach Upside Down Cake
Night 2 - Beef Stroganoff, Crispy Red Potatoes, Pumpkin Pie
Night 3 - Sloppy Joes, Apple Slaw, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
I’ve been refining my morning routine and I have landed on a set of practices that feel good. First of all, I’ll admit it’s nice being retired. You have a lot of time to devote to self-actualization endeavors. I wish I would have landed on these practices thirty years ago, but of course from a stoic perspective, wishing is not a productive use of one’s time. So without further ado, here’s what my mornings look like.
Meditation
This is key to all that follows. I have a writing desk where all of the morning activity takes place. Centered on the desk is a statue of Shiva (which I understand is my personal deity thanks to a birth chart reading I received in India) and two glass candle holders and a lotus flower incense holder. I light the candles and incense. I put on a recording of the “Om Namah Shivaya” Mantra. A simple chant. I play that in a loop while counting the repetitions on my Mala (Indian Rosary) until I have reached 100. (That’s about 20 minutes) Eyes closed, I focus on my fingers and the beads and try to let my mind relax. I relax my breathing as well as the rest of my body as best I can. It takes time. I haven’t perfected this yet but I’m excited about where this will carry me.
Writing
After my meditation I’m ready to start writing. I focus my writing on six areas. I will spend anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes on each area.
To explain in a bit more detail.
There you have it. Following this practice feels good. How far it will eventually take me I have no idea, but I am optimistic that this practice will help bring me to better health and help me be more focused. It is gives me a better understanding of what my goals and desires are.
We were best friends in a previous life. Go ahead and laugh, but after you have regained your composure, try and prove me wrong.
This is what happens when you put a crime boss in charge of your country.
”Don’t you get it? America’s new foreign policy is basically this: Don’t kill people there (the Middle East) kill them over here (South America), in your own time zone. It’s classic advice: Shit where you eat. That’s the new Trump doctrine. It’s not in any way about stable democracies: it’s about spheres of influence. Russia can have their sphere of influence, China can have theirs, and we get South America. America is no longer the shining city on the hill, it is merely just one of the five crime families, splitting up the territories.”
—Jon Stewart
I wouldn’t take medical advice from Jon Stewart but when it comes to political insight, it’s hard to argue with his analysis.
You have to be crazy to want to write. I have a natural instinct that makes it feel like I have nothing to say. The doubt, that I have nothing to say, presents itself as a daily struggle. The question is, why do it. My answer may not be completely satisfying to any ear but my own, but simply put, I am compelled to do it. If I don’t take the time each day to write, I feel like something is missing from my day. So, in the final analysis, I just do it.
What is the most amazing invention of the human mind? The written word. Without the written word, all knowledge would come down to matters of opinion, matters easily lost in translation, translation literal and translation that becomes altered due to the vagaries of time.
The written word brings beauty into our lives. Think of the great poetry and the effect it can have. The written word brings joy. Think of the great novels that have been written to entertain us. The written word is the basis of all scientific knowledge. Without the written word it is unlikely that science could have become as important to modern life as it has.
I try and read a book every month. Only 38% of Americans read one or more books a year. Conversely, 62% of Americans do not read a single book in the course of a year. These statistics are from two independent studies completed in 2023. Let’s go read a book America. It’s important for our health, and the future of our country.
For a very long time (since I started this blog) I have avoided letting it devolve into a “personal clearing house” for grievance or a forum for “over-emoting,”
I’ve decided it’s time to modify that perspective — just a bit.
What is the point of publishing a blog if not to allow yourself to be honest with the world, and give the world a chance to better understand who you are.
I’m not talking about bitching or complaining, I’m talking about expressing yourself. That is a notion that does not come easily to me, but I have decided that it is time.
None of us live forever. There comes a time when we naturally should begin facing what the end of our existence looks like. To put it another way, we begin to face not only what we want to take into the next life, but what we would like other people to take away from our existence in this life.
That is something that is up to both of us. My goal is live the best life that I can. I am going to continue to grow and develop as best I can. The rest is up to you. No pressure. If I have offended you or you don’t want anything to do with me, I respect that. Stoic thought has taught me that we all have our own agency, our own reality. That means that I can only be concerned with my actions and not your actions or perceptions.
Where does that leave us?
Quite simply, this blog is shifting ever so slightly. Where I would have said to myself in the past, “I can’t share that,” it’s probable that now I will go ahead and share. Please don’t think I’m in this to change minds, I’m not. I’m responsible for me and you are responsible for you. It’s that simple. I’m taking agency for myself when it comes to sharing my journey on this blog. I’m not going to “emote” unnecessarily, but I am going to allow myself to speak to you from my heart where before I might have said to myself, “that is too personal to put out there.”
Why am I doing this? I am doing this for me. Please keep that in mind if you dip in here and read something that leaves you bewildered or confused, or you simply disagree with. Think of it as my attempt to open up a deeper understanding of myself, and share with you at the same time.
I just listened to the most amazing inauguration speech I think I have ever heard. Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivered an eloquent and inspirational address to the people of New York. He seemed to be speaking unprompted off the top of his head, but it was beautifully composed and delivered. Only 34 years old, he exhibits the wisdom of a much older man. The brilliant part of his speech was the leadership he promised he would deliver. I can’t wait to see what he can do for the people of New York. He may just be the future of politics in America, a refreshing departure from the cynicism we have been enduring of late.