The Aliens Are Invading - Run For Your Lives

Another short post because I am buried inn things to do. I have ti comment in the latest immigration lunacy.
You would think that Attila the Hun was massed at our border with at least a million heavily armed troops. Our President is threatening to over ride the immigration laws, even Constitutional rules, by executive order. We are rushing 1000s of troops to deal with them.
Well, there are a few 1000 immigrants, poor, some kids, some not  at all well, walking. Slowly. They are about 2 months away and may not even make it this far.
But boy are we worried and we are prepared and it is all a bunch of nonsense. All of this is just a political game. It is all about power and it is a waste of time and money and every one who is wringing their hands and getting hysterical about this should be ashamed of their selves.
Just chill out and stop all of your lunacy

Brazil

One of the most overlooked and important events of recent days is the election,, in Brazil, of an extreme right wing President. Okay. Fair enough. It is their Country.
But, watch what happens. I have written a lot about our mistreatment and neglect of our Southern neighbors. Again. The chikens come home yo roost.
Brazil certainly has problems. Deep poverty alongside decadent wealth is never a good thing. Neither is way too many people in latge urban areas and a wildly uneducated population.Crime is outrageous.
The newly elected President promises  to be tough on crime. Good, but their is a fine line between tough and nightmarish. Just ask the people of the Philippines about Duarte.
The new Brazilian regime promises economic growth. Great. But, how much will reach their wretchedly poor urban population.
To get that growth, he plans to whack down some more of the Amazon rain forest. That cannot be allowed. With climate change a reality (yes, President Trump, it is real, not a Chinese hoax), to cut down that vast canopy of trees would be disastrous. If Brazil; proceeds with this, the rest of the World needs to hit them with every sanction imaginable. We can get along without their mineral wealth (which is considerable, but there are other sources), without their timber (we grow our own on properly managed tree farms and are coming up with new alternatives to timber every day), and the little bit of oil they pump.
What else do they have? Sugar, and we all eat way too much of that. Ayahuasca, a hallucinogen,  which we definitely don't need. Throw in some produce, and that's about it.
They also need tourist dollars and the new President's extreme dislike of gay people will not help that at all. Carnival brings in a lot of money and picking on gay folks will not do Brazilian tourism a lot of good/. Again, it's their Country and they can do what they want, but this cannot end well. Watch an old movie called, appropriately enough, Brazil/ It is sort of a comedic take on 1984. let's hope it is not prophetic

Hello

I have way too much to do, so I just want to write a brief note and say,'hello.' We are trying to move and that is not  easy. But, the day is fair, we both feel pretty well, and it is important to be sociable and wish someone a nice day.
Actually, that is one of the most important things we can do, every day. The stock market is jumping up and down, we still don't really know what happened with those bombs, A synagogue was shot up and 11 killed. We are still figuring out what to do with the Saudis and those immigrants are still on the way.
But, it is a grand day and there is no point moping around when things go  badly. I am always aware of the negative. That is just part of life and I will never change that. i would not even if I could because it is just how things are and I am not qualified to remake Creation.
But, I can control my reaction when things go off the rails, and I refuse to let any of it get me down. So, I am going to have a great day and I urge you to do the same.

Dogs

Today, no bombs, no immigrants, no elections. Just dogs. I love dogs. They are a joy.
But, an ill mannered dog can be a nightmare. They may still be lovable, but they are a problem, unless you properly train the, and remember a few things.
They are easy to train because they want to please you. They are extremely social and when they come home with you, they want to be a part of your family and will gladly follow family rules. Bit, they have to be taught the rules. Use short commands and be patient while they learn the,. Use positive reinforcement. A pat on the head carries far more weight than a whack on  the bottom and a 'good dog' and a small treat does more than screaming at them.
If you cannot handle their training or are short on time, obedience school are a fine idea. You must be consistent. If you allow something sometimes and not others, you are confusing them.
Also, get the appropriate breed. mixed breeds are best because they are not products of inbreeding, a common practice among greedy breeders. If you have a small apartment, don't get a Great Dane. Unless you have a lot of time to exercise them, don't get a dog bred to work, like a border collie. If you have no time to spend with them, don't get one at all. Again, they are very social and don't like being alone. If you are always busy, get a cat. They have no issue with being left alone. If you have small kids, a tiny dog may be a bad idea, because your child may not understand that they have to be gentle with the tiny creature.
All of that said, dogs are one of Natures finest efforts. Intelligent, playful and loving, they are noble beings. Treat them well and train them well and you have a fine companion. They are so full of sheer jot while they are in the World. I have often thought that if we could find a way to mix our intelligence with their pure joy, it would be an incredible mix. You can do the next best thing. Get a dog to hang out with them and, of you pay attention, you will learn as much from them as they learn from you.
Normally, on a Friday, I leave you with 'have a fun and Blessed weekend.'Today I will leave you with a hardy "Woof."

Confused Yet?

Okay. Now we have a whole bunch of package bombs. Not a one has exploded. The media is beset with experts trying to figure out what is going on. And, for once, most are admitting that they really have no idea.
The bombs themselves seem amateurish almost too amateurish. Maybe they were not intended to explode, just scare, If so, then they may be the work of a real expert.. In ways, it is much harder to make a good fake than the real thing/
There is the political angle. This definitely is aimed at very liberal Democrats. Unless it's not. In the World of the Deep State, things are not always what they seem to be.  But, this may be from an individual ir group that is independent of any part of the Government, or the power behind the Government.
A 'lone nut?' That is the idea usually trotted out and, after all the times it has been used, that is wearing a bit thin. Beside, this is a fairly large event and I don't really think that one person is doing this.
One thing for sure, If the object is to scare, it has worked. Statements by politicians to the contrary, it has brought a large chunk of NY City to a stop. Not to mention the panic it has brought to up State NY, S. Florida, DC and now Delaware.
One thing this should bring to mind is a much overlooked fact. With the exception of 9/11, most of our terrorists have been homegrown. Remember Oklahoma City, the Unibomber, Las Vegas, the Olympic bombings in Atlanta some years ago, the Weathermen bombings in the 60s. And the list could go on and on. Throw in the Zodiac, the Zebra Killings and Son of Sam, all events that, yes, terrorized cities. Heck, you can go back to John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry before the Civil War, an act that these days would be considered terrorist.
I have no idea what's happening and neither does anyone else, except those responsible. I am a bit surprised no one has claimed credit yet. That is not a good sign. It tells me that more is planned
What to do? Not much. Stay on your toes and pay attention. But, don't worry a lot. It will do you  no food and much har, All of this is nothing new and, it will pass.

Something Smells

This will be short because my internet connection is just plain weird today. Of course, the bomb deliveries are the huge topics. Here's my issue.
First commentators are saying that the whole thing is a sophisticated affair. If so, then why is it that nothing exploded. The plans for such bombs are all over the internet and citizens in many Countries whip them up with no problem. Funny, isn't it?
Something smells. I have an excellent nose for bovine eliminations. I have no idea what has happened, and we may never really know, but something is really, really weird.

Moral Ambiguity

Sometimes, often in fact, it is almost impossible to know what to do. What is right for some is horribly wrong for others.
This leaps to mind when witnessing the looming border crisis. There is no denying the plight if the wretchedly poor streaming toward Texas. Were I a citizen of Honduras, I would probably be among them. It is a heart breaking sight and anyone with an ounce of compassion wants to help them.
Bit, the USA is very shaky at the moment. Some economic improvement is evident, but the cost of that has been great. We are at each others throats over silly, nit picking nonsense and no one, on either side seems willing to give an inch. Most do not even want to talk about the possibility of giving an inch.
On top of that, there is still much poverty, economic, emotional and spiritual, in the Land. We are still not even dealing effectively wit war Veteran's issues. racial tensions are always on the edge of boiling over and crime is a major problem everywhere.
We are not ready to take in a whole slew of impoverished immigrants. Yet, there they are. What do we do? President Trump has vowed to srop them. How? If by force, then there will be bloodshed and you will gear cries of outrage, well justified, not only across the USA but around the World. Do we process them legally? Sorry, we do not have enough judges and no where near enough housing to hold them as they await hearings. By the way, courts have ruled that they are definitely, Constitutionally, entitled to these hearings.
Get my point. There is no good answer, no easy right or wrong. Such moral ambiguity is the essence of how the World works.
I have no solutions, but I can tell you that there is a way to prevent the constant occurrence of such issues. A lot of these problems in South and Central America have happened because of the sorry way we have dealt with that region. For many, many years we have stomped on their poor people to keep tyrants in power because those thugs dealt favorably with big American corporations, especially in terms of agriculture and mining, (think United Fruit and the copper mining in Chile)
Most of what is happening now is the result of our history of meddling in other Nation's business. As I have often said, the chickens always come home to roost.
What happens at the border will not likely be good for anyone. It is a sad and sorry event.

Life Will Go On

Immigrants are pouring toward our border. Politicians are fighting desperately for mid term election power. The President is keeping things as stirred up as possible, an effort matched word for word by his opponents. The Stock Market is becoming unstable. And, now, another possible hurricane is getting all wound up in the Gulf/
Confusion, chaos and struggle seem immanent;
Yet, more and more, I find that I just don't really care. More precisely, I have a mild interest and I keep up with what's happening, but I have no attachment to the whole mess.
The history of Humanity is a patchwork of ups and downs. Things have been much worse. If you don't believe that,, read Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities and contemplate the vision of Guillotines and heads rolling in the streets. Things, in the USA have not reached that level. We, despite all the noise, still function as a somewhat civil society.
Guess what? Even if things worsen, which they may well do, life will go on. WE will get by and, from time to time. we will thrive. Just take it easy, do your work and do not get all caught up in the string of angst presented by the news media. All will be well and you just have to ride out the rough parts. Hang in there.,

Manners

Just a quick thought or two on manners. I am not talking about the formal manners of Emily Post. I am talking common courtesy.
 Take the time to say 'please', thank you, and 'I appreciate that. Be patient in crowded stores. help folks who are having a tough go of it. By that I mean help the elderly and disabled when they are having troubles with doors and items high on shelves. Get out of the way when parents are struggling with kids. Be a courteous driver and don't cut people off in traffic and never bang your horn and scream obscenities. In fact, watch your mouth in all situations. We live in an ever crowded Nation. Most folks live in cities and they are all overcrowded and that breeds tension; do not make things worse
Manners are a coping mechanism. They are essential buffers that disperse tensions and they are simple and easy to follow. You and everyone you meet will have better lives if you just display  an ease during interactions and manners are the key to that. As your Mom might have once said to you, mind your manners.

Look Around You

Now that I am retired and don't have to run around like a maniac, I have time to watch the World and its inhabitants. Here and there, I watch people. Two words for all of you. Slow Down.
Yeah, I know, it seems that you have to go full speed to keep up. Take it from someone who did just that, If you run and run, just to keep up, you are doing something wrong. Streamline your life. Get rid of what you don't need. When you work, work efficiently. Get tasks out of the way and do them right the first time.
To those who say that they have to work multiple jobs to keep up, I have a number, 7.1 million. That is the number of unfilled jobs in the Nation. They go unfilled because American workers are unqualified. The solution to a lot of problems is simple. Take whatever time you can and get qualified. There are many training programs and Community Colleges and Technical schools and they are pretty inexpensive. Give uo a few nights out with your friends and a game ot two and get busy. In the long run, actually quicker than you think, you will have the kind of job people used to have. % days a week, 8 hours a day and enough income to live well. Not lavishly. but well.
Just watch people. They waste so much time and effort and accomplish so little. They concern themselves with details of celebrity lives and local gossip. They carry on about political issues that they have no say on. trust me. despite everything you hear, big time politicians  are going to do, what they are paid to do, which is often not what people really want them to do. Rid yourselves of concerns that are not yours. Take care of your own business and do so carefully and efficiently, always remembering to be kind when called upon and to see to the well being of family and friends when they ask for help.
Then, when you find that you suddenly have time to relax, take a deep breath, open you eyes, and look around at this magnificent World. Have a Blessed day.

Open Up

There is a great line in an old Yes song. 'Don't surround yourself with yourself.'
Ever since psychiatry became a hit, people have been almost obsessed with self analysis. Just go in a bookstore and see the endless array of self help books, many masquerading as 'spiritual' guides. Look at the whole 'motivational speaker' scam. Then think of all the folks who spend years and dollars seeing therapists
Of course, we all have to, here and there, stop and take a look at ourselves, but past a certain point, that is a stupid waste of time. If you find yourself doing things you don't find acceptable, just stop doing them. For countless centuries, that is what humans did.
The only way to see yourself is through the rest of Creation. Open up. get out of your head and look. You will find a whole fascinating World at your fingertips. You will also see that your little issues fade in importance. In short, you are freed.
There is another issue. When led by a therapist, they are the ones leading you and they will apply their favorite theories to you and, trust me, those theories are deeply flawed.
You are a wonderful being, but let's be blunt. Your every thought and every urge are not that fascinating and dwelling in these things just traps you.
A character in Malcolm Lowry's magnificent novel, Under the Volcano, put it well. 'A little self knowledge is a dangerous thing.'

The Saufis

Our relationship with the Saudis is sinking fast. There is likely some connection between the death of a journalist and the Saudi royal family. Okay, why are we surprised.
The Saudi regime has long been considered, by Amnesty International, to be one of the most brutal and oppressive in the World. We speak of them as great allies and friends and, for that, shame on us. We sold our souls for oil. We do not need them as military allies and, at this point, we can get by just fine without their petroleum.
We must stop supporting them in their war in Yemen, which is just a proxy war with Iran. We must stop selling them arms. We must hit them with sanctions as stiff as those we have placed on Iran and N. Korea.
Will we? That is hard to say. There is fear that any sanctions will stifle our marginally growing economy. There is fear that we can throw off ant stability that exists in the Muddle East.
Gere is the question. Will we act in a moral manner or will we continue selling our souls for cheap oil and a shaky chance at getting a Mid East peace treaty, which really is for the benefit, bit of the USA, but for Israel Our best strategy would be complete withdrawal from all alliances in that idiotically warlike region, but there is about as much chance of that as I have of sprouting wings and flying away.
Nations, as well as individuals, are subject to the laws of, for want of a better word, karma. We certainly have a history of doing great and wonderful things in this land, but we also have a history of dealing, on uncomfortably friendly terms, with some of the most inhumane regimes the World has ever known. This will, one fine day, come back to haunt is.
There is an old saying my Daddy was fond of. "When you lie down with dogs don't be surprised if you get up with fleas.",

Flow

The saying,'go with the flow' has some merit. A lot of merit.
We tend to see life as a series of discrete events, snap shots in the flow of rime. That is simply the way our brain functions. What continuity we perceived comes when our brains fill in the gaps. It is sort of the way digital music is heard. Tiny bits of music are strung together and we fill in the spaces. That, by the way, is why analog recordings sound more natural, more alive.
In reality, there are no gaps. Events flow seamlessly through time and space. What is more, they are all intertwined. The separations of space are an illusion. Nothing stands alone.
Quiet your mind and you begin to perceive the flow of everything. That is ab excellent strategy for getting along in the World. You perceive more of reality and can see the motions, the flow.
Going with the flow does not mean that you like, or even accept, everything going on. You see it, and, much like a martial artist, you turn that energy to your own advantage.Sometimes you win, sometimes not. Either way, it is usually a more effective strategy than standing firm and fighting.
A prime example comes from our recent hurricane. The might oaks fell. The flexible palms. while badly battered, stood.
Anyway, it's something to think about as you go through your day's struggles. Here's hoping that those struggles are few and light and that you win your share of the battles. Remember, it's all just a grand game. As mu Daddy used to say, 100 years from now, no one will care or remember. Go lightly and easily through the coming week. Blessings to all.

Kanye's Big Day Out

Just a quick post today to ask a question. Who really cares what Kanye West says. A huge deal is being made about his White House appearance and rambling speech. One may agree or disagree with what he said, once you decipher it, but, really, who cares? And, if you do, why?
When are we going to get past our juvenile obsession with celebrities and their opinions? They have no more knowledge, and usually much less than your average working American. The same goes for academics. They all live in an insular World and there day to day concerns are not the same as yours and mine.
We do not need these folks to tell us what to do and what to think. Same goes for career politicians
Learn all you can about problems and come up with your own solutions. Then get together with like minded people and get to work.
We have no time to even give thought to the half baked ideas of celebrities.
Have a wonderful and Blessed weekend

The Violence of Nature

In our culture, we say that we abhor violence, yet we are fascinated by it, Just look at our movies and TV shows. We are taught to value peace and have no qualms about blowing Nations to bits when they disagree with us. We are a curious people. Perhaps we are so fascinated with violence because we are taught that violence is completely unacceptable.
The World, in fact the entire Cosmos, is violent. Stars are fueled by thermonuclear reactions, creating unthinkable hear. Here and there, they explode. Galaxies literally eat each other. On the Earth, we witness volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis. Just yesterday, America was able to witness the full fury of a Category 4 hurricane. The aftermaths of all of these events are horrific. But, witnessing the event itself, the eruptions of amazing force is to witness, not necessarily beauty, but the sublime. You cannot avoid being made aware of the awesome mystery.
So, having established that our Creator uses violence in his Creation, what about on the human level? We can be a violent lot and there is no reason to deny that. What can we do about that?
First, di not deny it. That just gives the violent urge just gives it more power. Bow, that does not mean to give in to these urges. Redirect the energy. Use it to find new answers, and, if you cannot do that, go out and find a way to burn off that energy. Work out. Play a sport. If you physically cannot do so, then sublimate the energy by watching physically violent activities such as football and boxing. The arts are another way to give safe vent to our darker impulses.
War is, to state the obvious, is violent and, while I think war is a stupid activity, it is justified in cases of direct attack by another Country. On a personal level, self defense or the defense of others is just fine.
The most troubling aspect of violence are the acts of random violence. Random acts of any sort are hard for humans to deal with. We want a neatly ordered World. We;;. it is ordered, but it is not always neat.
To sum up this rambling mess of a post, violence is part of the World and part of human nature. Sp be it. All you can do us learn to control, to sublimate, violent impulses and keep, by strength of will, your violent responses to a minimum. Peace is wonderful, but it will never, be the only game in the Universe. Have a fine day and say a prayer for thise who went through yesterday's monster storm.

What is Going On

I turned on the news this morning, a bad habit, to get some news about the storm. For reasons unclear to myself, I put on Fox News.
Did i get news on the storm? No. They were chatting about the Kavanaugh confirmation and how it will effect the mod-term elections. Really?
The Florida coast is about to be hit with a catastrophic, historic Category 4 storm, with 140 mph winds and a massive storm surge. The Damage will be beyond belief and lives will be in danger.
And they are talking politics.
Yesterday, the President spent an inordinate amount of time saying good bye to Nikki Haley. His only comment about the storm was that the Federal Government  will be ready to help. He threw in a few Kabanaugh comments and some mid-term election comments.
Again, a disaster is about to occur, effecting Florida, Georgia, and S. Carolina. And all the Fox News and the President want to talk about is politics. What is happening to our moral priorities. Lives come first. Who really cares who the Ambassador to the UN is. How many of us really keep track onf Supreme Court rulings. And, for good or ill, most people do not bother to vote, especially in mid-term elections.
The President and his ilk are obsessed with one thing and he made it clear in the elections. They care about winning. Power is the prize and morality and good sense have taken a back seat. This is sad.
Tomorrow, when I get up, I think I'll hunt for some cartoons in the morning.  Maybe I can find Curious George or Clifford the Big Red Dog. That would be time better spent.

Ready or Not, Here It Comes

Michael is coming. Yep, another hurricane and a pretty good chance that this one will be outrageously strong.
I am not going through another check list of preparation procedures. I did that recently and, if you wish, you can check back a couple of weeks.\The point is, if you are not ready now, you have a problem.. We started hearing that at least a strong tropical storm would hut the Florida Panhandle. Anyone who has watched these storms over the years should have seen that it would get worse. It did. Much worse. The gulf waters are very warm and there are no fronts to shear the winds. It is clear sailing for Michael.
Here's the thing. I used to live in the Panhandle region and the coasral areas were sparsely populated and there were no high rises on the beaches and islands. There really was ere not many buildings at all. Storms came in and left damage, but it was tolerable. Now, there are huge buildings everywhere and many residents and tourists.
 The possible huge storm surge is the issue. They can, especially when pushed by high winds, cause major structural damage. You could wake up on the 10th floor and find that there us not much left to the lower floors. Power will be out, Bridges may develop structural damage and remain closed indefinitely. Water service will be interrupted. Supplies will be cut off.
If you stay along the coast, you may be stranded for a good while.
This storm came up quickly and those on ots path have not had much warning. This underlines the necessity to plan ahead.
But, that aside, if you live along the Florida coast and are told to evacuate, do so. Now. All the rest of us need to pray for everyone in that region.
One last thing. Local authorities need to have an idea of what they will do to get the elderly and disabled. A society is and must be judged by how it treats those most in need.

Let the Good Times Roll

Just a quick note today. Right now, our World is filled with turmoil. As Yeates wrote, 'the center cannot hold. Mere anarchy is loosed upon the World.' As Jesus said, 'be not troubled. These things must come to pass.' What do you do in the meantime? Have as much fun  as you can, without harming others.
Celebrate. Eat, drink and be merry. Sing and dance and tell tales of great men and women. Play games and go hiking and talk to kids. Play fetch with dogs and watch cats stalking their prey. Raise gardens and smell the flowers. And, sometimes, just sit and watch the clouds roll by.
Our Creator does not begrudge us pleasures. The World is here for us to enjoy as long as we also take care of it.
Times of turmoil will likely grow worse before they grow better. A lot worse. You do not, in the days of dry wood. want to look back and wonder why you did not enjoy things now.
Remember the end of Yeates' poem. "Who knows what rough creature is slouching toward Bethlehem, his hour to be born."

Childhood's End

Childhood's End is a great sci-fi novel by Arthur C. Clatke, based around some of the ideas of Tielhard de Chardien a Jesuit monk and paleontologist. Basically, the end of humanity will come when we evolve to the point where we no longer need physical form, but are able to exist as pure intelligent energy. Or something of that sort. i don't know if I but that completely, but I do believe we are reaching the end of our childhood
Look at it this way. If you have kids, do you want them to remain kids or to grow up? There are a few parents who really want their kids to remain kids, but that is not the norm. And, if you want your children to grow up, then why would you think our Creator would not want us to further evolve?
The problem is people, the people who rub things. It is to their advantage to have us remain children because then, they can play Daddy and that means that they can control us. I have said it before and stand by this statement. Power is the most addictive drug. Not power with a purpose, just sheer, raw power fro its own sake.
Also, those who are being controlled want to remain so. It is more comfortable and easier to be told what to do than it is to think. On top of that, we grow comfortable with the old stories, the old myths and are loathe to discard them. We find comfort in tales of gods and goddesses. angels and demons,and all manner of spirit beings. These beings likely exist, in some form, but they are not supernatural. They are beings functioning in a different manner than we do, but they are still subject to the Natural Laws. We simply do not understand those laws fully.
And that is the point. Instead of clinging to ancient tales of dragons and ogres and trolls and Sea Gods, let us grow up and explore this vast and wonderful Universe. We will find it far more amazing than children's stories. Truth is always stranger and more fascinating than fiction.
Our Creator is telling us that story time for the kiddies is over.

Pain

Stephen King, as a result of a hit and run accident, became something of an expert, on a personal and experiential level, on pain. In his fine novel, Duma Key, the main character goes through rehab from a horrible accident and points out that pain is the most powerful dictator on Earth. As I have pointed out a few times, I have issues,, big issues with chronic pain.
Pain, chronic pain, rules your life.When it strikes, and it does so almost whimsically, the rest of your life stios. Ohm you keep functioning, usuallt, but you are never fully present, Part of you, a big part, is taken by the pain. Do not give me that mind over matter nonsense. Do not tell me that you have to be string enough to ignore it. I used to say those things and I was an idiot. You can learn to tolerate pain, to work around it, but pain, when it hits, cannot be ignored or simply pushed aside, not for long. In an emergency, yes, for a very short time, then it is back with a vengeance.
Even when the pain is dormant, it rules you. You are thrilled that you don'y hurt, but you know it will be back and a part of you is wondering when that will be. A sneeze, a slight slip, a quick turn of the head and there it is. Psychologically, it preys on you. You begin thinking that the whole mess is your fault, that there is a punishment factor involved. This is a feature for those of us raised inn the remnants of the old fashioned fire and brimstone Protestantism. It takes a while to get past that one.
What can be done? Damned if I know. There are drugs that help for short periods, As we all know, they have some very nasty consequences if you do not handle them correctly, but they work. One reason I am writing this post is because of the uproar over opiate abuse. There is almost am attitude developing a moral attitude about addiction, a feeling that the addict is weak. morally, and this is wrong. Often, opiate addicts started by trying to deal with very real physical pain. Likewise, many self medicate with alcohol.
We must not make addiction a moral issue. At the same time, we need to find a way to deal with chronic pain. There may be some possibilities with marijuana and, blessedly, those are now being explored. There is also, out on the fringes of research, some evidence that tiny doses of LSD like drugs may have considerable value.
Or, maybe we just have to accept a certain level of controlled addiction. You cannot simply tell sufferers to live with it. That is not going to happen, nor should it. We are often, in these cases dealing with the elderly, the very young and potentially terminal patients and we mist never grow so Puritanical about drugs that we refuse pain relief. There will always be those who simply abuse the drugs because they like them, but that should not lead us to the denial of useful medicines to those who need them, Again, we may have to accept a certain level of controlled addiction, but I am afraid that, in our current political clinate, such reasoned response may be out of the question.
I have nothing left to say ob the matter, no magic answers, no pep talks, no sermons. All any of us can do is use our heads and ise compassion. I truly hope that no one out there suffers chronic pain, but that is a foolish wish. Many of you will and I hope that others understand. Bless all of you

The Ryder Cup

Once again, America, despite being a far superior team, has shown that it cannot win a Ryder Cup in Europe. It really has become quite a strange thing  I gave no idea what is behind this, but here goes.
It is true that the course was set up to favor Europe. We do the same thing when we host. In this case, the fairways were very narrow and the rough very high. This took driver out of play for the long American drivers, but it did the same for Europe's Rory McIlroy and John Rahm, yet they coped. The greens were very slow but that is needed in Europe because the courses are often in windy areas. If you have high wind s and fast greens, it is no longer golf' it is hockey. American players do not like slow greens. Why? Who knows? But, they do get testy when forced to play slow greens All such talk misses the point. The course is to be played as you find it and the player is there to adjust. In fact, that is almost the point of the whole silly game.
There were bad decisions by the American Captains. Tony Finau was playing great, yet was sat out for some matches. DeChanbeau was playing poorly, so, of course they kept plating him.. Tiger Woods was clearly exhausted, yet was sent out for all 5 sessions. Phil Mickelson, after an early season win, has played horribly and continued that trend throughout the tournament. He appeared to have no idea what he was doing on the course.
The big issue was the lack of enthusiasm. At any given time, about half of the Americans on the Course appeared about half awake  DJ and Koepka could not understand that in foursomes, if your partner is in trouble, you have to play safe. DeChambeau's mathematical approach to the game fails when he finds himself in wildly uneven grounds with knee high rough. Patrick Reed's Captain America routine finally ran out of gas when he found himself driving terribly. For a spell there, he couldn't have found the fairway with a bulldozer.
I really don't care about the whole Ryder Cup thing. I always have found it silly, but it does show the problem facing golf in the future, the very near future. The game is so dominated by power, that when the players can't just bomb the ball out there. They lose interest. Yet, the power aspect has to be reined in. We cannot keep simply making courses longer. Land costs too much to start designing 9000 yard courses. In addition, the upkeep, especially the irrigation, would be absurdly expensive. The whole game can be brought back into focus by changing the ball. It used to spin more and travel less and that can be done again. However, the modern players will scream like the spoiled brats that they have become. The game will grow less and less watchable on the pro level. However, there is an emphasis on building short, playable courses for families and friends to enjoy.  In the long run, who cares about the pros. Go have some fun yourselves. And, while you're at it, have a Blessed Day.