Category: Rev. Joe Dirt’s Ramblings

The unsolicited, unreasoned, uninformed, unapologetic opinions of Rev. Joe Dirt

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Wealth Inequality = Social Problems

Nicholas Kristof in the New York Times Equality, a True Soul Food

He is summarizing a British report on the societal effects of wealth inequality. Currently in America “the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans possess a greater collective net worth than the bottom 90 percent.”  I do not understand why everyone, except the 1%, is not shocked and up in arms over this fact.  But that is me.

The basic premise of the study, backed up by tons of data is this.  With great wealth inequality you create a wide variety of personal and social stressors.  There are increases in crime, Continue reading “Wealth Inequality = Social Problems”

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Ace Hardware — Hip Hip Hooray

After about 3 weeks of casually looking when I was in a store anyway, I found a pair of gloves for yard work. “Big deal”, you say. Yes, because my primary criteron was to find a pair not made in China. I had checked all the usual suspects, China*Mart, the China*Mart want-to-be Lowe’s, etc. Every pair of gloves I picked had been manufactured in China.

I was close to an Ace Hardware store Sunday, so I decided to buzz in and see what they had in the work glove department. I picked up several pair, and they were identified as having been made in Pakistan. While this is not American made, I had decided that I would not be able to find a pair of American made work gloves and would settle for a pair made anywhere but China.

I am 100% sure that Pakistan needs the work much more than China. Having worked for a large retailer I know that they make a show of making sure their products are manufactured in factories with some modicum of humane treatment. I can only hope Ace Hardware does this too.

I bought them. Thanks Ace Hardware.

See I Want to Buy American

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Some Squirrelly Insights

It was sunny, but cold winter morning in St. Louis.  Robin and I were Supposedly, this photo is undoctored!!!preparing for our Sunday morning ritual of 99 cents bowling.   We were eating that great American breakfast of cereal and milk before we ventured out in -10 degrees (Celsius – that is) weather.  She had offered to fix some hot oatmeal or cream of wheat, but I had declined as we were running a little late.

Robin noticed them first as she was sitting closest to the window.  The backyard was just full of squirrels acting…well squirrelly.  There must have between 7 and 10 squirrels running across the yard, through the tree limbs, chasing each other.  Continue reading “Some Squirrelly Insights”

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Divorcing Susan G. Komen

Susan G. Komen Foundation Elbows Out Charities Over Use Of The Word ‘Cure’

I’ve been donating to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for years. It is not large amounts of money, $100 to $200 a year.  I rotate my charitable giving across several charities.

I first started giving to the Komen Foundation in honor of an ex-girlfriend that died of breast cancer.   Continue reading “Divorcing Susan G. Komen”

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Latest Possible Cause of Food Poisoning? The Body of Christ

No commentary…I’ll let you add your own. I just find this amusing.

Story in The Riverfront Times St. Louis’ alternative newspaper

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A New God Given Document

A friend sent me the following link: Scalia: Women Don’t Have Constitutional Protection Against Discrimination

The gist of the article is this.  The 14th Amendment, specifically the Equal Protection clause,  requires the states to provide equal protection to all people within its jurisdiction.  Scalia is arguing that the Constitution and this amendment does not prohibit the passage of laws discriminating based on gender or sexual orientation.  Continue reading “A New God Given Document”

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Curmudgeons

A couple interesting articles about “Curmudgeons”.

Dr. Judith Rich: Confessions of a Closet Curmudgeon in The Huffington Post

Dr. Judith Rich: How to Love a  Curmudgeon in The Huffington Post

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I Want to Buy American

I was in Lowe’s the other day.   The fact that it was Lowe’s is only incidental.  It could have been any of the many big box store chains that dot Generica.

They provided to me a pretty clear snapshot of the some issues that are troubling me about American business.  It all seems to boil down to corporations being willing to sell out this country because they are more concerned about the quarterly profit statement and executive pay than anything else.

My first observation is that Spanish is nearly as prominent in the store as English.  The lettering was not quite as big as the English, but it was only a small percentage less so. Continue reading “I Want to Buy American”