Category: Rev. Joe Dirt’s Ramblings

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

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Early Voting

Not sure what this portends in this obscenely deep red state of Missouri, but this is the line for early voting at a library close to our house.  Missouri opened no excuse early voting starting October 22 and continues right up the day before election day, November 5th. From everything I have been reading, it is a very popular.  This picture was taken on Friday, October 25th around 10:30 in the morning.

The line once inside the library was two or three times as long as the line outside as they had us snaking around like we were in an airport TSA line. All in all though, it went smoothly.  From the time I parked my truck — we had to walk a ways back to the library — it took us an hour to vote.

Just as an aside, one thing I do not like about Missouri elections is Continue reading “Early Voting”

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Gone to the dogs…


We swap dog sitting with some friends of ours who have two dogs more or less the same size as Prancess Lily.  The Siskestons have gone to Seattle for a week so their cute canine critters are here right now — sorry, I love alliteration.

Yesterday evening I was sitting in my recliner in my office / man cave attempting to read a couple chapters of a novel in Spanish, Yo no soy tu perfecta hija mexicana. As I was doing so, Luna, Zeeba and Prancess Lily, all three decided to pile in the chair with me, creating a ménage-à-chienne.

I gave into the situation, and decided to close my eyes for a few minutes… I seem to be napping more frequently these days. Señora saw my pecado and decided to take a picture.  Apparently, Zeeba had vacated the ménage before Señora could find her phone and snap a picture.

Reminds me of one my favorite groups from the 60s and 70s, Three Dog Night.  I have definitely gone to the dogs.

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Praying For Armageddon

This documentary,  Praying For Armageddon, is from the BBC and is about American Evangelicals and their support of Israel. Even though I knew most of what was presented in this documentary, I found it absolutely chilling, as well as very depressing. This video describes how American Evangelicals are willing and hopeful of fomenting discord to the point of global war to bring about their long awaited Armageddon. It is an extremely scary world view.

(My origin link to a single video of the complete documentary had a forced take down due to copyright issues… maybe these will stay up)

The milieu that I grew up in was Southern Baptist, although with us moving around so much, it was an on again, off again, immersion. My favorite uncle, whom I loved very much, was a Southern Baptist minister.  I passed two summers in his household as teenager as I was having so many problems at home.  I think the hope was that it might reattach my shaky rudder, which it did to some extent.

While my uncle was gracious about it, I just could Continue reading “Praying For Armageddon”

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Rev. Joe’s Random Thought #7,519

yeah I know you did not ask!

You should so be blessed – well cursed at times actually – with a mind such as mine, making all these weird connections between my rumored neurons. Just be thankful that I do not share all of my random thoughts.

I read once that they used to say that you could buy a Ford Model T in any color you wanted, as long as it was black.

It seems to me this last year or so, you could say that you can buy any new car, regardless of brand, in any color you want, as long as it is gray.

The interstates around St. Louis are beginning to look like an endless, gray ribbons.

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Just in case you have forgotten: Electricity – a good thing

I received the following message from one of my Spanish tutors who lives in a jungle town in Ecuador:

Hola David!! quería preguntarte si es posible que podamos tener la lección del lunes en la tarde? es posible que no tenga electricidad en la mañana!? avísame por favor gracias ?

Basically she is asking if we could have our scheduled lesson in the afternoon rather than the usual morning as they do not have electricity during that part of the day.

I talk with this young lady every two weeks for conversational practice, and have been doing so for years.  We almost always have interesting conversations, even with her frequently playing Devil’s Advocate Continue reading “Just in case you have forgotten: Electricity – a good thing”

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Rev. Joe’s Random Thought #3,946

yeah I know you did not ask!

You should so be blessed – well cursed at times actually – with a mind such as mine, making all these weird connections between my rumored neurons. Just be thankful that I do not share all of my random thoughts.

Many maps and globes depict the planet’s largest island, Greenland, as all white.  Given what seems to be an accelerating pace of global warming, I wonder how long it will be before the cartographers have to re-colorize this island?

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Frozen Bird      

This article needs just a tad of an introduction.

Being a man of certain age, I Am Official Old,I have some minor problems with arthritis, fortunately they are still not a daily preoccupation. The major culprits are my ankles, my knees, my left shoulder that was injured in a car accident, and my hands, principally my left hand.  I broke the ring finger and the finger next to it on that hand many moons ago in a fight. Plus I wonder since Continue reading “Frozen Bird      “

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A Billboard – Somewhere in Georgia

First of all, the shear hubris of this billboard is more than I can fathom.  Then the divisiveness promoted by this sign, surely placed by a religious organization or person, is the exact opposite of what religion should be doing.  Historically, however, Christianity has not be an inclusive religion, except by force, nor has it been an agent for tolerance and acceptance of people who believe or think differently than themselves.  IMHO, this attitude continues today in many branches of Christianity.

On the other hand, I have been and am certainly demonizing MAGA Republicans.  For me, they are espousing the worst side of humanity.  Why so many Christians, especially Evangelical Christians, are so adamantly onboard with the MAGA crowd is mystifying.

That persons like tRump, Putin, Maduro, Kim Jung-un, Netanyahu and many more of that ilk are in positions of power is proof that a god does not exist — at least the god as detailed in the various religious texts, or if he does exist, he certainly does not love humanity.

Oh well.

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Why are Red State Citizens Poorer, Less Educated, & Sicker than Blue State Citizens?

Here is an interesting, short read from the pen of Thom Hartmann:

Why are Red State Citizens Poorer, Less Educated, & Sicker than Blue State Citizens?

The quick synopsis is that they are shooting themselves in the foot.

Just something to think about as you getting ready to vote in what seems like the most consequential election of my lifetime. I see this election as clear option between democracy and fascism, between inclusiveness and Christian Sharia law, between joy and a Draconian world view, between sanity and insanity, between the have-too-muches and the rest of us…

If nothing else you have to wonder why Elon Musk is pouring so much money into the tRump campaign. Musk is the epitome of self-interest, seeing himself better and smarter than practically every other person on the planet, willing to use and abuse just about anyone for his own ends.  Wait, that describes tRump also.

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