Category: Rev. Joe Dirt’s Ramblings

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

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Could YOU pass a citizenship test?

Years ago I knew a Turkish man who obtained US citizenship. Shortly after his induction ceremony, he told me about the test he had to take AND pass as part of his path to US citizenship.  I remembering thinking at the time that I was not sure I could have passed that test, and I am from a generation that was required to take Civics in high school and then again in college.  Plus for a while I majored in History, and I have always had an interest in the subject, especially the revolutionary period of American history.

All this came back to mind as there was an article on the da ‘net: Do you know the 3 branches of US government? Many don’t, leading to a push for civics education

In the article there is a link to a very short quiz that gives a small sampling of the type of questions on the citizenship exam.  It also stated that the actual test  was not multiple choice like the one connected to the news article.  I managed to get all 10 correct, but, most likely, only because it was multiple choice.

Here is the link: Could YOU pass a citizenship test?

I am definitely of the opinion that all students in the USA should have to take Civics course before high school graduation as well as American History.  While I am on the subject, why not Home Economics, not matter what your gender.  They all definitely are needed in our quotidian lives.  As an outsider looking in, I am not so sure all the super concentration of STEM subjects is benefiting our children or our country. I say this as a person with a science degree and a technology degree, and as someone who worked in these fields for most of their adult life.

Take my opinion and $2 and change, and you will be able to buy yourself a soda pop. Eso lo que hay.

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Rev. Joe’s Random Thought #8,062

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.

Am I bad?  A while back I put Trump’s Truth Social stock, ticker DJT, in my investment watch list.  Why?  Just to watch it tank.  I has fallen from a high in the mid $90s to $16 or $17 a share.

Just as an aside, apparently MTG (Majorie Taylor Greene) follows the common stock advise of buying high and selling low. She invested $50,000 in the stock at its peak.  So far she has not sold.  Maybe she is holding out for Trump’s reelection, thinking it will recover.

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Sex-Mad Marsupial

This article from The Guardian popped up in my curated Google news feed: Week in wildlife in pictures: a rebellious kingfisher, golfing bobcats and a sex-mad marsupial

The caption for the sex-mad marsupial read:

A brush-tailed phascogale is cared for in Victoria, Australia. Also known as a tuan, the little mammal is in the running for the hotly contested marsupial of the year accolade. Experts believe it is in with a chance, thanks to the males’ remarkable mating habits. “Not a lot of people realise this is a species where the males literally mate themselves to death,” said Rachel Lowry, head of Bush Heritage Australia. “Once they start to discover the joys of copulation, they just keep mating. They forget to eat and then they drain their energy and they die”

The last part of the caption grabbed my attention and I was transported back more than 55 years.  When I discovered the “joys of copulation”, if I could have, I would have easily followed this marsupial to the grave. I am so proud of myself.  I actually found a turn of phrase that was not the crude one that kept popping into my mind.

Fortunately (unfortunately?) for me, as teenagers, it was frequently difficult to find the privacy we needed.

Now that I am a few years older, I imagine that shortly I will be worried  about this activity sending me to my grave by a different route.  The ticker is “okay” right now, but who knows how it will be in a few years.

Señora just reminded me that moderation is the key for most things.

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You Can’t Fix Stupid

“God grant me the serenity to accept stupid people,
the courage to not waste my time and energy on them,
and the wisdom to know that I can’t fix stupid.” ~~ Anonymous

I had an early doctor’s appointment Thursday after Tuesday’s presidential debate between Harris and Trump. The appointment was for 8 a.m., and I arrived a few minutes early as there are generally a few administrative tasks to complete before actually seeing the medical personnel.

My internist is very good about getting me back to an exam room on time although occasionally I have had to wait in there for the doctor after the nurse does her thing with vitals and nosy questions. Most of the other doctors I go to are not quite so prompt. This was the case Thursday morning.

I first noticed this pair of men as the elder Continue reading “You Can’t Fix Stupid”

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Being a Bit of a Fashionista

Fashions come and fashions go.  I am ready for jogger pants for men to go.  I think it is one of the worst fashion trends to come along in a while, especially when paired with the no socks look.  Of course, many of the current “fashion” trends leave me scratching my head. So many folks look like they could not be bothered to change out of their at home lounging clothes before going out into public, inflicting their fashion sense on the rest of us.  I would not go back to Victorian times when folks were overly rigid about how one dressed when going out in public, but there is a balance in there somewhere.

I was returning home from the golf course in Illinois, and I made a stop at the Wal-Mart in South County, the one right next to the Mississippi River.  It is a trippy place in Continue reading “Being a Bit of a Fashionista”

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Rev. Joe’s Random Thought #8,761

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 am quite content being male.  I am also not a Swiftie.  In fact, I don’t get the whole global phenomenon that is Taylor Swift.  I cannot name one of her songs. I did go to YouTube a while back to listen to one of her tunes, only to discover that it was not my type of music.  I also do not find her particularly attractive, not ugly, just not my type.

Having said all that, I would love to put a “Childless Cat Lady for Kamala” bumper sticker on my pick-em-up truck.  I reckon I could claim the truck belonged to my wife???

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I Am Officially Old – Part II

I went golfing last Friday evening fairly late in the day. When I was done with my round I drove the golf cart up to my 18 year old mid-life crisis vehicle, Li’ Blu, to unload my clubs and other golfing paraphernalia. When I was I done I hopped in the cart and drove around the club house to the collection area for golf carts.

As I approached the drop off zone, another cart was approaching, being driven by a young man of around 6 years of age – hard to tell these days as they all look so young.  He was short enough that he was standing with his backside supported by the cart seat.  It was the only way he could reach the pedals.

Always the wisenheimer, I asked for his driving license and proof of insurance.  The kid said something which I do not remember, but his father, who was trailing the cart, said he was older than he looked.

It was at that point that the licenseless  muchacho remarked, “I am 39 years old.”

Why 39? A bit of an odd number, but maybe someone he knew recently had this birthday.

Still the wisenheimer, I responded, “Well if you are 39, I must be 150.”

He then jumped out of the cart and ran back to his mother waiting by their car saying, “That man is 150 years old.”

Obviously my well honed sense of irony (sarcasm?) was lost on this innocent.

It was at this point that the mother waved at me with a big grin on her face, laughing.

Obviously, I am officially old.

I wonder what I will look like when I reach 200.

Just as an aside, up until 4 or so years ago, I always walked the course carrying my bag.  My back will not let me do that anymore.  I even tried push carts and pull carts, but they hurt my back in a different way.  Oh well, a fun gig this getting old is.

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My Sister Irene by Juanita Carr Rush

This is a short piece written by my mother about her sister, my Aunt Irene.  They came from a very large sharecropping family.  Mama Carr, my grandmother, had a total of 11 children, two of which died at a very young age, of the remaining nine, only one was a son, Paul Henry Carr.  I have written of him before as he died in WWII, and he is remembered as one of the many heroes of that global conflict.

My Aunt Irene, subject of my mother’s story

My sister Irene was fifteen years old when I was born. My mother was in her 40’s and had quite a rough time, both with the birth and for a few weeks afterward. As my two oldest sisters were already married and out of the home, it fell to Irene to assume primary responsibility for my care. I was the last of eleven children and the ninth daughter, so I guess my mother had run out of girls’ names or else was too ill to think about it. Anyway, Irene not only took care of me she also gave me my name. She has told me that I cried almost constantly the first two or three weeks of my life. I imagine that it was probably because I was not getting sufficient nourishment from Mama, but to a fifteen year old Continue reading “My Sister Irene by Juanita Carr Rush”

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I Did Not Realize I Was So Angry

The other day, a few days before the Missouri primary, I stayed home to do honey-dos around the old hacienda, mostly yard work.  I had stepped inside for a moment, and then I went back outside through the garage, out to the front of our house.  As I did so a middle-aged, somewhat matronly woman was walking down our front sidewalk away from our front door.

I saw a stack of red flyers in her hand, so I asked, “Are you canvassing for a Republican?”

She nodded yes.

That is when the demons took hold of me and I went on a bit of a rant.

“Just so you know, I would never, ever vote for a Republican.  I would never vote for the party that has the convicted felon, Trump, as it leader, for a party that refuses to condemn January 6th, for the party that is hell bent on taking away our voting rights, for the party that is taking away women’s reproductive rights, for the party that is Continue reading “I Did Not Realize I Was So Angry”