Category: Rev. Joe Dirt’s Ramblings

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

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Robin sings at the Turkish Community Center.

Robin and I spent part of our Christmas Day at an interfaith event at the Turkish Community Center.  There was a young man who sang some some songs in Turkish.  Anne and Robin then sang some Jewish songs.  Some were all in Hebrew and some were a mixture of Hebrew and English.

Before the singing we enjoyed a potluck meal of Turkish food and Jewish food.  Although most Jewish food is not of an ethnic, distinct nature.  Someone did bring some honey cake.

It was a really nice time.

We should celebrate diversity more.

Shalom.

 

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Freakonomics podcast with Andrew Yang

The only thing I know for sure is that this country will not remain this country if we have 4 more years of Gospodin Trump.  I would vote for a decaying slug over him.

As an aside — I abandoned my faith long ago for many good reasons.  If you are interested in why and how here is a link to another blog article: Rev. Joe stumbles.  The Christian right’s support of this abomination of a POTUS has nailed that coffin permanently shut. Trump is without a doubt the most unethical, least Christian President in the history of the nation.  IMHO, he is a criminal on multiple fronts and should be behind bars.  If the Christian rights argument is the ends justify the means, then add yet another nail to the coffin.  If you are using unethical means to achieve what you consider justifiable ends, then perhaps the ends are not so ethical also.

Having said all that I am having trouble getting excited about any of the Democratic candidates left in the field.  Biden who seems to be nice guy, also seems to tied to all the old bullshit. Last election cycle I was a Bernie supporter, but I really feel his age is a strike against him.  I like Elizabeth Warren, but I do not believe she is electable.  She is female, and she is being painted as a socialist along with Bernie.  An atheist probably has a better chance of being elected in this country than a “socialist”.

Billionaires such as Steyer and Bloomberg running for President just leave me cold. My wife likes Amy Klobuchar, so maybe I should look at her more. Pete Buttigieg is the opposite of Bernie, way too young and inexperienced.  How does running a small city like South Bend translate into running the United States of America?  It does not IMHO.

I know there are more running, but these are the key names that pop to mind…AND one more Andrew Yang, who again probably does not have proverbial snowball’s chance.  However, he is well spoken and has some good ideas.  It strikes me that he would approach governing with an analytic/scientific sensibility that is so missing in politics.

If you have time this podcast is very interesting to listen to.  It is Andrew Yang being interviewed by Freakonomics host Stephen Dubner (who spells Stephen the right way).

Below is the link:

Why Is This Man Running for President? (Ep. 362 Update)

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Baby, It Is Cold Inside!

Just cuz I know you are dying to know…

So the furnace was making a horrible racket and shutting off frequently.  We first noticed the problem when old eagle nose Robin detected a burning odor.  We tracked it down to the furnace.  From the noise going on and watching what happened when I took the cover off I was 80% sure it was the blower motor.  The odor was from poor combustion that resulted from the abrupt termination of the rotation of the squirrel cage pushed by the blower motor. Besides a bad motor it could have been several other things, a bad capacitor, a fault on the control board… I’m not up on the entire diagnostic tree for furnace ailments.

It has been cold here, below freezing.  I found a HVAC company that at least on various web sites had good reviews.  They would come out, even with the icy roads, $99 service call fee, plus any repairs extra.  The young man who came out was very personable, very professional, he quickly diagnosed the issue after a discussion with yours truly and an examination of the motor/capacitor with a multi-meter.  It was indeed a bad blower motor.  The company carried a generic motor on the van that would work for most furnaces. They wanted $900 Continue reading “Baby, It Is Cold Inside!”

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My Luddite Rebellion Against Wally World

yeah I know you did not ask!

There is a big push in many stores to decrease the number of checkers and force the clients into self-service checkout.  I have not problem with technology having spent the majority of my adult life programming computers.  What I do have a problem with is the decrease in service level at many stores, especially Wal-Mart which has always had bad service. I also believe that the Waltons do not need any more money, and decreasing employees is a way to increase their profits.  My other issue is the elimination of jobs for Homo sapiens.

One of the earliest Kurt Vonnegut novels is Player Piano.  The Wikipedia synopsis sums Continue reading “My Luddite Rebellion Against Wally World”

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Rev. Joe’s Random Thought #3,038

yeah I know you did not ask!

This present generation is so over the top on PC – Political Correctness that I personally find it troubling.  They seem to become offended by nearly every term that is not absolutely tepid tea.

So ironically, to this old fart, to this old curmudgeon, this is the same generation that has come with the derogatory term, “OK, BOOMER”.  A term applied to older folks who they feel are out of date and their point of view is no longer relevant.

All I am saying, WHIPPERSNAPPER,  is that if you are going to talk the talk, you should be walking the walk.

Below are a couple articles that give some examples of PC ran amok… in this humble BOOMER’s opinion.

A to Z of politically correct madness: The Left’s ‘Thought Police’ continues to censor language as ‘manfully’ is labelled sexist

11 Examples Of Political Correctness Gone Mad

Just as a side note, the first time I heard the term, being an Okie, I thought it was a sports put down of the University of Oklahoma teams…Sooner Boomers.

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A New Wrinkle on Christmas Decorations

Four or five  blocks from our home here in Chesterfield, MO is an area where several young Indian professionals have homes closes to each other.  This is a neighborhood big on decorating the outside their homes for Christmas.  Many of the Indians have decided to join in on the fun.  I have not talked to them to know for sure, but I imagine it reminds them a bit of Diwali, or the festival of lights in India.

One of these Indian homes in particular caught my attention.  Besides the standard, outside, secular Christmas decorations there was this:

Click to see larger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have no idea.  Maybe it is an Easter, Halloween and Christmas mashup.  Maybe it has something to do with the homeland.  However, it is 100% creepy.

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Rev. Joe’s Random Thought #4,261

yeah I know you did not ask!

‘Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…’  Winston S Churchill, 11 November 1947

Here of late I have been to wonder about democracy being the “best form” of government, given that half the population is by definition on the lower half of the bell curve of intelligence.  Whether that half votes as much as the other half, I do not know.  People now days seem to revel in their ignorance.

The other thing that has me worried about democracy is the blind allegiance of so many MAGAs, and GOP politicians to the POS that is our current POTOS, Gospodin Trump.  This represents such a lack of sophistication, such a lack of critical thinking that it scares the living bejeebers out of me. With Fox News as the most popular news channel on cable TV, that just doubles down on the bejeebers fleeing my body.

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Rev. Joe’s Random Thought #5,679

yeah I know you did not ask!

We have a lady that comes in every 2 weeks to give the house a good cleaning. My wife runs around like the Mad Hatter picking up things and wiping down surfaces before she comes. It drives me a little crazy. At that point it is clean enough for me!!!

She also pre-rinses the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher to such an extent that more than once I have remarked, “Why don’t you just dry that and put it away?” (I am not always a smart husband)