From Wow to Ouch

flickr-3470761412-hdI am leaving the house for work, driving along suburban streets to get to the Interstate that takes me downtown.  In front of my pick-em-up truck appears a red tail hawk flying about eye level in the same direction of travel as myself. The hawk flies with me for a few second. It then veers off to the right, swooping up and disappears in a tree.  I thought, “Wow.”

I stop watching.

Suddenly, out of the corner of eye, I see the hawk drop out of the tree.  It is headed rapidly towards the ground. It has my attention again.  At about six to 12 inches from the deck it snags a small bird out of the air, rises with its prize, and disappears again.  I thought, “Ouch.”

Rev. Joe’s Random Thought # 1,232

…yeah I know you did not ask!

My morning routine when I first get to work is to go to the company gym.  There I fill my giant economy size cup with ice and water, check my blood pressure, and do a series of exercises for my arthritic shoulders.

This morning I am going through the exercises when a couple of BBW walked through the sliding doors into the gym.  I had not heard the beginning of the conversation, but one woman avowed loudly that, “She did not take it off.”

I so wanted to remark, “Sweetheart,  then you have never had me sweet talking you!”

Fortunately I remembered where I was at, work, and kept my mouth shut.

Rev. Joe’s Random Thought # 1,088

…yeah I know you did not ask!

If you have one earring in your left ear lobe, you are cool.  If you have one earring in your right ear lobe you are gay.  If you have two earrings, does that mean you are so cool you swing both ways?

 

“And her husband?”

“And her husband?”

I was sitting in the surgery waiting room trying to pass the time until the doctor was done playing with Robin’s insides. I was reading a book, and the TV was tuned the World Cup game, the USA vs. Germany. The USA lost to Germany 1-0, but still managed to get to the round of 16 based on Portugal beating Ghana.

There were two women in the corner. One was white haired, and other middle-aged and more than a little overweight. They were also waiting for their significant other to come out of surgery.

What got my attention was the white haired ladies response, “He is independent, stupid, and overly macho.”

She continued, “Let me tell what type of guy he is. If he wants to going hunting and he asks for time off, if they tell him no, he just quits. He figures he get another job when he comes back.”

The middle-aged woman responded, “Why does she put up with that?”

“She says that she loves him to death”, replied the white haired woman.

The woman who asked the question sat there a moment, and the older woman went on, “ Of course she does, she has 3 kids she is trying to keep fed.”

The rest of the conversation disappeared into the drone of the TV.

 

Mr. California Wonders About Ignorance

John the Philosopher aka Mr. California asked me to comment on the following:

Ignorance rules the unreflecting herd.” 1

Ignorance is defined by the dictionary as: lack of knowledge, education, or awareness.

My first thought is that this falls under the rubric of “Nothing new under the sun”. A Google search on — quotes ignorance of the masses — revealed many similar thoughts. Here are a few that I cherry picked:

Five percent of the people think; ten percent of the people think they think; and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think.” ~~ Thomas Edison

It’s much easier not to know things sometimes.” ~~ Stephen Chbosky

“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” ~~ Isaac Asimov

“The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” ~~ Sir Winston Churchill

“Any formal attack on ignorance is bound to fail because the masses are always ready to defend their most precious possession – their ignorance.” ~~Hendrik Willem van Loon

And I could go on.

My next thought Continue reading “Mr. California Wonders About Ignorance”

Rev. Joe’s Random Thought # 169

…yeah I know you did not ask!

Call me old fashion… I am so tried of looking at people all tattooed up. I do not understand why anyone would get a tattoo in the first place.  All too often in life less is actually more, and it would certainly be the same with tattoos. One or two maybe, it would draw a little attention and interest, and not overwhelm .  I suppose I will continue to do what I do now, and look the other way.

Last Request

Mark Rush's houseFor years I’ve been telling my kids I want to be cremated when I pass from this plane of existence. I then want them to grow some tomato plants and/or marijuana plants in containers. They can take my ashes and spread them on within the containers. My thought being they could then enjoy me in a nice salad or relax on the patio with a doobie.   Either way they could remember me one more time.

David has never said much either way about my last request. Keely has remarked in the past that she thought that be a gross idea. However, she may be coming around a little.

I came up with another idea today.   They could bury me in my little blue Miata. In one hand they could place a doobie. In the other hand they could put a bottle of nice wine. And for the crowning touch, place a mannequin in there with me in such position that it looks like she is giving me road head.

Now that is the way to enter the afterlife.