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The Adventures of Alexander Selkirk by John Howell

life_adventures_alexander_selkirk_1301You say you do not know who Alexander Selkirk is. Well, fair enough, I did not know either. But if Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe comes to mind then you have hit a home run. Defoe based his most famous character on the Selkirk. This fact caused Defoe some grief as many people felt he had plagiarized or inappropriately borrowed Selkirk’s story.

Selkirk was born of Scottish working class parents. Not being enthralled with the family business of shoe making, he joined buccaneer expeditions into the South Seas. The expeditions were not particularly successful. Selkirk argued extensively with one of his superiors, and finally asked to depart from the ship. They dropped him off on Juan Fernández Island off the coast of Chile. He immediately regretted his decision. He spent the next 4 plus years living alone on the island. He survived mainly on goats left there by pirates. Continue reading “The Adventures of Alexander Selkirk by John Howell”

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Obscure References in Classic Rock Songs—Explained

 

Click links below:

11 Obscure References in Classic Songs—Explained!

10 More Obscure References in Classic Rock Songs—Explained!

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A Definition of Politics

I heard a really great definition of politics this morning on NPR, “Politics is about controlling the flow of money.”

Politics is, of course, about power. Frequently the flow of money is what it comes down to.  Those in power receive more resources or are taxed less, and those who are not in power receive fewer resources or more of the burden.

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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.”

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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.

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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?

 

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Joe Henry ‘Swayed’

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“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.