Rev. Joe’s Random Thought #5,697

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 have decided that I want to get into a poker game with a bunch of MAGAs.  They obviously do not know when to fold a losing hand or how to bluff convincingly about such a losing hand.

But then again, they might follow their idol’s example and ignore the rules. Thus, claiming their pair of jacks beats my 10 high straight. An argument would ensue with the flipping of the card table sending chips, cards and cash flying to all corners of the room causing a mad scramble for the greenbacks. Phones would be drawn, racing to post a video of the bad behavior on social media. They neighbors would hear the clash and the loud voices.  They police would be called and I and the others would spend the night in the hoosegow for disturbing the peace and illegal gambling.

Perhaps I should forego the opportunity to pad my wallet.

Subscribe to Curmudgeon Alley

The USA’s Problem in One Image

The image below is circulating on social media.

There is so much wrong with this image, I am at a loss as to where to begin. While the majority of our Founding Fathers were deist, and many other presidents were not particularly religious, Abraham Lincoln comes to mind, Trump does not believe in anything except himself.  And I am even doubtful of that. I do not even believe him to be irreligious as that would imply he has thought, even if only shallowly, about religious beliefs.  If he has a god, it is green or gold. If I were a religious person I would view this depiction as a gross sacrilege. Come to think of it, I am not religious, and I still view it as a gross sacrilege. If there is such a thing as unholy, the definition is: See Trump.

What is sad to me is that politics and religion have almost always walked hand in hand.  Both are efforts to control the behavior of large groups of people.  Religion tends to pretty it up with ideas about improving the person and society, with ideas about aiding the believer to get to heaven or, more importantly, stay out of hell. Politics frequently dresses itself up as doing the most good for the most people, but often does not even bother with that. In the end  they are both about the same thing, power and control.

The melding of conservative politics with fundamental religions is as scary to me as various theocracies, past and present. There are good reasons the Founding Fathers were so adamant about the separation of church and state.

God save us from the religious.

Subscribe to Curmudgeon Alley

MAGA Man (A Neil Young Parody – Canada Ain’t Your 51st State)

71,000,000 of my fellow citizens voted for this horrible waste of protoplasm. And now the whole world is laughing at us… Chaos and destruction to fulfill this psychopath’s delusions of grandeur and the Evangelicals’ End Days delusion.

Subscribe to Curmudgeon Alley

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.

Subscribe to Curmudgeon Alley

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”

Rev. Joe’s Random Thought #2,805

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.

If truth was required in advertising and political slogans, MAGA, Make America Great Again, would actually read MAWA.  Make America White Again, or more to the point Make America Great for White Men Again.  However, that does not fit on a ball cap and be easily readable, nor is MAGFWMA very pronounceable. MAGAs seem to have no problem with open misogyny, and barely hide their racism behind rhetoric about illegal immigration. They justify their misogyny with religious language. Their racism has even more nefarious roots.

Of course, the underlying implication of MAGA is that America is not great now, but that seems circular.  If America is not great now, it has a lot to do with the MAGA movement.

Subscribe to Curmudgeon Alley

Meatloaf         

I went to the golf course, Bridges, that I most frequently play. It is across the Mississippi River in the little town of Columbia, IL.  This is definitely Redneck territory. Bridges, like a lot of other  courses does not allow outside refreshments.  I was loading up my golf cart, putting on my shoes, etc. when I noticed a group of 3 guys just across the parking lot from me.   What caught my attention was that they were dividing up the beers that were remaining after their round.  Given that this was 1 pm they must have started their round and beer drinking somewhere around 8:30 or 9:00 am. I’m not opposed to having a beer or two after a round of golf, but only on very rare occasions do I drink during a round.  And I am certainly not drinking at 9:00 in the morning.

One golfer left.  The remaining two  were putting their equipment in their respective pickups.  I did notice that one of the remaining had on his red MAGA cap. One of the interesting things of this political season Continue reading “Meatloaf         “