The flag under attack

On Monday I made a post about Hampshire College refusing to fly the American flag on its campus because it was offensive. I wish this was an isolated attack on patriotism and the flag, but sadly it is not. Below is an excerpt from a news story I read out of Oceanside, California. The wife of a United States marine was asked to not fly the American flag outside her home. Honestly folks, you can't make this stuff up. Here's the story:

A local homeowner association has ordered the wife of a deployed Marine to stop flying the American flag outside the couple’s home in Oceanside, Calif., because it violates the association’s rules.

Heather Valenti moved to Oceanside in April with her husband Steven, a U.S. Marine stationed at nearby Camp Pendleton who is currently deployed overseas. Valenti has been flying an American flag outside their condo to honor her husband and his fellow service members.

Earlier this week, Valenti received a letter from her homeowner association informing her the flag was a violation of community rules governing the display or storage of property. Valenti was to told to remove the flag “immediately” or face “further action” by the association’s board of directors.

I can't believe I'm reading this. Rules against displaying the American flag outside your own home????? This is is ridiculous!

On a related note, there have also been reports of people burning the American flag in protest. While I find burning the flag in protest a completely reprehensible action, I also defend a person's right to do it. These people are making a political statement and exercising their 1st amendment right of free speech. I wish they would find a better way to express their disagreement with our government, but these people are fully within their rights to do this. It hurts me to the core of my soul to see a symbol of freedom burned in protest, but by no means do I believe people should be jailed for doing so. This a a free republic, not a dictatorship under the rule of a tyrant.

Today I am at work at St. Bernard Elementary School. We proudly fly a flag high atop a tall flagpole. Down the hill a short distance, St. Bernard High School flies a flag as well. Across the street, a church flies yet another flag. Homes in the surrounding neighborhood display flags too. Private, and public property alike fly old glory. It makes me so sad to see stories like the one above. I hope Heather Valenti fights the Homeowner's Association tooth and nail until she can fly her flag to honor her brave husband who is overseas fighting for the very freedom that allows for the flying of (and yes, the burning of) the Stars and Stripes.

Gatlinburg in flames!

You would be hard pressed to find anyone who lives in the Midwest who hasn’t visited Gatlinburg or the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Who among us hasn’t taken a little road trip to this little vacation spot in the mountains of Tennessee? Well folks, there is shocking news out of Gatlinburg today. A wildfire is ravaging the cities of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Details are still coming in and are a bit sketchy because this is happening right now and it will be a while before the extent of the damage is fully known. From what I’ve read, many homes, cabins, and chalets have been destroyed. The tourist attractions in Gatlinburg are in peril as well. I have also read that a mandatory evacuation of Gatlinburg has been ordered. High winds last night and this morning have compounded the problem and have greatly hindered firefighting efforts. The images I have seen are truly horrific. You will see some of them below. I’m sure there will be dozens more photos of burned out homes and businesses in the coming days.

Here’s a related story as it pertains to me… last night I took a bag of garbage to the can outside my garage. I immediately noticed the odor of smoke in the air. I honestly believed a house in my neighborhood was on fire. I looked around and saw no smoke or any sign of a fire anywhere. I then dismissed the odor as someone’s fireplace or wood burning stove. I never gave the smell of smoke another thought until I saw a local Cincinnati news report this morning. The report said if you were outside and smelled smoke, it was from the wildfire in Tennessee. Apparently there were such strong winds blowing out of the south that the smoke had traveled more than 250 miles from Tennessee to the tri-state area. Amazing!

I also read a report that the Park Vista Hotel was on fire. This is a 16 story tall hotel built on a hillside in Gatlinburg. Tami and I stayed there many years ago when the kids were much younger. One of the photos below shows a view of the fire from inside the hotel. There is also the report of “Hillbilly Golf” being destroyed. We’ve all seen the signs in Gatlinburg advertising this tourist attraction, and now it has apparently been destroyed.

I will continue to monitor this story as it carries a tremendous personal interest for me. I traveled to Gatlinburg with my family as a kid, and took my own family there as an adult. Without sounding like an alarmist or sensationalizing the situation, it is mind boggling to think of the whole place up in flames.

God Bless America!

This is BEAUTIFUL!

Recently Hampshire College in Massachusetts made the unbelievable decision to not fly the American flag on their campus. They said it was offensive and could trigger hurtful feelings for some students and staff. Ummm... correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the same flag that adorns every military uniform, military aircraft, and every piece of military machinery? Isn't this the same flag that flies over every Navy vessel on the water? Isn't this the same flag that has graced the hull of every spacecraft our nation has ever launched? Isn't this the same flag that flies at every sports venue in the entire United States? Isn't this the same flag that our soldiers carried into battle and bled and died for? The answer to all those questions is yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes.

In response to this ludicrous, anti-American policy at Hampshire College, more than a thousand veterans swarmed the campus today proudly waving old glory. Can't you just hear these brave men and women now? "You refuse to fly a flag or two on your campus? Fine. Here's a thousand flags! Deal with it! God Bless America!"

God Bless America indeed! And God bless every man or woman who has ever served in our military, is currently serving, or ever will serve! Thank you all! I owe you a debt of gratitude!

I'll say it again. This is BEAUTIFUL! BEE-YOO-TEE-FUL!!!!!!

Homework

As a teacher, I have never been a big proponent of homework. The research showing the effectiveness of homework (or not) is all over the map. Some educators swear by it. They are convinced that learning is not complete unless some sort of homework or practice is done at home. Other educators are dead set against it. They are certain that all instruction and subsequent learning must be done in the classroom. I fall somewhere in between, leaning toward the side of assigning much less homework. The policy in my classroom is fairly simple. I teach and give assignments. More than enough time is given to complete those assignments provided the students do not waste their time. Any classroom assignment not completed rolls over into homework. In simple terms, the students control how much homework they have (or not). Work hard in school, and you won’t have a lot of homework to complete on your own time. This approach has seemed to work pretty well over the last 27 years.

I do not know the lady responsible for the message below, but she seems to have a really good handle on the issue of homework. I know as a parent I always disliked it when my own kids had a lot of homework. I am not opposed to a reasonable amount of homework, but when six different teachers give “some “ homework, cumulatively that turns into a lot of homework. As far as my own students go… I would love to send this type of message home with them, but my instinct tells me they would spend their extra time playing video games or watching TV. I don’t know where Ms. Young (the author of the message below) teaches, but if it’s in an area where this would work, then I say more power to her. I’m not so sure this approach would be best for my borderline inner-city school.

Law Enforcement

Grammar, people! Basic grammar! Sheesh!

Coexist?

Have you seen the "Coexist" bumper stickers? I thought this was pretty funny.

No Black Friday

There will be no Black Friday post from me today. We all know people line up in the wee hours of the morning to get mega deals on Christmas presents. I've made my views clear on this madness... I say no thanks to Black Friday.

The REAL news today is the death of Florence Henderson. Better known as Carol Brady on "The Brady Bunch", Florence was a true 70's TV icon. The Brady Bunch was admittedly very cheesy TV, but we 70's kids loved it. Who among us didn't want to live in that cool house or go on the whacky adventures the Bradys always seemed to find themselves in the middle of. The Brady Bunch is reminiscent of simpler times for me. I know the 70's can't hold a candle to the golden age of the 50's, but knowing what filth is on America's airwaves today, I long for the simple cheesiness of The Brady Bunch. It was by no means my favorite show, but it was a fun escape after a long day at school. Give me Andy Griffith or I Love Lucy any day of the week over the Brady Bunch. But I sure do feel old when I see people from my childhood TV shows dying off. Time marches on and waits for no man.

Thanksgiving Part 2

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without this... Classic. Just classic!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all my family, friends and loyal readers. I am thankful today for God's daily provision and for His overwhelming blessings. My cup truly runneth over. Words cannot express how amazingly blessed I am. To think that God gave his only son and sent Him to die in my place so that I, a dreadful sinner, may one day stand righteous in front of a Holy God. I did nothing to deserve or earn this. This is purely God's boundless mercy and grace at work in my life.

Today friends and family, enjoy what God has blessed you with. Partake in a turkey dinner fit for a king, watch some football on TV, have a slice of pumpkin pie, and by all means avoid talking politics with your family members. This weekend it will take every ounce of strength in my body to restrain myself from dancing around the living room shouting, "Nanny nanny boo boo! Who won the election? Not Hillary... that's who!"

Enjoy your day, everybody!

Here we go

Just when I thought all my election posts were finished, there's this...

"Hillary Clinton campaign considering challenging election".

Do I think they will? Probably. The Democrats have shown no signs of losing graciously or even accepting the fact that the American people spoke on November 8th. (Riots etc...)

Do I think this will go anywhere? No, I don't. However, I don't trust the progressive liberals as far as I can throw them with both hands. I wouldn't put anything past them and I won't feel assured of a Trump Presidency until I see his hand on the Bible on January 20th.

The liberals have played dirty pool since the beginning of this election, and I fear a multitude of dirty tricks will plague this nation leading up to the inauguration.

I will remain in prayer for this country and its leaders. I still know who is in control and He doesn't live in the White House.

Map

This BLOWS my mind! It doesn't seem possible, but I know it's true. Wow!

Nerves of steel!

This truck driver must have nerves of steel. Ain't no way I drive a truck through that tunnel with only inches of clearance. Wow!

He Lives!

It's true! He lives! Remember the tuna commercials from the 70's and 80's? The chicken of the sea! And I always thought the stuff in those cans was fish!

Red Green

I sure do miss this show!

Goodbye warm air

This is it. The end of the warm air. Tonight a cold front blows through and the bottom drops out. 76 degrees today, a high of 40 tomorrow. Rain and wind overnight will only compound the unpleasantness. There is a chance of flurries this weekend too. UGH!

It's coming sooner than we'd like :-(

Yes, please!

Oh yeah! Yes, please.

Sole Food

I just love "Sole" food, don't you? Haha! Couldn't resist that one.

Donald Washington?

Donald Washington? George Trump? Some people are so creative (and have too much time on their hands).

Tuesday Thanksgiving

Who cooks a turkey and all the trimmings on a Tuesday night? We do! Tonight my wonderful wife roasted a turkey, made mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, and biscuits. We decided this would be our family Thanksgiving dinner since we will be visiting relatives on the real Thanksgiving Day.

Jungle Gym

My grandkids call me Goppa, but maybe I need to change my name to "Jungle Gym". At least that's what I felt like yesterday. While babysitting I climbed a tree, wrestled, tumbled, flipped, flopped, and got jumped on repeatedly. Who needs a Jungle Gym when there's a Goppa around.

Sweater Weather

We went straight from church to babysit the grandkids. It's too late to post anything of substance, so I'll just post this photo of Asher. He knows it's sweater weather, and he's almost too pretty to be a boy :-)

Lighten up!

Here's a quote from one of favorite movies, "Stripes". Bill Murray and Harold Ramis join the army. Need I say more?

"Lighten up, Francis!" If you saw the movie, you get the reference. If not, maybe you should rent the movie sometime.

Anyway, that is exactly what I plan to do today. Lighten up. The election is over. Donald Trump is the President-Elect. Half of the country is happy, the other half is not. It's that simple. Thanksgiving and Christmas are fast approaching... let life resume.

So, I saw this today...

A McDonald's delivery car? McDelivery???? Are you kidding me? This is not good. This is not good AT ALL! You think a Trump presidency is going to destroy our nation? Pf f f f f f f f t t t t t !. That's nothin'! Big Macs, Quarter Pounders with cheese, and fries on demand? We're doomed. We're all doomed! Looks like nationwide demand for cardiologists just went way up!

No more politics

I have subjected you to a full week of political posts... I feel like I've said my piece and made my point. Tomorrow the blog returns to normal (or at least to what you've come to expect from it the last 5 years). If I have offended anyone, just trek over to your local college or university. They have grief counselors, crying rooms, play doh, coloring books, hot chocolate, and safe spaces :-) Haha! Just kidding. I love you guys!

Tantrums for Trump

Donald Trump is the President-Elect of the United States and the children in American colleges and universities are losing their collective minds. Yes, I said CHILDREN because that's how many of them are acting regardless of their age. (Disclaimer--- this is not a blanket statement for all college kids. There are millions of them out there acting like mature adults. This post is aimed at those college kids who are crying and throwing tantrums because Hillary lost the election.) Reports are springing up all across the nation of college students throwing tantrums like pre-schoolers. You know, 3 year olds who throw themselves on the floor, kick their feet, scream, cry, and hold their breath because they are not allowed to have a cookie. Why are they acting this way? Because they have grown up spoiled, have been raised in a culture where nobody fails, nobody loses, everybody gets a trophy for participation, and you should never, ever have your feelings hurt. I believe we call these people Millennials? There is even a new TV show dedicated to this very topic. It's called The Great Indoors. It's about a middle aged guy who has to work in an office with a bunch of spoiled brat millennials. The whole show makes fun of their pampered ways and how they can't handle it when they are actually required to, you know, work. Ummmm... that's why it's called a JOB!

It's these same millennials who are throwing fits because they just can't deal with an election where their candidate lost. Think about it. Most of these people are between 18-25. For most of their teenage/adult lives, Barack Obama has been President. They've never experienced a time when they (and their candidate) didn't win. They've never experienced a political loss, and they are not used to being told, "No, you can't have what you want". Much like the aforementioned pre-schooler denied a cookie before dinner, the millennials are throwing tantrums because they don't know how to graciously accept being told they can't have exactly what they want, whenever they want it. It's really not even their fault. They have been raised and socialized in a world where they are told they should always win. That's not how life works. At some point in the very near future they are going to have to accept that life is full of disappointments and heartache. But it's those same disappointments and heartaches that make the victories and happy times in life so sweet. Anybody who never experiences losing can ever fully appreciate winning.

As I step down off my soapbox (for you millennials out there, a soapbox is what politicians used to stand on to elevate themselves above the crowd they were speaking to), I will list below a few excerpts from various news sources that document how these college kids are reacting. Ridiculous? I think so, but I'll let you judge for yourself. Here they are:

At Tufts University, arts and crafts were offered. And the University of Kansas reminded students via social media of the therapy dogs available for comfort every other Wednesday.

“People are frustrated, people are just really sad and shocked,” said Trey Boynton, the director of multi-ethnic student affairs at the University of Michigan. “A lot of people are feeling like there has been a loss. We talked about grief today and about the loss of hope that this election would solidify the progress that was being made.”
There was a steady flow of students entering Ms. Boynton’s office Wednesday. They spent the day sprawled around the center, playing with Play-Doh and coloring in coloring books, as they sought comfort and distraction.

And they wonder why people don't take them seriously.
In addition to the above examples, Cornell University hosted a "cry-in," where staff provided distraught students with tissues and hot chocolate.

For years, progressives have sheltered children from failure or pain. Athletic events for young children no longer keep score, and everyone gets a trophy. Schools try to minimize competition and achievement because of insane theories about fostering self-esteem.
Unfortunately, you can't shelter kids forever. At some point, something is going to invade their safe spaces and smack them upside the head. On November 9, it was dealing with the fact that Donald Trump is the president-elect of the United States.

George Mason University is offering a "healing space" gathering for students distraught over President-Elect Donald Trump's victory. Psychological and counseling services were made available to students affected by Trump's win.

And just for good measure, I thought I'd offer this:

On the topic of Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem--- Why did the liberal progressives give him so much attention? What was Colin doing, really? When you get down to brass tacks, what was he doing? He was ripping America, and that's what the liberal progressives liked, and that's what they wanted to promote -- and the American people have had their fill of this. The American people love their country and are sick and tired of people who hate it being celebrated and elevated and made celebrities and getting rich. They are sick and tired of it, and we have the election results to show for it.

Uh-oh!

I have no idea what will happen to Hillary now that she won't be the President. However, I think criminal charges against her are a very real possibility. She may skate free on the whole e-mail scandal, but the Clinton Foundation may still be a problem for Hillary and Slick Willie Clinton. Only time will tell.

The wheels did indeed fall off the bus!

The Silent Majority

Yesterday's post was going to be my last one about the election, but I feel strongly that I must make one more. The silent majority has spoken. No, check that. The silent majority has ROARED! Check this out:

Several anti-Donald Trump protests emerged in New York, DC, Chicago, California, Boston, Seattle, and other major cities Wednesday night, with demonstrators blocking and cutting off traffic among calls of “Not my president!” They also burned American flags and waved Mexican flags. This is EXACTLY why Donald Trump won the election. The silent majority is sick and tired of this despicable behavior. Correct me if I'm wrong, but when Barack Obama won the elections in 2008 and 2012, the conservatives were disappointed and unhappy, but they didn't storm the streets and they didn't burn the American flag. We love our country too much to do that. Conservatives were frustrated and angry, but we didn't say Obama was not our President. I disagree with just about everything Obama has done, but I never defiled a national symbol to express my displeasure. The last time I checked, we live in THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! We embrace our flag. We don't burn it. Remember in 1979 when the Iranians proudly burned our flag in their streets after taking Americans hostage? Remember how shocked and hurt we Americans were? You don't burn the flag. You just don't. Have you noticed how pro football player Colin Kaepernick started a protest movement of kneeling during the playing of the national anthem? Disrespecting the same nation that made it possible for him to make millions of dollars for playing a GAME? It's stuff like this that got Trump elected. The right wingers had it up to their eyeballs with anti-American sentiments and showed it at the polls on Tuesday. Do you remember how dozens of celebrities said they would move out of the country if Trump were elected? Well, at least one said she was just joking. Really? No, that celebrity should own her words. This is another reason Trump got elected. The silent majority of middle America is sick of Hollywood "A" listers telling us how dumb we are. Newsflash to rich and famous movie stars and recording artists--- simple people are not necessarily stupid. In fact, we were smart enough to not listen to you, and we did not elect Hillary Clinton. Here's a thought Democrats... why don't you just lick your wounds, take your lumps like mature adults and come back in 4 years with a better candidate? That's what we conservatives did after 8 years of President Obama. Don't be surprised if you lose again though. Clearly the heartland of America doesn't like your policies. Want facts and proof? How about this? During different times of Obama's presidency the Democrats controlled the White House, the US Senate, the US House of Representatives, held the majority of governorships, and held the majority in many state legislatures. In the last 8 years the democrats have lost the White House, lost their majority in both houses of congress, lost their majority of governorships and lost over 900 seats in state legislatures nationwide. The "fly over" states have spoken. We were pushed and pushed, and now we have fought back. Not by storming the streets and burning the flag, but by putting our money where our mouth is, and rejecting Hillary Clinton.
This photo was taken last night:

Who's REALLY in charge?

The following is an excerpt from an article by Max Lucado. I do not claim it as my own writing. However, it does represent some similar feelings I have---

Before the election ever took place, I knew exactly what November 9th would bring. Another day of God’s perfect sovereignty. He is still in charge. His throne is still occupied. He still manages the affairs of the world. Never before has His providence depended on a king, president, or ruler. And it still doesn't today. “The LORD can control a king’s mind as he controls a river; he can direct it as he pleases”(Proverbs 21:1).
On one occasion the Lord turned the heart of the King of Assyria so that he aided them in the construction of the Temple. On another occasion, He stirred the heart of Cyrus to release the Jews to return to Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar was considered to be the mightiest king of his generation. But God humbled and put him in “detention” for seven years. “The kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations” (Psalms 22:28). Understanding God’s sovereignty over the nations opens the door to peace. When we realize that God influences the hearts of all rulers, we can then choose to pray for them rather than fret about them. Rather than wring our hands we bend our knees, we select prayer over despair.

Max Lucado

The writing from this point forward is mine...

That really says a lot doesn't it, folks? My faith does not lie in President-Elect Trump. I voted for the man, but I certainly know he can do nothing for my eternal salvation. As a good friend of mine always says, "The best of men are men at best". President-Elect Trump is a flawed, sinful man just like me. On January 20th, 2017, Mr. Trump will become my President and I will respect him and all his imperfect ways in that office. Above all, I serve only one true king. Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life and the sovereign ruler of all. My faith lies in Him, and Him alone.

Soli' Deo Gloria
(To God alone be the glory)

We the people...

We the people have spoken. In a decisive and resounding victory, Donald Trump won last night's election. The nation made a statement last night. Hillary Clinton the immoral, unethical person was rejected. Hillary Clinton the criminal was rejected. Hillary Clinton's globalism and liberal policies were rejected. I stayed up until 3:30 A.M. waiting for the election to be officially called, for Trump's victory speech, and for Hillary's concession speech. President-elect Trump held up his end of the deal, but we have yet to hear from Hillary. I believe Hillary Clinton got the message last night. LOUD and CLEAR! We the people are sick of the direction this nation was headed, and we the people wanted REAL change. At 3:30 this morning, the people of America sent Hillary Clinton and the whole Clinton regime packing. The basket of deplorables were fed up and they made their voice heard.

Here is a photo of my dining room as we were eating pizza and watching the election returns.

Election Education

I love teaching Social Studies... and with teaching Social Studies comes the topic of the election. I love teaching students about the election process and everything related to it. You might think the students would find this dry and boring, but it is quite the opposite. The students get very excited learning about the election and one of their favorite parts is learning about the electoral college. Every day for the last two weeks the students have begged me to show them the most recent polling results and the corresponding electoral map. Each day the students would watch states change from battleground state to lean Democrat (or lean Republican), and back again. They nearly mounted a revolt when they found out a candidate could win the popular vote, yet still lose the presidency in the electoral college. We had some wonderful classroom discussions and really delved into the intricacies of the American electoral system. Tonight the students went home with blank electoral college maps and said they would watch the returns as they colored each state red or blue. This is what teaching is all about! The kids and their teacher getting excited about learning.

Check out the photo below. You will notice the book I'm holding... "Duck for President!". This book chronicles the adventures of Duck as he campaigns for leadership of the barnyard, Governor, and eventually President. It's a fun way for kids to learn about campaigning and elections. You may also notice my two mascots, Ellie and Don. Ellie the elephant represents the Republicans, and Don the Donkey represents the Democrats. The kids loved following Ellie and Don as they actively "campaigned" for Trump and Clinton respectively. Finally, notice my shirt... RED! This is my secret and subliminal support for the Red States and Mr. Trump. I choose not to reveal my political affiliations to my students, but wearing a red shirt allows me to support my candidate without actively saying so.

Now it's time to go home and watch the returns with my family. It's going to be a fun (and interesting) night.

Ellie

Don

Decision '16

This is it! Election Day 2016 is upon us!

The Indiana polls opened at 6:00 this morning, and Abby and I arrived at 5:59. There were already more than 20 people ahead of us in line and there were 35 or 40 behind us as we left. This was a special day for Abby. At the age of 19, this was her first Presidential election. As her dad, it was kind of cool to be there with her as she cast her first REAL vote.

This evening, the Meyer family will have its very own election party. We will order pizza, munch on snacks and watch the election returns as they slowly come in. Hopefully by night's end we will have a president-elect.

I want to reiterate--- My whole family voted for Trump, but we are prepared to accept whichever candidate God chooses to lead our nation for the next 4 years. We all realize it makes no difference who the next President is. God's perfect and eternal plan will be in place. Not my will, but THY will be done, Lord.

Stay tuned for more election posts tonight and tomorrow. After that, the blog will get back to normal.

One day to go

I have stated many times this blog is fairly light in nature. When it comes to content, I tend to avoid political fodder. Not because I'm afraid of offending people, but because I think we all have enough stress in our lives and I certainly do not want this blog to be another source of controversy or stress. However, today we are one day away from possibly the most crucial Presidential election in my lifetime and I feel like I must say something. Do I think my country will face immediate ruin if my candidate loses tomorrow? No, I don't. Do I believe my country is going in the wrong direction, and if a certain candidate wins that direction will continue? Yes, I do. Do I think this election is more about "NOT" voting for your opponent than supporting your candidate? Definitely! If there was ever a year people could vote for "None of the above", this would be it.

Those who know me well, already know which candidate I will be voting for tomorrow. Those who are casual readers of this blog are finding out today I am a staunch, ultra-conservative. My political and Christian views align more with Donald Trump's platform and very little with Hillary Clinton's. So, there you have it. I will be voting for Trump tomorrow morning. I will refrain from talk of Hillary lying, being deceptive, and being an outright criminal. Those things are well documented on numerous websites online. They are easy to find if you care to look. If you are relying on the mainstream media as your source of information, you won't hear anything remotely negative about Clinton.

In a nutshell, here is the reasoning behind my vote. It's mostly about the Supreme Court. The next President could appoint as many as 4 Supreme Court Justices. This will shape the law of our land for generations to come, and likely long after I am dead and gone. I cannot in good conscience support someone who repeatedly and blatantly engages in illegal activity (and if not illegal, immoral and unethical behavior). Please understand... I am not saying Donald Trump is the greatest thing since sliced bread. He has a boatload of issues that make him a less than desirable candidate. My vote for Trump is more about "Not Hillary", than undying support for Trump. At a very basic level, we know Hillary will give us 4 more years of Obama's policies. If you like the direction our nation is headed, Hillary is your candidate. If you're like me, and you would like to see someone attempt to reverse the course of this nation and attempt to end the corruption in Washington, Trump is your candidate. Full disclosure... I do not for a moment believe Trump (if he wins) will be able to completely drain the swamp and end all corruption as we know it. That task is too tall, and the corruption is much too pervasive for one man to clean it up alone. But all I can say is he he wants to try. That's all I can really ask. Someone to shake things up and rid us of the status quo.

I know this post has gotten long. It goes against what you are used to from me, and it has gotten somewhat preachy. I am passionate about my politics and sometimes it bleeds over into this space. If you'll just humor me for a few days, we'll get back normal soon.

One last thing... God is sovereign and He is on the throne. If Clinton wins, it's because He wants her there. If Trump wins, it's because He wants him there. No matter who wins, God is in control and my assurance rests in Him. No earthly king, or ruler (or President) can save me. My salvation lies solely with the one and only true God... the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. My Lord, and my savior Jesus Christ.

Chicks

Check out the photos below. The first looks like a pretty messy accident scene. The rest of the photos reveal the mess is actually hundreds of little baby chicks. Thank goodness it looks like most of them are unharmed.

How true

How true! How true!

As kids we always thought the adults had it best. They could stay up as late as they wanted, eat and drink whatever they wanted, and do whatever they wanted. Well yes, that's true to some extent, but we also know what comes with it. Working a job, paying bills, maintaining a household etc... Sometimes I think being a kid wasn't so bad.

Frivolous Lawsuit

I read about this frivolous lawsuit today.I'm just going to let you read this story and judge for yourself. And we wonder what is wrong with this country?

A Mississippi attorney is suing Popeyes after he says he choked on a large piece of fried chicken that he had to eat with his hands because a knife was not included in his drive-thru order.

Paul Newton Jr., who filed the lawsuit this week, says the only utensil he was given at the Gulfport restaurant was a spork when he visited the restaurant last November.

Fox 8 reports that Newton bought two chicken breasts, red beans and rice, a biscuit and a soft drink. In addition to the food, the lawsuit states the customer was given napkins, salt and pepper, and a spork. Newton then drove to his office and started eating in the car, using the spork for his red beans and rice.

"Because Newton's order did not include a plastic knife, plaintiff Newton's only option for consumption of the chicken breasts was to hold a chicken breast in his hands and to tear off pieces thereof with his teeth," the lawsuit states.

Newton allegedly then started to choke on the fried chicken and had to undergo emergency surgery to remove the piece of chicken from his throat.

Is it just me or should this guy blame himself? Maybe he should slow down, take smaller bites, and actually CHEW his food. Naw... that just makes too much sense.

Cool Job!

If God, in His perfect plan, had not blessed me with a wife or children, I probably would have joined the Navy or the Coast Guard as a bachelor. I love the water and could definitely see myself being happy working in some capacity on the Great Lakes or the ocean.

Check out the photo below. Somebody is getting paid to do that. I could collect a paycheck sucking water off the deck of an aircraft carrier!

Lowlights

One of my fondest memories as a child was reading Highlights Magazine. I loved all the fictional and non-fiction reading selections. I adored the picture find (most adults would admit they enjoyed it as well). I looked forward to Goofus and Gallant every month and totally enjoyed the musings of the wooden family known as the Timber Toes. Remember them?

This magazine has been entertaining children and adults for generations. It was the absolute BEST!

As I reminisce with great fondness today, my feeling are dampened by extreme sadness. As of today, Highlights Magazine has succumbed to the pressures of our ridiculously politically correct world. The story (as I heard it on the radio this morning), goes like this: A little girl wrote a letter to the magazine asking why there were no gay or lesbian couples in Highlights. The magazine editors did not respond for a long time because they admitted they were scared of putting that type of content in their family-friendly magazine. Finally after repeated questioning, Highlights Magazine said they thought it was best that children learned about this topic from their own parents rather than a children's magazine (which sounds extremely sensible). This did not satisfy the left wing liberals, and the LGBT community placed serious pressure on the magazine. Sadly, Highlights Magazine acquiesced to the pressure and have reluctantly agreed to depict gay and lesbian couples in their magazine. I know the world is a changing place, but even Highlights Magazine is not immune. It just makes me sad.