What's Really Important

BANG! BAM! WOW! SLASH! There's so much hype being pushed that things have to be glamorous, exciting, or tragic to be worthy of speaking of that we often forget the simple truths that make life so wonderful. We forget to notice the beauty of the trees, the sound of birds chirping, the color and smell of the flowers.

In this high pitched, fast paced world we live in, often the little things are much more satisfying than all the shiny, new products that are constantly pushed in the ads and we forget to be thankful for the things we have around us which cost us nothing. There's the miracle of the birth of a child, the warmth of a new puppy or kitten, squirrels playing in the trees, an occasional butterfly, billowing clouds on a clear day, the knowledge that the rain will bring renewed growth. There's the sound of children laughing, the warm touch of a loved one, the greatfulness for having survived life thus far, and many other wonderful things to appreciate if we just slow down long enough to notice. A little quiet time can be a priceless commodity.

What Was Going On Yesterday

Yesterday, I wasn't around much. There were some interesting events taking place here that kept me away from the computer.

First, I got a call from the detective at the sheriff's office asking me to come look at the video from the HEB where my stolen debit card was used to purchase some drugs. As I suspected, it was Sharon's son. Unfortunately, there wasn't a clear shot of his face, so the video may not be of much use in court. To find out whose name was on the prescription he picked up, it will take a subpoena.

Sharon had borrowed my car yesterday, so she wasn't here to get the good news. She left at 11:30am and was supposed to be back in an hour or so. About 3pm, I tried calling her cell phone, but she didn't answer. I called every couple hours after that and sent her text messages, but to no avail. I called the hospitals and police to see if she had been in an accident, but they couldn't seem to find any record of her. I was starting to think she took off somewhere with my van never to return. Finally, about 11:30pm, she arrived with a flat tire on the front and said that she'd had another flat tire on the rear but had repaired it with Fix-A-Flat. By that time, I was quite angry since I had needed my car to go get another set of guitar strings and a few other things. (Now I wish I had gone ahead and ordered the strings online.)

I was checking on the net today and it seems that the auto salvage yards in the area don't have sites to list the available parts. The salvage yards seem to be just inside Houston, so I'm going to have to get someone to drive me out to get a couple wheels so I will have a good wheel on the front and a wheel for a spare. As far as you have to drive to get anywhere around here, one of those compact spares won't do any good. You have to be careful with which tire you get. The last one I bought, even though it was a 15", was shaped in a manner that it locked against the brake rotor when you tightened the lugs. I guess I'll have to find a tire specifically for a 92 Dodge Grand Caravan.

Today, I am paying for the anger and anxiety. My muscles and back are aching from the tension I experienced. I can barely stand or walk and it's pretty painful even to sit. At least I can say it hasn't been boring, I guess.

Pimped Lady Justice

The Rules:

• Post anything (i.e. a story, poem, photo or artwork) you have created using the inspiration word below. Do not use other people's words. If you wish to use an image that is not your own, please let us know.

• Bring the link back here and post it in the comment section.

• Your link must be a Multiply link. (At the discretion of the admin. all other links may be deleted.)

• Leave your blog open to "everyone" so we can view it.

This week's the word (I hope) will challenge you to new levels:lavish
I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Pimped Lady Justice

They're lavished with profits

They're lavished with praise

They're lavished with tax cuts

We're lavished with malaise

The balance is upset

Lady Justice a whore

Justice to the highest bidder

Not one drop for the poor

The huge Lone Star State

Which once had been great

Once friendly and smiling

Now degenerATE

Lawmakers playing

The corporate fiddle

How they retrieve votes

A mysterious riddle

Joblessness booming

Jobs keep cutting back

Slash benefits and pay

To all those who do lack

Their destructive measures

Are destroying all

Humans and animals

Continue to fall

Who can we turn to

When we're destitute

When old Lady Justice

Is a prostitute?

Copyright � 2011 Cal Jennings

Japan Blows!

According to the Wall Street Journal, two additional nuclear reactors suffered core damage. The explosion did more damage than they informed us.

"Substantial damage to the fuel cores at two additional reactors of Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex has taken place, operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Sunday, further complicating the already daunting task of bringing them to a safe shutdown while avoiding the release of high levels of radioactivity."

Whoops! Did we say one nuclear meltdown? We meant three.

Of course, the same Japanese company, Tepco, contracted to build two reactors in Texas. President Obama and secretary had pushed nuclear power aggressively to "reduce global warming."

While I agree that global warming needs to be addressed and that the oil and chemical industries do much to contribute to global warming, I think choosing an extremely dangerous and deadly method of providing energy when there are much safer and effective alternatives borders on insanity.

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." ~ Albert Einstein

If we're going to keep using outrageous amounts of energy and we're going to keep coddling the dangerous industries that cause large numbers of diseases and death, it seems strange that we shouldn't at least support health care... unless the point is to wipe out all life on earth.

Seriously, I don't see any reason why we would contract a company who is already showing design flaws and weaknesses when we already have enough design and construction flaws at the South Texas Project nuclear power plants. Those contracts should be canceled. One thing for sure, when Japan blows, they don't do it halfway.

Copyright � 2011 Cal Jennings

Coke vs. Pepsi

I know many of you are highly curious as to whether Coke or Pepsi is better. We know that Coca-Cola sold big time in Nazi Germany. Still, they do promote musicians, as does Pepsi. So, is Pepsi better?

Well, we have to remember that Pepsi burned off poor Michael Jackson's hair. They also support those evil gays, which practically makes the Communist, so we have to weigh the gay Commies against the German Nazis. It's a hard decision, really. I don't think Coca-Cola burned anyone up yet, unless you count their support of Hitler burning the Jews, but it's possible they just kept it out of the press.

Such an important moral decision can really put one in turmoil. Which do we choose? How do we make such a decision? Well, for me, the easiest way is to either buy the cheapest or buy a no-name brand. I prefer to buy a no-name brand when I can find one that doesn't taste like crap because it doesn't weigh so heavily on my conscience. It also saves an appreciable amount of money over a period of time. One thing for sure, after contemplating such a moral dilemma, finding yourself covered in sweat, you're going to need something cool to drink. If all else fails, drink *water.

*Warning: Water may be hazardous to your health. It may contain BPA, heavy metals, insecticides, radioactive isotopes, and other toxins. Avoid swimming in water after meals or you may get cramps and may swallow some of the water. Drinking too much water may cause water intoxication leading to electrolyte imbalance and tissue swelling can cause an irregular heartbeat, allow fluid to enter the lungs, and may cause fluttering eyelids. May lead to swelling and pressure on the brain and nerves, which can cause behaviors resembling alcohol intoxication, swelling of brain tissues, seizures, coma or death. If you are pregnant or nursing, consult a doctor before drinking water.

Copyright � 2011 Cal Jennings

The Republican Prayer

The Republican Prayer

Our Corporation
Who art listed on Wall Street
Hallowed be thy riches
Slavery come
Thy will be done
To the public as it is in your office
Give us this day
Our daily stock quote
And forgive us our losses
As we punish those whose losses affect us
Lead us not into taxation
But deliver us from responsibility
For thine is the weath and the power
And the glory forever
Amen

Copyright � 2011 Cal Jennings

This 'n' That

WHEW, it is hot outside. Sharon and I just finished digging a couple more rows in the garden. I was examining the bugs we found in the soil. The pill bugs and lady bugs aren't bad, but there are some ants I'd like to get rid of. I'll have to see what's safe to use in a garden.

The kittens were in my garden tub when I woke up. They had been up on the sides killing flies that evidently got in the door and decided my master bath would be a good place to hang out. They slipped into the tub and were having trouble getting out. I filmed them for awhile to see what they would do and they spent more time playing with each other than trying to get out, though they tried a few times. After awhile, they decided they weren't going to stay in there anymore and jumped up out of the tub. Maybe they knew they could get out all along and just liked the feeling of sliding down the edge of the tub. Video coming soon.

Sharon cut up some summer sausage and cheddar cheese to put on some Ritz crackers for lunch. That hit the spot. We're going to eat some watermelon this evening. If my health continues to improve, I might just buy a tent and some poles and go on a camping/fishing trip. Surely there's a fresh water lake where the fish aren't TOO toxic to eat.

My aunt called me for Ron Paul's address so she could mail him a letter about my cousin. He's been disabled for years and they continue to refuse him Social Security Disability. She recently saved my cousin from being foreclosed on by the skin of her teeth, then the homeowner's association tried to foreclose on him because he was a month late on his dues. Homeowner's Associations are about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. I'm not sure how much good Ron Paul will do her considering his stance on the "nanny state."

Before my surgery, I probably could have knocked out the whole garden in one day. Today, I feel like I made a huge leap digging two rows instead of just one. I don't know how many days my back will be down from gardening this time, but we shall see. At least I have pain pills for now if it's bad.

Working with Sharon in the garden seems to be having an effect on me. We seem to be relating better. I don't know. Maybe it's just Spring that's doing it. Of course, she still has that charge to deal with, so that could be a painful scenario. Even if she had a change of heart, they could put her away for awhile where she'd be She seems to understand that the choices she made were bad and seems to be trying to improve, but I guess I have my doubts. Trust isn't easy to come by these days. That being said, I could make worse choices, I guess. She has taken pretty good care of me all this time I've been down other than letting her son get by with stealing my meds and she's put up with my mother's rantings of her going to hell if she doesn't straighten up. After living here this long a period of time, at least we know each other's idiosyncrasies, I guess. She may be a little bit redneck, but she's not homophobic and she's not prejudiced. Should I go against my better judgment and give her a chance? Everything will probably change anyway when she moves out. One thing I do know is that celibacy sucks.

We went looking for some more boxes so she can move her stuff out of U-Haul storage. Boxes seem to be a rare commodity these days, though. We were able to snag some small boxes from the corner store, but so far, that was it. I guess we'll have to go into Tomball tomorrow and see if we can find boxes somewhere else.

My mom is out there trying to make a gate for the garden. I tried to tell her how she should make it, but I may as well be arguing with a brick wall. Sharon is out there helping her and she just nodded at me to quit arguing with her. My mom wants to do it and there's no convincing her otherwise without getting her so irate that she has another stroke, so I'll just go video her making it.

Love, Hope, Peace, & Christ Is With Us All,

Cal-el