Responsibility

Howdy neighbor.  You know, I been ‘round the barn a few times in this here life and I seen a bunch of stuff.  Like back in the day when steam locomotives was hauling darn near everything all over the country.  Maybe you didn’t see ‘em every time, but you’d know that whistle from way off.  And you might even see some black smoke belchin’ yonder.  They sure was noisy and smoky, but they was faster than oxen and hauled a bunch more to boot.  We can thank a fella name of James Watt for them that.  He’s the one that put some wheels under a steam power plant and created a transportation revolution.  Now I ain’t old ‘nough to have met Jim personal, but my hat’s off to him.  He was somebody that saw a problem and a better way and took responsibility hisself to get ‘er done. 

That was a long while back and a long ways from the TV and computers and stuff we got now.  Time keeps a movin’ and things change.  But then a fella once told me, “The only consistent thing in life is change.”  Well sir, he was right… mostly. 

One thing that ain’t changed after near 4 years though.  We still got this President that can’t seem to take responsibility for nothin’, except for killin’ Bin Ladan.  It’s true, he was the boss when it got done.  But you reckon he really had a choice there?  And even that was done for him by them Seals.  Right proud of them boys.  Besides, we had the hounds on Osama’s tail since Clinton was President.  ‘Bout time we caught up with him.

The President been campaignin’ to keep his job for months now.  Seems like he spends more time campaignin’ than takin’ care of business.  Heck, he’s been doin’ that for most of 4 years.  Anyway, seems like he just keeps on blamin’.  It ain’t his fault, he “inherited” all them problems. Says we’re doin’ fine.  Says he’s on the right track to fix things.  He just needs more time.  He says it’s the Republicans and them rich folks thats been slowing down the economy and his “change.”  That’s why he couldn’t keep all them promises he made. 

Don’t reckon ObamaCare got nothin’ to do with it.  It ain’t running up medical costs.  That bailout spending on Solyndra and the like ain’t got nothing to do with it.  Spending so much that the national debt’s gone up way more than 50% just since he took over.  That ain’t got nothing to do with it.  No sir, ain’t his responsibility.

You know, I remember folks hanging a moniker on President Reagan.  They called him “The Great Communicator.”  That’s cause he was right good at talkin’.  But he also took responsibility for getting’ things done even when some weren’t to his liking.  One thing I don’t never remember was Reagan blaming other folks.  Can’t recall even once.  Can’t recall NO President blaming others like this one does.  

Maybe it’s time to hang one of them monikers on President Obama.  One I been thinking on is “The Great Finger Pointer.”  Like the younguns’ say, “Just saying.”  Gotta go do chores.  I still am…

Justan O. Geezer

Dumb Voting

You know neighbor, come Tuesday, I’m gonna have one easy time voting.  Ain’t no need for them cheat-sheets and such.  I’ll be in and out quick.  Round here, everybody knows the candidates personal like.  All them “issues” is easy too ‘cause we been discussin‘em over breakfast or lunch for months.  Nobody knows for sure exactly how your neighbor’s gonna vote, but it don’t matter.  We all know the candidates and all the facts ‘bout them issues.  We can make intelligent decisions.  Reckon we’re right lucky.

Now, you neighbors in the big cities ain’t that lucky.  If’n you’re in a “swing state” it gotta be real bad for you.  All you get is that stuff(I’m being real nice today) on TV.  Bunches of folks ain’t even got a newspaper to peruse any more.  So if it ain’t some candidate bad-mouthin’ the other guy, its one of them “super PACs”  spendin’ their millions to persuade ya to their way of thinkin’.  ‘Course them politicians done it that way the last time they “reformed” election spending laws.  Now they can all lie and say, “weren’t me” at the same time.

Point is, most folks don’t really know squat ‘bout who they’re voting for.  Few folks actually do any homework.  Too busy?  Too lazy? Too tied to one political party or t’other?  Reckon there’s more reasons than Carter’s got pills.  Same goes for the issues.  All makes for dumb voters.

So, you really know who or what you’re votin’ for neighbor?  (Or maybe that there should be past tense if you did that early-votin’ thing).  Remember, if it don’t turn out the way ya like, don’t come runnin’ to me Clyde!

Justan O. Geezer

Of Sheep, Shepherds & Dogs

Lately I been thinkin’ about that Bible story of the Good Shepherd. It’s one of them parables.  In case you don’t know, that’s where the Good Lord tells a story in terms the folks around Him can understand.  Anyway, this one’s about how a shepherd tends his sheep real good and how they follow where he leads.   Now you know it ain’t really about sheep at all.  It’s about Him leading folks to heaven.

Now if you think for a minute about them sheep, they got it right good, ya know?  They got nothing to do but wander around and they get lead to where they can eat all they want.  They get everything they need.  Yessir, shepherds treat their herds real good.  ‘Course the shepherd’s the only one that knows where the sheep are heading.  Them sheep don’t know they’re gonna end up on somebody’s table.

The shepherd knows what he’s doin’ but he can’t do ‘er all by hisself.  So, he trains some dogs to help keep all them sheep in line and together.  Sure ‘nough makes his job a bunch easier.  Matter of fact, them dogs do most the work for him.  All he’s gotta do is haul them sheep to market.

Maybe it’s just me, neighbor, but I see more than a slight parallel to what’s goin’ on in election politics now a days.  Kind of a modern day parable, ain’t it?  Reckon I just don’t follow that herd.

Justan O. Geezer

Lies

Howdy neighbor.  Reckon I been pretty darn busy lately and been neglectin’ this here blog.  I gotta apologize for that.  I’m gonna try real hard and find more time for jawin’ with you.  ‘Course, lots of folks say things like that, but they don’t really mean it.  But I ain't lyin'.  This here’s the truth.

Fact is some folks just plain lie all the time.  And some tell mighty tall tales.  I always recall a certain President that shook his finger at us on national TV while he was sayin’, “I did not have sex with that woman.”

Goin’ back a hundred years, there was a Shrink name of William James that defined the situation in a highfalutin’ way.  He said, “There's nothing so absurd that if you repeat it often enough, people will believe it.”  There’s been bunches of variations on them words too.  Even that Communist fella, Lenin, was supposed to said, “A lie told often enough becomes the truth.”  But no matter how you put it, some folks just don’t believe the 9^th Commandment ever was.

Now you know me.  I don’t reckom any of them politicians ever learned their Commandments.  So, when I run across this here picture, I just had to “share” like the younguns say.  Looks like somebody named Mogul gone it, but darned if I could find out who that is.

Anyway, you might think ‘bout this next time you’re watchin’ one of them political TV commercials that’s tellin’ you how great some candidate is.  …or what the other guy done wrong.

Hang in there neighbor.  It’ll all be over in just 6 more months.

Justin O. Geezer

Aqui

Well neighbor, today was Election Day here just like everywhere else in the good ole US of A.  And yessir, I done my civic duty.  ‘Course I didn’t want to get into no rush hour what with all the young folks wantin’ to vote before they headed out to work or chores and stuff.  So I wandered over to the schoolhouse round lunchtime.  Right nice.  No waiting at all. 

But let me tell you neighbor, that was the must cornfusing ballot I ever did see.  We was only voting on a mayor and councilman, a few state and county issues and 1 local issue.  They wanted to know if we’d let the market sell beer and wine on Sunday after 1PM.  But that took up 2 of them big ballot pages, front and back!  The problem was I couldn’t even read half of it!

Last time around they had them fancy new computer things.  That weren’t too bad.  Better than them punch the holes things.  But this time, they went back to a mark the circle paper ballot.  Now that woulda been OK by me, if it weren’t half in a foreign language.  Now I know there ain’t nobody in town that can’t speak English.  And I reckon everybody in the county is the same.  Oh there might be a couple migrants around that ain’t got their English down pat.  But they don’t live here permanent, so they can’t vote here (I don’t think).

Well anyway, it took a while to work my way through that thing.  Pickin’ between English and Spanish.  Reckon I shoulda known there’d be a problem when I saw them signs out front of the school.  They said, “Vote, aqui, here” (on 3 lines). 

I think this 2 language stuff is a waste of my tax dollars.  And it’s down right stupid in towns where citizens ain’t got a problem with English.  I say, nobody that ain’t a citizen should be allowed to vote.  AND nobody that can’t speak English should be a citizen.  But what do I known, I am…

Justan O. Geezer