One Less Dog In The Hunt - A journey through discovery.

December 31, 2023December 31, 2023

A Dawg’s Dog

So, I’ve pinned a new post here. If you’re just finding your way here, whether you were dragged here by someone, or you stumbled upon this little spot on the internet – and stumble you must if the first option is not in effect – you may wonder “what’s with the name?” Well, I’ll direct you way down yonder where you can find the beginning. Dogs, wolves, coyotes — they travel in packs, hunt in packs, search in packs. Every so often one goes rogue; hears a different call; breaks from the hunt; splits off; makes a break; follows another scent; and gathers its own pack. They still share the same origin. They are what they are — dog, wolf, coyote, but they have a different calling. That’s me.

You? You’re welcomed to follow, if you choose. Maybe it works for you. Or maybe you were meant to follow a different trail; build your own pack.

November 16, 2024November 9, 2024

Just Stop, Please

Please. Please stop. Lose the language. Refrain from displaying your ignorance by understanding before you speak. Free speech is a right, but reckless use of speech is a personal hazard.

Let’s face it, we are all guilty of speaking without knowledge. The tongue is a loose canon. It often engages before the brain has time to give it direction. I’m guilty, even here, where I have time to think out and measure my thoughts.

But this one has been going on for years. Media pundits, politicians, and the average American perpetuate the lie over and over and over.

The United States is not a Democracy. Yet that term is used to describe us by even those who govern us, people who should know better. I know, I’ve ranted about this before, but it is an issue that needs to be addressed, just as often as the lie is perpetuated. It is the only way to clean it from our country conversation, and discourse.

November 9, 2024November 9, 2024

How Different Are We?

Let’s find out, by starting with one of the biggest of the HOT TOPICS – Immigration

A January 2024 Pew Research poll indicated that 76% of Americans believe that immigration has become a crisis in the United States.

In another Pew Research poll on Voter Issues, done in September of 2024, 61% of voters said that immigration was one of their top issues in deciding where to put their vote.

July 2024 Gallup Survey 55% of Americans want to limit immigration. In the same poll, 2/3 of Americans believe immigration is a good thing, while 27% said it is a bad thing.

These aren’t simply right or left ideas. Yes, Republicans and Democrats poll differently within those polls, but in all cases we are talking about over 50% of the country.

November 6, 2024November 6, 2024

Mourning in America

As of 8:35pm on 11/06/2024, the current popular vote totals in one of the most contentious Presidential elections in history are 72,560,841 votes for the Republican candidate at 50,9% of the total, and 67,871,826 votes for the Democratic candidate at 47.6% of the total. In the 2020 election, the Republican candidate received 74,223,369 votes with 46.9% of the total, while the winning Democratic candidate received 81,282,916 votes with 51.3% of the total. The 2020 winning candidate triumphed with 306 Electoral votes over the losing candidate’s 232 Electoral votes, despite only winning 477 counties against the Republican’s win of 2,497 counties, and while winning only 1 of the 19 bellwether counties. Achieving beyond all expectations, the Democratic candidate received 11,793,400 more votes that the record high of Barack Obama of 69,489,516 votes in 2008.

Today we mourn for the 15,073,618 voters who have passed in the past four years since the 2020 election. Or perhaps, they were already dead and just failed to haunt us during the 2024 election.

November 4, 2024November 9, 2024

Are you ready?

No, really. Are you ready? This isn’t just any election. It may be the most critical in our history, certainly in my lifetime. I know, you’ve heard that before, possibly every four (4) years, but this time… It’s true.

Why? Depending upon the outcome, we may have nearly 1/2 of our society on the watch list. Yeah, even this post, could be a red flag. A simple matter of freedom of speech, of questioning, of criticizing, could get you on a list November 6, 2024. It depends on the party taking power. We are that divided as a nation. It isn’t enough to win an election, we have to bury our opponents. Doxing, bullying, destroying has become the norm. And our government is getting crazy about those who don’t comply. The intimidation and weaponization of our judicial system, can’t be ignored. They are on the hunt, and they won’t stop if they win on 11/5/2024.

November 2, 2024November 9, 2024

84% – LFG

In 2021, eight out of ten Americans, or 80% believed we needed to protect our voting system with identification. In 2024, that number is up to 84%, and yet the leaders that be, and those who hope to manipulate our voting system, continue to make the argument that it is an unfair expectation. Here’s a Ballotpedia article comparing the idea of voter identification to the Poll Taxes of the Jim Crow era. This article and this way of thinking tries to insinuate that voter ID is in some way a white, Anglo conspiracy to disenfranchise or keep other ethnicity, underprivileged, and simple minded individuals from having a right to vote. Bullshit! You need an ID to buy alcohol or tobacco; to cash a check, to check into a hotel, to buy a gun, to drive, to hunt or fish, to fly, to get into Disneyland … the list goes on. Nobody is making an argument that these required id usages are disenfranchising individuals from doing any of those things. In fact, here are twenty-two and twenty-four different things you need identification in order to do in this country, and here you will find seven things for which the US Federal Government requires identification.

April 7, 2024November 9, 2024

Crumble

You know, I grew up in a Navy family. We lived from coast to coast. I was surrounded by other military kids most places I lived. Yeah, mostly white kids, but not all. I also rode a bus at one time where I was only one of a handful of white kids on the bus. Those were the days when the bus was filled as full as it could get. By the time we got to school every seat was filled and so was the aisle between them. Though that bus was packed with mostly chocolate brown skin, I wasn’t treated any different. In fact, since I was one of the youngest on the bus, many of those other kids kind of took care of me. I didn’t really notice a difference between us, maybe the way others spoke, the kinds of things that made them laugh, maybe the differences in the way we dressed, but those are things that make all kids different.

February 24, 2024January 1, 2024

The Watch

With the roar of the rolling surf echoing in the background, an old man walked along the beach, his cane sinking into the sand with his footsteps. As his ancient eyes scanned the scene before him, the beige, wet landscape littered with rocks, pebbles, and seashells of different sizes, his eyes landed upon the glint of sunlight reflecting from a metallic object. He paused in his shuffle to reach down for the object, a tiny gold gear. Mere inches away, the surf revealed another, and then yet another, each glowing in the midday sun.

He held the small sprockets in his hand, wondering about their relevance, and the happenstance which had brought them to his attention. Having been a jeweler most of his life, the objects brought recognition to his mind. The winding wheel, the crown wheel, and the center wheel of a pocket watch lie in his wrinkled palm. While gazing at his hand, he saw another glint of sunlight upon the wet sand at his feet. Using his cane for balance, he bent his creaking knees to lift the small nub of a gold winding crown.

February 3, 2024January 1, 2024

Cool, Clear Water

I stood at the kitchen sink not too long ago, staring as the water from the faucet filled up a pitcher of water. The light from the window glistened off of the moving liquid, sending sparkles of diamond beams as its shape changed. In that moment, that simple beauty of movement and light, I thought about the liquid filling the vessel; how vital it is to our very existence; how wonderful it looks in natural movement. In a world filled with chaos, there is order, natural law, and organization of which this simple liquid plays a major role in life on the big blue ball.

This may seem low brain activity to some, but in the world of convenience to which our society has become accustomed, we often overlook things which our ancestors struggled to obtain and which they treasured. There are places in the world where this life sustaining puzzle piece is scarce, impure, or unavailable. Though in the United States, we concern ourselves with the possibility it may be depleted, we are far and away from a time when our pioneer relatives had to carry it from a well or a stream into the cabin or soddie.

January 13, 2024January 1, 2024

Book of Wishes

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/christmas-ideas/a29729515/sears-wish-book-history/

It was originally about two inches thick. Later it dropped to half that size, but it was still filled with nearly anything you could imagine. JC Penney’s tried, but nothing could compete with the Sears Christmas catalog. The colorful, collection of each Christmas season’s dreams and wonders first published in 1933 with the name Sears Christmas Book. Richard Sears first published his original Sears Catalog in 1894, calling it a Book of Bargains. Around the country the Sears catalog was often referred to as the book of wishes. In 1968 Sears officially named the catalog the Christmas catalog the Sears Wish Book.

From ant farms to zeppelins, Holly Hobbie dolls to Red Ryder BB guns, it served as the research document for informed Christmas lists (complete with footnotes) from around the world. Speaking from experience, I can tell you that letters to Santa often included page numbers from the Sears Wish Book. The book was often perused over the season, as the dreams and goals changed. Folded page corners, circled item numbers, torn out pages left on the kitchen counter as subtle reminders, the book was definitely ready for the trash can by the time New Year’s day arrived.

December 31, 2023January 1, 2024

Settled Science

https://clipart-library.com/clipart/297559.htm

I try to stay somewhat apolitical on this page, and I’ll do my best here. I like to write, so I do think about words, what they mean, and how they are used. There’s been a lot of use of the term Settled Science in the past few years. Its been used to describe different subjects including weather and climate, disease, origin, humanity, and energy. To be honest, it’s tossed around by both sides. To me, there is something a little conflicting in the use of that term – Settled Science. It is often used to dismiss the differing theories, opinion, discoveries, and even the search for other answers.

So, what is science?