Teaching (or the Attempt to Educate People Who Use Big Words and Try to Sound Smart)

Almost daily, I find myself amazed at the stupidity on display on social media, or mainstream media for the most part. Since so many people tend to share, or copy and paste, or retweet, often with no real understanding of the words they are repeating, I thought I’d try to help them see exactly what it is they are spreading around. I guess I still think like a teacher, so let me try and stamp out some ignorance and provide some knowledge to the masses. Shall we start with a vocabulary lesson?

Let’s start with a few easy ones. (All definitions used below are from Dictionary.com)

Conservative – a person who is conservative in principles, actions, habits, etc. (adjective) disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.

Liberal – a person of liberal principles or views, especially in politics or religion. (adjective) 1) favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs. 2) Noting or pertaining to a political party advocating measures of progressive political reform, 3) Of, pertaining to, based on, or advocating liberalism, especially the freedom of the individual and governmental guarantees of individual rights and liberties, 4) Favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, especially as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties, 5) Favoring or permitting freedom of action, especially with respect to matters of personal belief or expression, 6) Of or relating to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies, 7) Free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant, 8) Open-minded or tolerant, especially free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.

I am by definition conservative. I do want to preserve things like our constitution, the institution of marriage, the Bill of Rights, patriotism, the flag, and other widely attacked American ideals. On the other hand, I must confess to laughing out loud at some of the definitions that supposedly describe Liberals. Honestly, I supplied the most applicable definition for conservative of the three given. Liberals apparently are harder to define and I actually cut the final three definitions for the sake of space.

I’m not sure if this is accurately describes today’s liberals. I guess the first four points are reasonable, but I’m not sure how the huge federal government fits in. Number five, I found hilarious. I’ve yet to meet a liberal who thinks a conservative should be able to act on his or her own personal beliefs. And six is also questionable these days, as most liberals can’t seem to stand the American representative form of government. The last two definitions I left in just because I thought they were funny, since today’s liberals are some of the most prejudiced, bigoted, and intolerant folks around.

Anyway, read and decide how you think the definitions apply to you and the people you know.

Here are some other words I see every day. Just my opinion, but if you’re going to call people names, at least know what it is you are calling them, or accusing them of believing.

Racist – a person who believes in racism, the doctrine that one’s own racial group is superior or that a particular group is inferior to the others.

White Supremacist or White Supremacy – the belief, theory, or doctrine that white people are inherently superior to people from all other racial groups, especially black people, and are therefore rightfully the dominant group in any society.

Fascist – a person who believes in or sympathizes with fascism, a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.

Nazi – 1) A member of the National Socialist German Worker’s Party, which controlled Germany from 1933 to 1945 under Adolf Hitler and advocated totalitarian government, territorial expansion, anti-Semitism, and Aryan supremacy, all these leading directly to World War II and the Holocaust. 2) A person elsewhere who holds similar views.

Socialist – an advocate or supporter of socialism, a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.

The biggest problem I have with these labels is the cavalier way in which we throw them about. Again, just my opinion, but some people today are awfully quick to use these words as accusations with little or no facts to support their judgments. Unless someone proclaims his beliefs openly with words or actions, can we truly justify calling them names and smearing them with such derogatory labels? Not very tolerant these days, are we?

Unless you embrace the theory of implicit bias, that we are all racists, I would respectfully offer my opinion that there are way fewer racists and white supremacists running around than the liberal media would have you believe. There have always been fringe groups of crazy people of all kinds, but the idea that they are now the majority is just nuts. So is the belief that anyone who disagrees with you can be labeled a Fascist or a Nazi. Seriously? If I vote for someone you can’t stand, that makes me a Nazi? And Socialism is now openly espoused as an ideal by liberals? Hello? Have you looked at Venezuela recently? Not exactly paradise.

Let me conclude with this encouragement, be careful what you say and how you say it. Words have meaning. Words have impact. Choose them wisely. Use them wisely.

Book Review: Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout

I first discovered Elizabeth Strout through her Pulitzer Prize winning novel Olive Kitteridge. I was initially drawn to the book for two reasons. First, the main character is a school teacher and as a former teacher myself, I always find such books interesting, and second, the cover featured one of my favorite actors, Frances McDormand. It remains one of my favorite books and I highly recommend it! The miniseries is also very good!

When I came across her second novel, Abide with Me, on the Clearance rack at Half Price Books, I snatched it up. (It’s not that I’m cheap when it comes to books, it’s more that I have such a huge pile of books waiting on me to read that I try to maintain enough discipline to not buy every book I see that looks interesting to me. When I do encounter one I haven’t read by a favorite author at a bargain price, I can’t resist.) Anyway, I added it to my pile and finally started reading it last week.

The back cover blurb describes the book as follows:

In the late 1950s, in a small New England town, Reverend Tyler Caskey has suffered a terrible loss and finds it hard to be the person he once was. He struggles to find the right words in his sermons and in his conversations with those facing crises of their own, and to bring his five-year-old daughter, Katherine, out of the silence she has observed in the wake of the family’s tragedy. Tyler’s usually patient and kind congregation now questions his leadership and propriety, and accusations are born out of anger and gossip. Then, in Tyler’s darkest hour, a startling discovery will test his parish’s humanity – and his own will to endure the trials that sooner or later test us all.

Strout is an easy read and does an excellent job of portraying the characters and situations common to the small town life. She describes herself as a storyteller and she is accurate. The narration is strong and the story moves along at its own pace, slow and leisurely, as befitting the town itself. Tyler is a flawed character doing his best to survive and do right by his family and his congregation, struggling with his faith at times, but believing that God will show him the way. The other characters are equally flawed for the most part, and each is struggling with his or her own particular set of problems.

Whether it is the housekeeper, the church organist, the head deacon, or the local school teacher, each has a story and a unique struggle. I was captivated by these characters and found them realistic and interesting. Strangely enough, the daughter, although a central figure in the story, seemed the weakest, but maybe that was just me. I guess I just wanted to know more about her condition and I kept thinking there would be more to her story. Strout has a habit of bringing characters back in future novels, so perhaps Katherine Caskey will return in another book.

Anyway, if you’re looking for action and adventure, this one is not for you, but if you enjoy a good character study, I would definitely recommend this one. As for me, I will keep my eyes open for her other novels and would encourage you to do the same. Keep reading! It’s good for you!

The President Goes to Europe (and the Liberals Go Crazy)

So, our President is doing what presidents do and meeting with foreign leaders this week, and the mainstream media is once again doing their best to sabotage anything and everything he does. CNN’s Jim Acosta, not satisfied with being rude and disrespectful here at home, has gone all the way to England to act a fool. The rest of the liberal media has continued to point out every negative thing they can find and spin every comment, photo, and rumor, to make America look bad on the world stage. They make sure we get lots of pictures of every protester with an ugly sign, so they can exaggerate the numbers and pretend that every single person in Europe hates our President as much as they do.

Honestly, I am torn watching all the nonsense. On the one hand, do I really care what foreigners think of our president? Not really. What does bother me is that Americans are behind ninety percent of the protests going on. George Soros hasn’t run out of money yet. Barack Obama is busy doing his best to ruin our country from the shadows. (Google “Organizing for Action” if you don’t believe me.) And the American media is trashing our President on a daily basis, and doing all they can to spread the news to everyone they can, including foreign citizens across the itinerary, to protest and hate on us as well.

In London, with the full support of the mayor, our President is being openly mocked with a huge balloon. Wonder how our media would react if he came to our country for a visit and we returned the favor? Oh wait, we can’t do that because he’s a Muslim and only white Conservative men can be treated so disrespectfully and still be cheered on by the media. Unbelievable!

Indulge me while I make a point here. I once worked in a small school district with a less than stellar reputation in our part of the state. Several friends were shocked when I took the job and worried about me and my safety at such a place. They were surprised to hear that in my opinion the district was actually a wonderful place to work. I informed them honestly that the district was no different than any other in which I had served. In fact, there were probably fewer problems than in the five or so other schools within a thirty mile radius. So I wondered, why did everyone think we were all thugs and outlaws?

One of the coaches from the school gave me the obvious answer. She had family employed by the district, and she herself had graduated from the school and returned to teach there years later. We were talking one day about a recent scandal that had occurred in one of the neighboring districts. In no time, we had easily managed to list a series of events that had plagued almost every school in the county. Most were far worse than the negatives that surrounded us. I asked her why she thought we were the ones with such a bad reputation in the area.

Her opinion, which was brilliantly spelled out, was that we were doing it to ourselves. When other schools had scandals, they kept the troubles in-house. They closed ranks and protected themselves from public scrutiny. We, on the other hand, constantly spread our bad news and shared every bit of gossip there was to share, often with embellishment. I quickly realized how right she was.

Friends of mine working at other schools seldom shared anything negative about their campus. If a “scandal” happened, they either denied knowing anything or simply changed the subject. Usually, they would just say they couldn’t really talk about it. Parents might spread gossip, but at least school employees were not guilty. Our teachers and staff members did the opposite. They were notorious for telling anyone and everyone the latest news, good or bad. You could always hear about our latest problems at the local Walmart. When it came to public opinion, we were our own worst enemies.

Right now, America is doing the same. The Liberal Democrats (who have reached new lows in negativity) are obsessed by their hatred for the President and are bound and determined to tell the world. Is it any surprise that Europeans are repeating the same things broadcast daily by the US media? Whatever your opinion of President Trump, he is currently representing us in foreign lands. Insulting our own leader and taking our criticism global does nothing but make us all look foolish. Isn’t it time we stopped being America’s worst enemy?

Book Review: The Midnight Line by Lee Child

I finished a new book this week and thought I’d drop a quick review. Lee Child has written 21 novels featuring the character of Jack Reacher, as well as a collection of short stories about him. Twelve of these have reached the #1 position on the New York Times bestseller list. Two movies (starring Tom Cruise) have been made from the books and more are supposedly in the works. His latest, The Midnight Line, is a solid addition to the series.

My brother has read the entire collection, but in all honesty, I have read considerably less than half. I have just enough OCD to think that a series like this should be read in the order they were written to follow the character throughout the trials and tribulations he is put through by his author/creator. Unfortunately, I have broken my own rules this time. After reading two books from somewhere in the middle of the chronology, I went back to read the first, and have since read several others in no particular order. Fortunately, the books read well as stand-alone adventures. There are very few ongoing storylines and recurring secondary characters, so it is easy to pick up any book in the series and start without worrying too much about the sequence.

Despite my lack of ordered reading, I have greatly enjoyed each of the books I have come across, and even have a couple of more from earlier in the series that I plan to read shortly. Perhaps at some point I will make a concentrated effort to fill in the gaps and get the whole set to read. But enough about me!

Jack Reacher is a really fascinating character. First appearing in Killing Floor, Reacher is an ex-military policeman/investigator and the ultimate drifter. Moving from place to place across the country, he finds adventure wherever he goes. It struck me while reading this one that he is the modern version of Don Quixote’s Knight Errant. He travels the countryside righting wrongs and rescuing damsels in distress, the everyman super hero. Some of Child’s critics echo the same complaints I had about Don Quixote, that the adventures are repetitious and at times predictable. I disagree.

Child has a way of dropping his hero into the middle of situations that require a hero and Reacher, although what he most wants is just to be left alone, is compelled by his sense of honor to step in and do the right thing. In this novel, he stumbles upon a West Point class ring sitting in a pawn shop in a small town in Wisconsin. He sets out to find the owner and return the ring, believing that giving it up could not have been an easy or simple decision. Besides, it’s a woman’s ring.

Tracing the movement of the ring brings Reacher in contact with a variety of characters both good and bad, and eventually leads to a confrontation with various members of a complex drug smuggling operation. Local police, a private investigator, an attractive client, and a slew of others round out the cast. And at the center, the mysterious owner of the ring.

I like the Reacher books for several reasons. First, I like the characters. Reacher himself is great, and in his travels, he always encounters interesting people. Second, Child is a strong narrative writer. He tells a good story and he tells it without frills. If you like books with lots of straightforward action, you will like the Reacher series. And finally, like the old Westerns I grew up on, the good guys usually win. Or at least, they live to fight another day. The Reacher novels I have read all end basically the same, with our hero either boarding a bus or hitching a ride out of town, heading for his next adventure.

I have read other novels that follow a particular character and could easily recommend many of them. James Patterson’s Alex Cross (25 novels) is excellent, as is John Sandford’s Lucas Davenport (28 books). Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch (20 novels) is another great character. Unlike the Reacher series, I would recommend reading these in order. These characters feature friends, family, loved ones, and enough recurring characters to form a chronological narrative. Reading these out of order can result in some major spoilers.

If you prefer a shorter series, I would also recommend Stephen King’s trilogy featuring Bill Hodges, and Elmore Leonard’s Raylan Givens four book series. If you have a favorite series, leave me a comment and I will check it out. Until then, keep reading. It’s good for the soul!

America – A Matter of Perspective

I’m a Baby Boomer, born in the fifties, schooled in the sixties and seventies. I remember proudly reciting the Pledge of Allegiance each morning and singing America the Beautiful after that. Patriotism and love of country was part of our upbringing. And at the end of the day, the TV stations played the National Anthem while showing the flag, and then called it a night. I would venture to say that most of my generation still see ourselves as patriotic Americans.

Sadly, a very large percentage of our citizens seem almost ashamed of their country these days. The mainstream media and the Liberal Left have done their best to make patriotism a negative trait, almost a sin, while pushing a variety of socialist causes and trying to fundamentally remake our nation. Led by popular actors, singers, and celebrities of all kinds, the near hatred for America amazes me. In the end, regardless of political views, I truly believe it comes down to perspective.

Like myself, many Americans still see our country as the land of opportunity, a place where anyone can succeed if they are willing to work hard and apply themselves. I still believe in the American Dream. From my perspective, I live in a wonderful country, the best place in the world to live and raise a family.

Not everyone shares my perspective. There are people who think our country is killing the planet with our policies on the environment. Others think we are a nation of warmongers, clinging to our guns and attempting to force democracy on countries around the world. To still others we are a land of racists who hate anyone different than ourselves and close our borders not for protection, but out of hatred. America has many critics these days it seems.

Consider the perspective of Donald Glover/Childish Gambino who says This is America. Apparently, he sees this country as a hateful and violent place. Christian rapper Lecrae (someone I really like) gives us the song Welcome to America. He portrays our country as ungrateful and unwelcoming with yet another video filled with negative and disturbing images. Others are more direct. Pop singer Ariana Grande once said publicly, “I hate Americans. I hate America.” Rapper Azealia Banks in a Playboy interview stated, “I hate everything about this country.” I doubt their fans share my view of America. I prefer Lee Greenwood’s perspective, because I’m Proud to Be an American also.

Celebrities, including Rosie O’Donnell, Bryan Cranston, Samuel L Jackson, Lena Dunham, Neve Campbell, Cher, Miley Cyrus, Barbara Streisand, Amy Schumer, Chelsea Handler, Whoopi Goldberg, Jon Stewart, and others proclaimed they would leave the country if a certain person were to be elected President. It’s pretty clear they don’t share my perspective. Former President Obama loved to say “This is not who we are.” Many times, he was not speaking for me and many others who did not share his perspective. Again, it seems a lot of people don’t like this country very much. Back in the day, we used to say, “America, Love It or Leave It.” Maybe some of these outspoken critics should seriously consider that.

So, what should we do? How do we adjust our perspectives and learn to get along as fellow citizens? I believe the simple answer is to start looking forward instead of backwards. I don’t wake up every morning and remind myself that our country once promoted slavery. (Like almost every other civilization that has ever existed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery) I don’t constantly dwell on the ways we mistreated women and openly discriminated against them in the past. Focusing on the history and the sins of our past is futile. As a country, we have a decidedly checkered past, but we can’t change that. We can only go forward. Complaining about the state of our country a century or more ago only gives us a negative perspective that cripples our ability to deal with the problems of today.

Whatever your opinion of our current President, he is openly patriotic and is working to Make America Great Again. Now, we can debate the word Again and argue about whether we were great, are still great, or whatever, but how can any American citizen oppose and protest honest efforts to make our country great? Don’t we all want to live in a great country? Isn’t it time to stop apologizing for being Americans and start being proud? Again?

So, Happy Fourth of July! And maybe be grateful to live in a country that gives you the freedom you enjoy here in America. And spend a little less time opining about how awful we are and a little more time working to make things better. Even great maybe.

How LeBron James Ruined the NBA - Update

Oops, he did it again! LeBron James is now a Los Angeles Laker!

I have been predicting for some time now that he would not return to Cleveland. Even though recruiting another All-Star caliber player to join him with the Cavaliers was still possible, I never believed he had any intention of staying. Just my opinion, but once again, he is taking the easy way out. (Some would argue that moving to the West is not the easy road to the Finals, but that’s a different issue altogether.)

Once again, he has made the DECISION and taken it upon himself to choose where, and with whom, he wants to play. With two homes in LA, it makes sense that he would choose the Lakers, and in terms of his family, it’s probably a wise choice, but Lord love the poor Cleveland fans. Not once, but now twice, they have been abandoned by their “hometown” hero. Sure, there are those who are just happy he came back and delivered the one championship, but many are no doubt deeply disappointed that he has rejected them again for a more glamorous destination.

So, now what? As my brother put it, with no further additions to the team, he’s basically in the same position as before. How long and how far can he carry his new teammates? I suspect more moves are already in the works. Can you say Kawhi Leonard?

On the other hand, maybe he has gotten beyond his obsession with rings. Maybe he just plans on playing four more years and retiring in LA. Not buying that? Me neither. I’m just waiting to see what else the Lakers have planned. Most likely, there are still some trades and signings to come.

Previously posted on 6-11-2018

Once again, the Golden State Warriors have won it all! Is anyone really surprised? Here are my thoughts on the current state of affairs in the NBA and how one particular player has altered the league for good, in a very bad way.

Welcome to the age of the Super-Team! Before this season even started, I heard an ESPN commentator make the argument that only four teams (Golden State, Houston, Cleveland, and Boston) had any real chance to win the NBA title this year. Fast forward to the Conference Finals and those same four teams were the last ones standing.  And the Finals? Golden State vs. Cleveland. Again. For the FOURTH straight year! This past offseason, most of the movement of free agents in the league was done with the express purpose of creating teams of superstars while those teams without such combinations became a lower tier of competition. And who should we blame for this phenomenon? None other than King James himself.

To begin, how do we define a “super team”? Although some would say that any team with three legitimate superstars constitutes a super team, others are quick to consider how the stars arrived on these teams. NBA history includes plenty of dynasty teams with power-packed rosters, but the ability to draft and develop talent has always been what separates the successful franchises from the rest of the league. The new NBA is based on shortcuts, finding ways to sign or trade for All-Star caliber talents to add to already stacked rosters. And it all began with LeBron.

In 2010, James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade joined forces to create the Miami Heat team that would waltz to four straight NBA Finals appearances, winning a pair of championships. (Were it not for those pesky Texas teams, they could have won all four!) Although not very common, superstars had been known to move before, but in this case, the three players had actually planned their free agency moves years in advance. Ignoring the NBA’s tampering rules, the players and Heat president Pat Riley, intentionally set out to stack the deck and establish a team of stars that could win multiple championships. And the NBA ignored the infractions as well, and allowed it to happen.

Four years later, apparently not content with two rings, LeBron did it again. This time, he became a free agent and returned to his original team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his absence, the team had played poorly enough to accumulate multiple lottery picks (including three overall number ones), picking up a few other star players, and then trading for others. Welcome, LeBron to your second super team! Other teams were quick to follow the formula. Golden State added Kevin Durant to an already championship roster. Houston picked up Chris Paul. Boston acquired LeBron’s old teammate, Kyrie Irving.

So, what’s the problem? Nothing, if you don’t mind sitting around for the whole season just to get to the preordained finish. Nothing, if your team is one of the super teams. On the other hand, it is frustrating to watch some of the teams with amazing young talent and think about how quickly those players will jump ship as soon as they hit free agency. Just like Durant, they have learned from LeBron how to work the system. In the meantime, if you’re tired of watching the Warriors and the Cavs play in the finals every year, don’t worry. LeBron is soon to be a free agent again and will likely leave Cleveland in search of his third super team. The wildest rumor is that he will go to the Warriors!

If that happens, we can just skip the whole season and give them the rings. Everybody else can just go into the consolation bracket and have a big tournament for second place.

For a really interesting article about the history of the NBA’s super teams, check out the following by Andrew Lynch. https://www.foxsports.com/nba/gallery/nba-superteams-history-lebron-james-heat-cavaliers-warriors-061617

So why do I blame it all on LeBron? In fairness to him, superstars have changed teams before in pursuit of championships, but seriously, if you are the best player in the entire league shouldn’t a team be able to build a dynasty around you? If you are truly the GOAT, should you have to use (and abuse) the free agency system to get your rings? Just my opinion, but I miss the good old days when the season mattered more than the offseason and championships were won on the court, not in the GM’s office.