Success!

Another National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) success!

I actually don't know if it's even a thing anymore. I just know that sometime in the past, posting every day during November was supposed to be a goal and I've been doing that without checking if it is still a thing. I kind of doubt it as blogging seems to have been a dying trend for several years. Maybe it will pick up again as Twitter seems to be crashing under the leadership (or ownership) of Elon Musk. 
I doubt it, though. Vlogs and podcasts are so much more trendy.

Spending a few moments writing each day has been good for me. It isn't easy and I wouldn't call it a habit at this point, but I can see the benefits of a set writing time for those that write professionally or have something to say on a daily basis. I struggle in the creativity department and so finding something to write about is often difficult. I may continue the practice of daily writing for a time - I don't really know. My counter says that this is my 2,466th post. If I post everyday in December and throw in a couple of bonus posts, I could begin 2023 with post number 2500. 
Hmmm...maybe.

Today I'm going to cherish my morning coffee and quiet time knowing that I don't have to get in the car and be on the road for most of the day like I have for the past four consecutive days. I may not leave the house or even get out of my pajamas today. This post means I've already accomplished something. Maybe I'll call it a day.

I hope that you were able to accomplish a goal for the month of November. 
No big deal if you didn't.
December begins tomorrow. 

John

Certain People

We arrived home around 7pm Sunday night after having been gone for a week. The cupboards were bare.
I ran out to the nearby Dollar General to pick up a few things, but found them to be completely out of milk, as well. I decided to make the 10 mile trip to the grocery store. 

Now, I'm not one of those people that goes on about God directing our paths to meet certain people at certain times, but I was very pleased at a chance meeting with friend that I haven't seen in some time.  This person (that I really don't know well) is one of those people that just brings a good energy with him, one of those people that makes you feel better for having been around him. He was with his daughter and we only had a brief conversation, but it was really grand to see him. 

Coming off the Thanksgiving weekend it is easy to be thankful for little things like a chance meeting with a great guy. I really need to keep the attitude of gratitude and recognizing the little things in life that boost my daily energy and make me feel grateful. 
Even as my Sunday night meeting was unexpected, my Monday night planned gathering with a couple of old classmates was once again a boost to my spirit. I'll get to see my cousin this morning and they (she and her husband) are bringing blankets and winter items to donate to my friends at The Connecting Grounds.
I expect the 6+ hr trip home to be a breeze today. 

My introverted personality keeps me from interacting with too many people. I am grateful for the boundaries I've set and for the really great people that are a part of my life.
It's several days past Thanksgiving Day. What makes you feel grateful today?

John

Church Attendance

It's not often that I actually go to church anymore. Time, distance, availability of live stream, pandemic habits - have all made actually going to church easy to avoid. We were on the road with my Catholic mom yesterday and I found a nearby Catholic church and accompanied her to Mass.

There are thngs about the Catholic Mass that I really like and even miss a little bit. There are also things that I find a little disturbing (maybe a topic for another day). It is pretty rare that I find the Homily or message part of the service to be engaging, but the priest yesterday was very good at delivering a message. He could have been an evangelist in a previous life, but I don't think Catholics believe in such things (previous life or evangelism).

From serving on the Church Council at The Venues and following pastors and churches on social media, I am aware that many churches are finding post pandemic attendance numbers to remain far below the pre-pandemic numbers. I really don't know about the religious habits and practicies of my readers anymore, but I am wondering if your church attendance habits have changed in the past few years.
Would you care to share in the comments?

Just wondering,

John

Christmas Decorations

Thanksgiving is behind us and Christmas is less than a month away. We saw houses decorated with Christmas lights as we were driving through Kansas last night. We will be home later today to our undecorated home. We've never been big on the outdoor Christmas lights and in the past few years, we've gone much less on the indoor decorations, as well. We'll have a tree, some Santa figurines, a Nativity scene, and not a lot else.
Also, I'm not a big fan of that white Christmas crap. I'd much prefer a warm, sunny afternoon that I can comfortably enjoy a smoke and a spiked egg nog on the deck. 

As I dig out the few Christmas decorations, I'll be putting on the bah-humbug, as well. But that's for later in the week. We'll finish our drive home to SWMO today and I'll be on the road tomorrow to take Mom back to Metamora. Chris has been driving the CO to MO part of the trip so I'll be ready for the MO-IL-MO drive on Monday and Tuesday. It is a lot of car time, but it has been a worthwhile trip. 

I didn't realize what boring travelers we are until we added a third person to the car. There isn't a lot of conversation on most of our car trips. We listen to music, one drives, the other reads, yeah-pretty boring.
Sorry, Mom.

I'm getting Mom to a Catholic church for Mass this morning and we'll be back on the road by noon, home this evening. Christmas decorations will have to wait.

Bah
Humbug!

John

Friday Night

IYKYK
Otherwise, I'll post more later.

John

No More Black Fridays

It is a little hard to be critical of the hoards of shoppers that make Black Friday shopping a holiday tradition. Although I have never made it into a big deal, I have taken advantage of some of the sale items in the past. These days I am more than happy to avoid the stores, the crowds, and the whole big commercialization of the entire Christmas season.

It's a nice day here today. We'll take Freya out to a dog park. Aaron bought a new softball glove and is hoping to break it in with a session of catch with Jenny. And we hope to make an evening trip to the brewery of the guy that secured the shooter from the club shooting a few days ago, here in CO Springs.
Tomorrow begins the trip home to SWMO followed by the round trip to Metamora.
It's been a good week.

As much as we all enjoy each other's company, I'm sure that getting back to the normal, everyday routine will bring its comfort to everybody. Being in one's own space (or in Hannah's case-having your space back to yourself) does bring a peaceful feeling to the spirit and is much more stress free than sharing space with others, even others that you love. 

Whether you spend your weekend shopping, Christmas parading, or quietly by yourself or with a few friends, I wish you well. 
To those that shop, Happy deal hunting. I hope you find the bargains and endorphin rush from your adventure.
As for me, I'm thankful that Black Fridays are a thing of the past.

John

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my US readers!

These past few years of retirement have truly given me a perspective of gratitude. I realize that although I live a simple life, I am extremely privileged to do so. I have both the ability to stay home and peacefully enjoy the quiet of the deck with a cigar and a drink, and the ability to travel to visit my kids that are living in places they have chosen to live--Colorado Springs CO and Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico.
Additionally, Chris was able to travel to Nova Scotia this past summer to meet with some of our Canadien friends for a girls weekend.

We are spending this Thanksgiving in CO Springs. Our Mexico kids have flown up and my mom is with us, as well. While we are opting for a dinner of Filipino food instead of the usual turkey and dressing, we expect to have an enjoyable day and full bellies by its end.

Yesterday we rode to the summit of Pikes Peak via the cog railway. It was beautiful! One of the landmarks we could see on the distant horizon was Black Mesa, Oklahoma--200 miles away! 
We were so awestruck by the amazing vistas and a little limited on time due to the train schedule, that we failed to take the obligatory selfie at the summit! With such beauty all around, why ruin it by placing this mug in the foreground?

John

Wednesday Wisdom

Love your family.
Cherish your moments together.

Last night we were able to just sit around the table, enjoy a good meal (Asian noodles by Mom), play cards, visit, and plan our time together. It was pretty awesome.
I know it didn't look like much, but we are seldom all together so it really makes this dad feel good when we are together.

When times are difficult (and they sometimes are), we are there for one another. 
When times are joyous, we celebrate together.
I am thrilled that the kids get to live in places that make them happy.
I am not so happy that those places are far away from us. It has been a long time since I've watched the weekend fights with Aaron or gone out for an afternoon coffee with Hannah. 

I am going to enjoy these next few days!

Over the past few years, I have met more and more wonderful people that are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. With that, I have met far too many that have been shunned by their families. I cannot understand this at all and my heart breaks for my friends that have been rejected by the people that are supposed to be there for them - especially the ones that are rejected for the sake of religion. I can't imagine the additional pain they feel at the holidays. I'm reminded of the warning Jesus gives in The Sermon on the Mount - You will be judged with the same measure that you use to judge others.
I want that to be a measure that is full of grace and love.

I saw this and shared it on Facebook a day or so ago. My FB memories from today shows I shared a very similar post three years ago.

Let's get the love part right, especially where family is concerned.

John

Badass and the Big Dog

My mom wants to be a badass.
Maybe if she had a big dog like Freya she could pull it off.
I think Freya is bigger!

John

Phone Post

Posting from my phone this morning because my laptop is in the car and at 17f it can stay there for now.

We spent the evening catching up with the kids and making some plans for the week. We'll do Thanksgiving with a Filipino twist and we will brave the cold to see Garden of the Gods, travel up Pikes Peak, and visit the cliff dwellings. We know that the train ride up to the Peak is going to be freezing!

Today we'll grocery shop for the week's meals and maybe watch a movie this evening. Hannah is working most days so we'll figure things out on our own.

I haven't seen the month long thankfulness posts on social media. Maybe people are feeling less thankful this year. I don't know. I do know that I am as thankful as I have ever been. It certainly doesn't mean that life is perfect. I think I have come to the place where I accept the imperfections as life. 

Maybe we have fooled ourselves into believing that life is supposed to be perfect or that we should strive for perfection. It's a sad and vain pursuit if you ask me. Life seems better when you can enjoy the moment rather than always be in search of something better.

Be thankful,

John

Sunday Drive

Time in the car is getting to be a familiar thing. Six+ hours on Wednesday and Thursday, and another six hours yesterday and six more today. Personally, I would have made the 12 hours to Colorado Springs in a single day. Maybe on the way home next week. On the way home, we'll lose an hour, so we'd need an early start, and I realize that not everyone is as comfortable on an all-day car trip.
...Or getting up early.
No worries. I'm pretty easy about such things.

Depending on the sunlight, I may add a post while riding in the car since Chris is doing the driving. Maybe not. I thought about it yesterday, but the computer was packed in the back. I may keep it with me today. Either way, I'm looking forward to seeing the kids today.

Be well.
Enjoy your Sunday.

John

Traveling

We've got our traveling schedule backwards. We were in Puerto Vallarta while it was still hot and are traveling to Colorado Springs when it's cold. We need to switch that around.

One of the downsides of working the cold weather shelter this winter is the commitment to staying put for the winter. I know there will be days in January and February that I may regret having made such a commitment. I'll probably spend those days booking a spring trip or virtually shopping for condos on a beach somewhere.

I think we are overdue for a beach trip with our Canadian friends. Chris was in Nova Scotia for a girls' weekend in June, but it has been a while since I've seen them. And while Canada in the summertime might be fine, I'd much prefer a beach trip in the tropics - even in the summer! Planning such an adventure might be a project for one of those cold winter days that is coming. 
Maybe I'll plan a summer road trip on the motorcycle. I could plan a basehall and bike trip, riding from MLB stadium to stadium. Although my last bike trip was fun, I don't have the same enthusiasm for long days on the bike that I once had. I don't know. It might be that I just need to ride more often. 

In any case, we have travel plans for the Thanksgiving holiday and will probably be home for the rest of the cold weather season. We'll have to make up for that come springtime.

Tell me your travel stories.
Got any recommendations?
Invitations?

John

Rest Day

Having been retired for almost 8 years, it is rare that I need a day of rest. 
It's been a pretty busy week for my usually dormant life and I am looking forward to doing very little today. Tomorrow will find me back in the car and on the road, so it's an easy day but with its own kind of stress. 

The morning fire in the fireplace and my last cup of coffee from Oaxaca Mexico is a fine way to begin the day. 
I'm curious about how others begin their day to set themselves up for a good day. I know people that spend time in prayer, reading the Bible, or practicing a morning meditation. 
I know that there are many people that attack (a purposefully chosen word) the day seeking to conquer any problems or problem people that get in their way, while others just roll with the tide and sail seemingly unencumbered by the trials and struggles of the people around them. 

I do wish that I would have been more mindfully aware earlier in life. I think that I've always been pretty positive in my approach to life, but I also believe that I wasted a lot of time and energy trying to convince less positive people that there is a better way. It was an occupational hazard of an evangelist/preacher.
Now that I'm out of the "you need to change so God will love you" mindset I can work on the "I need to change so I can see that God already loves you (and me, too)" mindset.
It's a strange phenomena that evangelicals pull every text about the depravity of man out of the Bible to use against us, but fail to use the creation story of God looking at all of creation (including humankind) and declaring it good, very good!

If you need a restful mantra to begin your day, try this:
Look in the mirror or just close your eyes and repeat this to yourself,
"I am created by God, in the image of God. God looks at me and says that I am good, very good!"

John

Times Change

I just read a Facebook memory from 12 years ago about cruising through the first of three mids. After finishing three mids at the shelter this week (and driving to Central IL) I was pretty wiped out. I slept a pretty solid 8.5 hours last night. And that was after a couple of caffeinated sodas within an hour or so of bedtime!
I don't know if it's age, being out of practice, or both, but it ain't like the old days. That's for sure!

Thursday is off to a slow start. I'll be on the road for home in a bit - another 6+ hours in the car. There will be more car riding/driving this weekend as we hit the road to Colorado for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

But first--
Mom just decided that she's hungry and that I'm supposed to fix her something to eat, so I'll get back to you tomorrow!

John

Last Minute Post

Okay, so it's not exactly a last minute post; more like a final hour post.
It is in the final minutes of the day to successfully count this as posting on November 16th.

It has been a long day. Overnight at the shelter with a little more than the quiet, uneventful nights we normally experience, a 4 hr sleep, a few errands and then a 6+ hour drive to Central IL.  I arrived about 10pm and will be heading home shortly after 10am in the morning. It's too short of a trip to connect with my old buddies, maybe on the return trip after Thanksgiving.

I've been thinking about the people at the shelter and how serving them has changed me. This is one of those posts that I think I want to take some time with. If you haven't heard from me about this in the next week or so, feel free to remind me about it. I think it is worth examining.

That's it for today.

Expect another short post for tomorrow.

John

Good, Bad, Indifferent

I made it to the middle of the month and posted every day. I don't know if I'll keep it up or not.
I like writing. I like sharing thoughts, ideas, books, etc., but I'm not sure if I'll keep it up. The idea of writing every day is a challenge for me. The real challenge is in trying to organize the scattered thoughts in my head into something that actually makes sense once I put the words together in written form.

Coming into the shelter tonight I was thinking about the great work that many people around our city are doing to help others. So much kind work and so many good deeds seem to go unnoticed by the news or by people in general. Bad news gets talked about, good news doesn't.
There are probably as many good people doing good things as there are jerks and dumb m/f-ers doing bad things, but we just never hear about it because good deeds don't make for good ratings. Maybe the real problem isn't with bad people doing bad things. Maybe it's with the majority of people being indifferent about good people and their good deeds and bad people and their bad deeds.

Maybe we (I) need to do more to share good stories and spend less time sharing or talking about the bad stories. I do this little thing about working in the shelters during the cold weather season. But the real work is being done all of the time - especially during the cold weather season. By the time I got to the shelter tonight, hundreds of meals had already been served by volunteers in our community and so much coordination between the different agencies and groups that try to organize the shelters and get as many people as possible into warm, safe beds on cold, wet nights like tonight. 

Typing away on my keyboard while a few dozen people sleep isn't exactly difficult work. The difficult part of tonight's work was in having to turn people away or find an alternate place for them to shelter for the night. One man had been waiting outside the shelter for quite some time, but he didn't know that he needed to sign up to reserve a place here. He had to wait until the people that had signed up were in and then hope there were cots left. There weren't. His frustration and anger showed in his tears as he just wanted in out of the cold and rain, and to know that he'd be safe and warm for the night. We were able to find him a bed at another shelter and provide the transportation to get him (and others) into a safe and warm place to sleep. 
The situation will repeat itself over the coming nights and throughout the winter as there are literally hundreds of people that will not be able to find shelter on cold nights. I think the indifference of our City Council is the major player in ignoring the growing problem of homelessness in our community. 

This is what I mean when I talk about not having thoughts organized and just writing stuff. It might be better to just write it as I'm thinking about it rather than never getting around to actually writing something more well organized and more well written. 

More unorganized rambling tomorrow.

John

The Midwatch

It's been a little while since I've worked the midshift. In ATC world I worked a lot of mids. Light traffic most of the night, light staffing, no supervisors - what's not to like?

Working the overnight mid at the shelter isn't bad. I'm back again for the next couple of nights. I didn't really pre-sleep the for last night's shift, so I should sleep well today. I had a quick post-mid meal, grilled cheese sandwich topped with a fried egg. It's a pretty tasty, eat with a fork kind of sandwich.


 

I'll be up for a little bit to get into rhythm for the coming nights.
I'm expecting to sleep pretty well.

John

Things that make you go, "Hmmm..."

 

Brrrr...

Cold weather has made it to the Ozarks!
This isn't my preferred way of spending my more coffee and quiet time, but I'm pretty certain it will become the norm in the coming months.

I am ready for spring.

Last night was the first night Springfield's overnight cold weather shelters were open. 
Chris and a friend joined me to help get guests settled at one of the shelters. The set-up and hospitality crew is usually out of there by 10pm. We were out a little earlier last night. 
Due to this early overnight freezing streak, I'll be starting my overnight monitor duties a little earlier than planned. I know that spending the night at the shelter then working the next day isn't an option for most people, but there are other areas where volunteers are needed. Talk to me if you'd like to help in some way.

Stay warm
...and consider donating blankets, coats, hats, gloves, etc., to a shelter or organization in your area.

John
 

Reading

I've been in a bit of a reading funk lately.
I'm still reading every day but these last couple of non-fiction, full of science data reads have slowed me down quite a bit, sometimes just a chapter a day. Interesting stuff, but not something you can just breeze through. Learning stuff is work - even when you don't have to. It's a good reminder that I probably would be wasting time and money to go back to school for any reason.

My Kindle streak is still intact at 445 consecutive days, 100 consecutive weeks, plus there are those occasional books - you know, actual paper and ink books - that I pick up from the library or buy. I'm at 70 books for the year with two currently open. 
The oncoming winter may inspire more reading time, though that's hard to imagine for a retired guy.

My current books are Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahnemen and The Day the Revolution Began by N. T. Wright, both nonfiction which is rare for me. Reading more than one book at a time isn't unusual for me. Reading more than one nonfiction book at a time is.

What are you reading?

John

Tell me something good!

I started to write and complain about the coming cold weather, but decided that I didn't want to be negative today. I want to be positive and add good energy to the world. I want to enjoy the sunny day and get a little work done outside. I need to charge my internal battery to full because I have to be out and with people tonight and I'm not really looking forward to it.

So...
Give me some non-political good stuff!
Send some good energy my way.
Has someone been kind to you?
Have you done something for someone else?
Read a good book?
Seen a good movie?
Help a guy out, would you?

John

Election Results: What Now?

Election results are still coming in and probably will be for a couple of days.
The Georgia Senate race may go to a run-off election (early December) and is at least headed toward a recount to determine if the candidate with the most votes was able to top the 50% mark.
Around the country there was no red wave, although it is likely that House control shifts from Democrat (blue) to Republican (red). It looks like the Democrats will maintain their minimal margin of control in the Senate.
It will probably be a matter of weeks before we are into exploratory committees and declarations of candidacy for the 2024 election cycle. Ugh!

What I'm doing today is:
*  Waiting for an internet service installation (sometime between 8am and noon)
*  Checking the weather forecast and volunteer list for the shelter for the coming week
*  Smoking a cigar and reading a book on the deck this afternoon
*  Practicing a little magic (probably very little)
*  Going to a church council meeting this evening

Pretty much what I do every day.

What is your post election day like?

John

Election Day Privilege

I'll be voting today.
I don't expect any long lines in my small rural community.
And, in spite of being a half Asian Democrat in a nearly all white and deeply red community, I expect no trouble nor obstruction when casting my ballot. To most people, I'm just another old, white guy.

In a recent conversation with someone that is very concerned about the outcome of today's election, I made the comment that regardless of the outcome, tomorrow will find me sitting on my deck, smoking a cigar, sipping some bourbon and listening to music.
This morning of election day I am realizing just how privileged I am to be able to be so unconcerned about the elestion results.

Vote.

John

November's Full Moon

The first full moon of November (for years when there are two) is known as the Beaver Moon. 
It is time to set your winter traps before the small waterways freeze, so that you can have a good harvest of furs throughout the winter. 

This year's Beaver Moon will occur in tomorrow's early morning hours for the Central US and will be the last total lunar eclipse for a few years. During a total lunar eclipse, the moon takes on a deep reddish color and is often called a blood moon, Tomorrow morning's Beaver Blood Moon has generated quite a few comments on various sites. For my less depraved friends, I'll spare you the examples. I'm sure that most of you can imagine what they might be.

Every night, as the moon (in any phase) passes through the sky, it blocks out, or occults, hundreds of other stars and occasionally planets from view. This year's Beaver Blood Moon will block the view of -- yep, you guessed it -- Uranus!

smh

Yeah, this retired guy will be up in the early morning hours to check out the Beaver Blood Moon. To be fair, I'd be up to see it even if I had to get up for work on Tuesday morning. The science of astronomy and our solar system fascinates me. 

John

Oh! The Dreaded Time Change

It means that we'll be hearing the complaints of how early it gets dark (here in the Northern hemisphere) for the next few months. It should be noted that the actual daylight hours don't change from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time. Moving the clocks back and forth doesn't change anything when it comes to the earth's rotation on its axis or its orbit around the sun. Days will get shorter for another six weeks or so and then - without doing anything to the clocks - they'll start to get longer. 
Weird how it happens every year like that.

For those that are thinking that the spring will bring permanent DST to the US - that bill was only passed in the Senate. It hasn't even been heard in the House, and so hasn't been signed by the President. No permanent DST is currently on the horizon.

It is a strange thing that we enjoy complaining about things that we cannot change or worrying about things that will happen or not without regard to our concern.
I like my coffee mug saying - God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know when to just go riding!
Sure, there will be days when it's a little cool for a motorcycle ride, but I've got gear for those days if I still want to ride...and I just might.

What are your go-to complaints of things that are beyond your control?
Does sharing them with others make you feel better?
Or do you have another method for dealing with them (like going riding, listening to music, or something more detrimental like excessive drinking or fits of anger)?

Let's hear it.
This is your venting opportunity for the day.

John

What do you watch?

I'm not a big TV watcher. I watch UFC fights about every Saturday evening. Occasionally I watch a hockey game. I watch a few series on my phone while I'm chillin' on the deck, but I don't typically spend a lot of time watching shows.

Recently, Chris and I watched the 7 show series on Netflix called The Watcher. It was pretty creepy when you consider that it is based on a real life story.
I am working my way through the Amazon Prime series The Musketeers, and recently finished the two seasons of El Cid on Prime. I rarely watch more than one show at a time and often don't even finish a whole episode before I decide that I'm going to read or do something else for the time being and watch the rest of it later.

While I do like watching the occasional series, I mostly prefer to read, listen to music, read while listening to music, or sit quietly and contemplate life while savoring a good Nicaraguan cigar and sipping some bourbon or tequila.

What do you watch?
Or do you prefer something else?

John

Tech Challenged

It is a good thing that I can live well without all of today's technology because I really suck at it.
Admittedly, part of sucking at it is being too cheap to invest a lot of money into newer stuff.

Here's where I am:
I've been going through some of my old magic stuff. I've got hundreds (more like a couple thousand) of dollars tied up in books, VHS tapes (yes, they are that old), and DVDs. I do have an old player that I can connect to a TV to watch the DVDs, but would rather have something more portable. I was going to look for a portable DVD player (they still make those, right?) but thought that I have a couple of old laptops with DVD players (remember those) and I could probably use one of those.

Holy crap! Those old machines are heavy enough to anchor a barge!
Anyway, the ten year old technology is as slow as a slug, takes forever to boot up, and is more than a little frustrating to work with. I eventually did get the DVD player to work, but will probably end up just buying a portable player. 
However, there were a number of old video files stored on the hard drive that I want to retrieve and save. I found a thumb drive, eventually got the old computer to recognize it and was able to transfer the files to the external drive.
BUT...those old files are in a format not recognized by the technology of my current Chromebook! Ugh!
I don't know if the files would be recognized by any other current technology or a contempory laptop, but I guess I'll do a little research (with my limited knowledge and skills) and see what I can come up with.

If it turns out that I can't figure it out - maybe I'll just fire up another cigar, pour another drink, read a real paper and ink book, and learn magic the old fashioned, tech-free way.

heavy sigh

John

New Twitter

I'm thinking about Twitter and the hub-bub around its purchase by Elon Musk.
I've kept my account and haven't noticed a great deal of difference other than I am seeing fewer tweets from the less conservative news feeds and posters that I follow.

I don't know if it is because they have decided not to use this media or because of a design to limit what I see in the way of more liberal posts. Or maybe it is just an untimely coincidence.
Just an observation.

When I feel like taking the time, I may go to certain sites directly to see if they are posting stuff that just isn't making it to my feed. That would be interesting - free speech says they can post what they want vs ownership saying they'll share certain things less than others.
Hmmm...?

For now I'm not concerned enough to take the time to examine it. Maybe some news feed is already on it.
Admittedly, I am subjected to confirmation bias - leaning into posts that agree with my positions more than those that don't. I do try to be educated about my positions and try not to rely on only a few select sources for information to come to my conclusions, but I imagine most people feel they do the same.

I'll keep my Twitter account for the time being. I'm not going to pay to keep it. I expect there will be more advertising, but that is the cost we all pay for free social media. As with other social media platforms, I have relatively few followers and try to be selective about the accounts I follow. The Musk model of say what ever you want and let the public sort out the truth is too tiresome for me so I fear I may have to abandon Twitter at some point. Differing opinions are one thing; outright lies and purposeful misinformation is another.

Have you noticed any changes in your Twitter feed?
Just wondering.

John

A Love/Hate Relationship

I'm wondering about Love vs. Hate.
Yeah, I'm wondering about the relationship between love and hate -- not the love/hate kind of thing where you both love and hate the same thing or person, but I'm wondering why it is so much easier to spread hate than it is to spread love.

Obviously it is way easier to ignore someone or someone's need than it is to do something.
Is indifference the same thing as hate? Is not helping someone the same as hurting them?
Maybe indifference isn't the same as hating, but it certainly seems to create a breeding ground for hate to fester and grow. Maybe indifference is a kind of passive hate rather than the active hate of actually doing harm to someone. 
It seems that there is way too much of both today.

It doesn't seem like kind, loving words would be more difficult to share than harsh, hateful ones, but we see and hear far too few kind words while being bombarded with hateful and demeaning words.
What would happen if we were all more purposeful about sharing loving words and kind actions?
What would happen if we were less indifferent and more involved in issues of social justice?
What would happen if we all pointed out indifferent and hateful words and actions when we see them?
What would happen if we stopped sharing hateful tweets/posts/memes/etc.?
What would happen if we made spreading love as natural as being indifferent or spreading hate?

Just wondering...

John

Good Vibrations

As I've gotten older I've become more sensitive to the energies that people put out. There are some people that I just like being around. They have a good, attractive energy. 
There are others that are more like magnets that repel one another. I won't say that it is bad energy, more like incompatible energy.
And I think there are even energy suckers - those people that drain the energy and life from those around them.
And then there is everything in between.

I think if we could see the vibrations that people put out, we would find that we either like or don't like each other based on the compatibility of our frequencies - kind of like musical notes that either blend into harmony or make a discordant noise.
And maybe I shouldn't say that we dislike people with incompatible frequencies. We just aren't as attracted to them in ways that make us want to be around them as much as others.

I think that more sensitive people can see or sense the harmony between friends or couples. I think family units can make great harmony and be very close or be dispersed because of the disharmony of their energies. Could understanding frequency differences and bringing in a third person or energy help to bring harmony in our relationships with others?

I don't know.
These are just thoughts I've had for a while.

I'm thinking about them this morning because I was reflecting on the time I spent with friends over the weekend. These were a couple of my childhood buddies that I grew up with but lost connection to as time, distance, and life paths separated us. I have really enjoyed getting together with these old friends over the past couple of years.
It was fun. There was a great energy from everyone. I came away from the night feeling enegized and good. I can still sense the good energy from our get-together even though it has been a few days.

I'm no expert on auras or energies of people. I cannot see the auras that surround us, but I can usually sense when people are closed off or more open. I think there are lots of people that try to disguise themselves (at least their true selves) - some from shame, some out of deceit and bad motivations. Over the years I think I've found the most fake people in churches that I've gone to. I'm not saying that they are bad people. I just feel like they are uncomfortable being themselves in those environments.
Who can blame them?

Just some weird stuff that floats around in my head.

It's November 1st and the first day of what has traditionally been National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo). I don't know if it still is or not. Nor do I know if I'll be posting every day of the month or not. 
I'll try posting more often - just because I enjoy it most of the time, but I'm not going to pressure myself into posting every day and I'm not going to freak out over missing a day or two.

Happy November!

John