This Generation

I have prayed on these passages and the following has been revealed to me regarding “this generation.”

Matthew 11:16-17

“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places and calling to their playmates,

‘We piped to you, and you did not dance;

We wailed, and you did not mourn.’

Then Jesus went on to speak about all of the troubles that will be seen on the Earth during the end times and then added;

Luke 21:32

Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all has taken place.

So, what is to be made about these two passages? Are they related to one another? I say they are. These passages have been debated over and over by many different religious factions. My training with the Jehovah’s Witnesses brought them to my attention as the Jehovah’s Witnesses once upon a time said that “this generation” was that generation who were around in 1914. I say “this generation” has not yet passed.

Is “this generation” a literal generation? A literal familial generation is about 25 years, but a generation is generally thought of as the life of an individual and their contemporaries. However, in this case, Jesus describes the generation not in terms of years, but in terms of who they are. He tells us how to identify a broader generation of mankind!

First, he describes them as children. Children are those who act up and must be taught right from wrong. Children play games. He goes on to describe their games. They pipe and others don’t dance. They wail and others do not mourn. In other words, the games of the present generation have to do with manipulating others with “games” and emotional pressure. Notice that piping and dancing is happy feeling while wailing and mourning are sad. In both cases, the person who is piping and wailing expects a reaction from someone else and is upset because they don’t get a reaction.

Sit and think about this, even in present day. Think about this sort of mentality since the time of Jesus here on Earth. How many arguments are had because we try to convince another person to think our way? Many times this leads to war! These actions are totally opposite of minding one’s own business and the ethos of “Live and let live.” No, I played the flute and you didn’t dance. I wailed and you didn’t cry. There is a built in assumption in this statement that the person feels snubbed and offended. What do humans do when they feel snubbed or offended? You know the answer. They cop an attitude at best, and punish by any means necessary at worst.

Then Jesus goes onto describe the end times and says that “this generation” shall not pass until the end times that he describes takes place. In other words, it’s not going to get better. We will be a generation of people playing the victim. We will be a generation of people trying to manipulate our fellow brothers and sisters. We will be a generation of those who will feel offended, snubbed, and generally, upset and angry because we’re not Gods ourselves!!! Only God has the right to expect people to react in such a manner! This is why it is important to heed’s God’s word and to try to be humble! 

Possible Solution to Gun Violence

I know how to truly curb gun violence in America without infringing upon the second amendment, and do it in a way that hardly anyone could complain about. I hate doing this as I am a gun supporter, but the solution is so obvious that I cannot ignore it.

The answer is to force insurance upon gun owners. If you want to own a gun in America, you must insure it. The insurance companies will do the rest. They will make it financially unsound to own certain weapons unless strict requirements are made.

Are you under 18 and want a high-powered rifle? Your insurance would be very expensive. Do you own a locking gun-cabinet? You get a discount. Have you had weapons stolen before? Higher premiums for you! Have your weapons been used in a murder? Insurance would compensate the victims.

You see, you wouldn’t be curbing anyone’s right to own a firearm. True, it would make it harder for a poor person to own a firearm, but I’m sure the insurance on a regular shotgun would be cheaper than the insurance on a high-powered rifle. Actuarial “scientists” will determine who pays what.

How do you force someone to insure their weapons? Would you need to register them? Good luck with requiring a registration, but all weapons are supposed to have serial numbers. I’ve been told that any weapon with serial numbers ground off are illegal and subject to seizure.

Any weapon in the open or being transported without insurance ought to be subject to seizure. If you want to have a shotgun in your home and don’t want to insure it, that’s fine, but you’re still liable for it should someone steal it and rob a bank. Is it worth losing your home over an uninsured weapon? That will be the reality of those owning firearms if a system is put in place that forces firearms owners to take financial liability for their weapons.

Firearms owners won’t register their weapons with the government, which is a concern with 2^nd amendment proponents. However, they will register their weapons with private insurance companies who will then regulate how firearms are to be stored and the insurance premiums will dictate that firearms owners be responsible or else pay for it.

Requiring financial liability for something in our capitalistic society is not something that is normally frowned upon. It’s in socialist countries where the society bears the brunt of liability. For instance, in socialist countries, if you fall sick, the government pays for you to get better. Risk is spread across the entire population. In America, we have generally shunned the government getting involved and we seem to prefer having people have no health coverage rather than having government take care of the problem. It’s as if it’s okay to have an insurance company dictate our coverage limitations and costs rather than our elected leaders. It doesn’t make much sense to me, but that’s America. Therefore, by asking gun owners to accept liability for their firearms, and to cover them with insurance, who could complain? It won’t be the government knocking on your doors to see your gun safe, it will be your insurance agent.

This is an entirely new way of thinking and would take time to set up the system to regulate firearm insurance, but the insurance companies would have financial incentive to set up an efficient system. In the same manner that insurance companies have crowed about their improvement of automobile safety over the years, they can help improve gun safety. Insurance companies are some of the largest lobbyists in government. They ask lawmakers for laws all the time, especially those that limit their liability. They love lower speed limits and seat belts. This is what insurance companies do and can do to the gun community.

Spring 2018 Update

I haven’t written in awhile. I’ve been fairly ill. I have not had a good winter. I am suffering from (amongst other things) Chronic Heart Failure. I had several episodes over the winter where I needed seen by a doctor. I took one ambulance ride in January and spent four days in the hospital in February.

I’m not fully out of the woods yet, but God-willing, I’m turning the corner. My second-oldest daughter will be graduating high school soon and hopefully heading off to Mt. Mercy for nursing school. KinDee’s second oldest child is now in San Diego at Marine Corps boot camp. KinDee became a grandmother in January. Now it’s April and winter just won’t let go.

I have a lot of garden plants sitting in the house under lights that need to start spending time outdoors. I want to plant another peach tree this year. I’m dreaming of garden produce coming out of the garden and onto my plate and into my pantry. I am dreaming of spending time outdoors. I am looking forward to firing off bottle-rockets with the kids again.

KinDee got her fishing license and Jenna will turn 16 this July and will need one herself. I see the two of them running off to drown a worm on a regular basis. I don’t fish anymore, but if my health were to improve, I would enjoy drowning a worm myself.

On days that are too hot, or stormy, I hope to find the time to sit down, put on some relaxing music, and just type away. I also need to catch up on genealogy work that has been sitting here since 2012. We also have other projects that have been stewing away for years, including making new curtains.

I know I keep saying it, but I’ll try to write more. Think Spring!

15 Years Together......

My Grandparent's 50th, me in the background. 

This is when I knew what I wanted in life, and that

was to be like my grandparents.

When I was 11 years old, I attended my paternal grandparent’s 50th wedding anniversary and family reunion. At that celebration, I realized what I wanted in life. I wanted a large family and to be married 50 years too.

I got married for the first time when I was 21. I had two daughters with my first wife and that marriage did not last.

I was devastated and heart-broken as I saw my dream of a large family and 50 years go down the drain.

I dated for awhile, and in time, I met KinDee. She had two boys and our children got along great. I treated her boys well and she treated my girls well, and in time, we decided to make a go of it.

I met KinDee through my cousin Sarah, who introduced me to my first wife as well. This was probably August of 2001. It was before September 11th. I was still driving semi and I didn’t get to see KinDee much, but in time, I eventually took her on a few trips with me. One of the first big trips we took was to Braselton, Georgia. It was the first and only time that KinDee has ever been to Georgia.

It sounds so cliché to say that we’ve had our good times and bad, but that is the truth. Our story was not a fairy tale. There were times that KinDee and I got together and split up. In fact, when Jenna was born, I had no clue as KinDee had left me. I was eating barbecue at Cousin Jeremy Durnan’s home. I didn’t get to see Jenna until she was a week or two old.

My mother asked me to reconcile with KinDee and over time, we worked out our differences and got married 15 years ago today. It has been a hard 15 years, which again sounds cliché as I have yet to see many marriages that are easy. Life is hard if you really think about it.

On the morning that we got married, it was frosty and cold. We drove up to the courthouse and got married by Judge Larry Woods who married me the first time. It was quite informal. I got married the first time in striped bib-overalls. With KinDee, I wore solid blue ones.

Present were our mothers who were witnesses, and my sister Joni and KinDee’s sister Vicky. Afterwards, we came home and had some cake and that was that. We were married the same as those who spent thousands getting married (no disrespect towards those who go that route, but we didn’t have the money to).

Here we are, 15 years later, two more kids later, and our kids now range from 20 to 10. KinDee will be a grandmother in a few months. We won’t do much today. Jenna already bought us some treats and wrote us a touching letter. They want us to leave this afternoon so they can do something nice for us. God bless them.

Back in 1987, I remember my grandfather speaking to someone who commented on looking at all his family 50 years on and Grandpa replied, “If you ain’t got family, you ain’t got shit.” That just about summed it up.

I look at my family, especially now as they grow older, and while I will never have that “large” family that I wanted, nor have I reached that 50 year milestone, I feel the same sense of purpose that Grandpa felt all those years ago. This marriage is really about family and what you leave behind. These 15 years haven’t been for my wife and I as much as it has been for our children.

I pray that my wife and I both live to see 50 years together. Even if we don’t, I cherish the 15 years we’ve spent together and pray for more.

Taken at Jeremy's wedding in 2003 or 2004.

Our family - 2015

Quaker Oats Old-Fashioned Grits

I have tried to figure out exactly what grits are. Everyone seems to know what they are when they are cooked, but nobody can agree on the starting product.  

I suspect a majority of grits served in average restaurants t today are the “Quick Grits” variety. But, what did our ancestors eat? What is this “hominy grits”? Is it actually made from hominy corn that has been dried, then ground? 

I have read that Quaker actually makes hominy grits. I wrote to them for a definitive answer.  

It appears they have a process of removing the germ without going through the whole nixtamalization process. Here is their response:

 

Eric:

Thanks for writing to us about Quaker Enriched White Hominy Grits. We appreciate the chance to respond to your inquiries.

Quaker Grits are made from the milling of corn kernels. The important first step is to clean the kernels. The kernel is then split, which removes the hull and germ, leaving only the broken endosperm. Therefore, Quaker grits are not whole grains. The endosperm is passed through heavy steel rollers, which break it up into granules. The various sizes of granules are separated by a screening process and graded. The large size granules are the grits, while smaller sizes become corn meal or corn flour. For Instant grits, we take raw grits and add vitamins, minerals, salt, and water, then cook the grits. The cooking process removes most of the water, instantizing the grits. Following the cooking process, Quaker Instant grits are dried for packaging.

PFBA - The Future & Automation

The employee complains about “the man.” The employer complains about the cost of labor. In the end, the employers are gaining an upper hand. They have been for some time.

First, companies are able to have their goods manufactured in parts of the world where people live on slave wages at best. These companies can then import those goods back into the United States and sell them cheaper than they sell goods made right here to home. How is it that a television set can sail across the ocean and still sell for less than a television set built here? However it happens, that’s what has taken place. Globalization just pushes the pedal to the floor in the process.

For those companies that cannot import their goods from other countries, namely, service industries and agriculture business, the companies have pushed for lax laws that allow cheap labor to flood into America. These are the illegal immigrants. Those Americans who cry foul, including those in the traditionally organized labor camp, are told that complaining is tantamount to racism. Nobody wants to be a racist, do they? Of course not, so it’s an effective way to quiet the resistance.

Here’s the question. When you have so many Americans sitting out of work, and are trying to automate more jobs, just who will have any money to purchase these goods and services?

These companies have found ways to squeeze more and more out of their labor force and the profits that were once spread across an entire workforce are now being pocketed by those at the top of the corporate ladder. This is evidenced by a truth that hardly anyone disagrees with; the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.

These titans of industry are now turning to the Democratic Party and aligning themselves with socialists. They are calling for people to be given “free” this and “free” that, but none of them are willing to pay higher taxes, or, God forbid, pay higher wages to their employees.

When companies pay a good living wage to their employees, their employees can afford to purchase goods and that is good for the economy. Also, by paying a good wage, employees no longer have to turn to the government for help. Walmart and McDonald’s both pay such low wages that the United States government subsidizes their labor costs. Most McDonald’s and Walmart employees cannot raise a family or live on their wages alone, and therefore turn to heat, health, and food assistance. Walmart’s owners are some of the richest in the world. They have enough money stuffed away that their great grandchildren will be rich. Imagine if that money had been spread amongst their workforce. Think of the savings to the government, aka; You, the taxpayer.

Here are some changes that would make the situation better.

1.      Tax any money not paid out to hourly employees. In other words, if a company makes billions and pays a paltry wage, they will be taxed heavily on that money because odds are, their employees are accepting government assistance. This will encourage companies to pay better wages as opposed to paying taxes. Either way, that money will be spent on the employees. I believe most companies would rather pay the money directly.

2.      Tax automation. If the government taxes automation and uses that money for the poor, many businesses may forgo automation and keep real people employed. The only time machines should be used is for dangerous work, which should be taxed at a low rate. We would rather have robots do dangerous work.

3.      Companies should be taxed for exporting jobs. If a job could be done in America, and it is not, the goods should be taxed to compensate for the under-employed. This could be pegged to the unemployment rate. In other words, if few are unemployed, it may make sense to have items made abroad. If certain items are meant to be made abroad, like Chinese silk, or Pakistani rugs, then that should not be taxed as high. There’s no reason that televisions are made overseas and shipped here cheaper than they can be made here.

We already use our tax system to influence people’s behavior. Corporations are not people. It’s true that they are made up of people who have collectively invested their money, but most corporations are run by a select few people, who in almost every case, are paid astronomical wages compared to most company employees, and they have fantastic benefit and severance packages. This is money that could be used to lift the lifestyles and retirements of their employees, while still allowing those at the top to be filthy rich. The only difference is that they won’t have as many succeeding generations able to inherit the wealth.

I am a capitalist, but a personal capitalist. I am not a corporate capitalist. I am also not a globalist. I believe in being a part of the global system, but I believe in forced diversity. Those who are globalists are trying to homogenize the world, to essentially form a world monopoly of power and influence. A monopoly is not a good thing. While having multiple different governments and systems is a pain in the ass to multi-national corporations, it is good for humanity. Diversity is good.

Do you ever think of me?

I still think of you. I remember those nights out under the stars. I bared my soul to you. Those nights with you were magical, just laying there, looking up to heaven with you.

I told you that I would have married you and I meant it. Still, all these years later, you are one of three women that I have loved not counting family. I have loved two other women, but none the same as I loved you.

I have thought hard about why things happened the way they did. For me, you loved me one moment, and hated me the next. It made no sense and for years it ate away at me. It wasn’t until I got older that it started to make sense.

I remember our last night together before you left for awhile. I also recall a phone call before that where you felt you might be in “trouble”. I remember a while after that when you told someone’s father that you had the same sort of trouble, which wasn’t true, but I wondered why you had said that.

Yes, years later I have wondered if you were. I wonder if you went and had done what I think you had done. I never knew. I suppose you wanted to protect your reputation. However, I wish you would have gone through instead of ending it. I wish it didn’t have to be the way it turned out. But I don’t blame you.

Long ago, I moved on in life, but it took awhile. I married, had children, and divorced. I remarried again and have had more children. But I have always wondered, “what if?”, but I have accepted my lot in life. It doesn’t matter. I have been blessed with a wonderful family; wonderful children.

If it is as I suspect, I don’t blame you. I did love you. I would have continued loving you.  I will always remember you and the time we spent together, and what may have been. I will take that to my grave.