Author Archives: bfrhodes99

Who Has the Better Offer

Posted in Christian values by

I am just a little confused. There are those who chose religion over Christianity. Why? Just who has the better offer? Is Buddhism better than eternal life with Jesus. Is there something the Hindus offer that is better than what is offered by Christ.

Besides this, who has any power to fulfill any promise. I mean, to the best of my knowledge, even the Buddhists admit that Buddha is no longer living. What can he do for you? What could he do for you if he were still alive?

Only Jesus has a real promise. Only He has the power to fulfill the promise. Only He will provide you with life that will last…forever.

Why chase the counterfeit when Jesus, the real one, the only one who can truly provide you with eternal life. He not only has the better offer. He has the only offer. The rest have empty promises, if they have promises at all.

As my aside, be careful. There are those who would like you to believe they represent Christ, that they are ambassadors of the one true God. If they teach anything other than what is in the Bible, they are frauds. If they seek money and fame, be very careful. If they stand in pride in what they have done, most likely they don’t represent God. Finally, if they teach that you must belong to their church for salvation, they teach a lie.

While believing in Jesus Christ is an absolute requirement for salvation, belief in any church, in any organization, or in any person other than Jesus, is idolatry. It will gain you nothing. Rituals will not gain you salvation, even baptism and the Lords supper. However, we as Christians we observe baptism and the Lord’s supper in obedience only after we accept Jesus as our savior. Jesus, himself instituted the sacraments. He told us to celebrate the Lord’s supper in remembrance of Him. As he ascended into heaven, he told us to preach the Gospel and to baptize.

It seems, Everybody’s Jumping

Posted in Abuse of Power, Being woke, Biden, Christian values, Elections, Liberals, Politally Correct, Socialists by

I’m sure that most of you, as with me, heard the expression, “If everyone jumps off a cliff, would you do it too.” It is a simple admonition to keep us from following the mistakes of others. Perhaps it was used a little too much as it did somewhat lose its effectiveness on many. Nonetheless, there is something to it. Just because others do things, that doesn’t make it the smart thing to do. Sometimes, the rush by others can be downright dumb.

Not to make a jump to another subject, but I frequently go up and down I-55 between Southaven and Hernando. As I do, I see this big sign on the side of a building. It made me wonder, just who are they? Just what do they do? Finally, I looked them up on the web. Mostly, it wasn’t that surprising. However, I’m going to leave their name out and what they do in this post. I see no point in disparaging them here.

The thing is that just as I was about to leave their web site, I saw their ESG (Environmental, Social and Governmental) statement. It is one of those things that is not required by law, but it would seem everyone is doing it. Everyone seems to be jumping off that cliff, despite all the admonition of their parents.

The Budweiser corporation jumped off that cliff and it almost drove them into bankruptcy. The Disney Corporation decided to make the jump and their stockholders are still smarting. I noticed some outfits are trying to straddle the fence, that is, they are making it look as if they are jumping without actually jumping. When I went into Firestone the other day to have my HHR worked on, they had a small, almost unnoticeable little statement on one of their advertising boards. It made me wonder what they would say if I asked them about it.

Why the sudden change? What happened that companies risk losing significant income just so they can suffer the income loss as with everyone else? Moreover, even worse, purposely, intentionally they are giving up market share. People are still drinking beer, just someone else’s. People are still buying clothes, just not from Target.

People have buying habits. When they change people they do business with, it tends to be permanent. If those people who used to drink Bud, decide some other brand is better, they just might not return. In other words, this stupidity might have long-term damage.

Well, it used to be, that is to say in times past, it was the duty and the purpose of corporate boards to make money for the owners of the company, that is to say, the shareholders. It seems Old Joe did not like that concept. He could not change the law but he did make the suggestion that it would be a good idea that all companies have a different policy. He wants the corporate boards to make decisions made on the effect to environment, to social biases and governmental issues. The last, just so you know, means, how it effects the dems.

As I say, it is not required. It is not law. However he is pushing it just as far as he can with the power he has. And, as you can see, it is having its affect. For some reason, corporations seem to think it will help them to join the crowd and make the leap, knowing that it will be disastrous to their bottom line, and, of course their stockholders.

It does make me wonder, what the stockholders of Target are thinking right now, as they saw their stocks plummet. I think we know what the Budweiser stock holders are thinking… damage control. I have seen a few of the commercials since their leap into ESG and it looked an awful lot like they were trying to do some serious backing up, all the while, trying to make if look as if they aren’t retreating. They’ve trotted out their Clydesdales and given to the veterans. I wonder just what is next. Well. I know what would be best. A simple statement of admission to the mistake and an apology. However, if you’re waiting for that to happen, you can forget it. That alphabet soup group will not let that happen.

Free Trial

Posted in All That Jazz by

When I bought the Chevy HHR, they provided a three month trial package of Sirious. I tried it. I decided I didn’t like it. I guess they had 4 or 5 channels of various kinds of jazz. I am not a fan of jazz or most of the contemporary channels they had. However they had one single channel they called easy listening. Guess what? They played jazz on that channel as well. It was about 30% jazz. Of course, if I wanted to listen to jazz, I could have listened to one of the channels reserved for jazz. Apparently, they could not reserve the one channel from jazz.

Therefore, when it came time to start paying for the service, I didn’t. Why should I pay for a service I didn’t use when was free?

When I bought the new electric car they told me, guess what, a three month free trial. Don’t think I will be going down that path a second time. I learned my lesson the first time. I have my recorded music, which I paid for, and I’ll be playing that, which, by the way, is likely not available on Sirious.

One nice feature about the Nissan is that it has a couple of USB connections and I can store a lot of music on one of the USB devices. Moreover, I can change it, should I want to, in a few seconds. Not that hard. Mostly, now that I’ve paid for it, I don’t have to pay anymore. I can play the selections over and over. And I never need to ask myself why in the world the artist were paid to produce such awful noise.

Anger

Posted in Abuse of Power, Alcoholism, Back Space Keys, Christian values, law enforcement, Lawyers and Representation, Mistakes by

First, to keep anyone from getting the wrong idea, this applies to both genders. When I use the masculine pronoun, it applies to both male and female, though not necessarily equally. In grammar, we are told to use he or him anytime we know not the gender. I don’t really agree with that, but the only way I know around it is to say him or her or use he/she. That gets clumsy after a while. So to remain grammatically correct, I will use he as well as him for both genders. Of course, no problem with plural. They and them are already clear enough.

At any rate, the reason I write this is that there is something I noticed about people and anger. People, in general hide behind masks. I am no exception. No one knows me better than my wife but there are things even she doesn’t know about me. I would guess it is common with everyone. None of us wants the world to know our deepest darkest secrets and desires. We all hide things, sometimes even from ourselves.

Anger, however does have a tendency to expose some of those things we wish to keep hidden. When we are angry, we lose control of ourselves and we tell others a little of that we would rather not be known. So. If you really want to know that other person, watch what they do when they are angry. That which you see everyday is only what he wants us to see.

We are all experts at pretending to be what we aren’t. Moreover, the more important that that one person is to us, the more we hide what we are from them. It’s just natural.

Here’s one that will likely get me in trouble. It is a common thought that one of the best places to meet the person of your dreams is in a church. After all, we should all be equally yoked. It’s biblical. However, it is also one of the worst places to meet a your future mate.

He is going to be at his best behavior in church. He will be hiding his real self from others more while in church than when he is in a bar with all his rowdy buddies. Just saying. Moreover, he will be even more careful not to lose his temper. I mean, we Christians just aren’t supposed to lose our tempers. It’s what we are taught even while we are still in diapers.

But we do. In spite of my best efforts, I lose my temper. I say things that I later wish I hadn’t said and I do things I wish I hadn’t done. Daily, I practice control from the time I wake until the time I sleep. However, it’s a good thing the TV doesn’t get its feelings hurt. My wife does ask me from time to time why I yell at the TV or radio. She said it won’t do any good. On the other side, it doesn’t hurt anyone either. Better I take out my anger at it. Well, maybe there are exceptions. I have managed to keep from losing it bad enough to put my foot through the thing, tempting as it is. I did hear on the news of a sheriff that put a bullet through one. I wonder if he went through any anger management courses.

I don’t know. I am not sure but I think anger is something that only humans have. Generally, when one animal attacks another, it is mostly for self-preservation or food, sort of the same. However, mankind can do some pretty horrid things while angry, especially while under the influence. Oddly, men have been known to kill their wives, the person he’d likely give his life to protect. Both men and women abuse their children while out of control. I simply don’t understand it. And, by the way, some of these people are highly respected members of churches.

I don’t understand it. I have seen it. I have heard of it. A leader of a church loses his temper and a very pleasant, amiable woman ends up in the hospital. Try as I might, I can’t figure it out. Well. I’m not alone. I suspect there are likely many in law enforcement that have seen it more than I have.

Oddly, for this reason, I make two important suggestions. If you are one of those, as me, who has a tendency to lose his temper… when you see you are losing it, walk away… before you do something you will be sorry for later, as I have. It’s why I take a walk when I feel myself hitting the boiling point.

Secondly, advice that is worth all your paying for it, don’t marry someone until you’ve seen him angry. If you have never seen him or her angry, then you don’t know him. I can assure you of it. Besides, it’s common sense. If that person is the type that will resort to physical violence, better to know before the “I dos.”.

One more little thing, a guarantee. If you do not know what he will do when angered before you get married, you will afterward. There are no backspace keys in life. Therefore, be careful before making those those lifelong decisions. Divorces are possible, but it will not erase that mistake that was made.

I Was Just Curious

Posted in Christian values, Deceit, Liberals, News media, Politally Correct, Priorities, responsibility & irresponsibility by

From the time I was seven, I was brought up near Disneyland. Actually, that’s not 100% true. The theme park was just an orange grove at the time.

Yup. For some time, when we passed the spot, the remark was made, “That’s where they’re building Disneyland.” Perhaps the one thing that was most visible was the Peter Pan pirate ship.

The transformation that followed was simply unimaginable. The area around Disneyland went from orange trees to hotels, motels, restaurants and parking lots.

The whole Disney empire exploded as well. The studio turned out one huge success after success. The theme park grew in size and attendance.

First time I attended, it was about 3 or 4 dollars a person. If you didn’t go on the rides, that was it. Most, however, bought books which included admission, a few each of A through E tickets. The A tickets, well, most used about half of them. The prize tickets were the E tickets. Invariably, most bought extra E tickets.

For a while it actually caused a frequently used expression, “Well, that was an E ticket,” implying it was a really good experience.

Well. Things have changed and they have changed. Just getting into the park is horribly expensive. I don’t know how people afford it.

Just out of curiosity, I looked it up on line. First, I had a difficult time determining what it costs for 1 day. All the quotes I saw were for three days or for multi-park costs. It seemed to me a classic up salesmanship.

It is as if, if I want just a day in the park, then they have no interest in me. Well, I did find the cost, sortof. It changes, depending on the time of the year.

Well, they may not have much interest in me. The feeling is mutual. Ever since Walt Disney died, the whole empire has been taking a dive, big time. Their movies are failing. Their park attendance is slipping and even ABC is having problems.

It’s sort-of what happens when companies go woke. It’s sort of what happens when they produce children’s movies with adult subjects and inappropriate material in them.

Moreover, they seem to lack originality. They keep redoing old movies with a woke touch. It just really doesn’t work. Most parents won’t put up with it.

It’s showing up on Disney’s bottom line and they just don’t get it. It would seem they believe that if they keep trying, that round peg is going to go though that square hole.

Sorry, I Messed Up

Posted in Abuse of Power, Being woke, Biden, Education, Face Masks, Lawyers and Representation, Norton, Politcal Opinion by

I apologize. Don’t know how I overlooked it but I did. In my post about training and education, I overlooked one detail, a very important one. I did not mention that all should go through at least one semester of school devoted to The Constitution.

As a matter of fact, I would submit that before anyone be permitted to vote in federal elections, they should be required to be able to demonstrate a knowledge of The Constitution and The Bill of Rights. That should be a minimum. It is not to limit voters but to make sure that those who vote have some degree of knowledge about what they are voting for or against.

It would have a beneficial side effect. The dems would really go out of their way to make sure that everyone would be able to demonstrate a knowledge of The Constitution. That would be a good thing.

It would be good for the voter as he would be able to vote for what he really wants. It would be good for others, as the voter would make better decisions. Finally, it would be better for the country as it would make it more difficult for controllers to deceive the voters.

Can anyone really call that a bad thing. A good education is the enemy of the would be dictator. It is why it is one of the first things that dictators try to destroy. Ironically, the current would be dictators are destroying our education systems by pretending to make it better.

Training and a Good Education

Posted in Abuse of Power, Being woke, Biden, Compromise, Deceit, Education by

Used to work on computers. One day I went into an office where the woman was having problems. She was properly frustrated and concerned she wasn’t going to get her job done. I listened to her complaint and then fixed the problem in less than five minutes.

Amazed at how quickly I fixed her computer she remarked, “You made that look easy.”

I shrugged and replied, “It is…when you know how.”

Through the years, I considered the situation many times. Maybe I should have taken longer. I should have gotten a couple of books out and did this and that and the other thing. I could have made the problem look very difficult. I could have taken two hours. Likely the woman would have thought more of me and, oddly thought I was better at my job. But that’s not me. I just don’t do things that way.

The fact is that it was, for me easily resolved. It’s what happens when a person is provided some good training and education. A good carpenter with the right tools can generally put together the frame of a 1500 square foot house in a day, two at the most. I know carpenters who have. Okay, he will have to sweat a little but he doesn’t work in an air conditioned environment as I did.

The sewer line went bad at our house, an unpleasant thing at best. The plumber came out and replaced it in about 6 hours. If I’d tried to do it myself, it would have been far less pleasant.

The point that I am trying to make is that training and education are extremely important for us all, no matter what line of work we go into. It makes the difficult easy and the impossible manageable. That’s true from the burger flipper to the doctors and lawyers. It is why society uses the apprentice system. Better to learn from someone who knows than to discover stuff on our own.

But then you knew that already. I didn’t have to tell you. Maybe I did help to emphasize it for you bit. Illustrations are good for that sort of thing.

Now, maybe it’s time we tell our politicians, representatives, and yes, especially, those who run our schools. Maybe they need to concern themselves less with gender and more with reading, writing and arithmetic. Incidentally, maybe it would help to provide an education about our true history and economics. A good sound science foundation wouldn’t hurt either. It’s all pretty important. It makes the difficult easy. On the other hand, that gender stuff, all it will lead to is grief, for everyone.

Incidentally, education is one of those things we should not compromise on, and yet we do every day. With the money our school systems get, our children should be getting the best education in the world and they aren’t.

Numbers

Posted in CEO Princeple, Customer complaints, Uncategorized by

I can remember the first time we got a phone, about 1958 or so. It had a little place where a piece of paper was inserted under the plastic. When the phone man installed the phone, he put the paper with the number on it under the plastic and none of us in the family had any problems remembering the number.

Of course, already we have an adage, that is to say an old saying, relating to it. We never remember our own number because we never call ourselves. Well, when I was younger, I didn’t have a problem remembering things. Now that I have trouble remembering my name, these cell phone companies expect me to remember my number, like that’s going to happen.

There is no convenient slot or piece of plastic to put a number under. In addition, most cell phones are black, making it difficult to write something on it. So, every time someone asks me my number, I suggest I call them and they use the caller ID.

No. That’s dumb. Sometimes it’s next to impossible. I suppose I could carry a card around with the number on it but I’d only lose it. Or worse, I’d still have it but I might spend fifteen minutes looking for it. Now there’s a thought for folks standing in a long, long line.

I do have something of a solution. My phone has a note pad. Mostly, I don’t use it. However, it does now have my number. Now, the trick is getting to that note pad while I’m in that long, long line. Do you have any idea how impatient people can be? And, of course, they angrier they get, the more difficult it is for me to find it.

Now, will those phone companies ever put a place for a number on a cell phone for me? Will they ever put something in the phone OS, that would make it easy for me to look it up? I don’t think so, leastwise until enough of us old folks start complaining. We need to tell them, no one remembers their own number. We need just a little help. Please. It’s not as if we are asking for a complete redesign of the phone. Just a small simple modification.

I suspect the first company that makes the modification will benefit greatly.

Master and Slave

Posted in Auto Quality Control, GMC, Safety by

Just a little before 1900, man started building cars. Some say the car is a to man that has and will serve man well. On the other hand, there are those who believe that we are the ones that are enslaved to the car: cleaning, maintenance, and who knows how many more expenses.

To be sure, there are those who don’t have cars. Indeed, before 1900, very few people did. It would seem we got along okay, though I personally believe the industrial revolution has had its benefits. Before cars, there were horses and, though I really do like horses, they do leave messes everywhere they go. Far worse than the current smog and global climate thing is.

Nonetheless, I was recently reminded of just how much of a slave I am to my old chevy. Replaced struts, replaced a light, had an alignment, and I don’t know. There was something else. Just can’t remember.

When I left the shop, my bank account was over 2 thousand dollars lighter. I still have a leak that must be fixed, two axles that need to be replaced and, oh yes. Of course. Some time within the last few months, a light came on. You know the one. The one that says to have the air bag checked. Does anyone have any idea what that air bag light will cost me. Maybe I can talk the mechanic to removing the light. It just might be a little less expensive. Don’t need the light anyway.

With 125 thousand on the car, I’m afraid. I’ll get it all fixed and the other light will come on. You know, the one that has the shape of an engine.

I guess I’m the slave. The auto is the undisputed master.

Update #1 on the electric car.

Posted in Electric Automobiles, Safety by

Did not expect to have any reason to post this update so soon. I figured I would wait a few weeks. However, just received an email from Nisson. It seems they are going to be paying for my recharging for a year. Now that’s a nice rebate, one I did not expect. It sort of dulls the pain of those big payments. I was spending about 30 a week, 120 a month on gas.

It does make me want to think of places I need to go.

As a small aside, it has rearview mirrors that electrically fold back, I guess for car washes. Most might like that. I think it might be a bit much for me. I mean, how much effort does it take to just push them back manually? Thing is, I accidentally activated it and now I’m going to have to figure out how to make them straight again.

Also, I figure that as long as I figuratively have your ear, I might mention that the entertainment system sounds awesome and my phone works very well with it. I keep my phone in my pocket and make the calls with the cars system, totally hands off. This is most beneficial when in motion. Hopefully, any small distraction will not lead to my need of another feature of the car. It keeps me in the lane and stops me should I not see that car or pedestrian in front of me. I’m not one who likes to rely on such things but I’m sure the guy in front of me will like the idea of me having it.