Author Archives: bfrhodes99

Two Reasons, Same Decision

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It appears that the President has decided to implement tariffs on imported steel and aluminum in order to protect the domestic industry and its workers. While the reasoning behind this decision is not entirely clear, the aim seems to be to support American jobs and businesses in these sectors.

Our strategic position is a matter of national security. In the event of war, ensuring access to critical resources like steel and aluminum is crucial for our ability to manufacture the tanks, planes, and other military equipment needed to prevail. Our past success in defeating Germany was largely due to our capacity for mass production of these vital assets. Maintaining this industrial capability is essential for safeguarding our nation’s defense.

Nonetheless, let’s put both these reasons aside for a moment. Instead, let’s examine the concept of a monopoly. The typical approach to establishing a monopoly is by aggressively lowering prices to drive all competitors out of the market.

If China had any desire to do such a thing to the US, it would never happen as long as the competition was industry to industry; steel factory against steel factory. However, when the Chinese government helps to finance Chinese steel factories, it makes it impossible for the American factories to compete.

Then, when the American plants cease to operate and the US no longer has skilled steel workers, China can charge whatever it wants. Moreover, if China decides to wage war against us, we will be completely at their mercy. The Chinese government is not known for its mercy.

Maintaining a strong steel and aluminum industry is not an option. It is absolutely essential; that is, unless we do not mind learning Chinese.

As for me, I prefer American English.

Do You Suppose the Two Things Are Related?

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Or, as I like to put it, do you suppose the one thing has anything to do with the other? It is plausible, you know. If it is dangerous to ride the subways, people might just go to another form of transportation.

An so it is the the leaders of NY,NY have decided to ignore the problem of crime and criminals in the subways, people that were using the subways decided on another somewhat safer means of transportation.

So now, the streets of NY,NY have become overcrowded. So now they charge people to use the streets of NY,NY.

Now, would you like to play the prediction game? Anyone out there want to guess what happens next? Do you suppose that the effort to thin the traffic will work? Will the people go back to riding subways? On the other hand, maybe they will just go.

It is possible, I suppose probable, for the first time since it’s establishment, NY,NY might have negative growth.

The future holds the pressing question – will those who depart be the affluent and mobile, or the rooted yet impoverished?

Commanders? Really? For Sure?

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I have long thought about the mascot name for Washington, D.C. After all these months following the name change, I am still trying to think of just what a Commander mascot would look like. For sure, I am considering whether it is any kind of improvement.

It does make one wonder, if they came up with such a mascot costume, how much would they have to pay someone to wear it? That amount might explain why one has not heard of any such a mascot.

Perhaps, if they chose a different, better mascot. How about Chickens? I agree, it might not be a good mascot, but it would be much better than the current one. The truth is that chickens are really pretty brave birds.

Hawks might be good, but for the Seahawks are already taken. Let’s face it. All the good mascots have been taken. I mean, squirrels, rats, and raccoons just don’t have the right… Well, the right projections. Who do you know that would like to play for the Rats? To be sure, rats and squirrels are very smart and resourceful rodents..

Maybe, we should abandon the world of animals and look back to humans, such as politicians, who are widely respected. Then too, there are the very powerful lobbyists. That won’t work as it might be confused with large rooms.

(which reminds me, why are they called lobbyists instead of bribers?)

My opinion on it all. They should have come up with a new name before they abandoned one of the best, even according to most Indians. Oh. I apologize, Native Americans.

Sorry folks. Though it is highly politically incorrect, I happen to find Indian mascots far more ferocious than a commander. And don’t we want fierce mascots.

By the way, I wonder. If a football player is given a choice, would they really want to play for the Commanders? If they do want to play for the Commanders, is that a player you’d want on your team?

The Steam Rolling Affect

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The town of DC has been in a state of upheaval since the swearing in of the new administration. It seems as if a fleet of steam rollers has descended upon the city, relentlessly searching for ways to cut costs. Fortunately, this pursuit has uncovered widespread corruption within the system.

There appears to be a significant number of politicians and judges attempting to impede the progress of the team by introducing various obstacles in an effort to slow and halt the momentum of the steamrollers.

When considering the enthusiasm and energy surrounding some, one might get the impression that those in positions of great power favor overlooking the corruption.

Oh! And by the way, it seems to be drawing the worst of the rotten news media out of the wood work as well.

Those who squeal the loudest are often the ones with the most skeletons in their closet. It’s almost as if they’re trying to distract us from their own shady dealings by pointing fingers. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

Border Collies Just Want to Have Fun

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Stumbling upon the dog agility competition on TV was a delightful surprise. I was captivated by the event from start to finish, as it evoked fond memories of our beloved border collies. We had the privilege of caring for two remarkable dogs – a tri-color male that we raised from a pup, and a red and white female who had already experienced the joys of motherhood many times when she joined our family.

The dog’s coat was a deep, reddish-brown hue, though it was often referred to simply as “red.” While not as swift as many border collies, the dog had endured numerous challenging years. Despite these differences, the dog was still a quintessential border collie in many ways.

We used to take both of them out on the street, and my wife would get about fifty feet away from me under the pretense of a race. The idea was for me to say, “1, 2, 3, go.” However, the moment I said “1,” the old girl would take off. She cheated, and she knew it.

The young tri-colored dog patiently waited for the signal, even though he suspected his opponent was getting an unfair advantage. Undeterred, he quickly surpassed her once the race began. She always had a confident smile, knowing she had gained an early lead. However, the determined dog smiled back, satisfied that he had ultimately overtaken her.

Molly, the shorter of the two friends, would playfully dart ahead of her taller companion when entering through the front door, slipping underneath with a mischievous grin. Despite their physical differences, the two remained the closest of friends, their bond unshaken by such lighthearted antics.

The one thing of the competition that reminded us of our dogs was the border collies in the competition. Every one of them had big smiles on their faces as they went through the weave poles. They knew they were doing it right and they were having fun doing it.

If nothing else, may it ever be said, border collies just want to have fun, even if they cheat to do it.

I would get two more border collies if I could, but for two reasons. At our age, we would not be able to keep up with them. And they would likely outlive us, which would leave them orphaned.

Righteous Judgement

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Knowing all I have done, all that I’ve said, and all that I’ve thought, the thought makes me shudder to think I would have to pay for it all. There are, believe it or not, some who would have more to pay for than I.

Apart from Jesus, I would have to face justice for all of it. Well, I am not alone. At some point, we all would have to face the justice of the Holy God.

Without Jesus, God would look at all we have done and all we have failed to do and pronounce judgment upon us. He would look on us and cast us all into hell. For some, the judgment would be a little less harsh. For others, a little more.

You see, God is perfectly just. When He finishes putting it all on the figurative scales of justice, everything must balance. It can’t be out in the slightest one way or the other. There is a word that would then represent our situation. That word is lost.

However, Jesus provided a way for us to avoid having to face that judgment. He has agreed to take on all that judgment, every bit of it for every person. Only He has the power to do that. If we pay any of the price, we must pay it all. If we ask Jesus to pay the price for it, he has willingly already on the cross.

However, you must ask him to save you. You must accept the gift of his salvation. You must agree to let him pay for every bit of it. You do not have the power to help even a little in your salvation.

That… is how it works, all or nothing. You must rely totally on faith in Him, or you are not satisfying His condition. Since He is paying the price for us, it only stands to reason that He can set the rules.

There is something of an unusual result from this. It mostly makes it impossible for us to tell if someone else is going to heaven. We do get a few hints. The Bible does seem to make it clear that some are eternally in punishment, such as Judas Iscariot, although it is also clear that even he could have been saved had he repented and believed. Among all those who ever walked the earth, his punishment is likely among the worst of all, as he was directly under the teachings of Jesus for three years.

It does make me wonder how such a thing can happen. It also illustrates that we all have the freedom of choice. Jesus never made anyone accept or reject Him.

Which brings me to another point. Everyone makes their decision for themselves. God has told us of His preference. He wants us all to be saved. However, He has decided to leave the decision in our hands.

So, when those of us going to heaven arrive there, we will be surprised in two ways. Some people whom we figure will be a shoo-in, won’t be there. Some whom we figure would never make it there, will be there.

The fact is, it’s not how good we are but whether we have put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone. I suspect many who consider themselves clergy may not make it. Anyone who teaches and believes that salvation must be earned, we can pretty much assume they won’t be there, regardless of what church they belong to.

It’s not that I am pronouncing judgment; he’s admitting to me that he believes a lie and refuses to accept the word in the Bible.

Still, I’m not going to judge them. God will do that. As I say, God will settle it all in the end.

How-some-ever, if you hear anyone try to tell you that you need to do anything more than accept Jesus as your savior for salvation, do not listen to anything they say. Well, you can believe the time they tell you, but you might want to be suspicious of that.

Political Cartoons

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Over the years, political cartoonists have emerged who have changed the course of history. Occasionally, an artist would draw a cartoon that would be particularly embarrassing to a politician or perhaps a businessman.

One cartoon can do more damage than thousands of the most well-structured words. The damage can be far more sudden and difficult to parry than even the most well-crafted words.

For this and other reasons, I really wish I were good at political cartooning. One particular cartoon I would love to draw is a likeness of Obama reaching and picking my back pocket.

He did, you know, figuratively of course. Then too, the figurative type can cause far more damage. Over the period of three years, in effect, he picked my pocket of thirty thousand dollars. He did this with the aid of the AARC and insurance companies. He did this with the aid of all his cohorts who called themselves Democrats.

This is a classic example of the majority enforcing itself on the minority. This is why we used to have senators selected by state assemblies. The idea of the republic is to protect the minority from bullying by the majority.

In this case, the majority effectively robbed the minority of their savings. Moreover, they did it quickly and very effectively. They also did it very coldly under the pretense of doing good.

Every now and then, I receive advertisements in the mail from AARC, which go straight from the mailbox to the trash. We might save some trees if they stop sending that junk mail to me and others like me.

Incidentally, you might remember that AARC receives far more money from special interests than from its members. When making decisions, whose interests are they most likely to consider? Maybe there is a good cartoon there too, though I don’t have a clue how or what one would draw to depict such greed and evil.

Paxlovid is Almost $1400

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Just looked it up on the net. Before insurance, that’s the cost for a five day round. No wonder the big push against other drugs that are far less expensive such as Ivermectin.

It appears that the drug manufacturer has found a virtual gold mine.

I was never diagnosed with China virus, but I am pretty certain I had it twice. I took Alka-Seltzer Cold & Flu both times. I felt like a truck hit me, but I came through fine. I adopted the strategy of staying alive until my natural defenses fight it off.

I’m Probably Going to Get in Trouble for This One

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How-some-ever, I believe it is important. Besides, I’m old. I won’t live long anyway. I suppose a little courage does come with age.

I do not remember the exact time, but it seems to have been around 1972 when I heard a news report (I have no idea which station it was). The Memphis Police Department tracked which parts of town had the greatest amount of crime.

It was working. They were making arrests, and crime rates were going down. Then the complaints started. Why? You might ask. The method was resulting in an ‘unfair’ number of Black people being arrested.

The police had to back off. They went back to patrolling in a uniform manner.

I’ll let you connect the dots. I’ll simply stick to sharing the intel.

If Only They Worked

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Watching Memphis Channel 3 news, I saw a call for more cameras in an area. I am in favor of catching the bad guys on video and locking them up.

There are, however, two real problems with that. A. It is very rare for anyone to be caught. Most of the bad guys have gotten wise to cameras and hide their faces. B. When they are caught, most hardly receive more than a slap on the hand, especially those who are underage.

The primary solution is to put the criminals in prison for as long as possible. The criminals behind bars are less likely to commit crimes. Moreover, when they realize they will truly spend real time in prison if caught, they are less likely to break the law. Finally, the prisons need to be drastically changed. They do not need televisions. Radios should be limited, both for programming and time. Inmates should be required to be clean-shaven and have very short hair.

But then, just because it worked in times past, why should it work now? By definition, a penitentiary is for punishment.