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Saturday, December 5, 2015

Open Thread


So, what's on your mind?

Please opine on the topic of your choice according to the parameters below:
We welcome civil dialogue at Always on Watch. Comments that include any of the following are subject to deletion:
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20 comments:

  1. I think that Bush's WoT made us safer than Obama's WoR (War on Republicans). But don't just believe me, believe the NY Times...

    ReplyDelete

  2. Hey all you Einsteins....Please take your head out from under the sand and start paying attention to what is going on around you!! You might be shocked as to what you see! This president is killing this country and our free market enterprise. Welcome to the world of communism.
    As for Hillary, I was active duty when she was first lady, and from what I saw and heard, this woman hates the military. She marched against the military when she was in college. She has lied continually and especially about Benghazi and her emails. The last thing that this country needs is her.
    It’s bad enough that this administration, is filled with lies, misinformation, and propaganda to always keep you from what really is happening,

    ReplyDelete
  3. Open topic?
    It's fast approaching Christmas, the celebration of my Lord's birth, and regardless of the peace he brings between man and God,
    I CAN'T HANDLE THE STRESS!
    What to buy who, where to go, decorate the house and schedule work crews to do the minimum so they can spend as much time with their families and still not get scolded for not getting enough done.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ed,
      I CAN'T HANDLE THE STRESS!

      Same here.

      Except that Tammy Swofford is visiting us right now for a few days. We went to Meadowlark's Winter Walk of Lights tonight. A stress reducer!

      Delete
  4. Hello!

    With all the violence, hatred, corruption, anger, anxiety, inanity and disappointment poisoning the atmosphere we too often forget to count our blessings, and make a determination each day to find something to love, something to praise, something to admire and wonder at, and something to be grateful for.

    CHRISTMAS is only twenty days away. Often it takes considerable effort to put ourselves in "The Christmas Spirit," especially as we get older, but I think it's well worth the effort.

    The crude, commercial aspects of Christmas are frankly nauseating, but warming our hearts with find memories, the desire to bring good cheer to others, to enjoy taking out the decorations for yet-another year, and "decking the halls" with tokens of Joy and Reverence at the symbolic coming of The Prince of Peace, and the hope that Love may yet rule the world, as He promised, is a great, good thing.

    It can be like reentering the magic a carefree childhood when this very special time of the year comes around.

    Please try to set aside the fear, the wrath, the bitterness, the denunciation, the acrimony and resentment , and focus, instead, on doing whatever you can to make Christmas a memorably beautiful experience for children, elderly relatives, as well as friends and neighbors.

    There's no need to spend a fortune in trying to "outdo" the neighbors with more lights, more elaborate decorations, etc. I just put a small lighted tree in the window facing the street, a wreath on the door, a garland with red velvet bows on the mantel, and a very small tree as a focal point in my living room. That and maybe a poinsettia or two. That's enough for me, and it really does change the atmosphere in the house to one of eager anticipation, even though I know perfectly well that Santa Claus will not come down my chimney and shower me with presents in the middle of the night. He's much too busy to bother with me anymore. His time is better spent bringing a sense of wonder and magic to little children.

    The greatest gift we grown-ups could give would be to make every effort to find –– and acknowledge –– whatever virtues other may possess.

    The world will never change itself to accommodate any of us, but we DO have the power to change the way we choose to REACT to it.

    I suggest reading a few good stories about Christmas or with Christmas as a background. Listen to some good traditional Christmas Music. Bake a batch of cookies to give away. Make a fruitcake or two, soak it in Brandy, and keep it for The Great Day and the twelve days following.

    Go to a Christmas concert or two. Go to church. Go visit lonly, neglected people ina local nursing home, and just spend a few minutes being friendly and showing interest in whatever they may have to offer, however small.

    Most of all work to cultivate a spirit of gladness and gratitude for all the good things from the past and the present.

    Do anything that takes your attention away from grievance, irritation, resentment and fault-finding.

    HAPPY CHRISTMASTIDE!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FT,
      Tonight, Tammy and I relaxed here at home with egg nog with Jack Black. **smile**

      Delete
    2. FT,
      To add to your list for celebrating Christmastide: read some Christmas stories ("The Gift of the Magi," "Stubby Pringle's Christmas," etc.). YouTube offers audio versions, and they are excellent.

      Delete
    3. So glad you and Tammy are able to take a nice break from routine. I hope you enjoy every minute of the next few days –– and all Advent Season.

      Delete
  5. Just an observation in light of our President's trite comments after San Bernardino; if "weapons of war" don't belong in the hands of the citizen [i.e. the militia, the people]....then why are they allowed in the hands of law enforcement [i.e. non-military agents of the State]?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The simplistic answer:

      Whoever has the strongest will to achieve dominance will prevail. Might may not make right, but in most instances might is sure to have its way –– especially amongst people like us who have been simultaneously seduced and bullied into accepting a passive-submissive role in determining public policy.

      Delete
  6. Gun control isn't about guns; it's about control.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Meanwhile, in London:

    London police treating Tube station stabbings as 'terrorist incident'.

    An elderly man's throat was slit. Two others were stabbed. The attacker screamed: "This is for Syria."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jez,
      Yes. A passerby said that.

      Did any Muslim passersby try to stop him?

      Delete
    2. Dunno, as far as I can see only one name (david pethers) is released, and I don't know his religion.

      Delete
  8. President Obama was right on target using caution and due diligence, and not jumping to conclusions, before making pronouncements. At the same time, he’s doing what a good president needs to do when the nation has been shaken to its core by the kind of unthinkable violence demonstrated in the San Bernardino attacks — he’s out front, calming nerves, and leading."

    But the Fright Wingers are not happy with Obama being calm and thoughtful before making any pronouncements. They'd prefer a man like Trump who promises to kill or deport all Muslims, American or not, or to make non-Muslim Americans spy on their Muslim neighbors and turn them into the police even if they even SUSPECT something-- anything. IOW, today's right wingers would like to use totalitarian tactics to solve the terrorist problems. Something a communist country or even a radical religionist Middle Eastern country would do. I've read their blogs and know they really want a Trump or any other maniac to win the presidency and carry out their dream of turning this country into a police state and a country where everyone is locked and loaded, so that if they even suspect someone with a beard is suspicious, they can blow their heads off. That is not an exaggeration, it's what they're writing on their blogs and what they want to turn this country into another Germany.

    President Obama was quick to act and voice his opinion on Trayvon Martin or Furguson or that goof ball prof and the beer summit. This shows us what a Great Leader he is

    ReplyDelete
  9. Don Jose, from a WORLD Far Away.

    "they want to turn this country into another Germany."

    Have you seen Germany lately? I submit that's exactly what "they" don't want!


    ReplyDelete
  10. I feel sorry for those who still hold onto the failed policies of Hussein Obama. They are like blind sheep that would gladly follow him over a cliff to their death . The Democratic party has had seven long years to show us their ideas , it's time to allow the Republican party to lead us out of the disgraceful quagmire that we are in on every front and return America to prosperity and peace through strength.

    ReplyDelete
  11. "I feel sorry for those who still hold onto the failed policies of Hussein Obama."

    I don't; I feel sorry for the rest of us as these @$$#0
    1e$ could stick us with 4-8 years of Hellary!

    ReplyDelete

We welcome civil dialogue at Always on Watch. Comments that include any of the following are subject to deletion:
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3. Use of personal invective

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