Category: Orphans

It’s amazing. My phone doesn’t work out here in the Angelina National Forest of East Texas but my wireless Internet does. Oh well, who needs phones — or the Internet for that matter — when you’re out in the woods?

Even though I am on vacation I worked some today wearing my hat as a freelance writer and, actually getting paid for writing. It was pretty enjoyable. I need to do it more. Tomorrow, I head for the woods and sleeping in the great outdoors. I can hardly wait.

Normally I like to stay clear when writing of religion. I find that too often, the people who I would like to think would be the most tolerant because of their religious beliefs are sometimes the most intolerant when it comes to others’ take on those beliefs. In short, a lot of people can’t take a joke when it comes to religion.

With that said I really am going to touch on the fringe of religion because the controversy which I am bringing up only partly has its roots in religion in one way and not another. I speak of the hoopla concerning the upcoming commencement address by President Barack Obama at Notre Dame University in Indiana.

Simply put, some Catholics don’t want Obama to speak at the Catholic-run university because of his supporting pro-choice. When I say some I mean not a majority. A Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday showed that 56 percent of American voters and 60 percent among Catholic voters think that Notre Dame should not withdraw Obama’s invitation to speak at commencement. Of the latter group, 49 percent of Catholics who attend religious services weekly say Obama should be allowed to speak while 43 percent of that group disagree. Of those who attend services more infrequently 70 percent of those Catholic say Obama should not have his invitation withdrawn as opposed to 26 percent who do not.

A CBS News story today points out how a vocal minority, including outside anti-abortion agitators, do not care if they ruin what is a special day for hundreds of students and their families. People such as anti-abortion activist Randall Terry would like to see the commencement disrupted to get a point of view across.

There is a parallel with this mob rule by the minority right now and the current desperation shown among the extreme right wing elements of the Republican Party. The mindset is that if they yell and scream and hold their breath until they turn blue and take their ball and go home they’ll wind up getting what they want. In short, it’s a childish position.

While the right to free speech is among this nation’s most treasured, the way some people use that right is just downright unbecoming.

My new lightweight tent is now safely in my hands.

I do not think of package tracking numbers as something of mere convenience. Those little numbers are essential these days as so much material is zoomed here and there. So I had been watching my tent’s progress via the Internet since leaving Kansas City on Monday until its delivery this morning in Beaumont at 9:43 a.m.

Wait! It said delivery. I checked my abode’s office and it hadn’t been delivered there.

I walk back to my laptop to figure out where the package might have gone. I have had some personal items delivered to my office. And I have had some work items delivered to my residence.

So I called the automated phone number for UPS since I couldn’t figure how to get into their system, being that the tent’s manufacturer provided a link to track the package from UPS. Finally, I call UPS, give the computerized lady my tracking number and determined the package had been delivered exactly two blocks up the street.

For some reason, people aren’t the best about posting their street number up on their building, which you would think a business at least would do if they want to be found. But I found the place eventually and the lady said if I hadn’t come by she would have gone looking for me because I had to be somewhere close. Compounding the initial confusion was that my name was the same as her father-in-law. We all had a good laugh.

Now all I have to do is round up my other supplies and next week I can head out for the national forest where a friend of mine and I are supposed to meet up. The particular campground I am seeking is small and first-come, first-served but since it will be early in the week maybe there will be some spots open. Like a good Boy Scout that I never was, though, I am prepared with alternatives. We shall see what happens.

Now I guess I better get cracking on some things.

(Or, the equestrian view of Dick Cheney)

Wow. It is hard to imagine we are already up to OSRH No. 24. For those of you not familiar, this marks the occasion when the little quote below the EFD header is retired and this is the 24th such event. That is of little significance as is the fact that StatCounter has marked slightly more than 40,000 hits for this page when one considers the blog has been up and running for about four years. That’s an average of 10,000 hits a year and half of those are probably mine. It doesn’t mean anything though. Really.

Neither does the current “Dick Cheney Torture Tour.” A lot of speculation exists as to why he is out there talking wherever a microphone is available as well as whether it is hurting or helping the GOP or the Dems. Some pundits say the former vice president is trying to give his spin to leave the Bush-Cheney administration a more positive legacy. More positive than what? George W.’s dog probably doesn’t love him anymore and Cheney shot his best friend in the face with a shotgun.

Others say The Dick showing up everywhere and saying all the bad things about Obama and the Democrats helps to promote a more understanding jury pool should the former Veep be tried for war crimes. That’s a stretch. I don’t think he will be tried unless he decides to take a cruise to Barcelona. And say what you want about Cheney, he is certainly not stupid.

It is really insignificant in the larger realm what Dick Cheney does or does not do. He will be an Aaron Burr-like figure in American history rather than one such as a Washington, Jefferson or Lincoln although he does get a little more prominence because he appeared to be the puppet master pulling Gee Dubya’s strings whether he actually did so or not.

No, in the bigger picture, Dick Cheney will ride through this latest episode as he did in the earlier one as vice president, not as the great man on the horse but rather as the horse’s ass.