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Meditations of a christizen (christian-citizen)upon today's topics. |
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I, Brother James, cultivated through my imagination 'The Word Courier's Journal'. It is but one of several literary efforts so conceived to include the "Word", the mind altering, eye opening, lifesaving Gospel of Jesus Christ into the everyday conversation on those things deemed relevant to readers. I and all other followers of the Lord are called to witness. Jesus said "Go therefore and teach all nations..." (see Matthew 28:19 KJV Holy Bible) Here lies my modest attempt to introduce the unknowing people to the Lord and immerse they who know Him in discussion with respect to His outlook on all that matters. |
| Remember When... you filled out an application survey or other questionnaire and there were only two options provided as an answer for gender? |
| The University of Wisconsin will host the University of Illinois later today to kick off the Big 10 Conference football season. The remaining schools begin play tomorrow. So, the fourteen Big 10 schools scattered across eleven states begin navigating the public health minefield that is crowds in the thousands watching a full contact sport during an outbreak of a deadly highly contagious virus. What can possibly go wrong? I as an Illinois native/resident and University of Iowa alum usually look forward to this. But not this year. For the good of everyone, I steeped in black and gold allure would rather forego the pleasures Iowa football brings to me. Three Big 10 schools, Illinois, Ohio State and my alma mater have experienced some of the nation’s largest Covid outbreaks. These places made it to the top ten in the wrong category. I get it other sports are playing. I watched the first game of the World Series. I viewed a sampling of Jimmy “buckets” and King James in the NBA finals. I also enjoyed some playoff hockey and Sunday night NFL games among other things. College football however is a different beast. Collegiate football can’t exist in a bubble. A football game between two schools without fans in the stands and tailgating in the parking lot aint college football. For that matter, my school’s Iowa Wave tradition demands a people presence too. Also, travel is a must. And last but not least, the athletes unlike professional sports participants aren’t missing a paycheck if they don’t play. Speaking of payments, this brings up the elephant in the locker room. That elephant by the way is not the ubiquitous elephant associated with college football powerhouse University of Alabama’s logo. The elephant is the revenue that would be missed by not playing the games. This may be a matter of desperation, a statement of values or both. I do not and never have prayed for my team to win. That just feels like a misplacing of priorities. However, I will pray for their (along with everyone else) survival. 1 The Iowa Wave is my school's recently begun celebration where fans in the stands turn around and wave at patients at the UI Stead Family Children's Hospital following the first quarter at Hawkeye home games. In lieu of games so far staff have taken to do this on game day Saturdays. Footnotes |
| A silly woman looks at what a man drives, A queen looks at what drives the man |
| I have engaged in conversations lately, both virtual and old fashioned direct personal talk, about two recent disturbing incidents on the national scene. The first episode that I speak of involved the so-called Wolverine Watchmen militia presumably named this to allude to their Michigan roots. They hatched a plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer Michigan’s governor because they’re upset about restrictions she’s imposed in response to this pandemic. I spoke among a group about the Aldi’s trip from hell in yesterday’s virtual conversation. Gisele Barreto Fetterman the wife of Pennsylvania Lt. Governor John Fetterman was subjected to verbal abuse from another shopper both within and outside of the store. She is of Brazilian origin but is an American citizen. The crazed lady yelled the N-word at her. Words such as ignorant, dumb and such other terms that indicate a lack of intelligence were bandied about to describe the people and their actions. To a degree, I agree. But my Navy veteran buddy's questioning the militias mindset (while we talked outside socially distanced and both wearing mask) and those who moan the ignorance of Aldi’s latest phone videoed shopper sensation miss the real issue. Yes, the actions were stupid. But the issue is not one of intelligence or lack thereof. In short, the behavior displayed dumbness, but it’s born out of malice. So, what these people done is more evil than ignorant. Theirs is not a head problem it’s a heart problem. To her credit the 2nd Lady suggested the infuriated bargain hunter should teach love. But you can’t teach what you don’t know. You can’t share what you don’t have. To teach love first you must have it. And therein lies the problem. The Word tells us that “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness blasphemies.” Matthew 15:19 Once the heart is right and only until their hearts are right will they put an end to the foolishness that they do. |
| Sports provided the central theme in approximately one of every ten Word Courier Journal entries in this blog’s initial run from June 2012- September 2014. Athletic contest made their way into additional journal blogs by reference. Baseball far and away have received most of the journal’s sports attention. I recently revived this blog along with my writing.com membership. Baseball (surprise) is the sport getting my two cents today. Let us start with the bad news. The St. Louis Cardinals, my National League favorite and raised and reared fandom Chi-Sox have already been bounced from the playoffs. Furthermore, the Houston Astros are still in. They are on their way to the American League Championship Series to play for the A.L. pennant. Fans of major league baseball are familiar with how the Astros cheated their way to and through the World Series title in 2017. We also know that they were not sufficiently punished (title stripped) for their cheating. Nonfans may not be aware that this team used cameras as part of an elaborate ruse to steal signals at home games. An investigation concluded that the cheating happened both regular and post season. This was most apparent in the A.L.C.S. versus the historic New York Yankees. The Yankees averaged over six runs per game in three contests played at Yankee Stadium but only totaled three runs in four games at Houston’s Minute Maid Field. Talk about your home field advantage. It is often suggested in baseball that certain records should come with an asterisk next to them. That is to denote the inauthentic nature of the accomplishment. Mark McGwire’s single season home run record, Sammy Sosa’s sudden light to linebacker frame change and explosion in home run numbers and of course Barry Bonds 762 homerun career total should have asterisks next to them. When it comes to anything sports included those that cheat should not be rewarded. The players are not in the Hall of Fame and should never be allowed membership. As for the 2017 Houston Astros franchise, I say this: put an astroisk by their name. Oh, the good news: There is always next year. |
| Whereas a fool and his mask are soon parted, oft time the fool's followers and their mask are de-parted |
| If you're going through Hell keep moving, you don't want to stay there. |
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