Roy's Blog

As can be seen in other parts of the web site, I like to write about things I find interesting/important. All of those things that interest me are not all significant enough to warrant a full essay; therefore, I've decided to create a Blog for myself. It will not be like most blogs in that I'm not using any blog software. If you want to comment/argue/disagree with anything in the blog (or anywhere else in my web site) just send me an email rwl@lobenhofer.com and if I deem it appropriate, I will post it. Be aware, I do not believe commercials are appropriate, nor language that isn't PG. (Okay, I'm a prude - but I'm an old prude!) That being said, I'd love to hear your comments especially if you disagree. By understanding why you disagree, perhaps I will see the errors in my thinking.

A word of warning before going on regarding proof reading: if you read any of the following you will soon be asking, “Doesn’t he proof read this stuff?” The answer is yes I do proof read it and that is why there are so many errors. You see when I proof read my own work, I see what I meant not necessarily what shows up. Sometimes when I reread things weeks later, I will catch some of the errors and correct them. Until then, my apologies!

Date Posted: Monday, May 29, 2023

General Area: General

Title: Racism?

Pam and I went to the play titled "Beyond the Porch" at Northlight recently. As usual, we enjoyed the performance. Their plays are typically well produced and acted. This one met those standards, and as many others have done, got me thinking.

It was an original said to be about racism and “down home”/hootenanny music. The young adult heroine was estranged from her grandparents. She was an Asian-American. Her mother was from rural North Carolina and her father was of Korean ancestry. They had moved back to North Carolina when the heroine was a very young girl. Obviously, there were not many Asian-American in the rural area. According to my interpretation of what I saw in the play, there were not any overt acts of racism with the girl or her father until one day at a picnic. The kids were playing a game of tag. The heroine while small was fast and agile and on three occasions tagged the local kid jock. He was not used to be beaten by anyone his age much less a small girl and yelled a racial curse at her.

Was that racism, or was it merely a brat being a brat? I think it was a brat being brat. If she wasn’t of Asian ancestry, he would have yelled at her for being a girl, for being small, or some other aspect of her personage. Let’s face it, her race was an obvious characteristic for the bully to blame. Being a girl or small were not as unique characteristics as her ancestry. I’m not saying the bully was right in doing what he did, but I’m not sure it was racism.

What transpired after that was, according to the play, what led to the estrangement. The heroine was upset at the comment and came running to her grandparents for support. While the grandparents consoled the heroine, they did not reprimand the brat for his racial comments. (I don’t remember whether it was said in the play or my attempt to justify the grandparents’ actions, but I believe the bully was the child of an area leader.) The heroine’s mother became incensed that her parents didn’t protect her daughter from the racial insult. (Why didn’t the mother react if it was so important?) The heroine’s mother then immediately moved her family away from North Carolina.

I understand there is racism. I don’t understand why there is racism, or what it causes racists to do what they do, but I do think some of what is called racism are jerks (cleaned up to stay P G) being jerks.  

Date Posted: Wednesday, February 15, 2023

General Area: General                

Title: We Need Some Good Parents

We are again entering a cycle congress battling over raising the debt limit. There’s some good news here in Illinois, it appears our credit rating has improved, but we’re still deep in debt. We are listening to the pros and cons of college debt relief. Then there are the constant ads for debt consolidation, lower interest credit cards, and bankruptcy. It seems being deeply in debt is the norm.

Personal debt is one thing. Contrary to some’s thoughts, the kids aren’t responsible for the debts of the parents. So, in theory, if you rack up all sorts of debt before you kick off, it’s not your kids’ problem. (Of course, there is the guilt you may be laying on them for not taking care of you while you’re waiting to kick off.)

Governmental debt is a different story, in a way. Obviously, if we kick-the-bucket before the debt is paid, we won’t have to pay it off; however, our kids (and theirs) will. We are leaving our progeny with massive debt.

I don’t think we should leave our kids and theirs with massive debt. So, what’s the solution. I think it’s fairly simple. There is a phrase that I was taught by my mother that I heard a lot. We need to learn again – we can’t afford that!

It may be simple, but it isn’t necessarily easy. I’m a good person. I’ve worked hard. I deserve it, even if I can’t afford it. But I think of what my mother dealt with and if anyone deserved it, she did. She knew what we couldn’t afford, and I think she raised her sons to be just as smart.

Public debt is an even more complicated issue. The people who decide what we can and can’t afford must be elected. What complicates everything is it’s hard to get elected by promising to cut programs or say we can’t afford things the electorate wants or what campaign contributors want. I’m not optimistic about finding the answer to solving the problem. How do we get the electorate to vote for people who have the courage to say, “we can’t afford that?”

Ideas PLEASE!!

Date Posted: Friday, February 3, 2023

General Area: Reading                  

Title: Series – Good or Bad?

When I find an author I like, I generally read everything the author has written. It’s now to the point that if I’m looking for a new author, before starting the first book I’ll research what the author has done previously. If I find the author has older books, I’ll start with the oldest.

I noticed something in the author I’ve been currently reading and in reflection, I’ve seen it with other authors. I’ve currently been reading Micah Hackler’s Sheriff Lansing series. I really enjoyed the first, second and third in the series; however, I found the fourth not to be as good. I’ve seen this happen before. It’s almost like the authors think they developed a system to keep their readers happy and about the third or fourth in a series they pay attention to the system and forgo their own creativity.  

The good news is that after a downer in a series, the author frequently comes back with their normal good works.

So where does that leave me? I’ll take a break from Sheriff Lansing to return to an old favorite. Paty Jager has written book 10 of her Gabriel Hawke series and I’ll hopefully rejoin old friends in the characters in that book. After that, I’ll most likely go back to Sheriff Lansing and see if Mr. Hackler gets back to writing what I like.

Date Posted: Saturday, January 14, 2023

General Area: Media                  

Title: Where was the media?

In case you’re reading this when it’s no longer news George Santos was elected to the U S congress after fabricating his past. He lied about where he went to school, where he worked, and awards he received among other things. The thing about this that bothers me is that it all came out after the election. That’s not what I would have expected in this day.

If this had been when I graduated from high school, it may have been more understandable. It was hard to get information back then. Verification took time. Telephone calls had to be made, and they were expensive. Places needed to be visited and people needed to be talked to. Now, much of this can be taken care of while sitting in your easy chair watching TV with a laptop in your lap. But, that didn’t happen.

According to the Republicans the media is always after their blood. If the way the media treated Santos is an example, the Republicans should come up with another line.

On the other hand. If media contends they are the watchdog for America’s society, they better start showing it and not after the fact.

Date Posted: Tuesday, January 10, 2023

General Area: Sports        

Title: Chicago Bears

The Bear’s season is over. A new GM and head coach, and gobs of new players led to one of the worst seasons we fans have had to endure. I must admit the watching wasn’t as painful as their record would indicate. Watching the progress of Justin Fields made it more interesting.

That being said, the Bear’s did win the first pick in the draft, and there’s a lot of talk about how wonderful that is. I urge caution in the euphoria. It is one pick, and the team needs a lot of help. I can’t remember seeing the Bears with a worse defense. Fields was sacked more than most other quarterbacks and his receivers were underwhelming. Is one pick going to solve all those problems? I don’t think so.

In addition to the number of areas that need help, there is also the fact that the current regime does not have a track record. If the Bears are going to be really good next year, it appears to me all their moves will have to be near perfect. That doesn’t appear logical to me.

But, miracles do happen! The Cubs did finally win a World Series. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!

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