Erick Erickson Wants Donations
This content was posted July 9, 2015. … @EWErickson Trump’s rise is part of the unintended consequences of the GOP trying to compress the Presidential primary cycle. This message was retweeted. Blue Gal/Fran! Excuse me I gotta go buy more popcorn. (The spell check suggestion for retweeted is regretted.)
Erick Erickson is a piece of work. He is the grand wazoo at Red State, a “conservative” web site. RS gave Chamblee54 a 601 Database redigestation error onetime. This required a visit to the computer shop to get the malicious code off the machine.
Today’s tweet linked to a post at Mr. Erickson’s current blog, Stop Complaining About Donald Trump. If you want to see it, you can follow the link. This post is not going to concern itself with “conservative” commentary about the latest golden boy of the wig party.
The last five words of the post are “think of another “F” word.” Below that, you are encouraged to “Support the work at Erick on the Radio.” You can “Select an Amount” and click “Next.” At this point credit card numbers become involved. Never give a credit card number to someone who has given your computer malicious code. UPDATE: This request is not on the Internet Archive version.
Erick Erickson has a daily radio show on WSB. This is a 50,000 watt clear channel am station. WSB is part of the Cox media team that dominates Atlanta. His show is sponsored by advertising, and is probably a profit center for the Cox bean counters.
Why does Erick Erickson feel the need to ask for donations on the Internet? Is the free market model of talk radio not working for him? Apparently not. … Pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken in 1951. “Peachtree Street and Ellis Street” ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
If I Had A Hammer
This content was published November 1, 2022. … @itstimetowrite “#writingprompt Pick 3 objects around you at random. The first item is a character’s portal, the other their prize, the last is their crutch. Interpret this, figuratively or literally, into the genre of your choice. #amwriting #writingcommmunity” The first object that I picked up was an orange. It was sitting on the desk. Since I was going to eat the orange, I substituted a paper clip. Since the instructions say “around you,” the many promising items on the desk will be ignored.
I turn 270 degrees, and finds a “QUICK START GUIDE” on the shelf. It is a booklet, 2″ x 5″, with basic instructions for JBL TUNE 215 TWS ear buds. This has sat on the shelf since the device was purchased, and will probably be discarded once this exercise is complete.
The utility shelf on the wall behind me is the next stop. A tube of equate athlete’s foot cream cream is chosen. 95% of the product has been removed from the container. A flat object has rubbed the side of the tube, driving the remaining Clotrimazole in the direction of the dispensing orifice. It is not known how many more applications of the prophylactic compound remain in the tube.
The character today is Paulie DePape, a California hammer enthusiast. Paulie was so excited about his latest purchase that he went to see his mentor. Unfortunately, it was 2:30 am, and the mentor was busy putting his cell phone in the bathroom to charge. Paulie tried to get into the San Francisco mansion, using the paper clip as a portal. It did not work, and Paulie broke into the residence with his new hammer. The new device was magical indeed … when Paulie broke the laminated glass on the back door, the glass fell back on the patio.
Paulie looked in his pockets, and found the “QUICK START GUIDE.” In his hammer-headed state of mind, Paulie opened the QSG, and realized that he already knew what it said. He turned the QSG over, and saw the fine print instructions in a variety of exotic languages. This was not much of a prize. Paulie held his mentor’s domineering wife responsible. Paulie grabbed his hammer, screamed “Where’s Nancy,” and ran up the stairs.
At this point, Paulie tripped over his hammer, and injured his leg. He would need a crutch to complete his mission, but all he had was an 95% empty tube of Walmart Athlete’s foot goo. Paulie quickly realized that the tube would be useless as a crutch.
By this time, the police had been notified. The mentor answered the door, and then tried to grab the hammer away from Paulie. He was very proud of his new hammer, and angry at Nancy for giving him a QSG as a prize. Paulie snatched the hammer away, and proceeded to brain the mentor. The police interrupted this procedure, and took Paulie into custody.
Pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library The social media picture: “Print made in the 1960s by the Lane Brothers of a photographic image of Stone Mountain, showing an early version of Robert E. Lee’s head (with hat) — probably the initial carving by Gutzon Borglum. Borglum’s work was destroyed after he left the project in 1923. Stamp on reverse of print is later Lane Brothers stamp: “Lane Bros. Photographers, 241 Peachtree-Arcade Bldg., Atlanta, Ga., MU. 8-2513.” ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
Mick Fleetwood
This content was published . … I read the autobiography of Mick Fleetwood. If this had been a made up tale of fiction, no one would believe it. Mick is not the manufacturer of enemas, nor the namesake of a Cadillac Model. The possibility does exist that he has used those two products.
John Mayall gave his guitar player, Peter Green, some studio time as a birthday present. “The Green God” used a rhythm section from the Bluesbreakers, Mick Fleetwood (drums) and John McVie (bass). At the end of the day, Mr. Green wrote “Fleetwood Mac” on the can holding the tapes.
Before long, Mr. Green started his own band, and named it after the rhythm section. (Does anyone know the bass player and drummer of the Atlanta Rhythm Section?) Fleetwood Mac started as a blues band, and became popular in England. Mr. Fleetwood celebrated by getting together with Jenny Boyd, who became his wife. Miss Boyd is the sister of Patti Boyd, the wife of George Harrison, aka Layla.
The first Fleetwood Mac album in the USA was “Then Play On.” The first show in Atlanta was at the Oglethorpe University gym, and by all accounts was a wild night. I saw the sign advertising the event, but did not attend. Grand Funk Railroad was the opening act.
About the time of “Then Play On”, Peter Green started to get a bit weird. He dropped out of the band, but Jeremy Spencer and Danny Kirwan were still playing guitars. For a little while. Jeremy Spencer took a walk outside a Los Angeles hotel, and got recruited by the Children of God. Danny Kirwan had some issues, and decided to leave the band. Bob Welch stopped by for a few years, joined by Christine Perfect McVie, the wife of John.
The band was managed at this time by Clifford Davies, who by all accounts was a nasty piece of work. A man named Bob Weston had joined the band, and lasted until he had an affair with Jenny Fleetwood. Mr. Weston was fired, and a tour canceled. Clifford Davies decided that he owned the name Fleetwood Mac, and hired a group of players to go out and do shows. Fleetwood and the Mcvies were not amused, and Mick Fleetwood took over as the manager of the band.
By 1974, the band was pushing along, and selling about 300,000 copies of each album. On Halloween night 1974, Fleetwood Mac played at the Omni with Jefferson Starship. I was at the Municipal Auditorium that night, seeing Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt.
In late 1974, Mick was looking for a studio. He came to a place, and an album came on the speakers. Mick was impressed by the guitar player. Soon after, Bob Welch left the band, and Mick thought the guitar player he heard at the studio was a good fit. (The band never did auditions, just asked people they liked to join). The guitar player was Lindsay Buckingham, and his girlfriend/musical partner was Stevie Nicks. This was the band that set sales records.
The first album with Buckingham/Nicks, simply titled “Fleetwood Mac”, became a phenomenon. The band was soon headlining in stadiums, and was on every FM radio station in the land. The band went into the studio to record a follow up. The second album took over a year to produce, and saw the McVies and the Fleetwoods get divorced. Buckingham and Nicks split their common law arrangement. Out of the turmoil came “Rumours”, which has sold roughly thirty million copies.
On August 29, 1978, I got to see Fleetwood Mac at the Omni. Mick Fleetwood was on top of his game, pounding the skins with a glee that could be seen from the cheap seats. Fleetwood was a highlight, standing two meters tall and creating havoc on the drum stand.
The book tells the rest of the story. Fleetwood’s father had died earlier that summer, and Mick was devastated. The band was straining under the pressures of super-duper-stardom. Mick attempted a reconciliation with his wife, which was a painful failure. There was an affair between Mick and Stevie Nicks at this time. The idea that Mick Fleetwood could perform like he did that night tells you what a trooper he was. … Pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken March 5, 1948. “Fox Theater, “Voice of the Turtle” ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
Tommy Rotten
In 1977, Rolling Stone did a piece about a “counterculture writer” named Thomas Eugene Robbins. This should not be confused for Harold Robbins, a mainstream wordchunker who died in 1997. “Tommy Rotten is known for colorful phrasing. It is as if Vladimir Nabokov caught butterflies with psychedelic juice in their wings, and made a lepidopterist stew that allowed him behind the looking glass.” As it is, we have, a stylistic seraphim from the time of the Carter administration. “You can tell people that my goal is to write novels that are like a basket of cherry tomatoes—when you bite into a paragraph, you don’t know which way the juice is going to squirt.”
Part one of the chamblee54 regurgitation of Tibetan Peach Pie: A True Account of an Imaginative Life hit the ether nine days ago. Since then, I have taken to writing down the page number of phrases that catch my eye, tickle my ears, pull my leg, and punch me in the gut. Since a Tom Robbins book is an anarchic army of swinging sentences, only nominally regulated by the discipline of plot, this may be the best way to approach this subject.
On page 25, TER was on an asian honeymoon. A Sing snake crossed their path, and was invited to dinner. The reptile was prepared with enough red chili paste to give heartburn to the human blowtorch. TER felt as though he had gargled napalm. On page 145, TER would describe “many a hot, sticky summer night, when a restless Richmond felt like the interior of a napalmed watermelon.”
Page 63 sees TER at thirteen years old. He has not joined the church, given his soul to Jesus, and been assured of salvation. These are important items on the Southern Baptist bucket list. I went through sunday after painful sunday, every time the congregation sang “Just as I am” as an invitation to eternal life with Jesus. I never did take that walk down the aisle, and have come to see the Baptist ritual of pressuring pre pubescent youth as being just a little bit weird. Yes, this is better than what the Roman Pedophile Church likes to do with little boys, but that’s a technicality.
The man assigned to win the soul of TER was Dr. Peters. “tall, gaunt, and pale, with a weak damp smile and cold damp palms: shaking hands with him was like being forced to grasp the flaccid penis of a hypothermic zombie….more creepy than refrigerated possum slobber.”
By page 125, TER is out of school, married, and has a son. This is the early fifties, and I will not appear on planet earth for a little while. In those days, there was a war going on in Korea. TER decided that the Air Force would be more pleasant than the army. If he had waited much longer Uncle Sam would have made the choice for him.
TER at some point is on a ship, and editing a newspaper. “… the paper’s adviser, a Roman Catholic chaplain who possessed the purplish physiognomy and perpetually petulant pucker of the overly zealous censor.” Soon TER is in Nebraska, and buys his first automobile, a “1947 Kaiser … looked like the illegitimate child of a sperm whale and a pizza oven.” The gender is not specified.
Six pages later, TER is out of the service, about the divorce wife number one, and living in a hood called the Fan. This was the hippie district of Richmond VA, although the 1954 version was considerably tamer than the summer of love variety. (This is roughly the time when I burst onto the landscape of Atlanta GA) TER was reading books about zen. Learning zen, by reading a book, was similar to learning how to swim by reading a magazine. Or telling time by reading a newspaper. As Ben Hecht put it, “Trying to determine what is going on in the world by reading newspapers is like trying to tell the time by watching the second hand of a clock.”
The convergence of zen, swimming, and reading material made TER think of a poem by William Blake. Mr. Blake was a hallucinatory inspiration on Allen Ginsberg, who would later be the only man to ever kiss TER on the lips. (I have doubts about that one, but will have to take the his word.) Anyway, the poem has the Southern Baptist approved title of “Eternity.” “He who binds to himself a joy, Does the winged life destroy; But he who kisses the joy as it flies, Lives in eternity’s sun rise.”
Maybe this is a good time to edit this, and go forth into the world. Or go second, or third, but not in a Southern Baptist lifetime should I go fifth. As TER said in High Times, “I’d better shut up now before the woo-woo alarms go off.” … Tom’s lifetime subscription to High Times ran out February 9, 2025. Pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken in the 1940s. “Buses full of soldiers outside Fox Theater (“colored entrance” sign visible)” ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
Mysterious Sayanim Network
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When Challenged On Ukraine, Hillary Clinton Lashes Out Lucy Komisar reports …
Mossad’s Mysterious Sayanim Network of International Spies
Why the BBC claims it had “no choice” but to nix a film about Gaza. Let’s parse …
‘Gaza: Doctors Under Attack’ – The Full Film They Didn’t Want You To See
Quote Origin: Always Forgive Your Enemies; Nothing Annoys Them So Much
Can This Controversial Brutalist Fountain in San Francisco Be Saved From Demolition?
Graffiti is Not a Crime: The Truth is on the Wall
Re: Lok Sabha Elections 2024 – World’s largest elections – Desh Ka Garv [World’s envy]
Strange New Health Issues Put Jordan Peterson in ICU “To be perfectly honest, I think …”
Susan Sontag – Regarding the Pain of Others (Week 3) Feb 16, 2019 | Contextual …
Israel halts aid to Gaza ‘until further notice’ as renewed fighting tests ceasefire
I5 · the obituary · Antifaschistische Aktion · racket news · stacey abrams
the based ritual · taibbi · vincenzo barney · matt taibbi · new georgia project
This is another monday morning reader. The hostages have been released. Will “it all be over” now? I have my doubts · October 12, 22:13 feliz orgullo – Que orgullo? – gay pride – No sabía . Gracia- Read by recipient- Sent · @barnes_law “There was such a genocide that 95% of the Gaza population is still alive. If Israel intended genocide, they’d all be dead. This excessive rhetoric minimizes the horror of the Gaza war by discrediting it’s justifiable critics.” 5% of the US population is 17 million · I went to the Nephrology Department We discussed my diet, and said little about my kidney function The sodium was 137 on the RENAL FUNCTION PANEL · Lewis Keseberg was going to California in 1847. The wagon train got stuck in the mountains. When Mr. Keseberg was rescued, the story spread that he had killed, and then eaten, Tamsen Donner. This reputation made the rest of his life difficult · Sayanim (SIGH ya nim) is my new word of the day · This episode is about the BBC refusing to air a documentary about Israel destroying hospitals and doctors in Gaza. Towards the end, there is a quote for the ages. “I don’t want to be on the right side of history. I want to be on the right side of now.” · After his various legal difficulties, Oscar Wilde moved to Paris. He took ill, while staying in a tacky hotel. Oscar looked up, and said “There is a duel to the death between me and my wallpaper. One of us must die. It will be him or me.” · But to inquire too deeply into how sincere any particular individual is about their Based opinions is totally not based. · i was at the korea rice bowl place. The adorable teenage boy was telling me how to pay for my meal. “tap or insert down there” I THINK he meant the credit card reader · “USDA Celebrates Forcing Kids to Try Kale, Chard, Collard Greens … extolled a local elementary school in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. for making its students try broccoli gratin, Tuscan kale, and beet hummus, as an example of the department’s efforts to fight obesity.” · Hitler didn’t start with camps. He started with “Make Germany great again” · This episode of “Search Engine” is about a lady who “died suddenly” and her grieving husband was subjected to online harassment. It was after the covid vaccine was introduced, and there were reports of blood clots, and other drastic side effects in people recieving “the jab”. This is similar to your Sandy Hook story. It is also different. I don’t think any reasonable person could believe the Alex Jones narrative. However, there were, imo, some very reasonable doubts about the covid vaccine. Many of these doubts were brushed aside as “misinformation”, often with financial assistance from “big pharma.” In the SE story, the circumstances of the lady’s death led me to suspect that the covid vaccine could possibly have led to her death. This is one of the Devil’s details in your idea, and “truth regulation” in general. Another one is illustrated by your recent story about the BBC. Ironically, BBC was cited in footnotes #23 and #25 above. · Title: “Dr. McDougald’s Drug Store” with three African Americans standing in the doorway and a horse-drawn carriage in the foreground · “Dr. McDougald’s Drug Store” · JAD: Hello, this is Jad from—from Radiolab. EM: Hi. Thank you for your very, very nice but somewhat disturbing email. JAD: What disturbed you in the email? EM: The term “truth fascist.” · The Library of Congress Russell Lee took the social media picture in July 1939. “Son of resident of camp near May’s Avenue. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.” ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
Free Bacon
This content was published October 23, 2015. … There was a tweet. Perspicacious One @JessSmith_TPC LOLOLOL Can’t make this stuff up @EWErickson President’s Speech Defending Obamacare Nearly Kills Innocent Woman. The medium is something called The Washington Free Beacon. Free Bacon is a typo.
TWFB has some interesting stories. One entertaining example is “Pro-Iranian Regime Journalist Defends Controversial Tweet. Former translator for Ahmadinejad called WSJ editor ‘Iranian House Negro’.” The offending tweeter owns a fashion blog, the house of majd. Rumors that Mr. Ahmadinejad is a model cannot be confirmed.
A more believable story is Netanyahu’s Mission: To Head Off Iran Sanctions Relief. The thought of a deal between Iran and the West is very troubling to Israel. An important distraction to the Palestinian tragedy would be removed by the rehabilitation of Iran. One interesting section of the story mentions 9/11 labor supplier Saudi Arabia. “Saudi Arabia, another key U.S. ally in the Middle East, is also deeply worried about any sign of a deal between Washington and the kingdom’s arch-rival, Iran.” … Free Bacon is the order of the day in the last story we will look at. USDA Celebrates Forcing Kids to Try Kale, Chard, Collard Greens. “The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) extolled a local elementary school in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. for making its students try broccoli gratin, Tuscan kale, and beet hummus, as an example of the department’s efforts to fight obesity.”
This content was published October 8, 2008. … During the debates, John Sidney McCain III has repeatedly touted Nuclear Power as a solution to our energy needs. Perhaps this talk needs a second look. … There is a lot of money involved in Nuclear Energy. The plants are very expensive to build. There is a lot of potential for profit, and opportunities for moneylenders to earn interest. With this much at stake, it is not unreasonable to think that someone is paying JSM to promote Nukes.
With billions of dollars invested, the banks are going to make sure they get a return on their investment. With this much money involved, Big Government is going to get involved. This is also a factor in the safety issue. … Yes, Nuclear Power is safe. However, there is a need for constant oversight. The potential for disaster is immense. The process needs to be heavily regulated. With the companies trying to show a profit, the temptation to cut corners, and bribe the regulators, is going to be there. With global … and potentially domestic … terrorism a fact of life, the nuclear fuel needs to be constantly watched. Again, this is a job for Big Government. Nuclear Power=Big Government
While Nukes are nominally safe if handled properly, the potential for disaster is huge. There are stories of materials so toxic, that a mass the size of a softball could give the world cancer. While the systems can work well, the potential for corruption, corner cutting, and old fashioned human error cannot be forgotten. … Money is not the only scarce commodity required in bulk by Nukes. Water is also required in vast quantities for a Nuclear Power Plant to operate. The energy from a nuclear reaction is converted into electricity by boiling water to power steam turbines.
This is the same steam technology that has been used since the start of the industrial revolution. The nuclear reaction produces vast amounts of heat, which water is used to cool. With water an increasingly scarce commodity, the allocation of vast amounts for a Nuclear Power plant must be questioned. … It should be noted at this point that I am not a scientist. I am just a slacker with internet access. It is also true that coal fired power plants have horrendous environmental issues, and pump millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. I honestly don’t know what the answer is.
I recently spent a week at a community with solar power. There were constant reminders to use the juice sparingly. I tried to recharge my cell phone, and the system was not strong enough to do so. While solar can reduce the dependence on “the grid”, it is not going to completely replace it. We could do well to use less energy. We have gotten spoiled, like the man who wants an emerald green lawn in October. Part of the answer would be to live simply, so that others can simply live. … Pictures today are from Georgia State University Library The social media picture was taken February 22, 1955. Standard Oil service station in Buckhead ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
We’re All God’s Children
This content was posted October 11, 2023. … It was September, 1976, in Athens, Georgia. Someone decided to open a disco downtown. On opening night, there was a crowd. People wanted to know, would men be able to dance with men?
The owner was said to be a redneck, who would not allow such things. Finally, the party got started. At some point, same sex couples started to dance together. The owner shut down the music, and stood in front of the crowd with a microphone. He said a few words that did not please anyone, and there was an uneasy silence. Then, out of the back, came one voice.
We’re all God’s children.
49 years later, we are still struggling. People try to solve problems, big and small, with name calling. If you don’t have the correct opinion about this or that, then you are a terrible person. We seem to forget the one basic truth: We’re all God’s children.
We don’t know who said WAGC that night, 49 years ago. If I had to guess, I would say that it was an African-American. Much of the name-calling today is about skin color. If you do not say what people want to hear, you will get called racist. You are deemed worthy of hatred and abuse. Your humanity is taken away from you. You are no longer one of God’s children.
This is a repost. Pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library The social media photograph was taken May 16, 1960. Georgia State Council of Machinists leaders. ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
Strategy Of Causing Atrocities
This content was published October 27, 2023. … As you may have heard, there is a very nasty conflict between Israel and Gaza. What follows are a few thoughts on this dreadful affair. I possibly do not know what I am talking about. If you like, you can skip over the text, and look at the pictures.
Around 1987, I was working with Steve. He was the son of holocaust survivors, and an ardent supporter of Israel. We were discussing the war between Iran and Iraq. The I-I war was a long bloody affair. The United States supported Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein. The United States, with help from Israel, was also selling weapons to Iran. It was a confusing time.
I mentioned to Steve the notion that the US wanted to keep the I-I war going, because it would keep those two countries from fighting Israel. Steve started to get angry. “Yes, and it’s for your benefit. We have to fight terrorism.”
The I-I war continued for a while. In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, partially in a dispute over war debt from the I-I war. Saddam Hussein went from being an American ally to the next Hitler.
Today is October 8, 2025, 38 years after my conversation with Steve. The world is a different place. The last 38 years have been full of wars, and rumors of war. The Internet is a routine part of life. Unfortunately, Steve is not with us. Cancer claimed him in 2001, 9 days after 9-11.
A few days ago, Bob Wright had a conversation with Eli Lake. Mr. Lake is an ardent supporter of Israel. After 69 minutes, Mr. Lake said this: “because the Palestinians continue to think that a strategy of causing atrocities will eventually convince Jews to leave a country.”
Lets focus on this comment. It is unique, in part because it dispenses with the niceties that one normally sees. Most Israel supporters say “Hamas,” when they probably mean “Palestinians” (or Muslims.) Likewise, others say “Israel,” when they mean “Jews.” If you were to put blanks in the statement … “because the ______ continue to think that a strategy of causing atrocities will eventually convince _____ to leave a country” … you could create a statement said by either side. On a certain level, both sides would be telling the truth.
There are reports that Israel created, and supported, Hamas. The idea was to create divisions among her enemies, in the same way that a bloody war between Iran and Iraq was facilitated 38 years ago. When Hamas is fighting Fatah/PLO, neither side is fighting Israel. Some say this strategy motivated Israel’s involvement in Syria. Thousands of unarmed women and children die as a result.
Pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken July 18, 1947. “African-American couples playing cards outdoors, at the new Lincoln Club (Atlanta, Georgia), at a July 18th party sponsored by the Davison-Paxon Company, 1947.” ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
The Four Agreements
This post was published October 8, 2023. … The Four Agreements were put into words by Don Miguel Ruiz, aka Miguel Ángel Ruiz Macías. I do not claim to practice these ideas. Number two is especially tough for me. The main thing is to try, and to always do your best. This is not about what you believe or think, it is about what you do. This is about you. If you fall short in some way, work on improving yourself, instead of looking at someone else. This is about you.
Agreement 1–Be impeccable with your word – Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
Agreement 2–Don’t take anything personally – Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
Agreement 3–Don’t make assumptions – Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
Agreement 4–Always do your best – Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.
These ideas are presented as agreements, rather than beliefs. According to the AI Overview: “The Four Agreements are presented as a path to personal freedom, not beliefs, because they are intended to be active choices rather than passive convictions. The key distinction lies in the nature of beliefs versus agreements: Beliefs are passively accepted; agreements are actively chosen. … Beliefs are convictions you hold as true, often without ever questioning or examining them. … Agreements, in Ruiz’s usage, are active choices you make with yourself. The Four Agreements are a conscious decision to operate differently, liberating you from the unconscious beliefs that cause suffering. … The shift from living by unconsciously inherited beliefs to consciously chosen agreements is the central transformative process of Ruiz’s book. The agreements are not just concepts to be mentally accepted; they are practical tools that require daily effort and action to reshape your life.”
This feature was written like David Foster Wallace. Pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken in 1954. “Loew’s Grand Theatre marquee and ticket line for the fifteenth anniversary rerelease of “Gone With The Wind.” ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
Lower Than A Snake’s Belly
This content was published October 21, 2008. … It is amazing what gets your attention when you should be looking for a job. The yahoo page had a link to a poll of the “49 most influential men of 2008”. Polls like this are usually rubbish, but there is a post to be written.
I don’t have the patience for all 49. This is one of those deals where you have to click on a link for every name on the list. That is a lot of work, especially for men I have never heard of. I seldom watch TV or pay full price for movies, so a lot of celebrities go under the radar. It will be fun to see how many I have heard of. There is a profile about each man, but that is another click, and wait for the popupdropdown ad to clear. This is going to be a lot of work just to get to the top ten. · If you can’t say anything good about someone, don’t say anything at all.
1 – Barack Obama … Hype is color blind. · 2 – Steve Jobs · 3 – Micheal Phelps · 4 – Robert Downey, Jr … Rehab does work sometimes. · 5 – Stephen Colbert · 6 – Gordon Ramsey … This is the first one I totally don’t know. Mr. Ramsey is wearing a chef’s outfit, which is a clue. · 7 – Christian Bale · 8 – Rob Kay … Mr. Kay designs video games. If you see Mr. Kay … · 9 – Cristiano Ronaldo … Mr. Ronaldo kicks soccer balls. and has an Irish cousin named Ronald O’McDonald.
10 – John McCain … Bless his heart. · 11 -Lorne Michaels … Mr. Michaels gets points for staying alive this long. · 12 -Tom Ford … Mr. Ford is a fashion designer. No word on what kind of car he drives, or whether he pardoned Mr. Nixon. · 13 -Mark Zuckerberg … Mr. Zuckerman invented Facebook, and is glad this list is not in alphabetical order. · 14 -Dana White … Mr. White fronts something called “Ultimate Fighting Challenge. … One more “influencer” I have heard of, and I quit. It doesn’t matter if I have seen his show. · 15 -Jon Stewart … Mr. Stewart is a comedian/political commentator.
This content was published October 22, 2008. … In a couple of weeks, the election will, blessedly, be over. The only thing that could screw up … north of Florida … is a Georgia race where no candidate receives over 50 percent of the vote. In 1992, the incumbent Senator was an Atlanta Baseball fan named Wyche Fowler. He was confident of victory, but many were dissatisfied with his performance. The Libertarian candidate, Jim Hudson, got enough votes to force a runoff. In the runoff, Repub Paul Coverdell won election. Mr. Fowler was consoled by the job of Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. A few months after he left that position, 15 Saudi nationals flew planes into American buildings. … This story does have a moral. If you want Saxby Chambliss, the incumbent, to spend more time with his family, then vote for Democrat Jim Martin. While the Libertarian movement might be a good idea, this is not the time to push it. … Saxby Chambliss is a vile man who needs to retire. His issues and shortcomings are well documented elsewhere. In addition, he has a funny first name.
The rest of this feature is a personal story about Mr. Saxby. As it became obvious that we were going to invade Babylon, I decided to go on record as being opposed. I felt we were starting something we were not going to be able to finish, that we could not afford, and was based on shaky premises. Once the fighting started, I would support the troops. However, before the “shock and awe”, I would speak my mind. The email/letter went to My House of Representatives lady, and the two senators.
The house lady at the time was Denise Majette. She had defeated Cynthia McKinney the previous fall. Ms. Majette sent a long and thoughtful reply. While she did not explicitly say so, I got the sense that she was opposed to the invasion. However, due to some votes cast in the previous congress, there was little that could be done to stop the war. … Of the two Senators, I never did hear from Zell “ZigZag” Miller. My letter mentioned that “You were elected to represent me”. Mr. Miller was appointed by the Governor to finish the term of Paul Coverdell, who died. Mr. Coverdell was a Republican. The Governor and Mr. Miller were Democrats. Mr. Miller has since decided that the Democratic Party is too liberal for his taste. ZigZag is lower than a snake’s belly.
Mr. Chambliss did send a reply to my letter. It was a few months after “Mission Accomplished”. Mr. Chambliss praised the war. He made no mention of my objections to the war, which were still valid in those early days of the insurgence. I wonder if his staff even read my letter. … Saxby Chambliss needs to retire. Some lobbying firm will give him a nice job, and the taxpayers will only indirectly pay for it. … Pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken February 24, 1966. Shell Oil Company meeting Stone Mountain Inn. ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
Be Kind To Your Enemy
Did Jesus say to “Love your enemy?” Some believe this, and do it. Some claim to believe this, and practice the opposite. There are others who claim to love their enemies, but you have to understand what they mean by it. It can be very confusing. This is a repost.
I went to a source for documentation. Oh, the blessed conjunction of copy/paste with public domain. When I entered enemy (singular) in the search engine, 100 verses came up. When the request was made plural (enemies), 237 entries popped up. The last mention of enemies is Revelation 11:12. “And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.” Loving your enemies does not include bringing them to heaven with you.There is also the star of the show.
Matthew 5:44 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”
There is scholarly debate about what Jesus did, or did not, say. The words available to modern man have been copied by hand, edited, translated, and interpreted. I do not know Aramaic from Alabama. Like anyone else, I can only read and listen, and think for myself.
In a sense it does not matter what Jesus “really” said. Christians are going to believe what they want to believe. More important, they are going to do what they want to do. As far as the difference between what Jesus “really” said, and what his believers say and do … they can explain.
What follows is a humble suggestion. Did the translators and scribes get it wrong? Maybe Jesus did not say to love your enemy. Maybe what Jesus said was to show kindness to everyone. This is a practice thing, rather than a belief thing.
It is not as much fun to be nice to someone, as it is to scream about life after death. Kindness does not need to be justified by a quote from a magic book. You just need to do it. Pictures today are from Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken December 6, 1967. Artistic Beauty Institute (5 1/2 Auburn Avenue, NE) ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
Money Hymn Of The Republic
This content was published October 29, 2009. … Mark Twain wrote a lot during the War in the Philippines. Many of his words could apply today. War has gotten more high tech … for our side … but the bottom line is the same. No matter how fancy the weapons get, the casualties are just as dead. And the investors make money. … Mine eyes have seen the orgy of the launching of the Sword; He is searching out the hoardings where the stranger’s wealth is stored; He hath loosed his fateful lightnings, and with woe and death has scored; His lust is marching on.
I have seen him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps; They have builded him an altar in the Eastern dews and damps; I have read his doomful mission by the dim and flaring lamps — His night is marching on. · I have read his bandit gospel writ in burnished rows of steel: “As ye deal with my pretensions, so with you my wrath shall deal; Let the faithless son of Freedom crush the patriot with his heel; Lo, Greed is marching on!”
We have legalized the strumpet and are guarding her retreat; Greed is seeking out commercial souls before his judgement seat; O, be swift, ye clods, to answer him! be jubilant my feet! Our God is marching on! · In a sordid slime harmonious Greed was born in yonder ditch, With a longing in his bosom — and for others’ goods an itch. As Christ died to make men holy, let men die to make us rich — Our God is marching on.
This content was published October 13, 2008. … 22 WORDS weighed in today with a comment about web design for dyslexics. No jokes please. … The post linked to a site called dyslexia.com. They say that dyslexia is a gift. While I would not go that far, some of their ideas are useful. The basic concept is that if something is easier for dyslexics to read, it will also be easier for non dyslexics. … This makes sense. While I don’t follow all of them, there are some good points here.
1 – Keep paragraphs short, and use a medium amount of text on each page. If a long article is posted, create a topic index at the beginning, so that the dyslexic reader can quickly narrow in on the parts that interest him or her. · 2 – Use default font settings or provide a way for users to choose their own styles. That way, a user can choose their own preferred font with their browser, or create their own style sheet. Many dyslexics find they read best with one particular font. · 3 – Keep your main text left-justified. It is very hard to read paragraphs where all lines are centered or which are right-justified.
4 – Use a consistent layout and format throughout the site. It helps to have navigation aids laid out consistently on every page. · 5 – If you use frames, be sure to provide a no-frames alternative; some text-to-speech software cannot read text on framed pages. · 6 – Make a list of relevant links at the end of a paragraph or section, rather than merely placing the links within the body of the text. That way the user can find the important links without needing to read all the text. Be sure to clearly describe the type of information or site the link will lead to.
7 – Use medium icons to help with navigation between frequently used web pages. There should also be a text alternative for navigation (or the ‘alt’ tag should be used), for those individuals who rely on computers to read the page contents to them. · 8 – Never use flashing text. Do not use animated or moving graphics unless the animation is necessary to illustrate important information, such as an animation demonstrating how a machine works. Even so, it is best to place the animation on a different page, or to set it up to start only when clicked.
9 – Avoid using background images behind text. Make sure that there is a good contrast between the color of the background and the color of text. · 10 – Do not set up background music to play, unless the site gives the user a choice whether to turn it on. … Several points ring especially true here. Short paragraphs are the way to go. A long block of text is intimidating to many readers, and screams out “skip over me”. On a more personal level, I have a tough time with quotes from the Bible. That is a subject for another post, if not a new blog.
Background music that starts without asking is a peeve of mine. This is highly unthoughtful to your visitor. If you are already listening to something, or are in a place music is inappropriate, this is going to cause problems. Flashing text and background images are also annoying, but at least they do not make noise. There is a reason I do not like MySpace. … For blocks of text, left-justified is simply the way to go. While centered text may be good for ads and invitations, it is a lot of work on the eyes to follow for extended reading. And, why on earth would anyone ever use right-justified?
A post like this is not complete without a hypocrite alert. I have heard people say they do not like multi colored text, that it can be difficult to read. Black text is a holdover from dead tree journalism. I probably will continue to use colors, though maybe with a bit of restraint. The rainbow posts are fun. Using colors for quotes and different themes helps the reader to tell when the subject has changed. Red letters stand out when you want to make a point.
The internet is a work in progress. People are learning what does and does not work. Just because you can do something … like have an automatic music player … doesn’t mean that you should. It is like when telephone answering machines first came out. At first, the idea was to have a clever message for incoming calls. Then, people got tired of listening to those, and the basic messages we have today became popular. Some techie things are suggested here … letting the user choose the font…are a bit too geeky for me, although I guess that could change. The main idea is to show a bit of courtesy to your visitor. It is not like your blog is the only one. … Pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library The social media picture: “Two individuals pose with Irvindale’s “Minnie Quarts” dairy cow, 1940s” ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
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