It's Been A Long Time!

The Rogue Speaks:

It's been a long time since I sat down at my drawing board to create a little art.  When we left Tucson, my artistic side stayed behind.  Adjusting to a new "climate" has been harder on me than I ever imagined.  I am putting that all behind me now, and doing my best to do what people have told me I do best.

"Snowy Egret"

soft pastel

Judie McEwen

2015

 

I posted my painting on my Face Book page, and the response I got from all my artist (and non-artist) friends warmed my heart more than anyone will ever know.

 

For more "Warm Heart" stories, please check out Jenny's blog



L - Who do you LIKE??

The Rogue Speaks:

The GOP debate was watched by millions of people, many of whom only wanted to see how the "front runner" would fair against a field of real politicians, and one neurosurgeon.  And, yes, I did watch it, in bed, with a glass of wine and a couple of Bayer aspirin.  Here are my views on the candidates, in alphabetical (almost)order:

Jeb Bush -  Pleasant enough, smiling, but not always telling the truth about his years as governor of Florida.  Fact check needed there, for sure.  And please!!  No more dynasties!!!

Ben Carson - What a nice man he is.  Unfortunately, he has no political experience, and in fact, has very little knowledge about how this country works.  He is not at all assertive.  He should stick to separating Siamese twins. OR he could volunteer to give one of the candidates a frontal lobotomy, and delight the rest of the field.

Chris Christie - Yes, he DID hug Obama after Hurricane Sandy.  So what, Rand????  But I don't trust him to be completely honest, plus he looks a little like a member of La CosaNostra.  Sorry!  I just couldn't help that!

Ted Cruz - He looks like a televangelist about to burst into tears.  Anyone who says, "I always tell the truth," probably doesn't.  He supports pork barrel politics, because he has a video out, cooking bacon by wrapping it around the barrel of his AK47, and firing away until the bacon is fried.  What does a "Christian" need with an AK47, you ask? You tell me!

John Kasich - The only one on the stage who appeared to be actually presidential and genuine.  I'm glad he got into the debate.

Mike Huckabee - This guy isn't a politician, but a preacher.  He will push his religious agenda, and walk all over the Constitution.  Now some people may like that, but most Americans do not.  We don't want his brand of religion shoved down our throats, or any other religion, for that matter.

Rand Paul - Rand, Rand, Rand!! You look like a sophomore geek at MIT!  And you have a tendency to get a little hostile.  Not very presidential, and way too much of an isolationist for my taste.

Rick Perry - How many times does he have to take that public speaking course and not get an F???  The glasses didn't help his image one bit, plus he has a goofy smile, and a bad memory.  Carly Fiorina should really have had his place on the stage.

Marco Rubio - Pretty, smooth talker, but without any real substance.  He hasn't been out of short pants long enough to fully understand American voters.  AND he's a suck-up.  Just ask a couple of the other candidates.

Scott Walker - Despite what he says, Wisconsin is not better off with him as governor.  Way too many questionable decisions! Lots of Fact Checks needed there!  Plus, he is VERY bad at managing his $222,899 salary.  He has between $10K and $20K in credit card debt, and one of his cards charges 27.4%, and he has $100,00 to $200,000 in student loans for his two boys in college, and so just how does he expect to manage our country? Plus, he has squinty eyes.  I never trust a man with squinty eyes.

And finally(I told you it would almost be in alphabetical order), "He Who Shall Not Be Named."-
A sociopathic narcissist who knows just what to say to get the borderline mentally incompetent fired up and cheering.  He has no respect for other people, especially hates women, and is only out for himself.  Claims that he will bring American jobs home, while his men's clothing brand is made in Mexico.  Calls people stupid.  In short, he's the last man on earth fit to be president--a total loser.

That's my take on the top 10 GOP candidates, and my  "L" post on Jenny's AlphabeThursday.  I welcome any and all comments.

Refrigerator Art

The Rogue Speaks:

It's not what you think! There are no paintings of polar bears in a snow storm, or a whiteout during a blizzard. It's all about what you have on your 'fridge. You know those magnetic letters that come in a little box and allow you to create your own poetry on the 'fridge? Well, I love those things! I created the poem above, but when I tried to photograph it for this post, the glare was too strong, so I had to create it with one of my programs. The magnet below it is one of my favorites. I really don't know a lot of normal people, so it's perfect for me. Aside from those and a couple of others, I only have pictures of my grandchildren. 

 

I am looking for some interesting stuff that you have on your fridge, like a note that says "return pregnancy test," or "call exterminator about squirrels in the attic," or "herpes test Friday." After that one comes "refill Valtrex." Then there could be "return movies to Porn King video rental." "appt. w/ therapist Fri. at 2" is probably found on a 'fridge somewhere. "Stick needles in both eyes on Monday" is probably not. Nor are you likely to find "eat two pounds of M&M's Friday night." No, wait! My Best Friend Artist loves chocolate, and I know she has a bunch of strange things on her 'fridge--that might be one of them. I'll have to check.

My 'fridge door used to be so full of stuff that sometimes I couldn't find the handle, so I stripped it down to the bare stainless, and only put up things I couldn't live without seeing every day. Oh, and I do have a grocery list pad hanging there.  It says "Buy every item that gives me  10¢ off each gallon of gas!"  We have some strange stuff in our pantry.  Some day, I may even use it!

Probably the most important magnet I have on my 'fridge, and the one that I should read every day as a reminder, reads:





 

Thanks, everyone!  Now head on over to Jenny's and read more "R's!!!!"

Deism

The Rogue Speaks:

This post is sort of a "two-parter."  The first part deals with the Constitution of the United States, and the First Amendment to that historic document by which our country is governed.  Please read very carefully the words of the First Amendment:

"Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Many scholars believe that the First Amendment is the most important part of the Constitution, because it protects several of the basic human rights, and reminds us of some of the dangerous areas on which the government might attempt to tread.  The first part, to me, is the part that this nation needs to become aware of, and to remember in the next few months.  It is MOST important.  There are conservative groups in this country who are trying to force their religious beliefs on the nation.  They would like to see their rules for life, health, and marriage become laws in America.  They want their religion to be THE religion of the United States.  As you can see, the Founding Fathers were firmly against this kind of thinking.  They had had enough of religious intolerance in England, and were determined that that intolerance NOT happen in America.

Forty of America's finest men signed the Constitution.  If they had not firmly believed in what they had written, do you think they would have put their names to it?  If you would like to see those names, let me know, and I will send you the list.

Many of these "conservative" groups have stated that all one has to do is read the Constitution to find that God had a hand in the writing, and that the name of God can be found in the words that were written.  Read it!  Read the Constitution, and see if you can find a reference to the God, or Jesus, or a Creator  that these modern "conservatives" worship.  Let me save you some time.  It isn't there.  The only reference you will find is "in the year of our Lord" which at that time was a common way of stating the date, and had nothing to do with religion.   The people who have told you otherwise either have not read the Constitution, or believe that you will not read it yourself, and will only take their word for it.

During the Republican debates, one of the hopefuls, a woman, stated with certainty that John Adams and his family were devout Christians who fought to abolish slavery.  First, slavery wasn't an issue at that time, and second, John Adams, his wife, Abigail Adams, and their son John Quincy Adams were actually Unitarians.  In fact, many of our founding fathers were either Deists or Unitarians, and were not at all associated with any conservative Christian group.  Thomas Jefferson, one of the signers of the Constitution,  is identified with both Unitarianism and Deism.

So, let's talk about Deism.  Deism is a religious philosophy that deals with reason and observation of the world at large.  The Deists feel that there is no need for organized religion.  They also do not believe  in the supernatural manifestations such as miracles.  They believe that God does not interfere with the decisions, good or bad, that we make in our lives.  Deists believe that human beings see God through the world around us, and through nature.

I took an active part in organized religion for many years, until one day I woke up and realized that that religion just wasn't working for me any more.  I'm not saying that I don't believe in God.  The jury is still out on that one.  But, like the Deists, I don't believe that God intervenes in our lives, to save us in times of need.  If He did, no children would die needlessly, and no people would be made to suffer from painful and debilitating diseases. I don't believe in miracles, and I certainly don't believe that an image of the Virgin Mary appearing on a toasted bagel is a message from God. The Deists believe that God does not interfere with  situations in the natural world.  If He did, He would be on serious overload 24 hours a day! 

Here is an example of that overload:  Rod's brother, an evangelical, came to visit us a few years ago.  He had been in Phoenix for a chiropractic seminar, and came down to play golf with Rod before going back to Atlanta.  The day before, he had lost his "readers."  I happened to have an extra pair that someone had left in my booth at an art fair, so I gave them to him.  He proceeded to tell me that God had provided those readers for him in answer to his prayers!  Really?????  God has enough time on his hands these days to come up with readers for you??? Get over yourself!  Women are being raped in Africa! Children are starving in third word countries!  And God provided you with "readers"?????

Getting back to the Deists, here are some names that you might recognize as contributors to the American way of life over the years:

George Washington
Benjamin Franklin
Ethan Allen
James Madison
Mark Twain
Thomas Jefferson
Albert Einstein
Thomas Paine

 I can go on, but I doubt seriously that the people who really need to get this message are actually reading this post and THINKING.   What I really want is for those sanctimonious people to realize that the rest of us have just as much a right to our beliefs as they do, and to quit trying to undo what our Founding Fathers did when they wrote the Constitution.  Freedom of religion is a basic human right.

Cranberry Salsa!!!! Bueno!!!!!!

The Rogue Speaks:

Yet another thing to make with fresh cranberries!  My daughter Beth and I have made this a LOT!  I took a big bowl of it (double recipe) to our friends' house for Thanksgiving, and came home with an empty bowl!  One thing, though, I cut down the amount of sugar in it down to less than 1/2 cup.  Still tastes great!

 

We found this recipe in the New Orleans paper last year, and have shared it with many friends.  Hope you like it!!!

 

I'm linking this post to Jenny's AlphabeThursday!

Adultery, and The Exploding Life Diet

The Rogue Speaks:

When your adulterous husband leaves you for a younger (i.e. "trophy") woman, you just may be exposed to "The Exploding Life Diet."  You are so shocked, so hurt, and oh so furious that you just stop eating.  This is not a diet that I want to try.  In fact, no woman goes on this diet deliberately--it just happens.

I have an old friend who is on this diet.  She's lost 30 pounds.  Her husband, who qualified for Medicare almost 10 years ago, was flattered by a younger, narcissistic  woman who probably thought she was getting a "sugar-daddy."  She seduced him, and because we all know what part of their anatomy (that is NOT their brain) men think with, the next thing my friend knew, her husband was moving out, and seeing an attorney.

What's up (no pun intended) with some of these guys who can be so easily suckered in by a conniving woman who is blatantly breaking up a marriage for her own edification and enjoyment?  I know that deep down, she can't be proud of what she is doing, because when her family comes a-calling, her Senior Citizen boyfriend is forbidden to show his face.

What exactly does a woman who is ten years shy of Social Security want with a married man who is twenty years her senior? Is she looking for someone to pay all her bills?  In this case, I hope she doesn't think he's wealthy, because the state in which she (and he) live is a community property state, so after the divorce, he'll only have one half of what he has now, and of course there is alimony, plus lawyer's fees!   I hope she's thought ahead to when she's 70 and he's over 90!  If he lives that long, she just might be taking care of a sick old man day in and day out.  Or, if he should suffer a debilitating stroke 5 years or less from now, her caregiver role could begin much sooner!

But maybe she doesn't really care about all that for now.  Maybe she just has her eyes on a goal, and has tunnel-vision about the rest of the picture.  OR, maybe she has started now, collecting sleeping pills so she can pop one in his evening cocoa and go out to a fancy dress ball after tucking him in for the night.

I feel soooooo sorry for my friend, that she is having to go through this.  No woman should!  But she is a strong woman (well, except for The Exploding Life Diet), and highly intelligent, creative, talented and thoughtful,  and she will survive this.  Maybe she'll go on to start a successful non-profit like Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, and Bette Midler did in that comedy  a few years back.  Ahhh! Revenge is sweet!

This concludes my offering for Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday.  I hope our Jenny is recovering from those pesky aches, pains, and trauma.  We love you, Jenny!!!

Z is for ZUGZWANG

The Rogue Speak:

 

 

Zugzwang, a German word meaning "obligation to move," is actually a chess term.  To be "in zugzwang" is to be at a disadvantage because the player must make a move, even though he had rather pass when it is his turn to play.

 

I know nothing about chess, except of course the names of the pieces, and what the board looks like.  I am, however, taking a "refresher course" in bridge.  What does that mean?  Well, it means that even though I have been playing bridge off and on ever since I was in college, I never knew what I didn't know about the game.  Oh, I kind of suspected that I didn't know, but we always played "party bridge," where there was always a lot of laughing, gossiping, snacks, and maybe some wine.

 

Now I am learning bridge on a whole different level, and I have a constant fear of being "in zugzwang" if I make the wrong bid or play the wrong card, because if I do, I will definitely "go down," or lose. 

 

The kind of bridge that I am attempting to learn is "duplicate," and there is no table talk, or wine, or snacks.  This is serious stuff!  I have to actually think! My partner and I can have no signals, like faking a sneeze to tell my partner to pass, or stating my bid in the form of a question, like on Jeopardy. To me, bridge is a game of numbers, and math has never been my strong point.  I am always on the edge of understanding it, but just not quite!!

 

There is just soooo much to remember!  I have to add up my partner's points with my points, after I figure out just how many points my partner has.  Then I have to figure out how many points the opponents have, and who has what why.  See what I mean?

 

After we have settled on a contract, then we have to actually PLAY the cards, or if the opponents get the contract, I have to play to defeat them.  I have to "lead," or play the first card.  Oh!  My head is spinning!  I fear that if I play the wrong card I will be "in zugzwang!!"  But this is not chess; it is bridge and I am doing this for FUN.  Really? Hahahaha!

 

I WILL learn how to play bridge!  There is something very satisfying about playing a cerebral game at my age.  I'm old, you know.  Wish me luck!