Sunday, August 31st, 2025

 Greetings and salutations, dear Reader, and welcome to my obscure American blog. Don't worry, it's still "free" in every sense of the word as of the time of this writing, at least.
I've been up for hours which is par for the course for me as I often/ usually go to bed before the Sun does.

from last night's sunset, with colors enhanced

Without any further ado, here is today's Proverb:
First, in text format: Proverbs 31 ESV
And, audio format as well (because "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing the Word of God"):

Well, folks, even though I did vote for Donald Trump this last time, that doesn't mean that I can blanket-approve of all things just because it's his decision. The biggest, most glaring (and, only if I'm being honest with myself) fail of this administration so far is the fact that he plans to allow 600K Chinese nationals (spies!) to come and fill positions in our colleges and Universities. I think that this can only be a huge mistake since the CCP has NO love for us AND the fact that all Chinese people who are allowed to come here are required by their government to spy and report all intelligence to them.

So, no, that was a very, very bad mistake on our President's part and I pray that he will repent and wholesale change his mind about that. Nobody's perfect, but WHOA what a F*** up that is going to be if it materializes! I wonder what on earth motivated him to make such a dead-wrong decision like that?! 
Sorry, man, but national security is priority numero uno! If we don't keep this nation together, then no one will have somewhere to emigrate to for a better life, and that would really suck for the entire planet, not just us who are already here.
Anyway.

I don't pretend that our immigration system is perfect. In fact, I feel like, in this day and age, major reform is due. The process needs to be shortened because, as it is, our beloved legal immigrants currently have to wait in line for years, and that's just too damned long. With things like the internet now, it should be a much faster process to vet these people and get them in here. We have the technology, so let's use it to improve the currently-failing immigration system and, by that, I mean the actual process itself. It needs to NOT take them years to get in, because that only encourages them to do it illegally which ends up not really helping them in the end. It's not fair to our precious legal immigrants who want to do the right thing the right way only for the current process to stymie and frustrate them. It's not right. Anyway, that's about all I have for now, dear reader. 
Thanks for stopping by and spending a few moments reading my drivel, be blessed and have a wonderful day today. 💜

I was there (written Monday, August 25, 2025)

Hello, dear Reader, and welcome to this obscure American blog. At the time that this is being written, it is still free in every sense of the word. 

The date: June 21, 1997, a Saturday. 

The location: Fort Worth, Texas at the Texas Motor Speedway.

The event: Blockbuster Rockfest 🤘 

 

It's the largest concert that I ever went to and man did we have a great time! We kept leaving and bringing in cases of beer, handing them out freely to sweating but grateful strangers, saying "For tribal relations" with each beer given. 
The music was amazing, all the way around, each and every one of them. 

Someone at the perfume website brought it all back to me with her topic about Lilith Fair and reminiscing for the past hour or so has been a welcome blast from the past, though I don't see myself doing it again anytime soon. 😎

I attended with friends and will always be grateful to them all for making it such a great time, even though we've lost touch over the years by now. 

So, dear Reader: what is the most memorable event you've attended?
Were YOU there, at Rockfest?! 👀

Monday, August 18th, 2025

Greetings and salutations, dear Reader, and welcome to yet another day above ground. It got warm and that woke me up, but I do feel rested enough even though it's not yet four-AM (as of the time of these type-written words, at least, maybe not by the time it's been published though). Anyway, here's a look at today's forecast:

And, here is today's Proverb. It's my blog, so I choose to copy and paste it here. Thanks.

And, today is all about verse 19 for me:

Even with the changing climate with more and more Americans sanely moving to the political center, I am still today the recipient of real-life cancel culture, folks—by someone who's "in the party of tolerance"—yes, the political left. Not a politician, no; a rank and file voter like most of us.

Rather than engaging differing views with open dialogue, as many of us strive to do, I encountered heated words and frustration directed at my beliefs, without any personal attack from my side. (For the record, even now, I've refrained from any insults or ad hominem remarks.) All I did was invite the group chat to provide evidence of even one American citizen who has been deported, offering a wager I was confident in because, to my knowledge, such cases don't exist. I believe this is a shared understanding across the spectrum, though it can be a tough pill to swallow for some.

So, instead of sparking thoughtful discussion—which has historically strengthened societies by encouraging growth beyond initial reactions—our exchange highlighted a broader challenge. In 2025, it seems we've drifted from the constructive debates that once propelled progress, and that's something worth reflecting on together. What might it look like if we all paused to examine our assumptions more deeply?

When I was in high school, I signed up to take Latin—there weren't enough of us, so I had to choose another foreign language and went with German. These days, as far as I know, Latin in public high schools is rare, Civics classes have faded, and History is often presented through specific viewpoints shaped by extensive academic training. It's concerning when we assume those views are entirely original, as it can limit broader inquiry.

That's why, even at 13, I declined Duke University's offer to skip high school and attend for free (extended to those of us who excelled on Texas standardized tests). Instinctively, I sensed the value in a more varied path, leading me to become a lifelong, mostly self-taught learner who strives to think independently to this day.

I'm very grateful that my parents instilled these habits in my formative years. And, as a human, it's not always straightforward to prioritize thoughtful analysis over emotional responses. Sometimes, our feelings align with what's true, but other times, they can lead us astray unless we examine them closely. None of us is exempt from this—it requires ongoing effort to balance heart and mind. We all make room for emotions, as we're not machines, but how can we ensure they don't steer us into decisions we might later question? Consider how a child reacts to "no"—it's raw emotion, and as adults, we have the opportunity to build on that with wisdom.

These days, even those in their 50s and beyond can react strongly to differing opinions, much like that instinctive response. How might we, as a society, foster more resilience in these moments? It's a shared sadness when bridges break over ideas.

Anyway, since my opinions proved divisive, I decided to deactivate all my social media accounts (except for the apolitical perfume sites). I'd had my Facebook since 2009; it held memories of departed loved ones, relatives, pets, and life's milestones over 16 years. As invested as I was, I chose to step back in hopes of easing tensions, setting it not to reactivate automatically.

A gesture like this could be seen as an olive branch, inviting peace. Yet, if it's not received that way, it reminds us we're all navigating these waters differently.

Anyone who advocates for Socialism or Communism might benefit from reflecting on the historical toll—tens, if not hundreds, of millions of lives lost directly under those systems, every time they've been implemented. Lives have been tragically ended.

What might it take for us all to recognize potential flaws in our cherished ideas? Why do so few seem willing to engage in that self-examination? It's a capacity we once valued highly—let's consider reclaiming it.

Or, if we persist in letting differences fracture relationships based solely on emotion and opinion, we risk congratulating ourselves for rationality while missing the irony. In the name of tolerance, perhaps we can aim higher.

For my part, I'm saddened that sharing my political views honestly can cause such pain to others. Estoy muy triste.