Friday Tidings

Measured by some of the curt replies I received, I could tell last week’s post riled some folks. Why should I finger President Obama for posting selfies, when everyone else does too? Who really cares? Another reader complained:  He can't enjoy himself during his term? You must be a Christian that believes entertainment is wrong. Do you resent him sleeping at night too? Why are you so priggish? Okay. Point taken. I am priggish. President Obama was merely reaching out to those who appreciate a good selfie.  Someone else said to stop playing the blame game.  Another reader suggested, I should really be pointing the finger at myself and asking how am I helping this sorry world?  So, please accept my apologies—and I extend apologies to President Obama.  Since it’s hard for this unelected, small town American to change policies on immigration, ISIS, or our fledgling economy, I’m focusing on what I can do: Be grateful I woke

It’s the 21 st Century but we’re witnessing a reemergence of medieval warfare—the beheadings, brutality, and slavery—as it spreads, some military experts speculate that it’ll end in a global war. We depend on our nation’s brightest minds to know how to deal with the threats against us. We can argue about our foreign policy maneuvers, but unfortunately the choices that remain are hard ones. As our nation deals with the horrific executions of some of our own citizens, I’m wondering if it was wise for our president to release a bunch of selfies promoting his health care law? The timing couldn’t have been more inappropriate.   Just as we were evacuating our US Embassy in Yemen (a nation Obama once praised as an example of our foreign policy success), the White House released the selfies.  While this probably appeals to the generation he hopes to get signed up for medical insurance, I’m too old for this nonsense. How about we leave selfies to t

Long before emails, letters served as heartfelt offerings of love and encouragement. I have bundles of them saved in a box.  My dad loved writing letters for special occasions.  Those letters always had an amazing blend of wisdom and love, but one Valentine’s Day letter was different and we both knew why.                                                                                                                                                     2/14/1979 Dear Karen, As I sit here staring at your high school graduation picture, I recall the little girl who loved to skip everywhere she went. Then you discovered bike riding. Soon, I took the squeaky training wheels off. You wobbled back and forth, found your balance, and I watched you ride away. I’ve watched you take the training wheels off of other things in your life too. School wasn’t easy, but eventually you found your balance and did well. Your piano teacher said you weren’t naturally gifted

www.dumpaday.com      Millions (of mostly women) have read E.L. James’  Fifty Shades  erotica trilogy. I’m not one of them, but I’ve talked to some who have. Plus at least a dozen email links about it have been sent to me asking for my opinion.  It’s never fair to review something you haven’t read, but one mom was deeply concerned about the perceptions her older teen daughter now has about men, sex, and real love. Adults have the freedom to read, view, and enjoy the entertainment of their choice. While we may not like all the entertainment options, at least we can choose. Children sometimes make these choices without knowing the consequences. By definition, erotica is literature (or art) that is sexually explicit. Erotica is designed to heighten the sexual response of readers (or viewers).   Pornography ranges from soft porn to hard core.  Today, 30% of porn users are women. According to some US statistics, forty million me