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  • “Spewers and Sound Bites” — Who Are We?

    Crankeverend (CR) was sitting at his favorite coffee shop the other morning when his head hit the table because he was exhausted.  When CR recovered he had an epiphany:  America wasn’t going to H _ _ _ in a hand basket, America had reached its destination.  We have reached the toll booth at the end of the road, and now it is time to pay the toll taker….

    The question we must ponder today is “Now What?”

    There’s an empty chair on the Supreme Court, and the politicians in Washington DC are playing a huge game of “I’m taking my ball and going the H _ _ _ home.”  Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania politics, fully eight months into not having a budget, these politicians, along with the Governor, are playing the “I didn’t do it.  It wasn’t me it was him” game.  It gives you the sense they have all jumped into a bottomless pit thinking “It has to end somewhere, right?”  “Right?”

    I see political ads with Mrs. Clinton barking like a dog — and the group Anonymous has hacked into Mr. Trump’s personal information hoping to “take him down”.  “Take him down?”  The majority of the Republican Party elites have been trying to do that for months, and yet his popularity soars.  I think they shouldn’t have cancelled the next Republican debate – I am sure Mr. Cruz would have loved to have a debate with himself.  “Mr. Cruz, why does no one like you?”  “Well I am glad someone has asked Mr. Cruz that question finally — if he were attending an 8th grade dance, even the other geeky boys wouldn’t want to stand with him, he is hated that much.”  “Now wait, Mr. Cruz, that is a complete mis-characterization of my unpopularity.  I have worked day and night isolating and alienating myself from everyone else in the “Inside Washington” political elites — but I guess I have gone too far — even my mother has denied being present at my birth.”  “Well Mr. Cruz, I think you have at least accomplished this one thing — Canada has called and wondered if we might build a wall on our border to keep us out.”

    Ouch!  I thought maybe we had hit the bottom of that bottomless pit, but nothing yet.!

    So, on we go sliding toward our own oblivion.

    CR stopped by his local Tax Preparation lady and together we sat swapping stories about what “H _ _ _ ” their lives have been this past year.  It is amazing how misery can seep out to find so many people, in so many places, in so many ways — and there isn’t a candidate for POTUS that can supply a nice “sound bite”that will sooth the pain and suffering many in this country are feeling.

    When one candidate said “I Don’t ‘Make Promises I Can’t Keep” — what they really meant is “I don’t plan to keep the promises I make”.  That would be more truthful, if you ask me, because who can keep any of the promises made on the campaign trail.  “I will build a wall, a beautiful wall, and make Mexico pay for it.”  That sounds good, to some people in this country, especially those that border with Mexico.  But really, who could keep that promise?  When the most recent past Secretary of State was asked if their email server was wiped clean before handing over emails to the Feds, they firmly stuck their tongue into their cheek and said “What, like with a cloth or something?”  Flippant?  Do you think?  No candidate for the POTUS is that stupid….none of them are.  But neither are we…….or, are we?

    Anyway, as we shared our stories (the tax lady and CR) about this child who now has a probation officer, and that child pulled over for a DUI-D, we stopped talking for a moment, and then said, almost simultaneously, “Thank G-d we have faith.”  In other words, thank G-d we have a G-d who sustains us when our lives become a living “H _ _ _” — a bottomless pit.

    Of all the hypocrites CR may be the greatest, but allow CR to make a point.  Against the backdrop of candidates barking like a dog and another accused of being a “ducker” — careful there, I did say “ducker” — one former candidate actually brought up G-d in his speech announcing the end of his candidacy.  He said “It is not G-d’s will that I become POTUS this term, or possibly any term.”  What?  Did CR hear someone mention G-d?  And he wasn’t arrested and thrown into the “bottomless pit”?

    CR is despondent — for the millions of people who gather to cheer for a “witty” sound bite — who gather with the enthusiasm of NASCAR fans waiting for a wreck (who are beautiful people and I am sure Donald Trump loves them like he loves the uneducated) — who hear comments like “What, was I to wipe my email server with a cloth?” (which again isn’t what the candidate said but the point is the same) and whoop it up with mouths foaming (which I am sure Donald Trump loves those who whoop it up and “foam at the mouth”).
     
    So, while the spewers and the “sound biters” continue to spew and promise things they will never be able to achieve because America has turned from people of “meaningful rhetoric” and people who actually try to listen to one another and find compromise, to “insult hurlers” and “grand standers” (which I am sure Donald Trump thinks are beautiful people and he loves the “grand standers” and hopes to build a wall to keep them all in.)
     
    CR continues to seek clarity while the spittle falls all around him.  Some might say, “It is two words: Free Speech”.  But as Bishop Timothy Marcus Smith (North Carolina Synod) recently said, “”This is not who we are, America. This is not who we are, North Carolina. This is not who we are, Church.” And I hope the reporters and the cameras are there, and I hope they might care what I/we have to say in the name of Jesus.”
     
    And CR agrees.  In reality, it isn’t two words, it is three — “It is Finished”.
    It is finished if we, as Christians, stand by and allow our voices to be drowned out.
     
    Crankeverend…….excuse my rant, but this is why we need to allow the free flow of opinions, even those we find offensive!!!

     

  • Changing the Clock for Daylight Savings Time —– AAARRRRGGGGG

    Crankeverend (CR) sat in his car on Monday morning — clergy shirt soaked with coffee.  CR’s pants and socks, soaked with coffee.  CR went to put his glasses on — they were broken.  CR drove home in a coffee-haze crankiness that the world has not known in many, many years — it was Daylight Savings Time day plus One — and it was turning out to be the worst day ever.

    A Dozen States are looking into abolishing this ridiculous notion of changing the clock twice a year, and CR feels it is about time.  The older CR gets, the more he feels the effects of losing an hour of sleep.  CR’s body just cannot adjust like it used to.  CR understands that there was a purpose to changing the clock during World Wars I and II for the purpose of conserving energy — but we are not in a world war (though looking around the world and our country seems to confuse the issue and the point CR is making, so stop looking around), and the need to make such a change has long since passed us by.

    So, this got CR thinking — what other silly changes could we make to our daily routine that could prove to be just as disruptive and purposeless.  Here are CR’s suggestions.

    1. Coffee Day — For one year we will add an extra day to the weekend.  Coffee day will come in between Saturday and Sunday.  It will be a state sponsored day off (except for those who work in the coffee industry) where coffee is free — all day.  Now you may be in favor of this extra day for a permanent “three-day weekend” — CR is in favor of it for the free coffee.

    2. Jubilee — Just like the bible suggests the 50th year of each century will be the year of the Jubilee.  All debts will be forgiven, all prisoners will be released, all sins will be pardoned, and the mercies of God will be particularly manifest.  Now you may think that releasing all prisoners is a ridiculous idea, and as such CR refers you back to the observance of Daylight Savings Time.  Are they equal in their ridiculousness?  Of course not, but CR is trying to make a point, and sometimes CR takes license to jump to the absurd.

    3. President for a Day — For as long as it takes, every person over the age of 35 will get to serve as President of the United States for one day.  They will get to fly anywhere necessary on Air Force One, pass any proclamations they can think of, offer any pardons they want, and begin or end any wars they feel are necessary.  Look, after the awful display we have been subject to for the last 8 months, I think this may actually be a much better idea than electing any of the current candidates running for POTUS.

    4. Two-Hand Touch — in response to the hypocrisy of the NFL and their response to former player’s fear of CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) and the preponderance of evidence pointing to the legitimacy of the medical findings, the NFL will play one year under “Two-Hand Touch” rules.   (Actually, this may not be so crazy after all.)  Johnny Manziel will be director of the substance abuse rules committee and Greg Hardy and Ray Rice will serve on the domestic abuse advisory committee.  Truly the NFL will soon stand for “Not For Long”.  

    5. Pay to Play — for four years, all college athletes will be payed a percentage of the revenue all sports bring in to their university for whom they play.  As such, all college athletes will be required to attend college for four years (no “one and done” rule like college basketball and the NBA follow today — which is completely ridiculous), they will be required to hold a 3.0 grade point average, and they will be forbidden to have any social media presence.

    There you go, great ideas for us to try that make as much sense as Daylight Savings Time.  Now, CR is going back to bed — he still smells like coffee — which actually is good, but the whole incident has really made him cranky.

    Crankeverend……..Out!