Point Made

Gordon, for those of you that aren't aware, is the little Gecko lizard that shares my deck with me. Pride and  Prejudice Got to love people that speak their mind. While receiving a physical therapy treatment, I was privileged to hear a conversation between a patient and a therapist concerning a shooting in New Orleans. Louisianians have the kind of relationship with New Orleans that Wisconsinites have with Milwaukee. They are cities the rest of the state loves to hate. Everything that's wrong with society today starts with people that live in the city. Not surprising, both cities are minority-majority cities, and much of the bad things that happen involve black and Hispanic city dwellers. Like the TV stations in Milwaukee, the local TV broadcasters in New Orleans like to feature news articles involving shootings, carjacking, and other crimes that occur in the city. Unfortunately, there is enough for daily consumption.  The market for TV stations in New Orleans is s...

Lucy, our dog, is my all the time companion these days. Maria is trekking about the frozen tundra in search of employment. No doubt, she got the worst of this deal. Not only does she have to find a job, but she has to suffer the cloudy, cold, and snow-filled days of our homeland . (The day it was -22 in Wisconsin, it was 64 in Naw Oarlins.) On the other hand, she has a lot of people for companions. Her companions can talk to her. They can discuss important things like the last episode of Downton Abby or the relative value of fashion winter boots and practical winter boots. They can turn to politics or humor to relieve tension. I'm looking at that last sentence. It might be a bit redundant. I, on the other hand, have Lucy. Not surprising, the only things she is interested in communicating are her need to get outside to relieve herself, her need for attention, her desire for food, and her fear of thunderstorms. Limited as these occasions are obviously leaves a lot of time that sh...

I kissed me, fair mate, on the lips, hugged her and let her go. She's on her way back to the frozen tundra. Somewhere there is a job, a new home and access to family and old friends. She will summon me when she has all of this arranged I'm staying here in Louisiana. I'm holding down the home front, taking care of the dog and starting to pack. We waited until the last minute for the launch of this voyage. Hey! We could have won the lottery. It's winter here, only it ain't I mowed the lawn today. January 14, 2016. I've watered some of our potted plants and the trees keep raining the leaves and seeds down on us. This is the longest fall season I've ever experienced. I'm not totally immune yet. We did return to Wisconsin over the holiday. The gods would decide to hit the state with a monster storm the day we drove to Milwaukee. After that experience, I find it hard to thank those gods for anything. Life Cycles As many of you know I have not been the...

MORE FROM THE ANGRY WHITE GUY Recently, down here in the swamp... OH, let's be fair. What occurred was actually OSL (Another side of the Lake) or, as it's is referred to by some of my Northshore neighbors, "The War Zone." An elderly woman was parked in at the side of the road by a team of carjackers. One of them got out of the pursuit vehicle and demanded she get out of the car and give him the keys to her car. Allegedly, she pulled out her gun and shot him. While the truth of this story and its details are sketchy, the tale was gas on the fiery conversation about guns and their use in self-defense. I can not tell you how many times I have heard about some people's intentions to outwit their imagined assailant and drop them with a shot from their constitutionally right to carry, gun. Husbands are arming their wives, and sadly, as we learned at Sandy Hook, mothers are arming their children. Few people have the training to understand the kind of situation that w...