Time to Turn the Pointy Finger Our Way

I hope the House passes the bill approved by the Senate, though the inclusion of candy on the Senate side is only going to invite the same on the House side, and this could end up taking weeks to finalize.

It will be a hard pill for moderate democrats and fiscal conservative republicans alike.

After the bill passes I hope we enter into a bipartisan review and investigation (if such is possible) as to who did what to contribute to this mess.

And then I hope every American will start looking at their own lives.

Its time we all bought Personal Finance for Dummies, or books by Dave Ramsey or Suze Ormond or whomever, and started taking responsibility for our own financial houses.

Yes, it is true, many of us got into to debt because of medical expenses. That happened to me. But we're not going to socialize medical care and we each have to factor those costs into the equation of our own lives. And if it makes us feel better we can continue blame the whole mess on the health care system, or the oi industry or any particular thing outside of our own tendencies to buy what we don't need with money we don't have. But things won't get better.

And from my point of view home ownership is over rated from a financial standpoint, unless you're riding a housing bubble. But then, bubble's burst...So let's quit enticing people who can't really afford to own their own homes into mortgages they cannot maintain.

Deep down in the American psyche, for reasons that are complex and varied, we have this idea that if you don't own a house you're a loser. I know men and women who are wonderful and mature people and do great things for others and they don't own their own homes. So what?

But since this whole week has been about "available credit" who is going to say the obvious: for all too many of us credit is TOO available, and we're TOO tempted to rely on it. We all know we shouldn't pull out those cards so often, but we do...

And then we have financial scammers in effect ripping off the least wealthy among us so as to extend super expensive credit for a few days - you know those check cashing kiosks all over the place? Criminal I think.

It's time to revamp our economic preparation system to equipp people to have the skills to take useful jobs in the new 21st century economy. Not everyone really needs to read and write papers on Emily Bronte and James Joyce. We'd be better off with more machinists, computer designers, aircraft mechanics, and people who actually design, build, make, and fix things.

And the two waves of the future now present are Bio Tech and Green Tech, so maybe we could be helping people to ride those waves and not phony financial schemes and bubbles.

Old school environmentalism is dead. The future of the environmental movement is with high tech alternative energy and a new wave of biological/agricultural practices that are more in sync with our climate and local ecologies, and which are more renewable.

But none of that will matter if we don't get our financial houses in order. It's time to start blaming Wall Street less and and start blaming Courtfield Drive more.

Joel

The Ravages of Time...Brothers - Then and Now

I came across the top photo the other day - it was buried deep in a Flickr set - and it reminded me of the bottom photo take more recently. These photos are taken approximately 20 years apart, from around 1976 and then 2006. The order has changed. Bobby, "Joe," and Mike at the top. Can you tell who is who in the bottom? Hint, the bottom has us in age order, left to right, oldest to youngest.

More Columbia Family - Along the Way

Sarah Dumb and Backwards Tee Hee

As pointed out by Nancy Mclaughlin over at The Front Pew (with a detectable snicker of disdain), we read at the San Francisco Chronicle, the words which were prayed over Sarah Palin by Kenyan Bishop Thomas Muthee in the pulpit of Palin's home church, the Wasilla Assembly of God Church,

"Come on, talk to God about this woman. We declare, save her from Satan," Muthee said as two attendants placed their hands on Palin's shoulders. "Make her way my God. Bring finances her way even for the campaign in the name of Jesus. ... Use her to turn this nation the other way around."

Tee hee, ha ha, isn't she so backwards and quaint.

I am no Pentecostal, but, Jesus certainly believed in a real Satan and real demons and prayed for his followers to be protected from them. So have Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Christians from their beginnings. If someone wants to pray over me for protection against their influence then I am all for it. 301 S Elm room 516...Maybe Wall Street, Madison Avenue, Congress, and Main Street could use some of those prayers too. No, they're all great. Isn't it obvious?

And if you have ever talked to folks that have come out of animist religious backgrounds, the presence of overruling and evil spirits is a extremely concrete part of their past experience. So maybe the good Bishop knows more about that stuff than you or I do.

"Make her way" is no different than what the Psalmists say and pray over and over, that God would make our paths straight or direct our steps.

And from our standpoint as Christians no matter what we do, whether we are campaigning or working at a bank or selling cars or teaching school or fund raising or praying we are to do everything "in the name of Jesus." Duh. So how is that news?

That he would want her to be used of God to help turn her nation around, well, our American culture is not really so envied all over the world in case you haven't noticed. And I would assume, if Obama is the Christian he says that he is, and I am not doubting it, that he has prayed for God's strength and enabling to help bring change to America.

And as the spiritual center of Christianity moves away from the Wonderful West to Africa and South America and parts of Asia, our brethren are praying for us and sending missionaries to us, because they see us caught up in greed and sex and drugs and war mongering and infanticide and general godlessness and they're not real cool with that. I hope they come over in waves.

Can you imagine the outrage if this were footage from a synagogue or mosque or wiccan service with the associated withering and disdainful commentary?

Ain't October Great!

Of all the MLB teams in the playoffs this year, Tampa Bay and Milwaukee interest me the most in terms of teams I like I would most want to see them in the World Series.

However, the thought of a Cubs-White Sox series makes me giddy.

Apart from the thought of a Chicago-Chicago series, this is how I would like it to play out.

National League

Brewers over Phillies
Dodgers over Cubs
Brewers over Cubs

American League

Angels over Red Sox
Rays over White Sox
Rays Over Angels

World Series

Rays over Brewers

But Cubs over White Sox would be cool too!

Birth and Decay, Life and Death

Old First Presbyterian Cemetery, Greensboro Historical Museum, Downtown Greensboro.

Can anyone tell me what kind of flower this is? I should know but I don't.

The Old First Presbyterian Graveyard behind what is now the Greensboro Historical Museum has been cleaned up and renovated including the addition of lots of plants and flowers. It is a lovely and quiet place to sit and read or just reflect. It is hard not to imagine the living faces and voices behind the names on the grave stones, and to reflect on one's own mortality; yet, the walled garden effect is peaceful more than sobering.

Downtown

This is the best picture I have taken to date of downtown Greensboro. Funny, the title of this post just made me think of Petula Clark. Yes, I'm that old :-)

"When you're alone and life is making you lonely you can always go, downtown"...etc

More Downtown.

Letter from My Garndmother Nanny, October 1975, from Columbia to Clemson

I was in my attic a couple of weeks ago looking for something for a yard sale and came across a big box of letters - hundreds if not thousands of letters from family and friends from about 1975 to 1979. I miss real letters. E-mail, text, voice mail, cell phones just don't match the intimacy and permanency of a handwritten letter.

"Nanny" was my grandmother on my dad's side (older, younger, younger still). I was closer to her than my own parents for most of my high school and college years. I normally visited her every Sunday. She gave the best back rubs on planet earth!

It's funny in a way that she tried so hard to teach me good handwriting skills yet hers was barely legible! I always chuckle about that. She tried. Handwriting was the only thing I ever made a "C" in!

Here is the translation - a little slice of life from 1975.

Dearest Joe:

I sure do miss you this weekend - I thought maybe you would come dropping in for a few minutes & give me a big hug. Understood you had a date Sat. afternoon- Hope it was fun- It was really a beautiful day and fun to be out in the yard a while in the afternoon- listened to the game over radio for a while, then went to the laundry about 4 30.

How are things going with you at school? is it hard (your studies)? Got home a little early and saw my new neighbors, the Wesson's (the ones I introduced you to) had a fire in the grill out back- raised the window and asked if they were cold, and they said no, come on over, we have a half (over)

bushel of oysters we are going to roast and asked me to join them- Charlie said he surely was glad to meet you, and hoped he could get to know you and see you more- the oysters were delicious, he roasted them like they do in Charleston, cracked them open, and Sue (his wife) had made a salad and we ate oysters right out of the shell - dipped them in butter and lemon juice and I sho' did like them - staid over there until 8:30 - began to get cold, & came home. It was fun.

Am enclosing a little check for something you want to do, or something to eat, like a steak, maybe - I love you & miss you a lot.

See you soon, I hope - a big hug and a kiss, Nanny

Ettamae sends her love

Quiet Amidst the Din

I stumbled across the cemetery behind the Greensboro Historical Museum several years ago when it was in much disrepair. It was and remains my favorite place in downtown Greensboro. There are some very interesting old trees in the cemetery including, as if meant to make this SC boy happy, a long leaf pine, a short leaf pine, an American holly, an even two palmetto trees!

As many know the building that was first used by First Presbyterian Church in the early 1800's was later used as a hospital for confederate wounded. There are many stories floating in the air in that special place.

It has recently been upgraded or repaired, including the planting of many beautiful flowers and ground covers. It is a lovely place, a "secret garden," complete with brick wall.

From the Museum's web site:

The earliest sections of the museum building were first home to the First Presbyterian Church, and the church still owns and maintains a historic cemetery that is part of the museum site. The first burials were in 1831 and the last was in 1926. Here lie some of the major figures of early Greensboro and the state of North Carolina, including former Governor John Motley Morehead. Here too lie veterans of the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War. In recent years volunteers have added many unusual plants to the cemetery grounds. A listing of grave plots and plants is available for museum visitors.

More pictures of Old Presbyterian Cemetery and Downtown Greensboro.

It's Time to Fish or Cut Bait

Wednesday I wrote a piece called I'm So Tired. It was about my frustration over the inability of our elected officials to compromise in order to make progress on the issues that face us. It was about the delight I sense from politicians and bloggers (oh, yes, especially) as they revel and take joy in the supposed failures of the other party or other party's nominee. It seems that bloggers and pundits are as purely partisan as our elected officials. Events of the last two days pretty much prove the point.

In fact, the President, the Democratic Leadership, and the Republican Leadership each and all have legitimate concerns. There was no bipartisan deal sunk by McCain because there was no bipartisan deal that included House Republicans. But there must be a bipartisan deal or there won't be a deal. McCain has some leverage with a sector of the Congress that impacts this matter in a big way. I think he is trying to help a bipartisan deal happen. I have no idea why people cannot give him the benefit of the doubt. It may be that Obama's roll is less crucial right now, unless perhaps it would be to persuade his party leaders to listen to the House Republicans.

All the cynical dishonest slander about McCain's motives is just that. The smug criticism that a President needs to be able to "multi-task" and deal with more than one thing is silly, as if the debate were a matter of national security. It is just a dig, maybe aimed at McCain's age. There is often great virtue in uni-tasking, in not being all over the place.

Several debates will happen whether this one does or not. The timing for this one is bad. It would be good if their purpose were to join hands and show us that even now in the midst of a election campaign two candidates can suspend their arguing and show common cause. They will probably do the debate because it would be political suicide for McCain not to; I just think it's a bad idea.

The people of America are unsure and divided over the best course of action. There are strong and divergent opinions. Each party has a legitimate concern. Bipartisan legislation cannot pass if it is not bipartisan. The Republicans have to be on board.

I don't know if the debate should go on tonight or not. Personally I think it is not wise. If they focus on foreign policy then it would seem disconnected from the most pressing matter. If they focus on the bailout (causes of the problem, disagreements about solutions, etc), then it would seem that they would doing what folks are accusing McCain of doing, that is,of politicizing the debate (as if it isn't already - what a laugh). It would be like talking about an extremely delicate matter to the press and public while it is still being negotiated. I think the debate should wait a week. Unless a real deal is reached - very soon - maybe even I type. Otherwise, to me anyway, the debate just seems unseemly.

Now is the time for our elected representatives not only to defend their partisan base and their precious political principles, but also to compromise and reach a deal before it is too late to matter.

If they cannot do it we should vote all the bums out - each and every one of them - and start over. Fish (come up with compromise legislation now), or cut bait (as in, go home, for good).

Happy Fifteen Year Anniversary Covenant Fellowship

This past Sunday marked the fifteen year anniversary of Covenant Fellowship Church. We didn't do anything (I don't anybody even thought about it!). But in fact we had held our first Sunday morning worship service on September 19, 1993, fifteen years and two days before.

Starting a church is not unlike starting a business in that you cannot really know, no matter how good your plan, if it will succeed. In our case we decided not to receive outside funding as do most church plants, so we were going forward on an even more sink-or-swim basis. It makes me rather happy to remember that we didn't cost the Presbytery or Synod anything.

When we started I didn't know if there would be enough people or giving for me to receive a full salary, so I was prepared to work part time if needed. Thankfully we had a "free" place to meet in the living room of our "Founding Parents" Dwight and Susan Thomas. Well, it was free to us anyway. Meeting there for 18 months took a toll on the house and probably cost them a lot of money. They live in Chapel Hill now. We miss them.

We knew also that there were so many distinctive aspects to our church model that many might find it just too quirky. For example we had a meal every Sunday (and still do). We had a longer meeting than average with diverse elements, including a longer than average sermon and an open-to-the-floor sharing time.

Perhaps our biggest distinctive was our emphasis on intergenerational corporate life and worship. The Thomas's and I had come out of church situations where people were grouped out according to age, gender, marital status and so forth, and we wanted to have more of an "extended family" atmosphere.

The Thomas's and I had also had come out of frenetic hyper active church environments where people were so encouraged to be committed to church activities that they could not possibly have time or energy for their neighbors or workmates or community ministries and organizations. There was in the Evangelical Church Sub Culture at the time a sort of running assumption that being spiritual meant being really busy at church. We didn't like that. We wanted a more leisurely pace. We wanted folks to have more time to get to know their neighbors and be a part of the greater Greensboro community, and the only way to do that was to make our work very simple. We had a Sunday meeting and weeknight small group gathering. We also have a youth gathering now but that's about it.

I don't know why eating a meal together makes is seem Amish or cultish (!), but to many who would call me in those days, once I mentioned the meal it was like, "OK, thanks. Bye." I mean, personally, I like to eat, and it's nice not going home starving. We still have our every Sunday meal. People naturally get to know each other when eating. That's why we do it.

Oh, and we didn't have or plan to have a building, not that that made us extra cool or spiritual (it has certainly impacted our numbers in a negative manner over time), but we just didn't want to be getting all caught up in all that. I have many colleagues in churches that are mortgaged to the max, and who spend hours and hours a week dealing with facility issues. We don't. It's nice. We have been meeting at Bur-Mil Park Clubhouse for about twelve years now. It seems to work well for us both. They are great folks out there.

We never really had any goal as far as growth. What we do on Sunday wouldn't work if we were very big, and the couple of times we started to get to the point where we had to start thinking about a new meeting place or even spinning off a daughter church, things just sort of took care of themselves.

We are not a small church by the standards of national averages, but we are a small church compared to what a lot of people think are the national averages. If we got bigger that would be cool. We know how to do things better now, even with more people [so come by, any time :-)], but once you see and understand and embrace that you are a small church, it is very freeing. It really impacts your motives. It means that our folks (and our pastor) can be involved in many different things in the community without having to think about how it does or does not grow the church or the church budget. And it impacts how we do what we do on Sunday in a very positive way. No dog and pony show to impress - just trying to be the church.

So, given all these quirky characteristics the odds were stacked against us. Any number of things could have caused us to fail. It wasn't because we were so clever or smart that we didn't, but because God (we believe) simply wanted the work to exist and go on, and go on it did, for fifteen years now. It's really quite amazing to think of all the lives that have intersected with us along the way.

I just wanted to take a few minutes to give thanks publicly. A lot of people have been good to us, such as the folks at Greensboro College when we met there, and the folks at Bur-Mil now, and the folks at the Rhino Times who let us barter advertising for paper delivery, and all you bloggers who put up with me. It's a long list really, and we are grateful for the community in having us, and hope we offer back good things along the way.

So, happy fifteen years to us! And thanks be to God for His goodness.

Joel

Center City Park and Beyond, Downtown Greensboro

I have 30 New Pictures of Downtown Greensboro, including several from the Old Presbyterian Cemetery behind the Greensboro Historical Museum, posted on my Flickr Site. Come on by!

I Don't Think It's a Stunt

Right after I posted "I'm So Tired" I clicked on Drudge Report and saw the headline about McCain suspending his campaign until a bipartisan agreement is reached on the bail out legislation.

I know, I know, you think me naive and stupid, but I don't think this is a stunt. I think it's McCain being McCain, and I think it's the right thing do to.

Fact is, what happens this week or next will have more far reaching consequences on the American people and the American way of life than whoever wins the election. This matter, simply put, is more important. I applaud McCain, and I hope Obama joins him. They will get to debate plenty enough in due time.

I understand Obama's supporters taking this as a stunt and it does not bother me that he does. The way things are I would be wary too. I just don't think it is. The President's proposal is dead in the water. This is time for a a bipartisan compromise where each side sacrifices some of its principles and where each side gets some of what it wants.

McCain says...

I am calling on the President to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself. It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem.

I think it is a good idea. Give Obama the election for all I care. This is simply massively significant and important, more so even than the election.

I'm So Tired

Ideologues on the right and left feed the worst in our civic selves. Neither the ideological left nor the ideological right represent the American people.

When it comes down to it I don't think that it is really principle per se that keeps our congress from working together and addressing problems in a pragmatic manner which gives neither side all it wants but gives both sides something. So what is it? Pride? Power? Money?

The US Congress disgusts me.

I want a pragmatic solution oriented compromise-able Congress with a pragmatic solution oriented compromise-able President.

I can't think of any issue where a pragmatic working spirit of compromise would not bring progress as compared to where we are today on that issue. I wish a spirit of consensus could sweep over our national leadership, and the party system would crumble. It just does not work. It isn't essential to our form of government or our constitution but it is entrenched. It really pretty much totally sucks.

Bill Clinton was a pragmatist. He loved Bill Clinton, and his self love drove him to do many things that were in our national interest. I think George Bush was or would have been a pragmatist. But his presidency got hijacked by the neo-cons who brought out the worse side of Bush, and using him they tried to impose their ideology upon a country they did not represent. Had Bush started out with a Democratic congress I think he would have been a much better president.

We can blame our problems on the military-industrial complex, on Wall Street, on corporate greed, on unions, on special interests, lobbyists, or whatever. Eventually we get what we want and deserve. We have power that we won't use.

Right now, as I see things, the American people are dividing out as usual, falling behind their guy or gal, pushing for their party's vision as opposed to the other party's vision, enjoying media and blogging slander of the opponent, and pretty much just supporting and continuing the pattern that does not and will not work.

Until the American people themselves reject the system as it stands things will not get better.

It's time for another American Revolution, a revolution against the two party system, a rejection of the status quo, a rejection which will be evidenced by a massive turnover of our elected representatives.

Until then I just pray for divided government, whoever is President. Divided government in the form we are familiar may not get much done but it does force us toward the middle.

I think Obama is going to win. The left will over reach, the right will win back the House, and we'll pay the same old game all over again.

John Lennon comes to mind:

I'm so tired....

Tulip Poplar Leaf - Fisher Park, Greensboro

Liriodendron tulipifera

I may have posted this before but I saw a yellow Tulip Poplar leaf today and it may me think of this picture. Is this a beautiful day in Greensboro or what!

To learn more about the great tree that produces these beautiful fall leaves, read here.

Tulip Poplar leaves begin to turn earlier than about any other tree. Other "early turners" are the red leafed sourwood, black gum, and persimmon. Speaking of persimmon...they are dropping their fruit now. Few things in life can beat a good persimmon pie...

Joel

A Picture Dedicated to Teachers: My Favorite Physics Class

This is a picture of the favorite of the many Physics classes I taught over a span of five years at Brookland Cayce High School, outside of Columbia SC in the mid 1980's. These were seniors, graduating class of 1986 I think.

Notice the 80's clothes and hairdo's!

This picture has been on my Flickr site for a couple of years. Today there was a comment that reads as follows:

I bet you say that to all your physic classes.

Bill Reynolds - the one in the Dodgers shirt in case you have forgotten.
Your class was the reason I went into engineering. Thanks for that.

Hope things are going well.

In fact, this was my favorite class. They were smart, hard working, funny, and a joy to teach. I had a "planning period" 5th period, right after many of them as seniors were done for the day, and we would often play "Risk." Wow, those were some awesome risk games! We would save the game and pick up next time until somebody won.

I used my engineering physics text book from Clemson as our class guide. I'm glad it helped!

If you haven't done so lately, thank a teacher today. I promise you that they get far to little thanks for the time and love they invest.

Bill Marshall in Congaree Swamp

One of the most amazing places in the United States - and close to us. To know that Bill and I and a hundred other young people had a small part in its preservation this amazing place is truly gratifying.

Congaree Swamp National Park (US Gov Site) and
Congaree Swamp National Park (ColumbiaSouthCarolina.com) and
Congaree Swamp national Park, (Wikipedia Site)and
Congaree Swamp national Park. (Friends of Congaree Swamp)

Downtown Greensboro from the Guilford Building Roof

I had a few minutes on the roof of my office building Thursday. I look forward to going back up there again in when the sun is lower, but it was fun, and I have a batch of new pictures. See Downtown Greensboro.

I Have Seen the Enemy - And, Yes, It Is Us Too

I have had several conversations in the last few days trying to understand the current financial crisis and its relationship to the housing crisis of the last year or more. It is clear to me that aspects of this issue are simply beyond my understanding at this time, but I am trying. Given the Congress' decision to adjourn it seems it may be beyond its understanding as well.

It seems that a part of the problem lies with an earnest desire on the part of well meaning folks to see more and more people own their own homes. But beyond that it just seems that banks and mortgage companies pushed too hard, and handed out too many risky loans, and that when this problem became such that could impact everyone in a significant manner, there was no adequate watchdog, whether that watchdog be the media or the government.

And from what I can tell it seems like the government simply has to establish some regulatory boundaries or set up some tripwires so that we can all know when we're close to the edge of such a crisis again.

Having said all that, what has been on my mind the last few days is the role that American home buyers have played in this crisis. It seems everyone is pointing his or her finger at the congress, the President, the regulatory agencies, the bank executives, and all sorts of other nefarious people and entitries, but to some degree we should also be pointing our fingers at ourselves.

There being so many people who give lip service to Jesus, or who don't really believe in Him as Son of God, yet like to quote the Sermon on the Mount as their personal ethic, try this on for size: "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?"

Without countless ordinary american people signing on to risky and presumptuous loans we would not be in this mess. And to blame the whole thing on the government or on corporate executives is a failure to accept personal responsibility.

Years ago when we were trying to move so as to keep our kids in the NW Guilford school district (we eneded up being able to without moving due to a grandfatehr clause), I talked to various banks and lending institutions. I was appalled, APPALLED, at the loans that these banks were happy to extend to me. It would have been foolhardy in the extreme for me to take on one of those loans, and it was foolhardy for them to offer them to me. Oh yeah, they had all their little tricks of variable rates and such to draw me in. And sure, I could have done it, and then had no money for anything else.

In my own opinion a fair amount of greed and presumption on the part of the American people has also driven us into this crisis. The greed is the craving for bigger and better - in this case housing. The presumption is the idea that house prices would forever appreciate.

I know, some of the peopel defaulting are first time homeowners just trying to own a house. In many cases family crisis, job loss, and divorce has excerbated the problem on the personal level. Many people have defaulted on perfecrtly resonable loans due to such circumstances.

And I can hardly fault peopel for wanting to own their own home (though the merits of home ownership may be overrated).

But way too many risky loans were peddled to people who had no business accepting them - lower income people AND higher income people alike. In the latter case, in my judgment, greed, the need to say that one lives in such and such a neighborhood, covetousness for bigger and better, drove people into outright foolish financial committments.

I keep wondering, "Why weren't bells ringing or red flags waving?"

So before we chastise George Bush, Barney Frank, Barack Obama, John McCain or whomever else, maybe we should all as citizens take a deep breath and look at ourselves. We're over extended. Our personal debt is too high. In too many cases we have bought what we don't need with money we don't have. What is it it that has driven so many of us into risky, unwise, and in all too many cases, downright foolish financial decisions? Do we the people bear no blame?

I think we do.

And Then It Hit Me - I Don't Believe in Forced Wealth Distribution

I was reading the news about Joe Biden's argument that paying more taxes is an act of patriotism, which I suppose it could be the case if it were voluntary, when it hit me, I don't believe in using the tax code to distribute wealth, except perhaps to care for the poorest and neediest among us.

I thought Biden's wording was telling:

"We want to take money and put it back in the pocket of middle-class people," Biden said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America" (from Yahoo News).

Yeah, that's right, TAKE MONEY. It sounds like stealing.

I am a middle class American. I am struggling financially. I have raised five children on one salary (until now - my wife who has worked hard day after day for years caring for our children and homeschooling has just this season gotent a job outside the home) and it has been no walk in the park We have had big medical bills. We deal with debt. We live in a small house. But I'm doing OK, and by the standards of the world as a whole, I am rich.

But I do not believe that someone who makes over $250,000 owes me a penny, and to take money from them to give it to me would be little more than stealing as far as I am concerned.

I just don't think this is right. It's like there is this undercurrent assumption that people who make over $250,000 in income have somehow sinned, and now they have to be punished. I would rather see those people spend their money how they see fit, legally of course.

So this was kind of an "aha" moment for me. Thank you Joe Biden.

Center Pointe , As Reflected off Bank of America Building

I love all the cool reflections off the various buildings in downtown Greensboro. They change according to the time of day and light. I kind of dig taking seeing what odd abstraction I can get out these reflections.