Monthly Archives: August 2017

Oh, what a tangled web we weave …

August 31, 2017Clippings, Get on your feet, Justice, Local politics, PoliticsChanging names, Edward Smith Jr., Election, Honesty, Julius Henson, Names, Robert Ehrlich Jr., Robocalls, The Homeless BloggerWilliam Tell

… when first we practice to deceive.

Closing arguments in Julius Henson election fraud trial

I have had direct contact with trials involving Edward Smith, Jr. in the past, such that his antics here come to me as no surprise.

The question I ask is whether it’s worth it to tell the truth, and what happens when we don’t.

[To be continued …]

(Originally posted 05/09/12 at Trojan Horse Productions.)

———— ♦ ————

A new page has appeared at The Homeless Blogger: “Choose your name.”

One can also take a sneak peek at the related post scheduled for release 2014-03-12, “What’s in a name?”

(Originally posted 01/01/14.)

talk show host, on air talent, radio talk show, the homeless blogger

Swimming against the tide

August 26, 2017Bible, Career goals, Clippings, Get on your feet, Homelessness, Job search/Job prospects, Motivations, OUR BEST POSTS, PovertyChristianity, Jesus, Liberals, Matthew 5:14-16, Phil Zuckerman, Upward mobilityWilliam Tell

The Trump administration’s alternative Christianity

In recent weeks, I have become strongly motivated to become upwardly mobile. This raises theological issues.

Phil Zuckerman is a non-believer. He has no accountability to Jesus or the Scriptures. He doesn’t have to walk the Christian walk or talk the Christian talk. He doesn’t face the challenges, or have to do the work, I do as a follower of Jesus. Yet he wants to prescribe what Christianity must be.

He ascribes a certain Christianity to those who surround Donald Trump, and finds fault with it. I have no need to adopt or reject that Christianity. I have my own to practice. But it is not what Zuckerman wants to prescribe to me.

What’s wrong with Trump’s cronies? Apparently, as Zuckerman sees it, what’s wrong with them is that they’re prosperous. The love of God, as he portrays it, does not apply to prosperous people, but instead the poor. Only the poor.

So, according to the Christianity Zuckerman would prescribe for me, if I become prosperous, God won’t love me any more.

If anyone finds that he says differently from that, please advise. I welcome correction.

(Sigh.)

To walk the path to which I feel I’m called, I may need to focus on a Jesus saying Zuckerman does not cite. In fact, I have never heard any liberal cite it. Nor has it ever been cited in the chapel services at the homeless shelter where I stay; where they seem to think that all that matters is what one believes, and never what one does.

In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. … So let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

In other words, do praiseworthy things.

Praiseworthy actions glorify God.

If I were to become self-supporting, would that be praiseworthy?

Might my example encourage or inspire others?

Might I even teach, by example, the ways whereby one may become self-supporting?

Would that serve God?

As to the whole thrust of liberal ideology, it appears that, if I strive to do what I feel called by God to do, I’m swimming against the tide.

Fusion; Scruffy people in commercials; The most bizarre Xmas ever

August 24, 2017Clippings, Homelessness, Media, National newsCommercials, Four Seasons, George Will, Hair Cuttery, McDonald's, The Homeless Blogger, Venture capitalWilliam Tell

(Originally posted 12/30/13.)

George F. Will’s 12/21/13 column, “A dazzling bright future dawns in New Jersey,” is an infomercial for a fusion energy project.

Two points:

“Because of its large scale and long time horizon, the fusion project is a perfect example of a public good the private sector cannot pursue and the public sector should not slight.”

Whatever became of the concept of venture capital?

Continue reading Fusion; Scruffy people in commercials; The most bizarre Xmas ever →

Courage to walk unarmed

August 17, 2017PovertyA Nation of Cowards, Adam Lanza, Crime, Gun control, Handguns, Jeffrey Snyder, Nancy Lanza, self-esteem, self-esteem movement, Self-loveWilliam Tell

Having reblogged “Nancy Lanza, a mother tragic and infuriating” two weeks ago,
and “Nancy Lanza, chapter 2” last week,
it only fits now to link to the very substantial piece that concluded that discussion:

Courage to walk unarmed.

The post includes a significant discussion of self-esteem and the devastating effects of low self-esteem pertinent, for example, poverty and crime.

Nancy Lanza, chapter 2

August 10, 2017Get on your feet, The Way of PeaceAdam Lanza, Gun control, Handguns, Nancy Lanza, The Homeless BloggerWilliam Tell

Here continues a conversation that began with the comments on my 12/28/13 post, “Nancy Lanza, a mother tragic and infuriating.” One should also see the 12/29/13 post at lwk’s blog, “How would you prevent another Sandy Hook?”

Three principles of Free Speech Handbook are prominent to me as I approach this writing. I myself must beware temptations to change the subject and filibuster, though filibuster rarely happens in writing. It is important that each participant deal with exactly what the other person says. Thinking of what to say here, I’ve already found myself trying to refute things my opponent never said. Gun control, abortion and race are three topics especially prone to that difficulty.

On reflection, what lwk is actually proposing is reasonable. We know for certain what crooks will do if large amounts of cash don’t have armed guards. We know for certain what the Jared Loughners and John Hinckleys will do if elected officials don’t have armed guards. And we know for certain — now — what the perpetrators of Columbine, Aurora and Newton will do if large groups of children don’t have armed guards.
Continue reading Nancy Lanza, chapter 2 →

Jesus and a businessman walk into a bar….

August 7, 2017UncategorizedWilliam Tell

Ends and Beginnings

Jesus Business

“With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.” – Steven Weinberg

I have a former business partner who I unfortunately still have to have dealings with that considers himself a “Christian” with a capital C. He attends a men’s bible study every week, which is really just an excuse to eat breakfast with other old white guys. He figures between the bible study, attending church when he is not drinking beer on his boat and his prays every night asking for God to wash his sins away that he is in good standing with the Man upstairs. Never mind that Monday through Friday from 7 am to 5 pm he will try to screw you six ways till Sunday, every night his slate is wiped clean, “washed in the lambs blood” as they say…

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Nancy Lanza, a mother tragic and infuriating

August 3, 2017Clippings, National newsAdam Lanza, conspiracy, Crisis actors, Gun control, Handguns, Karma, Nancy Lanza, On air talent, Sandy Hook, Talk radio, Talk show host, The Homeless BloggerWilliam Tell

On Thursdays, for some time now, I’ve been reproducing old posts — reproducing the whole post. Today I must make an exception, because the comments on this post became much more significant than the post itself. So I will merely link to the original:

Nancy Lanza, a mother tragic and infuriating

The December 14, 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was, at the time, the worst mass murder shooting in American history. It left the nation stunned. The perpetrator, Adam Lanza, was a singularly troubled young man, and likewise his mother — the title says it in a nutshell, about her. The original post links to a WaPo article about her.

Original post appeared 12/28/13.