It's now December!

December begins. I am hopeful for a joyous holiday season. Looking forward to baking some cookies for my coworkers, perhaps something else fun for the office Christmas Party, and more fun for everyone.

Thanksgiving/Black Friday/Etc.

Had a wonderful, low-key Thanksgiving this year. My wife and I joined her parents for lunch at our local casino – a buffet-style meal, featuring prime rib, turkey, a few side choices, and a couple of dessert choices. I have been “good” all year long (deigning from “donut Thursday” at my office, for example), so I chose to help my self to dessert this year.

Wifey and I shied away from the lion's share of Black Friday shopping, as the parking, long lines, and general unruliness of fellow shoppers was not – in our opinion – worth the bodily harm we read about every year. We did, however, visit Cabela's (a prominent outdoor outfitter) about 45 minutes south of us. As recreational shooters, our goal was to get “in” on their “bucket of bullets” promotion. Once there, we found the buckets, and what the bargain entailed. Buy the bucket of bullets at full price, then mail in a certificate for a rebate. Yeah, not much of an immediate bargain. Whomever was the manufacturer/distributor of the “Bucket of Bullets” would be making regular-price profits (my guess is to make as much profit as possible during the Black Friday weekend). In addition, there were no “buckets” in calibers I was looking for (.38 Special, .357, and .45 Colt). Finally, the prices they had (after rebate) for calibers my wife was seeking were comparable to those offered at our local gun shops.

So, no ammo for us there. We did, though, get a pleasant surprise at Cabela's. For a few years now, I have been wearing fleece pants during the winter. Not fleece-lined pants, but true fleece pants. Very warm, very comfortable, but very hard to come by. Last week, I loaded Wifey up with web links to the few sites I could find that offered, true fleece pants. Fast forward to this past Friday – while perusing the mensware section of the store, we found fleece pants for $20 each! Two pairs for me, and a pair for my bride (as men's fleece pants are more comfortable than women's).

Saturday morning, we awoke to find our neighbor's house had signs of an attempted break-in, through our yard. We called the cops, and the responding officer was very helpful. Wifey and I eventually decided to purchase – as our Christmas gift to eachother – a pair of video doorbells, as a means of making our house more secure. Also, on Saturday – hoping to follow-up on the meager Black Friday effort we made, we visited one of our local gun shops, where I was able to pick up a box of Inception RNP copper polymer range/target ammo in .38 Special. Also got a free baseball cap with the shop's name embroidered on it.

On Sunday, we went to the local movie theater to see “Justice League”. Decent 2-hour diversion. Wifey grilled me afterward about how the movie was accurate to the comic books. “Hollywood,” I told her.

Another Reason Why I Love My Job

This morning, I received a call from a listener. She prefaced our conversation by saying she has a medical issue that causes a speech impediment. She spoke slowly, to make sure every word said was as clear as possible.

A dear friend and co-worker of hers had passed away recently from an overdose. She has been asked to speak at his funeral, and needed some help with recalling a song they used to sing together, “We Are The World” by USA for Africa. The two worked at a restaurant – she as a waitress, he as a cook. After the restaurant closed and they were cleaning up the business for the night, he would sing the song, she would join in, and it became a bonding thing for them.

She asked for details on the song, which I provided. She then began to tell me a story. I was in the middle of my radio show, and knew I needed to get on the air to say something in between songs, but I felt I needed to keep her on the air. Something in my head told me to hear her out, so I just kept playing music while she began her story.

Again, speaking slowly, she told me about how she has very limited funds, and was able to finally be able to buy a second-hand coat to keep her warm. Shortly after obtaining her coat, she came across someone on the street with a leg injury and no coat. She gave a total stranger the coat off of her back.

Her cadence quickened as the conversation began to wrap up. She then thanked me profusely for helping her out with the song she needed information on. What she said next made my day.

“You may think your just doing a 'job', but you help me to get out of bed, get out there, and do something good,” she said. She added the my station and I help her to keep going every day.

About a half-hour after our conversation, she called back, asking me if I could play “We Are The World” for her. I did right away. A few minutes afterward, she called back, crying for the loss of her friend, and thanked me for helping her grieve for her friend.

It's experiences like this that are so humbling and inspiring for me. I try to make sure my radio show is free from negativity, is as positive and fun for everyone as possible, and (as you may know) I end every program with a story of people doing good things for others. I'm not on a mission to change people's lives, but – every once in a while – I hear that we are doing something positive. That makes it all the more worthwhile for me.

The Name-Calling Needs To Stop, For The Good Of All

I think I've figured out all the “hate group” labels I've seen all too often these days.

Back up to 2016, following the Presidential Primary. From the Primary to the General Election, a consortium of those opposed to Donald Trump – Democrats, disenfranchised Bernie Sanders supporters, so-called “never-Trumpers”, etc.) thought they had the election in the bag. There was absolutely no way Donald Trump could ever get elected President. Come the General Election, Trump won enough Electoral College votes to win. The disbelief from the opposition was not only palpable, but enough to cast a pall of PTSD-like trauma on social media outlets and most TV networks.

From the Left, questions were asked, and a new game-plan sought. “How the hell did THAT guy get elected? How can we recover? What can we do to show everyone that his supporters were wrong to vote for him and not OUR candidate?”

I could go into a lot of detail of how the media fomented the divisive behavior we see today, but let's stick to the issue in simplest terms, for those who don't want to read paragraph upon paragraph.

Those who didn't vote for Trump felt betrayed. They are emotionally hurt to this day. I fully understand hurt emotions, and how they can consume one's perspective. Think back to grade school. If someone deeply hurt your feelings – made you question what is right and just in the world – shake your everything, you likely would do what most grade school kids did... Call the person or people who did that names.

After the General Election, it was implied that anyone who voted for Trump must have been a homophobe, Islamophobe, racist, etc. It was a means to justify hurt feelings over the election outcome. Didn't like the election result? Give the opposition a demeaning label, and – like magic – you are on the moral, right, and just side of history.

Fast forward to recently, when the Charlottesville crap went down. A handful of White Supremacists scheduled a rally, some people showed up to support Free Speech (NOT the White Supremacists), Antifa showed up to counter-protest, and everyone who wasn't Antifa was labeled as a Nazi. Not a neo-Nazi (a reprehensible movement of hatred), but an actual Nazi (Democratic Socialist Party member).

Now, anyone who does not tow the hard-Left ideology is being labeled as Nazi. In addition, any statue or monument that does not fit the hard-Left ideology is being labeled as racist, and calls are going out nationwide to have them taken down. To make matters worse, conservatives (from Republican to Libertarian to whatever, including conservatives who are black, Jewish, etc.) who publicly denounce racism are still being branded as Nazis by the far-Left, and the mainstream Left is starting to follow suit.

Why? On the surface, it makes no sense whatsoever. Anyone who knows anything about history recognizes That Nazism has no context in modern-day society, that neo-Nazis are shunned by people across the political spectrum, and the number of true neo-Nazis in the United States is minuscule. What we are left with is an emotionally-damaged populace and media that looks to justify their ideology by assigning labels of evil (racism) to a large populace who do not have racism in their hearts.

What we are seeing will only serve to further divide out country. Not over racial issues, but over hurt feelings, name-calling, and detraction over issues that have nothing to do with bigotry.

I'm no Democrat. I'm no Republican, either. Ask any friend of family member - I don't have a bigoted bone in my body. But by calling out the “label everything racist” movement, I will (likely) be called a racist, homophobe, Islamophobe, sexist, or whatever. It's all the anti-Trumpers have left in their playbook. I have deep respect for elements of the Democratic Party (read: classical Democrats). I only hope they can move past name-calling as a means to show voters what they can offer. I also hope that the evidence I've seen of moderate Democrats buying the “everyone is a racist” garbage spewed by the Hard Left will diminish.

In the end (I think), Party Politics has nothing to do with being a good neighbor, being a good friend, or being a good family member. I find it so sad that there is such a clamor to use hurt feelings over the election to give labels of evil to people who just wanted to exercise their right to vote for the person they thought would help the country best.

We are bigger than name-calling, aren't we?

Doing Good, Any Way You Can

I am not an outgoing person. Yeah, I'm a bit of an introvert. By mere virtue of being the “early morning guy” at the radio station for over 20 years, I'm in bed early, so I don't pick up too many friends along the way (at least, those who want to go out after 8pm to hang out). As a result, many people I have struck up friendships with are through social media. Gotta appreciate friendships where you can find them.

There was one thing a few years back that became the impetus for my “doing good for no reward”. A puppy mill was busted in my county, and – through a dog club my wife belonged to – a call was put out for volunteers to help clean and process the puppies for our Sheriff's Department. Without giving it a second thought, my wife and volunteered.

We taken to an undisclosed location, where we found a couple hundred Chihuahua, Yorkie, and other small puppies, in cages stacked to the ceiling. It was not the location of the puppy mill, but cramped conditions, nonetheless. We volunteered for any task needed, which included cleaning the puppies (and their mothers), talking to them, and simply giving them gentle human contact – talking to them, holding them, calming them – while they were cataloged as evidence by law enforcement.

The health conditions were bad enough that we all had to wear masks to avoid diseases from the air, and we were instructed to throw away or burn the clothes we wore after we were done. As dog owners, to see these animals - abused and neglected, with no prior human contact, shaking and afraid - it was a life-changing experience, to say the least. Fortunately, we have not had another puppy mill come up in our county. My wife and I, though, are committed to doing whatever we can, if that happens ever again.

Fast forward to today... At the close of my radio show, I read what I call “Good News” stories. Stories of people doing right by others, usually total strangers. My hope is that - with far too much negativity everywhere in the world - I can show my listeners that people are inherently good, do kind things for no reward, and everyone has the capacity for good in their hearts. There are two things that transcend ethnicity, political persuasion, social status, etc. - the capacity in the human heart to do evil and the capacity to do good. I can't think of a better way to end my air shift with a focus on the latter.

My inspiration for that segment comes from my cousin, Lori. She has spent her adult life working to help at-risk and homeless teens find shelter, comfort, and acceptance. Her “heart project” is Ryan's House for Youth, a teen shelter on Whidbey Island (in Washington State), which broke ground at their new facility not too long ago. I was pleased to help her promote the fundraising effort to acquire the property they now operate on, and I look forward to promoting their 1 year anniversary event in September. She is a kind person in so many ways, I cannot count. She is my “do good” muse, and I love her all the more for it.

I'll close with this. Be good to yourself, be good to others. It benefits you and others in innumerable ways.

Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

Last year, I posted about a listener to my humble radio show who's life was brightened through the simplest of gestures. Today, I got a humbling repeat.

During my radio program (6-10 PST), I routinely ask for song requests. During the 8am hour, I get a song request for a listener...

"Can you play something from REO Speedwagon's 'You Can Tune A Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish' album?"

"Sure," I respond. "Is there a specific track I can play for you?"

"No," she replies. "Anything from that album would make my day."

I tell her I have a track from that album I'll get on the air next. I play it, then follow up with some trivia about the song and the album it's from. I've done my duty, on to the next song...

A few minutes later, that listener calls back, just to thank me to playing her request, and telling my listeners some more fun facts about the song the album it came from. "It made my day," she said. "Happy to do it, it's what I'm here for," I respond.

Fast forward about an hour. I'm about ready to close out my show, and do a last-minute giveaway for tickets to the local County Fair. My earlier caller was the winner.

About an hour after that, she shows up at the station, gives me a big, long, hug. Thanking my and my station over and over for how much what we are doing for her and everyone else, how much she loves our station, and how winning something like Fair tickets means to her. She said she never wins anything, even presents on her birthday, and to win something during my show gave her hope to try the lottery, as luck seemed to be on her side. She also brought a mocha and a freshly-baked cinnamon roll to me, as a "thank you". I accepted the gifts, telling her she didn't need to have done that, but she was insistent. I didn't have the heart to tell her I was diagnosed as Type 2 diabetic (since I saw her last), haven't touched a cup of coffee in years, and avoid sweets like the plague (that's a story for another day). I drank the coffee later (couldn't let a gift go to waste), and saved the roll for later - my wife does not yet know, and I hope to share it with her sometime this weekend.

The point being - you never know when what you think is something small can make a huge difference in someone's life. The little things can, and DO, matter, in surprising ways.

The Good News

I'd like to take a moment to everyone a BIG "thank you" for watching the Good News videos on my radio show page.

The Impetus

I have come close to quitting Facebook on more than a couple of occasions, and every time it was over the political rhetoric (from both sides of the aisle) of those in my friends list. I'm kinda, sorta, a “fiscal conservative Libertarian” (read: lower my taxes, reduce government, make my nation safe, then leave me the Hell alone). The vast majority of my friends from high school and college (the ones whom I wanted to stay in touch with through social media), however, are VERY liberal.

I'm not upset with my difference in supposed political ideology. In fact, I'm fine with that - different strokes for different folks, and all. We, as a nation, used to be able to voice our differences by taking our preferences to the ballot box, not shouting down those who do not fit your specific brand of politics.

Leading up to, through, and after the Presidential election, I saw so many of my friends (people whom I had no prior inkling of their voting preference - people I have fond memories of and whom I still hold dear - turn from “Hey! How are things with you? Here's something about what I'm doing these days” into hate-filled meme posters (friends on both sides of the aisle, mind you). And, especially right after the election, any opinion I had that wasn't anti-Trump was publicly called out and shamed. I think opinions are just that - opinions, and no one - regardless of political persuasion - should be lambasted for having one.

How the Good News Stories Evolved

I'm on the radio every weekday. I have listeners of various political persuasions. After the last time I almost quit FB, I thought, "In a nation so divided, how can I bring all of my listeners together. To appreciate doing good for others without any other motivation than to be a good person?

I had already been closing my radio show with "Good News" stories. So, to spread the word, so-to-speak, I started filming them for use on the show page.

My Goal

Ending my show on a note as positive-as-possible, and being able to share those stories with others who may not be listing to the show, is my mission. It's my middle finger to those on FB who insist on dividing their friends and neighbors, those who don't remember that it is more important to be a good person than a partisan person.

My Point

There is good in everyone, regardless of politics, and that's what I want to remind anyone I can.

Friendships are more important to me than politics. Any relationship, forged outside of the political realm, is more important to me than politics. I have listeners from all walks of life, and if I can close each show with a little something that can make them smile, then mission accomplished. And it is personally rewarding to share those same stories online. Hopefully, to remind everyone that doing good for others should come naturally, without regard for politics or any other factor.

If you would like to watch my Good News Stories, and I hope you will, you can view them on my radio show page, https://www.facebook.com/morningswithglen.

Aah! My eye!

A few weeks ago, I developed an eye infection, due to allergies. Now, my eye issue has come back (with a vengeance), thanks to the poor air quality (due to smoke from wildfires from B.C.).

My right eye is swollen, I can hardly see out of it. I've been putting Visine Allergy drops in my eye, but the problem is with the eye lids, which are swollen.

Today, I've started putting Liberty Lotion on my eyelids, which relieves the pain and discomfort. The drawback, though, is that my right eye is all but closed and I can't feel that part of my face. I've also noticed pain and discoloration around my right eye. It's like I took a hit to the ocular cavity, just short of earning a "shiner". I have clue what's going on here, but I do know the poor air quality has not been a benefit to my vision.

Gun Shop Gripes

Here's a situation I get into, occasionally, while shopping for a new gun.

I ask to see a gun on display. The person behind the counter proceeds to bring out the firearm, then go through the perfunctory safety check to make sure the gun is unloaded, then put it on the counter for me to pick up and inspect. I pick up the gun in question, grip it like I own it, and point it downward and of to the side (in order not to “flag” anyone at the shop).

It's at this point I sometimes commit one of two “crimes”. The first of which is – God forbid – put my finger on the trigger. Keep in mind that the gun that was just handed to me is unloaded and has been safety-checked by the person who handed it to me. It's unloaded and has no chance of maiming or killing, short of pistol-whipping someone, or by loading rounds into the gun – in front of the person behind the counter – then cocking and firing the gun at someone. Yet, the act of putting your finger on the trigger of an already acknowledged unloaded gun, in a gun shop? Looks of consternation from the person trying to sell you that firearm. “I want to sell you that gun, but don't get a feel for what it would be like to grip it like are going to fire it first.” What I want to do is get a feel for the gun I'm looking to spend hundreds of dollars purchasing, and that includes the grip of the thing in my hand, with my finger on the trigger.

The second crime I seem to commit is to “flag” myself while either re-positioning the gun away from the person behind the counter, or by bringing it back onto the counter for the gun store person to put back into the case. OK, already established that the gun in question is unloaded, and is – therefore – not going to go off. If anyone(!) behind the counter is going to finch when I move with the gun they just handed me, I think they either don't have confidence in the safety check they just did, or they are knee-jerking to all the crap they read on social media. I cannot tell you how many times I've shopped for a semi-auto pistol, and was handed one with no magazine, only to get the stern looks from folks when I try to grip the sucker like I own it. I'm not wildly waving the thing around. I'm not pointing it right at the person who is helping my with my purchase. It's just nuts.

The old adage goes, “if you don't know a firearm is loaded, treat it like it is”. If you KNOW it's unloaded, though, you don't need to treat it – or those inspecting it for purchase – like it's loaded and ready for bare.

Open Letter to E-Mail Spammers

Alas, about once a year (for about a 1 month period), I get a stinking, flaming, paper bag full of garbage in my e-mail inbox.

In the past (in another blog), I written an open letter to those who are trying so hard to entice me to purchase the items and services they are offering. And, as it is that time once again, here’s my latest “open letter to e-mail spammers”.

Dear Sir/Madam/Off-Shore Bulk E-Mailer:

I thank you for your interest in offering your (product/service) to (insert recipient here). After all, in the United States, a free marketplace is key, and I applaud your enthusiasm to convince me to spend money on your (product/service). At this time, however, I am unable (or unwilling) to purchase your (product/service). It’s not you (the spammer/bulk e-mailer)! You’re doing what you’re employer has asked you to do, and such, you’re just doing your job. But, please take a moment to review my reasons below, as I will not purchase your (product/service) at this time for the following reasons:

Over the past 10+ years, I have been inundated with offers to refinance my home loan. Please note that I am not a homeowner, and at such time that I own a home of my own, I will finance the loan through my local bank or mortgage company, not through someone who sends me 50 e-mails a day asking me to give your "discount home loan refinancing" a try.

I am, at this time, not interested in purchasing any pharmaceuticals manufactured in third world countries that boast “natural male enhancement”. Come to think of it, I’m not interested in anything manufactured in third-world countries, nor am I interested in any (products/services) that offer “natural male enhancement”. I have never inquired to anyone about such enhancement products/services, nor do I plan to in the foreseeable future. Not that it is any of your business (and it’s not), but if my “marital relations” were suffering from any “shortcomings”, I would consult my doctor, who would then prescribe appropriate medication. As I prefer legitimate medical channels to help with any conditions, I would NOT choose a link in an e-mail over consulatation with my primary care provider. At this time “natural male enhancement” for me would likely involve squatting on a hornets nest. As I am allergic to hornets, never plan to squat on a hornets nest, and I have no idea if the pharmaceuticals you offer contain hornet venom, I will especially try to avoid purchasing your product. The same applies to discount pharmaceuticals from Canada, minus the hornet venom.

Speaking of “male enhancement” and other products/services, I would appreciate it – if you insist on sending me 50+ e-mails per day pitching me such offers – if you would take a moment to correct your spelling. Proper spelling will always enhance the sales pitch. For clarification purposes, it’s “Cialis”, not “Ci8lIs”. It’s “Viagra”, not “vIaGr8”. It’s “small cap stocks”, not “smal1 cAp st0ck$”. And if you’re offering software at “d1scount PrIce$”, it’s “Microsoft Windows XP”, not “m1cr0so0ft W1nd0ws xP”.

For your benefit, I must also stress the importance of a proper e-mail address, as it conveys to a recipient a sense of honesty. Key to this is the name on the e-mail coinciding with the name in the e-mail address. How can I be sure of your intention to be an honest product/service provider if your e-mail says it’s from “Bob Johnson”, while the e-mail address says "frankfredricksen@___.com"? And why are you sending me 50+ e-mails a day, using various forged e-mail addresses, pitching the same product/service? If I were interested, I would have given you my money by now, wouldn’t I?

I could site a number of other reasons why I’m not, at this time, interested in your product/service, but I hope I’ve made my point clear – you don’t, and won't, have my business.

Wishing you continued success in future endeavors –

- Radioguy

Fires Bad, Ventolin Inhaler Good

Wildfires in British Columbia have been a bummer for residents in Washington State. It's like going late to a seafood buffet dinner, and getting whatever is left at the bottom of each warming pan, knowing full well that someone with a tuberculotic cough may well have hacked on the room-temperature shrimp you are now heaping onto your plate. But you keep serving yourself those Boogers From The Sea, because you don't have a choice - you are there, that's all that is available to eat, and the Uber driver that brought you to your digestive roller coaster has already left to pick up a hipster with a boner for a kale salad at an all-night Community Sensitivity Awareness function.

During my half-hour drive to work this morning, the smokey haze was so thick, it looked like fog. Later, around 7:30 in the morning, I poked my head out of the office, and here's what I saw:

Yeah, at 7:30 in the morning. Not a cloud in the sky, but enough haze to turn the sky from blue to a perpetual sunrise, and to discolor the sun.

The smoke issue has been tough on my already-screwed up respiratory system (still recovering from a bout of bronchial pneumonia). I do, though have a secret weapon, thanks to the BP.

Fortunately, the weather is supposed to become better, but damn, it hasn't been a fun week.