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.

About Me: A Primer

A bit about me, from simplest to most complex.

• I love humor, specifically dry humor of the UK kind. I was raised on the local PBS station, which routinely showed British comedies from the 60s and 70s. American humor, to me, is too slapstick. Think "funny haha" verses "funny hoho". As a result, most American comedy shows don't make me laugh. With that said, I absolutely love sarcastic humor (a la "Mystery Science Theater 3000"), and dark humor (many Sesame Street memes and such available online). I do not like humor that is racist or pokes fun at religions, but anything up to that, and I'm your man.
• I love science. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a scientist. I was torn between Egyptology, Archaeology, and Astronomy. At the age of 8, I was digesting high school and college-level textbooks on those subjects, along with texts on Geology and Paleontology Upon adulthood, I branched out into Cosmology and Particle Physics. If I weren't a happily-married man, I'd be actively creeping scientists like Moogega Cooper and Michelle Thaller.
• I love science fiction and fantasy. I'm a huge Star Wars and Star Trek nerd. Collected comic books as a kid, and have become a bit of a comic book canon snob when it comes to movie adaptations. I have more sci-fi and fantasy books in my collection than any other subject.
• I love anime'. Hiyao Miyazaki for the win.
• I prefer beer over wine, and wine over hard liquor.
• I love to cook. I'm best at comfort food, but I love to try recipes from other countries.
• I make kick-ass BBQ sauces.
• Odd foodstuffs, like haggis, pickled herring, and brown goat cheese, are always welcome.
• I have an allergy to seafood, to pickled herring is enjoyed once a year, and shrimp is no longer eaten (damn).
• I love to wear a kilt when the weather is warm.
• I work in the media/communications industry, but I am not comfortable speaking in public.
• I am politically aware, but dislike political discussions. Over the years - from being a music major in college, to a small business owner, to where I am today - I've gone from die-hard liberal to conservative to "sort-of Libertarian" (there I am now). I haven't - or currently - label myself as as a member of any party. My voting choices have evolved over the years, to reflect my needs as a citizen. While being politically aware (and, I admit, I tend to lean conservative on matters of national interest), I am disgusted by the so-called "discourse" on social media, and in what I see on TV. There is no room for folks like me, who don't conform to either the Democratic or Republican party platform assumptions. I have consistently asked friends on social media to be tolerant of differing political opinions. I have called for a level-headed interchange when points of contention come up. I have learned, though, that - since the latest Presidential election - a social media conversation is anything but civil. In most cases I have been unfortunate to be a part of, it's about tearing down opinions, taking apart opinions, and trying to prove that one "side" is right. I would rather be part of discussion that didn't involve politics, as that topic is much more toxic than anything else these days. I think it's beneficial to focus on what we have in common, not what we vehemently disagree on. My political opinions will be made at the ballot box.

Summertime

Summertime is in full swing here in Northwest Washington State.

The sun is shining, and temps are in the 80s to lower 90s. Higher in locations south of me, but the relatively cooler temps are still uncomfortable for me (I was born and raised in Western Washington, and I start to melt at 70 degrees).

Wildfires from our neighbors to the north (British Columbia)have spread smoke throughout the region, causing health issues for those like me (who are recovering from bronchial pneumonia). The smoke is so bad, that even the trees across the street from my house are viewed through a gray haze.

Burn bans are in effect throughout the region, despite the best efforts of folks to deliberately set fires. I've already seen a brush fire in the median of the highway I drive to and from work on, and I've heard of a deliberately-set fire south of my, near the Deception Pass Bridge (the only roadway off of Whidbey Island).

On the plus side, I was able to wear two of my kilts to work this week (don't get me started about the whole "it's a skirt" thing), and I was able to get some exercise in at the office before the smoke became an issue. I'd love to wear one of my kilts again tomorrow (as the temperature, locally, is expected to be in the 90s), but they both need washing and ironing, and I don't have the effort in me to do either.

Stay cool out there!

The Fire Danger is High This Week

A heat wave, the likes of which NW Washington has seen since 2009, is hitting the area this week. Temps are expected to reach triple digits in some areas of Western Washington, and smoke from fires in British Columbia have the potential to cause health issues for those with breathing problems. I have a few suggestions for those affected by this week's heat wave:

• Check with your local Fire Department for burn ban information: Not every Fire Department shouts from the top of the highest peak that a fire ban is in place, and it is not THEIR fault that you don't know about a ban on burning.
• If you smoke, don't throw your butts out the window while driving: This one is self-explanatory, yet the majority of wildfires happen under these circumstances. If you commit this crime, you get saddled with the cost of the fire response, and more. Don't do it, period.
• Avoid igniting fireworks: We are a month past Independence Day, but some individuals still have a stockpile of fireworks they bought on the reservation, and took home, thinking they weren't violating local fireworks bans. If you are among those “the law applies to everyone but me” individuals, please refrain from using our warm evenings to launch bottle rockets into the sky (and onto your neighbor's roof and already dry yard). Doing so will damage your relationship with your neighbors, not to mention the local Fire Department.

Here are a few additional tips for avoiding problems during this week's heat wave.

• Staying indoors with the Air Conditioning on is good. Moving your sweaty ass to Alaska is better.
• If someone near you has ignited vegetation (including wood for a firepit), extinguish it by squatting directly onto the flames. It will prevent the fire from spreading, and will give you a good story for the paramedics. Win-win.
• Don't commit arson: No matter how tempting it may be to burn your Ex's home to the ground, the resulting smoke will be a health issue for others.
• Avoid self immolation, in protest of whatever you feel requires the ultimate sacrifice: It's a fire hazard, and – again – the resulting smoke will be a health issue for others. Save your "ultimate sacrifice for the sake of your beliefs" for the rainy season, when your act of defiance will pose less of a threat to people and property around you.
• If you are prone to spontaneous combustion, remain indoors: Those who are prone to bursting into fire should, preferably, sequester themselves to the bathroom - either in the shower with the water running, or in the rub, under the water's surface. Please note that in the second scenario, you should come up for air periodically, as prolonged exposure to a "no-breathing" environment can be hazardous to your health.
• If you are drinking, and someone challenges you to ignite your farts with a lighter, decline the challenge: You, and/or your friend, have clearly had too much to drink. The risk of fire damage to property is not worth telling your friend, “hold my drink”.

Enjoy the warm weather. Be fire-wise. Don't be an ass (unless, of course, your fart challenge results in a wet one. In which case, just go change your underwear and sober up).