Crabby Corner…

10 ways to stop being an a*****e   make the world a better place:

Do not, under any circumstances make the mistake of thinking that others enjoy the music, movie or video game blaring from your phone in a public place. Trust me, we don’t.  Headphones were made for a reason, use them and use them often.

Hang up the phone and actually engage with the cashier who is ringing you up.  Seriously, put down the phone and join the human race.

Hold the door for the person behind you, or say thank you if it’s is held for you.  If a verbal expression is just too much to handle, than at least crack a smile and give a head nod.

If you’re stopped at a light in the far right lane and need to be turning left, don’t hold everyone up trying to get over after the light turns green.  Just go through and turn around at the next light. By the way, no one cares if you’re running late.

Take an extra 3 seconds out of your life to put the divider bar down behind your groceries in the checkout line.  I know this can be difficult because you might actually make eye contact with the person behind you, but give it a go any way.

Don’t hog up an extra seat in a crowded waiting area by insisting your bags stay on the empty one next to you and certainly don’t lay your body down across a row of 6 seats. I don’t care how tired you are, that’s cause for a public flogging

There are very few reasons to bring a baby to a movie theater.  Play it safe and just don’t do it.  The baby will thank you for it, we all will.

Watching your kids practice their pile driver wrestling skills in your living room can be entertaining. Not so much at a restaurant, make them stop.

Don’t go barefoot on an airplane.  Just because no one ever told you your feet smell doesn’t mean they don’t.

You may think getting a 6am start on a Saturday to attack that dead tree in the yard with your new chainsaw is a great idea, but your neighbors most certainly will not.  If you enjoy being known as the Village Idiot than by all means carry on.

Ok, off my soapbox now.  Feel free to add to the list in the comments.

 

 

 

Why Me? — Unshakable Hope

Why God allows bad things to happen to good people has been playing a bit of a theme in my life lately.  It’s come up in random conversations with friends, fellow bloggers and within myself as I reflect on losses I’ve experienced and the questions I still struggle with.  Luckily, a post from one of my favorite bloggers popped up in my feed this morning on exactly this topic.  God’s perfect timing indeed. Pop on over to Bill’s site and give it a read, it’s well worth your time.

Originally posted on Unshakable Hope: Over the years I’ve had ALS, I’ve become convinced that for a Christian to retain hope in the midst of a difficult trial, he or she must believe that God allowed the trial for a purpose; a purpose greater than what God would have been able to accomplish in and…

 

via Why Me? — Unshakable Hope

Gaza Strip Violence

Photo Credit: Said Khatib / AFP – Getty Images

The Trump administration held a ceremony today in Jerusalem to mark the move of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to the ancient city.  Unsurprisingly, a mass swarm of protestors charged the border fence that separates Gaza and Israel, under the direction of Hamas, the terrorist organization that’s governed the area since its violent takeover from the Palestinian Authority in 2007.

Israel responded as you might expect any country whose borders were under siege to, by shooting the attackers, killing 58 and wounding over a thousand.  Multiple warnings were given days ahead of the shootings and it’s difficult to believe the border rushers didn’t know exactly what they would face.

Predictably, the usual suspects within the UN and Western press are blaming Israel, calling on them to “steady their response” and comparing Trump’s embassy move to a lit match that blew up the powder keg.

Don’t fall for this. I’m sorry that dozens of Palestinians were killed today and for the suffering their loved ones will go through  The blame for those deaths lies directly with Hamas and other terrorist groups though, who count on  human sacrifices to garner sympathy for their cause and paint Israel as the bad guy.  As Gaza implodes from within, Hamas needs something to shift the blame off its miserably inept and corrupt leadership.

From Jim Geraghty’s, When Will the Palestinians Start Holding Hamas Accountable?

“Yet Hamas is desperate. The situation in Gaza has become increasingly intolerable. Unemployment is widespread and chronic. Hunger is rampant. Water is undrinkable. Electricity is available for only two to four hours per day. Sewage treatment plants have failed, so the once-beautiful Mediterranean coast is now a repository of human waste. And there’s still no way in or out of the territory for almost all of Gaza’s close to 2 million people.”

Palestinians wanting to avoid getting shot by Israeli Defense Forces need to stop attacking the border, plain and simple. A time out on the car bombs and knife attacks against Israeli citizens would be wise too.

If the belly gazers at the UN, NY Times, etc… truly cared about the Palestinian people, they would be calling for this too. They don’t though, because without Israel and now Trump to blame Middle East violence on, then the uncomfortable truth that eliminating Israel is the end goal for groups like Hamas would need to be faced.

Peace will not happen until this is reconciled.

 

 

The $500 Apple

Woman boards a Paris Delta Airlines flight headed to Denver. Shortly before landing, woman is given apple by flight attendant passing out snacks.  Woman is not hungry so stashes apple away and promptly forgets about it.  Plane lands and woman’s luggage is selected for random search by snarky Border Patrol agent, who is angry about life in general and in particular a certain undeclared apple found in woman’s bag.  Woman is denied option to eat or throw away said apple and receives $500 fine.  Woman is rightly appalled and feels a loss of dignity.  Border Patrol agent’s inferiority complex, unfortunately, remains solidly in place.

This is what happens when rules take priority over common sense.  It’s also the kind of stuff that sparks revolutions.  Just infuriating.

Link to story here.

A Reality Smack to the Head

                          “There are two ways of spreading light, to be                                                                        the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”                                                                                                   ~Edith Wharton

I’ve been suffering from a case of the blahs lately.  Not the sickly kind mind you, more of the whatsthepointitis type, where motivation meets indifference and folds like a cheap suit.  Blog writing of course fell way down the priority list, as my urge to do so flatlined.

Ok, it’s not really been that bad as post topics do come whizzing at me all day long, many of which I’m initially excited about. When the rubber meets the road however and it’s actually time to create something worthwhile, a weird force invades my body and the next thing I know I’m doing anything but sitting at my computer and writing up a post. On the plus side, my bathroom is spotless.

Spring Has Sprung

Spring has officially sprung in America, where a sense of renewal and freshness excites the spirit, no matter what the weather outside may be.

The same goes for the heart too, despite its condition. As the page turns from one season to another, that which was growing in darkness blooms in to light as a new creation and hope is restored.

Happy spring everyone!

Yes, That’s Exactly Right!

White Male Privilege A Myth?

The video above shows a fascinating dialogue between “Louder With Crowder” host Steven Crowder and students at Texas Christian University.  It touches on a number of cultural hot topics, like white male privilege, oppression of minorities and women, whether systemic racism/sexism is real, victimhood mentality, acting “white” and factors other than race and gender that determine success.

At first I had it playing in the background while doing some other work.  After a few minutes though, I was completely transfixed and couldn’t pull my eyes away.  Not only from the participants, but from the reactions of the crowd that had gathered to watch, which shifted between prideful smirking, to uncomfortable stillness, to cheering for the other side  as the truth of the words being spoke sunk in.  It was all so captivating.

Now What?

Photo Credit: Shuttterstock.com

The massacre at a Florida High School by nineteen year old Nikolas Cruz begs us yet again to address the growing horror of mass shootings in America. Children should never have to watch their fellow classmates be mowed down by a crazed gunman, nor should any parent ever lose a child this way.  It happens though and no, it’s not too early to talk about gun control and other possible methods of prevention.

While mass shootings are not occurring as often as the wildly misleading headline, “18 School Shootings in 2018” would have you believe, they have gotten more deadly, as the number of people shot per incident has increased.

In my view the question isn’t if anything should be done, but what? What new policies or laws could be enacted that would help prevent another tragedy like this?

That Smile!

Meet Lucas , the 2018 Spokesbaby for Gerber brand baby foods! One year old Lucas Warren  was chosen among over 140,000 entries to the annual contest.  Of course, who could resist that smile?  Oh and did I mention Lucas has Down Syndrome?

This is good news in a post modern world where “eliminating” Down Syndrome babies through pre natal testing and abortion is becoming more and more the norm.  Yes this is very good news indeed.  Well done Gerber.

And congratulations Baby Lucas!