Up here at the Old Place is the best place to quarantine. We are way back in the woods, on a big lake, everybody knows everybody, and except for sugar, flour, and coffee, we are all self-sustaining. Even so, people still ask me, "Col. Jim, is there any crime up here?" My reply is pretty much the same as everyone else's, "Back in the day, we had a couple of bad'uns come up here thinking to lay low. . . But don't you worry, no one'll ever find their bodies." Yep, the area around the lake is a safe place, and we guard our safety jealously... but wisely. Here then is an example of wisely. Before I was born, my young cousin Clyde Barrow and his girlfriend Bonnie Parker found their way to the lake and knocked on my grandfather's door. The Old Place looked almost exactly like it does today. By a strange coincidence, both MaMie and Pop were at the lake. Pop was fishing so MaMie opened the door. Of course, she immediately recognized her cousin and knowing she was in no danger invited him in, and put on the kettle. While Bonnie went around to the outhouse the two cousins had a chat. Now without sliding out of facts and into speculation, we all know that the couple left the Old Place uninjured. So, Col. Jim, what's it got to do with safety?
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were not serial killers, and they were not crazed mass murderers. Most of the people with whom they crossed paths parted amicably enough, even some members of local law enforcement. During their short criminal lives, the two developed the reputation of not harming those who were cordial to them or who at worst, stepped aside. These, let us call them, "non-victims" were mostly plain small-town country folks who went to church twice a week, always welcomed strangers, and left their doors unlocked. It would never have occurred to these people to be rude or unwelcoming. The odd thing is, neither would it have occurred to Bonnie or Clyde.
When faced with a riot though everyone there is an unknown and potentially deadly. To survive you must know what Not To Do. Remember, most of the rioters are just regular folks who have had their temper stirred up. There is not a single one of them who would not rather be at home watching the flatscreen, drinking beer, and eating barbeque! However, many are young, mad, and have become part of a mob mentality. They feel empowered by those around them and fearless because they just know, they will never be caught and even if they are caught, they will probably be let off.
The absolute worst thing you can do is yell at them or fight. I do not care how many black belts you have in Wa Rang Go, you will lose. Keep your head up, and smile. (I am one of you.) Look to the side of their faces, never in the eyes. If pushed step aside, do not resist and get something solid behind you, like a wall. Move slowly but deliberately and get clear of the area. I can not emphasize this enough: Whatever you do... Do Not Fall Down! As you approach a LEO, keep your hands in plain sight and raised. (I am not going to hurt you, officer.)
Whew, that was scary enough was it not? Oh, Bonnie and Clyde? They had coffee and some of MaMie's homemade pecan pie. She admonished them both to be careful and to look out for each other. The two desperados departed. . . and within three hours, were dead. Sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you.
Sitting in a rocker at the Old Place I am, Col. Jim.
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Who Owns the Earth?
Up here at the Old Place, we take great pains to keep the area around the lake and the creek that passes through it as pristine as when it was first discovered. The trees and undergrowth around the lake flourish and the animals go about their lives as if people were not even here. A few descendants of the original Native American, "Dinea" still live nearby as well. Legally, the parcel is in Catahoula parish but who owns this tiny piece of land is a carefully guarded secret.
So, old tired planet earth, have you ever thought about who it belongs to? Humans of course. Oh, I do not know, does ownership of a celestial ecosystem even require what we so arrogantly call “sentience?” Maybe the animals own the earth or the plants and the rocks? Nah, it's people. Religious people, like the Jews or the Buddhists, perhaps the Islams? It could be Hindus or even Zarathustras that own the earth. The atheists live on the earth, but they don't want it and it certainly does not belong to us Christians. I look at it this way, depending on who you ask, the earth is either millions or billions of years old, "so arguing over who owns it, is kind of like two fleas arguing over the dog they live on."1. This quote from Australian actor/producer Paul Hogan started me thinking. Australia's "aborigines" see the earth as their mother, so maybe they own it. When the Europeans arrived, they were astounded to learn that, without ever having met a Judeo-Christian before, the aboriginal people instinctively knew that humans were stewards of the land, not its owners. Whoa now, all you socialists just settle down for a second. Another word for Stewardship is Responsibility. . . uh oh. So Col. Jim, what's it got to do with Safety?
History will likely chronicle the 20th Century as the age where humans once and for all legally accepted that ownership of their planet was divided among many countries but gave up their responsibility for the planet as a whole. Oh sure, there have been areas of the planet that peoples of the world referred to as "their" countries, but until the formation of the League of Nations in 1919, no one had been willing to, apparently, bind themselves to legal boundaries. The interesting part, however, will be seeing which chronicle will be believed?
People have been successful at rewriting history for millennia, mainly to make "their side" look better. Sadly, despite herculean efforts taken to keep an accurate record, that part of the earth's history, not lost to the sands of time, has been perverted beyond recognition. It is, to say the least fantasy; it is to say the most, perjury!
For the last 2,000 years, the only unbiased factual accounting of world history has been maintained by the faithful. That is to say, the worlds' religions, those with a belief in an afterlife anyway. These religions, technically, have no ax to grind. However, if the behavior of religions in modern times has taught us anything, it is that every one of them is grinding away anyhow. Sadly, this "grinding" has resulted in a desire, all most an obsession really, to use violence and coercion to force people to join their religion or to be executed.
In conclusion, the only religion, wishing no one harm and having no designs on the planet, is of course Christianity. Please note: I did not leave the Jews out by chance but by design. The Jews are the only humans indigenous to earth who are born with a religion. The rest of us are born pagan and must choose from the plethora of religions available. According to God's law, as set down in the Tora and the Talmud, Jews must have designs on the planet or at least that part of the planet that was given to them by God Himself, the Holy Land, Israel.
So, back to our topic question, Who Owns the Earth? According to the laws of men, many people own bits and pieces of the Earth. If we follow Judeo-Christian law, a strong case can be made that the Jewish People own the Earth. Remember that word, "Stewardship?" When the king is away, his Steward is responsible for the kingdom. The Steward holds the scepter but sits not on the throne. Rather, he sits on a plain hard chair set a few steps below the empty throne. Hard so that he does not become overly comfortable. When the king returns, the Steward is Responsible to give the king an accounting of the events, judgments, profits, and losses which occurred in the king's absence. If the king is satisfied, the Steward will be rewarded. . . If not, well, he is the king with the power of life and death over all his subjects. Who Owns the Earth? I believe we have settled that question.
Sitting in a rocker at the Old Place, I am, Col. Jim.
1. Paul Hogan, Crocodile Dundee
History will likely chronicle the 20th Century as the age where humans once and for all legally accepted that ownership of their planet was divided among many countries but gave up their responsibility for the planet as a whole. Oh sure, there have been areas of the planet that peoples of the world referred to as "their" countries, but until the formation of the League of Nations in 1919, no one had been willing to, apparently, bind themselves to legal boundaries. The interesting part, however, will be seeing which chronicle will be believed?
People have been successful at rewriting history for millennia, mainly to make "their side" look better. Sadly, despite herculean efforts taken to keep an accurate record, that part of the earth's history, not lost to the sands of time, has been perverted beyond recognition. It is, to say the least fantasy; it is to say the most, perjury!
For the last 2,000 years, the only unbiased factual accounting of world history has been maintained by the faithful. That is to say, the worlds' religions, those with a belief in an afterlife anyway. These religions, technically, have no ax to grind. However, if the behavior of religions in modern times has taught us anything, it is that every one of them is grinding away anyhow. Sadly, this "grinding" has resulted in a desire, all most an obsession really, to use violence and coercion to force people to join their religion or to be executed.
In conclusion, the only religion, wishing no one harm and having no designs on the planet, is of course Christianity. Please note: I did not leave the Jews out by chance but by design. The Jews are the only humans indigenous to earth who are born with a religion. The rest of us are born pagan and must choose from the plethora of religions available. According to God's law, as set down in the Tora and the Talmud, Jews must have designs on the planet or at least that part of the planet that was given to them by God Himself, the Holy Land, Israel.
So, back to our topic question, Who Owns the Earth? According to the laws of men, many people own bits and pieces of the Earth. If we follow Judeo-Christian law, a strong case can be made that the Jewish People own the Earth. Remember that word, "Stewardship?" When the king is away, his Steward is responsible for the kingdom. The Steward holds the scepter but sits not on the throne. Rather, he sits on a plain hard chair set a few steps below the empty throne. Hard so that he does not become overly comfortable. When the king returns, the Steward is Responsible to give the king an accounting of the events, judgments, profits, and losses which occurred in the king's absence. If the king is satisfied, the Steward will be rewarded. . . If not, well, he is the king with the power of life and death over all his subjects. Who Owns the Earth? I believe we have settled that question.
Sitting in a rocker at the Old Place, I am, Col. Jim.
1. Paul Hogan, Crocodile Dundee
The Final Storm
Up here at the Old Place, we have finished all of our hurricane preparations. Anything that could be picked up or blown away has been brought inside or tied down. The shutters are closed and their covers are in place. The generator has been tested at full load, the tank is full and there is plenty of extra fuel. There is a small tintype of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, the patron saint of Louisiana, hanging over the front door. The miracles surrounding her veneration are manifest during times of greatest threat: the sparing of the Ursuline convent during the great New Orleans fire of 1812, the sparing of the city during the Battle of New Orleans three years later and (Katrina notwithstanding) the sparing of New Orleans from hurricanes for over 200 years. So, Col. Jim, what's it got to do with Safety?
A storm is upon us, my family, and friends. It is, to paraphrase H.G. Wells, a storm that is vast, cold, and unsympathetic. It is a storm of devastation, wrought of greed, lust, and a thirst for power over anyone who even wishes in his heart to stop it. This is not a storm of wind or rain, hail or flood. This is a storm perpetrated by domestic terrorists with propaganda, subterfuge, and prevarication on a scale never before seen in the history of the world and it is here, now in our own country.
Who are these terrorists? In his book, The Art of War, the author, Sun Tzu extols us to, “know your enemy," and we do. Their names, faces, even their locations are well known to us all. Many of them we see every day in our very homes. 'This simplifies matters' you say; 'we know the face of our enemy!' The face. . . Sun Tzu outlined 17 signs to help us to know our enemy. These included: Signs of Exhaustion, Thirst, or Hunger; Fear; Eminent Retreat; Poor Leadership; Manipulation; and Advantage. These are all good things for the warrior to know before the battle is joined.
What of those of us who do not see ourselves as warriors? Note, I do not mean those who are afraid or even those who may run away. No, fear and retreat are both things for which the prudent warrior plans. I speak rather of the Spiritual Warrior, whose sword is the word of God; whose shield is the Holy Spirit, whose battle cry is a prayer, and whose commander is Jesus Christ.
An army must be able to communicate effectively and it is here that the intercession of Our Lady of Prompt Succor comes to bear. This is a storm as sure as any that has come ashore from the gulf and the prayers of Our Lady of Prompt Succor on our behalf are proven. Inspired by this confidence we fly to our patron and implore her assistance as we pray:
Oh Dear Lord and merciful Father, through the intercession of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, extend Your salvation so generously lavished on the citizens of Louisiana to the entire peoples of the United States of America. We who are even now under threat of a storm with intent so terrible that it could devastate this great nation so long ago consecrated to Thee. We beseech Thee to bring comfort for the living, rescue for the lost, and peaceful rest for those whom you have called home. Amen.
Sitting in a rocker at the Old Place I am, Col. Jim.
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