Psychosomatic Wit

A Tale of Two States

There is a pretty big rivalry between Indiana and Kentucky around these parts. In the Evansville, IN metropolitan area, there are two decent sized Kentucky towns: Owensboro and Henderson. I hear plenty of jokes that find the natives of the "other" state the butts. Depending on which side of the Ohio River you are, determines on whether you hear a Kentuckian joke or a Hoosier joke.

Why did they build the bridge between Evansville and Henderson? So Kentuckians can swim across in the shade. Not to be outdone, the editor of the Henderson Gleaner publishes a Hoosier joke every week. It is all in fun till someone gets hurt.

Indiana knows about injury. In 1997, Indiana went to class basketball. Before then, the high school basketball tournament was legendary. All schools, big and small, played for one title. The championship game was carried on ESPN every year and the movie Hoosiers was based on a small school that conquered the giants. Hoosier Hysteria was known from sea to sea. Now? There are four classes of high school basketball, four state champions and exactly four people who actually care about Indiana high school basketball. My friends in Kentucky were quick to jump, "I knew you hoosiers were stupid, but not THAT stupid."

Fast forward to 2009. Kentuckians get their comeuppance. As basketball is/was to Indiana, horse racing is to Kentucky. Because of river boat and other casinos in the area, horse race wagering has been down in the commonwealth. The solution? Expand the betting experience at these tracks, to include slot machines or even video poker.

So, the governor and the legislature got to work. They aren't going to let the "Sport of Kings" die out in the bluegrass state, are they? Yes they are. Every measure has been defeated in the legislature by one party (guess which one).

This isn't about gambling. It is about history, tradition and an institution. It is about hoosier hysteria Kentucky style.

So far the fallout has been that Ellis Park in Henderson is announcing that this is its last season after 80-some odd years as a cultural and economic staple. Even major players like Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby, are taking a hits over it. Some major players are moving their operations to other states. The eight horse tracks in Kentucky will be fewer. Ellis Park is the first to announce, but probably not the last.

So, now hoosiers get their chance to laugh at the stupid Kentuckians. However, no one on either side of the river seems to find it funny.

Socialism, Different Strokes for Different Folks

News (or current events)
Entertainment (movies, TV, celebrity, etc.)
Writing (thoughts on the blog(s) or other writing projects)
Spirit (thoughts on God and/or the supernatural)
Family (or friends)
Love
Anxiety (a rant or a trouble)
Sports (also considered should be contests, reality TV, recreation, cards, games), and
Home (house, yard, or even another family type of thought.
__________________________________________

It has been a while since I had my old trusted NEWS FLASH. There is no way I am going to be able to catch up. That, I trust, will come about slowly over time. However, I will take more of a snapshot of what is going on right now.

NEWS - For those of you with a memory, it won't be surprising to know that healthcare reform is the topic I would choose to cover in this segment. President Obama, who promised reform, cannot emphasize enough that for those people satisfied with their insurance and healthcare, they don't have to change anything. However, the public is getting pelted with scare tactics about (shutter) SOCIALISM!! (pardon me while I go lock the doors!). Not only is he not talking about a single-payer system like the backward, third world countries like France and Great Britain have, he is just trying to get everyone covered with an affordable plan. However, since socialistic medicine is so bad, I think I am going to get my mother off Medicare since that is what IT is. Plus, maybe I should lead a crusade to get all of the socialistic things out of our society. Join with me while I opt out of police and fire protection in addition to shredding my library card. Sheesh! In insurance companies we trust!

ENTERTAINMENT - My latest guilty pleasure is Fear.net. It is on my cable system as a free on-demand option. These movies are great in some way. They don't seem to be low-budget, but some of the acting is a little bad. However, they are fun and entertaining. I suggest Dee Snyder's Strangeland. Snyder, best known as the front man from Quiet Riot, wrote, produced, directed, and starred in this thing. Quite entertaining despite it being kind of . . . bad.

WRITING - Obviously, the blog is back. I am still wrestling with opening it up to everyone. Previously, I had blog people, and real life people and never the two met. My fear is that the worlds will collide or worse, I sensor some subject matter to spare people's feelings or sensitivities. Just don't know . . .

SPIRIT - I am finding that I am a different person, spiritually, since my divorce. I wouldn't say that I am weaker in faith, I just have a shift in priorities. As a matter of fact, I think my faith is stronger. I never felt I was a legalist (a person who strictly follows the rules for rules sake). However, I am even less of one now. I believe too strict a lifestyle retards communion with God. In a since, following the rules becomes one's God. So, I follow my inner conviction more, and fundemental teaching, less. Of course, this may just be a phase I am going through as a part of healing. I am open.

FAMILY - My sister had a major stroke last week. It was quite a miracle, according to her physician (if you can believe that). The doctor came in after reading her MRI and other test results and claimed to be dreading talking to the family because she expected my sister to be quite severely affected (perhaps even comatose or vegetative). However instead, she was alert and conversing with us. She is confused and has forgotten a lot of things, but she is far ahead of what the doctor expected. He said, "People throw this word around too much, but this, indeed, is a miracle!"

LOVE - Love is never the same after a divorce. There is fear and ego damage and an ever-guarded attitude. I have seen a few people, but it is too soon to tell what is going to happen with the latest one. I am really not completely sure about what I even want.

ANGUISH - I have been trying to buy the house I lived in with my wife. She owned it before we married; it is in her name. The bank (who presently shall remain nameless) had a good deal going for me. Then, nothing! I was supposed to close on May 15, but I haven't heard anything. All my phone calls since then have been unanswered. I stand to lose a great interest rate and a $200 application fee if this falls through. I understand there is a deadline for the rate lock, but I am not sure what it is. I am sure that if it expires, it isn't my fault. There will be hell to pay.

SPORTS - Sadly, I was on hiatus during some of the best sports times. We missed the Superbowl, and the Kentucky Derby and the fact that I was even present at the NASCAR Bristol Food City 500 and the Indianapolis 500 Time trials. Well, I guess I covered it after all - sort of.

HOME - I finally have someone in that cursed house I need to get rid of. He has the same deal the last guy had except a better one for him. What it is, is that he lives there at a VERY discounted rate in exchange for helping me improve the property for future sale. The difference is that this guy comes recommended by someone that knows him well. He works in construction and apparently can do about anything. I am optimistic. At some time in the future, I will address what happened to the last guy. It is quite a story.

The Return of the Psycho or is it another False Positive?

I would like to think this is the beginning of a new era for my blog. I miss blogging and expressing my frustrations, joys, and opinions. I also greatly miss the exchanges with people that I learned to care about - those of you that would give a few precious moments of your lives just to see what might be on my mind.

I don't know if I would have ever stopped if I didn't really care if it was a decent post or not. I felt responsible for writing something that most people could tolerate reading. When life became too tough, it was too much for me to be able to insure that. So, I let it go.

I am not sure that I can let go of that blog value yet, but perhaps enough time has passed that I can at least satisfy my self-imposed standards and fire this puppy back up. We will see.

When I do get this thing chuggin' along again, it has to start somewhere. It might as well be here.

American Idol - Analyzed.

In an upset of sorts, Kris Allen edges out Adam Lambert. Some people wonder how this happened. For many, it was obvious that Adam was the more talented vocalist and was much more polished a performer. Here is my take:

1. The judges all but handed him the title before. Fans do not like to be dictated to as far as voting. So, there was some spite votes.

2. Kris got the "cute" vote. All the 13 year-old girls voted for Kris a thousand times each. The only ones that voted for Adam probably fall in the gay/bi/curious category.

3. In the real vs fake contest, Kris won that contest. Call me skeptical, but I doubt a lot of people who like "the genuine deal" would vote for plastic-looking, eye-lined, polished Adam. That doesn't mean he didn't deserve the votes, just that he didn't get them from that group.

3.a A subset of the above reason are those who was really pulling for Danny Gokey. Because of the above reason, I believe Kris took the Gokey vote.

AND

4. It recently came out (in the proper circles), that Kris is a Christian and was somewhat active in his church's ministry. Christians just LOVE to vote for their own kind. The fact that this wasn't universally known eliminated the counter-Christian vote which is more visible, if not in high number.

Everything in life seems to be about things other than what they are supposed to be on face value. The fact is that Adam should have won it if it was purely a singing contest. I don't know if I should be ashamed or not, but I was content with the outcome.

I'm Back . . . at School

My name is Jeff and I am a slagger (blog slacker). Now that there is a new year and somewhat of a new me, I am going to give it another go. Things will hopefully be a little different this time around.

I have a few New Year's blog resolutions. One is that I am going to let my sense of humor flow more. I had lost my sense of humor for a while. However, I found it in the wall safe where my wedding picture was hanging. When she took the picture, she left my sense of humor intact. It was just a matter of finding it and reclaiming it. Thanks, dear.

I feel different these days. I laugh . . . a lot. I used to laugh some, but somehow deep in my soul I really knew it was a nervous laugh. The laugh of someone unsure about life, living, love and even laughter. The four l's . . . that wasn't intentional. I just love it when a plan comes together like that.

Are the goings on in my life better now than they were four or five months ago. Nope, not really. In some ways, they are worse. It just doesn't effect me like it used to. I know that a person is not the sum of his circumstances. He is the sum of his make-up. I was made up of rouge for far too long. Now my cheeks have the warm glows of yellows and golds. I hope everyone knows that this is an analogy.

Then there is providence. As God helps me heal and return to a normal guy, He also tells me things I need to know and insists on keeping me accountable. I am not a big fan of His methodology all the time, but I know how valuable it is for Him to keep tapping me as I start to feel a little cocky about healing.

For instance, last night I watched the movie "Hancock". It is really two stories. There is a scene in the first part that rattled my cage a little. It was God reminding me that although healing takes place, the scars will always be there. Scars are not to be ignored; that is why God puts them there forever. That scene and God's prompting will make me a better person.

Lessons . . . school is always in session. Excuse me while I make some spit balls and sharpen my pencils in order to stick them into the ceiling for this afternoon's festivities! Hey, lessons will still be learned, but I am still going to have my devious fun from time to time.

Got a Hammer?

I really think I will be blogging more relatively soon. Life is REALLY getting in the way. There is one problem right after another that just consumes my concentration. It isn't the deep blows it used to be when I was closer to the divorce, but it is still mind-consuming - therefore keeping me busy.

I had in mind today to do one of my fun-type posts. I had one in mind, but yet another obstacle robbed me of that mood. I am not in a terrible mood, just a distracted one. It is like the blog gods just don't want me to move forward with this.

This blog reminds me of a house that one saved up for and moved into. It was new and exciting at first with plenty of ideas to do fun things with it. I was going to take out that one wall in the back and make a huge game room. I was going to add flooring in the attic and make that workout room.

However, like time, business and conflicts do to house dreams, they also did to this blog. I look at it and think: forget the game room, I just need to get the dripping faucet fixed. Workout room in the attic? Look at those gutters barely hanging on. I have to clean them out and re-attach them. Yep, this puppy has run down. No wonder the neighbors don't come by much anymore.

So, as I am standing out front and looking at this run-down blog, I know that I have to get busy on it. I think I will, just not at the pace I wanted to. One day, though . . . . one day, I will get that game room. You just wait!

History, The Shack, and a Healthy, Loveless Life

_________________________

NEWS - I am thrilled at the results of this election. Even SOME people that I know that voted for McCain seem to understand the significance of this election - in a positive way. A majority of the citizens of the US put an African-American into the highest office in the country - perhaps the most powerful position on the planet. THE PEOPLE put him there! At last, there is hope that EVERYONE is invited to the table. When one sees the face of a minority on the television screen, it just may be the president of the United States, and not an example of one of the negative stereotypes that unfairly rose to the attention of the masses. That is huge. What touched me the most, is a story I heard on one of the news channels where it was heard that African-American man stated that he could finally look in his young son's eyes and proclaim, "Son, you can be ANYTHING you want to be in this country," and be able to surely mean it.

ENTERTAINMENT - I am VERY motivated now to read The Shack by William P. Young. A lot of people who have read it give it glowing reviews. However, that is not why I want to read it. It is those people who are attempting to expose it as heresy that is causing me to shell out bucks at Barnes and Nobles tomorrow and pick up the thing. Some critics give no allowances for literary license and their critiques sound very dogmatic. I am not a fan of legalistic dogma. I think people miss out too much on blessings by whining about anything that strays from a textbook approach to spirituality. It reminds me of the time when the movie, The Last Temptation of Christ came out and a high number of religious groups were up in arms over it. Most of them, by their own admission, had not even seen the movie. Of course, I had to see it. Guess what? It wasn't the most exciting movie I had ever seen. It certainly was not thoroughly consistent with the Scriptures, but it was far from heresy. It offered a literary approach to the humanity of Christ instead of the robot-like God-Jesus we were all used to seeing in previous movies. I see the criticism of The Shack perhaps being in that same light.

It reminds me of two different people seeing a happening on the street and comparing notes. One saw a vehicle going way over the posted speed limits and even crossing the center line from time to time and generally being a menace to every law-abiding driver on the roads. The other saw an ambulance rushing to save a life. I wonder how I will see The Shack.

WORK (or writing in this case) - My big project is starting slow. Life's distractions are the enemy of creativity and production. I always wanted to move to Montana by myself and set up a home office to be able to write without distraction. That probably will not happen, but I am determined to carry on nonetheless.

SPIRIT - My common theme for the spirit is and will remain "surrender":

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next.

FAMILY - I am getting a little concerned about my mother. The other morning, I found her hours before she normally gets up. She was dressed and ready to go. She was concerned that none of her kids were there to be ready for the party. It took me a couple of hours to convince her that there was no party and that she had dreamed the whole thing. It takes her too long to differentiate between reality and dreams sometimes. She always comes out of it, but exclaims, "It was so real." I wonder if there will ever be a day that she just doesn't come out of it. God forbid.

LOVE - Frankly, I am just avoiding it. I am usually a humble kind of guy, but I am just not going to give love so freely - not that special someone kind of love. The more women I meet, the more I realize that most are not worthy of what I have to give. I am the type of guy that will treat my significant other like a queen. I will spend every day thinking of her first - trying to make her day better, every day. I try to give her a reason to smile on a daily basis. I want her to count on laughter when she's that I am on the phone - especially if she needs that lift. I never allow the prospect that she feels unimportant or unloved. She will never doubt my feelings and affection for her. That is just my nature - the way I think everyone should be. However, I am tired of casting my pearls before the swine. I am just not going to do it anymore.

ANGUISH - My tenant! Actually he moved out, had the power turned off, but didn't tell me any of it. He still has stuff in there - some of it valuable. However, he hasn't paid for October, let alone November. I am going to have to change the locks.

SPORTS - I am setting up an office/gym in my house. I also bought a Wii Fit. I am going to be healthy if it kills me. I finished well in the contest at work. Clothes that I couldn't have worn at this past summer are falling off of me now. Guess how I did it? That's right, I surrendered.

HOME - I think I kind of covered this already in other headings. Things are shaping up and will be great as soon as I get that TENANT OUT OF MY LIFE!TT

The Gale

His heart was racing as he ran down the road. Isaac felt it nearly beating a hole through his chest, not only because of the stress of the exercise, but also because of the fear that welled inside him. He often looked back over his shoulder, but there was never anyone there.

He saw a small town enter his vision at the bend of the road. He knew he had to get there, somewhere where no one knew him. Somewhere he could rest – at least for a while. He slowed to a walk as the town got bigger in his view.

There were many people on foot smiling and talking to each other. Some even greeted him with a smile and a nod. He could hear music playing somewhere. It seemed like a nice enough town. Perhaps he could blend in, get something to drink, rest and figure all this out.

As he entered a small store, the middle-aged clerk behind the counter greeted him with a smile. “What can I help you with today?”

“I . . . uh . . . I just need something to drink, some water or something.”

“Sure,” she responded,“ but I’m gonna have to charge you a nickel for the cup. Free refills, though,” she laughed.

As Isaac, felt for a coin in his pocket, he felt his tension easing up. The lady behind the counter had the right kind of mannerisms to give him a reprieve. He was appreciative for it, no matter how brief it might be. He plopped the nickel down on the counter, grabbed the cup and backed against the nearest wall for a little more rest.

“You sure look haggard, Darlin’,” the clerk sympathized. “Are you looking for someone? Is there something I can do to help you?”

“No . . . I am fine,” Isaac uttered, “I am just passing through.”

“Well, I wish you a safe journey. If you need anything else . . .” Her sentence was interrupted by a stirring in the air.

Isaac felt a cold wind in his face. His rattled nerves reacted as he pondered how this breeze could find him again and be so cold in the summer heat -and be inside this little store. He watched the clerk’s hair blow from right to left on her head and onto her face. Then it was gone.

“What are you doing here?” The clerk's demeanor was changed. She was now shouting at Isaac with piercing, accusatory eyes.

“I . . . uh . . . ,” Isaac had nothing to say. Fear was now shooting through him again. The woman was moving trance-like towards him. He dropped his now empty cup and stormed out the door. He was met out in the street with the glares of the once friendly eyes of the townspeople. They froze and started heading toward him in the same way as the clerk did just seconds before.

He dashed between buildings and headed across the barren countryside. He saw the road winding around in front of him and headed for that rendezvous point that will guide him away from yet another village that turned on him without explanation. The answer to this real-life nightmare, he understood, was blowing in the wind.

Tumbleweeds on Election Day

NEWS - This is the election day, non-election post. The political campaigns have run their courses. Now it is time to support whoever wins the presidency. He will need all the help he can get because we are in quite a mess.

ENTERTAINMENT - I haven't been all that entertained, lately. I will miss all the SNL election skits, though.

WRITING - I have been excited about my new project, but I hadn't been able to get much going on it. My life has been really busy and hectic lately. I am still focused. I hope I don't lose it, though.

SPIRIT - I have been learning to surrender more. It is funny about the human condition. We just don't want to surrender. We will force our wills at every opportunity. This, indeed, is the hardest aspect of true spirituality.

FAMILY - One of the things that is keeping me busy, I am in the process of trying to get the tenant from hell out of my house and get my sister in it. That will solve problems for everyone. We will see how it goes.

LOVE - As I was going through the sections of this post, (News, Entertainment, etc.), I flied right through them. When I got to this section, all I could do is stare at the flashing cursor with really nothing to say. Already, I have typed three complete lines and I still haven't written anything relevant to the topic. Truthfully, I have met a few people. Each of them has been kind of flaky in their own way. I guess the reality of it is that I am now ruined for love. I can't play the games; I just can't waste the time and effort; I no longer have the energy and the appetite for that. I have a unique, I guess, view of what love should be and I am not prepared to go through the pain of getting anything less. The problem is that less is all there is. I just don't belong here anymore.

ANXIETY - I am really not stressed about anything. I have a somber peace.

SPORTS - When I decided to put "Sports" in this exercise, I was somewhat interested in it. It is funny how life tends to reset our priorities. Of course, I would feel differently about it, perhaps, if any of the teams I was interested were the slightest bit exciting.

HOME - I have been moving into "our" house and trying to furnish it - get it ready for my solo life. It has been a little trip down memory lane, a bitter sweet walk. I look forward to all the dust settling so I can see just what my life looks like. Hopefully, it will be with my sister in one house, my mother in another, and finally me with my little bachelor cottage creating new memories to replace the old ones that have helped to make me a little out of sorts today - as if you hadn't noticed.

Psychosomatic Wit Makes Endorsement

NEWS FLASH is basically news or thoughts that may be changing over time - an update or an evolution of thought that covers a multiple of topics. It is what makes a blogger tick and it is the reason why we read. So, with that in mind, I came up with NEWS FLASH as an acronym that stands for what is going on in life:

News (or current events)
Entertainment (movies, TV, celebrity, etc.)
Writing (thoughts on the blog(s) or other writing projects)
Spirit (thoughts on God and/or the supernatural)
Family (or friends)
Love
Anxiety (a rant or a trouble)
Sports (also considered should be contests, reality TV, recreation, cards, games), and
Home (house, yard, or even another family type of thought.
___________________________________________________________________

NEWS - As many of you know, in the primary elections, I endorsed Hilary Clinton. I still believe that Clinton would have made a good president, but that is not possible now. However, unlike the primary election where the positions of the main candidates were not that far apart, between the choices of John McCain and Barack Obama, there is a stark difference.

We can whittle down all the sound bytes all we want to, but the most GLOWING thing about this choice is change. Ronald Reagan swept into office in 1980 with basically one question that he asked the voters, "Are you better off today, than you were four years ago?" The question was a resounding "no" and Reagan handily defeated the incumbent Jimmy Carter. The people that have kept up with my blog know that I believe that George W. Bush could be the worst president that the US has ever had. He has failed in every major front that we have faced for the past eight years. To review, you can review that post here.

I realize and John McCain has tried to drive this point home more lately, that McCain is not Bush. However, by his own admission, he has voted for Bush policies 90% of the time. I can't live with that.

So, does this mean that I am endorsing Obama because he is the lesser of two evils? No. I was hard on Obama in the primaries. I primarily attacked his lack of experience. I still feel as though he doesn't have as much experience as I am usually comfortable with. However, I have witnessed him during this campaign season. He has been calm and even comforting in some very heated moments. He does not get frazzled. His campaign has been the most funded and best organized in history.

He is fresh and has clear vision. I agree with proposals about improving education and giving more people an opportunity to attend college through service. I believe that his view of giving breaks to those hurting makes much more sense than trickle down economics. Greed is prevalent in our society so a lot of powerful people that benefit from that philosophy just do not let it trickle down to the folks. His view of military action is much more appealing and realistic than the mongering we have witnessed over the past eight years (which is also vehemently championed by McCain). I am just not so sure that we can survive another term with this kind of leadership.

Psychosomatic Wit enthusiastically endorses Barack Obama for president. I know of no one that is better off today than they were four or eight years ago. If Obama handles the country in any way close to the way he handles a campaign, he will be one for the ages. If his inexperience causes him to make a few mistakes, we will still be ahead of the game considering the alternative.

The Rest of the NEWSFLASH will be added later.