...romantic interludes.

I'm leaving for Scotland in a few hours. With two back-packs. Filled to the brim. With clothes. With material possessions. And my intent is to return with a far lighter load. To leave behind my material abundance. I have far too many clothes. Too many shirts. Too many sweaters. Too many jackets. Too many shoes. Too many of so many things. When love will suffice. That's really the crux of what I need. That, and good health. That's the source of happiness. Makes one a romantic idealist. A free-thinker. A liberal. And a lover. Makes it possible for me to fill my life with romantic interludes. --Jim Broede

...treating our enemy humanely.

Dick Cheney. Jerk. Defender of torture. Yes, Cheney defended torture today because it got 'enemy combatants' to talk. To give up valuable information. Well, Cheney and I part company. There's no justifiable reason to use torture. Even on your worst enemy. I want torture to be un-American. But Cheney says it's all right to torture people in the name of protecting America. In doing what's best for America. Seems to me that's playing into the hands of terrorists. Adopting their tactics. And in the process, we become despicable. We become just as nasty as the terrorist. We should be setting the proper example. By even treating our worst enemy humanely. --Jim Broede

Let's be sociable to socialists.

If he weren't so funny, I'd call Republican Newt Gingrich an idiot and hypocrite. I just can't take him too seriously. He's criticized Barack Obama for shaking the hand of Venezuela president Hugo Chavez. That it isn't right and proper to be cordial to Chavez because of his criticism of the U.S. Heck, if Gingrich can criticize our own president Obama, why can't Chavez hurl epithets at the U.S.? Are only fellow Americans allowed to castigate America? Anyway, I'd like to see America cultivate better relations with Venezuela and a whole bunch of other leftist and socialist-leaning governments. Let's start by being sociable to socialists. --Jim Broede

Let's give relief to care-givers.

I'd like to see caregiver relief societies formed across the world. Vounteers who would relieve exhausted care-givers. Many of 'em 24/7 care-givers who seldom get respite. They go and go and go. Some break down. And die before their patients. Really, turns out that many care-givers need care-giving themselves. And many of 'em feel trapped. No place to go. Some are the equivalent of saints. But others can't help themselves. And they may very well do harm to their patients. To their loved ones. Because they are stressed. Tired. Depressed. Often, all they need is a few hours of relief. A day or two off. Indeed, it's a serious problem. One that I think goes largely unrecognized. Unless one has lived through it. I know many Alzheimer care-givers. I was one. For 13 years. Many people shun Alzheimer patients. They'll visit friends with physical ailments. But Alzheimer's and mental disorders make so many of us uncomfortable. We consciously try to stay away. It's so upsetting. But if anyone needs tender loving care and understanding, it's an Alzheimer patient. Same goes for the care-givers. Especially the ones that hardly ever get relief. --Jim Broede

We Americans did the right thing.

I watched a Barack Obama press conference tonight. And I marvel. At his intelligence. Oh, how nice to have an intelligent president for a change. Articulate. Well-read. Informed. I trust this guy. He makes sense. He's open-minded. Fair. Listens. Many politicians are just that -- politicians. Lacking intelligence. Inarticulate. Ill-informed. Close-minded. Yes, we Americans did the right thing at the last election. --Jim Broede

...on a romantic interlude.

I don’t take vacations any more. Instead, I take romantic interludes. That’s a good sign. Yes, I’m in love. So, if I don’t post in my broodings for a week or two – well, I’m on a romantic interlude. Most likely in Paradise. At first, I was considering a rendezvous in Prague. Then the north of Italy near the French border. Then Wales. Oh, the planning. That’s the nice part of it. So many places I’d like to go. Well, finally, we’ve decided on Scotland. Edinburgh and Inverness and the Isle of Skye. –Jim Broede

Try it. You'll like it.

You know, we're all fools. The thing is, I don't mind being a fool. And I know I'm a fool. And the funniest thing of all is that some fools don't even know they are fools. We don't know unless we look at ourselves. I know what I'm doing. Being a fool. Because it comes naturally. I want to be me. And that's what I happen to be -- a fool. Only a fool can fall in love. Because a fool doesn't play it safe. A fool does what to others seems outlandish. Believe me, it feels good being a fool. Try it. You'll like it. --Jim Broede

This woman needs help.

Believe me, this blog attracts all kinds. For instance, I have this anonymous woman who keeps writing to me. She tells me in writing that she thinks I’m a demon who needs psychiatric help. And she wants me to allow her to make her case in the comments section. Yes, in my own blog. She’s never met me, as far as I know. And here she wants to get very personal and denigrate my character. She must be nuts. After all, a normal person, it seems to me, would just write me off. Forget me. And get on with her life. Her motive must be to publicly expose me as a demon. Or to get me fixed. Make me a better person. You’d think she would have better things to do. Such as getting psychiatric help herself. Rather than pursuing this unhealthy obsession with me. Of course, if she wants to identify herself, she can have her say. Right here. Then it may be possible to get her help. --Jim Broede

...funny without even knowing it.

When a guy is opinionated, he's likely to ruffle feathers. Makes people downright annoyed. Yes, even angry. But think about it. It's not the opionionated guy that triggers the anger. It's really the person who becomes angry. Everybody has a choice. In my younger days, I used to become somewhat annoyed or angry. I don't do that any more. I see the funny side of opinionated people. Therefore, no annoyance, no anger on my part. Besides, I'm opinionated. So I try to be tolerant of opinionated people. We have something in common. We're both rather brash. I can listen to a pundit such as Rush Limberger, for instance, and have a rollicking good time. I laugh heartily. He's entertaining. Stupid, too. But entertaining. Stupid people are very funny. Especially stupid conservatives. Oh, there are smart, intelligent conservatives, too. But the stupid ones -- well, they often are funny without even knowing it. --Jim Broede

Ask him if that ain't torture.

George Bush authorized repeated waterboarding (drowning); stress positions; slamming a prisoner’s head repeatedly against a wall by the collar; 180 hours straight of sleep deprivation while on a “calorie-restricted diet” and in shackles; and being locked in a tiny “confinement box” with insects crawling around.

And he said that ain't torture.

Well, I don't buy that. And the World Court wouldn't buy it either.

I'd like to see Bush indicted for war crimes. And if he doesn't confess -- well, let him be subjected to all of the above. Then let's ask him if that ain't torture. --Jim Broede

Keen awareness.

I like people who tend to like themselves. People who feel comfortable in their own skins. That seems to make them generally happy people. They are congenial. And rarely do they lapse into depression. Oh, they may have down days, down times. But they always bounce back. Could be because they find solace and comfort within themselves. I find that significant numbers of people in depression really don’t like themselves. I concede that may be due, in part, to a chemical imbalance. A physical thing that affects their mood. And maybe sometimes the imbalance is self-inflicted. By a drug. Such as alcohol. Also, life circumstances can play a role. Events. Fate. A ravaging disease. Or an unhappy love affair. Or the utter lack of love. Desperate loneliness. Anyway, I know people who have all kinds of things going wrong in their lives. But they still avoid depression. And the key always seems to be that they like themselves. They are able to fall back upon themselves. To dig deep within. And feel blessed. Maybe by the grace of the creator. It’s as if they are in love. Not only with themselves. But with life, period. The self-love, I suppose, could be construed as egocentric. But I call it confidence. The love of existence. The love of consciousness. Keen awareness. –Jim Broede

I'm able to contain my ego.

I think that in some ways I'm egocentric. Because I put a lot of emphasis on the individual. The ability of the individual to control his own destiny. To create his own reality. In so many, many ways. And to control his attitude. But on the other hand, from a political point of view, I'm for a society that serves the common good. Yes, at some point, we have to put restraints on the interests of the individual in order to best serve the whole of society. I'd make a good socialist. And I'd tend to denigrate the greedy capitalist. I'm outspoken on political, social and economic issues. Which might make me seem a bit egocentric...and not so humble. But really, I'm able to contain my ego. --Jim Broede

We'll never know it all.

We're living in the Dark Ages. A time when we know so little. I'm convinced of it. In another 1,000 or 2,000 years, the history books will portray us as rather ignorant. Relatively speaking. Civilization will be far more advanced. More knowledgeable. Just as we look back now to 2,000 years ago. Sure, we've come a long way since then. But we have a long way to go. Think of the discoveries made over time. And there must be so many more to come. For instance, I heard a theoretical physicist today talk about the possibility of being able to travel faster than the speed of light. Or better yet, by using anti-matter to bring other distant worlds closer to us. Yes, in a sense, pulling them our way. Think of it this way. Rather than crossing a room to fetch an object, we'd make the object move to us. Without us having to move. And to use light in a way that makes us invisible. And to devise ways to enter a parallel universe. All this sounds like science fiction. But who would have guessed 2,000 years ago that we'd land men on the moon or be exploring Mars with robots that send back pictures? Wouldn't surprise me if by the year 3,000 we've colonized the moon and Mars. Made environmentally hostile worlds habitable. But even then, that shining future era will some day be looked at as another Dark Age. Because we earthlings will keep learning more and more and more. We'll never know it all. Which isn't such a bad thought. --Jim Broede

People with guns kill people.

The pro-gun element tell me that people kill people. That guns don't kill people. Well, that's a technicality. Yes, people kill people. Often, with guns. Too often. People kill people, too, with bombs. And with nuclear weapons. That's why we try to stop the proliferation of weapons. Makes sense, doesn't it? If we don't have bombs to drop, then maybe we won't drop bombs. Some nations also are trying to eliminate land mines. People use land mines to maim and kill people. So how do we solve that problem? We do away with land mines. Yes, a very practical solution. We aren't gonna ever do away with guns. But we can do a better job of gun control and regulation. And that may help. Maybe it'll even reduce the number of gun deaths. --Jim Broede

Now we need the fix. Socialism.

I know that American conservatives bemoan the thought that America may be saved by socialism. It's difficult for them to admit that American-style capitalism isn't good enough. Mostly because of the greed factor. Too many capitalists can't help themselves. They need to exploit. For their own personal gain. Rather than for the benefit of society as a whole. For the common good. It's thought that what's good for the individual, is good for society. And that ain't so. Because capitalism tends to create an ever-widening division between the haves and the have-nots. Between the rich and the poor. Some Americans are finally waking up to the fact that we need a blend of the best of socialism and the best of capitalism. We need a well-regulated economy. We need to provide every American with the basic necessities of life. And you do that primarily with socialist programs. The selfish capitalist has long wailed against socialism. Because it puts too many limitations on capitalists. Too many regulations. But when we have lax regulations and lax enforcement -- well, we get what we have today. A distastrous economy. Now we need the fix. Socialism. --Jim Broede

A new American dream.

Seems to me that Barack Obama wants to fix the big problem. Not just patch it. The problem is the economy. It's on the verge of collapse. And all the Republicans would do is cut taxes. Everybody's taxes. And put a freeze on spending. And that's a sure way to wreck America. Oh, a few people would survive. The rich. The very rich. As for the rest of us, we'd just have to scrape for a living. But Obama is the smartest professor I've seen in a long time. He has a remarkable grasp of what needs be done. We've got to spend money like it's going out of style. Yes, fix the system. The entire system. Revitalize the economy by spending. By creating jobs. By creating programs that bring the basic necessities to everyone. In the process, the wealth of the nation has to be redistributed. So that there's a much smaller gap between the rich and the poor. Yes, the common good has to be served. Means some degree of democratic socialism. Mixed with the best, most humane parts of capitalism. We have to exorcise greed from the American soul. And make our wealth a collective sort of thing. Shared. With religious fervor. We must find ways to meet everyone's needs. No more billionaires. And fewer millionaires. No more people who horde the wealth. I see it now. Off on the distant horizon. A new American dream. --Jim Broede

Maybe I'm entering Paradise.

Some nights I almost fall asleep at my computer. That ain't all bad. It's really because I'm so relaxed. Writing pleasant thoughts. I often noticed when I'm on vacation, I tend to be sleepy early in the evening, too. More sleepy than usual. And I suspect it's because I'm so relaxed. Even when I go walking, I get sleepy on occasion. That's what relaxation does to me. Puts me into sort of a hypnotic trance. I close my eyes. I drift. I begin to feel weightless. Almost like an out-of-body experience. Maybe I'm entering Paradise. --Jim Broede

Without having to go to war.

My gawd. I saw the startling statistic today. Since Sept. 11, 2001, nearly 120,000 Americans have been killed in non-terror violence. Mostly, with guns. Something like one every 17 minutes. This is a violent nation. Always has been. So many Americans cherish the right to bear arms. We're armed to the hilt. And nowadays, even elderly grandmas carry around AK-47s. Yes, machine guns. And many states allow us to carry concealed weapons. Now many churches post notices to leave your guns outside. But still, we have shootings in churches, in schools. All over. Think of all the shootings you've read about in the past week. The 13 killed by a crazed gunman in an immigration center. And a father killing his five children. Yet, more and more people are buying guns. To protect themselves, they say. From other gun owners. Maybe this is the way to end war. We can kill each other. Without having to go to war. -- Jim Broede

Makes me a happier American.

I keep paying my taxes every year. But I don't feel I'm overtaxed. However, I feel a bit underserved. I'd like more social security. More Medicare coverage. A better prescription drug program. And socialized medicine. But hey, I take what I can get. Preferably, more socialism. I notice some conservative Republicans are claiming Americans are overtaxed. But hey, 95 percent of us are supposed to get a tax reduction this year. Thanks to Barack Obama's tax plan. Of course, the 5 percent with the biggest incomes will be getting a tax increase. But that doesn't bother me. After all, they can afford it. Makes me a happier American when I see the rich being asked to pay more. --Jim Broede

My calling...my purpose.

When I am most in love, I have an extraordinarily high comfort level. Peace of mind. Maybe it’s because I’m living in the moment. I’m not getting ahead of myself. Not thinking about tomorrow. In other words, I’m getting the most pleasure out of love. The ultimate pleasure. Complete fulfillment. That makes me feel like it’s unconditional love. Because that’s what I can say it is today. Can’t be sure about tomorrow. Because tomorrow isn’t here yet. I can’t even be absolutely sure that tomorrow will arrive. I like living this way. Being in love today. Actually, for many, many consecutive days now. I suppose that means the prospects for tomorrow are good. After all, I appear to be in a groove. I remember the day it happened. The day I found my groove. It was Oct. 25, 2007. The spark of love was lit that day. And it has sparkled ever since. Maybe it was a blessing. From heaven. From paradise. From the guiding spirits. Doesn’t matter. I’ll accept it. Wherever it came from. Gives me reason to be thankful. Grateful. To be in love. That’s why I was put on Earth. To be a lover. To feel love. To give love. And to do it one day at a time. That’s my calling…my purpose. –Jim Broede

Not getting ahead of one's self.

I find it hard to grieve when someone dies in their 80s or 90s, let alone 100. Guess I figure they've lived a long life. Oh, I wish we humans could live to be 200 or even 1,000. But ain't gonna happen in the foreseeable future. I know people lament when their mom or dad dies of Alzheimer's and other diseases that primarily strike the aged. But death is inevitable. It's a fact of life. Nobody escapes it. The sad thing is when life gets snuffed out almost before it begins. In one's youth. Seems to me the older I get, the more I appreciate life. Because I've had time to learn how to live. Moreorless one day at a time. Savoring it. Maybe it helps to know that time is running out. Some may say that's a depressing thought. But doesn't have to be. Just by focusing on now. Not getting ahead of one's self. --Jim Broede

Life doesn't seem like work.

Baseball is full of mistakes. Errors. Physical errors. Mental errors. And oh, so much failure. Even the best hitters get hits only about one-third of the time. So many, many times they don't reach base. And it's also very much a game of chance. A good swing and a hard hit ball doesn't guarantee a hit. Unless it's out of reach of a fielder. And a game can have so many turning points. And heartbreak. On Friday, my Chicago Cubs blew a ninth-inning lead, and lost. But tonight, the Cubs rallied for two runs in the 9th and came from behind to win. And a baseball season is long. Some 162 games, plus the playoffs for the best teams. I've always been enamored with baseball. It reminds me so much of life. Ups and downs. Good games. And bad games. Success and failure. But it's the record over the long haul that counts. And there's a game to play almost every day. If I had the skill, I would have enjoyed making my living as a professional baseball player. Yes, playing a game. Beats working. But then, I'm not sure that I ever worked. I'm playing the game of life. And that doesn't seem like work. --Jim Broede

...to love the imperfections of life.

I suspect some of the unhappiest people in the world are would-be perfectionists. Some of ‘em try too hard. To achieve perfection. And they fall short. My mother was that kind. She wanted too many things in life to be perfect. Such as her household. Her living environs. She worked hard to achieve some semblance of perfection. But that left her exhausted. She was driven. Right up to the day she died. Mother always thought that she’d achieve perfection tomorrow. So she spent so much of today preparing for a tomorrow that never quite arrived. And in the process, she didn’t fully enjoy today, or so it seemed. I think it drove mom into depression. Into a sense of failure. For not being perfect. Mom probably wanted her three children to be perfect, too. And her husbands. Mom tried to set a standard. I suppose mom reached me. Taught me something. And that was to settle for less than perfection. Instead, the goal was to be happy. Mom wasn’t happy. Nor was dad, as evidenced by his suicide. See, what they taught me was to not fully follow in their footsteps. Into depression. And unhappiness. I found my own path. To happiness. To love of life. Even to love the imperfections of life. –Jim Broede

Beats dying young.

He was 22. With a bright future in baseball. A rookie with the California Angels. Just pitched 6 shutout innings in his debut the other night. He must have felt ebulient. On his way home after the game. And now he's dead. Killed in an automobile accident. By a suspected drunk driver. Yes, I think this is the worst way to die. When still young. It would have been much better if he could have lived into his 80s. And maybe died of Alzheimer's disease. Which, by the way, isn't a good way to die, either. Really, there's no good way. But if I had the opportunity to choose -- well, I'd take dying old. Beats dying young. --Jim Broede

Becoming an advanced civilization.

I'm trying to learn to live ahead of my time. By asking myself what will be the right thing at some point in the future. We are always living in time when what's right today will be wrong tomorrow. For instance, it used to be considered morally all right to base our economy, in large part, on slave labor. And to deny women equal rights. And to live in a racially segregated society. But we eventually became enlightened. We learned that what we were doing was horribly wrong. Fortunately, we're always in a period of transition. Correcting our wrongs. Maybe we are in the beginning of the throes of scuttling the American capitalist system for something far better. Maybe for an alternative system that narrows the gap between the rich and the poor, between the haves and the have-nots. And we're also moving in the direction of allowing homosexuals to be married to each other. And to eliminate capital punishment. And way, way ahead in the distant future, we also may find a way to eliminate war. That will make us one of the more advanced civilizations in the cosmos. --Jim Broede

...how they should be treated.

As I see it, piracy is piracy. A crime. And that's how it's to be dealt with. Not by declaring war against the alleged pirates. One way or another, you capture 'em. You bring 'em to justice. And you give 'em a fair trial. No need to go to war over acts of piracy. Seems to me that we Americans make a big mistake in confusing criminals with 'enemy combatants.' The 911 atrocity, for instance, was conducted by a handful (19) of criminals. Not by soldiers or combatants. If 19 Mafia-connected thugs had committed the same act, we wouldn't go to war, would we? We'd crack down on the Mafia. And we wouldn't declare war on Italy if we thought Italy wasn't doing enough to stamp out the Mafia. Instead, it'd make more sense to take a world-wide policing action against Mafia criminals. Not a war. Not an invasion of Italy. I think we're waking up. Seems to me that the Obama administration isn't calling it a war on terror any more. So-called 'terrorists' are criminals, really. So are the pirates. And that's how they should be treated. --Jim Broede

Now it's Barack Obama, superman.

Let's hope that Barack Obama is superman. Some political observers think he's trying to do too much. To accomplish far too many things during his first year in office. But I suspect Obama sees a big picture. That America is in a mess. A big mess. And it's gonna take a major overhaul to get us out of the morass created by the Bush administration and the conservative Republicans. The GOP doesn't have a clue. The conservatives are still living in the 20th century, and they're descending so fast they could bottom out somewhere in the 19th century. Time has passed 'em by. Thank gawd, they're an ever-shrinking minority. A bunch of obstructionists. Fortunately, in the toughest of times in America, we have a tradition of an outstanding president coming to the fore. Yes, Abraham Lincoln came to the rescue. And then it was FDR. Now it's superman. Barack Obama. --Jim Broede

...time to smell the daisies.

I like to guard against overload. Trying to do too much. Because I know my limits. If I take on too many projects, I may screw up. Make mistakes. Blunders. I remember when I was a 24/7 care-giver for dear Jeanne. I was spread too thin. Didn't do me any good, Didn't do Jeanne any good. But when Jeanne went into the nursing home, I became an 8-10 hour a day care-giver. That I could handle. It wasn't too much. I benefited. Jeanne benefited. I see so many people who try to do too much. Maybe their mission is to become saints. Ain't gonna happen. Even when I was working full-time as a writer, I too often took on too many assignments. I tried to write too many stories. Could be that affected the quality of some stories. Negatively. Yes, there's such a thing as trying to live life too fast. But I've learned. Now I tend to err in favor of going a little too slow. Yes, I like living in slow motion. So I have time to smell the daisies. --Jim Broede

Long live Fidel Castro!

One of my heroes is Fidel Castro. He's a remarkable man. Transformed Cuba into a nice socialist country. Threw off the shackles of capitalism. Got Cuba's priorities straight. Narrowed the gap between the rich and poor. Introduced socialized medicine. Of course, that didn't make exploitive capitalists very happy. They've been trying to make it tough for Castro. But he's withstood it. And finally I think many Americans are beginning to recognize that our policy toward Cuba has been shameful. Castro is a decent man. Dedicated to a society that tries to serve the common good. Rather than just the rich. Long live Fidel Castro! --Jim Broede

The making of a sore loser.

Outside of Minnesota, many of you may not have heard of Norm Coleman. Well, he's a former U.S. senator from our state. And now he's becoming a sore and bitter loser. Because he appears to have lost his senate seat to, of all people, a comedian and satirist. Yes, Al Franken, who's also a Democrat and a liberal. An annoying kind of liberal to the likes of Coleman. Coleman is acting just like a Republican. An obstructionist. It gnaws at Coleman's gut that he's lost the election by about 300 votes, out of almost 3 million cast on election day last November. A statewide recount and scrutiny by a three-judge panel (which includes two Republicans) has upheld Franken's narrow lead. And it certainly looks like Franken will be declared the winner. And be seated. Some day. But if Coleman has his druthers, he'll delay the inevitable as long as he can. With appeals. To the Minnesota Supreme Court. And even to the U.S. Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Minnesota is operating with only one instead of the customary two senators. And here we are, five months and counting after the election. And that could be the case maybe until this summer. Unless Coleman decides to become a gracious loser. I'm not holding my breath for that. Actually, it wouldn't surprise me if Coleman continues his appeal all the way to the World Court, and maybe even to god almighty himself. Even if that means Minnesota may have to operate with one senator forever. --Jim Broede

We could do better.

We've been brought up in America with notions. Weird notions. Of right and wrong. Such as socialism is bad. Well, it ain't always bad. Few of us would want to eliminate social security. That's socialism. Good socialism. Some of us also believe that America can do no wrong. Well, that's stupid. Ain't so. Every nation. Every being. Does some wrong. Best thing is to recognize it. And then do something about it. So many of us also have the notion that capitalism is good. Yes, some of it is dandy. But also, it goes awry. When greed takes over. As we're so rudely learning as we analyze the sad state of the economy. Also, some of us bellow, love America or leave it. That's utterly stupid. The true patriot tries to fix what's wrong with America. Often, we can't agree on the fix, or even over what's wrong. But that's all right. Let's talk about it. We still have freedom of speech. Don't we? Or is that going, too? Looks like we have freedom to bear arms. Each and every one of us. Even machine guns. To protect ourselves from perceived enemies. So apparently we still have the freedom to feel paranoia. But then I suggest we get a decent health care system. Maybe with the help of socialized medicine. To treat the paranoia. Then there's the weird notion that our two party political system is a blessing. When really, it's gawd awful. We don't have enough diversity, enough give and take in the realm of politics, economics and social matters. We're too static. Our constitution could be modernized. After all, it was adopted in the 18th century. When times were quite different. Maybe we should have a constitutional convention every now and then. But we have a weird notion that the writers of our constitution were so smart, so perceptive that they could create a document that would last forever. That's foolish. Nonsense. Times change. The world changes. Our constitution and form of government was good for its time. But we could do better. --Jim Broede

...beyond pistol-packing mamas.

We're running low on ammunition in America. Just ask the gun dealers. People are buying guns and ammunition, they say, because of fears that Barack Obama will push for severe regulations on firearms and ammo. One dealer told of a 69-year-old grandma who bought a lifetime supply of ammo for her AK-47. Essentially, a machine gun. Just in case there's trouble in her neighborhood, she wants to be able to mow 'em down. Maybe it's time to change America's national anthem to 'Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition.' Now there's a song that sends chills up and down my spine. We all could take off our hats and pull out our concealed weapons and fire 'em into the sky at ball games. I've been hearing some conservative commentators urging folks to become armed just in case America becomes a socialist country. That we'll need an armed revolution to take back our government. Imagine that. The armed loonies taking to the streets. And we thought the early days of our Wild West were a bit wild and wooly. That was pretty tame stuff. Wait till the grandmas with AK-47s come out shooting. My gawd. We've even gone beyond mere pistol-packing mamas. --Jim Broede

Oh, so laughable.

Must be difficult for Barack Obama. Having to deal with a war he's never supported. But now that he's president, he has to support to some degree. Until we get our troops out. Obama sneaked into Baghdad today. For a few hours. In part, to show support for the troops. And to award 10 medals for valor. Obama has inherited a war and a sagging economy. Very difficult challenges. Most Americans are pulling for him to succeed. To get us out of these messes. But we Americans are made up of all kinds. Some who actually want Obama to fail. Because they think he's a socialist. Fact of the matter, there's something good about socialism. Such as social security. One of the nicest, most meaningful programs ever adopted by our government. And next we may be blessed with socialized medicine. Yes, finally the common good will be served. Not just the rich elite. Of course, this is time for the rich to wring their hands. To lament. To decry the socialist peril. Oh, so laughable. --Jim Broede

We mortals...always a bit short.

Many blogs, it seems to me, are essentially journals. Often, daily journals. I think that's what 'broodings' has become. I'm sharing my journal. Making it public. Made something like 1,300 entries since it started. I allow for comments, too. Unless they get too derogatory. Too hateful. Because I'm just being me. And it's up to me to censor the distasteful stuff. Oh, I allow some of it. But at some point I cut it off. Maybe because I like myself. That's very important in life. Makes for a healthy, positive life. As for people who dislike themselves -- well, that's not good. Makes for an unhappy life. Oh, there are some people I don't particularly like. Still, I try to find something good about everyone. Even Josef Stalin and Hitler. They weren't totally bad people. Maybe just 90 percent bad. And even the best of people -- actual saints -- aren't perfect. Far from it. We all have our faults. I could be nicer to people, for instance. I could be kinder. More compassionate. More understanding. Sometimes my words are biting. I try to be reasonably truthful. And that can hurt. I also try to be reasonably intelligent. But sometimes, I'm plain stupid. Ignorant. I can't help it. That's what I am. Idiocy is ingrained in me. But I'm trying to learn. To become a better and smarter being. But it takes time. And effort. Unfortunately, we mortals always come up a bit short. --Jim Broede

It seems like forever.

The more I read psychology and philosophy, the more I understand that I have to become my own psychologist and philosopher. Nobody has the answers. Other than me. I have to find my own answers. The ones that fit me. Answers groomed to make me happy. And fulfilled. Maybe I borrow a little bit of psychology and philosophy here and there. A conglomeration. But in the end, I am what I am. And I learn to accept that. I am a romantic idealist, a free-thinker, a liberal and a lover. And yes, maybe I deceive myself and I'm really not any of the above. If that's so, then I'm deceived. But still, I feel like a romantic idealist, a free-thinker, a liberal and a lover. It's my reality. Guess I've spent a lifetime trying to figure things out. And I keep coming to somewhat shifting conclusions. Because I'm constantly evolving. Fine-tuning. I'm never static. I don't have to know exactly where I am on a given day. Rather, I just have to feel comfortable with myself and reasonably comfortable with the world in which I live. It all seems to come together on days that I recognize that I am genuinely in love. It's been a long time. I can't remember exactly how long ago I wasn't in love. With somebody or something. It seems like forever. --Jim Broede

What a difference.

Barack Obama's popularity is sweeping across Europe. From Great Britain to France to Germany. Very nice, indeed. When Obama showed up at 10 Downing Street in London, for a visit with prime minister Gordon Brown, he shook the hand of the bobby (policeman) on duty at the entrance. And looked him in the eye. Visitors don't customarily do that. But with Obama, there's no class divide. He mixes with everyone. So does the first lady, Michele Obama. She went to a girls school in London, and mixed with the thrilled girls, many of 'em black minorities. And she gave a stirring, heartfelt speech. My oh my, what a difference a change in the presidency has wrought. No more George Bush. No more arrogance. Europeans are liking us again. Almost feels like Obama could be elected president of Europe. --Jim Broede

'Take your time.'

I keep telling myself, slow down. Especially when I have lots to do. No reason to hurry through life. Oh, I spent so much time living fast. Meeting deadlines. Being in a hurry. That's why, if I had to start life over, I'd never go into newspaper writing. Especially covering breaking news. It was go, go, go. Life wasn't meant to be lived fast. It's supposed to be slow and leisurely. Savored. Hurrying through life is no way to savor it. I don't want to speed down a road. I'd rather go slow. Take in the scenery. And making love. It's a sin to make fast love. A gawd-awful sin. The worst kind of sin. Love should be slow. Dragged out. Into eternity. It should be an unending endeavor. Pleasure was meant to last. Not to be over within a few minutes. When I take my good-natured time, I can ask myself, 'Am I doing this right? Can I do this better?' If I have time. I can avoid failure. Avoid mistakes. Because I can say I am feeling my way. I am in the process of learning. Discovering. When we hurry, we tend also to put pressure on others to hurry. Not nice. Instead, we should keep repeating to ourselves, 'Take your time. Take your time. Take your time.' --Jim Broede

He tells me I ain't the boss.

I talk to animals. Daily. Namely, with my two cats. Loverboy. And Chenuska. Most of my gab sessions are with Loverboy. He talks to me, too. I'm not kidding. He makes chirping sounds. His language. I pretend I know what he's saying. I reply. And maybe he pretends to know what I'm saying. Loverboy wakes me in the morning. By pawing my face with his declawed paws. Tells me it's time to get up. And to feed him. I generally put him off for a while. But Loverboy is persistent. And later in the morning when I make the bed, he's there to help. Really, he just watches. And waits. He knows what I'm gonna do as soon as the bed is made. I'm gonna take a string. And pull it across the bedspread. And Loverboy will pretend he's a mongoose. And that the string is a snake. So, Loverboy gets his exercise. Also, Loverboy has decided that I need supervision in the bathroom. Absolutely, no privacy. He'll pry open the door and come in and perch himself on the bathroom sink. If I'm taking a shower, he doesn't hesitate to come into the tub. Between the inner and outer shower curtains. That keeps him from getting wet. But it affords him an opportunity to take a drink. By the way, during all this activity, I'm conversing with Loverboy. I tell him to be careful, or he'll get wet. But he doesn't mind. He says a little water never killed a cat. Occasionally, in the wintertime, a mouse seeks refuge in the house. Loverboy automatically goes on mouse patrol. He comes trotting out with the mouse nestled in his mouth. Softly. Then he plays with the mouse. "I'm no killer," Loverboy tells me. I tell him, it's all right to kill a mouse. "No," he says, "that's your job. You're the killer." But I'm not. I eventually capture the mouse and put him outdoors. In the hope that he'll find refuge in a neighbor's house. Fortunately, I don't see the mouse again. But still, I reprimand Loverboy for being too kind. For not acting like a tough hombre in the presence of a mouse. He tells me I ain't the boss. --Jim Broede

What I mean by the 'easy life.'

I have the easy life. Always have, I suppose. Had a nice mother. And father. And step-father, too. A younger brother. And a younger sister, too. A good education. A nice tour with the army. In Europe. In peacetime. Had nice jobs. Writing for newspapers. A good and long marriage. I've lived long enough to retire. And I have the ability to travel. And I'm in love. So, overall, I've had the good life. Oh, I complain. About politics. And social and economic situations. About the state of the world. But it's nice to live in a country where I have free speech. And a reasonably comfortable and easy life. --Jim Broede

Feels good. That we're trusted.

When I was traveling recently, mostly in Arizona, at virtually every service station I had to pre-pay in order to pump gas. A sign, I guess, that there are dishonest people, who fill their tank and drive away without paying. But here at home, in Forest Lake in Minnesota, we never pre-pay. Maybe it's because it's a small town (population 15,000) and we're honest folks. I don't know for sure. But it feels good. That we're trusted. --Jim Broede

We don't get the facts straight.

I think life is full of misunderstandings. That's why we have wars. Disputes. Look at what got us into the war in Iraq for example. A colossal misunderstanding. We thought that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. He had nothing of the sort. So we went in. Captured Hussein. Sent him to the gallows. And meanwhile, we've pretty much destroyed the country. Sent thousands of young soldiers to death. Killed tens of thousands of civilians, including women and children. Yes, all because of a misunderstanding. Faulty information. But that's life. Little misunderstandings. Big misunderstandings. We all have people pissed at us. Or we're pissed at them. All because of trivial misunderstandings. Misinformation. Misguidance. Because we don't get the facts straight. --Jim Broede

I may have to live forever.

Another reason to be happy. The baseball season opens Monday. I love baseball. No, put it another way. I love the Chicago Cubs. It makes me feel good when they win a game. Not so good when they lose. But I've learned not to lament for long. I get over it. Quickly. Last season the Cubs lost 65 games. But they won 97. So I was happy most of the time. I became addicted to the Cubs when I was a kid. I can even remember listening to the Cubs playing in the World Series. That dates me. I was 10. And it was 1945. The last time the Cubs played in a World Series. They lost in 7 games to Detroit. Anyway, I want to live long enough to see the Cubs in another World Series. In other words, I may have to live forever. --Jim Broede

Very nice, indeed.

Ah, open water on much of Forest Lake. Not totally. There's still ice floating about. But in a day or two, we'll be clear of ice. And by mid-May, I'll be in swimming. And bathing. Not sure that I have a favorite season. They're all nice. But spring and summer -- well, it's the lake season. Time for the swimming suit. And the canoe. When I can walk without a jacket or sweater. Without a parka and a ski mask. Without boots. In Minnesota the temperature can range in one year from a sweltering 100 degrees to a frigid 30 degrees below zero. But most of the time, it's somewhere inbetween. Very nice, indeed. --Jim Broede

Makes me happy...and blessed.

We have a master of politics. In Barack Obama. In large part because of an unusual confluence. Obama had a white mother. And a black father. And he spent time growing up in a Muslim country. That's a remarkable blend. I suspect it helped Obama become a good communicator. To see life from highly varied perspectives. It goes to show how diversity is a good thing. Makes for a well-balanced individual. Also, Obama seems to have just the right blend of genes. A superior brain. A keen mind. I like to think all this is happening because -- well, maybe it's by the hand of the creator of the universe. It's meant to be. A blessing. I'm that sort. A romantic idealist. I believe in destiny. In a guiding hand. In transcendence. I'm a lover, too. Primarily a lover of life. But that's what permeates my soul. Love. Oh, there's no better feeling than to be in love. Makes life worthwhile. Makes me happy...and blessed. --Jim Broede

Just as seriously as George Bush.

Life is funny. Really. But often, people don't laugh enough. They refuse to see the funny side of life. Maybe that's another reason they go into depression. They're far too serious. Maybe that's why I've managed to stay out of depression. When I start to take myself too seriously, I begin to laugh. Because it's comical. I spout off. Right here. And sometimes, I sound as if I'm serious. I think that's hilarious. It's all right to take me both ways. When I'm funny, to take me seriously. And when I'm serious, to laugh. There'a a pardox here. I like to make jokes at funerals. Because that's a time to lighten up. And as you know, I'm no George Bush fan. But I have to admit that he was one of the funniest presidents we've ever had. That was his saving grace. When Bush was his most serious self, he was utterly laughable. Yes, Bush may go down as the worst president we've ever had. But let's give him credit for being a natural born stand-up comic. I should know. I'm a comedian, too. When I take myself just as seriously as George Bush. --Jim Broede

Americans are waking up.

Seems strange. I like the president of the United States. It's been such a long time since I could say that. Doesn't mean I like everything proposed by Barack Obama. But I trust the guy. He's intelligent. Seems honest and forthright. Open-minded. A good listener. Very articulate. And the polls show that he's popular. So many Americans and I see eye to eye when it comes to Obama. We like him. Admire him. Makes me in step with current political thinking. Of course, I'm happy to be rid of George Bush. In so many ways, he's just the opposite of Obama. His politics were rather stifling. Seems to me his policies and those of conservative Republicans triggered our economic crisis. They are still dragging their feet. Thankfully, they're in the minority. But still, they'd love to see Obama and the Democrats fail. Even if that meant hardship for most Americans. Because they want a situation that allows the rich to become richer, even at the expense of the lower and middle classes. Fortunately, Americans are waking up. They want policies that favor the common good. A narrowing of the gap between the rich and the poor. --Jim Broede

Enjoying life more than ever.

Lots of people would like to be young again. But not me. I'd rather be the me I am today at 73 than the me I was at 19. It's nice to have life experience. Makes me more whole. More with it. At 19, I would have been incapable of writing a love letter every night. I had not yet come close to grasping the concept of love. At 19, I was a political conservative. Very ignorant. Now I'm a liberal. In my younger days, I was a Christian. Now I'm a free-thinker. I'm much more independent today. Outspoken. Opinionated, to some extent. When I was young, I spent lots of time thinking about the future. Now I live pretty much one day at a time. Savoring many moments, each day. Of course, at 19, it's more likely that I had lived only a relatively small fraction of my life. Now, I have only a relatively small fraction left. But I'm enjoying life more than ever. --Jim Broede