Amusing Ourselves to Death; Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman; 2005 (20th Anniversary Edition); Penguin Books, New York; 184 pages; 0-14-303-653-X; 7/20-7/31

The problem , in any case, does not reside in what people watch. The problem is in that we watch. The solution must be found in how we watch. For I believe it may fairly be said that we have yet to learn what television is.

Neil Postman wrote this in 1985 about the dangers of politics, religion and news becoming show business. News, religion and politics are all about sound bites, and irrelevance, out of context. Postman is not voicing the concern that TV is bad, it provides entertainment for us, but the technology of TV reduces news, religion and politics to a lowest common denominator. An interesting book for those who believe that most of what passes for news, politics and religion on TV is not what it purports to be. RRRR

When we moved to La Palma, CA I guess that I planted a tree in one corner of our back yard. Everything grew great in that back yard because La Palma used to be called Dairyland, as a matter of fact from our front door you could still see dairies. Mom grew tomato plants that were six feet tall, every-time I mowed during the summer I was getting watermelon vines. We would spit our seeds in the grass and they would start to grow right away. The houses were close together sideways but each house had a good size back yard surrounded by cinder block walls.  I think I had to wear shoes because I was using a shovel.  I used to be a thin little guy, it is a lot harder to take the poundage off than it is to put it on.

Barefoot, check, hat,check, I am just missing a book.  I guess we got our first horse when we lived in Hawaii. It stayed with our family for quite a while I seem to remember seeing it in the garage when we lived in Eugene, while I was in High School. I think the only other horse I have ever owned is the one I won at Green Oaks boys ranch for first place in Scripture memorization. I rode horses with my Uncle Jim, who broke horses for awhile, he is the cowboy in the family. I also rode horses while I worked at Young Lifes’ Woodleaf, which was one of the best things about working there other than the friends I made there. I was 21 when I worked as the gardener there, and I it was the first time that I felt accepted by a whole group for who I was, just as I was. Hi Marcan, Andre, Kris, Vicki, Sue, Linda, Cathy, Cathy, Denny and all the rest of you. Some day we will all join our pal Randy Millar with the father in heaven.

There are three things that I have evidently always liked, one is going barefoot, two is reading and three is wearing hats.  Although now I wear them so that I am able to see while I am walking.  My guess is that I am wearing one of my Dad’s dixie cups.  Last time I counted and got rid of some hats, I believe I have about 50 hats.  Most of them are San Diego Padres hats, with a fair number of OSU and Portland Beavers hats and lots of hats that are meaningful.  Probably the most meaningful is my Fellowship of Pirates hat, we had them made for our fellowship group, which are some of our closest friends Jim & Marilyn Weisenburg, Gregg & Renee Naslund, Barry & Denise Capps, Peter & Leslie Gould and Chris & Libby Salter.  A more lovable bunch of people I have never met.

One of my all time favorite songs is I love to Laugh from Walt Disneys’ Mary Poppins. I wish that when I laughed I levitated like they do in that scene. I love to laugh and my sons make me do that on a regular basis as the are among the wittest people I have ever met. It will be a lot quieter around here when they move out, but I put my foot in my mouth enough that at least Ruth Ann will have something to laugh at.