Well , the TeaBagger death squad has decided , no more fucking around , if we can't keep them from getting health insurance , we'll have to starve them out . We'll shut down the government , except the part that pays Republican traitors and morons to ruin the American economy , starve out the poor and , what used to be , the middle class . Let's deny the necessities of life to children , the elderly , the veterans who fought to ensure the freedom to be elected by a "constituency" that you placate with lies and fear of "the other" . This is because the ACA would be a success if fully implemented and tweaked as we learn it's limitations . The Tea Party morons and cowards know this , and they know that you know it too , in spite of the bullshit and outright lies . If it was going to fail , they would be encouraging it all they could , anticipating failure of Obama's signature legislation . Then they could work to convince us that it wasn't really racism that motivated them , but honest concern for the American public . That would be , and is , the biggest lie they could tell , because if they say they disagree with Obama's policies , they really mean they don't like the color of his skin . He is wrong not because he isn't right , but because he isn't white . Until they admit this , there will never be a reason to trust them on anything .
  It might cause my own early demise , if I can't get the care I need , and have earned . Just so some arrogant cowardly imbecile can pat his concubine on the back and say , " We beat that n****r this time , hehehe . Now grab that large dusky sex toy and make my sphincter scream . "
   OK , this was more rant than commentary , but , man , who are the dipdribbles that elected these developmentally defective asslickers ? Does mental deficiency automatically qualify a person to be elected as a Republican ? If I find out , you will be among the first to know . Good Night and rest well , all .

  Several days of various activity , short sleep , old age , multiple medications , worry about upcoming medical procedures . End result , I've slept in my recliner off and on all day , and I'm still tired . Talk to you tomorrow . God Bless you all .

  This is the satellite photo of the West Union house we lived in . The 2 large trees left center are ones that were there when I was a child . Under each of those trees was a well with a hand pump . I love the technology that allows me to see and post this kind of stuff .

  Not too bad a day , disappointing breakfast at a place we'll avoid in the future , visiting friends and family after , grilling at home with friends this afternoon . Breezy , not terribly hot , brats , beans , 'tater salad and slaw . Very pleasant day over all . I love this time of year , the leaves changing , the nights getting cooler , the Earth preparing to nap for a while in our hemisphere . In about 6 months I will be feeling the same about the process reversing , the glorious rebirth of Spring .
  When everything goes smoothly , this kind of day , communication and contact with family , the calming influence of good friends and good food , I really don't have anything to roar or rant over , so I say to you , dear friends and readers , Good Evening , enjoy the rest of the weekend , hug your loved ones ( or random strangers if you prefer ) , think pleasant thoughts , and when you sleep , dream of your happy place , where bloggers like me don't use such disjointed run-on sentences as this . God Bless and Good Night ...
 

  At the old Crow school , as I've said previously , we had quite a large yard . In 1959 we bought a new WheelHorse  riding mower , with a 5 horsepower engine . By the time I was 5 , I could rope-start it , and began keeping the lawn mowed when I was allowed . It was about 2 acres of turf , with a gentle slope across the middle . In the fall , had to pick up hickory nuts before mowing or they could turn into painful missiles . Don't know how recent the satellite pictures are on google maps , but apparently someone has an ATV , they ruin grassy lawns . Oh , well , not my problem . More on this location at a later date , as it comes to me .
  A little tired , tonight , still adjusting to medication changes , have things to attend to tomorrow , so Good Night , and stay safe .

  I'm here , a late start which is nothing new . We are both , my wife and I , facing some medical issues to go along with our lack of income . As for my care , as a veteran I have access to some of the best health care available , through the Veteran's Administration . My wife is another story , even with little to no income , getting her treated anywhere is a blizzard of paperwork and bullshit . As far as Obamacare is concerned , from some friends comments , I don't know if Illinois is capable of implementing it correctly and saving people money . I know the ACA appears to be working well in other states , but Illinois "old boys club" of mostly Democratic lawmakers and their various and sundry toadies could screw up a crap sandwich , if we supplied both the crap and the bread . Waaaayy back when Repubs ran the show and seemed to do a good job , the insurance companies bought control of the Governor's mansion and both houses of government . To expect ethical behavior from elected officials and Big Insurance , in this state at least , is laughable . Most local pols don't start out to be "cronies" , but they eventually become pulled into the ranks of the maintainers of the status quo . I truly hoped this health care act would be "affordable" , but we will have to wait and see . As I said , it seems to be working well in many states where it is being implemented , saving citizens money , increasing their available choices , and stimulating growth in the insurance companies . I'm quite curious as to how well it will work in this carnival of corruption we call home .
  Well , I think I stayed quite cordial , for a rant . Tune in tomorrow , same time , same station . Take care .
, all , and try to be good to each other . God watch and keep you , good night .

Another day of indolence , haven't been outdoors except to get the mail .  I found the beginning of the post I started , now I know where they go . " Drafts " , imagine that . I was trying just now to add a google maps satellite photo to illustrate where I lived from 2 or 3 , until I was about 10 .Couldn't get it to work , I will try some work-arounds later . We lived in the country outside West Union , IL , in " the old Crow School " which was once a two room schoolhouse . It had a huge stoker coal furnace in the basement , a full width concrete front porch , two wells with hand pumps , and large park-like grounds . It sat at the corner of two county roads , about 5 miles or so from the Wabash River , which is the Indiana-Illinois state border . As an infant , we lived a few miles south , a village named West York , up the hill from Old York which is right against said river . I was too young to have much memory of that house , but I remember the pitcher pump on the galvanized steel counter top in the kitchen . In those days , many older and smaller homes had outhouses , I'm pretty positive this one did .  An aunt of my father lived across the street from us there , in a house that was palatial in comparison . A few miles on south , my Mother's family lived in Hutsonville , a town on the river , with a bridge to the IN side . Now , back to the old school house , where I became "aware" , and where most of my earliest memories reside . By the time we moved there , indoor plumbing had been added , with an electric well pump and a septic tank out back . This rendered the "Boys" and "Girls" privies obsolete , so in the first few years we were there , my Dad demolished and burned them , and my Mother and I planted marigolds on the site .
  As you may be able to tell , nothing has me stirred up enough to excite me to commentary , which my mental health care providers would consider a good thing , not to mention my cardiologist . I still intend to post daily , I can usually find some kind of story to tell , and I'm quite enamored of talking about my own exceptional personage , so I should have no trouble typing a few lines each day  . With the hope of entertaining both all of you , and myself , I will be back here tomorrow , barring the unforeseen . In the meantime , this recurring theme : Be kind to each other , make the best of what you have , love God , be healthy and happy . RP , out !

  Well , I had a minor hardware issue earlier , so I saved the paragraph on my compose page , logged out and did a little maintenance . When I rebooted and logged in again , I had no clue where the text went but I am unable to find it . As I didn't save it outside this app I will try to recreate it from memory , which is an iffy thing at my age .
 The Porous Canoe is a multifaceted and changeable conveyance . Some days you hardly keep your head above the flow , others you soar above the flood . Making the vessel less osmose would seem to be a proper enhancement to lessen those low-in-the-water days , but change isn't always simple , or in some cases even possible . Regardless , if we're paying attention we can learn from every experience . This is not an exact duplicate of this afternoon's but it will suffice . This time I am publishing before logging off , calling it a day , and going back to my other machine , now that it's finished my Tuesday routine . Sleep tight , all , goodnight .
 
 

Just had to say this after hearing about it on 2 major network's local TV stations . A lawmaker left his loaded , legal handgun in a public restroom in the Statehouse . This sort of thing doesn't usually make the news unless it's someone who REALLY should know better . The sad fact is , this sort of thing happens every day , all over our country . I am not anti-gun , I don't think your legally purchased or honestly acquired  guns are any particular danger to me , and I have no desire to deprive you of them . However , in my opinion , probably fifteen percent of responsible gun owners , really aren't . This is what needs to change . "aw , geez , I just had a little brain fart " is not an acceptable excuse when it comes to the safety of other citizens .

Another wonderful day in our area , even though I didn't actually do anything other than remove the rubbish bin from the curb . Isn't it interesting how we can change the aspect of things by merely rewording them ? It makes bringing the garbage tote back into the yard sound proper and dignified  , almost . I understand that I sometimes become tedious in my attempts at eloquence , so don't think me pretentious when I use arcane wording and obscure phrases in order to impress you , as well as myself . So , is that statement a load of colon vapor or what ? I try to have a sense of humor , even if some find it a little twisted .
 I intend to try to post here daily even if it is just irrelevant , meandering prose about whatever is dripping from my gray matter at the time . I expect to miss a few days , in a couple of weeks ,as I am scheduled for an outpatient surgery the Doctors tell me will be painful in recovery for up to a week . After that it's light duty for a month or so . I don't know if pain will prevent my postings , but medication might . Hopefully I will be physically and mentally restored , when this process is completed .
 Yesterday , I started discussing hate before I became frustrated and logged off . The main point I was trying to make is this :  If you force or otherwise remove hate from your heart , it becomes easier to regulate and remove it from your physical life . I find that by not hating , I have a greater capacity for love and kindness , as well as a more generous spirit . I hope this makes sense and you consider trying it yourselves .
By now my tendency to ramble is showing , so in keeping with that I will talk a little more about myself and the purpose of this blog .
 I was born in the middle 1950s , as the American middle class was just realizing The Dream , after the hardscrabble struggles of WWII and Korea . Small private hospitals were common , usually called Sanatoriums , and found in many cities and towns . Such a place is where I entered the world , probably little more than a purpose-equipped room in a Doctor's office suite . My father was a very smart man and a hard worker , so he found a good job with a utility company after his discharge from the army . We lived eight different places between then and the time I started my sophomore year of high school . My Dad took correspondence courses and generally educated himself so he could advance in his career and so provide for a growing family . Long hours and shiftwork took a toll , but we always had family times , a camping trip at least once a summer , drive-in movies , church , and all the things that big , healthy families do together . Any way , despite the logistics of living in different areas of two states over fourteen years , in the summer of '69 , we landed on a hilltop in Egypt , where my parents still live , and I live less than 20 miles away .
  I began this blog this week , because of an urging from my Wife's sister , the literary expert of their family , apparently because she admires my bloated flowery disjointed writing style . It will be , I hope , not only a creative outlet for a fat , lazy , opinionated old man , but a "forever" family history for the education of my children , grandchildren , and their descendants . Peace , Love , and Seafood , everyone .

 Wishing my youngest child a Happy  Birthday today . He is 25 , gainfully employed , and responsible . We love you Son and are proud of the man you've become .

Another beautiful Sunday here in the valley , looking like fall but sure doesn't feel like it . I don't have anything in particular stirring my mind today , so I'll just repeat some basic platitudes .
 Firstly , do we really need all the hatred in the world today ? To my mind , hate is a wasteful and unproductive emotion . I admit it can have a place , at times , but it should never become the prominent feeling in your emotional repertoire . I'm certainly not saying you should not hate , but that you should reserve it for the truly deserving . To hate as a matter of course is a waste of your time , and a destructive force on your spirit . " Spirit " is a term I will use regularly in this blog , because I think it is the most important part of your , and my , person . It is a determining factor in your karma , fate , destiny . By spirit I mean your essence , your soul , your "self" . Hate distracts you from more important things , and blinds the part of you that leads you to progress and improve your inner person . I can't give specific instruction on eliminating hate from your life , but I can tell you how I deal with it . First and most important is to avoid negativity in all it's forms . Negative people can be real influences on your thoughts and emotions especially if you can't limit your exposure . This is probably one of the reasons I don't go out much , except to familiar places with familiar people . So what am I leading towards here ? I just don't understand how intelligent , educated men and women can vote to deny food assistance to millions of people . Politics shouldn't enter into this issue , but rather one's own moral fiber . I am assuming you must hate these folks who you know only as faceless numbers . Please help me to understand how you claim to be God-fearing  Christians , but gleefully sentence millions of the most needful human beings to go hungry . When you look at your loved ones , do you even think about those unlucky enough to face your cruelty ? Do you see little boys and elderly women and military veterans and disabled suffering because your greed demands that you pay less in taxes while helping yourself to all the benefits you can lay hands to ? Do you sleep well at night , knowing you are responsible for other's pain , or is guilt even in your heart at all .
 Sorry , folks , sometimes once I get started thinking about right , wrong and indifference , I get a little wound up . This is not good for my physical being , so I bid you farewell for now . Be assured I shall return , too soon for some of you . Peace and God bless .

Natalie Merchant in concert "Kind & Generous"

 This is my favorite concert video ever , of any artist . The girl next door with a voice that reaches the depths of your soul .

Natalie Merchant & Michael Stipe - Hello in there

 This was the first time I heard this version . John Prine's original always brought a tear . Still very touching .

  The video below , by one of my favorite artists , is to honor a local man who's wife just passed , and to all who have suffered thus before . Next time hopefully I'll remember to comment on the link before I post it . When I add outside content to this blog , most usually it will be music , political commentary , or humor . Mostly these will be things that engage me , or are relevant to our lives .

Natalie Merchant - Beloved Wife

Good evening and welcome to the Porous Canoe . As this will be an introductory post , I will start by saying that this will mostly reflect my thinking on a vast variety of subjects including religion , politics , ethics , morals , Christianity and anything else that triggers my many moods . I am a caucasian man in his late fifties , a husband , father , grandfather , and a Vietnam era veteran of the United States Navy . I live less than a mile from the Mississippi River , and have lived near it most of my adult life . My affinity for water draws me back to this Father of Waters , close to this place where I am . When I need a break , a little respite from my cares , I go "down to the River " . Watching the water flow past relaxes me , eases my mind , and allows me to become closer to God , nature , and my own spirit . That is why riverphilosopher is the user name I chose to shelter behind several years ago when I joined a local message board .
  At the present , I am unemployed , have been about six months or so . When you see ads on my blog page , it is because every penny helps , and I hope you won't think less of me for trying to keep the bills paid . At least at first I will be posting in fits and starts , which is basically how my thinking process works lately . I hope to be mostly positive but am still wrestling some emotional and physical issues , so occasionally some nastiness may slip through . Any way , I am an ordinary man with ordinary thoughts and desires , and once in a while an exceptional one . I hate no one , and wish ill on none . You will hear more from me in the near future , and I will try to come up with a tolerable posting schedule , for myself and my readers . For now , may God bless you all .

  Hello . Yes , I am here and will be posting later today , to lay out the purpose of the blog and the personality of the blogger . Tune in again , folks , please ?