Souls for Sale



Over the past few millenia, I’ve seen many souls sold to the devil. Most–if not all–people made a terrible deal, selling their soul for pennies when it’s worth a king’s ransom. It should be evident to anyone what a soul is worth.

Christians, who sometimes need to be told things clearly (small words, short sentences, or parables) lest they misunderstand, should at least have a clue. If you believe that the Son of God died to redeem you, then what do you think your soul is worth?

I’ll wait while you find a calculator.

In any case, the current soul trade is definitely a buyer’s market. People are lining up to sell their souls. Buyers are only offering a smidge of a pittance. No one seems to care. If anything, the line of sellers keeps growing.

Now for the bad news–most people will have to wait until all of the politicians’ sales have been processed before they can even list their souls. Don’t expect too much, but–hey–its only your soul.




Based on President Trump’s demand that he does not need to answer any subpoenas until certain conditions–such as a vote of the entire House of Representatives–are met, may I present this scenario:

Judge: “Mr. Johnson, do you have an attorney?”

Johnson: (tweeting) I don’t need an attorney. I will represent myself.

Bailiff: confiscates cell phone.

Judge: “If we may continue, Mr. Johnson you are charged with . . . .”

Johnson: “This is a political fiasco and I won’t  provide any information until the entire police department votes unanimously to charge me!”

Judge: “Mr. Johnson, with all due respect to Fox News (if any is, in fact, due) the accused is not the one who gets to set terms. The rules are already in place and you are expected to comply with them.”

Johnson: “This is a witch hunt! TERRIBLE! I’m being harassed! It’s all based on fake news! SAD!”

Judge: “Bailiff, given that Mr. Johnson is not President of the United States, would you please take Mr. Johnson into custody until he either is represented by an attorney or is prepared to present an appropriate legal defense.”

Bailiff: Half guides and half carries Johnson out. Johnson is still screaming.

Johnson: “I demand my phone! It’s my constitutional right to tweet! This is a travesty! (sound of his voice fades out)

Judge: Puts head in hands, brushes her hair back, and takes a deep breath. “Bailiff, to save me from calling a recess, do you have any acetaminophen?”

Bailiff: “Yes, your honor. Every day, your honor.” Passes a bottle of generic acetaminophen to the judge, who shakes two into her hand and with her bottle of water, swallows them.

Judge: Handing the bottle back to the bailiff, “Thank you. Please remind me to buy a large economy size bottle to keep here on my bench.”

Bailiff: nods

Judge: Sighs. “Okay, let’s move on to the next case.”

Bailiff: “Your honor, the next defendant is represented by Rudy Giuliani.”

Judge: Groans

Do You Remember Integrity?

Politicians are well know for their willingness to do damn near anything to be elected or re-elected. As Richard Jordan said in Hunt for Red October, “I’m a politician, which means that when I’m not kissing babies, I’m stealing their candy.”

Today’s politicians make that attitude seem downright saintly. Specifically, the Republican Party, which used to prize personal responsibility and fiscal conservatism is now willing to compromise everything because they fear the far-far-far-right white supremacists who adore Donald Trump.

Apparently,  there is no line to cross. They’ve been bought, paid for, wrapped in gift paper, and delivered.

And it doesn’t seem to bother them at all.

When Is a Fact Not a Fact?

There are people who perceive facts and act accordingly and there are people who do not accept facts. Instead, they ignore facts and believe(?) that by repeating a falsehood over and over, it becomes real.

They do nothing material to change reality. They don’t invent, they don’t discover, they just pretend a blatant fallacy is factual.

Gravity is a fact. No matter how much I want to fly without mechanical assistance and no matter how many times I say “There is no gravity,” it does not change the effect of gravity by a single Planck–the smallest measurement of energy.

Society has learned how to orbit the earth, it has invented computers that can do millions of calculations per second AND fits in your pocket, and it has cured many formerly fatal diseases and injuries. All of these successes were built on facts.

Nevertheless, some people are happier with their preconceived notions, even when the facts are clear.

This Seems Familiar

As near as I can tell, your President is verbally feuding–or more correctly, twitterpating–with a swimsuit model. Based on my millennia (NOT Melania) of experience and observation, a swimsuit model is like a dancing girl, except that she doesn’t dance.

I wish I had a drachma for every time I’ve seen a powerful man distracted by a woman followed by his downfall. There was Adam and Eve, although that is fairly allegorical. Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra, King David and Bathsheba are all famous cases that were devastating for all involved. Then there was the young dancer who suckered King Herod into having John the Baptist beheaded. Her mother told her to do it–I can tell you with confidence that the dancer didn’t really dream about having John’s bloody head on a silver platter as an objet d’art in her bedroom.

Powerful people seem to believe that they’re too smart; that they’ll win every time; that bad things will never happen to them.

If these people are really so smart, why don’t they pick their fights with philosophers, scientists, or college professors?

Electoral College





Therein lies the problem.




Hopefully someone will explain this all to me.

Good or Evil






What have you learned? What are you teaching others?