Deep Thoughts Vol 6

I got a million of 'em.  Dave

When did it get this difficult to get up off the floor?

I would really appreciate more kindness in this world.

Wisdom of the goose. By flying in a V, the flock adds 70% to the flying range to that of a solo flight.  Working together trumps solo flight.

A man is cold-bloodedly assassinated on the streets of New York and people are laughing and celebrating. I weep.

You are perfectly entitled to prevent your child from reading something you disapprove of but you have no right to extend that ban to me.

Bob Dylan's son is 55.

And .. Three thumbs up for A Complete Unknown.

Soto gets $765 million from the Mets. Unbelievable. I remember shock when Harmon Killebrew pulled in $100,000 from the skinflint Calvin Griffith.

I propose a ban on the use of word “unbelievable” on all sports commentators. 

Just to be clear, seeking asylum has nothing to do with mental institutions.

When immigrants boarded ships bound for the USA back in their home countries, they were asked 31 questions, including name, age, health history, whether they were polygamists or anarchists, and whether or not they had at least $25.

For a (barely) passing grade in US history you should not require Google for help on these dates:  

1. Jul 4,1776 

2. Apr 14,1865 

3. Dec 7,1941 

4. Jun 6,1944 

5. Nov 22,1963 

6. Sep 11,2001

7. Jan 6, 2021

When your father dies, you lose your umbrella.  Irish proverb

The past is not dead. It is not even past . William Faulkner

History is a pack of lies about events that never happened told by people who weren't there.  George Santayana

Why couldn't life’s problems hit us at 17 when we knew everything. 

Getting older is almost like changing species, from cute middle-aged, white-tailed deer to yak.   Anne Lamont

I am rapidly approaching the third stage species change - Warthog.

If any one of you cry at my funeral, I will never speak to you again.   Stan Laurel

By 2040, as few as 10 countries will have enough snow to host the Winter Olympics.

Are you old enough to understand this road sign? "Ensure your windows are rolled up before traveling this bridge". - - - - Storseisundet Bridge, Norway

“Joe, how does it make you feel
to know that our host only yesterday
may have made more money
than your novel ‘Catch-22’
has earned in its entire history?”
And Joe said, “I’ve got something he can never have.”
And I said, “What on earth could that be, Joe?”
And Joe said, “The knowledge that I’ve got enough.”  Kurt Vonnegut

Just a little bit more. John D. Rockefeller's response to "How much is enough?"

It would be nice if the billionaires would just stick to their obscene money-grubbing and leave me alone.

Facebook is eliminating 3rd party fact checking in favor of “community notes”. All in the name of free speech. Billionaires are really cowards underneath their bluster.

Character is destiny.  Heraclitus

Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are likely correct.

I wish I knew what I know now back when I could still do it.

Isn’t an invite to the Mayonnaise Bowl kind of an insult to start with and then they compound it with an end-of-game bath in the stuff?

You cannot convince me that the incredible increase in the size, speed, strength and muscle mass of NFL players can be explained solely by improved diet and training regimens.

Or college and high schools for that matter.

Pushing a drink on a person who doesn’t want one is ill-mannered in the extreme.

I've given up trying to fix people - and that includes myself.

It is solved by walking.   St. Augustine

Anything worth doing is worth doing badly. G.K. Chesterton

This quote seems a paradox, but the idea is, if something is worth doing, you should make an attempt even if it results in a botched effort. [Some exceptions - maybe not brain surgery]

One always tends to overpraise a long book, because one has got through it.  E.M. Forster

Read  Jacques Barzun's 'From Dawn to Decadence'. It's quite wonderful. 912 p

I am so relieved.  Angelina and Brad have finally reached a divorce settlement.

The percentage of young men aged 20 to 24 who are neither in school nor working has tripled since 1980.

When I think back on how rarely I thought of my grandparents in my youth versus how often I  now think of my grandchildren, it’s  kind of embarrassing.

There is no need to repeal the First Amendment. The self censorship by the Fourth Estate is working perfectly. Lord, protect us from spineless editors.  TBW

kak·i·sto·cra·cy  Look it up.

I’m pretty sure I have more fun writing these than you do reading them. 

Copyright ©  2025  Dave Hoplin

Best of 2024

Once again I offer up one of my sporadic "Best of" lists, joining the countless end-of-year others inundating you. Take it for what it's worth. Perhaps you will discover an unfamiliar author or title that piques your interest. Then this is worthwhile.

Happy New Year all.

Top 10. Alphabetical by author

From Dawn to Decadence - Jacques Barzun

        An undertaking, but fascinating - a 900 p. cultural history 1500 to present

Sweet Thunder - Ivan Doig

        Butte, MT newspaper vs. Anaconda 1920's

The Hunter - Tana French

        An Irish mystery

No Ordinary Time - Doris Kearns Goodwin

        Eleanor Roosevelt's impact 1940-1945

The Devil and Sherlock Holmes - David Grann

        A rogue's gallery

The Vaster Wilds - Lauren Groff

        A young woman surviving alone in the wilds of Colonial America

Lab Girl - Hope Jahren

        A (Minnesota) woman's memoir, fighting for respect and recognition in the world of science

Moon Tiger - Penelope Lively

        An elderly female writer of history, nearing death, remembers her eventful life 

The Light of Battle - Michel Paradis

        Upon the 80th anniversary of D-Day

Playground - Richard Powers

        Does for oceans what Overstory did for trees

Copyright ©  2025  Dave Hoplin

Christmas Controversy

I recently published a post about my beloved cousins, implying a harmonious and loving group of extended family.  This is most certainly true - almost.

There is one issue that divides us and like much in the country, the chance of reconciliation seems unlikely.  The acrimonious debate is about ... what to call this pastry, a staple of Grandma Esther's Christmas repertoire

Elephant Ears.  Elephant Tracks.  Elephant Feet.  ??

There are those who passionately argue that since they resemble tracks. QED.  But ... which would you rather put to your lips, something that brings forth an image of muddy elephant feet tromping through a swamp or a dusty desert caked with deposits?  Or, an image of light, flaky alliterative elephant ears flopping in the breeze?  [Google "elephant tracks", you will get images of elephant ears!]

 

I rest my case.  But in the interest of harmony, I will yield to the suggestion of my brilliant, ever peace-keeping cousin Rolf and forever more refer to them as

Ole Ears

Merry Christmas all

May all your disputes be as easily resolved as this 

Copyright ©  2024  Dave Hoplin

Deep Thoughts Vol 5

Lutheran hymnody rescues my soul.

Before you start on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.  Confucius

At the gates of heaven you are issued a harp. At the other place they you give you an accordion.

Jeopardy is getting increasingly more difficult for me with frequent categories like Pop Culture, Rap Music and Movies of the 20's (i.e. 2020's). Give me History, Baseball, Civil War and the Bible and I'm the second coming of Ken Jennings.

To those who claim to be a self-made man (or woman), I say hooey.

Nothing of me is original.  I am the combined effort of everyone I have ever known.  Chuck Palahnuik. 

I am part of everything I have read.  Theodore Roosevelt

George Will proposed to his bride at Camden Yards. "Hey, call me romantic, but I wanted Mari to know that in my heart she ranks right up there with baseball."

I would like to know what books you have read more than once.

A budget is a moral document.  Jim Wallis

Roughly 1 in a 100 Americans die each year. 

Minnesota is the heart-healthiest state. Mississippi the worst.

The 8th deadly sin is thinking there are only 7.

When betting sites own sports networks, you know we have descended well below decadence.

The tradition of families or friends going to restaurants for fellowship is dying. The "family" restaurant has priced itself into bankruptcy. I think the bars are doing just fine.

Take those Menards green cloth bags with you to haul your groceries home.

How much should you tip your plumber?

Perfect names for groups of things. A Murder of Crows; A Promise of Tomorrows; An Odium of Politicians; An Embarrassment of Idiots ...

What you think MCAD stands for depends on whether you are left brained or right brained.

The low-rider pants look is gaining popularity with aging boomer men. Not for style but unavoidable due to mid-section gravity.

First Amendment properly interpreted. Government should protect all religious rights without preferring a religion.

We eat Thanksgiving leftovers until Christmas and then Christmas leftovers until Epiphany. Then it's back to Halloween candy.

Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

Murphy's Law of Christmas Lights.  When one goes, they all go. WOGTAG

This winter 20°F has become the new 0°F for me.

Hundreds of thousands of people died during the pandemic because they viewed the virus as political.

I believe our education system is being reduced to the slowest common denominator

Window washing while old is hazardous.

Sparkling clean windows are overrated.

We have entered a post-irony age. Consider the incoming Cabinet.

When billionaires set tax and economic policy, Wall Street thrives and another chunk of the dwindling middle class falls below the poverty line.

"Trickle Down" economics should be renamed "Bubble Up".

Appropriately, the 2024 OED word of the year is: "Brain Rot". And you perhaps noticed, it's two words.

Some English words seem to have fallen out of favor:  triskaidekaphobia,  persnickety, forthwith, kerfuffle, crapulous. Some from the list deserve to be revived: copacetic, facetious, trumpery, grumpish, twattle, kittywampus, ethics.

"Later" may be the worst word in the English language.

When in doubt, mumble.

Sublime aphorisms are termed "pearls" of wisdom. These are more in the moonstone category.

Copyright ©  2024  Dave Hoplin

P.S. I appreciate your comments - and often well wishes - but they invariably come from the ubiquitous Greek Philosopher "Anonymous".  It is possible to identify yourself when commenting via the name drop-down menu - but to protect your privacy, perhaps just use your given name. 

Heinz 57

The story goes that during Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak in 1941, a record for the ages, he was promised a $100,000 endorsement deal from Heinz if he made it to 57.  But, his streak ended at 56 in Cleveland on July 17th. That day he hit 2 hard smashes down the third baseline but was robbed of a hit each time by the Cleveland third-baseman Ken Keltner.  (I think Joe later covered the loss with a Mr. Coffee deal.)

The story resonates because my bride and I just celebrated - very low key- our 56th wedding anniversary and now we face that 'getting #57' challenge faced by DiMaggio. A noble goal but certainly no tomato from Heinz in the offing. 

At this point, you probably are expecting some sage advice on how to stay married for 56 years. Sorry, everyone's story is different, you'll have to figure it out for yourselves.

Dave

Copyright ©  2024  Dave Hoplin

Gratitude

 

Having bested the biblical allotment of 3 score and 10, I give thanks in the words of Mark Twain:   

“I am able to say that while I am not ruggedly well, I am not ill enough to excite an undertaker.”   

And for You-All.

Happy Thanksgiving

Dave 

The Othered

Throughout our history, "othering", the classification of groups of people as undesirable or inferior has always permeated American life. Starting with America's "original sin", forced importation of black slaves, each new wave of immigration has been greeted with discrimination, hate and at times violence. Usually, the hated religious or ethnic group accused of stealing our jobs, our lifestyle, or our place in the class hierarchy, gets assimilated into society over the course of a couple generations. But another group is soon found as the target for the vitriol. I am sad to report that when it comes to motivating people to action, hate is stronger than love, fear is stronger than hope.  

Native Americans, African Americans, Jews, Catholics, Irish, Italians, Asians,, Latinos, LGBT, Muslims - and women. 

Swede Hollow

In Minnesota, even the Swedes were not immune. Swedish immigrants to Mpls/St. Paul were directed to "Swede Hollow", a ravine along Phalen Creek where flimsy shanties in unsanitary conditions provided inadequate shelter for the newly arrived, surviving on sub-subsistence jobs in the lumber or brewery industries.  

However, a persistent target for scorn has been a group only tangentially associated with ethnicity, the poor, This is something not true in most of the developed world. This in spite of, according Rick Warren, a well-known pastor and author of The Purpose Driven Life, two thousand verses in Scripture dealing with our responsibilities to the the poor. 

e.g. Proverbs 19:7 “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.”

The most recent data (2024) from the US Census Bureau shows that the national poverty rate is 11.5%. To put that into perspective, that's 36.8 million people living in poverty in America. The U.S. allocates a smaller proportion of its GDP to social welfare programs than virtually any other industrialized country.  For context, In 2023, the federal poverty level the poverty guideline sets $15,060 for an individual and $31,200 per year for a family of 4.  Think about that and the "living without" it implies. Home - unaffordable. Car - unaffordable.  Health care - unaffordable. ....

Sadly, we tend to see the poor as undesirable, inadequate and unworthy. We offer them neither respect or empathy. Compassion in short supply.  This is strange, since the majority of those in poverty are employed and have a high school education. And the disdain is not because the poor as a group threatens the middle and upper class lives. There is rarely interaction between the haves and have nots. And the gap has widened exponentially (during the pandemic, the world's billionaires increased their fortunes by more than $5.5 trillion - with a "T")  

Amish built cabins
for hurricane victims

We as a nation do not seem to have the will required take to overcome the indifference to the plight of the poor? Why cannot we figure out how to make use of the 1/3 of our foodstuffs that goes to landfill?  Why haven't small, cheap modular homes been developed that improve on a tent?  Why is the federal mandated minimum wage $7.75?  Why is mental health care so difficult to provide? Why are medications so unaffordable? Why is the primary source of health care for the poor the ER? Why do we not object to SNAP cuts?  Why ... endless why's.

And a final topic. I cannot exit without citing history's most extreme example of "othering". It produced the holocaust, a genocide that murdered 6 million Jews - and millions of other innocents before and during WWII. 

I have just completed the reading of Richard Evan's 3 volume history of The Third Reich (The Coming of the Third Reich, The Third Reich in Power, The Third Reich at War), all 2600 soul crushing pages of the horror the Nazis brought forth on the world between 1933 and 1945. 

The final volume concludes with this warning ..

"The Third Reich raises in the most acute form the possibilities and consequences of the human hatred and destructiveness that exist, even if only in a small way, in all of us. It demonstrates with terrible clarity the ultimate consequences of racism, militarism and authoritarianism. It shows what can happen if some people are treated as less human than others. It poses in the most extreme possible form the moral dilemmas we all face at one time or another in our lives, of conformity or resistance, action or inaction in the particular situations which we are confronted. "  Richard J. Evans

Copyright ©  2024  Dave Hoplin

Carol & Mary

My wife is the extrovert in this marriage - the friendlier half. She engages with friends, neighbors, relatives, strangers and seemingly without fail they immediately bond with her. As further testimony to her likability, every dog within 4 blocks of us will bound toward her at first sight. She worked at the VA Hospital and vets adored her - and told her stories. On one occasion a patient told her about his neighbor Mary who was pregnant and struggling with cancer. She had 9 kids ranging from 2 to 12. Mary was Amish.

The story tugged at Carol’s heartstrings, so she got the family’s address and wrote a warm letter to Mary. About a week later a multi-page response appeared. They became penpals and fast friends. Mary told her all about her family but little of her suffering.

At some point Carol declared we must visit this family and with a few more letters to organize, we packed up and drove east.  When we drove into their farmyard we could see 9 freshly scrubbed faces in the windows. We had picked up buckets of chicken and sodas  - and chocolate - so we were immediately popular with the children. Mary stashed the chocolate bars high in the cupboards and as we sat in the living room visiting, little Miriam walked in with an ear-to-ear chocolate face.  Calmly, Mary asked if she had been eating chocolate. “No”. And we all had to suppress the giggles. A quick look into the kitchen revealed drawers pulled out to create steps to the countertop and a cupboard door left open.

We began visiting this family a couple times a year, one of which would be near Christmas. Carol started assembling the gifts in January, one practical gift and one fun item for each kid. After a few of these visits the family agreed to let the 5 oldest kids visit us - among the ground rules - no TV or movies. So I packed them into a van and  brought them to Minnesota. All the kids learned to ride a bike during that 3 day visit and we went ice skating-  in the summer - at the rink at Minneapolis Union Depot.  The Amish have a "no graven images” rule, so they have no family photos, but I took a photo of the 5 kids from behind skating arm-in-arm down the rink and had the temerity to show it to Mary. She smiled. I think the family might have gotten into a bit of hot water with the Elders for exposing the children to such worldliness.

Mary gave birth to her 10th but sadly it was not long before cancer took her. We went to that funeral and as we drove up we were greeted with the sight of hundreds of black buggies. A very sad day.  All the Amish from the area plus multitudes of mourners arriving in chartered buses from around the country. We and one other couple were the only “English” attendees. As part of the service, mourners walk past the casket to offer their goodbyes. I lost count at about 1000. 

We also had the privilege of attending several of the kids’ weddings. All day affairs with a long ceremony, including a 90 minute sermon in their German dialect followed by noon and evening meals served to several hundred people. And yes, Amish pies are as good as advertised.

Not too long after Mary’s death, the father of 10 married a widow in the neighborhood. She had been left with 9 and not long thereafter they had another daughter.  22 people around the dinner table.  They don’t use the term, but uffda.

Copyright ©  2024  Dave Hoplin