Stormbringer's Thunder

Buon giorno. I was having a discussion with a co-worker from a sister agency, and that discussion sparked some thoughts that simply cascaded in my mind. And now, you're about to reap the benefits of that process. Consider yourselves fortunate. I believe that personal opinions can be "seasonal". They are not real because they only last for a season, and are not true convictions based on thought, experience and the heart. The easiest example of this was the disastrous attitude of, "Let's vote for the half black guy! Yeah! He's different! And the old white guy is more of the same. CNN and the New York Times told me so." That was simply jumping on the popular bandwagon, and I did not find many people who could find any actual substance in B. Hussein Obama. On a slightly aside note, I think one reason that I've been doing the cowboy thing is that those values (integrity, honesty, faith, standing for something in the first place, etc.) have always b...

No time for gay banter, I'm simply going to launch. I would like to know something. What foundation do atheists have for their morality? (I'm not talking to the arrogant atheists that simply want to destroy the faith of others and prove that they're so much smarter than the rest of us. This is for honest atheists that are capable of rational dialogue.) Since you believe that there is no God, what is your basis for any sense of right and wrong? You can't base it on "civilization" for several reasons, especially the fact that the values of individual countries in a civilization change over time, and differ over distance as well. You can't base your morality on your own conscience and beliefs, because it's highly subjective. You may feel that it's wrong for me to put a bullet in your head, and I may feel that executing you is for the good of humanity. No, we have to appeal to someone higher up to settle that dispute. Also, I'd like to know...

Buona sera. Nothing to thunder about this time, just some speculation. I had some things to deal with in Michigan, so I left Lela and Nicky in charge of operations in my absence. (I'm not blaming them for the CD/DVD on my primary computer not being able to "recognize" CDs, but still play DVDs. Any advice out there? And the external hard drive quit right after I got back, so my collection of hot cowgirls is gone. No more Western Digital products for me!) Things are running well, so my confidence in them was well-founded again. You've seen those commercials saying, "We know why you fly" for one of the airlines. Cute, but unrealistic. It would be nice, though. And it would be nice that hotels and motels knew why we used their services as well. The main thing that most of us expect is a dark, quiet, safe place to sleep. Other things come secondary. But the reasons we end up at a sleeping establishment are as varied as there are individuals to have those reason...

Buona sera. Yours truly had an interesting trip. Oh, you didn't know I was going away? Right, I neglected to mention it. Almost 2,000 miles by car. (And for that stronzo on US-131 between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, you're damn lucky I was in too much of a hurry to pull over and explain a few facts to you.) Anyway, had a safe and productive trip. OK, gang, Uncle Bob is going to reveal some personal history to you. Way back in the mid-1980s, before my activities became both confidential and occasionally underhanded, I was married and we had a young child. And we were very devout in our Christian beliefs. (I still believe, but I'm much less active today.) We were also down on our luck. After much searching, a job offer came in. We were going to be co-resident managers of a self-storage facility. Back then, we were living in the town of Ionia, Michigan (which is a situation that I do not recommend for anyone), and the job was in Grand Rapids. Or so we thought. The owner was...

Nicky got himself a nasty glare when he referred to a woman as a "broad". Funny, I've heard women use the word for other women. But the woman was built like a UPS truck, and neither of us cared about her opinion. A while ago, I learned that political correctness is a threat to free speech . And it becomes a tool for someone with a chip on their shoulder or is looking for some kind of a fight. If you say the "wrong" words, say something the "wrong" way, or even look at someone crosswise, they'll run crying to their advocate and file a lawsuit. Too bad the more accurate term, "culturally correct", did not catch on because it's not always about politics. But I suspect it's always about seizing power. You have to essentially walk on eggshells because you'll offend some cafone. And then you'll be in trouble for walking on eggshells! Somewhere, somehow, no matter how careful you are, someone can be offended. If people c...

"Don't get too high on a bottle, "Get right with the Man, son. "Fight your fights, find a grace, "And all the things that you can change, "And help somebody if you can. "And get right with the Man." — Van Zant, from Get Right with the Man Buona sera. No, I'm not going to go on about the passing of my father and my oldest brother again. Yes, I'm going to go on about how we're remembered. Some of the things I've been reading and hearing lately have been coming together. Naturally, because of my experiences in recent months, I've been thinking about how I hope I'm remembered. My crew will remember me as a strict disciplinarian, but I hope they know that I'm that way because I want them to survive. Also, I hope they've learned a few things from me that they can apply to their lives. And I hope they remember the jokes and fun times. With this thinking going on, my old buddy Neil has had some bad times lately. His father-...

Buon giorno. I have talked to you about gaining and building trust . Today, I'm going to go in the opposite direction: How we lose trust. And in that negative, I'll make it positive. Trust me. I need to point out something fundamental. Different people will have their own experiences and "emotional baggage" or psychological scars that they bring into a situation. Someone that has been hurt and betrayed often and/or deeply will be less likely to be trusting. For instance, I am very suspicious of people at the top of The Organization because of harsh experiences that I've had. (I'm also suspicious of that guy hanging around outside, wearing the dark glasses and a long coat, but never mind about that now.) The opposite is true as well, that if someone has had successful experiences with trust will be more willing to trust again. When someone wants to be trusted, they can be in for a disappointment when that trust is not forthcoming. You can demand trust a...