News, history, and opinion from New Harmony, Indiana
As we get older, our mental lists of friends and acquaintances contain more and more dead people. Maybe, that’s why old people see so many ghosts. I frequently see ghosts. Usually, they are in my head, but sometimes I bump into them on the street.
Sometimes, I bump into these ghosts on the street, while ……………….
DATE LINE NEW HARMONY INDIANA
27 DEC 2018
I served 8 years in the US Army from 1967 through 1975. Fifteen months of my eight years was served in a combat artillery unit in Vietnam, where I received ……………………..
New Harmony Indiana is a center for the arts and spirituality. There’s something going on in New Harmony almost every weekend of the year. The biggest and most festive event is the annual Kunstfest.
Kunstfest is a German word for ……………………….
For me, learning is a piece of cake. I can learn almost anything with hardly any effort at all. I learn stuff everyday. Where I get daunted is remembering my lessons. Almost daily, I forget some lesson, I learned only a week or so before. Then, I burn my hand on the metaphoric hot skillet, and have to learn the same lesson over again.
Will Rogers said, that some people learn from books, some from observing others, and some have to
Thirty states now have legal medical marijuana. Here’s a list of the legal marijuana states.
Ron Nesler New Harmony Indiana
I know people in some of those legal marijuana states. Several of whom I served with during my eight years of US Army service, which incidentally included 15 months in a combat unit in the Vietnam war.
I have chronic pain, from conditions directly connected to my military service. The conditions I have are common among ex Army vets and some are specific to Vietnam war vets.
These conditions are acknowledged to be connected to military service by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Some of the ex soldiers I know, who live in legal marijuana states, have the same conditions and the same chronic pain I have. Because, they live in one of the 30 legal marijuana states, they are prescribed marijuana and marijuana extracts for pain.
Everyone I know, who is prescribed marijuana for pain, reports that……..
Ron Nesler New Harmony Indiana
I haven’t told over 20 lies in my entire 70+ years of life. Those few lies were in support of absolute survival or obtaining sexual favors. And, I guarantee you, I feel bad about every one of them. Trump, on the other hand, tells more lies each day, than I have told in my entire long life. Lying is his default reaction to any question either profound or of piss ant import. He just automatically lies, and everyone knows it.
Here is what baffles me. Why is this lying OK with Trump supporters? I just simply don’t get it. I don’t hear any of his supporters deny that he is a chronic liar. Instead, they just laugh it off. The truth is, Trump is a moral leper, just on lying alone. Without even factoring in his dead beat debts, draft dodging and sexual assaults.
How can this lying not bother people? Do they want their grand kids to pattern themselves on Trump? Surely not, but who in the Hell knows, what these people are thinking?
Posted from New Harmony, Indiana by Ron Nesler
Ron Nesler New Harmony Indiana
For about 30 years, I lived on the Mexican border. Many Americans who live on the border —-and I was among them— feed the poor immigrants sneaking across from Mexico and help them hide from the Border Patrol. I lived near a huge Flea Market near the border, and I have taken many immigrants there to buy them better shoes or blankets or a used back pack. This is very common there.
This is how Americans used to behave, before the evangelical preachers took over our government.
It is NOT about politics, it is about being decent human beings.
Ron Nesler New Harmony, Indiana
Ron Nesler New Harmony Indiana
Our president’s crisis management style creates new scandals daily. He churns out outrages, at a dizzying pace. A pace that makes staying focused on any particular recently passed scandal very difficult for anyone, most especially his followers. He started out on his first day in office lying about his inauguration crowd size, against clear photographic evidence. And, he has picked up speed at an incredible rate, creating a juggernaut of lies and crimes, that is overwhelming.
Trump is indeed, a Hell of a guy. But, I comfort myself, that as bad as he is for the nation, he is not nearly so dangerous and corrosive of democracy as Mike Pence would be, if given the chance.
So count your blessings.
Ron Nesler posting from New Harmony, Indiana
Ron Nesler New Harmony Indiana
What manner of beast is Ron? And, why?
I am often asked, what manner of beast are you, Ron? And, why are you that way?
I am a human creature who hates all bullies, because as a child, I was bullied by a group of older boys. I am a person who loathes war, because, I served in a war. I object to rich people picking the bones of the poor, because I have been poor and hungry. I don’t abide cruelty to helpless prisoners, because I have been shackled and locked up and helpless myself. I don’t tolerate phony religions used as political weapons, because I have been on a lifetime spiritual quest. I don’t respect lazy people with all advantages, who fail to educate themselves, because I have struggled all my life to educate myself.
I believe that all of us have a built in moral compass, that tells us right from wrong. I believe, that each of us must be our own spiritual guide, because I have unsuccessfully tried finding anyone else to lead the way. I believe in charity and sharing and giving weaker people a hand up, because that is what my moral compass tells me is right. I believe that, when we lie, we defile and weaken ourselves, because I have wounded myself this way. I believe we each have a great responsibility to speak out loud and clear against evil and greed, because if we don’t, who in the Hell will?
Ron Nesler New Harmony Indiana
Ron Nesler New Harmony Indiana
NOTE TO RADICAL CHRISTIANS: It’s your right to try to improve your own lot by harming weaker people such as immigrant children, I grant you that. But, don’t insult Jesus by dragging his name into it. Every racist, homophobic, for profit money grubber in America wants to enlist the name of Jesus to support their evil.
It doesn’t wash. If you read every word that is attributed to Jesus, nowhere did he exhort people to harm one another. And, you never know, he may be watching you! If, I were Jesus, I would sue the socks off of the radical right for defamation of character. And, maybe flog the bastards, like he did the bankers in the temple.
Turn your sound on JESUS WAS A CAPRICORN
Ron Nesler in defense of Jesus from New Harmony, Indiana
Hate Crimes in Indiana are more common than in most other states. Because I live here, and because I am a member of the human race, I own this shameful problem. My powers to fight against this evil are limited, but I do what I can. What I CAN do is to admit this ugly evil is common, widespread and unspeakable. I can speak up to shame the wrong doers, and try to force change by shining the light of public scrutiny on this evil. Anyone can do these things, and if you don't, you are part of the evil. Silence is complicity. Silence gives tacit approval, and encourages evil. Tell your neighbors.
Ron Nesler/New Harmony Indiana
Here is a NYT's article about some sane and helpful state health care legislation passed by MINNESOTA REPUBLICANS.
Here is a quote from that article: “This is the type of risk-mitigation tool that the feds defunded in an effort to sabotage Obamacare,” Mr. Lourey said.
Here are my take aways: Health care reform is possible. I salute these patriotic Minnesota Republicans, who have placed the public good above the sort of revenge politics that we have from the Tea Party assholes in the Hoosier GOP. This is living proof, that NOT ALL Republicans everywhere are hateful, mind dead, bigoted assholes
Here is a footnote: On the advice of my psychologist/therapist, I recently took up using the word asshole(s), when referring to people who truly ARE assholes. It is enormously therapeutic. I recommend it.
Posted from New Harmony Indiana by an old soldier named Ron Nesler