My Stories, My Insight, My Blog. All stories contained within are by me or other members.

Hi, I’m Mike, and this is my blog. I am an Independent by choice and Scottish by The Grace Of God! The year is 2025, and climate change is a significant concern for many people. This year, I am 71, and I just can’t wrap my mind around the notion of things getting warmer. I haven’t noticed a measurable difference, but I don’t keep records.

I started writing on my blog about a year ago on my desktop, and there has been a lengthy hiatus since my last sit-down. I enjoy writing, and I hope you will take some time out of your busy day to read my thoughts.

My articles are brief and designed to provoke thought. I research topics where applicable to provide correct information and try not to make stuff up.

I try to spend most evenings working on my blog. I am using a content management system I designed myself, “HomePage,” to create this site. If you notice anything I should add or change, please don't hesitate to contact me. There is no purposeful plagiarism here.

My humor, intrigue, suspense, boredom, and downright good taste are the things you’ll find, but no profanity.

Category: Short Story

Category: Short Story

Ronald Reagan once told a story about a little girl who wanted to be president so that she could give food and houses to all the homeless people. She was then told that she could do that without being president by going to someone's house and rake and sweep up, and take the money she earned and give it to the homeless person who hangs out at the local store. To this, she replied, Why can't the homeless person go and do the work and get the money? Welcome to the republican party, she was told.

This is just a simple story, but it has huge ramifications when the whole picture is taken into account. Let's take a look at the process of becoming a US citizen. This was taken (in part) from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.

To be eligible for naturalization under section 319(a) of the INA, you must:

• Be at least 18 when you submit Form N-400, Application for Naturalization;

• Be a lawfully admitted permanent resident of the United States for at least three years immediately before the date you file Form N-400;

A lawfully admitted resident usually involves having a valid visa and being inspected and admitted by an immigration officer at a designated port of entry. If a person walks into the US via a hole in the fence and journeys to a city or other place within the US, that person does not fit the description of being lawfully admitted. The law says: 

"In some cases, a noncitizen is subject to expedited removal without being able to attend a hearing in immigration court. Expedited removal may happen when a noncitizen:"

• Comes to the U.S. without proper travel documents

• Uses forged travel documents

• Does not comply with their visa or other entry document requirements

Keep in mind that this is the law, and those laws have been voted on and passed by Congress, the Senate, and signed into law by the President.  So, when someone enters the US illegally and goes to, say, Chicago, a city that is termed to be a sanctuary city, refuses to obey those laws, what should the punishment be? And, when your tax dollars are used to house, clothe, feed, educate, and medically support an illegal person, what should the punishment be for knowingly violating the established laws? What has precedent, local law, or federal law? Federal law deals with immigration, and local and state laws are subject to federal law.

Let's look at this from another viewpoint.

Colleges can be tough to get into because of the money required. Especially the prestigious ones. Let's say that student 'A' goes to college and works hard at various jobs to "pay their way through college." Student 'A' receives no assistance. Now, student 'B' wants to attend the same college but applies for federal funding. Student 'B' doesn't work and only attends class every day. When student 'B' graduates, a huge bill is created that has to be repaid.  But then a democratic president comes into office and wants to eliminate the student debt. Who pays for student 'B's debt? You guessed it, student 'A', even though student 'A' has already worked hard to "pay their way through college." Not only student 'A', but everyone, even if they have never attended a university or college. In other words, all taxpayers will pay for those who attended and paid nothing.

So far, we have reached strike two in this story. The American taxpayers are paying for the millions of illegal immigrants and any student debt that has been eliminated. What's next?

Remember all of the millions of illegal immigrants that President Biden let into the US? Now there's a new president, and there will be a lot of deportations. Who pays for that? Well, here we go again, the already overburdened taxpayer. Yep, you and me. I'm doing okay financially, but it's aggravating that we have to foot the bill for something that was purposely created by a democratic administration. I don't know about you, but this aggravates me. Look at all of the homeless people wandering the streets. I know that a lot of them are on the street by choice, but some genuinely need help. When I see on the news stories of families living in tents because the parents can't find work, that bothers me. And then there are illegals in New York living in high-priced hotel rooms, being fed, clothed, educated, and given money, that's the icing on the cake.

I wrote all of this to display my frustration with the system. If the US politicians would stop the senseless squabbling and finger-pointing, maybe they could take a bit of time to solve something. Whether it's a Democratic or Republican administration, the result is the same. Each side is programmed to lambast the other side to maintain a balance. To keep one side from openly violating the laws. To be able to point and say, "I got ya!" 

Category: Short Story

Solitude & Serenity

Peace and Comfort in a Troubled World.

It would seem sensible to attach serenity to solitude. Aren't they the same thing? A person can be in a serene state of mind and body while being in solitude or alone from anyone else. I looked up both, trying to find similarities, and while disclaiming any other person, I find that they both relate.

I live alone in quasi-solitude with the Internet being my only recourse 70% of the time. I don't think it's possible to find a place of solitude without being alone and away from other people or distractions. But let's stray away from the official definition and venture into reality. If I'm reading a book or writing on my computer, I am in a state of complete comfort, free from any distractions. When someone enters the house, both solitude and serenity are violated somewhat, but to varying degrees. I can no longer concentrate on what I'm doing, but still stay comfortable. Because my surroundings have changed, I am placed at odds with not being alone anymore. Solitude fades away, but serenity doesn't.

You can calm stress through security and solitude. A person suffering from stress, that's caused by any outside influence, will not find relief until they can eliminate those things causing the stress. Simple right? Money, or lack thereof, is the most identifiable cause of stress. People become homeless by choice or tiny house dwellers to live a debt-free existence, which was or may have been the driving factor causing stress.

Let's say I am stressed and go to a therapist to see if I can work it out. The therapist relates my stress to the same causes that affect, say, 85% of the population. But my causes for stress aren't being addressed, and the therapist may suggest ways to work through stress while not identifying the cause. And the suggested remedies are getting by myself and relaxing, even though they may not be the solution.

You’ve seen the movies where the lady comes home to her apartment, kicks off her shoes, changes clothes, and turns on the music. Next, there’s a glass of wine and a cat to stroke. She’s alone and her mind is free of the day’s stresses.

But everyone’s idea of what makes them safe, secure, and comfortable is different. A person working in a busy factory doesn’t have solitude but has serenity through the confidence in their abilities to perform a repetitive task, while the newcomer doesn’t have either.

Now, say I live in a city where solitude is only a word. Regardless of where I go, there is no getting away from others except maybe in my residence, and that's not a good choice because I lack the money to get a quiet place. So let's say I live alone in solitude. But what else can I do? The country setting is a welcoming place, but other stressed people in the city may think the same thing. Ever tried going to the lake on a Saturday? So the residence it is and I've solved the solitude problem at least to my satisfaction. Now to work on serenity (remember the need to satisfy the therapist's recommendations).

Serenity is easier to satisfy than getting alone time, and if you have a quiet space, there is also reading, writing, meditation, yoga, and your inventions.

My inventions are probably different from yours. And because they’re mine, my past life’s experiences shaped them. But many people, well, probably most people, will at least attempt to satisfy any solutions that the therapist recommends. Some will go to great lengths to try those new things, too. And it will convince some people that those new ideas are working and that the therapist has changed their whole outlook on life. That’s how so many of these so-called experts get their reputations.

Some will be so utterly convinced that they will say, “Oh, you must try Suzie because she is so in tune with my psyche that I don’t know where I would be in my life today without her.” While not realizing that Suzie most likely wasn’t there with them daily, while they were thinking through those new experiences. They are giving Suzie credit for something that they worked through themselves.

Past life’s experiences and mindset are two of the most powerful things you must overcome if you truly want to reach a state of mental peace, which is actually what solitude and serenity is. It is what you think it is, based on your own experiences. Some people are completely at rest in hectic, noisy environments because that is what we accustomed to, and are uncomfortable when things get quiet. Then others are completely the opposite. The definition of solitude and serenity shapes us individually.

Runit Island, of the Enewetak Atoll of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean, is a direct result of the stupidity of mankind and its effort to find ways to kill each other. Let's face it, life just isn't important at all, so why do we still claim that it is? We spend millions of dollars trying to save lives from illness, and at the same time, spend millions of dollars on the warfighting capability that each country has. 

When a soldier is killed, it's no big thing in the minds of our military planners. After all, it's part of war. This planet is so screwed up that it will take a millennia before we open our eyes and realize how stupid we have been. We spent millions of dollars and wasted years building up a nuclear arsenal that, if ever used, will put an end to civilization as we know it. Now, how dumb is that?

We dropped 2 bombs on Japan during World War II in an attempt to stop the war and save lives. And here we go again, that was just war, so the lives lost were just that, a casualty of war. So I guess they don't matter. I lived in Japan for 6 years, and back in the 80s, an American who traveled to some remote villages could get spit at by elderly women.

Vietnam is a direct example of the war machine simply throwing lives away. The official toll is: The war exacted an enormous cost: estimates of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians killed range from 970,000 to 3 million. Some 275,000–310,000 Cambodians, 20,000–62,000 Laotians, and 58,220 US service members died. And what was accomplished? Not one damn thing. The US entered the war to curb the spread of Communism, and today, after the war, Vietnam is a communist country and thriving. So all of those people died for no reason whatsoever.

Why did Russia invade Ukraine? Just the act itself flies in the face of the idea that life is sacred and should be cherished. Everybody knows that, regardless of how minor an invasion is, people are going to be killed. That's a proven fact! Now, every day, people are dying, and for what? Again, not one damn thing. It is just history repeating itself over and over again.

There are ways around war, and if we, as a human race, took the time to honestly sit down and face the fact that we can do better, then maybe things would change. That's a simple concept, but it's so hard to reach. Just stop killing each other and face the fact that life is precious. Anything, regardless of what it is, can be changed with the right amount of effort, and realizing that the very idea of premature death is atrocious is a good place to start.

Category: Military

“Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.” 

― Allen Saunders 

What’s the difference between legal and undocumented immigrants?

Legal immigrants are foreign-born people legally admitted to the U.S. Undocumented immigrants, also called illegal aliens, are foreign-born people who do not possess a valid visa or other immigration documentation, because they entered the U.S. without inspection, stayed longer than their temporary visa permitted, or otherwise violated the terms under which they were admitted.