What's Tony Thinking

Who Saw This Coming?

July 21, 2024 — Post-publication note: This was written prior to President Biden’s withdrawal. But the main point — the ball is in the Democrats court — is now even more true. Whatever else you and I may make of the current moment in American politics, it seems fair to say that few foresaw or predicted where we find... Read More

Back from Backpacking

July 19, 2024 — Returned home yesterday from a three-day, two-night trip to Ice Lake with my grandsons, Levi and Colin, friend David and daughter, Laura. Trip highlights included seeing up close a dozen mountain goats, with a couple of kids in tow. I’ve been to Ice Lake many times. Last year I saw one beautiful goat. Never before... Read More

Does God Want Trump To Win?

July 15, 2024 — After Saturday’s failed assassination attempt more than one person said to me some version of “I may be damned for saying this, but I’m sorry he missed.” Well, I can’t go there. For which I claim no superior virtue. While I can’t imagine how Trump’s death would have improved things, I can easily image how... Read More

State of Emergency? Guess Not

July 12, 2024 — The Democratic Party has long been telling us that a possible Trump Restoration constitutes a State of Emergency. But I guess they don’t really mean that. It was, apparently, mostly just talk. At least the D’s don’t seem to be acting as if a potential Trump triumph in November, along with down-ballot losses in the... Read More

Playing It Safe Is the Wrong Play

July 7, 2024 — As the ancient Chinese curse goes, “May you live in interesting times.” In that usage, “interesting” means times of disruption and chaos, wished upon an enemy. Being stuck with two candidates, neither of whom should be President — albeit for quite different reasons — is our present curse. I will say this for President Biden.... Read More

Adventures in Barth

July 3, 2024 — Perhaps some of you have been tuning into the current Crackers and Grape Juice study, “Adventures in Barth”? I am part of the panel, or “posse,” discussing the reading. We began with the Barmen Declaration, which just marked its 90th Anniversary. Written largely by Karl Barth, it was the protest against Hitler, National Socialism and... Read More

The Debate: Dean Phillips Was Right

June 28, 2024 — This is a piece of mine that was published at Post Alley this morning as part of roundtable of contributions from Post Alley writers on the Presidential debate. I’ve edited the original, written last night, lightly. Dean Phillips Was Right Dean who? Dean Phillips is the Minnesota congressman who had gall to mount a quixotic... Read More

The Rural Riddle

June 26, 2024 — Here’s a riddle. How can you have lots of building going on, so much so that its near impossible to get a contractor, and yet there is a housing shortage, such that the County hospital can’t get needed employees because there is no place for them to live? For years we’ve heard about the virtues... Read More

My June 23 Sermon, “Who Is This?”

June 22, 2024 — Who Is This? Mark 4: 35 -41 June 23, 2024 Joseph United Methodist Church It’s so good to be back in Wallowa County, and so good to be back at Joseph United Methodist Church. We were here to open up the old family cabin around Memorial Day and were in church that Sunday. What a... Read More

Karma and Grace

June 20, 2024 — We’re happy to be back in the Wallowa Mountains where there are lots of grace notes. One is the return, after five years, of a pair of mating Red-Shafted Flickers to their hollowed out nest in the old stump near our cabin. The 12′ foot stump is actually one huge bird-feeder which attracts Pileated Woodpeckers,... Read More

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