What's Tony Thinking

How to Live When Things Fall Apart

September 4, 2020 — A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I will be doing a lecture this fall with the title, “How to Live When Things Fall Apart.” I noted that I provided that title to the sponsoring body, Desert Garden UCC in Sun City, Arizona, about a year ago now, which is to say pre-COVID. Alas,... Read More

Turns Out the UCC is Mostly White

September 3, 2020 — Today’s email brought an “Open Letter to the UCC” from officials in the church’s national offices. Turns out the UCC is mostly white people. (Note to careful observer, this has been true for a long time). Just the other day, I found myself thinking, when I got yet another ad for “UCC Gear” featuring models... Read More

Homeland Security Official Warns of Danger From Right-Wing Extremists

September 2, 2020 — Elizabeth Neumann was a top official in the Department of Homeland Security in the Trump Administration. She resigned in April. Neumann is a life-long, self-described, “conservative Republican.” She is also a conservative Christian. She voted for Trump in 2016, albeit “reluctantly.” Now she’s sounding the alarm. In an interview today with NPR she said that... Read More

Back from the Mountains, Back to the News

September 1, 2020 — Enjoyed a wonderful three day backpacking trip with son, Nick, and grandson, Levi (age 8) over the weekend. We went into the Eagle Cap Wilderness from the Two Pan trailhead, up the west fork of the Minam River to Minam Lake. On Saturday we went a little higher up to beautiful Blue Lake. Here are... Read More

To See This Continuously Happening . . .

August 27, 2020 — Dominic Smith, the first baseman of the New York Mets, spoke about the shooting of Jacob Blake with a grief, a sadness, and a power that was extraordinary.You may have to scroll down a bit on the link to get the news conference with Smith, whose eyes fill with tears and who struggles to speak... Read More

This Mess is Trump’s Dream

August 27, 2020 — Yesterday I considered posting a Facebook public message that read: To: Those Setting Fires and Ransacking Businesses in Portland, Seattle, Chicago and Kenosha From: Donald J. Trump “Terrific job you’re doing. If you can keep it going into October, we’ll win for sure!” I didn’t post such a message because it seemed ill-advised, probably just... Read More

Turning Aside

August 25, 2020 — I’m having what I think of as a “Wordsworth” feeling. That is, “The world is too much with us,” or at least too much with me. Too much politics in particular. I’m a sucker for it. Wordsworth complained that “buying and selling we lay waste our powers.” Not doing much buying and selling but too... Read More

Have Dem’s Taken the Bait?

August 23, 2020 — Shortly after Donald Trump was elected in 2016 I read an article by an Italian cautioning Americans who oppose Trump to not get sucked into focusing too much on the man and how disgusting he is to you. This was based on the Italian experience of Silvio Berlusconi, another self-centered moral re-probate. The Italian commentator... Read More

The DNC: A Few Observations

August 21, 2020 — It appears that the Democrats did a pretty good job with the first virtual national party convention. Good for them. Good for us. I didn’t watch a whole lot of it, but what I saw seemed solid, at times inspiring and mostly on-point. Here are a few observations. I remember Rabbi Edwin Friedman (Generation to... Read More

The Still Before the Storm

August 19, 2020 — I know the conventional phrase is “the calm before the storm,” but based on the last few days here in the Wallowas, “calm” doesn’t quite get it. “Still” — an eerie, heavy, stifling feeling — is closer to it. It makes you long for the storm to break loose. And last night it did. About... Read More

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