Chris James

One of the issues I have, Colin, is that a private school issues a certificate that is supposed to be the equivalent to all other schools and this proves that it is not. How would we feel if a private school only taught the multiplication tables up to 6X and felt the rest was irrelevant. What about the schools that teach creationism instead of the scientific facts in evolution? Would the belief in Adam and Eve riding a dinosaur allow their students into a respectable university? We do a disservice to students by blocking out any portion of human knowledge, be it fact or fiction. Knowing the difference between what is real and not allows the human mind to make good decisions. Go ahead and discuss creationism, slavery, or anything else in the Bible, but please make note that creationism is based upon one book filled with ignorance about the way life evolved. As for Mark Twain, his stories should be discussed not dissed. Here is a very good article about how Twain developed his views on slavery and the sources of his characters in Huckleberry Finn: https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/10/24/mark-twain-on-slavery-empathy-compassion/

We see this kind of censorship maneuver at least every decade, but this one disturbs me. Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn is still a timely classic and anyone who has read the story knows the author did not pull his punches. For years it was a story about the despicable American institution of slavery and the language was harsh. The politically correct folks objected to the N word and so the spate of banning began across the land. This is the first I have even heard of a school reacting to the students objections, and it sounds like they are whining that the story is too hard: http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-pennsylvania-school-strikes-huckleberry-finn-from-11th-grade-curriculum-20151214-story.html Eleventh grade, on the cusp of adulthood, and they whine. Of further interest is that this is a Quaker school and if you know your history the Society of Friends was instrumental in running the Underground Railroad that helped slaves escape from the South. Pennsylvania was a major terminus of that railroad and thousands of slaves made it there. The students objected because they were made "uncomfortable" by the story and the school principal agrees. I guess they should stick to Cat in the Hat which is the least offensive book on the shelf. Twain intended the reader to be uncomfortable on many levels. A runaway boy befriends a slave and they have adventures, all the while fully aware that the law is looking for the man. I remember the tension as I read the book when I was a child. It is one of Twain's most amazing literary works and any school that rejects allowing high school juniors to read this book is run by fools. History explained thru literature is one of the most important things we have to keep our society from repeating the mistakes of the past. Removing this book from a school library is a travesty and only makes our children dumb.

Becoming transgendered is more than a change of clothes, I think we all know this. For those who plan to have surgery there are rules regarding evaluation by a mental health professional, and for good reason. But this is the first time I have seen anything about a transgender person rejecting an age appropriate role in life...and this concerns me. http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2015/12/this-46-year-old-trans-woman-is-beginning-her-new-life-as-a-6-year-old-girl/ When you are 46 you are not 6 years of age since we all know there is no going back. I think the article doesn't say enough about why any of this should be viewed as acceptable, it seems like a mental breakdown. Finding two straight parents who accept this kind of behavior seems strange and you have to wonder at their reasons for the acceptance. Changing gender is difficult enough, but an adult identifying as a child seems far beyond the norm. I wonder what everyone else thinks.

One of those "short" Cole Parker stories that take all day to read. I get it, there was so much to say and he did it well. Shades of Ren for the farm aspect and the horses... I do believe that Cole is a secret cowboy at heart. Enjoyed the characters and how they worked out the issues since what is a good story without issues? Thanks, Cole.

Banning all Christians might be a problem, but perhaps we could ban Mormons...after all they aren't real Christians are they? I think banning any religious denomination is a bad idea...and this you are hearing from an atheist !!! Religion being the opiate of the masses we need something to keep those people calmed down.

This story just keeps on rolling along and I am enjoying it very much, Colin. You are ignoring some of the central issues just enough to keep me guessing as to the outcome...I love it! Looking forward to new chapters each week.

The Trump ego is unhappy, as if anyone cares. https://www.yahoo.com/tv/s/donald-trump-blasts-time-not-154257567.html

How many people really care about the Trump factor, as he slowly sinks in the polls. I am beginning to believe he doesn't want to be president but his ego said that's the way to become popular...and he so wants to be popular, and adored...Look at Me! Watching his political mood swings is like watch a television game show and wondering what the prize is behind door number 3. But today he comes out with this zinger to top all of his zingers: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-calls-for-complete-shutdown-on-muslims-entering-us/ar-AAg86Ic?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=LENDHP Looking at this you might think he is trying to push people into joining ISIS so that we cam bomb the hell out of them. Not gonna work.

I think the view from the inside is far worst, Bruin. The reasons behind gun ownership are varied, but here's a particularly ignorant look at why people think guns are important: http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/05/us/michele-fiore-gun-holiday-card-feat/ Nothing says celebrating the birth of Jesus like massive firepower in one family. No parents in their right mind should allow their kids to play with the children in this family. But then we all realize that the parents in Michele Fiore's family are responsible for the way their kids appear in this Christmas greeting. Gun ownership is a political statement in many states and the latest round of Republican candidates running for office support that gun toting mob. Of course in recent polls it seems the voters behind these candidates are among the undereducated, no surprise there: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/from-trump-ryan-cruz-and-rubio-clues-to-gop-identity/ar-AAg3BIZ?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=LENDHP

Perhaps we should review the commentary about mental illness being the cause of so much gun violence...lately it seems to be the norm. The sales of military style weapons only enhances the mass murders of civilians so we seem to make it easy. When will the sanity prevail and put a stop to the sale of advanced weapons? Perhaps after someone uses a shoulder fired missile to bring down an airplane in Los Angeles. But just as Donald Trump says that these massive attacks only serve to boost his support we seem to have a populace that feels that more guns is the answer. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gunmaker-smith---wesson-up-almost-100--in-2015-202338996.html# I would suggest that if this nonsense keeps going that Mexico will want to build a wall to keep us out.

For those of you who spend time trolling the internet and using it to form opinions about how our universe operates then perhaps you are familiar with the name Alex Jones. Jones is America's foremost wacko, and why the likes of Donald Trump would appear on camera with this nut job is beyond me...except it is funny. Jones has said some outrageous things including that alien space lizards are running our world, but that's just a piece of his insanity. The brief article shows that Trump probably didn't know exactly how insane his host was for this segment, but they do seem to be two peas in a pod. Hey, if Trump gets the GOP nomination then Alex Jones would make a perfect match as a running mate. LMFAO. http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/donald-trump-joins-insane-conspiracy-theorist-alex-jones-who-calls-him-george-washington-tod

This is the wackiest time I can remember in politics. Religion seems to have a higher profile this time around, although Reagan and the Bushes were considered good Christians, the Christians of today seem to be lunatics by comparison. I am not talking about Trump, the self aggrandizing egotistical maniac who is running the GOP bus into the ditch. The latest Christian swagger comes from Rubio, although I think any right minded church going person might hesitate after reading this: http://www.christianpost.com/news/rubio-paris-attacks-and-9-11-are-part-of-gods-plan-for-our-lives-151265/ God's plan, huh? I love it when blowhards drop the God word as if the big cheese in the sky talks directly to them. I guess this means Rubio believes that the slaughter of innocent non-combatants is ordained by God. Since he is God I suppose he doesn't have to give us a reason for this holy transgression, but Rubio does. Tell us Marco, do you embrace any part of the New Testament? God of the Old Testament is far different than the gospel of Jesus in the New. Maybe it's a generational dispute because sons always seem to argue with their fathers. Earlier I mentioned Trump's ego, but with this statement about God's purpose I think Rubio is trying to build his own status as a demi-god. Seems he is fighting Trump for the steering wheel of that bus...watch out for the cliff.

Interesting to note that many Native American societies had the opinion that strangers were to be welcomed and offered protection, food and shelter. This was also common among nomadic Arabs in the Middle East, at least it was. The Pilgrims would have been pitied for their lack of skills, but the views of their faith towards the heathen tribes had to stand in the way of progress. If I offer your starving family food and you condemn me for being half naked then a big F.U., feed the food to the dogs.

Okay, let's face it, if you or I had attempted a deed like this we would have been bitten and clawed to death. That's what makes this rescue by two brothers such a wonderful thing...it took courage but they didn't falter. And look at the amazing selfie that will make them the envy of all their friends. Bravo. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bald-eagle-trap-selfie_56595746e4b079b2818a75ca?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

I thought to look at one of the Halloween stories submitted this year, and I can't find it. There is no posting of the 2015 Halloween stories in the Collection file. Has this just been overlooked?

So Cole, I guess you are saying we have to elect Hillary as the one candidate with the most government experience. Don't mention Jeb, he fumbled the ball in Florida at every turn. Rubio, Cruz, and Huckabee would like to see this nation as a theocracy. Unfortunately for them Jesus isn't in the Constitution and he isn't a citizen. He died at age 33 so he didn't even live long enough to qualify for president. The issue with Obama is that the GOP's tactics from day one was to obstruct anything the president put forth....and they admit it. So much for the two party system. India is sounding better all the time.

Should this nation lose it's collective mind and elect The Donald then I think he will find himself impeached within the first 100 days...he might even like the notoriety...it's a little like bankruptcy. This new bunch of self labeled reformers seem to have a third grade approach to government and what they say only confirms their ignorance of our history. Ben Carson just said none of the Founding Fathers in our nation had any government experience. That is to say in his thoughts that ignorance can rule without any concerns. Of course he was wrong in his statement since all of that First Congress were appointed to office by the State Assemblies where they had served local government. Jefferson, Franklin, and Adams had lots of experience and forged a nation. The Donald and Carson display a great ignorance of Constitutional law with gusto...and yet they seem to be in such favor with the GOP voters. Those who would have this novice class of politicians in the White House are said to be furious with the inactivity of the current government, but the argument is a sham. Congress has been the biggest impediment to this nation's progress. And in case you doubt that just count the number of Tea Party affiliates who refuse to negotiate and have threatened the stability of government time and again. A rational person would see that this nation is an expensive proposition, especially in times of military activity across the globe. Someone needs to rescind the American credit card and lower the debt. Taxes are the only way to pay down that debt but don't ask a Republican to raise taxes...how soon they forget about Reagan's tax burden. I still think we could eliminate our debt if we outsource our government to India where employees work for pennies instead of dollars. Of course they would be inefficient, but is that any different than what we have now?

That's good news, Nigel...now I have some pesky neighbors who really ought to go live in a trailer park. Perhaps a device that can zap away neighbors such as this would be of great benefit.

ID cards for Muslims is an unworkable solution...and it will lead to exactly what the ACLU is concerned about in this article: https://www.aclu.org/5-problems-national-id-cards

Now The Donald is talking about a mandatory National Identity Cards for Muslims...needless to say the Muslim and Jewish communities are aghast. Perhaps Trump doesn't see the correlation with Nazi Germany, but others do. The Muslim terrorist we should most be concerned about is the leader of Syria, President Assad. Half his country is in the hands of ISIS and yet he attacks those who would fight against them. Sure it isn't good to have rebels trying to overthrow you, but a genocidal maniac needs to be replaced. The label Syrian terrorist seems to be a misnomer in many ways. A lot of the ISIS soldiers are Syrian while the leadership comes from the ranks of the former Iraqi military under Saddam. ISIS is a collection of dispossessed individuals who are condemned by most other Islamic people as violators of the Quran. As I see it the only way out of this mess is to wipe out Assad, destroy the economic based of the Syrian nation, and kill a lot of civilians in the process. ISIS has already proven it can disburse around the globe and it will continue to do so bringing their brand of terrorism to many other nations. The French have the right idea: shoot them on sight.

Perhaps the Germans have a better idea to keep from poisoning the food supply. Does anyone really believe that a chemical which kills weeds doesn't have some effect on the surrounding plants? Cancer develops by introducing foreign substances to the body and nothing is more foreign than a pesticide or herbicide. We need to see more of these in our agricultural fields. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/this-robot-kills-weeds-and-could-end-the-need-for-herbicides-on-farms/ar-BBnab95?li=BBgzzfc&ocid=LENDHP

He says things just to be controversial, but then so do most foul mouthed comedians. This week we have his latest outrage, and it's a doozy: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-says-would-consider-closing-some-us-mosques/ar-BBn4Yaq?li=BBgzzfc&ocid=LENDHP Imagine a U.S President shutting down religious institutions just because he doesn't like what they are preaching. Hell, Trump could ask me and I'd give him a whole list of Christian religious organizations that need to be shuttered and shut up. Perhaps The Donald has forgotten about our Constitution and the religious freedoms it protects. But then we don't have to worry about Donald making it to the White House, he is going to implode very soon. Some radical Christians may agree with his argument about closing mosques but then they probably understand that something like that puts a target on their backs as well. The best way to do away with radical Islam is to support those who seek peace in that religion. These are the people who will toss out the radicals, or at least report them to the authorities. This ISIS style cult of hate does not develop in a vacuum and many Muslims know who they are and where they live.

This is starting to sound like a Monsanto stockholders meeting. The bees are just one of the symptoms of excessive pesticide usage in the food chain, the other being all these anti-biotic treatments to the animals we eat. But the bees are trying to tell us something important and the results of ignoring this message is alarming. They spray the grass here in Florida in an attempt to keep down the mosquito population. I guess it works but I also see dead bees on the sidewalk after they spray. There must be some chemical imbalance that kills them off and makes them poisonous because not even the lizards will eat the dead bees. Do corporations also do good things with their products...well, sure they do. But in fifty years will we remember the good when the bad overwhelms us? My point is that it sometimes takes generations to discover what we are doing is wrong and in many cases we are dependent on the major players to tell us when something has gone awry. Cigarette companies would be just one example, the other would be the big pharmaceutical companies. Do we believe those folks now? As tax payers we depend on government to help us understand the ins and outs of all these new products in our environment, and they don't do the job when lobbyists get involved. We have the best government money can buy...but unfortunately it is not our money they are taking.

Nicely done, Joe. A bit of history with which I am unfamiliar leads the way into some interesting moments of fantasy which I gather this author enjoys writing about. I imagine it will be hard to pin Joe down to the type of story he likes to write since he uses such a broad brush, and why not, it is entertaining. Thanks for the offering, Joe.

Monsanto aka. the Koch Brothers are killing the source of your food supply with their pesticide products...and they don't seem to care. They are spending millions to influence government and keep their deadly products from being banned. I bet you haven't been stung by a bee lately because there are far fewer of them. Enjoy your cup of coffee because just down the road there won't be any. http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/opinion-honeybees-are-dying-and-our-food-supply-will-go-with-them/ar-BBmXQ52?li=BBieTUX&ocid=LENDHP