How to be Right, while Dead Wrong

A L O H A !

“ People may not remember 

exactly what you did

or what you said,

but they will always remember

how you made them

feel. ”

Tony Hsieh

" Boldness

is a mask

for fear,

however great. "

John Dryden

" There is only one judge. . .  So who are you
to judge your neighbor? "

 GOD'S WORD ® Translation

"who art thou that dost judge the other? "

Young's Literal Translation

James 4:12

Bible

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Was there ever a time

when we debated ideas?

Today

what we do
is choose sides

and attack!

We have no patience

for the details-

everything 
is a chance

to argue.

We used to try to 

convince

in good faith;

Now the most shocking assertions

get all the attention.

There is no career to be made

with common sense.

To keep passion alive,

(and reason asleep?)

  assertions need to be 

more

and more extreme.

And since we only listen

to those we already agree with

the extreme gulf in partisan views

only grows wider.

Who is building a bridge?

How can you invite agreement
with a combative, angry tone?

Our "news" &

politics is reported the same way

that celebrity gossip is,

repeating the same trivial,

school-yard stuff

over and over again

without un-packing it.
Gotcha!

So what are we trying to accomplish?

Media, pundits & radio personalities

want attention, airtime and money.

What do YOU want?

In a free society,

can either extreme win,

then rule 

their neighbors?

So what's your bottom line?

Would you rather make the best put-down

or find common ground upon which 
society

- all of us -

can move forward
together?

Do you want to be "right"

or be effective?

Merciless - or wise?

You can be technically
correct,

but the person you argue with
is telling you

what is Emotionally True to THEM,

what matters most to THEM.

Do you care enough to listen
instead of merely
preparing your 

ammunition?

Can we even really
hear each other
anymore?

Yes,
you may be "correct"
on your facts,

but be DEAD WRONG
in your attitude,
behavior,
results.

This is a Democracy -

not a winner-takes-all 

demolition derby.

Or is it?

We do not need to agree
on everything,
in order to live agreeably.

But we do need to understand
what really motivates
people
who hold opinions that seem
incompatible with our own.


To do that,
we need to regard them
once again
as
people,
not as stereotypes.


We need, in a real sense,
to 'love' our neighbor
as we do ourselves;
That is: as
basically good persons;
Persons who deserve
to be listened to.

So what is missing today?

Please share your opinion with us
in comments.

& Thanks for your valued visit.

                                                                    Warmly, cloudia

Motoring Icon

ALOHA, CHAPS

An early Swallow Sidecar

Swallow Sidecar Company

was formed in Blackpool England

by William Lyons on his 21st Birthday,

 4th September, 1922.

 William Walmsley, nine year older,

was his equal partner.

The company was formed

 to produce

sidecars for motorcycles.

  Walmsley previously

  had a business
reconditioning WWI-surplus 

Triumph motorcycles

& fitting sidecars.

In spite of the economic stagnation

of the early 20's

the company bloomed 

after showing at

  the 1923 Motorcycle Show.

  By 1926 growth was sufficient

to enable the company to move 

into larger premises 

and to change their name

to Swallow Sidecar and

Coachbuilding Company.

In 1927 the company announced

the Austin Swallow Two-Seater 
an
automobile!

Lyons quickly gained orders

for close to 500 of the cars.

By 1934,  the newly formed
SS Cars Ltd

was an automobile manufacturer 

and subsidiary of Swallow.

One car that William Lyons

was not fond of was

the Airline Saloon - 

regarding it as a passing fashion.

He was correct.

Streamlining wasn't in fashion
in the UK

so the more modern
Airline Saloon

kept flowing wings

and separate headlamps

but had a rounded tail 

usually referred to as a fastback.

The windows also extended

towards the rear

and it had a boot
(or "trunk" in America).

Maximum speed was 80 mph.

 This car was only produced 
for two years.

Today
it is a sought after model

by collectors.

Have you guessed 

the familiar name 

of the cars

that we are talking about?

( ! )

Jaguar XF

Historic information courtesy of Jag-Lovers

Thank YOU for motoring by!

Toot your horn & leave a comment-

                                                                                                 Warmly, cloudia

Courtesy Rider

A L O H A !

" You're only given

a little spark of madness.

You mustn't lose it.

Robin Williams

" Thanks

are the highest form

of thought. "

G.K. Chesterton

I like this shot

because it accidentally captured a plane 

and a bird;

but the bird is higher.

Click for a "birds eye view"

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I'm playing a new game

on my scooter.

It's SO much fun to be on two wheels-

just like that anonymous quote:

"Riding a horse is like riding the sky."

It feels like flying close to the ground.

A twist of the wrist 

propels, elates,

elevates!

Cars are driven, but you

RIDE a motorcycle.

Bikers call cars:

"cages."

4 Wheels get you there;

2 wheels make it

FUN.

 " RIDE TO LIVE-

-LIVE TO RIDE! "

This holiday season

I am playing a NEW game called:

"Courtesy Rider."

It was indirectly suggested to me

by the angry Honolulu Police Officer

who gave me a stern talking-to

last week.

He threatened to write me a ticket

but didn't.

Too much fun

can look reckless

I suppose. . .

So I now I am:

COURTESY RIDER!

No more zipping around through traffic

like a UFO.

Legitimate acceleration,

feels better

than playing hound & hare

with ME as the hare.

Thanks Officer.

Maybe you even saved

my life.

Nice early Holiday gift!

Now YOU be safe, my friend.

& Thank YOU for your visit!

What story, experience, or pet peeve

do YOU have

about DRIVING, traveling, or Riding?

Tell us all in comments.

                                                 Warmly, cloudia

The Last Time

We Salute Them

with

A  L  O  H  A  !

They are in their late 80s & their 90s.

Active duty military personnel

smartly push their wheel chairs

past the emotional crowd.

Around 100 of them returned yesterday;

The cremated ashes of one man

were brought to Pearl Harbor 

for the last time

to be entombed

in the sunken USS UTAH with his

never forgotten ship-mates,

who died aboard her,

on that day 70 years ago-

yesterday.

"They want to return and be

with the shipmates that they lost 

during the attack,"

  Jim Taylor, 

a retired sailor

who coordinates such ceremonies

No one knows

if any of them will return

next December.

Fewer and fewer

survive each passing month.

Though around 2600 of them

still survive,

they are dissolving their organization

with the dying year.

It has become just too much

paperwork for them.

But their

precious documents

are being given into the care

of the US Parks Service.

In order to join the

Pearl Harbor Survivors Association,

each of them wrote an application

detailing WHERE they were on that day,

 what they SAW & DID.

Each year a few of them
tell the rest of us about that day:
fallen commrades,
the smell of burning oil,
 flaming water all around,
and the screams.

They fought war that followed;

But it is their faces,

and yes, their 

tears

that tell us
the most.

"Freedom
is not free."

" Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.... I, therefore, ask that the Congress declare that since the dastardly and unprovoked attack by Japan on Sunday, December seventh, 

a state of war has existed between the United States

and the Japanese Empire. "

 

  President Franklin D. Roosevelt,

request to Congress for a declaration of war, Dec 8, 1941-

One of the most famous radio broadcasts in history.

 listen HERE

" Before we're through with them,

the Japanese language will be spoken

only in Hell. "

--Vice Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey,

spoken from his flagship Enterprise

upon returning to Pearl Harbor 

and seeing the smoking wreckage

 The lives of our Hawaii residents

of Japanese decent

were forever changed

from that day.

Some were interned,

some fought in the most decorated units

of the US Military.

Read about my extraordinary neighbors:

HERE

HERE

HERE

Thank YOU for visiting today! 

Your comment is most welcome-

                                                                                                 Warmly, cloudia

Ant and Ox

A L O H A !

Click to see the F U L L shot

 " What this world needs 

is a new kind of army -

the army of the kind. "

Cleveland Amory

" True patriotism

hates injustice in its own land 

more than anywhere else.  "

Clarence Darrow

" There is nothing wrong with America

that cannot be cured

with what is right in America. "

 
William J. Clinton

 " An ant on the move

does more than a dozing ox. "

Lao Tzu

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And remember:
 Your smile
is the ray of sunlight
that makes the

smile-face-flowers
bloom.

Thank YOU for shining here.  

          Your comments are make me bloom!

                                                                                                 Warmly, cloudia

  

Let's Bless-

Not Judge- One Another

 

A L O H A !

Everyone has a grievance

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Each is the lonely significant one                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                    

Open your eyes! - You're not Alone!

Just exit your echo chamber.

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Flow with the Go

Say YOU What?  Comment!

                                      a Warm Thank You, cloudia