Kicked out over a peanut

Another Saga from Atlantic City. Armpit of New Jersey.

First: It was probably bad judgment on my part. It was my fault. I was in need of correction.

I stopped in a boardwalk bistro and ordered something cold to drink. I intended to order a sandwich. No one took my order. I sat for 5 minutes. Appetizer needed. I was hungry. I sat sipping my beverage and retrieved a partially eaten sack of peanuts about the size of a baseball out of my pocket. I had bought them from a street vendor

They were busy. I ate perhaps a dozen or so, putting the shells neatly in the cup provided for the drink. It was my intent to not leave any shells or any mess.

Suddenly the owner of the joint, a Greek fellow, large beard, bad accent, came took away my beverage, told me to take my peanuts and get out. He refunded my money (that was nice of him sort of). But he unceremoniously kicked me out.

Now, this was not a restaurant. It was a walk up hot dog stand counter with stools. I was on a stool. I was not asked to stop, I was not asked to put away the peanuts. Just kicked out.

He made a scene. I have fairly thick skin so I took my money, my peanuts, my shells and my hungry bod out the door as ordered. I said at the beginning I was probably wrong.

I thought about that. I don’t believe it is in good taste to take a sandwich into a restaurant. I’ll give you that. I know restaurants, this was no restaurant. But, I don’t believe this kind of perfunctory execution served anything. I didn’t get a sandwich (Philly Steak with Cheese $6.50 is what I had in mind), he didn’t get my money. Any of it.

I went down the boardwalk and had a Corned Beef Sandwich ($5.95). It was good.

I guess that Greek thinks he showed me a thing or two. Won a battle but lost little war. He will go to his grave thinking he showed me a thing or two. He did. He showed me he’s a peanut. He now runs a hotdog stand in Armpit New Jersey. He will always run a hotdog stand in Armpit New Jersey. We used to have a saying in Carnegie:

I know men in the ranks that will stay in the ranks,
Why? I’ll tell you why,
Simply because they haven’t the ability to get things done

Interpretation, you stay where you are, stuck in life because of dumb bush league decisions you make.

I think I’ll stop saying Bush league, it’s insulting to Bushes, Presidential and leafy.

Peanut.

IF you like:………………..

• Filth and Garbage in the streets and alleys
• The smell of urine
• Hookers on every street corner
• Psychics every 50 feet
• Rip off artists up and down the street
• Casinos everywhere with guys in suits and a gun standing around
• Low Class people (Street Smart / Jaywalking level intelligence folks)
  
• Slums 2 blocks from the Trump Casino
• Gang Graffiti everywhere
• Empty condom wrappers on the beach for kids to play with
• Drunks and homeless everywhere
• Weirdoes run the business on the boardwalk
• Strip Clubs every 150 feet
• Overpriced everything
• No value anything

If you like all these things you will LOVE Atlantic City New Jersey.

This is a city without a soul. Cities have spirit or idenity. This one has none. Atlantic City has casino's like Vegas but it's a third class Vegas. It has a beachfront like Myrtle Beach but it's a second rate Myrtle Beach and it tries to have an aura of New Orleans but it's not even close to what New Orleans was. I've been all those places, Atlantic City you ain't them.

This was some large expensive government social engineering program meant to bring in "Jobs". Jobs sucked the life out of whatever identity they ever had. So it's a town that doesn't know who it is. Be who you are and be the best that you can be. I have seen the worst effects casino gambling brings and it's not a pretty sight.

It is without a doubt one of the lowest class places I have ever visited. I’m glad to live in Chicago.

Oh, and Mayor Daley, if you should read this, the Atlantic City casinos are the equivalent of placing a Trump, Sands, and Cesar’s palace in the center of the worst neighborhoods in Chicago. It doesn’t make the neighborhoods better it makes the casinos sleazy.

I will have to go back to Atlantic City. I hope they get some Hispanic folks in there to upgrade the slum. We like them in Chicago and they make the place better. What's there now is not better, it's pitiful.

This is the worst I have seen in America in a long time.

**Update, OK, the democrat jab was wrong. I spend mornings walking and listening to conversations with the other men coffee Klatching on the boardwalk. Let's just say, NONE of them are Bush supporters or fans of anything conservative or Christian. At least none of the conversations I heard. They couldn't find Israel or Iran or Iraq on a map for a hundred dollars but they all had an opinion. They had only watched the TV news. Big time opinions. Small time minds. The thing that bothered me is some of them are allowed to vote. Yikes. But the good news is, most of them don't get around to it.

So, I don't know if those dunces were democrats or not. I do know that they didn't or wouldn't vote for GWB and hate him now. So, if they are democrats it's hard to tell, they're just plain stupid and uninformed. I had a hard time telling the difference.

Do Not Read Blogs! Particularly this one.

Some are dangerous. This one surely is. It is loaded with things that could set you free, anger you and, if you are bright enough, lead you to the truth.

I just want to warn you, continued reading of this blog will cause you to take the spiritual blinders off and cause you to begin to seek God for real.

So, you have been warned. Read what you will. Some will cause you to think. There will come a day when you will hit the wall. You will be empty. You will feel lost. You will need Jesus. You don’t think you will but I promise you that is how it works. We all get to the peapods in the bottom of the slop bucket. Now or later.

Only he can bring you back and bring you out. But, keep running. He loves you and will run you down until you catch him.

Come home. There is no other way.

A Word in Due Season

I just spent 3 days in Jersey. New Jersey. Atlantic City.

I will blog on my impressions of Atlantic City which is at best a Myrtle Beach, New Orleans, Miami, Las Vegas wannabe. Not good.

I was checking out of the Hotel I stayed in. Ocean View. Very nice hotel; terrible neighborhood.

Sonja was her name, a lovely black woman in her late 40s.

I looked at her and immediately knew to speak. This is how is works with me. I didn't touch her; I just knew the next words were critical.

I said, "You are a Christian". She teared up and said yes but she was struggling.

I didn't say much more. I told her that God knows her and He knows all about her situation and loves her deeply.

This isn't rocket science theology. Of course it's true.

The lobby was quiet. For the next 5 minutes she poured out her heart. Somehow she needed an ear. I was one.

I listened, I didn't give advice. She asked me questions and kept talking. She quoted scripture (she was well schooled) and I affirmed what she quoted.

She told me "This very morning I told God I was done in my marriage, I was moving out of the house, I was getting out of town". He dad is in a nursing home in Brooklyn dying. She is in a dead end job she hates.

After she ran her course I said, "God's purpose is for you to not move quickly in the passion of the moment". (There was no abuse). "The discontent you feel right now is part of what he is doing to take you where he wants to take you, but you must be clear on what that is". (Again, not rocket science).

Then I shared a few things about difficulty in marriages and how that really looks to God. I have written a great deal about this and it is linked here.

She looked at me, cocked her head and said, "You're a Pastor aren't you". I said I don't Pastor a Church but I am a Minister and work with a Church.

Then she said, "I prayed for an answer this morning and asked God to send an angel or someone to deliver it. You did. I know now what I am supposed to do". She then wrote her and her husband's name address and phone number on a piece of paper and asked me to pray for her. I did.

Mostly I prayed in tongues. That's why the gift of Tongues is so wonderful, the Holy Spirit prays God's perfect will thru us so that even when we don't know what or how to pray he allows us to pray with accuracy and specificity to exactly the need and purposes of God. Romans 8:26-28

That is a Gift. 1 Cor. 14: 14 - 15, 18

It's also a gift to be a gift of God to someone else and I'm thankful for the gift of discernment and a word of Knowledge that allowed me to move with boldness and confidence.

I'm also thankful for my age and place in life. I am pretty fearless in ministry where 20 years ago I would have been more timid.

I can't tell you what or how Sonja's life will be directed. I do think God spoke to her yesterday. He just used my mouth.

Thank You Lord for using me again.

OUT

I’m out of sorts

Well, not exactly.

I’m traveling on business this week. Atlantic City. Sin City of the east.

Never been there. Didn’t want to go. I’m not a person who runs to Vegas. Haven’t been there in years either. Open prostitution doesn’t impress me much.

But, a green goods confab is there and I am meeting with some potential contacts that could perhaps enhance my financial life. Always a good thing.

So, blogiolgically speaking I will post next on Friday the 28th of July. Write that down now. You might forget it. (talk about egomania and self importance).

When I started blogging Julie gave me some sage advice, Blog EVERY DAY. If not people stop reading. So I try. But I don’t have a really portable computer. I know they make and sell them. I just don’t have one. I could afford it. I just don't. Stubborn.

So I’m out of sorts. And out of touch.

If the mintless-on-the-pillow hotel (cheap) has a public computer I might use that. So emails are OK (maybe).

And, to Nodak Jack close circuit. Thanks for being there. Somehow you now matter in a unique way to me. That may explain why you are so good on the radio.

Relating I think they call it.

I’ll have to learn to do it.

I’ll start this week.

Or not.

Political Correctness Puts Homosexuals at Risk

I’m sure you heard that the “Gay Games” just ended in Chicago. Big doings. Lots of people with “alternative” lifestyles came to town. Big money spent by all around and by sponsors.

This would be harmless enough I guess. These go on every 4 years. 2010 in Cologne Germany. I’m going to get my tickets, (that's a joke man). We have a “Gay Pride Parade” once a year. All the politicos and TV personalities turn out to make an appearance as half or fully naked people dressed as flowers or other things parade down the street. Yeech.

I guess whatever turns your crank is appropriate here. For this old guy stuck squarely in the 50’s this is a bit much.

I think the headline that caught my attention most was one from the Chicago Tribune that reported how the immigration authorities had bent the rules to allow delegates from all over the world to come to the games even though they were HIV positive or suffering full blown aids.

From the Article:

The Immigration and Nationality Act denies visas to anyone with "a communicable disease of public health significance," and HIV was placed in that category in 1987. Only a handful of countries, including Saudi Arabia and Iran, have a similar policy regarding people with HIV.

Of 12,000 participating athletes representing 100 countries, perhaps fewer than 50 will be foreigners with HIV, said Gay Games organizer Kevin Boyer. That is only an estimate, he emphasized, as the decision to divulge health issues--whether allergies or HIV status--to the Gay Games is voluntary.

Some Web sites advise visitors on how to avoid detection by U.S. officials upon arrival, such as by rebottling AIDS drugs in neutral packaging or mailing them to a friend here.

Blanket waivers to the policy are granted for certain "designated events," such as the Gay Games. HIV-positive travelers can try to get a waiver for personal business, but these are much tougher to obtain, advocates report. Immigration officials said they could not say how often waivers are granted.

Ronda Goldfein, director of the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, said slowing the spread of AIDS is not about specific people but specific behaviors, namely unprotected sex and the sharing of hypodermic needles.

Many of the sponsors of this event were area bathhouses. Why? What do you think? The gay games were as much about “Party” as running marathons. Let’s just say the gay games were a contact sport.

Here’s the question. If aids mutates into more virulent forms and if those forms are transferred by bodily fluids is the Gay community that remains behind in Chicago now that the games are done being played
A: LESS
B: MORE
at risk of infection by bringing in these new permutations of the virus?

I’m not a homophobe. I won’t insult you in explaining that I have several friends who are of the ilk. (Some of my best friends………..). They are. They are as astonished by the political correctness and tolerance excesses as I am.

Here’s for me where the rubber meets the road. My brother John was a brittle diabetic in the last years of his life. He died at 50. For the few years leading up to his demise he bled easily and profusely. Because of the fear of aids he was treated like a vermin when he bled. It was insulting and painful to see. People knew why he bled but fear of human blood was so rampant. When he bled the Haz Mat suits came out. It’s the same in Schools today.

Even today in a High School football game if you start to bleed (nose) you are taken out for the same reason.

But because they are homosexuals with lots of political clout we bend or break good rules to allow strains of infection on our shores for no other reason that it is politically unwise not to.

Now, when or if bird flu sets in and there are quarantines and a homosexual has bird flu will that keep him off our shores?

I doubt it.