Down and out semi poet who is down and out in the Low Country of South Carolina after living in Atlanta which is not to be confused with the south, the old south or the new south. Atlanta was a global metropolis with all the pluses and minuses that comes with that. The low country, low because it is low, 8 feet above sea level, is not Podunk but once you get to Podunk, turn left. I try to chronicle a small part of all that through my daily haiku for you.
definitely know don’t have all the answers, but am always looking
Reading through the papers this morning and all about how Michigan will win the big game tonight and how Michigan won’t win the big game tonight.
I came across one of my favorite columnists, Nancy Armour, and I was thinking, isn’t she connected with Michigan somehow so I clicked on her name to see if it linked to a bio.
It didn’t and she isn’t (she went to Northwestern) but the link had a little line of Who-I-Am and Ms. Armour wrote:
[I am A] Columnist for USA TODAY Sports, writing about a little bit of everything. I definitely know I don’t have all the answers, but I’m always looking for more of them.
I like that.
I like that a lot.
I couldn’t easily use that line for this blog.
I am a self proclaimed poet, writing about a little bit of everything.
I definitely know I don’t have all the answers, but I’m always looking for more of them.
why do you look for the living among the dead? remember, told you
Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.
Luke 24 (New International Version)
Workshop of Peter Paul Rubens – The Women at Christ’s empty tomb (1640)
the distortion and weaponisation of faith deeply saddening
Adapted from the article, As Team Trump wage unceasing war on Iran, evangelical nationalists are destroying any moral world order we once had by Simon Tisdall in the Guardian on April, 4, 2026 where Mr. Tisdall writes:
For most practising Christians, the misappropriation, distortion and weaponisation of faith to justify death and destruction, sow divisions, excuse war crimes and bomb Iran “back to the stone ages” is deeply saddening.
Christians – who celebrate Easter on Sunday – believe Jesus was crucified for the sake of all mankind, for the forgiveness of sins, not for vindictive vengeance, pride and domination.
Pope Leo spoke for many beyond the Catholic church at a Palm Sunday mass in Rome in forcefully rejecting attempts by zealots such as Hegseth to conscript Christianity.
“No one can use [Jesus] to justify war,” he said, quoting Isaiah. War-makers’ prayers would go unanswered. “Your hands are full of blood.”
I grew up in the Evangelical Church (Pre Trump).
I grew up
singing Onward Christian Soldiers and The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
Onward, Christian soldiers,marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before!
And
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword; His truth is marching on.
As a little kid in Sunday School and Tuesday Bible Club, we sang a song the closed with the line “For I’m in the Lord’s Army, YES SIR!” and when you hit the Yes SIR!, you yelled it out and saluted like a Marine Drill Sergeant.
We also sang a song that went:
Jesus loves the little children All the children of the world Red and yellow, black and white They are precious in His sight Jesus loves the little children of the world
It just came to me, typing out these words that the first couple of songs are written in the 1st person and about me.
That last song is in the 3rd person and is talking about Jesus.
Maybe that’s where the disconnect comes in.
Still …
That line from the article, “Christians – who celebrate Easter on Sunday – believe Jesus was crucified for the sake of all mankind, for the forgiveness of sins, not for vindictive vengeance, pride and domination.“
Thinking about what Pope Leo said. “No one can use [Jesus] to justify war.”
And that kids song:
Jesus loves the little children All the children of the world Red and yellow, black and white They are precious in His sight Jesus loves the little children of the world
initiate offense shoot outside and score inside pass, rebound, defend
Lendeborg’s performance is a big reason why the Wolverines are in position to do so. He unlocked Michigan’s offense, the ultimate wild card for a coach with May’s extensive playbook. He’s the versatile linchpin of a big-ball bully lineup that has stuffed opponents into lockers all season, able to run fast breaks, initiate offense in the half court, shoot outside, score inside, pass, rebound, defend. He’s shooting better than 37 percent from beyond the arc on the season and has developed a lethal Euro step that has defenders backpedaling out of posters in transition.
“(My mom) really dug me out of the hole that I was in,” Lendeborg said. “This is pretty much a dream come true.”
A team that has stuffed opponents into lockers all season with a key player who:
is able to run fast breaks –
initiate offense in the half court –
shoot outside –
score inside –
pass –
rebound –
defend –
Versatile?
The online dictionary define versatile says that “Versatile describes a person, tool, or material capable of doing many things well, adapting to new tasks, or having multiple uses. It implies flexibility, adaptability, and being “all-around”.
Versatile is indeed the word for a basketball player who is able to run fast breaks, initiate offense in the half court, shoot outside, score inside, pass, rebound, defend.
Based on the New York Times Opinion piece, The Conversation: Tastelessness and Classlessness Are the Least of Our Concerns by Frank Bruni and Bret Stephens.
Frank Bruni is a professor of journalism and public policy at Duke University and Bret Stephens is an Opinion columnist for The Times, writing about foreign policy, domestic politics and cultural issues.
They create a weekly column where they discuss current events where Mr. Bruni takes the ‘left’ side of the discussion while Mr. Stephens takes the ‘Right’ side.
This is what Mr. Stephens, the feller who takes the ‘Right’ side of an argument wrote about the speech the feller in office made last night.
As our readers know, I support the war and think it’s been far more successful — and necessary — than critics acknowledge.
I learned nothing from it that I hadn’t known before it started, except that Trump somehow thinks that the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened by something akin to magic.
It was also a signal to what remains of the Iranian regime that they just need to hold on for another two or three weeks and it will be over.
A reminder that, even if this is the right war, we’ve got the wrong president.
