Insane Earthlings

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26 The President chose this scripture for the memorial service in Dallas. The President noted that he had made these eulogies too many times during his tenure. I have watched too many. One was too many. But what have I done?   Raised my voice on social media in outrage? What else? Not much. Not enough. He went on to say after referencing this passage from Ezekiel that America needs a new heart. An open heart. He is right. But if G-d is a cardiologist I think he would recommend that America have open heart surgery. He needs to wield his heavenly scalpel and make an incision in our chest and part the flesh. He needs to saw through our sternum and open a wide cavity. He needs to use his almighty strength to pluck the stony waste of organ that we call heart from our bodies. And I pray that he casts our old...

I knew something was up from the moment he walked in. I had recently been promoted to Pharmacy Technician. From behind the elevated pharmacy counter I had a clear view to the front door.   He had that look that junkies get. You’ve seen it. Wired, agitated, and worn down. My parents knew the owner of a small but busy drugstore that was tucked away in a tiny strip mall on a back street. That’s how I got the job.   In the growing southern city I lived in, that was how college kids like me found work. We knew someone.   In the mid to late eighties, knowing someone was important. At first I ran deliveries. This consisted of delivering prescriptions to the wealthy white people who lived to the south of our store and to black people, mired in poverty, living to the west side of town. The disparity was striking. He approached the lower check-out counter directly in front of me and the pharmacist on duty. Like I said, I knew something was up. Often people who were str...

There’s a reason we have rules . This is something people say when not following a rule coincides with bad luck. You could break the rule a thousand times without anything bad happening, but you can bet that as soon as something bad does happen you will hear this smug phrase. Can’t you see them shaking a finger at you, talking to you like you’re a child, scolding you for not following the rules?  Man, I hate those people. I hope I’ve never been that person. There should be a rule against being that person. Here is a quick rule-breaking story. It’s a great story because:  1. It involves rule breaking. 2.  It involves sticking it to the man. And 3. A whole bunch of good results from the rule- breaking. So here goes.   I worked for a company that was becoming quite successful. The owner had invented a product that was revolutionizing the orthopedic industry.   The company was starting to make some real money.   He bought a building in an old...