The Jerry Hinkle Program Online

Jerry is Rallying Around the Flag-Again

2012-01-25T12:02:00.001-06:00

     For several years now, the ACLU, and the godless communists that support them, have tried to get South Dakota to change, or get rid of it's Motto, "Under God the People Rule". They have been unable to do that. But it looks as though some malevolent force may be able to do the next worst thing.
     Yesterday, 80 of South Dakota's legislators have introduced a bill to get rid of the beautiful flag that has been our standard for years and replace it with a new design. The flag that proudly declares, "Under God, the People Rule". Those of you who are regular Readers will remember a previous article on this topic. If not please seek out that article to read so I don't have to repeat myself.
     When I heard about this latest outrage, my first inclination was to fight this change to my last breath. I could fight it, but I fear I would lose. With 80 of South Dakota's 105 legislators behind this, it is bound to go through. Sad fact is, unless there is intervention from a higher power, it will only be a matter of time before South Dakota has this new flag rammed down our throats the way my dad rammed watermelon down my throat yelling "You'll take this and like it". I say to those who would change our flag, just as I told my dad, "I'll take it, but I won't like it!"
     The unwillingness of these agents of change to engage in a rational discussion on this matter causes me to doubt their motives. Right away, those who oppose them are branded racists. When asked why the change, they can't give a reasonable answer. "Because I said so" never worked with my parents, and it's not gonna work with them.
     As I was stewing about this last night, I remembered the time I was stewing about the election results for South Dakota Governor in 1998. I had invested a considerable amount of time, effort, and money in that race, only to have my candidate lose. I turned to the Bible for wisdom and I happened upon the passage where Pontious Pilate was telling Jesus that he (Pilate) had the power of life and death over him (Jesus), to which Jesus replied his (Pilate) authority is limited by his (Jesus) Father. I realized then that even though my candidate was not elected Governor, God will bless the one who was elected. And now, I realize that if this new flag design is made official, God will find a way to bless it was such. Yes, the satanic forces that seek to remove God from our state flag will succeed in that endeavor, but they will not succeed from taking Him away from our state. God has richly blessed South Dakota with many things, both seen and unseen, and He will continue to do so for many years to come. The real sad thing about this mess is that the same people who can strong-arm 80 legislators into changing the state flag can't convince them to invest in education and job training. As one of the peaople who rule under God here, I'll be praying for all 105 to do just that and more, and I hope I'm not alone in this!

State of the Union Milk Party Response

2012-01-25T10:40:00.001-06:00

     To begin with all of us at the Milk Party applaud the progressive recovery that is underway with Arizona Representative Gabby Giffords. she is an inspiration to all Americans regardless of their political bent! We still see no reason to have the phony show of bipartisanship, with Democrats and Republicans intermingled in the House chamber. We'd rather see some genuine cooperation rather than the divisiveness so common in DC these days.

     We are glad that the last of the troops stationed in Iraq are back home, as we are that Bin Laden has been neutralized. Our veterans have helped to make our Union stronger, and prouder.

     The presidents recall of history, both national and person shows us what we as Americans can do both individually and collectively. He also gave a few examples of the bipartisan efforts that have been made to bring about the current economic boom. His tough talk on China falls a little flat, as they hold the mortgage to our future at the moment.

     The Presidents commitment to higher education at the community college level, while admirable, seems empty. Where is the money going to came to pay for this? He doesn't say! Making high school mandatory until graduation or age 18 sounds good, but is it enforceable.

     The immigration problem, especially illegal immigration was amusing. Obama crows about how his administration has reduced illegal immigration, yet one has to wonder if the Arizona law has had more to do with this reduction. The very same law that Obama has been fighting since it's inception

     The Milk party is second to very few in their admiration of American innovation. But we feel that we need to remind the President that those innovations took place because of private sector investment, not the government. The government has been doing everything in it's power to stifle innovation.

     Clean energy sounds good. Let's plant more corn to keep our energy clean and green. Wind turbines? Let's built them! Solar energy? Shine baby shine!

     Obama speaks of the building of the Hoover Dam, and the interstate highways. He acts as tough money alone built them. That is incorrect. There was a willing workforce who built and rebuilt this country through the WPA. Where is the president going to find people willing to work to do all of this domestic nation building.

     It's nice to hear that Obama is reducing the number of outdated regulations. Hopefully this is not just talk on his part. Naturally we oppose spilled milk as well!

     Obama loves to talk about the taxes that Warren Buffet pays, or rather doesn't pay. He talks about paying a fair share, but doesn't say what that fair share is. We propose a fair tax system known as 20/20 Tax (details available upon request). All the taxes in the world will not pay off our national debt unless we spend less than we take in. We need to eliminate deficit spending and create some surplus if possible.

     Banning insider training in Congress is good. Will it happen? We'll wait and see! Why it was allowed to go on this long is beyond us. Perhaps the biggest surprise in this speech was that no mention of health-care or his failed policies along those lines.

     The Governor of India Mitch Daniels, seems to think that, while the president has not caused the economic troubles, he has done precious little to fix them. Obama sees this Union as a nation of "haves and have-nots" . Daniels sees them as "haves and soon-to haves". You gotta respect that kind of optimism. The Governor wants a simpler tax code (20/20, anyone) He also wants the rich to lose some of their tax breaks (WHAT? I thought he is a Republican). Yes he is, because he believes that people can think for themselves. At times, he stops just short of calling Obama a liar. The best part of the Republican response was that it was short, and the sly reference to America being "A city on a hill"

     The Tea party chose Herman Cain to give their response. We were not able to hear that response, because the link provided was marked "Dangerous" by our antivirus program. One thing that is readily available to us is that Obama has been just as ineffective as President as his predecessor. America gave that president another chance in the election of 2004, mainly because the only candidate the other party could come up with was a man of wealth with absolute zero chrisma. Supporters of Mitt Romney take notice! God be with you and do the best you can!

Jerry is Remembering Who he is

2012-01-10T11:25:00.000-06:00

     Back when I was in High School, I was one of many students on a field trip out of town. As we were getting off the bus, I remember the bus driver telling one of the students, who happened to be his daughter, "Don't forget who you are". It struck me so funny that when I got back home, I related the the story with my own parents. Their reaction was one of complete agreement with the bus driver. They then told me that hopefully I hadn't forgotten who I was.

     It took me a while, but eventually I realized just what they were talking about. On this particular field trip we were representing not only our school and community, but in a way we were representing our family as well. Back then, people put a lot of stock into their reputation. They wanted to be shown in the best possible light. Parents wanted to be proud of their children, not ashamed.

     In the movie, "The Lion King", Mufasa reminds Simba "Remember who you are". I can still remember the voice of James Earl Jones as he expressed a similar sentiment to the one expressed but that bus driver many years before.

     Sometimes I feel that I have to live up to certain standards that have been set by my family. I think of how my Grandparents, Wilbur and Agnes Goehring sponsored a family from Latvia. If I could, I'd show you a picture of the house they lived in at the time. They had something like 5 or 6 kids at the time in this tiny house! And yet there was something, some natural or supernatural force that called them to share their meager existence with a family of 4 from another country. It wasn't easy, it couldn't have been. Can you imagine this TLC reality show in the making? But has difficult as having this family sharing their living space was, something wonderful happened. This family got to live the American Dream. They were able to find work and move out of the house, into another state. This one act of faith has resulted in a blessing to the family that has grown to 3 generations. As incredible as that is, it's only one of the many wonderful things that Wilbur and Agnes did. They have been an positive example to everyone sharp enough to learn from it.

     Then we have my other pair of grandparents, E.E. and Bergit Hinkle.They may not have taken in another family to show them blessing beyond measure, but they did many extraordinary things, mainly because they had to. One never truly knows what they can do until the need arises. You'd have never found Grandad and Grandma at Occupy Wall Street. They might have agreed with the cause, but they would be too busy working to do much about it. I'm not sure they'd have agreed with all the pot smoking and urinating on police cars either. Grandad always inspired me to always try and do important things, things that would make a difference in the world. I've never really had the chance to do that. It could be that there is no way for me to do that. Perhaps nothing in my part of the world needs changing.

     It wasn't until well after Grandad died that I realized I didn't have to do anything big or important, I just have to do the best I can and leave the rest up to God. It's true that I don't share my living space with a family, but I have sponsor a youth from Kenya. Until I am able to do something more difficult, that will have to do for now. It's only by God's grace that I am able to help anyone. Right now, nobody needs my help, but like the proverbial boy scout, I'll be prepared when called into action! Until then, God be with you and do the best you can!

Jerry is Getting a Dell

2012-01-09T10:54:00.003-06:00

Last Friday night, I purchased a slightly used computer. It's a Dell Lattitude E6500 with Intel Centrino and W indows Vista.If you understood any of that,you know more about this computer than I do. I have had trouble getting onto Blogger because of some issues with Google Chrome. I got this computer cheap, and I guess it is true that you get what you pay for! But I will get this thing figured out. It's a good machine though, and I Am learning new rhings every day!

Jerry is Letting Peace Begin with him

2012-01-04T10:49:00.000-06:00

     Having New Years Day on Sunday was nice in a few respects. Starting a new week, month, and year on the same day is quite rare. I think the statistic is one of 13 years starts out that way. I enjoyed it because in church we sang "Let There be Peace on Earth" It's a beautiful song, as well as a wonderful idea.

     As I ponder that idea, I have to wonder if anyone really knows what they are singing about. Peace on Earth is a goal worthy to aim towards, but is it realistic. It is so easy to give into conflict, rather than seek the peaceful gentle answer that Proverbs tells us turns wrath away. This is true on a worldwide scale, but just as true on a personal level as well.

     The personal level kicks in when we sing the second line "let it begin with me". How many of us relish the thought of saying "I'm sorry" when we hurt our neighbor or "I forgive" before someone who hurts us offers an apology. It's hard to be the first one to reach out in peace. Hard because the other person may not be receptive to such overtures.

     Some people thrive on conflict. They like to stay mad long after they've forgotten. The infamous Hatfield-McCoy Feud in Kentucky was started over a pig that crossed into the neighbors property. That feud continued for nearly 50 years until finally both families got tired of the fight. It may sound like fun, but keeping up that much anger rage and hatred is unhealthy.

     So where does the gentle answer come from. When I feel conflicted I reach up to God in prayer, and then I try to reach out to the second party. If that doesn't work, I wait for a better time. The Obama approach to conflict resolution, having both parties talk it out over a beer, doesn't appeal to me, but I have seen it work. He even got a Nobel Prize for peace, so I can't argue with the results.

     The best thing to do is to put distance between the other party in a conflict until they are ready to resolve differences. This may never happen, but pray for them until it does. Some talk of "killing them with kindness". That is actually a biblical principle. Paul tells us that if we go out of our way to be nice to those who have wronged us, it will be like heaping hot coals on their head. Some may think that heaping the hot coals on directly will solve things, but they never really do. In an episode of "Kung Fu", Master Po told Grasshopper "Anger is a weapon only to one's opponent". There is mush wisdom in that statement.

     There comes a time in every-one's life when people rage and thunder at us, we have a choice to rage and thunder right back or turn the other cheek. I've operated both ways, and in the long run not joining in the conflict, no matter who "started it" has never solved it, at least not for me.

Jerry is Getting into the Holiday Spirit

2011-12-21T15:27:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure how long it's been going on, but for the past 5 years or so, I've noticed a definite split in this country toward people who say "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Holidays". It seems that some well meaning people have crafted the saying of Happy Holidays in order to wish people well without the risk of offending people who don't celebrate Christmas. Trouble is these same people have started to offend the people who do celebrate Christmas.

Certain people get offended easily, there is no way to avoid it. The rift between these two camps keeps getting wider. There is noting I can do to stop people from getting offended. I can only stop myself from joining them. I have it easy, because I don't have any close friends who celebrate Hanukkah. I observe it myself, but I don't celebrate it like I do Christmas. Nor do I celebrate the Saturnalia debauch, or this new thing called Kwanzaa. If someone were to wish me a "Happy Hanukkah", "Happy Saturnalia", or even "Happy Kwanzaa" I could take it in the spirit with which it is given. It is too bad that those who don't keep Christmas can't do the same.

Irving Berlin, a man of Jewish faith wrote "White Christmas". Does that take away from either faith, by no means. I say it makes both faiths all the richer. People who find or take offense at anything, not just Christmas, but anything, are paling into Satan's hand. So go ahead and wish me "Happy Holidays". Just remember that the Magi were not even Jewish, and they travelled two years to see the boy who was King of the Jews. As for me I'll just say a Clement C. Moore said 189 Christmases ago, "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night"! If that offends anyone, I'll apologise, but NOT until I've actually offended someone.

Jerry is looking at Christmas Differently

2011-12-18T15:36:00.002-06:00

This morning in church, Pastor Lou was reading a new version of the gospel of Luke. It was from the Contemporary English Version (CEV) of the Bible. This translation is so new that it just came out last summer. In this version it is said that Mary laid her firstborn son in a manger, "Because there was no place for them in the guest room". This new phraseology got my attention right away.

This new way of telling the story opens up an interesting take on the story. The translation suggests, just from that one little change, that it was not a cold impersonal innkeeper that put Joseph and family in the stable, but his own family. As you recall, Joseph went to Bethlehem to register and pay his taxes, because it was his hometown. If you think you have difficult in-laws imagine how Mary felt. Here she is away from home,pregnant and, as we say back in Holabird, ready to pop.On top of that, her husband's family puts them out in the cold smelly stable.

This doesn't take away from the traditional wonder of the story, in fact it lends a whole new true to life layer to it. Joseph's own family had no room for Jesus in their home! Powerful stuff! It helps me to cherish my own family all the more! We don't always get along, words get said, feelings get hurt, but when family comes to the door, they are always welcome. At least I always am! I hope this Christmas, we can all welcome Jesus into our homes as a part of the family. God be with you and do the best you can!

Jerry is Missing his Other Grandma

2011-12-06T14:31:00.001-06:00

In the interest of fairness, I should give equal time to my other Grandma, Bergit Hinkle. Grandma died 17 years ago this very afternoon. As I said in my previous article, I had a spare, but it was never quite the same. Her loss created a void that has never been quite filled. Grandma was a truly remarkable lady. She had, with her 8th grade education, more sense than anybody I've ever known.

Grandma never sought greatness, which is what made her all the more awesome. She was a true master in the kitchen. The Keebler elves could not make better cookies, and her milk gravy was the gold standard as well. But more important that her cooking was her compassion. For every time she would say "it's a long way from your heart" when I was hurting physically, she was always kind and understanding when I was hurting in ways that couldn't be seen. She was dependable.

When she left this world all too soon 17 years ago, I honestly didn't see that coming! I couldn't imagine the world without her. All of the sudden, it was happening. The worst part of that was that I felt so alone. As time went on, I got used to having her gone, and all I had was memories. I'd like to think that I've become as kind hearted as she used to be. There are times that my temper comes back, but when I realize it, I try to pull back.

I have indeed been truly blessed, twice blessed in fact! Both of my grandmothers were the best! It's sad that there aren't more ladies like them in the world, but I guess we're doing OK. Where they are happiness abounds, so why should I be sad. There are so many people in the world that never experience that blessing. I'm glad that I am one that did, and I am also glad that I wasn't alone after all! God be with you and do the best you can!

Jerry is Missing his Grandma

2011-12-02T14:30:00.001-06:00

     Grandma's pretty much rock! We only get one mother, but God gives us two Grandmothers. A spare in case we lose one I guess. Well I lost both of mine, so I'm pretty much screwed. In fact I lost my Grandma Bergit nearly 17 years ago, much too soon. As painful as that was I still had Grandma Agnes! So I've been coasting since December of 1994.

     In February of this year, I lost Grandma Agnes. As hard as it was to lose her, a lot a changes that I started making in my life made it necessary to grieve by myself. Like the first time, this death took me by surprise. I mean Grandma had a broken leg! People don't die from that! I guess they do!

     To me, and I reckon a lot of other people that knew her well, Grandma Agnes WAS Christmas! When I was growing up, not going to Christmas Eve at Grandma's house was unthinkable. It was as much a part of the celebration as singing "Away in a Manger" or "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing"! And Grandma threw her heart into Christmas! She celebrated all of the holidays, but Christmas was all hers!

     I went back "Home" earlier this week. It was a little shocking to see Grandma's wise men on my mother's counter, but If someone else had to display it, I'm glad those 3 kings were kept in the family! I hope that all of the uncles, aunts and cousins have part of Grandma's Christmas treasury! I'm sure her lose is just as keenly felt by each of them as well! On a trip to Pierre gave the chance to hear the Capitol City Carolers. When they sang "Up on the Housetop", it was hard to sing along. That song was ALWAYS in the Christmas mix at Grandma's! I've sung that song for nearly 40 years by heart, but my voice faltered as it dawned on me that Grandma was gone and she wasn't coming back!

     The next day, my mother got a package in the mail. It was a Christmas Tree ornament, an angel with Grandma's name engraved on it. The irony hit me. Grandma truly was a Christmas Angel! Her family might not gather at her earthly home to celebrate the holiday, but she will be with all of us. As we use this Advent season to prepare for Christmas, she is looking down and smiling on each of her friends, neighbors and family members.

     Losing Grandma has been a mixed blessing, especially as Dec. 25 looms ever closer. But just like Christmas snow, she will never go away completely. As the original Christmas Angel in Luke's Gospel tells us, "Don't be afraid, for I have good news of great joy" If it were possible I'm sure that is just what Grandma would say to me and everyone else who is missing her at this time!

Jerry is at Cabela's

2011-11-01T14:14:00.003-05:00

I took this video with my JTV when I first got it. As for The exact date, I have no idea. But My nephew, Cade sure had a fun time!

Jerry is one of the 99%, but which one?

2011-11-01T14:07:00.000-05:00

     I don't understand this Occupy movement! They seem to be protesting anything they want with no real sense of organization whatsoever. The movement seems to be gathering in groups of around 500 and demanding various things, such as an end to the Federal Reserve and something called the Fractional Banking System, whatever that is.
     Despite the fact that the so called liberal press is labeling this band of misfits as heroes of some sort, some of them want Ron Paul for President next year. Not sure what that's about. It doesn't make me want to pack up and join them.
     To be fair most of what I know about this is what I read on the web and see on YouTube. One rant in particular that made no sense and went on longer than a pointless SNL sketch had a young lady telling the rest of the group through the courtesy of a bullhorn that she had a job, but she was still in debt. Right away I was thinking that if she had a job, she should go to it and get to work like the rest of us do and get the debt paid down.
     It doesn't help that Micheal Moore and Ben and Jerry of Ice Cream fame are supporting this! Not that I have anything against those 3, but they are part of the problem. Interestingly enough Ben and Mr. Jerry sold their business for a whopping $400 million to a soap company whose name I'll not mention. Kinda hard for me to believe they are anti corporate! Mr. Moore, on the other hand is reportedly worth a paltry $50, and doesn't even have the sense to admit it when called on his BS.
     I hope that the Occupiers either get whatever they want or give up before winter sets in, because that would be a mess!

Jerry is Getting older

2011-10-25T15:21:00.000-05:00

During Old Settlers weekend on the summer that Grandad turned 102, I went to a used book sale. I found a book by Art Linkletter called "Old age is Not for Sissies". It was the perfect gag gift to the man who has everything! The joke, as it happens, was on me. The print was too small for him to read! But it was the thought that counted.

I've been thinking of Grandad a lot lately vis a vis the aging process ever since a friend of mine of Facebook was wondering how to stop it, or at least slow it down. I was reminded of what the great philosopher Red Green said about getting older being better than the alternative.

Then yesterday I realized that we really had no choice in the matter. Grandad's younger brother, Uncle Don has been the oldest living Hinkle ever since God punched Grandad's time card 5 years ago. Last may Uncle Don turned 95, and it hasn't been easy. I suspect it's harder for the rest of the family to watch, just as it was hard for me to see Grandad go into the winter of his life.

I remember the way he'd lament his old age, having to live out his last days in a body that was falling apart and not being able to do things that used to be "duck soup" as he called it. I recall the trips to the bathroom, rejoicing when he got there on time, and cleaning up when he didn't. Mr. Linkletter was right! Old age is NOT for sissies.

Grandad was always my hero! I had others, of course, there was something different about Grandad. He was tough when he had to be, he was kind and gentle when he could be, but he was usually always fair. That is,or rather was, more often than not the case. The only time Grandad ever really disappointed me was when he choked on that "corn starch pudding" that he loved so much! Only 6 days later, he was gone!

Grandad lived through some mighty hard times. The hardest time he had was most must assuredly when his child bride of 63 years parted with him. He used to tell me that he even missed the sound of her snoring. Uncle Don faces that same prospect of losing his child bride of 60+ years as well. That is something so painful that I could not even imagine it! Grandad held onto Grandma's hand until her life was over, he later told me that he couldn't have let go if he hadn't believed that God was holding her hand. That kind of faith is rare, and it carried him through those lonely years as much as possible. That may have been why I was able to keep it together when he left me behind.

As my mind goes back to the day he choked on the pudding, I recall panicking and shouting "Don't do this to me!", which I regret now. At that moment I realized that Grandad was not going to make it to 105, and 104 was going to be long-shot as well. In my Death and Dying class at DWU Dr. Blumer said that when people mourn, it's not really for the departed, they mourn for how the departure impacts themselves. As I see Grandad's history repeating itself in Uncle Don's branch of the family, I find myself feeling helpless as how to help out. All I can do is pray that God will be with them as he was with us. But make no mistake, I will be impacted as well, albeit at a lesser extent.

We all get older, and whether or not that is better than the alternative is not important. The fact is that until we die, we get older. But as long as God is with us, it doesn't matter where we are. Unlike Grandad and Uncle Don, I won't face the loss of a child bride, but when I reach the end of my life, whether it's at age 120, 105, or even if I never see tomorrow, God will be with me. I hope I never lose sight of that!

Jerry is Not Going to Get Offended

2011-10-10T16:07:00.000-05:00

   People seem to find offense at nearly anything these days. People kissing in public, or wearing the wrong message on a t-shirt, and even some things said on TV or the radio have all been in the news recently. So has the negative reactions to those respective actions.
   Is it just me or are people becoming more and more intolerant? Nobody seems to want to live and let live, unless it suits their purpose. There was a certain amount of anger directed toward Hank Williams Jr. for his indirect comparison of President Obama to Hitler, but when similar statements were directed at W during his presidency, nobody even blinked, especially those paragons of truth and justice in the media. The shoes sure switched feet in a hurry. Not that I'm saying Hank was right. Clearly both times this was uncalled for, but only one instance gets the attention.
   I heard "Prairie Home Companion" Yesterday. During the "News" segment host Garrison Keillor mentioned that the minister of the Lutheran church was struggling over whether or not to do a sermon about a passage of scripture in Matthew's gospel about a parable where a man slits the throats of some people. Don't bother looking for this passage, as it doesn't exist. When I heard this part of the monologue I was shocked. Obviously Keillor was playing it for laughs, but it didn't seem funny to me. This is not to equate what he did with Hank Jr. After all, Keillor was on NPR, which won't fire him for distorting gospel. In fact they'll probably give him a raise! Fact is as upset as I got, I realized that his core audience is made up of the same staunch conservative Lutheran folks that he lampoons on the show, and they can take a joke. As soon as the Lutheran half of my upbringing reconciled that with my Methodist half it was OK. THIS TIME!
   Actually this will not stop me from listening to and enjoying PHC. I just hope that nobody who heard that story thinks ill of Matthew's gospel. Perhaps there were some people just curious enough to look up that passage and started reading what was really there. I hope so, as it's a well written book!
   And hopefully I didn't offend you the Reader! If you read up to this point let me remind you that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. I got my hair cut for charitable purposes today in honor of 3 of my aunts, who survived breast cancer. I would have had my hair dyed as well, but they never asked, and I never told! I hope and pray for a cure soon, as I'm sure we all do!

Jerry is Back in 3D

2011-09-27T15:21:00.000-05:00

     I went to he Luxury last night, armed with a free movie pass. The flick I saw was "Dolphin Tale". The story about a boy and his dolphin. This was nothing like the "Flipper" that I grew up with. The movie was in 3D, which meant that I had to don Buddy Holly glasses to see the thing clearly. Here is my perception!
     This was my second 3D experience, so I was expecting the same cheesy special effects that usually come into play. They were there, alright, but there was a 2 dimensional quality in some of the acting mostly by actors I've never seen before. For instance, the boy in this movie who was sent to Summer School because he had all D's and F's on his report card. If you followed the movie close, you noticed that the teacher spent two separate class periods trying to teach this kid the basics of prepositional phrases. I was glad the mother, played by Ashley Judd, when the director felt like it, arranged to have him home-schooled along with the daughter of the Vet at the animal hospital where the whale is convalescing . There are several plot points that need to be followed in order to make sense of this movie. If pay attention, it'll be OK.
     Morgan Freeman was very low key in his role as a designer of a prosthetic tail for the Dolphin named Winter who lost her own tail in a crab trap. Harry Connick Jr as the vet at the animal hospital lent support as well. It was nice to see Frances Sternhagen as administrator. She is still remembered fondly by me in the role of Ma Clavin on "Cheers". Kris Kristofferson had some good scenes as Connick's father, churning up a well of emotion designed to tug at the old heartstrings.
     The real kicker for me was finding out that this seemingly impossible plot-line was in actuallity a true story and that Winter the Dolphin has her own website, give it a look if you are so inclined!
http://seewinter.com/

Jerry is Discovering Fusion

2011-09-26T15:06:00.001-05:00

     Mitchell Fusion held it's first service yesterday at the DWU Sherman Center. There was a respectable turnout for this contemporary service of the Methodist faith. The service itself was energetic, very uplifting and informative.
     The problem with any event being held at the Sherman center is parking. I had to park in the LBW parking lot and walk over to the center. Once there, I was handed a bulletin (they call it a program, which I guess is what it was). As it happens, I was 4 minutes late (my fault) but was greeted by the lively music that usually starts out a service of this type.
     Because I was worried about being late for work, I sat on the edge of the row. When we were compelled to group up, I moved in closer to some other people. We were told to say something we were glad about, something we were concerned about, and choose someone to pray over all of those things when the discussion was over. It was difficult for me to talk freely, being shy, but that can be overcome.
     Pastor Brandon Vetter had some interesting statistics. The average American is 35 years (which made me feel old) The average Methodist is 57 ( which made me feel young) and the average Methodist pastor is 52 (which made me feel middle aged). Fusion, as I understand it, is taking two different things, having them come together and making something totally new come about. This sort of brought to mind what Paul told the Colossians concerning that in Christ we are all One. We may be male and female, young and old, rich and poor, red, yellow, black, and white, but Jesus sees us all the same and loves us and there's not a thing we can do about it. That may not have been the message he wanted to bring about, but it's still a good thing to know. Satan seeks to divide us because of there differences, but Jesus wants us to come together to make something wonderful happen. Wouldn't it be amazing if that caught on?
    After it was all said and done. I was 7 minutes late for work, but I got a lot done, so it's all good. Fusion is going to be once a month. The next service is scheduled for October 30. If you're in the neighborhood, drop by!

Jerry is Remembering 9/11

2011-09-11T16:25:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that 10 years ago, I woke up to see that an airplane had crashed into one of the World Trade Towers, a few minutes later a second plane crashed into the other one while I was looking down at my bowl of Cheerios! That Tuesday Morning started out as any other day, but it ended one era, and began another.
Every year since then, a sort of involuntary recall of those events take place, even without the media prompting those same memories. I remember the NYC Red Cross putting out a call for blood donations and in just a few hours time they were turning donors away. I also remember reports of people on those ill fated planes calling loved ones to say their final "I love you" I remember this sense of dread as the Pentagon was crashed into. I started wondering what was next. Was this some sort of invasion? How many planes were there? Was one headed for Mt. Rushmore? What else could happen?
It was a completely different world back then. That event was one of the things that prompted the creation of the whole Holabird Advocate/Jerry Hinkle Program. The war on terrorism had started, so I made fun of it by declaring war on ignorance with this website. I gotta tell you that both wars are far from over. Saddam is dead, the war is still going on. Osama is dead, the war is still going on. we even have a different President in the White House of the opposition party, and the war is still going on. I gave up my fight against ignorance, both my own, and that of others. It may be time for us, you the Reader, and I the Publisher, to take up the fight again. Both on this website and off.
I didn't want to publish anything about this day, I anyone does read this I hope I made the right choice. I'm sick of the media coverage of this day, it's the same old stuff all the time every year.
This year, it's getting real old quick, yet here I am joining in the rehash. I guess it's just because I'm not sure how to feel. I'm glad we aren't turning this into a holiday just yet. If it becomes one, I hope it's a working holiday. Not a day to stay home and watch TV all day like we did 10 years ago. And I hope people stop calling it Patriots Day! I'm sure if this day needs a name, we can come up with something less lame than that!
Some good things came out of that horrible time. People turned to God and each other for healing. They started respecting this country and it's flag just a little more than before. As British Prime Minister at the time, Tony Blair, declared, "We are all Americans today!" The Brits even played "The Star Spangled Banner" during their changing of the guard. When Broadway came back they closed each performance with "God Bless America", and the ACLU let it happen! It was an interesting time to be sure!
And that should do it for this year! I hope I didn't go to far with this post. By the same respect, I hope I went far enough as well! Let me know what you think, one way or the other, please!

Jerry is Tired of Lame Band Names

2011-06-07T15:34:00.000-05:00

The other day at work, I heard a couple of people discussing a band called Skillet. Right away I judged their music as lame. Later on I googled the band, and I must say they has a sound that was not too bad.

So why the rush to judgement? The name! Skillet sounds like something you'd put on the stove and cook breakfast in. Look at all the other lame bands out there. They all have lame names like Korn and Limp Bizkit, which sounds like something I'd throw in a skillet to make breakfast. I liked the band Moldy Peaches until I heard the name. There is definitely a lack of imagination when it comes to naming the musical entertainment of the next generation.

I really like this local cover band in Mitchell called the Manhattan Bulge. The name, while bordering on the ege of good taste, is not lame! It's a better name than Bowling for Soup, and they even do a better job on "The Bitch Song"!

Jerry is Going Back to Dodge

2011-06-06T14:47:00.000-05:00

Last week, James Arness, who played Marshall Matt Dillon for more than 2 decades died at age 88. When I heard on the radio last May 26 that it was his birthday, it reminded me to call my uncle, Don Hinkle, since they had the same birthday, even though Uncle Don is 7 years older. When I heard Arness had died, it came as a shock.

Marshall Dillon was a groundbreaking character on TV. Back in 1955, when Gunsmoke was introduced to the small screen by John Wayne, ( who was also born on May 26, back in 1907) westerns were for kids, boys mostly I expect. Gunsmoke was the first adult western. It showed more mature themes. It seems tame by today's standards but back then, it was pretty violent compared to, say the Lone Ranger. Matt Dillon was not the traditional cowboy hero. he could get hurt, even shot by the bad guys, but he never stopped fighting for justice. The first scene shows it all. Matt is on Dodge City's Front Street about to have a showdown with the bad guy. He didn't take the first shot, but his aim was always true.

Matt Dillon was about as American as could be. Times have changed though. America no longer sees itself as the law and order straight shooting cowboy. We've become more like Barney Fife. Yes, we have good intentions, but it just doesn't quite work out like we hope.

We need more people in this country like John Wayne, Matt Dillon, and Don Hinkle. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, Uncle Don and many other American fighting men and women became heroes, reluctantly. But they were right, their aim was true, and yes they did get hurt. Some even died in order to see justice done.

When the WTC and the Pentagon were attacked almost 10 years ago, something like that happened, but it hasn't quite turned out like we had hoped. Yes, we got Saddam and Bin Laden, but nothing has really changed. The threat is out there, and it isn't going to leave if we ask it nicely either. We need heroes like Marshall Dillon to get this country to live up to the words of our creed. I hope they are out there! The problem is we won't know who they are until they get the job done. Let's hope we find them soon!

Jerry is Back on the Obama Train

2011-05-11T13:05:00.000-05:00

I have been very critical of the President and some of his policies for some time now. I was disappointed at the time because, at least to me, Obama hadn't been the kind of Chief Executive that I expected that he would be. But that all changed on May 1!

Did he change? No, not quite! But my expectations did! When the President announced that Osama Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan, it was a real shot in the arm for an otherwise lackluster presidency.

I'm not alone in this. Obama's job approval jumped from 48% to 60%. This bump in the rating was obviously caused by the ending of Bin Laden's life. It did that and more! People are no longer questioning his birth, or his religion. At least not in the public arena. Yes at first there was doubt that Bin Laden was truly found and killed, but reality is setting in.

Don't get me wrong! I know that this so called War on Terrorism is not nearly over. As Lewis Carol observed in his poem "Jaberwocky" Slaying the monster really didn't change things.But that Mayday was an important step in helping this country heal from the attack at the Twin Towers and the Pentagon 10 years ago! True, Al Qaeda and other hostile forces have vowed revenge, but this time we as a nation will be ready for it. If Rush Limbaugh can say "Thank you" to Obama, anything can happen in America!

Mayday has 2 different meanings. Deep distress, or a celebration of new life. Osama Bin Laden has caused us both. Now, it's someone else's turn!

Jerry is Hopeful for the Future

2011-04-20T13:38:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when I see the way this world is going I have to wonder how much longer this can go on. Then the other day I saw a notice at church that some students from DWU were going to be making a presentation to the Outreach Committee. That presentation took place last night, and I watched. I was very much impressed! More than that, I was inspired!
The University is starting a local chapter for Universities Fighting World Hunger. It will be interesting to see what becomes of that. The President of the Universities SIFE chapter is also starting a project that is simple, but has a massive potential for growth! It seems to be like the Heifer International Project, except it's to do with rabbits.

This "Rabbit Project" loans 3-4 rabbits, a hutch, and a supply of rabbit food to a Kenyan woman who lives alone, except for children. She, and I would suppose the children, raise the rabbits for food and profit, and then once she is able, sponsors another such Kenyan woman to do the same. And there is where the growth comes in. How wonderful for DWU to be involved with something like that. Interesting that this was brought up during Easter Week!

It's nice to see young people interested in making a positive difference in the world instead of raking in a pile of money or digging the next groovy music star. I hope and pray those young folks keep using their energy to built the world up and do the noble work of Jesus. The sooner they make the world a better place, the sooner I can stop using this website to complain about stuff, and use it to highlight more of the good things going on in the world.

To close, I want to thank all six of the readers that voted in the last poll. I hope that there are more readers than that out there, and that the reason they didn't vote was because the whole issue is rather silly. Still, those that voted unanimously saluted our current state flag. Is the current design perfect, maybe not, but it's just fine until there is a true need for such a change. It would be difficult to conceive a design that could suffieciently contain the essence of our great state better than the current design. That doesn't mean it can't be done,it just means that I haven't seen it yet!

Jerry is Back at the Cinema

2011-04-13T14:09:00.000-05:00

When I saw that "Soul Surfer" was at the Luxury, I decided to make plans for another night out. "Soul Surfer" is a movie based on actual events in the life of Bethany Hamilton. Hamilton became a media darling after having her arm bitten off by a shark when she was 13 years old. The film has been a while in the making, but the final product was worth the wait.

The story seems unbelievable, almost miraculous. Yet, when one thinks of it, is there anything that could be more incredible than the story of someone who has their arm bitten off by a shark, loses 60% of her blood, lives to tell about it, and goes on to pursue professional surfing despite having only one arm. Bethany Hamilton IS a living miracle!

I heard about this movie on KLOVE Radio. However I never thought that a movie with such a small budget ($18 Mil) would play in Kornfield County, but 2000 theatres were selected, and Luxury was one such movie house. I'm glad I got to see it.

The studio had some concerns that too many faith based elements in this movie would keep secular audiences from wanting to see it. I must say that the film didn't overdo on those faith based elements as some so-called Christian movies do.

Carrie Underwood plays Bethany's youth pastor, and the role called for her to quote scripture. This caused some controversy, but after all, that is part of what a youth minister would do. Dennis Quaid as Bethany's father reads from the bible, which was another scene that almost didn't happen. I'm glad that the Hamilton family fought for those scenes, because it shows the true life faith that they lived out.

The movie didn't shy away from some of the more difficult parts of adusting to the way things had become. There was no typical Hollywood style happy ending, because the story hasn't ended yet. This movie inspires withput getting preachy, that that is it's best quality. Well that, and the lovely Helen Hunt! Bad things happen, and we deal! This movie shows that if you can't get over your troubles, then surfing around them is a good Plan B.

I read one critic who noted that there are people who have bad things happen, but don't rely on "an imaginary deity" to get them through it. I wonder if anyone would want to watch a movie like that! Anyone who watches this movie will be blessed, whether they want to be or not! I was!

One of the best lines in the film was after her father told her that training for pro surfing would not be easy with only one arm, Bethany said, "I don't care about easy, but give me possible".

That's a good message for anyone, even those with no faith at all!

Jerry is caught between the Moon and New York City

2011-04-12T13:58:00.000-05:00

I watched the remake of "Arthur" last night. Needless to say, it was not as good as the classic with Dudley Moore and Sir John Gielgud. Still I spent $8 to see the movie so I could come to you here and let you know how terrible it was. Trouble is, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

There were three people at the movie house. Two people on a date, and myself. There wasn't much laughter among us to justify calling this movie a comedy. Most of the funny moments were brought on by the lines that the original movie had, although some of the new material did show these characters that we came to love 30 years ago and show them in a different light.

The late, great Dudley Moore who delighted his audience with the lovable drunk Arthur Bach 30 years ago was replaced by Russel Brand, who apparently is the best they could come up with. Brand gave a great impression of Moore, but didn't quite make Arthur lovable enough for me. Helen Mirren, as Hobson was spot on as the English Nanny type, as opposed to Gielgud's butler Hobson, but the same spirit was there in her wit. It was perfect casting, as she took the role that made Sir John an Oscar winner, and made it her own.

The rest of the cast was made up with a collection of nobodies with the exception of Nick Nolte as Burt Johnson and Jennifer Garner as his daughter Susan. Nolte's take on the self made billionaire was inspired. A man so tough that he shot with a nail gun and pull the nails out with his bare hands is certainly going to be intimidating. Garner however was wasted in her role as she is just to beautiful and likable to play a nasty girl. Brand as Arthur said to her character "You deserve better than this" Indeed she did! Arthur was forced to marry this girl in order to keep his $950 million trust fund. I'd have done it for a whole lot less!

Possible Spoiler alert! This movie is not as bad as I thought it would be, but if you never saw the first movie, go ahead and give this one a go. Then rent the classic "Arthur". If you liked this movie, I can guarantee you'll love the classic. If you saw the original, I suggest you wait for this to be released on video, which I'm sure it will be in a few weeks time. It was a noble effort, the writing was there, but the acting was too sub-par!

Jerry is Watching the End of Two Eras

2011-04-09T15:16:00.000-05:00

I was watching video of the "Good Morning America" show. Diane Sawyer was reporting that Patrick Kennedy was retiring from the house, which means that for the first time since 1946, there will not be a Kennedy in United States Congress. She seemed to almost be in mourning as she said that.

The Kennedy mystique is nothing new. I'm not exactly sure why it is still part of American culture. At any rate the current family dynamic can never quite compare to JFK, Jackie, and the kids, back in the Camelot days. JFK was rich, young, and as I understand it handsome and charming. The perfect example of Babylonian culture.

Closer to home For the fist time since 1926, a Hinkle will no longer be on the Valley Township board. My Great grandfather was the Justice of the Peace. I still have his seal in my Bedroom back home. Grandad was on the board as a Supervisor. My Dad was a Supervisor as well as Chairman, and then as Clerk-Treasurer. Now he is leaving that last position.

I'm sure that the Congress will get along without a Kennedy presence. They did before! And I'm sure that Valley Township will get along without any Hinkles on the board as long as they wish it to be so. I'm sure the Ponderosa will still serve as the Township hall, since there is nobody in the whole township that can bake or frost a cake as good as my mother. Of course we all get replaced at one time or another. Life goes on. That goes for Kennedys as well as Hinkles. Both families served their voters well. It's time for other families to have a go at it! Both families can make a comeback if they have to!

Jerry is Giving Back

2011-04-08T14:15:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I went to the Stark lecture at Wesleyan. It was a different kind of lecture. Al Staggs is a speaker that combines his two passions, justice and theatre into a one man show. Those present beheld a myriad of characters, from the founder of Habitat for Humanity, to Dr. Martin Luther King, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and even a brief appearance from Redd Foxx. Part one of Staggs lecture took the audience on a journey through the mind of Dr. King as he interprets what the late Nobel prize winner might say if his spirit could speak to us. The second part takes us to Bonhoeffer's prison cell in Germany where he talks to "the future" on the church's role in the events of his day. I did not always agree with what he said, nor in how he said it, but it was presented in a very unique way.

Before the second part of the lecture, I was asked by a student what my thoughts on the Electoral College were. I shared those same thoughts, as well as why I thought that way, as well as shared some examples of the other point of view. As an extinguished-I mean distinguished- Alumni, it's my duty, I feel to show support for Old Wesleyan at any time I can in any way I can. I am glad that so many students and members of the Mitchell community did that at the Stark lecture. And I'm also glad that students still feel they can come to me for guidance or even just a little inspiration. I hope they don't ask it of me too often, but I will do anything that I possibly can for DWU.

I wish that I had the ability to put on a one man show like Mr. Staggs. If I could write one, It would most likely be something about my Grandad's life. The triumph, tragedy, and all of the life's journey that only a centenarian could tell. He always said that I knew his life better than he did. Of course I could write it, but we'd never find an actor that could play Grandad like the original. It would be like having Donna Reed play Ms. Ellie on Dallas. Perhaps, when my own life becomes interestingly enough, I could play myself in a one man show. Of course, who has time to wait for that. At any rate, I doubt anyone would be interested when they can read it for free here anyhow.

Jerry Wonders When a Jap is not a Jap

2011-04-04T14:52:00.000-05:00

Last week, Floyd Meek, one of my neighbors back in Holabird, died at the age of 89. He was well known and respected in business and the community, but his greatest fame came from the fact that he was a survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack nearly 70 years ago.

When I heard that Floyd had passed, I mentioned that fact on my Facebook page last night, along with a remark that "Time had done what the Japs failed to do 70 years ago. One of my Friends on Facebook took offense to my use of the work Jap, which can happen as people take offense to nearly anything these days. My friend equated the work Jap to the N word. I decided to study on this and see if this was a valid criticism.

Black people object to the N word. Polite society really hammers those who use it. I used to use that word myself, but my experience with the DWU MCC showed me that it was not the best choice of word. I have stopped using it, and will not use it out of respect of my brothers and sister who are people of color. It bothers me to hear friends and family members use that word, but not enough to speak up. I just consider the source and pray that they will see think better of it someday.

Jap is a term used in the WWII era to denote people from the Japanese Empire. There were other terms used, which to me were more offensive than Jap. The way I used the word on Facebook may have been offensive, and indeed was offensive to at least one person, but in the context used was historically correct. At that time and place Jap was the proper term.

In this day and age however, things have changed. The United States are no longer at war with the Japanese Empire. There are more Toyotas being built on American soil than any other kind of car. I have an uncle, who is a WWII veteran himself, who sold one of his houses to a Japanese family. I have two cousins who married Japanese gentlemen. If I were to go out into the world and point to a Japanese person and yell, "JAP!", that would be wrong. However, if I point to Pearl Harbor on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941 and say that the Japs did that, it would be 100% correct to do so. Anyone who says otherwise is itching for a fight.

The big difference between Jap and the N word is that Japan was the antagonist. The black people were enslaved by the white Europeans simply because they found a passage in the Bible that they said gave them permission. Just as racism is a form of ignorance, so is political correctness. Words can be used as weapons, they can also be used as a teaching tool. Hopefully we've all learned something today.

Jerry is Awestruck by "Joseph"

2011-04-01T14:04:00.000-05:00

Those of you who have read my reviews before may want to skip to the next paragraph, unless you need a review. For those still with us, let me just say that DWU Theatre is extraordinary. If I forgot that, I was reminded of that at opening night of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamboat" yesterday evening. I forgot to "expect the unexpected" as the saying goes. I'm not saying that I expected the show to be bad. I was prepared for good, or even near great, but this was a truly awesome performance. Donny Osmond was not in this show, but he wasn't missed! Neither was Joan Collins as Potiphar's wife!

From the Overture to the final bows, "Joseph" was a Broadway caliber performance. Most of the entire show was sung, except for a brief interlude with Dr. Patrick as Robert P. Snodgrass, and other assorted moments, which was spoken. The music was overpowering at times, but the singers did superb work, especially those who did solo work. The level of excitement and enthusiasm was catchy, and consistent! The choreography was fantastic!

The casting of Jason Zehr as Pharaoh Elvis was inspired. People who have never done so for an extended period of time have no conception of how difficult it is to Impersonate "the King". Had Elvis himself been alive to perform this show, I'm sure he'd have done it just that way! Alex Smith in the role of Joseph worked wonderfully. He WAS Joseph! Every note he sang had the same raw emotional quality from his tragic moments to his eventual triumph!

The cast of dozens was still not enough to fill all of the roles in this production. Some actors were allowed dual roles, which gave those actors a chance to showcase a versatility that has been unknown to me before. It worked brilliantly!

The house was packed last night! Like me, the audience wanted to see how musical theatre is done! We were shown! If possible, anyone who reads this needs to be shown as well. The $10 ticket price is well worth it. After all, how often does a slice of Broadway come to Mitchell!

Jerry is Taking a Fork in the Road

2011-03-22T15:58:00.000-05:00

"When you come to a fork in the road, take it.", said Yogi Berra. It's one of his most quoted lines, and quite possibly the funniest. The Cheshire Cat in Lewis Carol's "Alice in Wonderland" was asked by the title character which direction she should take when she came to a fork in the road. the cat just smiled and said that it didn't matter, because both roads would take her to where she was going.

In this Lenten season, I'm reminded of the choice that Moses made when after the Exodus, he led the Hebrew children to the promised land. Had he taken them on the direct path, through the land of the "giants" (Gath?) it would have taken a mere 11 days. Because of lack of faith, and many other wrong choices, but primarily lack of faith, the journey took an extraordinary 40 years to complete. And Moses himself, while he could see the promised land, was not allowed enter into it. Now a journey of 11 days vs. 40 years seems like a no brain-er. But let's look at this from their point of view. See, David taught us that God would deliver the giant into our hands if we believed. Moses did not have that knowledge. He also did not have the faith to lead his people through that way.

How many of us spend 40 years going what we could have done in 11 days but were too fearful to face it head on, I know I've taken the long way around a few times. Peter and Andrew were fishing all day, but didn't catch a thing. Jesus told them to cast the net one more time, and even though they doubted, they did as he suggested, and so great was their catch that James and John had to come over and help them haul it in. They didn't have much faith in Jesus, but just enough to do as he told them. That was all it took. I used to wonder why it worked when Jesus had them do it when it hadn't before. Then I realized, Jesus told the fish to go into the net. Those dumb old fish never doubted Jesus at all, just hopped right in the net. I wish I had that kind of faith. I, like Moses, see the impossible. Joshua and Caleb saw the possible, and they were the only ones of their generation to walk into the promised land. We really can do all sorts of things when we see the possible instead of the impossible. maybe I need new glasses!

Jerry is Celebrating 1400 Episodes

2011-03-21T13:46:00.000-05:00

Well here it is, 1400 episodes in the can. When I started the Holabird Advocate back in 2002 I never really thought I'd ever take things this far. Surely someone would get offended and demand I be shut down! But no here I am, 9.25 years later doing what I have been doing off an on, making it up as I go. As the Holabird Advocate died and the Jerry Hinkle program raised from it's ashes back in 2009, it was a different format, but the same driving force. Fighting ignorance by embracing wisdom and killing hate with love. I've detoured from the mission somewhat. Sometimes the truth was mixed with some fictionalized humor (or as my dad would call it, several times, "fantasy BS") to make the truth a little easier to swallow.

The fact is that when I started blogging, not many were doing it, at least not in South Dakota. After I started, it became a worldwide trend. When I stopped actively blogging, other forms of social media took over. I have Facebook and twitter, but I love going back to my roots when I can. You readers have been with me through a whole lot of triumph and tragedy. We've seen births, deaths, and other kinds of miracles in between.

My favorite story was and continues to be our series on Hunter Mees. Both you and I made a huge difference in that young man's life. Thank God, he's still cancer free! If I could do anything over, it would have been to do more audio blogging when that was available. Especially with Grandad, my interviews with him still make me smile when I think of them.

That was the past! Now to the future! Take a look at the top of the page. You see to your left our current state flag. To your right is a possible new design for our state flag. Is it out with the old and in with the new? Or is it winner and still champion? Please weigh in!

Jerry is Saluting the State Flag

2011-03-19T13:04:00.000-05:00

Yesterday The South Dakota Magazine's Facebook page touched the third rail: Change. It started with the first sentence, "South Dakota needs a state flag". OOPS We have one! But that's not important right now!

They posted a photo of a possible alternative flag, created by artist Dick Termes. A proverbial, "run it up the flagpole and see who salutes it" kinda thing. Some have done just that, others have not. I'm caught in the middle. I love the present, it has been our flag since 1963 or so, with the the only change being in 1992, when South Dakota let Florida become the lone "Sunshine State" and we became the "Mount Rushmore State". The flag we have is good enough, and better than most! Do we need to change it? I hope not. I do like the design that was displayed, but the case for change has not been made in my opinion. If it should come to that I'm sure any design will do.

The post sure did stir up a lot of emotions. Some tried to make political hay out of the issue, but there is more to it than that. Change, especially for no reason, is hard for some people. If this story has legs, I'll be walking close behind!

On Monday I plan on posting the 1400th episode of the Jerry Hinkle Program. For this milestone I'm going to dust off the Pollmaster General and have the readers weigh in on the flag issue, I'll see about getting photos of each design and see if we can build some consensus on the need for a new flag!

Jerry is Brought to You by the Come Hahn Inn!

2011-03-09T13:49:00.000-06:00

The Come Hahn Inn was a term coined by my Aunt Jo in reference to Grandma's house. Grandma was prone to take in strangers who became family the minute they walked in the door. There is a fellow called "Basement Ken" in there now, but here have been many others who rented Grandma's basement for a spell who became like family, at least for her.
One man that sticks out in particular was this traveling salesman from Bemidji, Minnesota. It was harvest time and both of Highmore's motels were full. He was sent to Grandma's house. He also asked where the best place to get a steak was. He was told where, but he was also told he wouldn't need it, and he didn't use it as it turns out. He happened to be there just as Aunt Jo, Uncle Ken and Cousin Anne were visiting after their big adventure in Tanzania. Grandma had all the home folks over for fatted calf, or whatever was close enough to it at the time, and he joined us. He watched the home movies along with the rest, and seemed to enjoy it. One things is for sure, he went back to Bemidji with one heck of a story to tell! That kind of legacy is hard to live up to.

So yes, this episode is brought to you by the Come Hahn Inn, where love is always on the menu and the leftovers are just as good the next day! Grandma may be gone, but it is my hope that the Come Hahn Inn doesn't close down! I hope it just changes management like when Sam Walton died and left Walmart to his kids. I hope that even if the someone outside the family buys that house, they will carry on her spirit. And as far as that goes, may there be other locations added, such as Holabird, Yankton, Forrest City, Fridley, Aberdeen, Faulkton, and other places outside Highmore where if someone needs a place to stay, they will find that kind of hospitality. Yes it will be hard to live up to the standards set by Grandma, but as E.E. Hinkle used to say, "Do the best you can"

Jerry is Ready for Pancakes!

2011-03-08T14:26:00.000-06:00

Happy Mardi Gras everyone! Let those people in New Orleans raise their shirts for beads, but it's too cold to do that here in beautiful downtown Mitchell! After a week like the one I've had, I'm ready for some pancakes and sausage!
The Methodist church here is having a pancake feed tonight from 4-7 pm. For $6 you can eat your fill of pancakes and sausages!
I need to find something to give up for Lent! Any ideas?
As you recall, a week ago last Saturday, My Grandma Agnes died. At the time I was at the local Cracker Barrel Session and turned my cell phone off. My family tried to get hold of me all day long and as a last resort called me at work. I was not to happy about that, but I'm sure it wasn't exactly a picnic for my mother to call and tell me that her own mother had passed away.
I went back home last Monday, the family services were a week ago last week, and the funeral was a week ago tomorrow.
It hasn't been easy for anyone, but as hard as it's been for my family, I personally can't complain. I was very blessed to have Grandma in my life for as long as I did, more than 40 years! Not everyone on earth was as blessed as I to have a grandmother or any other relative that wonderful or for that long. Still I was glad to to have a speaking part, since my voice started faltering while we were singing "In the Garden". Grandma wanted, as she often did, for those who sang in church to do so with "gusto". It was hard to do that, but many rose to the occasion, even though I was not able to do the same!
My cousin Susan, was the soloist for "eye on the sparrow" She tried to find a recording with gusto to show her how it was done, but didn't find one. She winged it, and I must say she did beautifully. It's a shame that more singers don't give it the same treatment. When someone belts out "I sing because I'm happy", they should sound like they are indeed happy. I suppose that now Grandma is happy, because she is free.
That's why I'm ready for pancakes! It's time to start living, and to accept the gift that God gave us in this day. Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness are ours! So on this Mardi Gras, I'm going to live with as much gusto as I can. I could dwell on my loss, but Grandma would not approve! Where she is now, misery is not allowed, so why should I be miserable? Because I know Jesus cares!

Jerry is Certain that Jesus Cares!

2011-03-08T14:18:00.001-06:00

Jerry is Remembering Grandma

2011-03-01T16:11:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday morning, My grandma, Agnes Leona Haiwick Goehring Hahn, died. When I heard about that, I was not prepared. Nobody really is prepared I guess. I've had many ideas on what I could write about Grandma, but I don't want to write too much, and I don't want to merely repeat what everyone already knows. So I came up with a fictional situation, and how I imagine she'd react to it.

Imagine if Grandma had been the innkeeper in Bethlehem at the time of the Christmas story. Would she have turned Joseph and Mary away? I doubt it! She'd have seen to it that Mary had the best bed in the house. She would have sat Joseph down at the table and gave him a cup of coffee right after he staked the donkey out in the back yard. When the shepherds showed up, she'd have made them take their boots off, but she wouldn't turn them away. Grandma would have even put up with that drummer boy as long as possible before taking away his drumsticks.

How do I know this? I don't, really! This is just how I'd imagine it! But, I do know that she was a kind loving person that would never turn down someone in need. That's what made her a good daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and great great grandmother. She even touched the lives of her neighbors, and the neighborhood children also called her grandma if they felt so inclined.

It has been my privilege to be the grandson of such a wonderful grand lady. To share her with the world, while at times difficult, was an overall pleasure. I was blessed to have her in my life, and to keep someone as wonderful as her to myself would have been unthinkable! And yet, what God has given, he as also called back. Hers was a life well lived, we should all do likewise!

Jerry is Not Apparent

2011-02-22T14:07:00.000-06:00

Some time ago, Rosie O'Donnell put her 2 cents worth in concerning some comments made by Billy Ray Cyrus concerning his daughter (Lucy, what's the daughter's name again?) Oh yes, Miley. It seems he's concerned that she's gonna go down the wrong road, or so he said in GQ magazine. The backlash has been all over the Internet. Young Miley is rather upset that her father made his disappointment publicly available. A lot of folks are taking her side too!

One shocking example, at least to me, is Rosie O'Donnell. It seems like every time there's a slow news day, someone puts a TV camera in her face, lets her talk, and things get cooking again. Her whole "kids will be kids" attitude is amusing. We'll see what happens when her kids grow up. (Lucy, get me the ages of her kids, please). Her oldest son, Parker, being 15, might cause her to eat those words.

Where did Billy Ray go wrong? I don't know. But before his daughter turned the magical age of 18, she did some pretty questionable stuff. The whole topless magazine cover, that he was supervising himself, letting her do that pole dance, which Lucy tells me was not her best moment. There was also a time that she took pictures of herself in various stages of undress and they somehow got all over the Internet. If she does this in her teen years, it is reasonable to think she'll do other things even more disturbing than these.

Truth is parenting is a hard job. I've seen people do it, and believe me it's not pretty. I was once a child myself, and I can tell you, my parents weren't perfect. Still, I never spent smoked saliva, got drunk enough to wreck a car, or robbed a convenience store. Any defects in my character were probably put there by myself! Most of the times I got into trouble was because I wasn't living according to the way I was raised. It happens! Everybody makes mistakes, but learning from that experience brings wisdom for both parent and child!

Jerry is Digging the Snow

2011-02-21T16:04:00.000-06:00

A 24 hour blizzard dumped 11 inches of snow in Kornfield County. Getting to work yesterday was easily done, but on the return trip, things got pretty dicey. The front wheel drive didn't get me up into the parking lot like usual. I tried to back up, and that wasn't working too well either. I got out my trusty #12 scoop shovel and dug my way out of that. I headed to the home office, but it was closed because of (you guessed it) the blizzard. Luckily we are open today, although not too busy.

I heard this morning that "Unknown", staring January Jones was the top movie this weekend. I have a feeling Liam Neeson had more to do with that than Ms. January, but it doesn't matter. I really hope that January Jones does become a household world in Hollywood movies. So do most true Dakotans, both North and South. We always enjoy watching own of our own succeed. We just wish that when one of our own does get on TV, they will do us proud. That didn't quite happen here! But then, there's always next time!

Jerry is not Impressed with Ms. Jones

2011-02-16T13:32:00.000-06:00

It would appear that January Jones has gone Hollywood! As far as I'm concerned, they can have her! Last night on a low rated cable TV talk show, Ms. Jones appeared to promote her latest movie. I should say she appeared to be promoting her current movie, since she spent most of her time on that show dumping on the State of South Dakota! To be fair, the "host" of the show was helping her out in trashing the good name of my home state.
Now Ms. Jones is not the first "celebrity" from South Dakota to disrespect it publicly, but her appearance did her no favors. The comedy team of Williams and Ree do the same, but they make up for it by being funny, because they know that this is their biggest audience. No matter how bad they bomb elsewhere, they can always come back. Ms. Jones may have to stick to doing porn, or whatever an "actress" named January does to pay the bills! As for the movie she's promoting, I shall not see it! It's not as if I'm missing much!

Jerry is Not in Love With Hate

2011-02-15T14:09:00.000-06:00

Yesterday being Valentines Day worked out rather nice for me. The Public Library, which has become my home office these days, was almost, but not quite full, so I was able to spend the whole day here. It's not always that good here in the big city! For me, it was a good day!
Some people hate Valentine's day for whatever reason. I'm not sure why anyone would want to spend that much energy hating a day, especially a day that comes with it's own variety of chocolate and other goodies, but I'm not here to judge.
There are people who call February 14 "Single Awareness Day" as if the single life was something to be ashamed about. I'm not sure where they are coming from either. After all, married life is tough! You actually have to share your living space with another person. That may be OK for some people, but I guess I'm one that isn't ready for such things. Even when I am a guest in somebody Else's home, it feels funny. I do enjoy being with other people, but sometimes, it's nice to settle back into some peace and quiet, pop some corn and watch a movie or something.

In the movie "My little Chickadee" W.C. Fields tells Mae West, "It is not good for man to be alone!" to which Mae replies, as only she could, "It's no fun for a woman either". I wonder about that sometimes. Not that I hate women, I have a lot of females in my life that I respect greatly. Indeed some of my best friends are women. Still there have been occasions in my life where I started to care too much for one special lady, and her response was to carve my heart like a turkey, and serve it to me with a slice of humble pie.

Valentine's Day is a celebration of love! There are many different kinds of love, just as there are many different kinds of people. We all occupy the same living space, planet Earth. Sometimes, things get difficult, but to me love is more than an emotion, it's a duty. God calls us to love one another, no matter what. We are called to love everyone whether we "feel like it" or not. I hope you do! Life is too short to go around hating anyone or anything, especially the day set aside to celebrate love!

Jerry is Hopeful

2011-01-26T13:01:00.000-06:00

After the shooting in Tucson earlier this month, the divisiveness in this country came to a boiling point. The left wing of this country blamed Sarah Palin, and put her, and the TEA Party on the defensive. Political differences are not new to this country, but that was an extreme case, and one that so far has not been repeated.

The State of the Union Address last night was a very enlightening occasion for me. On because of what was going on in Washington, but because of what was going on in Mitchell. I was watching the speech at Java City in The McGovern Library on the DWU campus. The University had "Free Movie Night" downtown, but a small group of young men gave up their chance for a free movie to see democracy in action. There were young men from both the Democratic and Republican parties, and they didn't all agree with what was being said. There were also residents of the Mitchell area in attendance as well, including a wounded veteran who candidly admitted that he "left half of my brain in Iraq". the discussion was lively, but always respectful. Nobody had to leave in an ambulance or a hearse. That's the way it is in South Dakota on Monday we debate, on Tuesday we vote, then on Wednesday we're all friends again. I blame it on the weather! It forces people to be more tolerant. In Arizona the nice weather doesn't really offer any resistance to adversity.

As for me, both President Obama and Representative Ryan made some good points last night. We could readily see where the agreed and where they disagreed. As for Representative Bachman ,the one thing those young men from Wesleyan could all agree on was that she looked rather silly. The networks did her and possibly the whole TEA Party movement, a favor by not letting her speak on their airwaves, and CNN should be commended for living up to the promise of the 1st amendment!

As I said before, political differences are not new, but it's what makes this unique country so great. You and I don't have to agree, and there no reason why we should. But we don't need to let those differences rob us of the blessing that is America.

Jerry is Starting Season 3

2011-01-03T15:43:00.000-06:00

It was just 2 years ago last Saturday that I converted the Holabird Advocate into the Jerry Hinkle Program. Not a whole lot of people were pleased with either decision, but it was necessary at the time. I've tried my hand at situation comedy and talk. The biggest problem seems to be inspiration. It seems there is just nothing new to write about sometimes. All things being equal, I must say that I prefer to be myself, but when the situation calls for it, I'm sure the courageous, dynamic, Publisher will emerge get back behind the curtain and start raging and thundering like he has done before.
The elections in 2010 were really something. Some of the elected officials in this country learned a great lesson. President Obama in particular has seemed less arrogant than he was before the humiliating defeat that the Democrats suffered at the ballot box. Will it last? Who knows? It'll be fun finding out!
At any rate, Season 2 is done and as I start the third season, I look forward to writing to whoever is lft out there, and hoping you'll write back!

Jerry is looking for anyone from Anniston, Alabama

2010-12-23T15:37:00.001-06:00

I've been pretty lax concerning my hosting duties. But today I've noticed the website has been visited quite frequently from Anniston Alabama. I would dearly like to find out who I know there! Failing that, I'd like to know who knows me and what they like about this website.. That way i can makes sure that there is more of it here!
While we're at it. What's going on in Norfolk Nebraska! There is an epidemic of good taste in that fair city as well!

Jerry is Examining Confidence

2010-12-23T15:25:00.000-06:00

Not to long ago I was listening to a radio report of a survey of men that asked what the sexiest feature of a woman is. The number one answer was "Confidence" I'm not sure where this survey was taken, but I'm sure it wasn't at the drinking establishment that I frequent, because I've never heard one of the other guys there tell his buddies, "Check out the confidence on that one"!

Still I must admit that there are times in my own life when a woman's confidence can and sometimes does get my attention. Confidence has even helped me overlook the lack of physical beauty on more than one occasion.. Of course it's not an exact science After all a lady with too much confidence might think that she's too good for me, and chances are she's be right on the money there!

Earlier this year, a friend of mine suggested that I find a girlfriend, but I was resistant. After all finding someone is not a problem as there are fine ladies all over the big city. These are the same ladies that are resistant to my considerable charm. This friend suggested that I look using a computer matching site, which I'll not name for reasons that will soon become obvious. It was free, so I did just that. Of course I used an assumed name, since my own is rather famous in certain circles. I must say it is almost laughable to see some of the moderately unattractive to downright ugly women who put themselves out online in hopes of finding a fellow. Not even all the confidence in the word will help some of these cases. I say this knowing I'm not exactly a ding dong daddy from Dumas here. And yet I have to admire that kind of faith. I'm just glad my account was free! I'd hate to pay $20/month to get that kind of humiliation.

In spite of all that I've said here, I truly do believe that confidence is sexy, but only if used the right way. There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance, and I hope I haven't crossed it mysellf today. If I have, let me know by Gmail!

Jerry is just as confused as Bill Cosby

2010-11-30T13:47:00.000-06:00

Jerry is Exploring Life's Mysteries

2010-11-29T14:39:00.000-06:00

I've lost two good old friends in the past few weeks. They were both 95 years old, so I guess that can't be too much of a shock. We are coming up on December. This means that it's been almost a year since meningitis took the earthly life of my cousin, Tony. That was a shock! He was only 35! Sometimes I have to wonder why.

Why is it that some people last well into their 90th birthday while others go so young? Why did Tony leave behind a wife and three kids that needed him? Why couldn't someone as totally worthless as I go in his place and get planted 6 feet under? Why? I don't know! And I've been pondering the answer to that question as I read my Answer Book (the Bible) ever since Tony left us.

Grandad lived about as long as anyone could care to, but even he wondered how he lasted that long. Time was not exactly on his side, or was it. His first 99 years were well spent. Those last few afterward were not his best. Many times I heard him say that he wished he was dead. I once responded, "I wish I was dead too! But it's not up to us, it's up to God!" He shook his head, and admitted I was right. At that time, I couldn't bear the thought of him being gone. When the time came, he was ready. In a way, I was ready to let him go.

I still struggle with Tony's loss. The odd thing is I wasn't that close to Tony, at least not at the time he died. I know he's better off. He even donated organs to 3 different people after his spirit left his body.

Sometimes I wonder if anything I've done really matters, but then I remember the old saying "God isn't finished with me yet". God still has work for me to do, the trouble is finding it. My dad told me the other day that since I graduated from DWU, I should be working at a job that makes 60K/year. I'm not sure that's true, but if it is, that's not part of the plan, at least not yet.

Lately, going on a mission trip to Haiti has been on my mind. The prospect of catching cholera has a lot of appeal for some reason. I need $3000 to do that though. Not sure if I can swing that. I've been leaving it all up to God. He is in control! I may not know what he is doing now, but when the time comes, I will. I'll be ready for it, when it happens

Jerry is Thankful (Top Ten List)

2010-11-18T16:53:00.000-06:00

In one week's time we as Americans celebrate the custom of Thanksgiving. We can all be thankful of at least one thing. I have come up with 10 of them. It's easy to look at the bumps in the road and ask "Why me?", but I prefer to look at how I've been blessed, and ask the same question. And so from the home office in Mitchell South Dakota, home of the World's Only Palace of Corn, here are my Top Ten things that I am thankful for on Thursday next:
1. My family
Yes it seems corny, but I really have come to value my family, not just my biological relatives, but all of the people that I've become close to since leaving Holabird. Funny thing is, it's the biological relatives who will be having this Pilgrim over for the annual feast. I don't know for sure where I'll be eating, but I do know 3 things about this gathering. There will be too much food, there will be leftovers, and once again, I will see how truly blessed I am to have my family. They are not perfect, but at least we've never had to appear on "Dr. Phil" or "Jerry Springer".
2. America the Beautiful
We truly do live in a wonderful country. Our recent election was hard fought in many parts of this nation. Some are still fighting. Not every candidate or issue that I voted for was voted in, but I'm gonna tough it out. As long as we are the Land of the Free, and Home of the Brave, I see no reason to leave it. I love it too much!
3. My Car
I started this year in a borrowed car after a wreck totaled my previous car. It was a long drawn out process, but the balance of Harmony has finally re-entered my life. In the transportation department anyway!
4. DWU Graduation
Another blessing that entered my life was the B.A. degree from DWU. It was a long 3 year struggle, but I got it done. I surprised a lot of people, including myself, by graduating. As for what's next, I still don't know where to go from here.
5. Blogger
Whenever I have something to say that is longer than a Facebook status, I come home to my Blog. The Holabird Advocate was my past. The Jerry Hinkle Program Online is, for now, my future. Some have suggested that I become a professional writer. The trouble with that is my writing has, for the most part, been only good enough to display here for free. That is not likely to change anytime soon
6. The Readers
You are family and friends, and total strangers from all around the world. Some of you have kept checking in, even when common sense told everyone else to move on. When I needed you, you were here. If you're not there, please don't tell me
7. Pizza Hut

My job is not the best in the world, but the job of being Mr. Jessica Simpson is not available. Washing dishes at the Hut is not always easy. The people I work with are all top notch. They have to be, otherwise they'd be gone! I don't write much about my job, because to me the Hut is like Vegas; without the slot machines, prostitution and murder, of course.

8. The Mitchell Community

When this old country boy from Holabird left his comfort zone for the big city, he was not to sure he was going to like what he found. But this big city of over 14,000 people has some of the same small town charm that I left behind. I call this place "Kornfield County" but I do so out of love. I love this place, and the people in it. It is my home, and they are my neighbors!

9. KMIT/KOOL 98

My Local Radio station of choice is the best! I enjoy KOOL in the morning. In fact my alarm clock is set to KOOL. I listen to Big J in the afternoon after my daily dose of Earl Pitts on KXRB in Sioux Falls.

10 The Upper Room

Last, but most important of all, I'm bound to say that the Upper Room daily Bible lesson has really made breakfast the most important meal of the day for me, not just this year, but every year. They are celebrating 75 years of bringing God's word to those who need that shot of faith, hope, and love to get the day off right. Some folks use it at night, which is OK for some, but I need it in the daytime.

Jerry is Inspired

2010-11-15T14:42:00.000-06:00

George Jones played the Corn Palace last night! It was awesome! The Old Possum, as he's been called may have looked older than his 79 years, and his performance may not have been the best he's ever done, but when it comes right down to it, his worst is still better than a lot of what passes for modern music.
I have heard Jones better: on radio, on TV, even on YouTube. But there was something about hearing him live that really got my attention. He has had the name and reputation of "No show Jones" long enough that it was an exercise in faith just to buy the ticket. In this case, my faith was rewarded, big time.
Jones was having trouble with is voice. Too be honest, I thought this problem was of a 90 proof variety, but he stuck to it, took water (at least I hope it was water) when possible. He also had his girl singer and fiddle player featured to give his voice a rest. I forgot their names, but not their talent! They were superb!
The concert was around 90 minutes long, and he closed the show with a very robust "I Don't Need Your Rocking Chair". I've been in situations where I was committed to sing and had a sore throat. It is painful! When I did, it was for 5 minutes or so. Jones kept it up for most of the entire show. His performance reminded me of the athlete who plays hurt. He was in fact a vocal athlete! He's a true living legend, and those of us who saw should be thankful for the chance!
As I said before his worst is better than a lot of the modern music. I understand that Bruce Jenner's stepdaughter is making an album. I would rather listen to that George Jones concert again than that album when it comes out! If Jones can do that, the rest of us have no excuse for quitting just because things are a little hard.

Jerry is Saluting Vets a Day Late

2010-11-12T14:33:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a legal holiday, which meant the library was closed. I celebrated Veteran's Day at work. I thank God, and our armed forces, for making it possible for me to do that. Freedom to be able to work when we choose is precious, and it come with a price. To me, every day should be Veterans Day. They are the defenders of our freedom! The signers of the Declaration of Independence bought our freedom, but the Minutemen paid the bill. You, the Reader, are free to look at this website because of those noble men, and the men and women that followed. Freedom like that is hard to come by, and should be cherished.

On my Facebook page, I wondered if Fred Phelps celebrated our Veterans, and if so how he did it! For those who may not know, Mr. Phelps is the pastor of a Baptist Church in Kansas, and the man who is at least partly responsible for the picketing that goes on at military funerals. The signs that declare "God hates fags" and other things of a particularly disturbing nature. Earlier this year, Phelps and his group's First Amendment rights were upheld after a fallen soldiers family brought a suit against them. It is, to me, ironic that their First Amendment rights were purchased by a group that they are protesting. It is almost enough to make one laugh, if it wasn't so sad and pathetic.

As for me, I pray for all of our Veterans who are in harms way. I hope they come home when their job is done. I wish there was a way that we could all live in peace with one another. That day will come, and it may be coming sooner than we know, Until then, I'm glad we have our Veterans. From the Minuteman, to the Peacekeeper, they do great job. Let's hope they keep up the good work!

Jerry is Social Neworking?

2010-11-10T14:35:00.000-06:00

When I was Publisher of the Holabird Advocate, I was putting a courageous dynamic facade on a very shy and humble person. I likened it to the Wizard of Oz, who was for all appearances to be all powerful, but behind the curtain, a very different sort of person operated it all from behind a curtain. There were times I had to dial it back a notch when I pushed things too far. then I moved to Mitchell.

Once I left the shelter of the Ponderosa, I felt something was missing. I gave into collegiate peer pressure and got a Facebook account. I started out as a shy, insecure loner, and now have over 300 friends. Funny thing is, I've don't really know half of them. I doubt I'll ever meet some of them. We as a human race are so busy making friends on the computer that we could very well miss out on making friends in the real world.

So what does a shy person like me do on Facebook? I play games mostly! Mafia Wars, Mob Wars, Farmville, Frontierville, and a few others that I dabble into. Is this productive? Doubtful! Is it fun? Well it kills time! That's why I decided it was time to get back into blogging. It is fun to think up things to write and edit.

When I put out some feelers about getting back into the blogging world on Facebook, a lot of my friends were very supportive. In fact not one of them were against it. To be honest most of them didn't care to respond, which makes me wonder who my real friends are. Truth be told, I'll still spend time on Facebook. You never know where the idea for my next big article will come from.

My dad used to say that you can never have too many friends. Tom T. Hall once sang "I wish I had a Million Friends" I must say that I like all of my old friends, but am not against making new ones. I may have only a few hundred friends, but they are of high quality, because they chose to be my friend, for whatever reason, so if any of you readers are so inclined, look me up, I've never refused a request, because as a quasi celebrity, I owe it to the public to have access to me whenever possible. Let me know how much you love (or hate) "The Program". Be careful about asking me what I think though! I just might tell you! But I'll listen to what you think, so that makes us even.

Jerry is a Day Late

2010-11-08T14:26:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the 79th Anniversary of my grandparents wedding. I was unable to get online then, but I wanted to give a little testimony as to why this day is important, not to everyone in the world, but certainly to those who were touched by their union.

I have often wondered what made those two get married given the sorry shape that their little corner of the world was in at the time. There was an economic depression, and dust storms so severe that they hung wet curtains at the windows to catch it. They had a plague of locusts, which we call grasshoppers. That was a blessing though, because it was cheaper than chicken feed. Still, that doesn't sound like the best time to get married and start a family.

The decision was not made lightly Grandad would have never gone through with it on his own. He claimed, in fact that Grandma proposed to him. He was taking her home from a barn dance, and told her that he wasn't sure that he could take her to another one because he was not sure he could leave her. At that point, he claims that she grabbed him, pulled him close and said, "Maybe I don't want you to."

Grandma told me a different story. She claimed that she felt sorry for Grandad because he thought rather highly of himself in those days, to the point of being a pain in the butt. She didn't want to be an old maid, she was almost 19 at the time,and she had her choice between him and some other man. She chose Grandad because he needed her more. Never did she say she didn't love him though. She had to love him, because Grandad wasn't always the the kind loving husband who read "The Upper Room" and helped with the dishes after breakfast. That took some time for him to learn that, but it happened.

Love is important in the success of any marriage, but it takes more than that. It takes faith, hope, and the knowledge that neither the bride nor the groom would be any good without the other one. Divorce was never mentioned, never even thought about. Their love story may not be unique, it may not even be exciting enough to write a book about or make a movie. But to their family, friends, and neighbors they showed a real good example of what marriage should look like. Were they perfect? Not at all! But they did the best they could, because God was with them. Those who get married in these times could learn a lot from Bergit and E.E. Hinkle. I know I sure did!

Jerry is Brought to You by Jones Soda

2010-11-05T13:59:00.000-05:00

Well now that the election is over, it's time for a nice Jones Soda. The winners will want to toast their victory, while the losers will want to drown their sorrows with a cool refreshing Jones Soda.
And there are so many flavors to choose from. I first heard of Jones Soda in 2004 when they had a holiday promotion that included: Green Bean Casserole, Cranberry, Mashed Potatoes with Butter, Turkey and Gravy, and Fruitcake. I have yet to try any of those varieties, but when I tried Blue Bubble Gum, I was hooked.

Jones may have formed in Canada, but they became a real American institution when they moved to Seattle. Jones calls themselves, "The little guy". With at least $38 Million in capitalization, it may look big, until we realize that Coke and Pepsi are both well into the $100 Billion. Jones thinks outside the box. They are always coming up with new, and let's face it, bizarre flavors, for the drinking world to try out.

The latest flavor seems to be Bacon. While some turn their nose up at that, there are people like myself who would like to try it, just to say we did. I can hardly wait! This might start a trend that Coke and Pepsi may want to play catch up on

Jerry is back

2010-11-04T14:47:00.000-05:00

I've been rather inactive in the past few months. In fact, I haven't posted since September 1. Fact is, since that Mal ware virus hit my computer, I've been living on the charity of the good people at the Public Library in Mitchell. I've been silent, but it's time to speak up.
The election is over! Thank you Jesus! The Noem vs. Herseth cat fight was getting old. One detail that a lot of people may have missed was that before launching into his acceptance speech, Governor-elect Daugaard asked the choir to whom he was preaching to give Scott Heidepriem a round of applause. Not many election victors do that. In fact, I'll be he's the only one in the country that did, at least in front of TV cameras.
This was my first experience voting in the big city. I lived one block away from one polling place, but had to vote in the other, which was clear over in West Mitchell. Voting was fun, once I was allowed to. Big props to the County Auditor's office for helping me prove that I was indeed a registered voter. There were other things they could be doing.
This election was almost a biblical experience. In some cases, certainly not all of them, the high and mighty were brought down and the humble were lifted up. The TEA Party helped get rid of some of the dead wood on both the right and left side of the Congressional tree. Some of the arrogant people in power looked at the TEA Party as irrational, discontented and irrelevant. They wanted to be listened to and those in power wouldn't listen. That may be changing! I am worried about Kristi Noem. Everytime South Dakota sends a Farmer to Washington, they become politicians! Will that happen in this case? As Granny used to say, "Time will tell if the neighbors don't".

Jerry is Ready For Escape

2010-09-01T14:55:00.000-05:00

With all the campaign controversy, speeding tickets, DUI, etc, and all the trouble going on in the world, it sure would be nice to get away. I'm going to the State Fair and see what's shaking there. I haven't been for nearly 10 years. I once said that if Keloland doesn't bother to show up, there was no reason for me to go, but I changed my mind.

While I was gone to Wyoming, I bought $1.25 worth of movies on VHS. That ended up to be 6 videos altogether. A good movie is another kind of escape. One of the videos is "The Other Sister" a 1999 film that stars Juliette Lewis as Carla Tate, a mentally challenged girl who comes home after 10 years in a special school. As Carla and her family celebrate her 22nd birthday, she expresses the wish to get her high school diploma. The fun starts as Mom played by Diane Keaton tries to put her off. Keaton starts out abrasive, but as time goes on she won my sympathy. She feels as though as a mother she has failed, not just with Carla, but her other daughters as well, the all too seldom seen Heather and Caroline, I wish their characters could have been developed more. Tom Skerritt gives an above average performance as Dad. He and Keaton had some good and powerful scenes together.

The story gets complicated when Carla falls in love with Danny, a student at the Polytechnic school at which she enrolls. Of course, this being is a Garry Marshall film, you already know the story has a happy ending, especially because they never made a sequel. Another Marshall staple, Hector Elizondo, has a supporting role here. He gives his usual excellent performance as well. There are some plot elements I could have done without, but it's just a movie, so we have to take what were given. Besides, it only cost a quarter for me to see it. What a bargain!

As I mentioned, Carla's two sisters are not in this movie nearly enough. One wonder's why give it the title of "Other Sister" Lewis was nominated for a Worst Supporting Actress Razzie, getting beat by Denise Richards. I must say though, that this role actually showed me that her acting has range. Before this, I had only seen her play dumb blonds, sluts, and dumb blond sluts. Bottom line: The actors rose above some mediocre writing, and they all lived happily ever after.

Jerry is Recovering

2010-08-30T14:50:00.001-05:00

It has been quite a weekend! The Corn Palace Festival is over (Thank you Jesus!) and things are quieter in Mitchell. I had a lot of fun, but managed to get a little work in. I also when to Senator McGovern's birthday at the library. they had tea, which was good, because all that talk about the Tea Party made me thirsty
I took in two of the three Corn Palace debates on Saturday. I was quite impressed with Ben Nesselhuf. It was almost like the Kennedy-Nixon debate, he stood out while his opponent blended into the background. This is one race that I think I know how to vote on!
Meanwhile, I'm still undecided as far as the Sandlin-Noem Race is going. When Sandlin said that Noem wanted to privatize Social Security, I leaned toward Noem, but when she denied that, I was back in the middle. The media made a meal out of the fact that Sandlin didn't answer Noem's direct question concerning whether or not she's vote for Pelosi to be the Speaker of the House, if it came to that. The fact that she didn't answer actually told me what I needed to know in that regard. Interestingly enough, some of my Republican friends, not all of them to be sure, have suggested that Sandlin in the way to go. I have yet to hear from a Democrat who recommends Noem. Let me know what you think by voting on the Pollmaster General!

Jerry is Undecided

2010-08-27T13:28:00.000-05:00

As you know, Labor Day is fast approaching. In an election year, I usually have it figured out who I'm voting for. This year, however has found me going back and forth in a couple different contests. The race for Governor, and the House race.

I missed Dakotafest this year, because I was in Wyoming visiting relatives. As such, I didn't see the debates. The Corn Palace Festival will have a series of debates tomorrow, but the debate at high noon between Stephanie Herseth Sandlin and Kristi Noem will be the one to watch. If it does not help me make my decision, it could persuade me to lean one way or the other. The Governor candidates were scheduled to square off as well, but one of the candidates has declined because he will be attending the funeral of a friend. There is always the State Fair I guess!
In other news, I don't need an American Express Card for people to recognize me. Someone at Walmart remembered me from the Haiti Benefit show, another did likewise of my being a spectator of DWU athletics. Needless to say everyone from the University still remembers me. Now when the Festival is in full swing downtown people are constantly approaching me, from former coworkers to the people I only see at church once a week. No doubt about it, I gotta get a disguise if I want to go around publicly. The recognition doesn't bother me so much as the not knowing who half of these folks are. One of the kids of a former professor of mine hit me up for a raffle ticket. The prize is a 2010 blue Ford Mustang. If I do win it, I hope he'll pay the tax. Oh well it is for charity! So far my biggest surprise was my seeing my former lady barber at the wine pavilion. being famous is hard, but it beats being infamous. If only being rich could go along with it!

Jerry is Getting Interrupted

2010-08-26T14:19:00.001-05:00

My morning bible lesson in "The Upper Room" yesterday talked about how interruptions can be used by God as a call to prayer. To drive the point home, while I was reading that lesson, a fire engine drove by Code 3. I felt compelled to pray, not only for Mitchell's bravest, but for those who were calling on their assistance as well. I had no idea where the fire was, and was certain that those affected were people I did not know. That didn't matter to me, nor should it. Even now, I have no idea where the truck went nor do I know what good it did. As always I took it on faith that all turned out OK.

Later on during the Corn Palace Festival, the parking lot by my building was full so I had to park a couple blocks away. Last night, just as a spot opened up I was on my way to get the car when I met a couple of tourists from 60 miles away who were looking for their car. They had lost their way. Even though I had better things to do, or so I thought at the time, I decided to help these folks out. The first order of business was to convince them that I knew my directions. They insisted that north was west. I explained to them that even though I'd only lived there for 3 years, I knew that was north. I walked with them back to the corn palace and then helped them get to the right parking lot. They asked how much they owed me, and all I asked them was to drive home safely. After all, doing the right think was, is and always should be reward enough.

I was delayed in getting back to my car, but knew that as the night grew darker more parking spaces would open up, so nothing was lost. In fact everything was gained. Two lost souls were found, and despite myself, I ended up doing something useful.

Sometimes we are like those lost folks. We think we know the way, but we are lost, and when God shows us the right way, we resist. But by faith we see that we have to trust him. Getting lost in this big world is easy. I didn't know where the parking lot was, but I knew that once I got those two on the right path they'd be alright.

The world we know and the world we don't know can sometimes have a blurry boundary line. We knew were we are, then all of the sudden we don't. But God places candles in the darkness to light the way. What I thought was an interruption turned out to be a chance for God to do what he does best, bless his children. His ways are indeed mysterious, but that's what makes it all the more marvelous.

Jerry is Politically Agnostic

2010-08-24T15:07:00.000-05:00

This whole flap about Obama being Muslim has caused me to believe that neither party has the monopoly on stupid these days. Way back when I was "riding the Obama train" as I called it, I had plenty of Republican friends pointing out his middle name to me as proof that he's a Muslim. I read in Snopes that he joined the Church of Christ at age 16, and that was good enough for me.

When when things started flaring up again, I started wondering what, if any difference it makes if he is Muslim or not. Just 50 years ago people were worried that if JFK was President, he'd be taking orders from the Pope. When he was, he didn't. Interestingly enough, we've not had another President of the Catholic faith since JFK was given early retirement in Dallas. When Kerry ran in 2004, his faith was not called into question, which is good. Obama should be extended the same courtesy.

The problem doesn't seem to be his faith, rather his unwillingness to talk about it. Yet he has the right not to share his faith. Let's remember he is the President of all Americans, whether Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu, and every other faith that's held throughout this wonderful country. As such, he has to be as fair as he can to all of them, a tough job indeed.

It's been said that Obama has not shown any evidence of being Christian. That is entirely possible. That can also be said about many of us, myself included. We demand proof of the unseen, to know the unknowable. Yet, there are things we must take on faith. Instead of condemning Obama and his faith, we should pray for him. It's what a good Christian would do!

Jerry is Not Cut Out to be a Politician

2010-07-26T15:56:00.000-05:00

There was a time in my life when all I could think about was being in the halls of power. As I get older, I realize more and more that such a thing is unrealistic. I lack most of what it takes to get elected: money charisma, and most important of all, arrogance. Think about it, most people running for office need to have a certain attitude about them. A true politician has to be able to meet the voter where they are, look them in the eye, and tell them why they should vote for him or her. It helps if one is a little bit arrogant when they say, "Vote for me, because I know what's best for you and I'm not afraid to do it".

Just this morning I found out there is an Independent candidate running for US House for South Dakota. His name escapes me, and that is part of the problem. He was in the Mitchell area talking to people, I was not among them, about what sets him apart. What he said was on the radio news. He has a plan to help keep himself in touch with the voters. Trouble is, he's gotta get elected first. That's hard to do when you are an Independent and nobody knows who you are. Once they do know you, then you're ready Step 2: be smart, but likable. It is very difficult for arrogant people to be both smart and likable. We haven't had a President like that since JFK. Since then, they've been one or the other, but never both.

In Minnesota, one of their districts has a race for US Representative that is like ours. The challenger has started to go negative because her positive case is not strong enough. It's as if she is saying, "Vote for me because the incumbent is no good". It's too bad we can't vote for somebody rather than against somebody else!

So no, I don't see me as a candidate for office. If I ran for Hyde County dog catcher, I could only count on two votes, mine and Mrs. Luze's. But once I locked up her dog, she'd wanna impeach me. Same old story! Still not being in the ring is OK. The voter is the most important part of the political process, and I won't give that up as easily.

Jerry is Dry

2010-07-22T17:28:00.000-05:00

Last night, Mitchell got a little rain. Some in the area got an inch, some got 6 inches. The official total was 3.69 inches as reported by KOOL 98 this morning. The rain came down in sheets. Sidewalks were covered by the flood. It took a while, but the storm sewers drained the lake that was forming on the streets downtown. I stopped by the University, where Senator McGovern was watching someone Else's muffins for them while I was looking at this car float down the street on the Front Page of the Daily Republican. He looks good for 88!

Today is Grandad's birthday. I hope to go to the Steak N More for prime rib and a glass of milk. and think about Grandad, and his legacy. He was a legend in his time when one thinks on it. He disliked being honoured intensely. He never sought wealth, fame, power, glory, or any of the other things that one associates with greatness. This reluctance to seek these trappings out is indeed what made him all the greater. He was content to raise corn, sheep, and his family and let others rule the world. He never cheated his neighbor or coveted his neighbor's wife. As long as his life was, he left us all too soon. We'll never see his kind again. Every once in a while I wonder what he'd make out of the world situation. He'd have an opinion, and he'd let you know what he thought about it, too! As difficult as life was with him, it hasn't exactly been a picnic without him either. Every now and then I remember bits and pieces of some of the thins he used to say and I'd almost swear he was right there with me. I guess in a way he always will be. When I tried to convert this website into a sitcom format, I thought of including some of Grandad's speaking to me, but I thought better of it. Some things were better left between the two of us.

It's gonna rain again tonight! I hope if you get some too if you need it!

Jerry is Proving The Big Bang Theory

2010-07-20T15:39:00.005-05:00

Back in the Fall of 2007 there was a show that looked mildly amusing enough that promised two geek scientists would be welcoming an attractive blond girl into the neighborhood. One a little more than the other, EX:
Geek#1: Our children will be smart AND beautiful!
Geek #2: Not to mention imaginary
Yes it was "The Big Bang Theory" of course. I was off to DWU and was not able to watch the show at it's inception. Believe it of not my dad actually brought the show to my attention during the Thanksgiving break. And there was something about it that spoke to me. CBS actually made a sitcom that was funny. Who could have seen that coming. The best part of the show is that it's clean, well, clean for today's standards. The show doesn't try to be funny, it just is.
Back in 1962, CBS did something similar with "The Beverly Hillbillies" They took a group of people out of their familiar surroundings and funny stuff happens. Penny, as the neighbor, like Drysdale did for the Clampetts, acts as both protector and facilitator, showing this group of misfits the real outside world and vice versa. The difference here is that Penny does care about Leonard and Sheldon, as well as Raj and Howard. We may know someone like these 5 people, w may even be one of them. If not they are all still likable enough that you can't help but want to see and be part of the fun. They each have some little idiosyncrasy that by itself could drive one crazy but deep down they are so kind and lovable you care about them despite themselves.

Jerry is Getting Older, But Not Much Wiser

2010-07-19T18:03:00.001-05:00

I turned 43 yesterday, Other than the fact it was my birthday, it was really rather like any other day. My usual routine wasn't interrupted, with the exception that I took a nap before going to Taco John's for Softshell Sunday.
I recalled a previous birthday 31 years ago. My family was vacationing in the Black Hills and we stopped in Custer to see the Grables on the day before my big day. Back then, when someone on my mothers side of the family had a birthday the extended family would gather for the occasion. Naturally, I wanted to get home for that. Long story short, we ended up staying overnight, and when we finally did get home everyone in the family had other plans on my birthday. Imagine that! I was quite upset, and I made sure everyone around me knew that. My dad told me something that has stuck with me since the evening of July 18, 1979. "The world does not revolve around you! It's about time you learned that!"
It was a hard thing to hear, and perhaps not the best time to learn that lesson. As hard as it was to learn I think we all need to learn to be a little less self -centered. Through the clear vision of hindsight, I saw that I could have enjoyed being in Custer, but I was in too big of a hurry to get home. Once home, I came face to face with disappointment. Things don't always go our way. Life is not fair. We can either let it get us down or shake it off.
Yesterday was just another Sunday to me. I was all alone on my birthday. Sure there were people all around me at church, at work, and at Taco John's. But nobody went out of their way to do something for me. I'd have been very upset about that 31 years ago. But now, it's OK. Maybe I'm just used to disappointment, or maybe it just takes less to satisfy me. I had just as much fun as I would have if the Ditty Bops had met me at the Depot.
Things could have been worse. I managed to get all the paperwork together to get my driver's license renewed for another lustrum. I still don't understand why we gotta do it, but the fact that I got it done should count for something. All things considered, it could have been worse. I see that the Senator parachuted out of an airplane on his birthday today. I'd rather hunt up paperwork! Truth be told, if I had done that sooner there wouldn't have been such a rush. I guess it's like they say, "Too soon old and too late smart!"

Jerry is Going Home

2010-07-14T17:31:00.000-05:00

Well, time, as it does has done snuck up on me. With my birthday on Sunday, I have to get my drivers license renewed. I'd rather take a beating than do that! Apparently the moron politicians have made it that we here in South Dakota have to produce all kinds of paperwork to prove that we are who we claim to be. If that isn't about the stupidest thing you ever did hear about, I don't know what it could be. So I gotta look up all this crap and make my way to Hyde County and see if I can get this crap over with. I just have to wonder when we became a Nazi state where illegal aliens have more civil rights then those of us that were born here. I suppose we could blame it on 911, or some other thing, but I'd still like to hear a rational explanation for why getting a drivers license renewed, which was already complicated enough before, has to be next to impossible now. What kind of idiot thought this up? What the heck was he (or she) thinking when they proposed this line of crap? The real knee slapper here is that this is the same mentality that says the government needs to be in charge of health care. I suppose they'll want a blood and urine sample when I gotta do this again in 5 years. I just know that some goofball from Sioux Falls has to be the one pushing this kind of crap on us. Some Satan worshiping one world government type!
As you can tell, I'm not liking this one little bit. But I'll play along, because I do need to have that license if I'm gonna drive anywhere for the next five years. And as bad as things are here, I can only imagine that they are far worse in other places. I will get through this somehow, and with any luck die before I have to go through it again.
On the lighter side, I just found out that Larry Hagman, ol' JR Ewing himself has endorsed a solar power company. You can see for yourself why he doesn't get out much. Hardcore fans of the show will recall that Bobby Ewing left the oil business to start a solar power venture back around 1981. At any rate, here is a link to what promises to be Hagman's swan song:
http://www.solarworld-usa.com/solar-for-home/why-go-solar/nows-the-time/Shine-ad1.aspx

Jerry is Running this up the Flagpole

2010-07-13T16:07:00.000-05:00

Cousin Al's Newspaper, USA TODAY, reports that Newt Gingrich is thinking about running for president in 2012, but won't make up his mind about it until some time next spring. So why did he say anything at all? He is using the old "let's run it up the flag pole and see who salutes it" trick. If there is no resultant buzz, he will fade away by next spring. Time will tell on this one. At least this gives the Republicans someone besides Sarah Palin to vote for. GAG!
Closer to home Kristi Noem has been drawn first blood in the U.S. House race. It was pretty much a forgone conclusion that she would. After all, she has to make her opponent in this election, incumbent Stephanie Herseth Sandlin appear as though she is unfit for office. It doesn't necessarily give us the voter a reason to vote for Noem beyond that. Conversely, Herseth Sandlin can't fight back because it will make her look weak. I wish that Noem could have kept her hands clean and just ran on her strengths rather than Herseth Sandlin's weaknesses. This is one ad that was run up the flagpole that I won't salute!

Jerry is Wondering

2010-07-12T18:11:00.000-05:00

One of the most asked questions in the world is, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" We all struggle to come up with the answer, or even just an answer to satisfy us for just a while. The things is that we have a different answer for each case. The biblical Job was tested far beyond what most of us would think is the breaking point. He made it through his time of trial, and he became a stronger person for it. I've had friends that went through some bad times, and I've had some pretty hairy moments myself. None of us are alone. Jesus is there to carry us through the darkness and into the light.
When I came to Mitchell, I was all alone. There was no support system here for me at all. By that, I mean a visible means of support. The Holy Spirit of Jesus was there to hold me up. When I needed it, I heard my Grandad's voice guiding me. Some may think I was crazy to believe that it really was him, but in reality that is what kept me sane. I made a few mistakes along the way, but I got through it by not giving up and not letting myself get defeated by those people and things that sought to harm me. Those bad experiences are just a memory now, but should more be on the way, I'll deal with them as they come. Giving up is the easy way, but it's not the cowboy way. The people that settled in Dakota were tough because they had to be. They faced fire, flood, drought, famine, and government regulation. They made it through, because they had to. It was literally a life and death decision. They chose life, and 120 years later we still struggle, but we don't give up or we're dead.
My Grandfather, Wilbur Charles Goehring, was quite a guy, or so I'm told. He was smart, strong and determined to make it. In his youth he got reckless with some dynamite and lost a few fingers. He wanted to become a lawyer, but was talked out of it because apparently typing skills were paramount to a college education back then. It wasn't meant to be. But in this case, God replaced his dream with something arguably better. He stayed in Hyde County, was engaged in farming, married my grandmother, and raised a family until he died. His missing fingers stopped him from becoming a lawyer, but he made a pretty good life for his family while he could even with that one handicap. His accidental death just a few years before I was born cheated his family, especially those that never got to know him but we made it through, because we had to.
In "Gone with the Wind" Gerald O'Hara told his daughter, Katy Scarlett, "Land is the only thing that matters because it's the only thing that lasts!" I'd like to think that family is the same way, if not than at least the willingness to endure the hardships on the land. I'm away from both my land and family. But I know where each of them are. They were both here before I was born, and after I die they will both endure. They will be changed, but they will both still here! I don't know if I answered the question or not. I may have asked a few new ones.

Jerry is Awed by the Power of Cheese

2010-07-09T16:12:00.000-05:00

It is days like today that I wish I had a newspaper. The headline would read "Cheese Plugs Up Interstate". that is exactly what it did, in part anyway. At least 17,000 lbs of the stuff was spilled on Interstate 90. News outlets from as far away as Chicago pounced on this story. The Mitchell Daily Republican had some photos fro Keloland. on the serious side, some folks were injured, albeit in a non life threatening way.
It seems that the driver of the semi containing the cheese fell asleep yesterday morning and rear ended the people in front of him. As it happens everyone was obeying the seat belt law, so there were no fatalities.
On a totally unrelated note, I've discovered that something like 82% of divorce lawyers use evidence gathered from social networking sites like Facebook. There is no right to privacy on the Internet. People gotta wake up to that. Which reminds me, I mentioned being married, didn't I. Well, the rest of the story is that I was playing a Facebook game called Frontierville, and someone gifted my with a ribbon. BOOM, I was given a wife. I fashioned her after a young lady I dated a couple of times last year. I have since edited my Internet bride to look like my good friend and part time exercise buddy, Jane. I hope that both unions are not legally binding. When I called my lawyer, Morley Krupt of the law firm of Ural,Krupt,Sumi,& Dye to ask him, he hung up on me. How rude!
Back to cheese! I see in the Argus that the Virginia Center for Politics has rated South Dakota's US house race a "toss up". It would also appear that both parties are making this a race to watch, since Kristi Noem seems to be Stephanie Herseth Sandlin's toughest opponent so far. That said, I have noticed that Mrs Sandlin has not appeared at the South McDonald's in Mitchell, to face the coffee shop communion. Then again, she can't be everywhere.
Also today's Argus Life section has a young lady that graduated from DWU last May. She is modeling aprons. Why can't I get a job like that?

Jerry is #31

2010-07-07T15:27:00.000-05:00

The Blog$hare ratings have me down to #31 from the previous low of #29 back in March. At least I'm not #80! Of course I didn't start this website to be popular. I'm not sure why I did, but that wasn't the goal.
Finding something to write about has been difficult. At least finding something interesting to write about has been. I got a robocall this afternoon from someone pretending to be my bank. It's happened before, so I hung up. Before it was an unknown number. This time, the caller ID came through. I called the number, just to see if I had a stupid criminal story in the making, and when I did it was the voicemail number for a major cell phone provider. It sure looks like somebody been phishing!They caught nothing from me!
If this writers block continues I may have to have breakfast at McDonald's again, or write about getting married last Sunday. Neither of those two options appeal to me.

Jerry is Glad That's Over

2010-07-06T17:33:00.000-05:00

Well, the 4th was here and now it's gone! I had to work over the 3 day holiday, but that was the most enjoyable part of the weekend. I went to the Dakota Discovery museum to see their celebration. For a suggested donation of $2 you could eat ice cream of both the homemade and store bought variety, drink lemonade, and listen to a musician that came courtesy of the SD Arts council. I forgot his name, but he looked like one of the guys in the "Acoustic Christmas" show. I couldn't get close to the fireworks at the lake, and KMIT had promised patriotic music, but their idea of that was Miley Cyrus singing "Party in the USA". So I went to bed, turned on the radio and listened to "The Beatles Show" before turning in.
I wonder sometimes how it came to be that we celebrate our independence by waving American flags made in Japan, shooting off fireworks made in China, and listening to British rock music. Then I realize that we are all imported from somewhere. I myself am part German, Irish-Canadian, Norwegian, and topped with German from Russia. It wasn't that long ago that pizza was not eaten in this country because it was Italian, now it's as American as apple pie, if such a thing is possible. This country is still a melting pot even if some of us don't want to blend in, because of it's freedom. Even that we imported from outside. We have a great thing going here, but I'm glad we only celebrate it once a year.
Incidentally, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin was in Corsica and Wagner today taking care of business. no word on if she will be coming to Mitchell to sit in the hot seat at the South McDonald's Breakfast Bunch. She has plenty of time to do that, as the election is not until November.

Jerry is Celebrating Freedom

2010-07-03T14:12:00.000-05:00

We who are blessed to call America home observe July 4 as Independence Day. When you think about is, this is the only American holiday I can think of that honours a decision made by a group of politicians.
Of course, there is more to it that that. Those politicians that signed our nations birth certificate were also signing their own death warrants. As the Continental Congress bought our freedom, the Minutemen paid the bill.
As we celebrate this occasion, let us remember that the freedom we enjoy came at a cost, as it always does. The military of today defend this country in he same way the Minutemen did when the cradle of democracy was first being rocked. Pray that they do their duty faithfully, and with all the American pride they possibly can.
The Supreme Court tells us that the Constitution gives us the right to speak freely and the right to remain silent. I will endeavour to exercise both rights when it is proper to do so, and I hope that you will join me in the attempt as well!
GOD BLESS AMERICA AND AMERICA BLESS GOD!!!

Jerry is Being Gored to Death

2010-07-01T15:37:00.000-05:00

I got one heck of a shock Monday night when I saw the tabloid headline earlier this week in the checkout lane of the local Wal-mart. "Al Gore Sex Attack" is a hard headline to miss. Back in the old days,I'd have picked it up and read all about it. That night I thought it was the usual load of BS. Probably just feeding off his earlier divorce mess. I laughed off the thought and went over to the self checker to see if I could buy something and take it home.
Then this morning on the radio, I hear that the police are investigating this mess. Could it be there's something to it? Well,from what I've been able to piece together, this case is 4 years old, and the massage therapist that he allegedly attacked tried to sell the story for a cool $1,000,000 makes me a little skeptical. We'll see! Whether or not he did it, to paraphrase Jimmy Fallon, this is one week where Al Gore is sorry he created the Internet.

Jerry is Catching Up

2010-06-28T16:06:00.000-05:00

Well once again times slips away! Robert Byrd died during the hiatus, which is notable for several reasons, but one that may be over looked is that his passing marks the first time in our nation's history that their hasn't been at least one Byrd in the Senate. Purists will be quick to point out that those Byrds were from Virginia instead of West Virginia. Still, The Byrd family was there before the Kennedys and the Longs, and they outlasted both dynasties. Not too shabby!
Closer to home, The Zilverberg family has a lot to celebrate. Today marks the 30th anniversary of Shorty and Sue Zilverberg's wedding. Yesterday, Shorty's sister, Mary Jo Nemec and her husband Nick celebrated 24 years together. Both Shorty and Mary Jo married well, so it's no suprise that both couples are still together. Good marriages are not born in Holabird, but many have been raised there.
At their 60th Anniversary, my grandparents, E.E. and Bergit Hinkle, were approached by a couple that had just been freshly married and they asked what the secret to 60 years is. Their reply couldn't have been better had it been planned out:
E.E.: Don't go to bed angry.
Bergit: Yeah! Stay up and fight it out!
Grandad had a bible verse that went along with that, Ephesians 4: 26. I'm not sure if Granny took her bit from Phyllis Diller or not! But, it is true that going to bed angry is not healthy. Nobody fought, at least verbally, more than Grandad and Granny, but they never let it spoil the plans they made at the altar. Anyone who is married, or thinking of going the route should keep that in mind!

Jerry is Being Accountable

2010-06-24T15:53:00.000-05:00

I was bored last night so I watched "Wall Street". I recalled the way things were back in 1985. A lot of issues brought up in this movie are just as relevant today. This movie could use a sequel. After all, It would be interesting to see what Bud Fox, and Gordon Gekko have been up to during the last 23 years.
During the infamous "Greed is Good" speech, Gekko made an interesting reference to "accountability". When America was becoming an economic world power, the people that brought that about were held accountable. They had a stake in what was going on because they were risking their own money as well as reputation on their enterprise. Henry Ford made quality Job #1 because it was his name on the company and the factory, as well as the car, he also had his fortune riding on that car's success. His great grandson, Bill Ford has a lot to live up to, and it would appear that he's doing a pretty fair job of it. The only difference is that he only has 10%of the stock in the company as opposed to the absolute control that the old man did. Also, times have changed. Things like reputation and accountability just aren't as important as they used to be to people. Made in America doesn't mean what it used to. Being an American used to be something to be proud of. Here lately the media, and even it's leaders have acted like it's something to be ashamed of. When I hear "The Star Spangled Banner" or "God Bless America" or even just see this great country's flag flying overhead, it does something to me. I remember what our founding fathers went through to break away from the tyrannical government and form this Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. God has blessed this nation of ours with so much and given Lady Liberty a light through the night to guide us into a better way. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness was just an idea that some politicians had until the minutemen made that idea word in practice as well as in theory. People wring their hands and cry about how "the world hates us". Of course the world hates us! We're free and they are not! Obama went on what was called an "Apology Tour" last year. Instead of apologizing for our great blessings, he should celebrate them. Our freedom gives us the chance to be anything we want and do anything we want so long as we don't tread on someone Else's liberty.
Instead of that $14 Trillion to get this country out of the mess it's in, we need to hold our leaders accountable for everything that has gone wrong and take steps to fix it. We also need to hold ourselves accountable if this doesn't get done. It won't happen overnight, but it will happen. God Blessed America because America blessed God. It's time she did it again!

Jerry is Wrong Again!

2010-06-23T17:52:00.000-05:00

In yesterday's episode, I told you that I said that $14 Trillion was what it would take to get this us out of this mess. I was thinking like a liberal, as though money would solve everything. That's not right! There are problems in this country that cannot be fixed with money. There are some who criticize me for expecting Obama to have all the answers and come in and save the day like Superman. I was wrong to have such expectations, but lets not forget that he also set him up to be Superman as well. It's true he inherited a mess of trouble from W, but by gosh and golly, W also inherited quite a mess from Clinton. Clinton had a man sized job left over from Bush the Elder. Blaming the last guy for your shortcomings may work for a while, but sooner or later, you gotta get something done yourself.
I went to McDonald's and discovered that the group communing there are all apparently friends of Mitchell's Mayor, Lou Sebert, as he joined them this morning. Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin was nowhere in sight, but if she should find herself in Mitchell, the Egg McMuffin is on me!

Jerry is Coffee Shop Communing

2010-06-22T14:59:00.000-05:00

I was thinking ARBY's this morning, but once there, discovered that, unlike Hardee's there is no breakfast menu. They don't even open until 10:30. I thought of going to Hardee's but decided I'd rather go to McDonald's. I ordered a Sausage, Egg, and Cheese McGriddles and a Caramel Frappe, collected my order, and proceeded to find a seat in the dining area. I noticed a young lady sitting among all of these middle aged men as they discussed the issues of the day. She was listening attentively to the discussion. I saw a KSFY station wagon earlier, so I thought perhaps she was a reporter of some kind. When she did speak, even though I couldn't see her face, I knew in an instant who she was when she said "Had I been in Congress then I'd have voted 'No' on that bill." That young lady was Kristi Noem.

This group of men was nothing special, there are groups of them in every small town cafe in South Dakota. Baxter Black calls is "coffee shop communion" Retired farmers gather and discuss politics, history, the price of tea in China, and anything else they care to talk about. What Ms. Noem was doing there is easy to see, she wants to hear what the possible voters have to say. Each of those men are very likely to vote. They may vote for her, or they may not, but they will vote unless death or taxes prevent that from happening.

It was a well balanced group of men. I never took a count but there were at least 5 of them. I I remember 2 Republicans, 2 Democrats, and this guy that was easily the oldest man on the panel who was literally in the middle of the discussion. Things got heated at times, but always respectful. They ripped on Obama, W, and even Bill Clinton took some lumps, but they never got personal with each other. A sign of true wisdom indeed. One guy said he thought the media was trying to tear down America's confidence in the President, another said the President was a Muslim fundamentalist that was trying to turn America into a Third World country. Neither one could convince the other that his viewpoint was right, but they sure gave it a try. The best part is, they didn't let their difference of opinion mar the free exchange of thoughts and ideals. This is what the First Amendment.

After Ms. Noem left, the discussion kept going. The first thing they all wanted to know was if any of the others were going to give her any money. There was also speculation on when or if Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin was going to show up and if she would be driving a Caddilac if in fact she did show up.

One of the group was disappointed that his question wasn't answered, that being "What is it going to take to get us out of this mess?" At that time, I spoke up, "$14 trillion for a start". They asked me what my impression was, i said I'd have to study on this further.I also told the group that I was glad I didn't Go to Hardee's for breakfast. My one big regret was that I had left both JTV and my soundbiter in the car. I plan on going back tomorrow, just to see if anything happens worth writing about.

Jerry is not in the building

2010-06-21T17:57:00.000-05:00

Old Settler's Days were last weekend in Highmore. There were quite a few that showed up for the festivities, but I was not in that number. I went to Charlotte's Web at the Pepsi Cola Theatre on Friday night. on Saturday night, I opened up my widow so I could listen to Tommy Tutone, I didn't feel like I'd missed a thing!

Interestingly enough, I was missed by some back in Hyde County, as hard as that is to believe. There was an Elvis impersonator who performed on Friday night to mixed reviews. I wish they'd do Hee Haw again! I used to do that sort of thing, but I'm not as young as I used to be.

Elvis left us much too soon. He was just my age when he died. He lived a lot of life in those 42 years. When he started out, people said he was vulgar. His shaking was something I picked up honestly enough when I was on stage because I was nervous. I think he was too. He wanted the audience to like the show, and he gave his stage shows everything he could. Indeed, it is my contention that his desire to please his fans that let to the drugs. It's ironic that they are called "performance enhancing substances" now, because for better or worse, that's what they did. Some of the people that worked with him said that even after a show when everyone else was spent Elvis would insist that they gather round the piano and sing, and most of the time, he'd play and sing a gospel song. He would play and sing, praising God, sometimes until 3am. Whatever drugs he took did no harm to his spirit and soul. Elvis was not perfect, nor were his critics. If I had to choose which path to take, however, I'd choose Elvis. He loved his fans, and they loved him. It showed both ways! The hatred with which his critics attacked him was very unique, and just as wrong. That he never hated them back was a real testament to his faith and to the way he was raised. That's why he is as loved as he is today We could all learn something from that!

Jerry is Rethinking Drinking

2010-06-18T15:57:00.000-05:00

Highmore, South Dakota, Holabird's neighbor to the east, is hosting Old Settlers Days. It usually takes place on Father's Day Weekend. There are certain things that happen there every time the celebration is put on. There are all matter of entertainment for all kinds of people regardless of age.

The one thing that has been getting the most attention is the alcohol consumption. This is a part of the annual celebration that up until a few years ago went unnoticed. An outsider came to town and saw quite a site at one of the local drinking establishments. it caused quite a ruckus at the time, but no action was taken. It seems that what really got this person going was the fact that an alcohol related death had taken place just 6 months before, and it struck a chord.

I'm not sure if there have been any alcohol related deaths since that one, or since the outsider's remarks were published in the local paper. I certainly hope not. I am sure that the amount of alcohol consumption has not changed in Highmore. That is, however, not necessarily a bad thing.

I've noticed something since moving to the big city. I live withing walking distance of at least 3 drinking establishments. Drinking takes place here. Yes, it does. It takes place in bars, in peoples houses and apartments, and it wouldn't surprise me if it takes place on the DWU campus when nobody is looking. I used to be against the consumption of alcohol, and strongly so. Someone once asked me if I have ever been to the Moonlight Bar. I replied, "That sounds suspiciously like a drinking establishment." A few months later, I went to that place. Now I've found that an occasional drink has not harmed me. After all, I am well passed the age of 21, the age that the US congress has declared that I am magically old enough and responsible enough to do that sort of thing. I do know my limits. I use my best judgement to decide when to stop drinking. If only I could do that at Marlin's at Brunch time. Most importantly of all, I walk home instead of driving. Of course not everyone can do that, but not driving under the influence could save at least one life.

So whether you spend this weekend in Highmore, Mitchell, or East Jesus Nowhere, and you are over the magical age of 21 use the sense God gave you and know your limits. For those under 21, savor the sweet taste of an iced tea, lemonade, or Coke if you must. Of all the drinks I've ever had, chocolate milk is still my favorite. Don't be in a hurry to grow up. You'll get old soon enough. Enjoy your youth while you can.

Jerry is Catching Up

2010-06-16T16:17:00.000-05:00

President Obama addressed the nation concerning BP last night and spoke about it again today. I didn't hear what he said, but I've heard about it. The President apparently said that the government was going to take over the settlement of BP's claims because they were moving too slow. It's hard for me to imagine anything moving slower that the government, but there we are. It also appears that BP will be setting up a $20 billion fund to begin the settlement of claims. Even this fast way of doing thins will take at least 4 years.

Closer to home, Dennis Daugaard (I spelled it right! YAY!) will be selecting a running mate and making it public sometime tomorrow. I don't know who it is, but I'm sure of 2 thing: it's a Republican, and it isn't me. Well, of course not, he wants to win!

Cousin Al's newspaper, USA TODAY, had an interesting article about a European study that claimed obese women were 30% less likely to have sex than women who were of "normal weight". Obese women are 4 times more likely to have an unplanned pregnancy. Men have the same chances regardless of what their body mass index indicates. Amusing little story!

Jerry is Going Back to College

2010-06-15T16:06:00.000-05:00

After seeing what a mess I made of election predicting, your host has decided to resume coursework at the South Dakota War College. Professor Powers reports that some outfit took a poll and it shows that Kristi Noem is ahead of Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin by a margin of about 53%-41%. Our own Pollmaster General has them evenly matched right now, but that will change as soon as a 3rd person votes. Thanks to the 2 that helped me out so far.

I was also amazed to learn that no Independent candidates have been able to find the much needed 3356 signatures to get on the ballot to challenge Senator John Thune. The conventional wisdom out there says that is because he's been doing a good job. It's hard to disagree when you can't get a few thousand people to sign an election petition for someone to run against him. I wonder if that's ever happened here before. It matters little, since it appears to be happening now. It also appears to be a good time to be Republican

Few things seem to be working in Herseth-Sandlin's favor. Republicans don't support her because she's a Democrat, and the Democrats won't support her because she votes contrary to the party line. Even if the Democrats did support her, the likely voters might not take to that. As for me, I'm not sure that I can figure out who I will be endorsing until Labour day, if then.

It has also not escaped notice that Scott Heidepriem is a Democrat in name only. His ads sure make him sound more conservative than (hold on let me get the cheat sheet) Daugaard. I gotta learn how to spell that name! And spell check is no #!&* help either!

At any rate, I look forward to catching up to what I don't know and what's been going on since I was away studying at DWU. If anyone of you Readers out there can offer me a little free tutoring, I'd sure be glad of that.

Jerry is Curious

2010-06-14T15:34:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend some friends and I were talking about the new trend in politics. Usually the voters don't trust Congress, but they have faith in the person that they send to Washington. It's called "The pit bull rule". The one that says "Pit bulls are dangerous, but mine is fine".That paradigm seems to be shifting, not only nationwide, but possibly even in South Dakota. I'd like to bring back an old Holabird Advocate staple, the Pollmaster General to see if that's possible with the Herseth-Sandlin/Noem race. Readers of the Holabird Advocate saw Obama as Presidential the rest of the state, and possibly the nation did . I'd like to see if those who stuck with the Jerry Hinkle Program are as politically astute. As was the custom back then, Readers from out of state will be allowed to vote, since I can't stop them from doing so anyhow. I'll just consider them residents of Holabird like I did back then.

Jerry is Exploring Passion

2010-06-10T16:52:00.000-05:00

In a previous episode, I wrote about that all consuming passion. You remember, the reason why teachers teach. It sure isn't for the money and prestige. It's because they enjoy it so much that to them it's not work. If they don't have that passion they are wasting time.
I noted that my dad said that if one finds a job that they enjoy they'll never have to work a day in their life. I've come across another realization. there are some people who enjoy certain activities so much that they would do them for no pay at all because of the enjoyment it brings. In the big city, I've come across this a lot.
When DWU students compete in the "Wesleyan Idol" competition, they do it because they enjoy performing. Sure there are cash prizes, but chances of getting them are slim.
It's possible that this is the motivation for "American Idol" I must admit that from time to time I see what passes for talent in the music industry today and I find it appalling. It's no wonder then why a singing competition becomes so popular. When people see someone who is dreadfully lacking in talent like Justin Bieber making it big and "living the dream" as the kids say, it starts people thinking that they can do it too. Simon Cowell himself has admitted that there is a severe lacking of true musical talent in the business.

The "Colgate Country Showdown" played the Corn Palace last year. I slipped in to see what was going down. One of the things that they wanted the audience to judge the contestants on is "Marketability in Country Music". That is the trend I guess. Never mind if they can make the corn shake on the turret! Can they shake their rear end fast enough? How do they look in tight jeans? Do people cheer them on no matter how bad they sound?

Now I have no talent, or marketability. I also lack the third crucial ingredient to assure musical super stardom, a thick skin. However, I must admit that I so enjoy singing, but it's not something that I have to do. I gotta be in the mood. The same goes for pretty much everything I do. When I'm not in the mood for something, and I just go through the motions, it shows. It has to show. I'm sure it's that way for others as well.

Of all the things I've done, acting has been the thing that I enjoy the most. I have used my acting skills quite a bit in life. This is not necessarily a good thing. After all, people won't know what to believe if they only see what I want them to see. Those of you who got in on my blogging early on know that. This whole thing was a put on from the start. When this was the Holabird Advocate, I played the part of a Publisher. Now I play the part of a host. I've done the same thing with the Phreno, as reporter, columnist, and even as senator. Sometimes wonder if I can keep this up, and when or if the day comes when I'll have to be real for a change. I guess we'll see about that someday!

Jerry is Gonna Need a Cheat Sheet

2010-06-09T16:58:00.000-05:00

Lt. Governor Dennis Daugaard pulled ahead of the of a crowded field to a clear majority of the vote in last night's primary. Why he did it, well the experts can dissect that. He got my attention when he came to DWU with pizza and soda. Of course that's a given. If you want to get a crowd, you have free vittles. But Daugaard did something extra, he actually poured the soda. A symbolic some may call it cheesy, gesture. But in my case it worked. Not enough to vote for him, but it did get my attention.

Jerry is Wrong-This Time

2010-06-09T16:29:00.000-05:00

OOPS! Well it seems that Chris Nelson name was not enough to get the Republican nomination to the House race. I thought for sure he had it in the bag. I guess you can't take anything for granted. I read once in Tip O' Neil's "Man of the House" that he lost his first election because he never asked his family and close friends to vote for him. A his mother advised him, "People like to be asked sometimes." Every politician could learn a little bit from Ma O'Neill, and maybe us voters could as well. Mr. Nelson sure learned it the hard way.

Kristi Noem moved ahead of Nelson and got the nomination.. She may not have moved me but she managed to get a few thousand voters off the couch. There are those who say she might actually have what it takes to unseat Herseth-Sandlin in November as well. Seems there is a movement out there dedicated to voting out incumbents, and she just may be one of the beneficiaries of that movement. Since nobody had the guts to go against Thune, this will be the race to watch in South Dakota. I know I'll be watching!

Jerry is Bored on Election Day

2010-06-08T15:52:00.000-05:00

I used to be something of a political junkie, but these days there's just not much to be excited about. The primary election is today, but unless you are a Republican there's nothing to vote for. Even is you're a Republican there isn't much.

We will see who faces Scott Heidepriem for Governor. I'm hoping Scott will win in November because he's the only candidate in either party whose name I can spell without a cheat sheet. All the candidates for Governor are saying the same thing. From what I've seen it's been mostly positive, at least not as negative as it was 8 years ago.

Then we have the race for House to see who can unseat Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin. Do think she can be unseated? Anything is possible! As for who will do it, I think Chris Nelson is the best bet there. I don't know Kristi Noem, and I have nothing against her. Still, her campaign ads are just not moving me. The same can be said about the other guy who is running. I can't remember his name, and that may be part of his problem. Nelson is acting like he has the nomination sowed up, and is sitting (or is he setting) on his campaign war chest. If he isn't nominated, whoever is will have their work cut out for them.

Even though this primary is lackluster for me, for those who are seeking to win their party's nomination, this vote is crucial. Those who make it that far will have to try to do it all over again in November. One thing that any candidate, regardless of party should do is just look the voter in the eye and tell them what you know and where you stand. After that, the rest is up to them.

Jerry is Lost in the 80s

2010-06-02T16:06:00.000-05:00

Not too long ago I saw that CBS ( pronounced See BS) was bringing back "Hawaii Five-O" for next fall. I've also heard that Conan O' Brien has a new show in which he hopes to "Bring Back Hee-Haw". While I applaud both of these efforts, there is one genre that needs to make a comeback- The Nightsoap.
"Peyton Place" was the first successful Nighttime Serial Drama. It was imitated, but not quite duplicated. Then "Dallas" came along. After CBS pulled their "Who Shot JR?" stunt, nightsoaps were the in thing. Every network has at least one of them, but only one came close, and some may say surpassed the Ewings of Dallas. That would be the Carringtons of Denver.
As I mentioned yesterday, I've been watching reruns of "Dynasty" online, and I must say that show was quite daring. It was the first show to display the filthy rich in all of their decadence. Blake Carrington's 48 room mansion dwarfed the Southfork ranch house. It must have also been shocking to have a gay person played completely straight (that is-not for laughs a la Billy Crystal in "Soap") as Steven Carrington was. Blake's daughter Fallon made Lucy Ewing look like a Sunday School Teacher. I'm just now getting reacquainted with Alexis BC (before Colby) in the second season. The term "guilty pleasure" is used when talking about this show, for good reason. It is not the kind of show people should enjoy, but they did, and still can, just as I do.
A lot of the issue dealt with on "Dynasty" are still being dealt with today. America's dependence on foreign oil for a start. Poor Blake lost most of his fortune and was reduced to living on a paltry $200 million (must have been rough) when his company was forcibly removed from a country in the Persian Gulf. Any resemblance to Iran could have been intentional, since the show began shortly before the Reagan presidency. With the Enron mess behind us, and the BP mess still in the headlines, petroleum based energy still makes for good drama.
Don't get me wrong, I grew up watching "Dallas", but Bobby and JR had a more common touch. Perhaps it was because they lived on a ranch. Blake was rich, powerful, and didn't care who knew it. None of the Ewings had a limo, or a driver. Blake did! He was a bit of a control freak too! The best thing about these shows is that it showed me that while I did have my problems, rich folks don't have it too easy either. Compared to the Ewings and Carringtons, my life is pretty much worry free. But then who wants to watch me on TV!
As Hank JR sang it "This ain't Dallas, this ain't Dynasty". I have something better!

Jerry is Right 10 Years Later

2010-06-01T15:20:00.003-05:00

When Al and Tipper Gore shared a rather passionate kiss on he platform of the Democratic National Convention I said their marriage must be in trouble. I have just heard they are separating. The announcement was sent to the press via e-mail. one would expect nothing less from the creator of the Internet. Who would have guessed that Al Gore was so boring that he even puts his wife to sleep?
All kidding aside I hope that the Gore family finds their way through this will the least amount of strife possible. It was a little more that 40 years ago when these two became one flesh. When that flesh rips, it's gonna hurt. I wish them, and the rest, well.

Jerry is at a Crossroads

2010-06-01T14:23:00.000-05:00

Ever since graduation a month ago today, I've been at a loss for an answer to the question, "What's next?". There are many answers to the question but the right answer is not readily available. Even before graduation it has been suggested that I go to seminaries in Atlanta, Kansas City, and even Kentucky. It's also been suggested that I become a professional student (GAG) and take up the study of something else. A couple different people have even suggested that I try to get a job teaching history. I am so burned out right now I can't imagine being a student professional or otherwise. The most reading I do is my Upper Room lesson, and it's hard to concentrate on that sometimes.
Of course teaching history is another matter entirely. I could probably get a job teaching history in a school system with very low academic standards, but not sure that would be best way to go. A career or calling like teaching should never be taken lightly. There are 2 kinds of teachers, good and bad. A good teacher is someone who has an all consuming passion for the job. A bad teacher just puts in their time and doesn't care for the job, or the students for that matter. At DWU there is an instructor that gets up at 5:30 am to get ready for work. Could I do that? I'm not too sure that I could!
Any career that one enters into has it's setbacks. It's that all consuming passion that keeps one going. When I had singing aspirations, someone told me that the worst part of that is that a singer has to sing even when they don't feel like it. Teaching is the same way. If one teaches, they have to do it even when they don't feel like it. They have to have that all consuming passion for teaching that gets them out of bed and into the classroom. I don't have that.
My dad told me not long ago that if you can find a job you love and do it, then you'll never have to work for the rest of your life. It sounds corny, but he's right. If you like what you're doing, it's not really work.
Another suggestion has been that I continue writing. Well not there again we have the same issue of writing even when I don't feel like it. regular Readers throughout the Hinkle Empire will note that Caesar has not always been about his job hosting this website. Motivation and inspiration is that key. Right now I spent more time watching reruns of "Dynasty" online than just about anything else. It has inspired some observations however, which I will share at another time. I've given you enough to read for now!

Jerry is Having Voter Remorse

2010-05-17T15:33:00.000-05:00

I am one of the many right thinking Americans who voted for Barrack Obama, believing that he was going to be the agent of "Change" only to find he's pretty much like every other politician out there. Take this oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico;What has Obama done to stop the leak? NOTHING! He was on TV a couple days go complaining about "the Blame game" that BP, Haliburton and the rest are playing. Did he offer a solution? No, of course not! He's a good complainer. We all saw that during the campaign. We continue to see him complaining and not working on the problems that are a threat to this country.

Anyone can complain about this situation, the Network News anchors have that job covered, and they are very good at the job here lately. The alleged comedians that pretend to be journalists are backing them up too, even though they aren't very funny while they do it. It's hard to make 5000 barrels leaking into the ocean every day into a joke. For President Obama the time for talking has long passed, and it's time for action. The oil is supposedly going to be carried by a current into the Atlantic Ocean, which sounds kind of semi-seriously wrong. What is Obama doing? NOTHING! If W had been this lax during Hurricane Katrina, the media would have blistered him worse then they did, hard as that would be to imagine.

For quite some time, I've forgotten why I voted for Obama, and I think he did too! I didn't vote for Obamacare, empty words, and politics as usual, but that's what I got!

Jerry is Going to a Funeral

2010-05-11T14:53:00.000-05:00

John Lennon once said "Life is what happens while you're making other plans" or some such thing. Death can be that way too. One of my high school classmates died. Some say that Todd, the classmate, died too young. That may be true, but then to me so did Grandad. The truth is that the real tragedy was that he had a wife and 4 kids who miss him very much. Todd's passing will impact their lives for a good while. Todd had cancer, so it's good his suffering is ended. Still his family would rather he had been delivered through it rather than by it, but that's life. I guess we have to trust that God knows what he's doing. So it looks like I got a funeral to go to.
Before that, there will be a family reunion of sorts as my Aunt and Uncle from Texas will be in Highmore to see Grandma. They are en route today, and will be visiting tomorrow and leaving Thursday, jut in time for the funeral I gotta go to. so it appears that I'll be leaving Kornfield county sometime tomorrow for Hyde County. I had planned to go to Summer Worship tomorrow night, but that's life!

Jerry is Rolling in a 4.0

2010-05-07T15:27:00.000-05:00

It would appear that I'm not as dumb as I've been led to believe. The fourth of the four classes I took this spring, ENG 275, has just reported that I got an A in that class. That was quite a shock to my system. God has indeed been watching out for me.

And so, as for what happens next, who knows. I'm too tired to think that far ahead. I'll just take a nap by that proverbial fork in the road and make a decision later on.

Jerry is Chilling

2010-05-05T14:46:00.000-05:00

It's a sunny day in mid spring, too nice to be indoors, so I went outside to read this year's issue of "Prairie Winds" a magazine that used to be part of the Tumbleweed, The yearbook of DWU which has since been discontinued. The poem on page 5 is my favorite,not because my former editor Brandy wrote it, but because it's amazing!
Colin Duffy took this photo, and then gave me a copy. Colin is going to China this summer and if he lives through that, he will be working in Omaha for Wells Fargo, the official bank of the Jerry Hinkle Program.
I saw "Nightmare on Elm Street" last night. For a remake it wasn't so bad. There was none of the gratuitous nudity and sex that was in the original movie. This is the 9th film with the character of Freddy Kruger. Every time they kill him he comes back. So how do you kill Freddy? I figured it out 20 years ago. Don't go to those movies and Freddy will go away. This trick worked with Pauly Shore, and Tom Green, so no reason it won't get rid of Freddy. Let's try that with Shrek while we're at it!

I bought my first Jessica Simpson CD, "Irresistible". Let's just say that it doesn't live up to the name. The tunes are catchy, but Jessica lacks a certain vocal ability. I guess she looks better than she sounds.

Jerry is a Graduate

2010-05-04T18:10:00.001-05:00

With 3 of the 4 courses that I, your courageous dynamic Host took in the Spring Term at DWU reporting, it would appear that the graduation ceremony is legal and binding.
In History, I got a 93.1
In Political Thought, a class that I slept through a lot and did some of my poorest writing in after my former Phreno editor, Brandy left the class, I got a 90.1
My religion class was my biggest shock. and at 96.9, my best grade this spring.
At this time I was unable to access the grade report for the Journalism class. My guess is that it is the lowest of the 4, but then I thought I was going to fail the religion class as well, so we'll see. It doesn't matter though, i have the required credits, and upper level credits to graduate, so it's all good!

End of "The World"

2010-05-04T17:26:00.000-05:00

When I was growing up in the 70's Proctor and Gamble (P&G) produced many of the bear necessities of life. Peanut butter, cooking oil, detergent, and many other laundry and soap products. they even produced the first Soap Opera, "The Guiding Light". That Soap Opera, and the others that P&G produced promoted those products, and made loyal customers of homemakers like my Granny, Bergit Hinkle, who had Ivory Soap in the bathroom; Ivory liquid by the kitchen sink; Tide, Cheer and Clorox in the laundry room; and she was one of the choosy mother's who chose Jif to feed her grandchildren when they came over.

"As The World Turns" will end it's run, and with it the era of almost 74 years of P&G Soap Operas on radio and television. Sleazy talk shows and cheesy game shows are taking the place of what has become known as the Daytime Drama. Interestingly enough, on May 1, as I was graduating from DWU, veteran actress Helen Wagner, who played on both The first and the last P&G Soap Operas Died at age 91. It's sad that we will never see her on TV again, even her worst storyline was better than anything Springer, Oprah or that pant load, Dr. Phil, dreamed up.

So long Helen! We on this World will miss you as Nancy! I hope you are in a better "World" that will never be cancelled!

Jerry is a Graduate

2010-05-03T15:29:00.001-05:00

It's been a good while since I last exercised my hosting duties here! A lot has happened. After tending to a lot of last minute details, I have graduated from DWU. Final Grades will be posted tomorrow, so that will make it official. The only way I could not graduate is if I failed my Religion class and 2 of the 3 other classes that i took in the Spring.
It has been quite a 3 year adventure. I had to get used to the big city lifestyle, and the students faculty and staff at DWU had to get used to me. I will miss many of the people at DWU. Some may even miss me.

It was nice having most of my family right there along with me. My Grandma, Agnes Hahn, was not feeling well enough to travel down to Mitchell, and was worried she'd be in the way. She turned 92 yesterday. I called her last night, and she sounds just as strong as ever.

So now, I close the door to on one chapter of my life 2 other doors and a window are opening up. We'll see how things pan out.

New Car at the Ponderosa

2010-03-17T20:14:00.002-05:00

As predicted, the new car got a little bit dirty going through the Holabird Grade. Darrel checked the car over very well and changed the oil.

Here it is1

2010-03-17T20:12:00.000-05:00

Here is the first video o my new car!

Jerry is Going Green

2010-03-16T08:59:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was rather exasperating. I left Mitchell and headed to Highmore, where I met my parents for some heavy duty car shopping. We went to Chamberlain to look at a red Park Avenue. It looked good on the Internet, but didn't quite come up to expectations. The green Park Avenue beside it, while not exactly the most attractive of autos, ran well, the heater worked, and it had a CD player. The asking price, was $5850, but clever haggling got the price down to $4750, a full tank of gas, and a 3 month/3000 mile warranty.
After arriving at the Ponderosa, Darrel changed the oil, because we discovered it was at 13%. I'm still spring breaking it, but have to go back to Kornfield County to get some stuff done.

New Car Possibility

2010-03-13T16:11:00.000-06:00

I found this on craigslist! any thoughts?

http://csd.craigslist.org/cto/1639494477.html

Spring has broken

2010-03-13T10:35:00.000-06:00

Spring Break began for DWU at 3pm yesterday Some students are making it a working vacation. This weekend and next the DWU Theatre is performing "The Glass Menagerie." I'll be going to that after work on Sunday, although I may show up late.
My parents are back from their trip to Israel. No more postcards for a while. I'll bet they will have a lot of stories to tell on that.
I will be going to Holabird to look for a new car and get some carry-on luggage. I was in a car wreck and have been using my mother's car. The carry-on luggage I need for the MCC trip to Atlanta next month.

Postcard from Israel #3

2010-03-07T15:41:00.000-06:00

We have had a couple of busy days traveling. This morning we watched the sunrise over the sea of Galilee and then drove south. we are now at the dead sea and will float tomorrow and then head out to Jerusalem. We are all fine and the weather is beautiful and hope you are also. Having fun and eating good food. We've had long days so usually in bed by 9pm. Take care. The Three Sisters.

While I was gone

2010-03-06T13:08:00.000-06:00

I have not been a very good host, as it appears that i have not kept the audience updated. I found the old black JTV camera a day or so after I bought the new one. It really doesn't matter since I have hardly used either of them.

Postcard from Israel #2

2010-03-06T12:57:00.003-06:00

We are now at the Dead Sea. We went to 3 archaeological digs today. Tomorrow we go to the\Mt. of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane. Weather is warm. We do a lot of hiking. Then on to Jerusalem. Monday to Bethlehem. Love, Mom

Postcard from Israel

2010-03-04T15:19:00.003-06:00

We arrived safely in Greece on Monday and have been touring since. We are now in Israel at the Sea of Galilee. We have been to Nazareth, Cana, Capernaum, and the River Jordan. We took a boat across the Sea and had fish on the shore. We are having a great time. We are kept really busy. Tonight we are going to Tiberius to see the night life...from8 to 9 pm. It's probably all we can take. Hope all is well at home. Love, The Three Goehring Sisters.Shalom!!

After the Hunt

2009-10-26T15:24:00.000-05:00

Here is a photo that was taken in front of the Come Hahn Inn during the opening day of pheasant hunting season. I'm not really sure who is who, so take a look and see if you can figure it out.

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