My Comfortable Opinion

Just another beautiful 80 degree day in southern Arizona. Sorry, I can't help myself. I brag because I love it here so much.

But I also love to travel. The only major region of the US that I have not visited is the Pacific Northwest. I've heard it is lush and green there, but also cloudy and rainy. I had enough clouds and rain where I grew up thank you. But I've been to Europe and the South Pacific, Mexico and Canada of course. My favorite city is Venice, Italy and my favorite wilderness area (outside of Arizona) is somewhere near Shillington, Ontario, Canada, where a stream runs through a natural chute of black rock. If you can find Watabeag Lake you can find it somewhere nearby, I think. I haven't seen it in over 25 years but if it stuck in my mind this long, it must be really special. Northern Ontario is a real treasure of wilderness. And I am not being paid by Travel Canada or whatever they are called these days. I just love Canada. Even though they have repressive gun laws. In the states, Wyoming and Colorado are the places I've seen that can touch the wilderness in your soul. My favorite island is the Cook Islands. They speak British English there and it is lots cheaper than Tahiti. But Prince Edward Island is a close second. Beaches are a little cooler in Canada though. My favorite mountain is right outside my window. It isn't the highest or the easiest to visit, but it is familiar and I know a lot of special places up there. Nothing can beat a free campsite at 9500 feet in June with an 80 degree temperature when at home, 30 miles away, it is 105. Enough travelogue.

A Cox News Service article in today's paper reports on a 60 page booklet produced by Roman Catholic leaders that says the bible is not "fully...accurate" nor does it have "complete historical precision". This comes as a shock to fundamentalists who believe the bible is the inerrant word of God. But they aren't Catholics anyway, so who cares what R.C. bishops say? When I was in a parochial elementary school I was taught about God creating the world in 6 days and then taught evolution. Nothing seemed amiss. Can the bible be without error and still be not fully accurate? Seems a contradition. But we live with contradictions every day. Do I have to spell it out? Most Americans need to lose a few, or more than a few, pounds to be healthy. Everyone wants to be healthy. But we continue to eat junk food. Even moi. I ate some halloween candy this afternoon. Shame on me. And I was even losing weight. Until today. How did this get to be a discussion on weight? Anyway, let the bishops nit pick. There is incredible truth in the bible, both the old and new versions, the Greek, Hebrew, English whatever language it is translated to. It still stands as the Greatest Story Ever Told. (Apologies to Cecil B. De Mille, I think that was his cinematic title). Pick it up, dust it off, and read it sometime!

Those are my opinions and I'm sticking with them!