Frequent readers of this blog should have noticed that I’ve been away for a couple of months. I apologize. This was not planned. Several years ago, doctors discovered I have vasculitis. This illness causes swelling in the smaller filtering blood vessels of the kidneys. It is serious, and it can be life-threatening.

After years of procrastination, I can finally check this off my bucket list. Yesterday, I passed the amateur radio technician class test. With a bit of luck, I will soon be a ham radio operator. I say “bit of luck” because I’m dealing with the government. My call sign must appear in the Federal Communications Commission license database before I can go on the air. These guys are like the DMV of the airwaves so, who knows how long it will take?

The stories in my local community paper, The Chronicle, are usually only of moderate interest to me, school sports, farm, and local business news, and of course, the comics. But recently I read that the local senior centers had prohibited prayer and political discussions. That is the sort of bad decision that I like to write about. However, the focus of my IMHO blog is on national social and cultural issues, with a bit of self-reliance and conservative ethics thrown in. I’m active in my community but don’t usually write about it. So, I set the paper aside and hoped that the local seniors wouldn’t just accept the new rules.

Yes, it is because of books, both good and bad. But, it is also about ideas and which ones make us a better nation. There are times I truly believe this country has gone crazy. Then, at other times, I see glimmers of hope. But lately, there is never a time when I’m not worried. I vote, pay my taxes and obey the law. But I’ve often wondered what else I could do to stem the tide of progressive policies and liberal stupidity like Critical Race Theory, defunding the police, and progressive district attorneys that won’t prosecute crime.