A collection of wit, wisdom, thoughts, ideas, and other gems from Don’s pen
(An Index of all Guest Posts from Don can be found HERE.)
“When going to a restaurant I now carry CASH in my wallet for the tip. I have a wad of small bills in an envelope at home.” Here’s A Tip +
“Don’t you hate it when you disagree with someone who’s right?” My Parents Were Right
“If we can jump by an hour, why can’t we jump past February?” Clocks.
“Some in the media are pointing out a TEMPORARY ISSUE here or there and making a big statement that ‘life has never been more difficult.’ Well! That’s a lie…The truth is that life has been far tougher many times in the 250 years that the United States of America has existed.” Life Is Hard?
Moses reported Jacob’s thoughts about the encounter at that place: “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” Faces of God
“Tech has become more expensive and irritating than it is worth. When the costs go out of control, people are not afraid to bow out.” The Price of Tech
“One man had a mustache tattooed on his upper lip. He hates the bother of constantly trimming the stache so he just shaves normally every day and saves hours every week.” Tattoo It
“Those who think you are “out of touch” are probably worrying about the wrong things.” Out Of Touch+
“Comparing how long those who were born in 1900 lived with those born more recently we find that the AVERAGE male lives up to 10 years longer. But that is only half the story…” Longevity Part II
” You waste much of your disposable income buying vitamins and kale smoothies. Turns out almost no one needs a kale smoothie.” Longevity Part I
“Be stone cold sober when choosing a name. This is serious business and if you are in no condition to drive, operate heavy machinery, or sign a legal document … ” Naming Your Child
“Ageism is alive and well among some in America.” HOARDING?
“…Next, why does any business only advertise on Facebook? Nearly 30% of American adults do not have a Facebook account. So, this business owner has decided he or she is willing to throw away 30% of potential customers?” Pope and Peasant
“Just as we tend to give keys to teens too early, we also wait too long to take away parents’ keys.” Taking The Keys?
“The family had never seen such glorious sunrises on the island, but in western North Carolina they were treated to them often. Nearly cloudless mornings with a light breeze and the eastern sky full of pinks, blues, and purples just as the sun rose. They would often stop and break out in song.” The Unsettling, Chapter 6: The Bear Went Over The Mountain
“How long does it take to know someone is a “keeper?” About two years! By then you should know if you are willing to be married, sign legal documents with, and generally trust the other with your life if you can’t speak for yourself after a bad accident.” Planning For Single
“Banks wouldn’t offer this if there wasn’t something in it for them. If I could consistently achieve a 8-20% return on investment like that it would be my sole investment.”
Home Equity Agreements +
“The problem is that bias does NOT equal prejudice. We all use bias in our daily lives. I want wheat bread, not white. (That’s bias.) I like a woman with a sense of humor. (Also bias). Likes, dislikes, wants, desires, hopes, dreams, and even prejudice are all forms of bias.” Bias Isn’t Always Wrong
“There are times when the news fails to pass the sniff test. There’s a fly in the soup somewhere.” WHAT?
“Funny, but not, chimpanzees have no problem succeeding at intimate performance but they never talk about money. Humans are supposed to be more intelligent, but sadly human couples hardly ever talk about money either.” The $$ Talk
“News stories now use an amazing number of abbreviations. AWS, TNG, TTY, and you name it ,are in these stories and often no explanation is given. Full stop. I leave the story and go on with my life. I can live for years not knowing what they think they’re communicating.” What in the World is CZY? +
“First, from the New York Times: ‘There’s a New Place to Store Greenhouse Gasses, in your beer.’ Sure, it can be done, but it is meaningless. If 2 more people are added to the planet in 2026 that will wipe out the ‘savings.’ Your beer will cost twice as much as well. Thanks, but no thanks!
“It is cheaper to plant a few trees where there weren’t any before, like on the brewery roof.” Stupid Human Tricks
“The coastal plains were easy to traverse, being relatively flat. But the land sprung upward (probably no more than a few hundred feet over a two, maybe three, miles), streams had rapids, and the family walked to spare the horses.” The Unsettling, chapter 5: Slow and Purposeful
“I only bother to look at TicTic (I don’t even know how to spell it) when there’s a major FAIL. Then, in my inner voice, I ask, “How could people be so stupid?” So, when I heard about a recent hack I asked the same question. On the app, site, or mongoose station (I’m not even sure what to call it) someone suggested freezing raw eggs in the shell and then sawing the frozen eggs into slices to cook…” Calling It
“If you read the news sources OR talk with the average person you would IMAGINE that the economy is in shambles and that no one can afford a can of cat food. Neither of those things is true, of course.” Consumer Confidence
“…when you die, there are things that are needful (beyond finding a way to bury your decaying corpse). AND ONE, unfortunately, is making sure no one has control of your vote.” De-Registration+
“Burger KING has taken the lead. It has done the hard work of finding what displeases customers and found that customers prefer humans over AI…McBurger should take a lesson. I stopped eating there about the time they transitioned to kiosks and apps.” Burger KING +
“There are many paths to false interpretation. There is only one path to the truth. That path starts and ends with KNOWING THE MIND OF GOD. Find God’s purpose for including those words.” Interpreting Scripture
“We are in that season when both you and flies want to do the same thing. Party!!!” FLIES!
“Glad to be on land, they couldn’t wait for the trip which would carry them closer to their destination.” The Unsettling, chapter 3: Everything New
“There are some things which make me laugh, others which scare me…” Not So Lucky
“In this world there are many things for which the “operator” must be qualified. Your surgeon should be (I require it of mine)…” Qualified?
“Before YOU make that giant leap into the unknown, maybe perform some ‘due diligence.'” ANSWERS=RELATIONSHIP
“Influencers push influence. Here’s a ‘hack,’ there’s a ‘hack.’ Actually, most ‘hacks’are recycled ways of doing things from 70 years ago.” Silly Life-Hacks
“…if you lived in Bath County, Kentucky…there would be little else unusual to submit to the newspaper. You planted crops, you raised a family, you were familiar with self-reliance. Meat raining from heaven was not on your list of ‘what I will experience today’.” Kentucky History: The Meat Shower
“Did you know that NEARLY HALF of residential fires are caused by the kitchen range? What are the issues with that device which make it so likely to cause a fire?” Fires & Health
“Kagawa pushed for people to GIVE UP something to ‘save’ others, but Yutang pushed for them to GIVE CHRIST. In sympathy with Yutang, Nee pushed for trusting Christ.” Century of “Christian” Asian Writers
They found passage on the barque Louisa Bliss captained by J.A. Creighton. The captain, they found, only cared about getting into port and getting out of port. The sooner he could cast off the fewer men he lost to strong drink, loose women, and bad bets…and the more money he and his crew could make.” The Unsettling, chapter 3: Anchors Away
“We have to practice careful discernment about who we marry, who we hire, who we trust with our money, who we allow to babysit our children, and for whom we vote. We do all that and CAN’T SEE when someone’s fruit is bad?” Fruit Inspectors
“Do your own research. It won’t take long before you develop a healthy “Fake-O-Meter” in your brain. Look for the half of the story being left out.” Half The Story
“Have you ever felt like God isn’t there? Maybe you had the idea that God had more important things to do, or that someone else needed His attention more … maybe someone else had an emergency? (None of those thoughts is true).” “Leaving The 99”
“So, no one knows where THERE is and no one knows how much more we need to do to arrive. I see that as an existential problem. We know something will kill us but we don’t know how much we need to do to prevent our extinction.” Global Warming Re-Imagined (Again)
“Some ask ‘Why does God punish?’ A better question was answered by Joel: ‘Will God take pity?'” The God of Miriam, Job, and Joel…3 Lessons About God
“More and more evidence is coming to the fore that shows that Americans have been greatly mislead about many things. (If it were only ONE thing, I think we could let it go…right?)” As It Turns Out
“…having “the mind of Christ” should mean something significant to believers…Why? Because the decisions we make should be tempered by a desire to DO what Jesus would do. We have the smartest Being in the universe helping us after all…” Practical Application of “The Mind of Christ”
“Kill” is such a little murder of the language… Murder & Salvation
“March 1 was St David’s Day. St David was a devout Christian brother from the nine hundreds who on his deathbed said, “’Brothers, be constant…'” Thus begins chapter 2 of the prequel to Christmas on Blurry Mountain, The Unsettling, chapter 2: Uprooted
“Who bases their grocery shopping on government ‘“’dietary guidelines?’”’ THANKS FOR THE CHUCKLE.” Dietary Guidelines +
“The principle purpose of Christ’s work on the cross and his resurrection is to transform us FROM being part of the Adams family INTO being a member of God’s family. From the physical world to the spiritual world. How does God do that?” The Relationship
“Most ‘revolutions’ are supposed to accomplish grand goals. All that really happens in most cases is a change of leadership. The poor remain poor. It all seems so ‘righteous,’ but in reality only the leaders of the movement get what they want.” Protesting Safely
“Let me say the quiet part out loud: your pets are NOT as nice as you may THINK they are. Literally hundreds of homeowners claimed aloud things like ‘my pet is nice, it won’t bite.’ The little teeth marks on my high ankle work boots prove you WRONG.” Put Away Your Pets
“Ancient scientists were often wrong. So are modern ones, but the ancients got a few critical things right.” Six Lessons
“Grigor Hughes was dissatisfied. His father had willed him half of this farm…” Thus begins the prequel to Christmas on Blurry Mountain, The Unsettling, chapter 1: Humble Beginnings
“So, let’s have a clear definition. ‘The sunk cost fallacy is our tendency to follow through with something that we’ve already invested heavily in (be it time, money, effort, or emotional energy), even when giving up is clearly a better idea.'” Sunk Cost Fallacy
“…an engaged woman stroked her beau’s beard and asked ‘Where does the hair end and the beard begin?’ All it takes for me is a good title. I wrote it down. The following flash story has nothing to do with that holiday visit except the question…” Hair v Beard
“It doesn’t hurt me if someone decides to become vegan, vegetarian, or even a trans-veganitarianist (I made that up). Do as you wish, just don’t impose your food religion on me. I still won’t eat kale!” It Doesn’t Hurt
“…looking at retirement several years ago, I considered whether I really wanted to retire. I could do something, right?…I could be someone’s employee. I imagined that to be low income, and little satisfaction. I did try it and found it to be low income and little satisfaction.” Buying A Job
“1937 was when the first shopping cart was introduced. Before that shopping was limited to what a person could carry.” 1937
“I was on a site today that allows comments and I was shocked how many commenters got Social Security facts wrong. Its no wonder, Social Security is a ‘government’ program. By law it has to be confusing.” My Retirement Plan
“Want to watch people squirm? Put 7 people in a brightly lit room without any electronics. They can’t survive the boredom unless they go to sleep.” Bring It Back
“We talked among ourselves. Good News! Indeed this was the greatest of all news. We met an angel. We saw the baby. We found the solution to everything.” And thus begins Don’s special original Christmas story, Why The Shepherds
“When you intentionally mislead the population there are knowable results. The population will lose trust not only in you as a leader, but also in the message. Lack of truth has natural consequences.” Intentional Errors
“When does a boy or girl become a man or woman?” When You Are An Adult
“What is the OPPOSITE of pesticide exposure?…” Pesticide Exposure
Every day the “news” has “the sky is falling” stories. Write them down! Keep a journal. In 6 months, when you go back and read what they wrote you will find it did NOT happen. You’ll find more joy just ignoring the “doom and gloom.” Don’t Panic
“Richard knew, to quote Arthur C. Brooks, ‘the secret to happiness isn’t falling in love; it’s staying in love.'”
And thus begins Chapter 4 of Don’s original story in 5 parts, The Best Is Yet
“Trust is PRECIOUS. It is NOT a gift to be given or a right to be demanded, but a wage to be earned. Don’t allow any shortcuts to the process.” Marble Jar
“Time is all about choices…”
And thus begins Chapter 3 of Don’s original story in 5 parts, The Best Is Yet
“Although children are not merely small adults they do have the beginnings of their adult personalities…So, why shouldn’t a person have the beginnings of heroism at an early age?” Child Bravery+
“Walking the dog park trail Richard passed several ‘owners’ walking their people.”
And thus begins Chapter 2 of Don’s original story in 5 parts, The Best Is Yet
“I’ve been asking around. “What stuff do you wish that children knew?” The variety and the intelligence of the following list lifted me. I’m hoping it lifts you, too.” What Kids Should Know
“Richard had lived a full life, or others would have thought so…”
And thus begins Chapter 1 of Don’s original story in 5 parts, The Best Is Yet
“Simply, mice are great climbers. I’ve seen them climb siding (even vinyl) to make nests above porch ceilings. I’ve seen them climb trees that were touching roofs or gutters to zip into some attic. I’ve seen them climb siding and scramble into gaps around windows. They even can run the wires.” Mice
“Truth is weird. Truth is actually factual most of the time. For instance, no one thinks about this, but the last time every living human being was on earth was 25 years ago.” Won’t Follow Advice
“I suggest that whatever you plan to do when you plan to do when you retire, you should build that skill NOW. Don’t wait. You can pretend to be an old folk even now!” Old Age Myths
“There are pantry products which may contain pests and products which may become food sources to pests. I spent 30 years helping people eradicate pantry pests from their homes. ” Pantry Pests
“Retirement is not a competition. You only need to have “enough” for YOUR needs and lifestyle, plus some money for emergencies.” Can I Retire?
“I’ve been 50. 50 is NOT a disabling factor in my mind. A 50 year old is hirable, can learn new skills, and is more likely to be a benefit to a company than many 24 year olds would be.” Easily Misunderstood
“I’m NOT competing with anyone but myself. If my neighbor wins with AI it neither helps nor hurts me. And if he loses, same. Therefore, I can afford to wait and see.” Workslop
“…toddlers show signs of willfulness and selfish desire. Who taught them? No one (hopefully). That’s how they arrived from the factory.” A Better Man
“… it is a complicated right. It is not a one-size-fits-all issue. It certainly has dark corners and pokey points.” Free Speech?
“If your dog gets into the trash and eats some he could be injured, he or she can experience nose, throat, esophagus, and stomach discomfort. If a rat at the dump eats some that had spaghetti sauce spilled on it, that rat could experience physical harm…” Health & Safety (Again)
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying there hasn’t been “life” on Mars…” Comments II
“There are about as many views on Heaven and Hell as there are people in New York City. They cannot all be right.” Ice Cream?
“Last week we had a troop of Brown Thrashers in our yard. They have beautiful reddish-brown backs (very distinctive) and dark stripes on the white chests. About the size of Robins, but shy. They preferred the heavy growth at edge of yard mostly and had no problem walking upside down on the tree trunks. We didn’t hear them, but have read they have loads of vocalizations (they are in the Mockingbird/Catbird group). Unlike Mockingbirds and Catbirds some of them spend summers in Michigan. These were probably on their way to the Gulf area for the winter, since I’m not seeing any this week.
“At first I thought they were thrushes, but when I looked them up they clearly weren’t. Look for them next summer.” ~ from an email Don sent to me about birds, then sound really cool don’t they?
“What child eats kale? Even I don’t eat kale if there is ANYTHING else available!” School Lunch Debt +
“This is one place where ‘Organic’ may actually be more risky for you than non-organic.” Health and Safety
“…you, too, can experience the SAME tax “breaks” as billionaires on payroll taxes.” Comments on News
” How far can you go in 3.43 DecaChronos if you are traveling at 53.67 km/DecaChronos? … Answer is 184.088km. A third grader, at least pre-COVID, could do it.” Time
“How close to the edge of the Grand Canyon can I stand and not fall in?” Temptation…Avoiding It
“In fact, the closer to God one gets the harder it is to fail.” God Sees+
“Robin Hood is a story, not a policy.” Family Leave Policy
“I can watch any of 10,000 YouTube videos on any electronic device. I can watch my favorite band. I can watch old movies and re-runs (even “Captain Kangaroo”) at will. What does PBS have that isn’t already out there FREE?” WithoutPBS
“…hot dogs on a highway are SLIPPERY…” Strange Headlines
“Social Security will not go bankrupt.” I Didn’t Know That!
“You can use your money Less than Once, Only Once, or More than Once. How you view loans may determine which.” Why Loans?
“Retirement isn’t for dummies. You still have to PLAN and do MATH…Enjoy your life while you can AND prepare for the unknown future.” 4% Rule
“It’s a joke, right? People who become angry when they are hungry is a joke?
Actually, no. It is NOT a joke. In fact, it is quite serious…being ‘hangry’ is definitely not a joke.” “Hangry”
“Bees and other stinging insects love flower nectar. Why did you decide to plant flowers right next to your outdoor living spaces? Hornets love hummingbird feeders and people love to watch hummingbirds from their decks. Wasps use tiny wood splinters to build their nests … so re-seal your wooden deck or play set every couple years. Yellow Jackets will check out uncleaned grills to munch on burned-on meats. In other words, you may be INVITING stinging critters to your outdoor spaces.” Bees
“We have the technology and we should be willing to use it or do away with it. If it is OK to use a technology to help a 12 year old, then its OK to help a 92 year old with it. Who are we to draw a line in the sand?” Hospice
“Have I mentioned that God is rich? He could have made 25 species of fish, but there are over 100,000. He could have made 1,000 stars, but there are trillions…” Salvation Dance
So, there has not been a book banned in the United States since 1963. A majority of people alive today in the United States have never experienced (and probably won’t) an actual book ban. Presently, in America, there are ZERO banned books. Oddities +
That moment you realize that people have been lying to you all along by using “average” when “median” gives a clearer picture, is the moment you suddenly become just that much more wise.
We are going to need that wisdom. A.I. is coming on strong. Understanding “Average”
When it comes to Global Warming…the “range” is absolutely huge. The annual temperature of the earth has migrated all over! We’ve had ice ages with glaciers as far south as Ohio and saunas with jungles as far north as Canada…Most of northern Europe was under ice at one point. Thankfully Global Warming took care of that. Understanding “Average”
“134% of younger people don’t understand fractions, but a seven times smaller group does.” ref. Kid Tech +
Young love…
“Are shopping carts important? Nope.
How we treat them says a lot about who we are. Yup.
They are a symbol of what we value. Do we value others? Or, are we selfish?
This values concept is key to all of our life, our relationships, and how we live.”
“A West African proverb says, ‘The truth may be bitter, but it lasts longer than a lie.” OK. I have found that lies are actually bitter. Even when you don’t want to tell the truth, remember that the one hearing you WANTS THE TRUTH. Those who love us can handle the truth far better than finding out later you lied. A lie doesn’t solve anything, it just delays the inevitable and adds trouble to trouble.”
“Not being a billionaire has not stopped me from owning a business, raising a family, or getting an education. Life is to be enjoyed and cherished. Why are we worrying about how much someone else has? Enjoy what you have and stop imagining that more dollars is the way to happiness.” from https://chia.owly.net/guest-post-from-don-ineffective-action
…There are people (right now) on the internet showing off a stick they found. Yup! That’s it! They show off and often describe WHY they like it so much. Little 1 minute videos … about sticks…”
“REMEMBER, in an emergency the only person you can rely on is YOU. It has only been 5 years since we first experienced COVID. We all were caught with our pants down (and no bathroom tissue)…” (from https://chia.owly.net/guest-post-from-don-april-24-2025-edition/)
It is my contention that we are being gaslighted perpetually. “7 Science Based Ways to …” isn’t. “Such-n-such COULD cause …” won’t. We are being pushed to change our opinions about everything. “Flying is safer.” “Butter is evil.” “She’s a racist, he’s a racist, wouldn’t you like to be a racist, too!” You name it and someone has an agenda to push on us.
Why can’t we merely think what we want? I push for free thought, not just free speech (which some want to gaslight us away). It isn’t evil to think what you want. It is ultimate freedom.
Coming of age has never been easy. (ref. The Burning Coals of The Broom Tree)
…A.I. is not very sophisticated. It can’t tell us anything true we didn’t already tell it. (But it can make up stuff that isn’t true.)…As readers of news we have to be more wary than ever and more intelligent about what we are willing to believe. Don’t fall victim through inattention. This is a “Brave New World” of communication.
…God is not fooled. Even with Christ’s atoning sacrifice, God still knows exactly who we are. THEN, seeing that we are trusting in Christ, He declares His Son’s sacrifice is sufficient (see Watchman Nee The Normal Christian Life for more info). Coolest thing ever is that God then continues the work of changing who we WERE into totally transformed people…
(ref. https://chia.owly.net/guest-post-from-don-know-your-limits)
FACT: President Bill Clinton fired more government employees than Trump has plans to fire. He fired 377,000 employees at a time when the number of government employees was far fewer than we had at the end of Biden’s term. The press said nothing.
(ref. https://chia.owly.net/guest-post-from-don-cutting-waste)
A friend parked on Psm 73:25 for a whole year.
He pondered and prayed that verse every day.
What does it mean, seriously, to desire NOTHING on earth except God?
He learned to let go of so much that was burdening him. God gave him personal ministries and spiritual attitudes which changed him.
Sometimes the things I read make me want to scream “liar, liar, pants on fire.” The headline, of course, grabs my attention. The article, on the other hand, proves it was only bait. Read one this morning which interested me because several in my family have faced this medical issue: Reducing the risk of dementia. The article was merely a “stock image” of every other worthless article about this medical issue. No evidence-based medical facts. I’m going to call them out.
(See [https://chia.owly.net/guest-post-from-don-tell-me] for context.)
3 easy methods to de-chlorinate water for drinking purposes
1. Let water sit at room temp in open container for 24 hours (60-99% effective, no change in other taste)
2. Boil water (90-99% effective, some change to the taste of the water)
3. Add ascorbic acid or Vitamin C (90-99% effective, will change taste)
A while back we were talking about animal pollinators.
There’s one more. The Ethiopian wolf. It loves the sweet nectar of a flowering plant called “Red Hot Poker” (looks like a pillar of sunset). A single individual can visit 20-30 plants with pollen covering its face.
Ethiopian children like the nectar, too. So, humans can be pollinators.
dumpster sharks!
Copyright 2025 Donald Whelpley
PLEASE NOTE that Don is always open to discussing the thoughts and opinions he shares here and welcomes comments as shared in the comment section. He doesn’t use other social media platforms and won’t see whatever you’d like to share with him if you post it elsewhere. ~ Sherry