Only you can protect your personal information.

It's time to get this one kickstarted. We have to deal with the only one we can work with at the moment. That would be Thursday, April 6, 2017. I am active on a variety of social media platforms. That doesn't mean that I do not try to keep as low a profile as possible. I do check my name periodically to see what shows up in a search. As far as my image, the two above are the only ones that show up when I Google Image search using my name. Those come from a newspaper article written about my Santa Claus work at a market festival in our area. The search produced hundreds of images, many of them directly linked in one way or another to a person with the same or similar name, but only these two of yours truly. That makes me very happy. I enjoy the exchange of pleasantries and the fellowship shared on the social media platforms but I also value my anonymity. It is interesting to know that people who have my same name run insurance agencies, operate hotels, and do a number of other types of businesses as well. I do have peripheral security in place, however, there's never enough to protect from someone smart enough to overcome it. This is why I recommend that everyone who uses the internet to keep close tabs on their personal information. I've recently changed a number of my passwords to try and thwart continuing attacks of those attempting to either impersonate me or to use my email account. The watchword: Enjoy but be safe.

The recent uproar over the Russian involvement in last year's presidential election needs to be adjudicated, one way or another. At this point and time, it's obvious the Russian Government, for its own reasons, did use cyber warfare on entities involved in the campaigns. Here's what I think. The American people want this to be investigated and FACTS to be discovered. Not charges and counter charges. Not political sloganizing. We are grown ups. We can handle it. Let's get to the bottom of it and move on, whatever that implies. It also appears that perhaps the Obama folks did some things that may not have been in keeping with the laws that protect the privacy of American citizens. I stress the word 'appears'. Here again, these kinds of matters need to be investigated and the findings made clear to the American public. I voted for Richard Nixon twice, but, I also came home each night and watched reruns of that day's Watergate hearings. Why? Like President Nixon said, "The American people are entitled to know if their president is a crook or not." I feel the same way about all the posturing going on. Spend time doing the hard work of getting the facts. Report them and let the folks who go to the ballot box decide. This opinion piece was brought to you today by the independent research firm known as Me, Myself, and I.

As it relates to swimming underwater in the polluted ocean of political shenanigans, I do have to surface for air on occasion. That's why I shared that little personal take on the current reality show unfolding in Washington D.C. I didn't want you to think I had gone off the reservation when it came to paying attention to my civic duty. The other day I mentioned the hate filled assessment of the Duck Dynasty series by a TV critic for Rolling Stone Magazine. His final salvo involved how the Robertson clan, led by the patriarch Phil, went all in supporting Donald Trump in his campaign to win the election. This critic believed them supporting Trump was a total capitulation of what the Bible teaches about morality and ethics. I believe at one time, Phil Robertson even called Donald Trump God's man for our needs at this time. I point this out only to remind us all that people pay attention to real or perceived hypocrisy in the lives of those who identify as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. You've heard many times that I was never a supporter of Donald Trump as a candidate for President. Never. I did, however, vote for him, because of the options available. Let me say one more thing and then I will be done. Maybe Phil meant that Mr. Trump was God's man like some of the pagan kings God raised up and brought to power as recorded in the history of God's dealings with His people, Israel. I'm not saying that Mr. Trump is a pagan. I'm just giving you some thoughts to consider. You know. Ponder the possibilities. That's enough carpet bombing for one day. Take care. Know that God is Sovereign and He is aware of every iota of every detail, period. ("Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father." Matthew 10:29) Amen. ....More later.