Photos with Captions To Make You Smile and Think

Hey, just thought I’d bring out some photos with captions for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Wishing My American Friends A Safe And Peaceful Inauguration Day

I would like to convey my sincerest hope for a peaceful transition of power and healing for the nation of the United States. Take care, my friends, you are in my thoughts and prayers.

“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”
― Abraham Lincoln,

Don’t be a Cheechako!

I hope everyone had a good weekend, in particular my friends to the south who celebrated Independence Day weekend.

I haven’t done this in quite some time, but folks seem to enjoy it, so today I’m bringing out another word trivia. Now, these are not just any words, they are connected with my upcoming book. They stretch back to the days of the Klondike.

Please, if you can, practice ‘googlestraint’ and I’ll give you the answers in my next blog. Have fun!

Duffer:

A:  a slow-witted man

B:  the front bumper of a dog sled

C: a con man who is terrible at his trade

D: combining brass filings with gold dust to fool the weigh scales

Bunco:

A: a card game that evolved from Poker during the Klondike

B: a gold claim with very few, if any, yields

C: anything phony or deceptive

D: a low-class drinking establishment

Barabas:

A: Indigenous homes along the lower Yukon River built half underground, inhabited in winter.

B: in reference to the Biblical figure who was released instead of Jesus. A scoundrel who escapes justice.

C: a claim jumper

D: the buckle used to connect the suspenders to a pair of Mackinaw hip-waders

Kanin:

A: the canvas baffle on a rocker box (rocker boxes were used to separate gold from sediment)

B: the pivot pin on a weigh scale

C: an ornately decorated dugout canoe

D: the small overhang usually found on the false front of a business

Happy Independence Day!

Wishing all of my friends down in the U.S.A , a happy Independence Day.

 

An Invitation to Join the Club

As the dawn sheds light on a new day, I find myself reflecting on yesterday’s celebration of Canada’s birthday.

Canada is many things, including a beautiful land of diversity, both in landscape and people. We’re far from perfect and face our own struggles, but overall, we are blessed.

However, Canada is but one country, and sparsely populated in relation to land mass.  At just over 37 million, we’re a drop in the bucket.

What about this club thing in the title, Bierman? And what’s with the handshake photo? Don’t you know it’s dangerous nowadays? I’ll get to that, soon, I promise. First, I’m going to give you a quick bio about myself, so that you have a gist about who’s extending this invitation.

Here goes: I’m a white, middle class, Christian man, with a nuclear family. I have over twenty years’ experience as a Correctional Officer. I’m the son of immigrants who arrived as children, from Holland. I am proud of who I am, my heritage, my country, and my family.

I hope you are proud of who you are too. You have every right to be.

You see, this club is not exclusive, it’s open to everyone, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, political leanings, and occupation.

There are some rules, however:

1. You must have a pulse.
2. You agree to behave in a respectful manner to all. Do not mock or belittle anyone because you think their ideas, religion, beliefs, interests, what have you, are foolish.
3. You agree to disagree, refrain from assigning unfair labels to someone, simply because their opinions do not coincide with your own.
4. You agree to inform yourself and question what you see and hear on the news. That goes for social media, too. You are intelligent and have free will. Please do your research before you make assumptions. I’m sorry, I know real issues exist, but this particular item is gasoline on an inferno. Blue Lives Murder T Shirt on Amazon . So every police officer is a murderer? I don’t think so. I’m using this one because it hits a bit close to home. I don’t know what you do for a living but think about possible stereotypes for your profession. Are they true for all who work in that field?
5. Honest questions are encouraged and even polite debate, but do not expect a conversion to your way of thinking. Oh, by the way, might be wise to leave the thesaurus at home. Sophisticated or uncommon words that are meant to demonstrate superior “intelligence” often do the opposite. More importantly, they do not foster amicable relations.
6. We all have trauma and scars from the past. Yes, even the rich and famous. So many things shape us into what we are today. I think it’s important to remember that we are all one footstep away from being someone else.

So, what is this club? Well, I guess I’ll call it, The Club of Humanity. The invitation has no expiry date. All that is required is to follow these simple rules and check any bitterness, anger, and prejudice at the door. If you’d like, I can leave a bin of glasses at the entrance to wear, so that members can see others through a new lens.

Thank you for reading this. I hope to see you there!