What Is AppalachianIrishman.com? Copilot Is Mainly Correct (published 7-5-2025, article #532)

2/3/2025 photograph by Saradasish Pradhan on Unsplash. Free to use under the Unsplash License.

 Introduction

What is this website, the Appalachian Irishman?

The masthead states, “This public journal and commentary by M. Fearghail started on 3/6/2006. As a Christian, I affirm the biblical worldview and the good in Appalachian-Irish heritage. Articles are archived chronologically by topic and by year and month. Have a cup of coffee and read for a while! My website is free—always. You're welcome to subscribe, contact me, and comment. My wife and I reside in northeast Tennessee. Under 'Authors,' our names include biographical introductions.”

That, however, is one man's opinion. Of course, that one man is me. On yet another hot and sunny summer day, I decided to ask one of those artificial intelligence (AI) platforms what my website is. By the way, I have heard about only three of the eight AI platforms shown in the above image. As a final aside, the conclusion will explain what the acronym AI actually means!

What Is AppalachianIrishman.com?

I know what my website is and its purpose. This website's purpose has expanded over the years. As an enduring legacy, I hope that this platform keeps my written thoughts alive long after I have gone heavenward. Perhaps a younger generational member of the Fearghail clan will maintain and even add to what I have started.

The Answer from Microsoft Copilot

Not wanting or needing to do anything in the hot and humid heat today, I decided instead to ask Microsoft Copilot, “What is AppalachianIrishman.com?”

The following is the answer that the artificial intelligence robot provided:

AppalachianIrishman.com

Overview

AppalachianIrishman.com is a public journal and commentary site created and maintained by M. Fearghail. Launched on March 6, 2006, it offers commentary rooted in a Christian, biblical worldview and celebrates the author’s Appalachian-Irish heritage. The site is maintained from northeast Tennessee by M. Fearghail and his wife.

Content and Features

• Chronological archives of articles dating back to 2006, organized by topic, year, and month.

• Core themes include Appalachian culture, faith, family, freedom, heritage, hiking, history, humor, mission work, politics, religion, and theology.

• Free to read and always ad-free, with options to subscribe, comment, or contact the author.

• Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

• An associated YouTube channel hosts “Appalachian Irishman” podcasts, launched in May 2022.

Community & Miscellany

• The blog frequently weaves personal narratives—family events, local hikes, cultural reflections—with broader reflections on current events and worldview.

• Readers are invited to interact through comments, email, and social sharing.

• A mirror of the blog exists on Blogspot for easier access and mobile-friendly viewing.

Whether you’re passionate about Appalachian life, exploring faith-based commentary, or simply enjoying down-home storytelling, AppalachianIrishman.com offers a rich trove of articles and podcasts from the foothills of Tennessee.

     Sources:
     www.appalachianirishman.com/
     https://www.youtube.com/@Appalachian-Irishman-Podcasts/ 
     https://sur.ly/i/appalachianirishman.blogspot.com/

Review of Microsoft Copilot's Answer

I do believe that Copilot, the complex source code created by intelligent humans, answered the question very well and explained my website accurately. I especially like the final sentence above. That's why I emboldened it.

Thanks, Copilot, for saying that my website “… offers a rich trove of articles and podcasts from the foothills of Tennessee.” I couldn't have said it better myself.

Of course, I wouldn't brag on myself in that manner. As my mother used to say, “Self-braggers are half scoundrels.” Have you ever heard that saying?

Conclusion

This 122nd entry in the Humor topic section is winding down. Now, just what does the acronym AI actually mean? Online, I searched Acronym Finder: AI to find 164 meanings that range from “Artificial Intelligence” to “Associated Investigator.”

Appalachian Irishman (AI) was not included in the list. It should be! The acronym AI can also mean Appalachian Irishman!

Going forward, dear reader, when you hear someone talking about AI, you may think about this website instead of artificial intelligence. If someone asks, “What does AI mean?” You may reply, “Appalachian Irishman.” That's what I do.

This website, however, is powered by real, human intellect, a gift and blessing from God, to whom I am everlastingly thankful!

That's all for now. I think that I will go outside into the low 90s degree Fahrenheit heat to see what Molly, our ten-year-old puppy, is doing. Perhaps I can roust her from her basement “condominium.”

My Medicare Started Today: Why Don't I Feel Different? (published 7-1-2025; article #531)

2/25/2025 photograph by Markus Winkler on Unsplash. Free to use under the Unsplash License.

Introduction

On July 30, 1965, when I was five, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the bill that launched the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs. Medicare turns 60 later this month. Similarly, and Lord willing, later this month, I will reach the so-called milestone age of 65. Why don't I feel different?

Welcome, dear reader, to the 111th entry in the Life (such as it is) topic section. On this rainy Monday afternoon, let's explore how my Medicare started today and why I don't feel any difference.

My Medicare Started Today.

Yes, it did. I will mention the onslaught of marketing mailings and how I was not confused.

Marketing Mailings

The first of 44 marketing mailings so far arrived last year on November 21st. Ironically, my paternal grandfather, Marion Ferrell (4/13/1880–11/21/1970), passed away on that day in 1970. Papaw Ferrell would have found humor in that coincidence.

The latest mailing arrived on Saturday, April 12, the day when the Jewish Passover began at sundown. I have been saving and clipping together these mailings. I predicted that I would receive at least 50. Unless more arrive, I missed my prediction by six mailings. I am not sad.

A whole bunch of Medicare marketers were after my money! I am sure that they just wanted to help me “make the right choice” of them.

Not Confused

During my employed years, I had no choice. Payments into the socialist Medicare system were deducted from my paychecks, or, as self-employed, I had to make those payments without any employee-matching payments.

Medicare Parts A (hospital coverage) and B (medical coverage) make up original Medicare. Initially, to fill the gaps in Medicare coverage, insurance companies started offering Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plans. The federal government started regulating these plans in 1980. Today, there are 10 Medigap options (Plans A-N with no E, H, I, or J). Depending on your age, you may not be eligible for some of them. Why were the letters E, H, I, and J skipped? Only your federal “guvrmint” knows!

In 2003, Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage Plans) rolled out. Three years later, Medicare Part D (prescription drug plans) came along.

In a nutshell, all the above are the As, Bs, Cs, and Ds of Medicare. Well, don't forget those A-N supplements (excluding E, H, I, and J)!

I was not confused by the socialist spiderweb maze called Medicare! When I was a life-health insurance agent, I genuinely helped seniors enroll in the best Medicare plan for them. After all, I am just an educated country boy.

Why Don't I Feel Different?

Well, I don't. On Thursday, March 20, this year, I received that coveted red, white, and blue Medicare card. Over time, I selected a Medicare Part C plan. That blue and white card arrived on Wednesday, May 21. The major medical insurance that I had ended yesterday.

Today, I have joined thousands of others whose Medicare coverage started today. Next month, the Medicare Part B premium will be deducted from my Social Security income. That's what Uncle Sam took from me during my employed years. He is paying me back now.

So, why don't I feel any different? I just don't. Of course, last evening, I took out my major medical insurance card from my billfold and replaced it with my Medicare Part C card.

My billfold doesn't feel different. I don't either. If the weather weren't so rainy, I would be doing something outdoors.

Conclusion

I am thankful to the Good Lord that I am still as fit as a rutting buck in my 20s. Of course, I eat right and get enough exercise. I am not taking any prescription medicine.

My days, however, are numbered. Job stated to God, “A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed” (Job 14:5, NIV). Temporal life is “... a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14, NIV).

Last month, our friends, Jay and Dorothy, lost Dorothy's 90-year-old mother. Our friend, Steve, lost his 82-year-old stepmother. Last Sunday, I found out that my buddy, Bill, lost his 90-year-old mother back in April.

Something will cause my temporal life to transition to everlasting life. I will live forever after I die physically. As such, I do not fear death. I await the transition from physical death to everlasting life in heaven.

Do you, dear reader, have that same assurance? If not, please reach out to me by using the Contact Form on this website. That will start a confidential email exchange.

Saturday, 6-21-2025: My Sister-in-Law's Birthday, a New Fly-Killing Record, and the USA Bombed Iran (published 6-23-2025; article #530)

6/22/2025, 1:59 PM, photograph by M. Fearghail of our Willert Home Products: Enoz Flyswatter (made in the Philippines)

Introduction

Greetings, dear reader. Last weekend's events were certainly interesting. Do you want to know more? I thought so!

As the 135th entry in the Family topic section, I begin with my wife's sister's birthday party on Saturday. Shifting gears to the 121st entry in the Humor topic section, I share our fly-killing war that started after the party and continued until early this morning. Finally, moving to the 73rd article in the Poly-ticks section, I mention the USA's bombing of Iran that happened late last Saturday evening.

My Wife's Sister's Birthday on Saturday

Last Saturday morning, I awakened at the unusual time of 5 AM, instead of just after 6 AM. Wondering why I was awake an hour early, I knew that my wife's sister's 61st birthday was that day. Before falling back to sleep, I said to myself, “Sabrina must have just now gone to bed.” Retired, she goes to bed about the time that my wife, even on summer break, wakes up. My wife hits the hay about 9 PM.

The birthday celebration started at 2:30 PM last Saturday. Seven family members and three guests, a mother and her two sons, legal immigrants from Guatemala, were in attendance. The boys, about ages five and six, provided ample entertainment. The three household cats found hiding places.

After the delicious home-cooked meal, my sister-in-law blew out seven candles on her choice birthday chocolate and peanut butter pie while we sang happy birthday to her. Seven years old was a stretch of the imagination! My wife's sister is not seven. I wished her a happy 41st birthday. Well, she looks to be about 41 years young. That means that her 37-year-old daughter is about 18.

Now, before I get into trouble, my wife looks to be about a year older than her sister, whose birthday was last Saturday. I hope that last sentence keeps me out of the doghouse!

New Fly-Killing Record!

Our fly-killing war lasted two full days, from last Saturday through yesterday, Sunday. It ended early this morning. The following is a record of each day. On Saturday, I broke my longstanding single-day record of total flies killed!

Saturday, June 21

Twenty-one flies killed in one day had been my record. Until last Saturday, that record stood for about 43 years. I set the record when I was roughly 22 and my youngest brother was around nine. At the homeplace on a warm summer day, we were in a fly-killing competition. I killed 21 flies. Close behind me, my brother killed a total in the upper teens.

Leaving for my sister-in-law's birthday party last Saturday, I saw four or five flies in the kitchen windows. I decided to kill them once I was back home. Arriving home about 30 minutes before my wife, I killed 15 flies! When she got back, my wife killed one. Before night fell, I found and killed 15 more pesky flies! My new record, set on Saturday, June 21, 2025, my sister-in-law's birthday, was 30 flies killed in a single day! That shattered my old record of 21. The total number of flies killed last Saturday was 31.

Sunday, June 22

Sunday, the next day, the fly-killing war continued. It started early in the morning and lasted until sunset, with breaks for worship, phone calls, and such.

As an aside, a dear friend, Dorothy, Jay's wife, turned another year older on Sunday. I won't give out her age, but I do understand that you can “get your kicks at age 66,” with an apology to the legacy of jazz musician Robert William Troup Jr., who composed the Route 66 song in 1946.

Focusing back on the flies, from where these flies come and how they get in, I do not know. Each window is down, sealed, and locked tightly. We quickly open and close entry doors. Recently, I inspected every air vent. On Sunday afternoon, I reinspected the ones in the kitchen, dining room, and entry hall. These flies usually congregate around the kitchen windows. We, however, have found them near the windows in the living room and dining room.

On Sunday, the number of flies killed totaled 50. My “long-suffering” wife killed 22, and I sent 28 to the grave (i.e., the trash can below the kitchen sink). That was a two-day total of 81 flies killed. I missed tying my record, set the previous day, of 30 flies killed in a single day by two flies.

Today, Monday, June 23

Early this morning, about 5:30 AM, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman found and killed two more flies that were hanging out on the television screen. Once I awakened just after 6 AM, she informed me. Until the publication of this article today, we have kept our eyes out for more flies, but we haven't seen any. Our fly-killing war is officially declared to be over! The grand total of flies killed was 83, 25 by my wife and 58 by me.

Our weapon of choice, in the above image, was our Willert Home Products: Enoz Flyswatter (made in the Philippines). The image below shows our handwritten tally of kills by date.

My new one-day record of flies killed does not come close to the online records of fly-killing professionals! Check out the following about a record from 1912: “The Canadian girl who killed over 500,000 flies,” Things That Talk, From the thing, Fly Swatter (undated). It states that in 1912 Beatrice White, a teenager, was Toronto’s champion flyswatter. She swatted and killed over a half-million flies in a citywide contest to stop the spread of disease. Further, a record from 1934 is found at “The Sultan of Swat,” Virginia Living, by Bland Crowder, 722/2009. It states, “Young E.T. Collier didn’t make Guinness [World Records], but he did make the papers in June 1934 when the Virginia Department of Health highlighted his impressive fly-swatting record in a news release designed to warn people about the hazards looming with summer housefly season.” Finally, I found, “There are no flies on her! Chinese pensioner who has spent eight hours a day, seven days a week for the past 14 years swatting bugs... and kills up to 1,000 a day.” Daily Mail, by Lizzie Edmonds, 4/27/2014. It tells about an 80-year-old Chinese woman who swatted and killed flies every day for 14 years.

My new one-day fly-killing record is 30. Can you imagine killing a thousand flies in a day?

As a political aside, a nation, to be a nation, must have secure borders. Otherwise, it is not a nation. Our house is secured against the elements and critters, both crawling and flying. We put down the recent fly invasion. Our house is secured again. Do you understand the political analogy?

The USA Bombed Iran Last Saturday Evening

It was Saturday evening, our time (EDST). In Tehran, Iran, it was after midnight on Sunday. The time zone difference is 7.5 hours. After last Saturday's birthday celebration for my sister-in-law and the fly killings, my worn-out wife sacked out at about 9 PM.

While channel surfing about thirty minutes later, I was surprised to find that President Trump had ordered an airstrike on targets in Iran. I listened to his brief televised statement at 10 PM. One of several sources is “US inserts itself into Israel’s war with Iran, striking 3 Iranian nuclear sites.” The Associated Press (AP), by Sam Mednick, Aamer Madhani, and David Rising, 6/22/2025.

The conclusion to my article last Friday includes the following:

The root to current national disunity and global conflicts is found in the great dragon, Satan. Nationally and globally, if everyone would turn to the Lord and follow the biblical worldview, the great dragon could no longer lead the world astray as he does now.

Then, I had no way of knowing what would happen the next evening. I have heard that a majority of the Iranian people disavow their national leadership. My sympathy extends to those people. I pray for peace between Israel and Iran, for peace in the Middle East, and for worldwide peace through the Prince of Peace.

Conclusion

Last Saturday, was it happenstance that my sister-in-law's birthday coincided with the beginning of our fly-killing war and the USA's bombing of Iran? I reckon so. It will be a birthday to remember.

Last weekend's events were indeed interesting. Thanks, dear reader, for dropping by to read about them.

By the way, as of the publication time today, we have not seen any more flies, except the two that my wife killed early this morning! Well, one fly did get in through the door to the garage when one of us opened it. That, however, counted as a routine fly killing, not part of the fly-killing war that ended early this morning.

The Rest of the Story: I Know How to Train My Dragon! (published 6-20-2025; article #529)

7/3/2024 photograph by Meg von Haartman on Unsplash. Free to use under the Unsplash License.

 Introduction

Inspired by the legendary Paul Harvey, you know the news. Now, it's time for the rest of the story. Welcome, dear reader, to the 134th entry in the Family topic section on the summer solstice.

First, we glimpse at and comment briefly on recent news. Quickly thereafter, we shift our focus to the rest of the story. I know how to train my dragon! I learned last Saturday, June 14th.

The above image looks a little like my dragon. Mine weighs about 60 pounds, has wings, and can fly. Believe it or not!

The News

Last Saturday, the 14th of June, was Flag Day. Also, the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army was celebrated on that day. Further, last Saturday happened to be the 79th birthday of President Donald Trump. Finally, organized and so-named “No Kings” protests and marches were held on that Saturday. One was held in Knoxville, Tennessee. Thankfully, we didn't see it.

In other news, arranged and recent protests and riots against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency seem to be winding down. Properly, ICE is arresting, detaining, prosecuting, and deporting illegal aliens. These illegals are known criminals, gang members, sex and drug traffickers, murderers, rapists, and such ilk. Last Friday, a dissent was held in Knoxville, Tennessee. One of my wife's first cousins attended. Why do liberals want to protect and keep these evil illegal aliens in this country? Their mindset makes no sense to anyone with common sense.

In ongoing war news, the Russia-Ukraine war (which started on 2/24/2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine) is continuing at its slow and destructive pace. The Israel-Hamas war (started when Hamas attacked Israel on 10/7/2023) seems to be doing the same. More recently, since last Friday, a missile war has erupted between Israel and Iran. Thankfully, antisemitic protests and riots seem to have died down, at least for a while. Can't Slavic brother nations learn to get along? Why can't Israel defeat Hamas, backed by Iran, and now Iran itself quickly? Total war, not a politically correct war, is the solution.

Further, in tariff news, President Trump seems to enjoy watching the stock market rise and fall, based on his hodgepodge, ever-changing decisions on tariffs. Mr. President, make deals with other nations that eliminate or reduce tariffs on U.S. exports. Incentivize national companies through tax breaks and such to start up production here to reduce imports from other nations. Your “this tariff, no that tariff” game that you are playing makes no sense.

Finally, in federal “money tree” spending news, President Trump's so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” plans to somehow reduce federal spending while raising the national debt. What? I have glanced at what I call the Big Behemoth Bill. Since the executive and legislative branches of the federal government are under Republican control, one would think that these so-called fiscal conservatives would find ways to shrink federal spending and keep it in line with federal income. It takes guts. Will they do it? When pigs fly backward, south for the winter.

That was a glimpse at and my brief commentary on the news. Now, it's time for the rest of the story!

The Rest of the Story

Do you have a dragon? Would you like to know how to train it? If so, the rest of the story is for you, dear reader. We begin with the preliminaries about the movie theater. Afterward, I will explain how I learned to train my dragon.

The Preliminaries

Our financial software record indicates that the last time that my wife and I saw a movie at a theater was on Saturday, July 7, 2012. Our niece, the daughter of my wife's sister, 24 at the time, attended with us. We saw The Amazing Spider-Man, another reboot of that series. As an aside, how many Spider-Man movies have there been? Research indicates three in the late 1970s and eight from 2002 through 2021. That's amazing, with an apology for the pun!

Last Saturday, who could get this Appalachian Irishman and his “long-suffering” wife to go see a movie at an overpriced multiplex theater in deep west Knoxville, especially when the showtime was at nine o'clock in the morning? Their just-turned 19-year-old niece, the eldest daughter of my youngest brother and his wife, could. That's who. Of course, her father, mother, and younger sister were also theatergoers.

Last Saturday morning, the weather seemed like a completely cloudy, very windy, and humid morning at a beach. Rain threatened but never fell. The afternoon became mostly sunny, hot, and still humid.

Bravely, my 2006 Frontier took us into deep west Knoxville, Tennessee. The Regal Pinnacle at Turkey Creek was the location. My youngest brother and family were already there when we arrived at about 8:55 AM. This was not like the now-demolished Roxy Theatre in my hometown! The Regal Pinnacle is a multiplex coliseum for movie connoisseurs. It is overpriced, but we can afford to go see a movie at a theater every ten or so years, if any new movies are worth watching. One ticket cost us only $12.99 plus sales tax. We bought two, of course. The price gouge came later at the concession stand.

Quickly rushing into the auditorium to find our family members, we sat down just in time for the start of How to Train Your Dragon (2025): The Live-Action Remake. The auditorium lights dimmed as we walked up to our seats.

But wait! We did not anticipate thirty minutes of commercials promoting other movies! My wife was thirsty and wanted lemonade, so I walked back down and out to the huge concession area. The congenial young man agreed with my idea that ham biscuits, hash browns, and coffee should be sold for 9 AM showtimes. The small lemonade in a large cup cost us $8.49 plus sales tax! Concession prices are still how movie theaters gouge you. Nothing has changed. By the way, if that was a small cup, a forklift must be needed to bring out a large cup!

How I Trained My Dragon

How to Train Your Dragon (2025) is not animated. Real actors and actresses play real roles. I don't think, however, that the dragons were real.

Believe it or not, my wife and I have a real dragon that can fly! A male, his name is Ralph. Ralph flew into our lives a few weeks ago. Molly, our “old puppy,” and Ralph the dragon like each other. They play together often. Ralph weighs only about 60 pounds, so he can't fly me into the air like the dragons in the movie did for their human riders. Ralph comes and goes as he pleases. We do not own him. At times, we see him flying around other houses in our small subdivision and above nearby wooded areas.

I have been trying to teach Ralph, at my command, how to shake wings (well, my hand with his wing), roll over, sit, stand, and hover in the air before me. Watching How to Train Your Dragon (2025) taught me how!

Training my dragon includes four easy steps. First, you have to feed your dragon ample quantities of fresh fish. (I have been doing quite a lot of fishing lately.) Also, you have to touch your dragon on the nose (like petting). Thirdly, find the scratchy spot just under your dragon's chin and scratch it until his hind legs start to shake. You are well on your way to training your dragon! Finally, sleep under your dragon's wing after he has made a circle in the yard for his bed at night. I did that a night or two. My wife, however, has put her foot down against doing that herself.

So, dear reader, that is your four-step solution for how to train your dragon! It has worked for me. Ralph the dragon, at my command, now shakes wings with me (again, my hand and his wing), rolls over, sits, stands, and hovers in the air in front of me. Neighbors are jealous. They want their own pet dragons to train.

Conclusion

The plot to the movie How to Train Your Dragon (2025) begins with the generational conflict between Vikings and dragons. The chief's son and a dragon, however, befriend each other. Eventually, the Vikings and dragons unite, and in an epic battle, they kill the extremely large and evil queen dragon that was forcing the legion of smaller dragons to attack the Vikings. Once the queen dragon was dead, the Vikings and the dragons lived together in harmony.

Revelation chapter 12 depicts conflict between the woman and the dragon. Without diving into the exegetical depth of the chapter, verses 7-9 unfold the war between Michael, the archangel, and the dragon. The great dragon, Satan, who “leads the whole world astray,” is defeated.

The root to current national disunity and global conflicts is found in the great dragon, Satan. Nationally and globally, if everyone would turn to the Lord and follow the biblical worldview, the great dragon could no longer lead the world astray as he does now.

As in How to Train Your Dragon (2025), once the great dragon is defeated, those who once followed him will be released to live in harmony with those who were never bound by the dragon's fearful control.

Thank you, niece, for inspiring this article! How to Train Your Dragon (2025), despite all the excessive action scenes, has a good and moral theme and outcome.

Belated Happy 17th Birthday, “Uncle” Skyler! (published 6-11-2025; article #528)

Introduction

Believe it or not, at the ripe young age of 64, I have an “uncle” who turned 17 years old last Tuesday. In reality, he is my great-nephew, and I am his great-uncle. Farther below, I explain why I call my great-nephew “uncle.”

Welcome, dear reader, to the 133rd entry in the Family topic section. My “uncle,” Skyler, and his immediate family live about 1.5 hours away. Unable to attend his 17th birthday party, I decided to record an audiovisual birthday present for Skyler. My wife and I last saw my “uncle” and other family members and friends last year on Saturday, June 15. The article from 6/20/2024 is about that enjoyable gathering.

My Birthday Gift to “Uncle” Skyler

Tuesday, 6/3/2025, photograph by Mrs. Appalachian Irishman.

Without further fanfare, Appalachian Irishman – Podcasts (YouTube) presents Belated Happy 17th Birthday, “Uncle” Skyler! (published 6-11-2025; episode 38)!

The episode, published today, was recorded live on “Uncle” Skyler's 17th birthday last Tuesday. With help from my “long-suffering” wife, I had just finished bracing down a section of deck board that had popped up again recently. While still standing on the stepladder, the thought occurred to me to ask my wife to record a clip. It was shared with my “uncle,” his mother, and other family members up in Kingsport.

Why do I call my great-nephew “uncle?” That burning question is now answered!

The television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994) includes the second episode in the fourth season, titled Family. It aired originally on Saturday, 9/29/1990, when my wife and I were living in Charleston, Missouri.

In that episode Captain Jean-Luc Picard's young nephew, René Picard, called Jean-Luc his uncle. Captain Picard replied by saying that René must be his nephew. In the episode, René Picard was portrayed as a congenial, well-mannered, and intelligent young man.

Several years ago, I was impressed with my great-nephew's gifts of intellect and congeniality. His mother was and is raising him as a well-mannered young man. That's why I started calling my great-nephew “uncle.” It is my way of complimenting him. Last year, at the previously stated gathering of family and friends, I explained this to my great-nephew, his mother, and grandfather (my brother).

Conclusion

So, once again, happy birthday greetings, “Uncle” Skyler! Your great-uncle and great-aunt, down the road a ways, wish you a wonderful 17th year of life and a life filled with happiness, adventure, and service to the Lord! We love you, and we hope to see you soon.

This article is also published in honor of Granny Ferrell, who passed away on this day in 1971. The following two selected articles include previous tributes to Granny Ferrell: The article from 6/13/2021 also mentions our niece at age 15. Later, the article from 11/30/2022 mentions my mother.

Warning! Pro Source Home Buyers Preys on the Gullible! (published 6-10-2025; article #527)

12/24/2019 photograph by Nelson Ndongala on Unsplash. Free to use under the Unsplash License.

Introduction

This Appalachian Irishman has gone from being annoyed to becoming aggravated by Pro Source Home Buyers. The barrage of radio commercials by Pat, who wants to buy your house, is annoying. His marketing mailings, however, which include disclaimed (fake) checks for low-ball monetary amounts for our house and property, are aggravating.

This 110th entry in the “life (such as it is)” topic section is a public service announcement (PSA) and warning to readers in Tennessee who live near Knoxville and Chattanooga and to perusers from South Carolina who live around Greenville and Columbia. Venditor caveat! Let the seller beware!

The second definition in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary for prey on/upon is “to hurt, cheat, or steal from (someone).” Further, it defines gullible as “easily duped or cheated.”

Despite their claims, upbeat commercials, endorsements, testimonials, and customer reviews, Pro Source Home Buyers makes money by trying to cheat an uninformed and gullible property owner into selling his or her home and land. The price offered is under the property's fair market value. Even worse, their cash offer can be lower than the appraised value of the property.

This article, a PSA and warning, offers proof. Again, let the seller beware!

Beware of Pro Source Home Buyers!

This section begins with general information. Importantly, it offers proof from my experience to beware of Pro Source Home Buyers.

General Information

Pro Source Home Buyers is just one of a multitude of cash buyer businesses out there. Unlike state-licensed real estate agents, who have a fiduciary responsibility to you and are bound by a code of ethics, cash buyers are not necessarily licensed and are not governed by an independent code of ethics.

Cash buyer businesses that offer quick purchases of properties for cash are also called house flippers. Their business model is to quickly buy properties in any condition at a low price. Houses may or may not be improved, before house flippers sell the property at a higher price.

Sellers who want to sell a property fast without using a real estate agent save time but lose money when selling to a cash buyer. If a seller doesn't mind losing a significant amount of money to save time, he or she may use a house flipper.

For further reading, one of several informative source articles is “Looking to Sell Your Home for Cash? Read This First.” ProPublica, by Byard Duncan and Anjeanette Damon, 5/17/2023.

My Experience with Pro Source Home Buyers

My experience began by being annoyed with the onslaught of radio commercials from Pro Source Home Buyers. They start out, “Hi. I'm Pat, from Pro Source Home Buyers, and I buy houses for cash.” Quickly, I change stations or turn off the radio. I hope advertising managers with local radio stations read this article.

The first marketing mailing from this cash buyer arrived on Monday, February 10. The mailing included a disclaimed (fake) check as an offer to buy our property. Coincidentally, that Monday was the same day that my father-in-law was discharged home from his second hospitalization. The article from 2/13/2025 is about his two hospitalizations.

Knowing both the current market value and the appraised value of our house and land, I quickly calculated that Pat's low-ball offer was 23.95 percent lower than the current market value of our property. His offer was 7.7 percent higher than the appraised value, which is lower than the current market value.

A couple of days later, I decided to speak with this cash buyer and ask him to remove my name and address from his mailing list. I had two phone numbers from the mailing and the website. My call to each number indicated that both lines were not in service. Later that day, I decided to email the company. My email included the following: “As an educated home and property owner, I know that the postal mail offer is lowballing us.... This email, therefore, requests and requires that you remove my contact and property information from your databases and that you stop the marketing mailings. You are only wasting the price of postage and filling up the paper recycling bin.” I did not receive a reply to that email.

The second marketing letter from Pro Source Home Buyers showed up on Thursday, June 5, the day before D-Day. This time, Pat's fake check offered $38,145 less than the amount he offered in February! I was amazed! Again, I quickly calculated that Pat's even lower-ball offer was 34.85 percent less than our property's current market value. Further, his laughable offer was 7.7 percent less than the lower appraised value of our property!

This bottom-feeding house-flipping business is preying on gullible property owners. It is offering cash that is roughly 25 to 35 percent less than fair market value. Shockingly, their cash offer could be less than the lower appraised value.

Conclusion

You may want to sell a property, especially if it needs improvements, fast, knowing that you will receive much less than the current market value or even less than the appraised value. If so, Pro Source Home Buyers is one of many cash buyer options. Similar businesses post fliers on telephone poles and at intersections, which may not be legal.

As an educated home and property owner, I will not be fleeced by Pro Source Home Buyers or by any bottom-feeding cash buyer business. I know the appraised value of our home and property, and I am aware of its higher current market value.

A property owner in Tennessee can find his or her property's appraised value by searching online at Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury: Tennessee Property Assessment Data: Property Search. Property data for 86 of the state's 95 counties are available, with external links to the other nine counties. Remember that the appraised value is for property tax purposes. An appraised value is often much lower than the current market value.

Online, the current market value of a property can be found on various websites. Recently, I have used Bankrate: Real Estate: How much is my house worth? and Chase: Home Value Estimator. Searching multiple sites results in values that are similar but not the same. I determine the current market value of our property by averaging the values that I find online.

Beware of Pro Source Home Buyers and their deceptive marketing. This is private property. Stay off!

Venditor caveat! Let the seller beware!

House Mountain Hike #201, 5-22-2025: Sun, Wind, Water, Mud, and Fun! (published 5-24-2025; article #526)

Introduction

It had been 59 days since my milestone 200th hike on House Mountain. The article from 3/26/2025 was published three days after that hike.

What kept me out of the woods so long? Well, as the 4/9/2025 article recounts, our house got a new roof on “Liberation Day.” Further, my wife's middle sister was taxed with outpatient knee surgery on tax day, 4/15/2025. I enjoyed taking my sister-in-law to seven outpatient physical therapy appointments from April 21 to May 12. Her daughter took her to the other appointments. She had improved well enough to start driving herself on May 14th. Finally, we have had plenty of rain. I would rather not hike in the rain or mud.

Welcome, dear hiking enthusiast, to the 79th entry in the hiking topic section! Three days ago, the weather had finally cooled off and cleared out. The rainy pattern was behind us. I started to feel the hiking itch. Two days ago, I scratched that itch!

Last Thursday, chores around the house delayed my hike until the afternoon. Come hike along with me virtually as we trek up the west trail, spend time at the west bluff, and hike back down the same trail. My embedded audiovisual recording is from the west bluff. It features the refreshing breeze that was blowing from the northwest.

A high-pressure system was bringing cooler weather and that peaceful breeze. The mostly sunny sky was a crisp blue. The temperature was in the upper 70s Fahrenheit. I sweated enough hiking up, but the cool breeze evaporated the sweat.

Hiking Up the West Trail

Only four other vehicles were present, when my 2006 Frontier and I arrived at the main parking lot. Touching the marker near the enclosed picnic area at 2:00 PM on the dot started my hike.

I didn't take any photographs during my hike up the west trail. Just past the trailhead, only one group of three hikers and their dogs passed me on their way out. I enjoyed the solitude of the forest.

The water runoff and mud from last Tuesday's storms were not as bad as I thought they would be in the usual low-lying areas. The stepping stones before the wooden bridge kept my shoes dry. (A photograph of that water runoff area is in the hiking down-and-out section that follows.) I navigated up the four lower switchbacks easily. I noticed a small tree near a rock outcropping that had fallen. It had come in handy to grasp for balance during many previous hikes. Perhaps it will grow back.

At 2:19 PM, slowed only by mud and water runoff, I started up the six upper switchbacks. The spring foliage was certainly thick. Poison oak is plentiful along the trail. Recognize it and don't touch it! (A photograph of a section of poison oak is included farther below.)

Nine minutes later, I reached the final or sixth upper switchback. It took me only twelve more minutes to hike the trail heading west below the ridgeline. I still enjoy the challenge of moving on hands and feet up two steep rock formations and touching the “defiant tree,” which juts out between a rock outcropping.

At 2:40 PM, I touched the rock at the west bluff to mark my time. Again, the wet and muddy areas slowed my ascent by a few minutes. In “pre-bionic” hikes, I could have made the wet and muddy hike up in about thirty minutes, not forty. I still challenge myself to do better!

By the way, don't take chewing gum from your mouth and place it into the change pocket in your blue jeans! It sticks in there, and you will have a hard time pulling and digging it out! (I talk about doing this in the upcoming embedded audiovisual episode.)

At the West Bluff

Hiking up to the west bluff from the southwest, the mountain had blocked the crisp wind from refreshing me. Once I reached the west bluff, the brisk and cool wind from the northwest cooled, calmed, and relieved me of sweat! I enjoyed the moment.

The following photograph, taken at 2:49 PM, faces west and shows the two trail signs. The west bluff is visible in the background.

Where is the sound of the refreshing breeze?

It's on today's installment of Appalachian Irishman – Podcasts (YouTube)! The episode is House Mountain Hike 201, 5-22-2025: Sun, Wind, Water, Mud, and Fun! (pub. 5-24-2025; episode 37). Listen to that wind!

Ah! Didn't the sound of that cool breeze relax and refresh you? It did for me two days ago. By the Lord's grace, live the dream! Just don't stick chewed chewing gum into the change pocket of your blue jeans!

Hiking Down-and-Out the West Trail

A young couple, hiking from east to west across the ridge trail, joined me at the west bluff. We exchanged greetings, and I decided to start hiking back down and out on the same west trail. I chose to give the young couple some time alone. At 2:57 PM, I started hiking down and out.

By 3:21 PM, I had trekked down to the middle or third upper switchback and taken the following photograph.

The view looks down and to the southwest. Can you spot the poison oak? It has five elongated leaves, with the longer three pointing closest to the ground. This poisonous plant is also called the Virginia creeper. Around these parts, however, we call it poison oak.

If I had a dollar for every poison oak plant that I saw along the trail, I would be a millionaire! Just don't touch it, unless you know that you are not allergic to it. My wife's middle sister is so allergic to it that, if she even looks at it, she starts itching!

I photographed the following at 3:29 PM. I had already descended to the low-lying area before the four lower switchbacks.

The image does not show as well the mountain stream runoff that I saw clearly. Stepping along the rocks carefully kept my trusty hiking shoes dry.

Farther down, after the four lower switchbacks, I paused at a mountain stream to soak the soles of my hiking shoes in the clear-flowing water. That removed a lot of trail dust and mud.

Nearing the end of my hike, I photographed the “little lake,” as I call it, at 3:47 PM.

The view looks southeast. Dry ground was to the right of the image. I went that way to avoid the standing water and mud in the foreground. Just beyond the single tree standing in the center of the image, I avoided the rest of the water and mud by stepping across the rocks in the distant left of the image. Balance and careful foot placement kept my shoes dry again. Over the years, I have learned not to step on certain rocks, because they will roll under your step!

Conclusion

At 3:52 PM, I touched the marker near the covered picnic area to mark the end of my hike. I enjoyed an hour and 52 minutes in the woods.

I found a twig, sat on the short wall that surrounds the picnic area, and picked out mud from the soles of my hiking shoes. A man, about my age or younger, was starting his hike. He paused and looked at me, as if wondering what I was doing. I told him that I was picking out mud. Silently, he went on his way.

Eleven other vehicles were in that main parking lot. The following photograph shows my 2006 Frontier and the park sign.

My truck wanted me to photograph him today. He asked me. What? Don't you talk with your vehicle?

By the way, how can a park open and close, when there are no gates to close and lock at the entrance and exit? I have hiked out in the dark, after sunset, a few times over the years. For instance, the article from 10/24/2010 is about my hike on Saturday, 10/16/2010. It includes seven sunset photographs and mentions my hike down and out in the darkness. Of course, I do not recommend hiking before sunrise or after sunset, unless you are an experienced hiker and have a good flashlight.

My 201st hike on House Mountain involved sun, wind, water, mud, and fun! Toss in a sufficient amount of sweat. Flying critters didn't buzz around me too much. Only a few other hikers and I exchanged brief greetings as we passed each other. Mostly, I had the woods to myself. Remember, a day, or a part of a day at least, in the woods is better than not having been there!

Also, don't forget to check for ticks after hiking during tick season! Once home and before peeling 'taters (mentioned in my audiovisual episode above), I checked and found no ticks on me.

Earthquake Rattles the East Tennessee Region on Saturday, 5-10-2025 (published 5-13-2025; article #525)

Doha, Qatar, 8/26/2022, photograph by Murewa Saibu on Unsplash. Free to use under the Unsplash License.

 Introduction

The seismic fissures on the structure in the above image were from a few years ago in Doha, Qatar. Three days ago, however, our house shook but sustained no damage. The earthquake at 9:04 AM on Saturday, May 10, 2025, was one to remember!

Welcome, dear reader, to the 35th article in the Appalachia—Northeast Tennessee topic section. If you live in the region, or even in the Carolinas, Georgia, or Kentucky, you may have felt the tremors. It was a literal seismic shift that lasted a few seconds.

The Earthquake

Three mornings ago, the weather outside was mostly cloudy and seasonably cool. Indoors, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman was sitting on a sofa in the living room, watching a television show that only a woman could enjoy. I was sitting at my home office desk, reading an article online.

The time was 9:04 AM. At first, it sounded and felt like a heavy train coming down the railroad track. The track runs parallel near the back of our property. Trains run infrequently.

That was no train! Looking out my office windows, it seemed as if the ground was vibrating. Our ten-year-old “puppy,” Molly, however, was sitting in the driveway normally, apparently unaware of any movement beneath her. Our house must have been shaking slightly. It was disorienting. Glass cups placed closely together in a kitchen cabinet began to rattle. The rather disturbing sensation lasted only a few seconds.

A few minutes after the shaking stopped, a next-door neighbor called to ask if we had felt an earthquake. My wife, who answered, told him yes. Indoors, he said that he had felt it. He said that his wife, who was in the basement at the time, didn't feel anything. He had already called his father, who lives a couple of miles away. His father, outside at the time, said that he didn't feel anything. I heard about people, driving at the moment the earth shook, who didn't feel the earthquake.

Evidently, to feel the earthquake, you had to have been indoors, not in a basement, outside, or driving.

One of several articles about the earthquake is “A Tennessee earthquake rattles homes as far away as Atlanta with 4.1 magnitude,” Associated Press (AP), by Ben Finley and Bill Cormier, 5/10/2025. The federal government account with plenty of details is at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): M 4.1 - 21 km SE of Greenback, Tennessee: 2025-05-10 13:04:20 (UTC).

Conclusion

My wife and I lived in Charleston, Missouri, from 1986 to 1992. We remember the earthquake that shook the ground there in the late 1980s or early 1990s. Looking out a window, I saw the front porch metal rail and posts shaking. Coming down a set of stairs at another location, my wife felt the staircase shake. The earthquake last Saturday was also one to remember.

In the New Testament, the inspired record of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is in Matthew, chapters 5-7. Jesus concluded his sermon in Matthew 7:24-27. The spiritually wise who hear the words of the Lord are like a man who built his house on the rock. Strong rainstorms and wind batter the house, but it will not fall, since its foundation is on the rock.

Last Saturday, our physical house shook but received no damage. Our spiritual house, however, did not shake, for it is built on the Solid Rock, Christ Jesus! See Matthew 7:24-27, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 (especially verse 4), and 1 Peter 2:1-10 (particularly verses 4-5).

Dear reader, if your spiritual house is shaken by not having its foundation in Christ, and if you would like to communicate privately, please use the “Contact Form” on this website to email me. That will start our confidential dialogue. My purpose is to help those who need to find firm footing on the Solid Rock.