We never answer our telephone.
If you call us, expect to suffer through directions given by our answering machine about how to leave your message. We have been screening our calls this way since Big Bubba was a pup, and he's now 26. We tired long ago of saying NO! to telemarketers, and the proof is in the pudding...
Now most of the time the phone rings the caller hangs up as soon as the message starts playing.
When the phone rings at 3 A.M., there is little chance it will bring good news. Seems to me most calls at that hour fall into three categories-
It's a wrong number.
It's a drunk friend wanting to irritate you... (successfully)!
Someone in your life is hurting, or worse.
The phone rang in the wee hours and I was glad the machine was there to give us time to clear our heads...
"Leave us a message at the tone and we'll return your call as soon as possible. Beeeeep."
And I nearly sat bolt upright in bed when the first thing I heard was the sound of another beep...
The beep you hear on the phone when the call is being recorded.
"This is Trooper ******* with the State Police. Your mail carrier suggested I call you. "
I picked up the phone and sleepily said "This is Greybeard."
"Your neighbor, Doug ********* was killed on his way to work this morning and we have been trying to contact his wife, unsuccessfully. Do you have any idea how we can contact her?"
Oh my.
It's the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Doug and Cheryl have just had a baby and she had to take a part-time job at Wal-Mart.
"I think Cheryl may be working at Wal-Mart, putting out merchandise for Christmas sales."
"Can you accompany the Trooper to give her this news?"
My head says "NO, NO, NO... I don't want to do this."
But I know I must.
"Send the Trooper to pick me up. Call the manager at the Wal-Mart to let them know what is going on and to watch for us at the front door. I'll accompany the officer, but I won't give Cheryl this news... that'll be up to the Trooper."
The Trooper is a female and that is somehow comforting. We arrive at the store and find the manager at the door to give us entry. I ask about Cheryl's location and as the manager points in her direction I see Cheryl look up at the Trooper and me from a distance of 50 feet or so.
Like the 3 A.M. phone call, she knows no good can be coming her way, and before we reach her she slumps to the floor, sobbing.
Doug worked as a Guard at one of our State Correctional facilities. In the early hours he apparently fell asleep at the wheel and hit an abutment at highway speed. He was killed instantly.
Adding insult to injury, his wallet and watch were stolen before first responders arrived. So their jobs were made more difficult, trying to insure which next of kin to notify.
Who would do such a thing? Wouldn't you love to catch someone in the act of robbing a corpse?
Where's my Tazer?
10 July 2009
09 July 2009
Beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep!
Note to my fellow employee:
Your popcorn may actually be done before the smoke alarm sounds!
08 July 2009
Yes, It's Still The Economy, Stupid!
Every objective study I have seen has come to the conclusion the economy would now be in better shape had Bozama done nothing.
Please, Mr. President(?)...
DO NOTHING!
07 July 2009
F.O.D.
"F.O.D." stands for "Foreign Object Damage".
You may have seen videos of Sailors lined up shoulder to shoulder walking the deck of an aircraft carrier, searching for the tiniest scrap of F.O.D.
Although the typical flight line is too large to do that, Soldiers and Marines are constantly on the lookout for F.O.D. and are reminded that the tiniest scrap of metal can result in expensive and disastrous results on aircraft, and sometimes cause loss of life or limb.
Want to see F.O.D. in action? Take a look...
You may have seen videos of Sailors lined up shoulder to shoulder walking the deck of an aircraft carrier, searching for the tiniest scrap of F.O.D.
Although the typical flight line is too large to do that, Soldiers and Marines are constantly on the lookout for F.O.D. and are reminded that the tiniest scrap of metal can result in expensive and disastrous results on aircraft, and sometimes cause loss of life or limb.
Want to see F.O.D. in action? Take a look...
05 July 2009
Hopeless Change
I've tried.And I mean, REALLY tried.
But I failed.
I've been going to a Liberal Blogger's site frequently, reading and trying to see through her eyes. And in spite of the fact that I am confused, disgusted, and mostly angered by what I read there I have soldiered on, trying to get a glimpse of how "the other side" thinks.
It's impossible.
Black is white.
Day is night.
There is a "Bizzaro World" answer for any argument you present and the problem is, those on the left truly believe what they are saying.
I can't take it anymore. The contortions it takes to try to understand that kind of thought are just too fatiguing.
But ya know what troubles me most?
Rewarding failure...
Rewarding the negative.
I'm beginning to think we're irreconcilable, left and right.
And I'm amazed when I know they cannot do without us, those of us who are right, and they don't even realize it.
Where will the money they want to "spread around" come from if we decide we can't take this anymore? If we dig in our heels and say "ABSOLUTELY NO MORE!", who will pay Peggy Joseph's mortgage? Who'll put gasoline in her car's tank? Who will feed her children?
For what it's worth, liberals, this is the only way you survive the coming chaos:
Come to the realization that drug and alcohol detoxification programs work for one reason-
They force those with a problem to see it for what it is, and remove them from the source of their problem. They separate addicts from co-dependents.
They quit rewarding bad behavior.
Can we as a country do that?
I've tried logic. I've tried historical references. So far, nothing has worked, so I'm fearful for our future.
And I'm sorry to say, more and more I'm planning for a catastrophe.
01 July 2009
30 June 2009
Save The Polar Bears!
Those poor creatures!
Stranded. Starving. Helpless.
We've GOT to do SOMETHING!
So world experts decided to have a meeting and discuss the course to be taken to save these magnificent animals. That meeting will take place this week in Copenhagen. Dr. Mitchell Taylor, who has studied the animals in Canada and the Arctic for 30 years, planned to attend and share his expertise. But he has been denied a seat at the meeting...
It was decided his expert testimony would be "unhelpful".
Sorta makes ya wonder, doesn't it?
In the meantime, an investigation has been launched into the suppression of an EPA report suggesting that information on global warming is out of date and erroneous.
What's goin' on here?
Facts? We already have our minds made up...
WE DON'T NEED NO STINKING FACTS!
29 June 2009
Colonel Ken Reusser
Shot down in World War II.
Shot down in Korea.
Shot down in Viet Nam.
Used the propeller on his Corsair to destroy an enemy aircraft after his guns jammed.
Rest in peace Colonel Reusser, and thank you.
Shot down in Korea.
Shot down in Viet Nam.
Used the propeller on his Corsair to destroy an enemy aircraft after his guns jammed.
Rest in peace Colonel Reusser, and thank you.
Cabela's Update:
Yesterday I received this note via email:
Thank you for your recent order. We appreciate your shopping at Cabela's and hope that you had an enjoyable shopping experience.
I probably would not call it that...
"Interesting" would be a more appropriate term. But all-in-all I think Cabela's probably handled this situation fairly well, and I'll certainly consider ordering from them in the future.
I'll be making shooty noises in a day or two!
Thank you for your recent order. We appreciate your shopping at Cabela's and hope that you had an enjoyable shopping experience.
Products Ordered
- 1 of 21-6948 REMINGTON 30 CARBINE 110GR MC AMMO W/DRY BOX 30CARB 110GR MC1000B
- Shipped-06/26/09
I probably would not call it that...
"Interesting" would be a more appropriate term. But all-in-all I think Cabela's probably handled this situation fairly well, and I'll certainly consider ordering from them in the future.
I'll be making shooty noises in a day or two!
28 June 2009
Let The Moonwalking Begin
Beyond saying I'm saddened by his death I won't comment on the passing of Michael Jackson. But I'll now make a prediction:
When Elvis died, his estate experienced a windfall. Record sales rocketed. People lined up outside Graceland with fists-full of dollars. Elvis impersonators came out of the woodwork.
I suspect many young men are practicing the moonwalk today.
When Elvis died, his estate experienced a windfall. Record sales rocketed. People lined up outside Graceland with fists-full of dollars. Elvis impersonators came out of the woodwork.
I suspect many young men are practicing the moonwalk today.
27 June 2009
Charles Durning
Let's start with a great one, huh?
He has made the statement that great acting comes from listening.
I think one of the all-time greatest pieces of acting I ever saw was when this man didn't utter a word-
The scene is in "Tootsie", and Dustin Hoffman enters the bar where Durning sees him not "in drag" for the first time. The Charles Durning character, who has been a little sweet on "Tootsie", slowly comes to the realization that Hoffman is Tootsie, and that realization is told through Durning's facial expression. It truly is worth the cost of the rental to see these few seconds of the film!
Thanks to Camerapilot's recommendation I did a little research on this hero.
He's nearly unbelieveable...
Drafted at 21, in less than six months he finds himself in the first wave to hit Omaha Beach at Normandy. Surviving that assault, he's injured and hospitalized a few days later but recovers quickly and is released once again for duty, just in time for the "Battle of the Bulge"! There he is captured by the Germans and is one of the hundreds of captured G.I.'s forced out of trucks into an open field at Malmedy by the SS to be massacred by machine-gun. Durning is one of a handful that escapes successfully.
He is the recipient of the Silver Star and 3 Purple Hearts.
It is understatement to say I am awestruck.
You can read more about Charles Durning here and here.
22 June 2009
Camerapilot Comments
Friend "Camerapilot comments at my post "The List":
GB,
I have an idea I want to throw your way......
How about having a list of actors and directors that have served their country and held firm in their beliefs of the American way.
The list is long.
Thanks Jesse for your interest, and thanks for being one of the few to leave your thoughts now and then. I know your comment above to be true...
We've all seen the tributes to folks like Charles Durning, Don Adams, and other heroes now making their living in Hollywood.
My initial thought is not to start a list of non-traitorous Hollywood types, but to honor folks individually who have worked to keep us free and free the oppressed of the world. Reiterating, my post "The List" was to help others see the names of those folks aiding our enemies and helping them to kill our brave troops.
So for right now, there'll be no "Heroes of Hollywood" list. But I'll certainly consider highlighting those who have served so that the Hollywood idiots on "The List" can rub elbows with murderers and dictators.
GB,
I have an idea I want to throw your way......
How about having a list of actors and directors that have served their country and held firm in their beliefs of the American way.
The list is long.
Thanks Jesse for your interest, and thanks for being one of the few to leave your thoughts now and then. I know your comment above to be true...
We've all seen the tributes to folks like Charles Durning, Don Adams, and other heroes now making their living in Hollywood.
My initial thought is not to start a list of non-traitorous Hollywood types, but to honor folks individually who have worked to keep us free and free the oppressed of the world. Reiterating, my post "The List" was to help others see the names of those folks aiding our enemies and helping them to kill our brave troops.
So for right now, there'll be no "Heroes of Hollywood" list. But I'll certainly consider highlighting those who have served so that the Hollywood idiots on "The List" can rub elbows with murderers and dictators.
21 June 2009
Super Glue
After years of exhaustive study and consulting with other users
I have determined something with certainty-
If you want to glue fingers together, cyanoacrylate is your glue. For all other purposes it pretty much stinks. I just tried, for the fourth time, to re-attach my rear-view mirror with no success.
During the process I almost glued my index finger to my thumb.
Frustrating stuff.
I have determined something with certainty-
If you want to glue fingers together, cyanoacrylate is your glue. For all other purposes it pretty much stinks. I just tried, for the fourth time, to re-attach my rear-view mirror with no success.
During the process I almost glued my index finger to my thumb.
Frustrating stuff.
20 June 2009
Band Of Brothers
We're watching "Band Of Brothers" on "The History Channel". I've never seen the mini-series in its entirety, but it's obviously a quality piece, attempting to tell the story as true-to-life as possible.
One of the troops on the show is complaining about jumping out of an airplane while carrying his own weight in gear.
You may remember a few months ago I bought a weight vest to wear on our walks. It weighs 20 lbs., and Sara Jean has trouble lifting it. Finished with our 2-mile walk, I can definitely tell I've had a workout.
Our troops in Iraq patrol with some 70 pounds of water, weapon, and ammo, and they do this when the temperature is 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Most folks these days can't carry their own weight on a 2-mile walk.
Our troops do it as a matter of course, knowing they may be fired upon.
God Bless them all.
The History Channel is running "Band Of Brothers" again tomorrow (Sunday), starting at 12:15 Eastern.
My Tivo is set... how 'bout yours?
One of the troops on the show is complaining about jumping out of an airplane while carrying his own weight in gear.
You may remember a few months ago I bought a weight vest to wear on our walks. It weighs 20 lbs., and Sara Jean has trouble lifting it. Finished with our 2-mile walk, I can definitely tell I've had a workout.
Our troops in Iraq patrol with some 70 pounds of water, weapon, and ammo, and they do this when the temperature is 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Most folks these days can't carry their own weight on a 2-mile walk.
Our troops do it as a matter of course, knowing they may be fired upon.
God Bless them all.
The History Channel is running "Band Of Brothers" again tomorrow (Sunday), starting at 12:15 Eastern.
My Tivo is set... how 'bout yours?
19 June 2009
Perpetuum Jazzile
Slovenian.
And no, I never heard of 'em before either.
But I'll be watchin' for other stuff from 'em in the future.
I love this song. I bet you do too...
Volume up!
Hat tip- Boortz
And no, I never heard of 'em before either.
But I'll be watchin' for other stuff from 'em in the future.
I love this song. I bet you do too...
Volume up!
Hat tip- Boortz
17 June 2009
Pounding The Road, South
(Wherein I find I am much more comfortable with "Bible clinging, gun toting, Nascar fanatic Bubbas than I am with 'intellectual liberals'".)
Little sister had busted her butt trying to make it as convenient for me as possible. She actually asked what dates were best for me, then told everyone else when to show up. How can ya not love that? But my work schedule is still inhuman, and to attend meant getting off work one day, packing for the long drive that night, then getting up early enough the next morning to arrive at the site before dark.
The plan worked fine until it didn't.
I got up early, well rested. I decided to make an adventure of it, so I plugged the destination address into "Carmen the Garmin" and let her take me along the route she thought most efficient. The path Carmen chose was interesting...
About an hour from home she had me on roads I had never driven. But her chosen route was gonna avoid major cities and therefore shield me from Friday afternoon-evening traffic jams. Good for Carmen!
A little Interstate driving, then she turned me onto a U.S. Highway... not limited access, but two lanes on one side with a median dividing two lanes goin' the other way. Traffic is light most of the way... nonexistent at other times. Other than a stop light once every two or three hours, this is far preferable to bein' trapped in a slowly moving parking lot on an Interstate.
Five hours into the drive I'm in the deep South. It's 94 degrees outside and the humidity is high enough that just conversing at the gas pumps is enough exercise to start a trickle of water flowing down your backbone into your butt crack. Sara Jean has allowed me to drive her car on this trip because hers is the only car with functioning A/C and we expected these temps/humidity. The A/C sputters and quits.
"The best laid plans..."
I smirk at my bad fortune and roll the windows down. Oh well, soon the sun will be gone and the temps will be bearable.
I press on. The drive is easy because roads are good and traffic remains light. Half an hour later my eye is drawn to a red warning light in the center of the dash...
It's the battery discharge warning. We've had a lot of trouble with batteries in this car so I'm frustrated but not surprised to see this light. I start thinking about how I'll find my way to Wally World tomorrow to have this battery replaced- again. After a few minutes I notice something else... the car is harder to steer.
Uh-oh. Now, finally the equation is plain... 2+2=4. Air conditioning, power steering, battery discharging... the common thread is that all are run by belts attached to the engine's crankshaft. I've got belt problems. I'm an idiot. These belts are original equipment on this car with 133,000 miles on it. I should have replaced them long ago.
Now my mind races, considering my options. It's Friday evening. I'm 90 minutes from my destination and I have to turn my lights on. If I completely discharge the battery the engine will die and I'll be stuck wherever that happens. I've got to have new belts installed to continue. Where to do that?
In a tiny South Alabama town I stop for gas, lift the hood and confirm both belts are in pieces in my engine compartment. Bubba comes up in his pickup truck with his date sitting alongside and asks about my problem. When I tell him I'm 90 minutes from a family reunion he says, "Buy me a tank of gas and I'll drive you there." I'm amazed... he just offered to drive for three hours and cancel whatever plans he and his lady had for the evening! I thank him and decline his offer.
I go back and ask the station attendent if there is an auto parts store nearby and am directed to an "AutoZone" store just down the street. Perfect! I like AutoZone-
I can buy the belts and they'll loan me tools to install the belts there.
I pull into the AutoZone parking lot 15 minutes after they have closed. I know I can't go on, so I go back to the gas station and get directions to both motels in town, aware that at any point the battery may discharge completely. It's dark and I'm having to use my headlights. Both motels are displaying "no vacancy" signs. I cross my fingers, and the car starts again. I drive back to the AutoZone, roll the windows down, recline the seat, and shut the engine down for the evening. It's 9 P.M. and the store opens at 8 A.M..
It's clear so the night cools quickly. I fully expect the local constabulary to stop by in the wee hours to find out what the heck I'm doin' sitting in front of this store, but she/he's too busy...
I watch as she/he chases down a speeder and issues a ticket. Later I hear her/him zoom by with lights and siren, only to watch an ambulance follow 15 minutes later.
I wake at 6 A.M. feeling surprisingly rested, considering. I pour the last cup of coffee, now tepid, from my thermos. It's far better than nuthin'. The AutoZone manager shows up at 7 A.M., opens the door, then locks it behind him. I get out to stretch my legs, sipping my coffee, and he comes to the door and says "How can I help you?" When I explain my dilemma he opens early, sells me the belts, and hands me the tool I need to put them on.
Hood up again, I'm already sweating in the heat even though it's not yet 8 in the morning. I'm out of my league with this repair... the space available to install the belts is minimal, and I don't know how to adjust the idlers/tensioners to loosen them enough to fit the belts, then re-tighten them. A young black man walks up and asks about my problem and I tell him. He says, "Lemme help you." He quickly realizes he needs another wrench and obviously the store manager knows him 'cause he comes back out with wrench in hand. In 20 minutes my belts are installed properly. I pay him for his work and I'm on my way. The Air Conditioner blows cold air. The power steering works. The battery discharge light is gone. It's a beautiful day and I'm on my way to hug friends and loved ones.
This story will surprise only those that have never spent time in the South. I've experienced similar scenarios several times in my life. It's part of the reason I love the South and those that live there.
Can you imagine how this story would have unfolded in Chicago?
Differently, I think we'd all agree.
One quick observation that puzzled me:
I had occasion to drive through the tunnel that goes beneath Mobile Bay on I-10 this trip. Carmen continued to track my progress even when I was in the center of the tunnel, probably more than a hundred feet underground/water.
How'd she do that?
Little sister had busted her butt trying to make it as convenient for me as possible. She actually asked what dates were best for me, then told everyone else when to show up. How can ya not love that? But my work schedule is still inhuman, and to attend meant getting off work one day, packing for the long drive that night, then getting up early enough the next morning to arrive at the site before dark.
The plan worked fine until it didn't.
I got up early, well rested. I decided to make an adventure of it, so I plugged the destination address into "Carmen the Garmin" and let her take me along the route she thought most efficient. The path Carmen chose was interesting...
About an hour from home she had me on roads I had never driven. But her chosen route was gonna avoid major cities and therefore shield me from Friday afternoon-evening traffic jams. Good for Carmen!
A little Interstate driving, then she turned me onto a U.S. Highway... not limited access, but two lanes on one side with a median dividing two lanes goin' the other way. Traffic is light most of the way... nonexistent at other times. Other than a stop light once every two or three hours, this is far preferable to bein' trapped in a slowly moving parking lot on an Interstate.
Five hours into the drive I'm in the deep South. It's 94 degrees outside and the humidity is high enough that just conversing at the gas pumps is enough exercise to start a trickle of water flowing down your backbone into your butt crack. Sara Jean has allowed me to drive her car on this trip because hers is the only car with functioning A/C and we expected these temps/humidity. The A/C sputters and quits.
"The best laid plans..."
I smirk at my bad fortune and roll the windows down. Oh well, soon the sun will be gone and the temps will be bearable.
I press on. The drive is easy because roads are good and traffic remains light. Half an hour later my eye is drawn to a red warning light in the center of the dash...
It's the battery discharge warning. We've had a lot of trouble with batteries in this car so I'm frustrated but not surprised to see this light. I start thinking about how I'll find my way to Wally World tomorrow to have this battery replaced- again. After a few minutes I notice something else... the car is harder to steer.
Uh-oh. Now, finally the equation is plain... 2+2=4. Air conditioning, power steering, battery discharging... the common thread is that all are run by belts attached to the engine's crankshaft. I've got belt problems. I'm an idiot. These belts are original equipment on this car with 133,000 miles on it. I should have replaced them long ago.
Now my mind races, considering my options. It's Friday evening. I'm 90 minutes from my destination and I have to turn my lights on. If I completely discharge the battery the engine will die and I'll be stuck wherever that happens. I've got to have new belts installed to continue. Where to do that?
In a tiny South Alabama town I stop for gas, lift the hood and confirm both belts are in pieces in my engine compartment. Bubba comes up in his pickup truck with his date sitting alongside and asks about my problem. When I tell him I'm 90 minutes from a family reunion he says, "Buy me a tank of gas and I'll drive you there." I'm amazed... he just offered to drive for three hours and cancel whatever plans he and his lady had for the evening! I thank him and decline his offer.
I go back and ask the station attendent if there is an auto parts store nearby and am directed to an "AutoZone" store just down the street. Perfect! I like AutoZone-
I can buy the belts and they'll loan me tools to install the belts there.
I pull into the AutoZone parking lot 15 minutes after they have closed. I know I can't go on, so I go back to the gas station and get directions to both motels in town, aware that at any point the battery may discharge completely. It's dark and I'm having to use my headlights. Both motels are displaying "no vacancy" signs. I cross my fingers, and the car starts again. I drive back to the AutoZone, roll the windows down, recline the seat, and shut the engine down for the evening. It's 9 P.M. and the store opens at 8 A.M..
It's clear so the night cools quickly. I fully expect the local constabulary to stop by in the wee hours to find out what the heck I'm doin' sitting in front of this store, but she/he's too busy...
I watch as she/he chases down a speeder and issues a ticket. Later I hear her/him zoom by with lights and siren, only to watch an ambulance follow 15 minutes later.
I wake at 6 A.M. feeling surprisingly rested, considering. I pour the last cup of coffee, now tepid, from my thermos. It's far better than nuthin'. The AutoZone manager shows up at 7 A.M., opens the door, then locks it behind him. I get out to stretch my legs, sipping my coffee, and he comes to the door and says "How can I help you?" When I explain my dilemma he opens early, sells me the belts, and hands me the tool I need to put them on.
Hood up again, I'm already sweating in the heat even though it's not yet 8 in the morning. I'm out of my league with this repair... the space available to install the belts is minimal, and I don't know how to adjust the idlers/tensioners to loosen them enough to fit the belts, then re-tighten them. A young black man walks up and asks about my problem and I tell him. He says, "Lemme help you." He quickly realizes he needs another wrench and obviously the store manager knows him 'cause he comes back out with wrench in hand. In 20 minutes my belts are installed properly. I pay him for his work and I'm on my way. The Air Conditioner blows cold air. The power steering works. The battery discharge light is gone. It's a beautiful day and I'm on my way to hug friends and loved ones.
This story will surprise only those that have never spent time in the South. I've experienced similar scenarios several times in my life. It's part of the reason I love the South and those that live there.
Can you imagine how this story would have unfolded in Chicago?
Differently, I think we'd all agree.
One quick observation that puzzled me:
I had occasion to drive through the tunnel that goes beneath Mobile Bay on I-10 this trip. Carmen continued to track my progress even when I was in the center of the tunnel, probably more than a hundred feet underground/water.
How'd she do that?
16 June 2009
Stop Killing Innocent, Unarmed People!
Why is this unlikely to happen in the U.S.?
Because our Socialist government has seen the guns and ammunition numbers.
NEVER forget that.
Because our Socialist government has seen the guns and ammunition numbers.
NEVER forget that.
Whose Ox? The Other Guy's!
I said, "The government has changed the bankruptcy laws and has stolen property from individuals".
He said, "Don't you agree it's better to save those companies and save all those jobs?"
I said, "So you think stealing those folk's property is okay?"
"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" was his response.
My head almost exploded.
How many patriots have died trying to prevent this from happening to our country?
He said, "Don't you agree it's better to save those companies and save all those jobs?"
I said, "So you think stealing those folk's property is okay?"
"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" was his response.
My head almost exploded.
How many patriots have died trying to prevent this from happening to our country?
15 June 2009
Camping
My family started camping when I was barely a teen. My Dad had jerked the seats out of a Corvair "Greenbriar" Van and built a camper to sleep two. Like today's campers, the bed could be raised and used as a dining room table. On the roof, a folding tent was secured for two more to sleep in. At the back door he had ingeniously built a cabinet that the door, when removed, could be used as a cooking platform. Mom could just pump up and fire up the Coleman stove and we'd soon have hot, delicious victuals. I wish I had good pictures of that camper now... my Dad was a genius.
Back then, when you talked "camping", most folks immediately thought of sleeping in a tent, on the ground, with a campfire burning nearby. It wasn't too long before I started hearing the phrase, "The closest I want to get to camping is the 'Holiday Inn'"
Right now I'm sitting in a pavilion in a campground. The Wifi signal is "Very Good". Within a few yards there is a volleyball court, a basketball goal, a heated indoor pool, a hot tub/jacuzzi, an outside pool, and a nice "jungle Jim" set for little ones. Attached to the pavilion is the club house with restaurant and game room, complete with big-screen TV and pool table, ping-pong table, foosball game and more.
I'm surrounded by RV's. It makes me laugh now to think how we, in our little Greenbriar camper, used to feel sorry for those folks waking up in tents on rainy mornings. The Holiday Inn cannot hold a candle against these RV's, some of them costing half-a-million dollars, and there are TONS of them in this campground and campgrounds all across America. America has certainly found "camping", but that word itself is getting harder and harder to define.
It's sad...
There are no campfires here, so campers no longer sit around and visit after dark.
It's sorta like staying at the Holiday Inn.
Back then, when you talked "camping", most folks immediately thought of sleeping in a tent, on the ground, with a campfire burning nearby. It wasn't too long before I started hearing the phrase, "The closest I want to get to camping is the 'Holiday Inn'"
Right now I'm sitting in a pavilion in a campground. The Wifi signal is "Very Good". Within a few yards there is a volleyball court, a basketball goal, a heated indoor pool, a hot tub/jacuzzi, an outside pool, and a nice "jungle Jim" set for little ones. Attached to the pavilion is the club house with restaurant and game room, complete with big-screen TV and pool table, ping-pong table, foosball game and more.
I'm surrounded by RV's. It makes me laugh now to think how we, in our little Greenbriar camper, used to feel sorry for those folks waking up in tents on rainy mornings. The Holiday Inn cannot hold a candle against these RV's, some of them costing half-a-million dollars, and there are TONS of them in this campground and campgrounds all across America. America has certainly found "camping", but that word itself is getting harder and harder to define.
It's sad...
There are no campfires here, so campers no longer sit around and visit after dark.
It's sorta like staying at the Holiday Inn.
11 June 2009
Schadenfreude
They were gracious hosts. When they heard we were going to stay in a hotel they opened their beautiful home to us. The hostess and I were to attend the same meeting, so it made arrangements much more simple... we could discuss the meeting beforehand and share transportation the morning of the meeting.
All went well until we started talking about current events and the subject turned to politics. When they discerned my political leanings they confided, "We're not big fans of George Bush."
That was understatement. It quickly became obvious both host and hostess were full-blown BDS sufferers. Conversation for the rest of the stay was civil, but tense.
At weekend's end we hugged and thanked them for their hospitality, and as we turned to get into our car the host shouted "I'm not rich enough to be a Republican!", and quickly closed the door before I could respond.
Irritating and cowardly...
These folks have beautiful homes in Michigan and Florida...
How "rich" do you have to be to be a Republican?
He's long retired from GM.
Now, frightened to tears about what Bozama is doing to our auto industry, they're being forced to consider their vote in the last election. They're also having to consider selling their home in Florida, in what may be the worst real estate market in decades.
I think soon they'll be poor enough to be Republicans.
All went well until we started talking about current events and the subject turned to politics. When they discerned my political leanings they confided, "We're not big fans of George Bush."
That was understatement. It quickly became obvious both host and hostess were full-blown BDS sufferers. Conversation for the rest of the stay was civil, but tense.
At weekend's end we hugged and thanked them for their hospitality, and as we turned to get into our car the host shouted "I'm not rich enough to be a Republican!", and quickly closed the door before I could respond.
Irritating and cowardly...
These folks have beautiful homes in Michigan and Florida...
How "rich" do you have to be to be a Republican?
He's long retired from GM.
Now, frightened to tears about what Bozama is doing to our auto industry, they're being forced to consider their vote in the last election. They're also having to consider selling their home in Florida, in what may be the worst real estate market in decades.
I think soon they'll be poor enough to be Republicans.
09 June 2009
Things That Make You Go "Hmmmm".
(You'll need to click and enlarge the pic to see what I want ya to see.)The central gauge in that picture is the fuel quantity gauge for the BK117. I love flying this helicopter almost as much as I loved flying the Huey, and oddly, they share a common fault...
Like many helicopters, they're too "short-legged", meaning they have little endurance. The Huey burned roughly 100 gallons of JP-4 or JetA per hour and carried 209 gallons of the stuff.
Do the math-
Taking off with full tanks and considering the required reserve, you knew you'd be stopping to fill 'er up again in less than two hours. The BK's two LTS-101 engines combine to burn almost 80 gallons per hour if you consider starting and hovering for takeoff. From the above gauge you may be able to see there are about 165 gallons in the main tanks, and an additional twenty gallons in the two supply tanks for a total of 185 gallons. Figuring conservatively, I plan for about 2 hours and 15 minutes before it wheezes and gets quiet.
I took the picture to illustrate one of the things that is frequently wrong with aircraft and the regulations that concern them...
Above the fuel gauge you can see a placard that reads, "Max Usable Fuel 1230lb." Usable fuel is the fuel the pumps can actually suck up and provide to the engine for burning. A certain amount of fuel in the tank(s) of most aircraft cannot be utilized, and is therefore "unusable fuel".
The placard, required by the FAA, complicates matters...
The gauge reads gallons of fuel. How many gallons in 1230 pounds?
Jet A weighs 6.84 pounds per gallon. I just grabbed my calculator and did the math-
My "Max Usable Fuel" is 179.82456 gallons, so 5-and-a-sip gallons in the tanks are unusable.
Wouldn't it be nice if the required placard said,
"Max Usable Fuel 179 Gallons"?
There's an old joke among pilots that goes,
"Hi. I'm from the FAA and I'm here to help!"
It always gets a chuckle.
08 June 2009
"You Scare Me."
Well written and to the point, penned by a successful businessman and author, the New York Times wouldn't print this letter.
Gee, I wonder why?
Tip 'O hat to Instapundit
Gee, I wonder why?
Tip 'O hat to Instapundit
They WANT To Believe!
She came through the door flush with excitement...
"You've gotta see this!"
She'd been "selected" to be a member!
And what a club to belong to... at the top of her list was the name of an NFL Quarterback, the owner of a hoity-toity restaurant, and a very popular local TV personality. These folks certainly lend credence to the venture, right?
She needed to "invest" $1,000...
Write a $500 check and send it to the name at the top of her list, and another $500 to the person that recruited her. Then all she had to do was add her name to the bottom of the list, then go and recruit two new "investors". Recruiting the two new folks would repay her initial investment. Then when her name reached the top of the list, she'd receive $128,000... like the NFL Quarterback whose name was now there.
I asked, "What's being produced here? This is nothing but a pyramid scheme... a money shuffle. Eventually the population of 'greater fools' will dry up and this thing will fall of it's own dead weight"
But she wanted that $128,000 and wrote two $500 checks.
The State Attorney General started his investigation the very next day, and within a month the whole scheme had collapsed, and she received a thousand dollars worth of quick education.
I've looked for links to share with you but it turns out it was a regional thing, and doing so would reveal my location. So would giving you the name of the scam, but be aware... the name was every bit as misleading as is the term "Employee Free Choice Act".
She WANTED to believe. Greed is such a strong drive...
We know the names of Charles Ponzi, Michael Milliken, and Bernie Madoff only because there are large numbers of seemingly intelligent people who ignore the old saw "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is".
So now President(?) Obama tells us his stimulus plan will lead us out of the desert. He tells us hundreds of thousands of jobs will be "saved" under his extraordinary direction.
But... WHAT'S BEING PRODUCED?
So far as I can see, the only thing being produced is bigger government and a larger drag on taxpayers. There's no added value of goods and services here. But there are still lots of folks who WANT TO BELIEVE Obama can do what he claims, so we've not reached the point of collapse quite yet.
Later we'll be able to add a name to our list:
Ponzi, Milliken, Madoff...
Obama.
"You've gotta see this!"
She'd been "selected" to be a member!
And what a club to belong to... at the top of her list was the name of an NFL Quarterback, the owner of a hoity-toity restaurant, and a very popular local TV personality. These folks certainly lend credence to the venture, right?
She needed to "invest" $1,000...
Write a $500 check and send it to the name at the top of her list, and another $500 to the person that recruited her. Then all she had to do was add her name to the bottom of the list, then go and recruit two new "investors". Recruiting the two new folks would repay her initial investment. Then when her name reached the top of the list, she'd receive $128,000... like the NFL Quarterback whose name was now there.
I asked, "What's being produced here? This is nothing but a pyramid scheme... a money shuffle. Eventually the population of 'greater fools' will dry up and this thing will fall of it's own dead weight"
But she wanted that $128,000 and wrote two $500 checks.
The State Attorney General started his investigation the very next day, and within a month the whole scheme had collapsed, and she received a thousand dollars worth of quick education.
I've looked for links to share with you but it turns out it was a regional thing, and doing so would reveal my location. So would giving you the name of the scam, but be aware... the name was every bit as misleading as is the term "Employee Free Choice Act".
She WANTED to believe. Greed is such a strong drive...
We know the names of Charles Ponzi, Michael Milliken, and Bernie Madoff only because there are large numbers of seemingly intelligent people who ignore the old saw "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is".
So now President(?) Obama tells us his stimulus plan will lead us out of the desert. He tells us hundreds of thousands of jobs will be "saved" under his extraordinary direction.
But... WHAT'S BEING PRODUCED?
So far as I can see, the only thing being produced is bigger government and a larger drag on taxpayers. There's no added value of goods and services here. But there are still lots of folks who WANT TO BELIEVE Obama can do what he claims, so we've not reached the point of collapse quite yet.
Later we'll be able to add a name to our list:
Ponzi, Milliken, Madoff...
Obama.
07 June 2009
Greybeard's Economic Indicators
"If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."Man, that's true in my household! She thought she needed her hair trimmed, and the only gal she trusts to do it is 25 miles away. The only way I feel reasonably comfortable driving that far for a "trim" is to insure we accomplish several errands on this one drive.
(I know folks living in large cities must do a spit-take reading that sentence but you have to realize... driving completely across our little town takes all of five minutes at 30 miles per hour! So for us, this is a relatively LONG drive.)
Knowing we'd be making this drive, I started my list-
I gave our only corkscrew to our invalid neighbor who asked me to pick up a bottle of wine for her last week. She wanted Liebfraumilich. It only comes in bottles with a cork. She had no corkscrew so I gave her ours, and we needed a replacement.
When I'm upstairs I have to play "plug swap" to plug my laptop into an outlet. Another power strip would solve the problem. (What'd we ever do without them?)
I need a new toothbrush.
I need "no more tears" Baby shampoo... (I use it to scrub Lucy's head during her once-a-week bath.)
I drop Sara Jean off at the mall and drive across the street where I can get everything on my list cheap- BIG LOTS! As I park my car I notice another car jockeying for a parking spot...
A Cadillac Escalade. An attractive, well-dressed gal follows my path into the store.
I love Big Lots. I can easily wander around in these stores for an hour, now and then finding stuff I simply cannot do without for the price!
And that's exactly what happens...
I find a nice pair of behind-the-head Sony earphones that I can use while riding my bike wearing my helmet for $4.99... into the cart they went! Others are doing the same thing...
The store is full of browsers looking for bargains.
I check out and go back across the road to check on SJ. My drive takes me past the "Saturn" car dealership, now closed and empty.
There are few people in the stores. There are lots of kids, walking the mall, seeing and being seen. But few are carrying bags of goods they've bought.
I realize my observations are not scientific. I realize they're simply a snapshot of a certain locale at a certain time of day. But the overall impression is that everyone is being cautious with their wallet.
Big Lots, Walmart, and Costco still seem to be doing well...
Even with the Cadillac Escalade crowd.
05 June 2009
Operating In Our World
Man, it's as nearly perfect as it can be outside-
Cobalt blue sky and a light breeze, 78 degrees with low humidity.
I weeded what the deer have left of my garden, then started tinkering with the old pickup I just bought. (More on that later.)
This weather makes you want to stay out of doors!
When the weather is NOT like today I think about how work gets done. I'm always surprised when I go to visit Big Bubba in Phoenix to see work crews out in temperatures of 110 degrees, but then think, "If they didn't work in these temperatures, no work would ever get done!"
The other night we were watching another episode of "Ice Road Truckers"... they're operating on the "Dalton Highway" in Alaska on this segment. They showed how they prepare trucks to operate in temperatures of -40 degrees and less.
We don't like working in temperature extremes. Our machines don't much like it either. I've done no research on the reasons why, so maybe one of you can educate me, but it seems the reason why is we are limited to using resources formed in our environment, particularly our fuels, lubricants, and cooling fluids. Through our use of chemistry we have learned to operate in more extreme temperatures, both hot and cold. I think we've extended our abilities further into the cold extremes than the hot... witness the two rovers we landed on Mars. Both survive and operate in extreme cold conditions.
Neither we, nor our machines do real well in extended temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and almost nothing works for long above a temp. of 130 or so.
Considering these limitations, how will we ever get up close and personal with the extremes we'll encounter on Mercury, or the toxic environment of Venus? Will we continue to make small technological steps until we can build machines that will work there? Or will we have a "Eureka" moment when someone thinks outside the box and solves the problem with a brilliant idea?
I'm sure it'll be a little of both.
And that journey itself will be fun to watch.
Cobalt blue sky and a light breeze, 78 degrees with low humidity.
I weeded what the deer have left of my garden, then started tinkering with the old pickup I just bought. (More on that later.)
This weather makes you want to stay out of doors!
When the weather is NOT like today I think about how work gets done. I'm always surprised when I go to visit Big Bubba in Phoenix to see work crews out in temperatures of 110 degrees, but then think, "If they didn't work in these temperatures, no work would ever get done!"
The other night we were watching another episode of "Ice Road Truckers"... they're operating on the "Dalton Highway" in Alaska on this segment. They showed how they prepare trucks to operate in temperatures of -40 degrees and less.
We don't like working in temperature extremes. Our machines don't much like it either. I've done no research on the reasons why, so maybe one of you can educate me, but it seems the reason why is we are limited to using resources formed in our environment, particularly our fuels, lubricants, and cooling fluids. Through our use of chemistry we have learned to operate in more extreme temperatures, both hot and cold. I think we've extended our abilities further into the cold extremes than the hot... witness the two rovers we landed on Mars. Both survive and operate in extreme cold conditions.
Neither we, nor our machines do real well in extended temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and almost nothing works for long above a temp. of 130 or so.
Considering these limitations, how will we ever get up close and personal with the extremes we'll encounter on Mercury, or the toxic environment of Venus? Will we continue to make small technological steps until we can build machines that will work there? Or will we have a "Eureka" moment when someone thinks outside the box and solves the problem with a brilliant idea?
I'm sure it'll be a little of both.
And that journey itself will be fun to watch.
04 June 2009
Obama's Misery, June, 2009 Update
Again, I have to admit surprise- This fiasco is unfolding more slowly than I expected.
But Chrysler and GM are both closing dealerships, so those sales and service facilities will begin to feel the impact. Close behind will be layoffs in trucking and other auto-related industries like tires. Interestingly, auto parts and independent service facilities may experience increased business due to folks hanging onto their cars longer.
California and Illinois are bankrupt and both States are facing massive service cutbacks due to employee layoffs.
Last month's index was 8.12%. This month it barely changed and came in at 8.16%
There is no way the unemployment and inflation numbers will go down over the next months. The only question is, how high and how fast will they go up?
We'll see.
Update:
New figures, made available just after I published this post, show unemployment jumped to 9.4 percent, making the revised "Misery Index" 8.66%.
Hang on, we're just gettin' warmed up!
But Chrysler and GM are both closing dealerships, so those sales and service facilities will begin to feel the impact. Close behind will be layoffs in trucking and other auto-related industries like tires. Interestingly, auto parts and independent service facilities may experience increased business due to folks hanging onto their cars longer.
California and Illinois are bankrupt and both States are facing massive service cutbacks due to employee layoffs.
Last month's index was 8.12%. This month it barely changed and came in at 8.16%
There is no way the unemployment and inflation numbers will go down over the next months. The only question is, how high and how fast will they go up?
We'll see.
Update:
New figures, made available just after I published this post, show unemployment jumped to 9.4 percent, making the revised "Misery Index" 8.66%.
Hang on, we're just gettin' warmed up!
03 June 2009
R.I.P., U.S.A.?
I'll paraphrase the question posed at the post here:What circumstance would move you to violent action against our government?
I was surprised and dismayed to see several comments similar to this one-
Grimshaw says:
June 1, 2009 at 20:27
How big would a moral outrage have to be before you turned to violence? Big. A clear threat to the core freedoms of my family, with no viable alternative options (like leaving the country). Life isn’t exactly miserable in the US, despite all the crap.What prevents you from acting violently up to that point?High personal cost, the ability to live a good, relatively free life now, and the availability of other viable options (like leaving the country or going ‘underground’).
Leave the country?
Yes, he said one of his options was to leave the country!
What in Hell has happened to us? The bastion of freedom... the country millions are willing to risk their lives and break the law by crossing a desert border illegally is indeed being "changed" by our present leadership. I continue to be heartened by the number of patriots willing to raise their right hand and swear "to support and defend the Constititution" in our military. But I also have a growing sense of resignation about the decline of our country that I can only compare to the last two years of the Carter administration.
God help us.
After signing the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin reportedly said to other signers-
"We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."
Funny stuff, but deadly serious too. He and all those who signed that document knew his statement was true. And it's true today too... we need to be forming associations with like-minded people and making plans.
Most all of our "Founding Fathers" were well-to-do and could easily have fled the country, but flee to where? Where could they have gone to exercise the freedoms they were seeking? How would things have changed for the better if they hadn't taken a stand?
That is the condition I find myself in today. I HATE what is happening to my country, but tucking my tail between my legs and running is out of the question...
Where would I go that is better?
So I'll also stand. No buggin' out for me.
I certainly hope I don't have to fight...
Been there. Done that. Didn't like it much.
But it's an interesting question... "What would it take...?"
You can read my answer in the comments at the link to the post above. I'd like to hear your thoughts.
02 June 2009
Fifty Feet of Hose
That's an exaggeration. I think. After being drugged with the Demetrol and Versed, they may have dressed me like Corporal Klinger in drag and taken photos to embarrass me later... I can't really say.
But I called yesterday to schedule colonoscopies for me and Sara Jean. I cannot remember when I had my last... was it three years ago? Longer? This will be the first for SJ. It doesn't matter that I've had one before, the Doc still wants to consult with us to check medical histories and to explain what to expect. I asked about two things:
1. During the last procedure the Doc was dismayed to find I had felt considerable discomfort while the last measure of the scope/camera was inserted. He indicated I needed more drugs. Apparently now they knock ya completely out, so we won't remember a thing this time.
2. I asked about the VERY INAPPROPRIATELY NAMED "Golightly". It was BY FAR the most uncomfortable part of my first procedure. (And reading that post indicates it's been longer than I thought... almost five years!)
Through the grapevine I have heard there is now a pill to take that cleans you out without the nasty, salty, boring gallon of Golightly.
They don't use the pill here. We're still gonna have to force down a gallon of weak saline solution.
(Sara Jean is already saying she'll cheat.)
The consult is scheduled for 16 June. Our procedures will be scheduled then, probably sometime in mid-July.
If you're over 50, why not go schedule yours today so we can compare notes?
Farrah Fawcett will be proud of you.
But I called yesterday to schedule colonoscopies for me and Sara Jean. I cannot remember when I had my last... was it three years ago? Longer? This will be the first for SJ. It doesn't matter that I've had one before, the Doc still wants to consult with us to check medical histories and to explain what to expect. I asked about two things:
1. During the last procedure the Doc was dismayed to find I had felt considerable discomfort while the last measure of the scope/camera was inserted. He indicated I needed more drugs. Apparently now they knock ya completely out, so we won't remember a thing this time.
2. I asked about the VERY INAPPROPRIATELY NAMED "Golightly". It was BY FAR the most uncomfortable part of my first procedure. (And reading that post indicates it's been longer than I thought... almost five years!)
Through the grapevine I have heard there is now a pill to take that cleans you out without the nasty, salty, boring gallon of Golightly.
They don't use the pill here. We're still gonna have to force down a gallon of weak saline solution.
(Sara Jean is already saying she'll cheat.)
The consult is scheduled for 16 June. Our procedures will be scheduled then, probably sometime in mid-July.
If you're over 50, why not go schedule yours today so we can compare notes?
Farrah Fawcett will be proud of you.
01 June 2009
Just Seven Months Ago-
Rodolfo, remember him? Seven months ago he said,
"This socialism diatribe is a stunt. You need to understand what *future* I'm talking about. I'm not talking about any specific policy. I'm talking about the new generation of voters that's sick and tired of the partisan divide that has dominated the political discourse by you, GB, and your equivalence on the far-left."
Flightfire, remember him? Six months ago he said,
"You need to stop all this ACORN registering to vote crap. Every single report that I've read says the allegations are way overblown."
Seen the news lately boys?
Tell us again... who did you vote for?
And how much debt do you now find yourself responsible for?
"This socialism diatribe is a stunt. You need to understand what *future* I'm talking about. I'm not talking about any specific policy. I'm talking about the new generation of voters that's sick and tired of the partisan divide that has dominated the political discourse by you, GB, and your equivalence on the far-left."
Flightfire, remember him? Six months ago he said,
"You need to stop all this ACORN registering to vote crap. Every single report that I've read says the allegations are way overblown."
Seen the news lately boys?
Tell us again... who did you vote for?
And how much debt do you now find yourself responsible for?
Witcheeta
As previously noted, our aircraft was approaching a major maintenance event and we had to switch into another BK. That meant moving all the stuff necessary to do the job from one helicopter to another... medical and aviation. Quite a task.
We got a flight almost immediately after the switch, and on the way to pick up our patient my crew was still putting things into their proper places.
Over the intercom my Flight Nurse says, "Was this aircraft in Kansas?"
"No, I think it was in Wisconsin" I respond.
"Well, there's a card here with the pre-programmed frequencies for Topeka, Manhattan, and Witcheeta" he says.
Witcheeta?
It took a second to resolve...
"Wichita?" I ask.
Paramedic and I begin to laugh heartily.
This Nurse is a good guy and a good Nurse.
But he needed a good nickname.
Now he has one.
We got a flight almost immediately after the switch, and on the way to pick up our patient my crew was still putting things into their proper places.
Over the intercom my Flight Nurse says, "Was this aircraft in Kansas?"
"No, I think it was in Wisconsin" I respond.
"Well, there's a card here with the pre-programmed frequencies for Topeka, Manhattan, and Witcheeta" he says.
Witcheeta?
It took a second to resolve...
"Wichita?" I ask.
Paramedic and I begin to laugh heartily.
This Nurse is a good guy and a good Nurse.
But he needed a good nickname.
Now he has one.
31 May 2009
The Ultimate In Computing!
I took a flight VERY late in my shift yesterday, the last day of six days in a row. (Murphy's law prevails... GOD has a very strange sense of humor!) I had earlier traded our fleet's number two aircraft for our number four aircraft and there were discrepancies in the aircraft total time that needed to be worked out. The late flight precluded me from correcting the log. So late last night, exhausted upon my return and badly needing to get home to rest, I dumped the whole problem in the oncoming pilot's lap and walked out the door. This morning I wanted to call my lead pilot to see if there was anything I needed to do to help tie up loose ends. His cell number is one of those I call regularly so it's stored on my cell, but my cell phone was downstairs and I'm upstairs, too lazy to fetch it. I picked up the bedroom cordless phone and started to dial his number from memory, but then stalled...
Is his prefix 524, 534 or 539? I couldn't remember.
So I put the phone down, picked up the laptop, and started reading my email. In the middle of reading a note from GH in Hawaii the correct prefix sprang to mind like someone held up a placard in front of me... 534!
I think this happens to all of us to one degree or another, but I'm still amazed by it. I seemingly quit worrying about remembering the number, but while I was reading my email another part of my brain was still searching through old files somewhere and found the information.
The human brain...
Still the ultimate computer!
30 May 2009
Thoughts On Sonia-
We want "Supreme" choices for our Supreme Court, right? When our Federal Government is stealing our property, we want straight-thinking folks to point out our Constitution forbids that sort of behavior.
Is this the woman for that job? There are figures being published showing her judgments have been overturned 60% of the time on appeal.
Pretty shaky judging, I'd say.
There'll be no "adult supervision" to overturn her if she's a Supreme Court Justice... her opinion will be "Supreme".
I think I'd like someone with a better batting average in that position.
29 May 2009
I'm Confused. (So what's new?)
I'm not sure I've got the scenario straight, so correct me where I'm wrong please-
President(?) Obama has changed the law, and contracts as they are written about bankruptcy mean nothing anymore. Private property of preferred stock and bondholders of Chrysler and GM is being stolen with his approval. That property is being given to those that supported his election, primarily the U.A.W..
But here's where I'm really confused...
Past dealings between the U.A.W. and the management of both Chrysler and G.M. have resulted in health care and retirement costs burgeoning to the point where those companies can no longer be competitive with foreign automakers.
The U.A.W. will have to deal with the new owners/managers of those companies to bring those costs down dramatically. So now the U.A.W. will have to negotiate with the U.A.W. to cut costs to the bone?
If Bozama gets his way, this unfolding tragedy will certainly be interesting to watch!
President(?) Obama has changed the law, and contracts as they are written about bankruptcy mean nothing anymore. Private property of preferred stock and bondholders of Chrysler and GM is being stolen with his approval. That property is being given to those that supported his election, primarily the U.A.W..
But here's where I'm really confused...
Past dealings between the U.A.W. and the management of both Chrysler and G.M. have resulted in health care and retirement costs burgeoning to the point where those companies can no longer be competitive with foreign automakers.
The U.A.W. will have to deal with the new owners/managers of those companies to bring those costs down dramatically. So now the U.A.W. will have to negotiate with the U.A.W. to cut costs to the bone?
If Bozama gets his way, this unfolding tragedy will certainly be interesting to watch!
28 May 2009
in-TOXIC-ation
Words and their construction...
It took me a while to figure out why the word "toxic" is in the middle of the word "intoxication". The fact that alcohol is toxic hit me square between the eyes one Sunday morning in Dallas, Texas.
It was during the time I was in Primary Flight School at Ft. Wolters, TX.
I thought we had a date, but when I showed up at her apartment she informed me she was goin' out with another guy and she'd be home late.
I was angry with her, because I thought she was playing games with me. I was angry because I was facing a Saturday night alone, in an unfamiliar town.
I was just plain angry.
Sometimes twenty-one year old brains make really stupid decisions in spite of having a higher-than-average intelligence quotient...
Down the street, within walking distance, was a liquor store. Facing an evening alone with the TV I decided I'd experiment...
Could I drink an entire fifth of spirits in one night? And if so, how would I behave? Would I remember anything I watched on TV? Would I even remain conscious?
What would be the vehicle for this experiment? In the store I studied the possiblities-
Gin? Bitter and not my favorite.
Vodka? I liked screwdrivers but didn't want to drink that much orange juice.
Bourbon? Jim Beam was a close friend, but wait...
Here's Mr. Bacardi, and he's sporting a number I have never seen...
"151 proof", and he's on sale!
Well after all, this IS an experiment, right?! I walked back to the apartment with a twelve-pack of Coca-Cola and Mr. Bacardi in a brown paper bag.
After forcing down two strong ones, the later cocktails could have been sulphuric acid and I would not have known the difference. I started taking pulls directly from the bottle.
The TV wasn't cutting it so, at probably 11 P.M., bottle in hand, I decided to go for a stroll around the parking lot. I had heard a jingle for "Clearasil" acne treatment on the radio on the drive to Dallas and couldn't get it out of my head, so I sang while stumbling around:
"Nobody loves a spotted-faced kid!"
Describing it now brings images of stereotypical drunks portrayed in movies. If a patrol car had passed through the complex at that time I'd surely have been arrested for public drunkenness and any chance of making it through ARMY flight school would have ended right there.
I finished the bottle.
Suddenly sleepy, I went to bed. I was not conscious when Mr. Bacardi decided to depart my body, but I'm glad he did. Though I woke with the most powerful headache known to man, the fact that I WOKE UP is the important thing here...
After all, toxic means poison. Poison can be bad.
So was the mess she left for me to clean up, headache and all.
It took me a while to figure out why the word "toxic" is in the middle of the word "intoxication". The fact that alcohol is toxic hit me square between the eyes one Sunday morning in Dallas, Texas.
It was during the time I was in Primary Flight School at Ft. Wolters, TX.
I thought we had a date, but when I showed up at her apartment she informed me she was goin' out with another guy and she'd be home late.
I was angry with her, because I thought she was playing games with me. I was angry because I was facing a Saturday night alone, in an unfamiliar town.
I was just plain angry.
Sometimes twenty-one year old brains make really stupid decisions in spite of having a higher-than-average intelligence quotient...
Down the street, within walking distance, was a liquor store. Facing an evening alone with the TV I decided I'd experiment...
Could I drink an entire fifth of spirits in one night? And if so, how would I behave? Would I remember anything I watched on TV? Would I even remain conscious?
What would be the vehicle for this experiment? In the store I studied the possiblities-
Gin? Bitter and not my favorite.
Vodka? I liked screwdrivers but didn't want to drink that much orange juice.
Bourbon? Jim Beam was a close friend, but wait...
Here's Mr. Bacardi, and he's sporting a number I have never seen...
"151 proof", and he's on sale!
Well after all, this IS an experiment, right?! I walked back to the apartment with a twelve-pack of Coca-Cola and Mr. Bacardi in a brown paper bag.
After forcing down two strong ones, the later cocktails could have been sulphuric acid and I would not have known the difference. I started taking pulls directly from the bottle.
The TV wasn't cutting it so, at probably 11 P.M., bottle in hand, I decided to go for a stroll around the parking lot. I had heard a jingle for "Clearasil" acne treatment on the radio on the drive to Dallas and couldn't get it out of my head, so I sang while stumbling around:
"Nobody loves a spotted-faced kid!"
Describing it now brings images of stereotypical drunks portrayed in movies. If a patrol car had passed through the complex at that time I'd surely have been arrested for public drunkenness and any chance of making it through ARMY flight school would have ended right there.
I finished the bottle.
Suddenly sleepy, I went to bed. I was not conscious when Mr. Bacardi decided to depart my body, but I'm glad he did. Though I woke with the most powerful headache known to man, the fact that I WOKE UP is the important thing here...
After all, toxic means poison. Poison can be bad.
So was the mess she left for me to clean up, headache and all.
27 May 2009
Melts In Your Mouth
Okay, we're off into new territory for "Pitchpull"...
cooking!
We invited old friends to visit in Destin. One couple came to spend the week, while another couple spent time with us on two different evenings. The first of those nights we went down the street to our favorite haunt... "Kenny D's". Kenny's is a wonderful little cajun bar, and we absolutely love Ms. Gracie's New Orleans style cookin' there. But we wanted the chance to sit and talk without the pressure to vacate the premises on the second night, so we decided to cook/eat in. It was Sara Jean's idea to make Italian Beef sandwiches.
Other than knowing that fat content is what makes for tender meat, I know almost nothing about selecting a cut of beef. We asked the butcher for advice and he guided us to a chuck roast, finely marbled with fat. Into the cart it went.
I've read Jinks comments about the benefits of slow cookin', so the night before our guests were to arrive we pulled out the crock pot and started heating that chunk o' meat. We cooked it ten hours, then paused to shred the meat and add the pepperoncinis. It then went back into the pot another two hours before we spread it on hoagy buns and served the sandwiches. They were tasty, tender, and excellent overall, but still not as good as some commercially bought sandwiches we've eaten.
So here's the 64-cent question-
I'm now turned on by the idea of using the crock pot to deliver the tender and tasty. Do you have any ideas on how we could have improved the sandwiches? And if not, do you have a favorite "fail-safe" crock pot recipe you'd like to share?
I'm all ears/mouth!
UPDATE, 0748 HOURS:
I just checked my links and wandered around Kenny D's site a little.
Found this page and thought it might amuse you.
cooking!
We invited old friends to visit in Destin. One couple came to spend the week, while another couple spent time with us on two different evenings. The first of those nights we went down the street to our favorite haunt... "Kenny D's". Kenny's is a wonderful little cajun bar, and we absolutely love Ms. Gracie's New Orleans style cookin' there. But we wanted the chance to sit and talk without the pressure to vacate the premises on the second night, so we decided to cook/eat in. It was Sara Jean's idea to make Italian Beef sandwiches.
Other than knowing that fat content is what makes for tender meat, I know almost nothing about selecting a cut of beef. We asked the butcher for advice and he guided us to a chuck roast, finely marbled with fat. Into the cart it went.
I've read Jinks comments about the benefits of slow cookin', so the night before our guests were to arrive we pulled out the crock pot and started heating that chunk o' meat. We cooked it ten hours, then paused to shred the meat and add the pepperoncinis. It then went back into the pot another two hours before we spread it on hoagy buns and served the sandwiches. They were tasty, tender, and excellent overall, but still not as good as some commercially bought sandwiches we've eaten.
So here's the 64-cent question-
I'm now turned on by the idea of using the crock pot to deliver the tender and tasty. Do you have any ideas on how we could have improved the sandwiches? And if not, do you have a favorite "fail-safe" crock pot recipe you'd like to share?
I'm all ears/mouth!
UPDATE, 0748 HOURS:
I just checked my links and wandered around Kenny D's site a little.
Found this page and thought it might amuse you.
26 May 2009
Streaming Radio
You know I love talk-radio.
My only problem with it is sometimes I'm away from my favorite AM stations and cannot receive a desired signal. My computer has now mostly resolved that problem and I want to share with you.
I found a site called Radio Time, where I can listen to most of my favorite talking-heads during most hours of the day, either live or on tape. Check there and you can see that most of us can find something to satisfy...
Conservative, technology, religious, sports, business, entertainment...
Everything but "Liberal"! (Sorry lefties, you'll have to be satisfied with "progressive".)
As I type this post I'm listening to one of my favorites... Dennis Miller.
Got a high-speed internet connection?
Check it out.
My only problem with it is sometimes I'm away from my favorite AM stations and cannot receive a desired signal. My computer has now mostly resolved that problem and I want to share with you.
I found a site called Radio Time, where I can listen to most of my favorite talking-heads during most hours of the day, either live or on tape. Check there and you can see that most of us can find something to satisfy...
Conservative, technology, religious, sports, business, entertainment...
Everything but "Liberal"! (Sorry lefties, you'll have to be satisfied with "progressive".)
As I type this post I'm listening to one of my favorites... Dennis Miller.
Got a high-speed internet connection?
Check it out.
25 May 2009
Road Trip! And The Enlarged Prostate
What... the title didn't dissuade you from reading?
We decided to stay another day and get a few extra tasks done. It rained most of the day and there was no temptation to hit the beach, so we got everything we wanted to do done. We're happy with that. But staying an extra day meant pounding the highway so I could be back at work this morning. The way we do it, it's a twelve hour drive home. And by "the way we do it" I mean we stop for any reason whatsoever...
Eat,
Drink,
Refuel,
Potty,
See the world's largest accumulation of ear wax.
But the stops are forced mostly to keep me from wetting my pants.
We start the drive with a cooler full of bottled water in the back seat, a thermos full of black coffee on the right rear floorboard, and a 16 oz. insulated mug of iced tea between my legs. Yesterday we also stopped at a "Krystal" store to buy 20 of my favorite hamburgers, and we bought a large diet Coke to accompany them. At the end of the drive the diet Coke had been shared, my iced tea was history, and the quart thermos of coffee had found its way through my kidneys and bladder. There was a time long ago when I could make note of the pressure beginning to build against my bladder and continue to drive for half an hour or so before having to stop...
No longer. My slightly enlarged prostate serves notice that when I begin to be uncomfortable I had better make plans for a stop pretty quickly, and I don't mean "We'll wait for the next rest area".
I've got about ten minutes, then things can get embarrassing.
Yeah, I know...
"Doctor it hurts when I do this."
"Don't do that!"
Obviously, one thing I could do is lay off the fluids. But old habits are hard to break. And the coffee is an absolute necessity during the last few hours of the drive. For a guy it's not so bad...
We simply pull off the road and discretely take care of business. There are plenty of places to do that on this drive.
If we start taking more trips across the desert where there is less cover I'll have to reconsider the fluid intake or carry a "Porta- John"...
Or buy a box of Depends.
We decided to stay another day and get a few extra tasks done. It rained most of the day and there was no temptation to hit the beach, so we got everything we wanted to do done. We're happy with that. But staying an extra day meant pounding the highway so I could be back at work this morning. The way we do it, it's a twelve hour drive home. And by "the way we do it" I mean we stop for any reason whatsoever...
Eat,
Drink,
Refuel,
Potty,
See the world's largest accumulation of ear wax.
But the stops are forced mostly to keep me from wetting my pants.
We start the drive with a cooler full of bottled water in the back seat, a thermos full of black coffee on the right rear floorboard, and a 16 oz. insulated mug of iced tea between my legs. Yesterday we also stopped at a "Krystal" store to buy 20 of my favorite hamburgers, and we bought a large diet Coke to accompany them. At the end of the drive the diet Coke had been shared, my iced tea was history, and the quart thermos of coffee had found its way through my kidneys and bladder. There was a time long ago when I could make note of the pressure beginning to build against my bladder and continue to drive for half an hour or so before having to stop...
No longer. My slightly enlarged prostate serves notice that when I begin to be uncomfortable I had better make plans for a stop pretty quickly, and I don't mean "We'll wait for the next rest area".
I've got about ten minutes, then things can get embarrassing.
Yeah, I know...
"Doctor it hurts when I do this."
"Don't do that!"
Obviously, one thing I could do is lay off the fluids. But old habits are hard to break. And the coffee is an absolute necessity during the last few hours of the drive. For a guy it's not so bad...
We simply pull off the road and discretely take care of business. There are plenty of places to do that on this drive.
If we start taking more trips across the desert where there is less cover I'll have to reconsider the fluid intake or carry a "Porta- John"...
Or buy a box of Depends.
22 May 2009
Strange Addictions
You'd laugh if you saw me now, trying to satisfy my internet addiction...
I'm sitting in front of a beachfront condo owned by an acquaintance. I'm here for a couple odd reasons...
The neighbor that used to have wifi has moved, so I can no longer mooch his signal.
Another neighbor that still has wifi is five condos away and I cannot receive his signal from our unit. He doesn't mind me using his system, and in fact provided the "WEP code" to use it, but his wife resents others using their signal so he's asked me to use it surreptitiously. So here I am, in front of another friends condo two doors away from the wifi transmitter, sneaking, trying to avoid his wife seeing me on the computer. What fun!
We're having a great time. We've had a little rain, but most days have been sunny at least half the day. Sara Jean has been on the beach every day and is brown as a dark caramel. I spent 90 minutes with her three days ago and did such a lousy job applying my sunscreen that I got sunburned in interesting patterns on interesting parts of my body. It's not enough to be miserable, just enough to remind me to be more careful next time.
We've eaten too much. And as always, adult beverages disappear more quickly here than elsewhere... (I still think elves are involved in that somehow).
Mom spent four days with us and enjoyed her "pelician observation post". I took her home Wednesday and then since I had not been there in 30 years, stopped by NAS Pensacola to visit the Naval Aviation Museum. A friend and I joined a tour guided by a retired Naval Aviator, and in a little over two hours we saw maybe a tenth of the museum. Fascinating. I now realize the next time I come South I'll need to devote one FULL day to touring the Museum. If you like flying things, make the Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola a "MUST SEE".
I have to be at work Monday morning at O-Dark-Thirty, so we've decided to leave tomorrow in order to have Sunday to get home "honey-do's" under control. I imagine my grass will be knee high, so I'll get that under control while Sara Jean unpacks and gets the indoor chaos under control. Sitting here listening to the surf roar against the beach, it's a little sad to think about returning home and resuming the normal chores.
But the reason for coming was to recharge. The word "recreation" is an odd one that I've studied from time to time. When your schedule is so full that life ceases being fun, you finally realize that your body does in fact "recreate" something at your core when you relax and enjoy yourself as we have these days overlooking the Emerald water and sugar-white sand. I'm ready to go back to work.
Retirement used to seem like a dream...
Now it's a comforting "within reach" reality.
To all who have commented... THANK YOU!
I'm sitting in front of a beachfront condo owned by an acquaintance. I'm here for a couple odd reasons...
The neighbor that used to have wifi has moved, so I can no longer mooch his signal.
Another neighbor that still has wifi is five condos away and I cannot receive his signal from our unit. He doesn't mind me using his system, and in fact provided the "WEP code" to use it, but his wife resents others using their signal so he's asked me to use it surreptitiously. So here I am, in front of another friends condo two doors away from the wifi transmitter, sneaking, trying to avoid his wife seeing me on the computer. What fun!
We're having a great time. We've had a little rain, but most days have been sunny at least half the day. Sara Jean has been on the beach every day and is brown as a dark caramel. I spent 90 minutes with her three days ago and did such a lousy job applying my sunscreen that I got sunburned in interesting patterns on interesting parts of my body. It's not enough to be miserable, just enough to remind me to be more careful next time.
We've eaten too much. And as always, adult beverages disappear more quickly here than elsewhere... (I still think elves are involved in that somehow).
Mom spent four days with us and enjoyed her "pelician observation post". I took her home Wednesday and then since I had not been there in 30 years, stopped by NAS Pensacola to visit the Naval Aviation Museum. A friend and I joined a tour guided by a retired Naval Aviator, and in a little over two hours we saw maybe a tenth of the museum. Fascinating. I now realize the next time I come South I'll need to devote one FULL day to touring the Museum. If you like flying things, make the Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola a "MUST SEE".
I have to be at work Monday morning at O-Dark-Thirty, so we've decided to leave tomorrow in order to have Sunday to get home "honey-do's" under control. I imagine my grass will be knee high, so I'll get that under control while Sara Jean unpacks and gets the indoor chaos under control. Sitting here listening to the surf roar against the beach, it's a little sad to think about returning home and resuming the normal chores.
But the reason for coming was to recharge. The word "recreation" is an odd one that I've studied from time to time. When your schedule is so full that life ceases being fun, you finally realize that your body does in fact "recreate" something at your core when you relax and enjoy yourself as we have these days overlooking the Emerald water and sugar-white sand. I'm ready to go back to work.
Retirement used to seem like a dream...
Now it's a comforting "within reach" reality.
To all who have commented... THANK YOU!
15 May 2009
Nine Days In Paradise
I'm past ready. We've not been to Destin since October, and I started working 56 hours a week mid-November. My head feels like a jumble of electrical wiring that needs untangling. I intend to go slow and enjoy the untangling process, and I can think of no better place than Destin for that process.We'll first head to Pensacola and pick up my Mom, who'll be up beyond her bedtime waiting for our arrival. Destin is another 90 or so minutes East. It's gonna be a long day in the car, but OH, is it worth it!
Sugar-white sand, sea air, pelicans, gulls, cormorants, and (due to our proximity to Eglin Air Force Base), a near-continuous military airshow. And of course, we can't forget the frozen Margaritas for Sara Jean and the icy cold beer for yours truly.
If you're in the neighborhood stop by. We promise to help untangle your wiring too!
14 May 2009
Toast
President Nixon learned-It's not the act, it's the cover-up.
Madame Speaker is about to learn, if you tell lies, and those lies indict the CIA, you'll get badly burned.
Now the Bozama administration has started its own cover-up... refusing to release ALL the documents Cheney has requested that would expose more lies, and our free press has finally realized they have a duty other than lead cheers.
(By the way press folks, where's that birth certificate?)
Pop the popcorn...
The show has just begun.
Bwahahahaha!
Take A Stand
Are you sick to death of corrupt, lying politicians taking away your rights?
So what are you doing about it?
Here's your chance to take a little step and express your dissatisfaction with politicians and their inexorable move to Socialism...
Jinks brought my attention to a new promotion being offered by the National Rifle Association. The NRA is now offering a free one-year trial membership.
I've been a life member for over 30 years. I joined because the NRA is one of the strongest voices in Washington, D.C., protecting the rights of all citizens. If you've ever thought about joining the NRA, here's your chance to do it and add your voice to those shouting "I'm mad as Hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!"
Click the link and sign up. And remember...
Our founding fathers intended our government to be mindful of the citizenry.
Do you own a gun?
So what are you doing about it?
Here's your chance to take a little step and express your dissatisfaction with politicians and their inexorable move to Socialism...
Jinks brought my attention to a new promotion being offered by the National Rifle Association. The NRA is now offering a free one-year trial membership.
I've been a life member for over 30 years. I joined because the NRA is one of the strongest voices in Washington, D.C., protecting the rights of all citizens. If you've ever thought about joining the NRA, here's your chance to do it and add your voice to those shouting "I'm mad as Hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!"
Click the link and sign up. And remember...
Our founding fathers intended our government to be mindful of the citizenry.
Do you own a gun?
13 May 2009
A Leaf In The Wind
I seldom hope the telephone rings, but today is an exception. Yesterday I completed working 14 of 15 days at my EMS job. Today I have two students scheduled for flight instruction. The forecast is for wind to gust from 15 to 25 with peak gusts of 35 knots in rain and thundershowers. My drive to the airport takes almost two hours, so I wouldn't be crushed if my students both call and ask, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
So I know I'm not mentally at 100%, but who is these days?
And there's more to consider here-
Both these students are rated helicopter pilots building time for their commercial rating. They're less likely to try to kill me while I teach them. Demonstrating how to fly in less-than-normal conditions will be good training for both.
The little guy on one of my shoulders is saying, "Call them and cancel. You've got lots to do here at home!" (We leave for 9 days vacation in Destin on Friday.)
On the other shoulder the little guy calmly says, "There's time to do everything you need to do. These guys will benefit from this training. And they've already been waiting more than two weeks to fly with you."
It's rained a lot here, so my lawn is out of control. Knowing the rain was coming today I mowed in the dark for an hour last night. I've still got to mow the back forty or we'll have lions and tigers and bears lurking there when we get home from vacation.
But I suspect the phone won't ring and I'll drive the two hour drive, then be subjected to being battered around in a tiny helicopter by strong, gusty winds. And my students will learn they too can handle such conditions if they know which situations to avoid.
Truth is, it's the first step that's the hardest. Once I'm on my way my head clears, I relax, and everything seems to make more sense. And I know my students need to know how to deal with difficult weather conditions, and when to put their foot down and say "Nope... not gonna do it."
It looks to be the kind of day we'll make those decisions.
So I know I'm not mentally at 100%, but who is these days?
And there's more to consider here-
Both these students are rated helicopter pilots building time for their commercial rating. They're less likely to try to kill me while I teach them. Demonstrating how to fly in less-than-normal conditions will be good training for both.
The little guy on one of my shoulders is saying, "Call them and cancel. You've got lots to do here at home!" (We leave for 9 days vacation in Destin on Friday.)
On the other shoulder the little guy calmly says, "There's time to do everything you need to do. These guys will benefit from this training. And they've already been waiting more than two weeks to fly with you."
It's rained a lot here, so my lawn is out of control. Knowing the rain was coming today I mowed in the dark for an hour last night. I've still got to mow the back forty or we'll have lions and tigers and bears lurking there when we get home from vacation.
But I suspect the phone won't ring and I'll drive the two hour drive, then be subjected to being battered around in a tiny helicopter by strong, gusty winds. And my students will learn they too can handle such conditions if they know which situations to avoid.
Truth is, it's the first step that's the hardest. Once I'm on my way my head clears, I relax, and everything seems to make more sense. And I know my students need to know how to deal with difficult weather conditions, and when to put their foot down and say "Nope... not gonna do it."
It looks to be the kind of day we'll make those decisions.
12 May 2009
Gen. McKiernan, You're Fired!
In Afghanistan, General David McKiernan is out...
LTG Stanley McChrystal is in. I've written before how the chain of command in the military is similar to most any large corporation-
If you're not good at politics, you'll not rise above a certain level.
So my first thought here was, "How did General McKiernan step on his poncho?" All sorts of things could be happening here.
Then this morning I read this post over at QandO and felt better about the change. General McChrystal is a Special Ops guy and that, in my opinion, is exactly where our focus in Afghanistan needs to be...
Special Operations.
Knowing General Petraeus is a McChrystal supporter was icing on the cake.
We gotta give credit where credit is due-
There is much about President(?) Obama that I don't like. But his almost instant change of mind about the war in Iraq infuriates the appeasers who elected him. Ya gotta delight in that. Now this change of command in Afghanistan surprises me by showing he may be listening more closely to his military advisors than I imagined he would.
Granted he's still destroying the country economically, but I have to ask...
Regarding our actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, do you think McCain would be doing any better?
I'm not so sure.
LTG Stanley McChrystal is in. I've written before how the chain of command in the military is similar to most any large corporation-
If you're not good at politics, you'll not rise above a certain level.
So my first thought here was, "How did General McKiernan step on his poncho?" All sorts of things could be happening here.
Then this morning I read this post over at QandO and felt better about the change. General McChrystal is a Special Ops guy and that, in my opinion, is exactly where our focus in Afghanistan needs to be...
Special Operations.
Knowing General Petraeus is a McChrystal supporter was icing on the cake.
We gotta give credit where credit is due-
There is much about President(?) Obama that I don't like. But his almost instant change of mind about the war in Iraq infuriates the appeasers who elected him. Ya gotta delight in that. Now this change of command in Afghanistan surprises me by showing he may be listening more closely to his military advisors than I imagined he would.
Granted he's still destroying the country economically, but I have to ask...
Regarding our actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, do you think McCain would be doing any better?
I'm not so sure.
11 May 2009
A Quick Note To Republican Leaders
Big Lose-
Bush (twice), McCain, Specter.
Big Win-
Reagan, Gingrich
Do your homework folks.
2010 is just around the corner.
Bush (twice), McCain, Specter.
Big Win-
Reagan, Gingrich
Do your homework folks.
2010 is just around the corner.
10 May 2009
Nellie
Who influenced you most?
I have no trouble answering that question at all.
It was Nellie. Nellie Mae, as a matter of fact.
Of course my Dad was also an influence. But my Dad was absent during much of my formative years. His influence on me was mostly by example...
He and Mom had difficulties, yet they handled them together.
He worked hard, both at home and away, and our family was never hungry or cold.
He was never physically abusive. Inclinations toward mental abuse were so trivial as to be unworthy of examination.
He didn't find another woman and leave my Mom to raise Sis and me.
So through his example I learned much about how to be a man.
But my Mom taught me how to be a human-
She taught me about honor.
She taught me about honesty.
She taught me to treat others as I wanted to be treated.
She taught me that reading was not only important, it could be fun.
She taught me to be curious.
And she taught me the importance of doing a job well.
I am Harlie and Nellie's son, but mostly I am a product of Nellie's gentle coaxing.
She raised two kids who have turned out to be productive, caring citizens, and she did it mostly by herself.
Happy Mother's Day Mom...
I'm proud to point you out and say "That's my Mother".
I have no trouble answering that question at all.
It was Nellie. Nellie Mae, as a matter of fact.
Of course my Dad was also an influence. But my Dad was absent during much of my formative years. His influence on me was mostly by example...
He and Mom had difficulties, yet they handled them together.
He worked hard, both at home and away, and our family was never hungry or cold.
He was never physically abusive. Inclinations toward mental abuse were so trivial as to be unworthy of examination.
He didn't find another woman and leave my Mom to raise Sis and me.
So through his example I learned much about how to be a man.
But my Mom taught me how to be a human-
She taught me about honor.
She taught me about honesty.
She taught me to treat others as I wanted to be treated.
She taught me that reading was not only important, it could be fun.
She taught me to be curious.
And she taught me the importance of doing a job well.
I am Harlie and Nellie's son, but mostly I am a product of Nellie's gentle coaxing.
She raised two kids who have turned out to be productive, caring citizens, and she did it mostly by herself.
Happy Mother's Day Mom...
I'm proud to point you out and say "That's my Mother".
09 May 2009
Life Ain't Fair
"Your patient is a 44 year old woman who fell from the standing position. She has fractures to both Tib/Fibs and to her left forearm."
What?
Fractures like this from a fall from the standing position?
How ? !
As usual, we arrive and my crew departs while I complete my shutdown procedure. Then on many occasions I actually get a better picture of what has happened to our patient when I walk in and chit-chat with family members or police outside the trauma room who were actually on scene with our patient.
But not this time...
There's no one outside her room.
When my crew wheels her out she's talking a mile-a-minute...
"I've NEVER ridden in a helicopter before!"
It's obvious she's trying to be brave but is scared to death.
"I've ridden in an airplane but never a helicopter!"
And she continues to talk about whatever comes to mind while we load her.
I start the engines and we get underway to the Trauma Center. Only then, over the intercom, do I get more of the story...
She's mentally disabled and fell at a facility that provides work for her and others like her. She is able to live alone with the money she makes at work and the funds provided by SSI. Her parents are elderly and poor and they have no car, so they cannot make the trip to meet her where we are taking her.
She'll be with strangers for quite a while when we drop her off.
Later, my crew finished with the transfer, the news gets worse...
She has bone cancer, which is the reason her bones broke. She's going to lose her left arm because it is shattered and won't heal. It's possible the same will be true of the injuries to her legs.
Damn.
I feel sorry for myself sometimes.
Today I'm ashamed of myself for forgetting how blessed I am.
What?
Fractures like this from a fall from the standing position?
How ? !
As usual, we arrive and my crew departs while I complete my shutdown procedure. Then on many occasions I actually get a better picture of what has happened to our patient when I walk in and chit-chat with family members or police outside the trauma room who were actually on scene with our patient.
But not this time...
There's no one outside her room.
When my crew wheels her out she's talking a mile-a-minute...
"I've NEVER ridden in a helicopter before!"
It's obvious she's trying to be brave but is scared to death.
"I've ridden in an airplane but never a helicopter!"
And she continues to talk about whatever comes to mind while we load her.
I start the engines and we get underway to the Trauma Center. Only then, over the intercom, do I get more of the story...
She's mentally disabled and fell at a facility that provides work for her and others like her. She is able to live alone with the money she makes at work and the funds provided by SSI. Her parents are elderly and poor and they have no car, so they cannot make the trip to meet her where we are taking her.
She'll be with strangers for quite a while when we drop her off.
Later, my crew finished with the transfer, the news gets worse...
She has bone cancer, which is the reason her bones broke. She's going to lose her left arm because it is shattered and won't heal. It's possible the same will be true of the injuries to her legs.
Damn.
I feel sorry for myself sometimes.
Today I'm ashamed of myself for forgetting how blessed I am.
08 May 2009
Denial?
I'll never forget it... the first time I saw a photo of Farrah Fawcett.
I was knocked out.
I think the pic was in "Soldier's" magazine, which had a "cheesecake" photo just inside the last page of every issue. (Wonder if that's still the case?)
She's a week younger than me, and now she's apparently at death's door due to rectal cancer.
How sad.
Too often these days we hear of someone discovering a problem and then waiting to see how it progresses before seeing a Doctor... waiting, while time is of the essence.
Too often the problem is something virulent that might have been fixed had the victim seen a Doctor immediately. Our family lost a 44 year old friend three years ago because she waited until her nipple inverted and began to release a discharge before consulting a physician. Right now we are watching a 40-ish family member fight stage four cancer with a problem she ignored too long... now she's hoping experimental drugs that have been used on very few humans will be her salvation.
I rant a lot on this blog, and I don't think ranting is much fun.
But if I touch just one of you and motivate you to do what you oughta be doin' anyway, then my ranting is worthwhile...
Don't wait.
Find something "odd about your bod" that spooks you a little?
What's it gonna hurt to have an expert check it out?
And now I'll heed my own admonishments...
Sara Jean has never had a colonoscopy. I haven't had one in ten years.
I'm scheduling them today. If you're over 50, why not do the same?
Don't wait 'til it's too late.
Let's live and laugh and blog for years to come!
Help A Confused Old Aviator-
What's FAIR about "The Fairness Doctrine"?
What's FREE about "The Employee Free Choice Act"?
Is this change I can believe in?
What's FREE about "The Employee Free Choice Act"?
Is this change I can believe in?
Obama's Misery, May 2009 Update-
How fortuitous!
The new unemployment figures of 8.9% came out after this month's misery index was posted.
So Bozama dodges a bullet this month...
Last month's index- 8.34 %.
This month's (misleading) index- 8.12%.
I'm on the edge of my seat waiting on figures post-Chrysler and GM layoffs in June.
The new unemployment figures of 8.9% came out after this month's misery index was posted.
So Bozama dodges a bullet this month...
Last month's index- 8.34 %.
This month's (misleading) index- 8.12%.
I'm on the edge of my seat waiting on figures post-Chrysler and GM layoffs in June.
06 May 2009
Cabela's- Now It's A Comedy
Via email this A.M.-
Cabela's Inc.
World's Foremost Outfitter
One Cabela Drive, Sidney, NE 69160
Dear Customer,
Unfortunately, your backordered merchandise listed below has yet to arrive from our supplier. 21-6948 REMINGTON 30 CARBINE 110GR MC AMMO W/DRY BOX 30CARB 110GR MC1000BBackorder-Tentative arrival to Cabelas 05/10/09 If you wish to keep the item(s) on backorder or if you want to cancel or change the item(s), please call our toll-free order desk at 1-800-237-4444.
If a reply is not received within 10 days, the order will be automatically cancelled. Please note that backorders are processed immediately upon receipt of stock from our suppliers and therefore it is possible that the item(s) in question may ship prior to receiving your reply.
If your original order was paid for with a credit card, no charges will be made for the cancelled item(s). If your order was paid for with a check or money order, a refund check will be issued. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Cabela's Inc. - Customer Relations
So now the goods they promised me two months ago will not be forthcoming unless I tell them once again I REALLY REALLY want to receive what I ordered?
I'm certainly glad they "sincerely apologized". An insincere apology would have been intolerable at this point!
UPDATE, 1335 hours-
I just got off the phone with Cabela's. Had a very nice conversation with Michael there. He told me ammunition sales jumped through the roof starting about September of '08. (Lemme think- What was on the horizon at that time?)
He also said representatives from Remington and Winchester have told him if they QUIT taking orders for ammunition at this time, their factories would still work 24/7 until late in 2011 just to fill orders on books now.
That explains a lot.
AN AFTERTHOUGHT,
(And note to Cabela's and other retail folks)-
1. I realize you are between a rock and a hard place here.
But indicating to me that you think you'll have my ammunition in hand on a date certain automatically elicits a "Let's see... if they get it on Tuesday, maybe I'll have it on Saturday?" response from me.
I think it would be better for you to intermittently update me with something like "We haven't forgotten you. We'll send it soon as we get it."
2. Threatening me with an order cancellation if I don't respond to you does not give me warm and fuzzies about Cabela's. I'm sure you'd like me to order from you in the future, right?
It's not good form. Don't do that.
Cabela's Inc.
World's Foremost Outfitter
One Cabela Drive, Sidney, NE 69160
Dear Customer,
Unfortunately, your backordered merchandise listed below has yet to arrive from our supplier. 21-6948 REMINGTON 30 CARBINE 110GR MC AMMO W/DRY BOX 30CARB 110GR MC1000BBackorder-Tentative arrival to Cabelas 05/10/09 If you wish to keep the item(s) on backorder or if you want to cancel or change the item(s), please call our toll-free order desk at 1-800-237-4444.
If a reply is not received within 10 days, the order will be automatically cancelled. Please note that backorders are processed immediately upon receipt of stock from our suppliers and therefore it is possible that the item(s) in question may ship prior to receiving your reply.
If your original order was paid for with a credit card, no charges will be made for the cancelled item(s). If your order was paid for with a check or money order, a refund check will be issued. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Cabela's Inc. - Customer Relations
So now the goods they promised me two months ago will not be forthcoming unless I tell them once again I REALLY REALLY want to receive what I ordered?
I'm certainly glad they "sincerely apologized". An insincere apology would have been intolerable at this point!
UPDATE, 1335 hours-
I just got off the phone with Cabela's. Had a very nice conversation with Michael there. He told me ammunition sales jumped through the roof starting about September of '08. (Lemme think- What was on the horizon at that time?)
He also said representatives from Remington and Winchester have told him if they QUIT taking orders for ammunition at this time, their factories would still work 24/7 until late in 2011 just to fill orders on books now.
That explains a lot.
AN AFTERTHOUGHT,
(And note to Cabela's and other retail folks)-
1. I realize you are between a rock and a hard place here.
But indicating to me that you think you'll have my ammunition in hand on a date certain automatically elicits a "Let's see... if they get it on Tuesday, maybe I'll have it on Saturday?" response from me.
I think it would be better for you to intermittently update me with something like "We haven't forgotten you. We'll send it soon as we get it."
2. Threatening me with an order cancellation if I don't respond to you does not give me warm and fuzzies about Cabela's. I'm sure you'd like me to order from you in the future, right?
It's not good form. Don't do that.
04 May 2009
"The Bob"
" All dog stories, though, have one thing in common.
From Where The Red Fern Grows to Ole Yeller to Marley And Me to Rescuing Sprite, in the end, all dog stories are sad.
This is a dog story."
Hat tip-Vodkapunit.
From Where The Red Fern Grows to Ole Yeller to Marley And Me to Rescuing Sprite, in the end, all dog stories are sad.
This is a dog story."
Hat tip-Vodkapunit.
(Get your tissues Mom.)
Jon Stewart Is Ignorant... Or Why This Nation May Cease To Exist.
Ronald Reagan said it, and more and more I'm seeing how true it is...
"It isn't that liberals are ignorant. It's just that they know so much that isn't true."
There's another statement we'll all agree is true, attributed in various forms to several authors...
"Those that don't know history are doomed to repeat it."
Our problem today is, most under 30 years of age don't know history. One intelligent commenter here informed me some time back that Jimmy Carter established the Federal Reserve Bank, for God's sake! It's important for those of us that actually do know a little history to remember that these kids, (and I mean no disrespect calling them kids because I'm certainly NOT a kid!), weren't born until 1979, so the only Presidents they truly have any memory of are Clinton and Bush.
The other difficulty is, they get most of their news from boneheads like Jon Stewart and Keith Olbermann.
In a recent interview on his show, Jon Stewart referred to Harry Truman as a war criminal. His reasoning? Because dropping the bomb on the Japanese was unnecessary.
(Like today's bonehead Liberals, he doesn't know the face of true evil. He thinks all Truman had to do was reason with the poor Japanese, and all those lives would have been spared.)
Stewart has since apologized and recanted his statement. I guess even today's pseudo-intelligentsia are subject to public outcry.
There's another statement we ignore at our peril...
History belongs to those writing the history books. Given the time and the right circumstances, history books would show that Hillary truly did land at Kosovo under enemy fire, and that FDR did in fact give his fireside chats over national TV!
This B.S. has gotta stop. And the only way it will stop is for those of us who know history to reveal how stupid Stewart and Olbermann really are.
I need about fifteen minutes of your life.
After these fifteen minutes you'll know why those of us that had WWII Veterans sitting across from us at the dinner table have an advantage over today's 30-somethings. These fifteen minutes will make you at once proud, and will set off the alarm in the back of your head as to how much trouble this nation truly faces. Go here and watch Bill Whittle EVISCERATE Jon Stewart, then send a link to the video to all those you love. Send it to anyone you think still has reasoning power.
Send it to those that voted for Bozama but are now having second thoughts. And if you are moved by the video, consider scrolling down to the "New Members" tab at the bottom of the page and registering...
It's free, and increasing registered members will empower those making such videos to do more.
I'm hopeful it's not too late to turn our troubled country around.
God be with us.
"It isn't that liberals are ignorant. It's just that they know so much that isn't true."
There's another statement we'll all agree is true, attributed in various forms to several authors...
"Those that don't know history are doomed to repeat it."
Our problem today is, most under 30 years of age don't know history. One intelligent commenter here informed me some time back that Jimmy Carter established the Federal Reserve Bank, for God's sake! It's important for those of us that actually do know a little history to remember that these kids, (and I mean no disrespect calling them kids because I'm certainly NOT a kid!), weren't born until 1979, so the only Presidents they truly have any memory of are Clinton and Bush.
The other difficulty is, they get most of their news from boneheads like Jon Stewart and Keith Olbermann.
In a recent interview on his show, Jon Stewart referred to Harry Truman as a war criminal. His reasoning? Because dropping the bomb on the Japanese was unnecessary.
(Like today's bonehead Liberals, he doesn't know the face of true evil. He thinks all Truman had to do was reason with the poor Japanese, and all those lives would have been spared.)
Stewart has since apologized and recanted his statement. I guess even today's pseudo-intelligentsia are subject to public outcry.
There's another statement we ignore at our peril...
History belongs to those writing the history books. Given the time and the right circumstances, history books would show that Hillary truly did land at Kosovo under enemy fire, and that FDR did in fact give his fireside chats over national TV!
This B.S. has gotta stop. And the only way it will stop is for those of us who know history to reveal how stupid Stewart and Olbermann really are.
I need about fifteen minutes of your life.
After these fifteen minutes you'll know why those of us that had WWII Veterans sitting across from us at the dinner table have an advantage over today's 30-somethings. These fifteen minutes will make you at once proud, and will set off the alarm in the back of your head as to how much trouble this nation truly faces. Go here and watch Bill Whittle EVISCERATE Jon Stewart, then send a link to the video to all those you love. Send it to anyone you think still has reasoning power.
Send it to those that voted for Bozama but are now having second thoughts. And if you are moved by the video, consider scrolling down to the "New Members" tab at the bottom of the page and registering...
It's free, and increasing registered members will empower those making such videos to do more.
I'm hopeful it's not too late to turn our troubled country around.
God be with us.
02 May 2009
Mystery Man
"...The man is a mystery. Nobody can make public his actual birth certificate, or even the particular hospital he was born in, or his college grades, or how he got into Harvard, or how he made editor of the Harvard Law Review and never wrote a single article for it. It goes on and on. He really is a Zero. I think all of you guys should find all of this out and make it known."
(How's it feel, being made fool of by "Cheese-eating surrender monkeys"? )
How far do we have to fall before we splat?
Interesting stuff.
And Andrea brings you more truth, (can you handle the truth?), via Dr. Jack Wheeler over at The Radio Patriot, complete with enlightening linkiness.
(How's it feel, being made fool of by "Cheese-eating surrender monkeys"? )
How far do we have to fall before we splat?
Interesting stuff.
And Andrea brings you more truth, (can you handle the truth?), via Dr. Jack Wheeler over at The Radio Patriot, complete with enlightening linkiness.
01 May 2009
Cabela's Update, 1 May
Still waiting.
Up to this point I've been aware of Cabela's problems and as I have shared with you here, they've been excellent about keeping me notified of progress toward getting me my ammunition.
A review:
I ordered 1,000 cartridges of .30 Caliber carbine ammo on 9 March. The first notice that delivery would be delayed came via email about 3 weeks later. The second email "delay" notice I got from them indicated they expected the hardware in their doors on 24 April.
So now a week later my ears are perked, expecting to hear the approach of the brown truck...
Nuttin'.
This afternoon I called their customer service 800 number and chatted with Lori, who answered the phone personally after one ring. You can write the rest of this yourself... "still delayed, expecting delivery now by mid-month. Would I like to cancel the order?"
And start this process all over? Ha!
I'll keep you posted.
Up to this point I've been aware of Cabela's problems and as I have shared with you here, they've been excellent about keeping me notified of progress toward getting me my ammunition.
A review:
I ordered 1,000 cartridges of .30 Caliber carbine ammo on 9 March. The first notice that delivery would be delayed came via email about 3 weeks later. The second email "delay" notice I got from them indicated they expected the hardware in their doors on 24 April.
So now a week later my ears are perked, expecting to hear the approach of the brown truck...
Nuttin'.
This afternoon I called their customer service 800 number and chatted with Lori, who answered the phone personally after one ring. You can write the rest of this yourself... "still delayed, expecting delivery now by mid-month. Would I like to cancel the order?"
And start this process all over? Ha!
I'll keep you posted.
A Puzzle-
Referring to Joe Biden on his show today , Dennis Miller is asking:
"Can you tear someone, who is one, a new one?"
I think you can, but why waste your time?
Gotta love Dennis.
"Can you tear someone, who is one, a new one?"
I think you can, but why waste your time?
Gotta love Dennis.
30 April 2009
Money Down A Rat-hole
Take $500 out of your wallet and set it on fire.
That's basically what our government just did for every man, woman, and child in the U.S. of A.
Instead of forcing Chrysler into bankruptcy months ago, we taxpayers lent them $1.5 Billion to help them over a "rough financial patch". That money was gonna be paid back with interest when Chrysler got healthy.
Ha!
We may as well have put that money into one-armed-bandits in Las Vegas.
General Motors is next.
Update:
Greybeard and Neil Cavuto are on the same wavelength.
That's basically what our government just did for every man, woman, and child in the U.S. of A.
Instead of forcing Chrysler into bankruptcy months ago, we taxpayers lent them $1.5 Billion to help them over a "rough financial patch". That money was gonna be paid back with interest when Chrysler got healthy.
Ha!
We may as well have put that money into one-armed-bandits in Las Vegas.
General Motors is next.
Update:
Greybeard and Neil Cavuto are on the same wavelength.
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