Some 21Apr16 Thoughts On the Joys of Shopping At WalMart:

Let me start by declaring I DO NOT hate WalMart.
There's no question they have run many Mom & Pop stores out of business. But do we really want to go back to "The Walton's" days where we walked down to Ike and Cora Beth's store and tried to buy fresh Zucchini? Good luck with that!
WalMart has changed the world...
Lots of variety, and almost always priced lower than the competition. (Find a lower price in an ad? Bring it to the cashier and they'll match the price.)
Disagree with me? That's fine... and I'll tell ya why later in this post.

I just finished shopping at my local Wally World. In this small town I always plan to run into several people I know and like, and plan to spend at least an hour in the store even if I only have a few items to purchase. This visit was no different... I ran into a couple people I had not seen since we left for Destin last Fall. I enjoyed running into them and caught up on all the latest small-town gossip.
But let me share some thoughts on things I almost always think while shopping at Wally World...

-Is everyone miserable? Did everyone just lose their aged Dog/Cat?
No one smiles. Well, at least no one does until you smile, say hello, and force them to quit frowning.
It sometimes feels as if the world is falling down on everyone. They walk around looking glum, with their shoulders drooping as if the weight of the world is upon them.
Yes, I know the world is a mess. But can we not at least be civil with one another and try to make lemonade outta this fiasco?

-You're driving around in that electric shopping cart with the backup warning... BEEP!, BEEP!, BEEP!
You are morbidly obese, and the last thing in the world you need to be doing is shopping while seated on your two-axhandle wide butt, manipulating the controls of a motorized vehicle. YOU'RE COMMITTING SLOW SUICIDE.
Stand on your own two feet. If necessary, start out by using your walker, (with attached shopping basket!)
But DO SOME EXERCISE.
Then you can go home and eat those yodels and Donettes!
Providing those carts makes WalMart codependent, making it easy for gluttons to support their "Food as drug" habit.
And what's also amazing? Even while silently puttering around in their carts, these obese folks don't smile. (I guess slow-suicide will do that to you.)

WalMart shopping completed, I went to our local grocery. On Thursdays they provide a 10% discount to
active duty/retired/Veterans. (On Tuesdays they give "Seniors" a 10% discount.)
What's more... they have a butcher on duty to answer questions and serve your needs. I try to do as much business with this store as possible, to keep Wally World honest. Employees in this store try HARDER. Customers here seem happier. There are no codependent carts for customers. And this butcher KNOWS GOOD MEAT.

It's been an interesting, thought-provoking shopping day.
Thank GOD for the free market... or what today could be called the ALMOST free market!
And yes, I found my fresh Zucchini.

Random Thoughts, Spring, 2016

We're home from Destin, safely, after spending the better part of five months there.
When you go to the trouble of closing up your primary home, and spend the extra $$$$ to avoid the snow/ice/cold in the "Great White North", one of the things you do is tune in "The Weather Channel" to see if your expenditure is worthwhile, (and see how your neighbors are faring back home).
Weather in the panhandle of Florida this year was NOT dramatically different from the weather back home, so gloating over calls to friends was kept to a minimum. Still there's just nothing quite like watching the surf lap against snow-white sand while dolphins swim through your picture window!

On our departure day, (Saturday), we had the truck packed with two Motor Scooters and all our personal possessions by 1 P.M., said our goodbyes to Florida neighbors, and headed Northbound. Our journey home takes us through Montgomery and Birmingham Alabama, and Nashville Tennessee.
I'm always concerned about traffic in those cities because an accident on the Interstate highway can make you a prisoner in your vehicle.
This trip home was an absolute disaster-
We experienced a slowdown South of Birmingham, so I detoured to U.S. 31 around the city. Trying to insure traffic would dissipate, we even stopped for dinner just north of B-ham. Back on the concrete slab, we almost immediately slowed to a near stop.
At 11 P.M. just south of Nashville we again topped a hill and saw four lanes of Interstate full of red tail lights. We inched forward at less than walking speed, covering two miles in two hours, gagging in the exhaust being produced by hundreds of cars and trucks. As we passed the accident site it was obvious to me someone was probably assuming ambient temperature-
The collision was so violent the tractor-trailer's front axle was lying twenty feet in front of what was left of the donor vehicle.
We finally arrived home at 0500 hours, exhausted, sixteen hours after setting off.

We've pretty much learned what to expect when we get home:
Digital clocks will be flashing "12:00".
Many light bulbs will die in a flash of glory when you first turn lamps on.
You wake the first morning home and look around trying to figure out where you are.
It takes two days to get all your "stuff" in its proper place, and even then you have to stop to think "is that pair of scissors in the Destin drawer or the back-home drawer?"
But the trees are greening and some flowers are blooming. Soon it will be time to get tomatoes, green peppers, corn, and other tasty things in the ground.

We're glad to be home.

More (And Bigger) Is Better?

Yeah, it's time to admit I'm suffering from a disease.
But like other addicts I CAN and DO rationalize it to myself.
Let me try, and you can shoot holes in my thought process-

We've been here in Destin for the Winter.
All of our grocery shopping is done within three miles.
When we need a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk, we have to start the car/truck and drive about five minutes to do that. Isn't that the absolute WORST thing you can do to a vehicle?

For years we've watched as visitors zip by on the beach road on rented 50cc scooters, throttle opened wide to the point of bending the handlebars, going all of 35-40 miles per hour. Invariably they are smiling, laughing, and generally shouting at others on similar scooters.
The epiphany came to me-
Virtually ALL the trips I'm making to buy a dozen eggs could be made on one of these scooters, saving the wear and tear of waking the big Cummins diesel engine from a sleep and not quite warming it to operating temperature with the trip to buy a few needed items.
So we bought a used Taotao 50cc scooter, and I am now one of those desperately trying to avoid getting bugs in my teeth as I race to the grocery.
And I mean that...
After three months of use if the thing assumed the "dying cockroach" position tomorrow I'd still feel we have gotten our money's worth from the little Chinese Bugger.

But there IS a fly in the ointment.
At 40 mph, if I tried to get out on one of the highways... say to drive over to Ft. Walton Beach to go to Harbor Freight Tools, (make your Tim Allen sounds here), I'd be illegal and dangerous to myself and others.

Some years back my sister bought a 500cc Kymco scooter to drive to/from work and has gotten good utility from the machine. She even bragged about being able to out-accelerate her son on his Harley-Davidson to about 60 mph, even though his machine has more than twice the displacement.
I'm sure her scoot will probably go close to 90 mph.
I don't need that kind of performance... all I need is to be safe on highways where the speed limit is 55 mph.

So I did some research and found that 150cc scooters similar to my little Taotao will go almost 60, and they are quite reasonable in price.
That's what I need.

Now here is where the picture gets a little cloudy-
I rode the little 50cc machine to get a gallon of milk this week. After buying the milk I looked up and down the street and saw the sign... "Coastal Custom Cruisers".
They rent bicycles and Motor Scooters to folks visiting the beach.
I thought, "What would it hurt to pop in and talk to them?"

I walked in and met "Cameron".
"Do you by any chance have a used 150cc scooter for sale?"
Cameron smiled. I think he knew he "had me at Hello."
"Follow me, I have something to show you."
In the back room it sat... black, and strangely wonderful. It looks just like the one you see pictured above.
Italian engineering. 250cc's. I've been fascinated with 'em since I first saw one in magazines.
It's called an MP3. The last time Blog friend Cary and I climbed high up to Tortilla Flat in Arizona we followed a lady riding one of these up the mountain... she had no trouble at all staying in front of us.

"What year is it. How many miles. And how much?" I asked.
The number Cameron gave me was a shock.
"We have the machine on consignment" he said.
"Let me go home and check the Blue Book" I responded.
And when I checked, the "low retail" value was over $1000 more than the asking price, and this machine is NOT "low retail".
I bought the strange three-wheeler the next morning.

I spent much of the day on it yesterday.
It will go faster than I want to go on any scooter, two OR three wheels.
It's smooth-running, substantial feeling, and will be fine for two-up riding to Ft. Walton Beach, or for that matter, on the Interstate highways.
Cameron promises to help me load the MP3 AND the little 50cc Taotao into the bed of the Ram Diesel when we depart Destin the end of this month.

And now comes the hard part... my admission to "addiction"-
There are five motorcycles in my "hangar" already. Now when we get home there will be seven.
The 50cc Taotao has been an education and has served its purpose, so it's gone. The older GoldWing needs to go. The newer GoldWing stays.
That leaves the Valkyrie, the Moto Guzzi, and the BMW R80RT.
How do I decide which to part with?

This "Junkie" is already having trouble with withdrawal symptoms!

Blood Politics

"You could NEVER do that", my wife said... (and she was correct).
We just watched Clarence Thomas' wife being interviewed on Glenn Beck's radio/TV show. She was talking about how amazing it was that Antonin Scalia had such a close relationship with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, two people about as far apart on the political spectrum as you can get.

My response?
"Blood on their hands!"
Hillary Clinton AND Barack Obama watched, on a live feed (LIVE!!) from Benghazi, as four people who worked for them were attacked and killed... and did NOTHING.
Worse, they then lied to cover their tracks for political benefit.

I am still in touch with folks in the military, many of whom are involved with Special Ops.
Some of those folks are dying because of poor political leadership.
If you are an Obama supporter... if you are a Clinton supporter, I'd just as soon try to beat you up as have a relationship with you.
Some of my friends are DYING. You have blood on your hands.

Antonin Scalia was smarter than me.
But I'm not sure his political tactics make the world a better place.

Still, I have to admit that Scalia beating little Ruth up would have been a bad move.
But the image it gives me makes me smile.
And I don't think progressives have any idea what they face in the future if we continue down this path.

Annus Bisextus

"Leap" into it!

T-RUMP

"Mitt Romney, who was one of the dumbest and worst candidates in the history of Republican politics, is now pushing me on tax returns. Dope!"
Donald Trump

Since that statement, Donald has said his tax returns are "complex".
This is an excuse for not releasing them?
Seems to me, if they truly are that complex, releasing them now would give examiners more time to pore over them and agree he has nothing to hide.
Conversely, stalling about their release a few days will give him time to garner more votes toward wrapping up the nomination.
So STALL DONALD, STALL.

I don't like his use of profanity. It's unbefitting.
I don't like his support of abortion and using my tax money to fund Planned Parenthood.
I HATE the fact he thinks he can steal property from little old ladies to enrich himself.
And I REALLY don't like the fact he thinks having a ton of money makes him smarter than the rest of us.

Pray.
Pray for enlightenment.

Frank Underwood

I've written before about my concerns-
Retirement has NOT turned out the way I thought it would.
Don't get me wrong now by thinking I'm unhappy. I'm not. But I AM adjusting to change, and probably will continue to adjust 'til I assume ambient temperature.

One of the things I did not foresee is how much TV we're watching.
We've always been avid news-watchers. That hasn't changed. What HAS changed is how much other worthwhile TV we have time to watch now that work no longer consumes so much of our allotted time.

Almost immediately after I walked away from EMS we went to visit our son in Phoenix.
He has a VAST library of films and TV series on file.
"I have something I want you to watch" he said. "I'm SURE you two will enjoy it."
He then poked up Season One, Episode One of "Breaking Bad".
The first hour was... okay. The second hour... meh.
During the third hour we began to realize we cared about the characters.
And then it was like heroin, (or should I say, perfectly turquoise Crystal Meth?)...
For the next several days we watched three or four hours per night until we viewed the last episode.
62 of 'em!!!
And what's REALLY scary?
We wanted more.

Since "BB", thanks to another friend's recommendation, we've watched all available episodes of "Hell On Wheels". (Warning... although we've enjoyed the show, it is NOT historically correct. Search engines are your friend.)
As Hitchcock fans, we've also watched and enjoyed all of "Bates Motel."

But now, thanks again to our son, we've purchased a "Roku 2" device and, at his suggestion, have begun to watch "House of Cards".
Hooked?
Let me warn you...
It MAY be better if you DON'T start watching until after all this political silliness is over, January of next year.
Every time I watch the news now I'm thinking of Frank and Claire.

Question:
For those of you, like us, who anxiously await the release of Season Four on 4March...
Who do YOU think Frank and Claire Underwood are modeled after?

"It's How The System Is Supposed To Work".

Bork.
Bork.
Bork.
Bork.
Bork...

That's how the system HAS worked in the past.
It's the best way for it to work today.

Tao Tao

It's almost three months now since I bought little "Harley".
I've learned a great deal in the short time I've owned him. The gas gauge read "full" when I bought the machine. Now, three months later, it's finally reached the "1/4" mark. I think the tank holds a little more than a gallon of fuel, so the 100 mpg claims for these machines is probably close to true.

Anyone riding on two wheels has probably heard the statement, "It's more fun to ride a slow machine fast than to ride a fast machine slow". There's no question that's true for me. With the wind at my back I have seen 41 mph on this little scoot, and felt like I was doing something slightly insane.

With storage beneath the seat, storage in the little topcase, and the ability to secure plastic bags on a hook behind the front fairing/beneath the handlebars, I can make a trip anytime to the grocery and buy the necessities... milk/eggs/bread/wine.
Starting a cold engine is the worst thing you can do to it wear-wise. Little Harley has saved me a dozen four-wheeled trips in the short time we've owned him, saving us wear and tear and gasoline on the "cage".

There ARE some limitations that we've learned from little Harley:
Obviously, if the speed limit exceeds 40, you need to avoid that street.

I look like a monkey grappling with a football on the little scoot. Try to imagine what Sara Jean and I look like when we're two-up on the thing!

When the thermometer dips below 45 or, as frequently happens here in the Florida panhandle, it rains, I'm not macho enough to saddle Harley up for errands.

Not a limitation but an observation:
A CVT transmission may be efficient and easy, but the buzziness of this scoot is an irritation. (Part of that is due to the fact that I'm riding wide-open much of the time!) The lever on the left handlebar is the FRONT brake. I'm now wondering if I'll have "negative transfer" learning when I get back on motorcycles. (Doubt it, but we'll see.)

Fifty Cubic Centimeters is fine for an area where everything you need is within five miles or so. But we frequently make jaunts 11 miles or so to Ft. Walton/Ft. Walton Beach which requires us to use U.S. 98, where the speed limit is 65 mph. Having a scoot capable of cruising at least 60 mph would make that journey possible, and a larger scooter would be more comfortable with Sara Jean aboard.
So I see a larger scooter in our future. What's "big enough"?
A 150cc machine would get the job done, (barely), but would a 200/250cc be better? (And keep me from having to trade up right away?)

Anyway, Harley has been an education.
He's also been a lot of fun.
If the insects were flying here in Dec/Jan/Feb, they'd be stuck in my teeth!

Blue Lights On The Beach

That's different...
At about 1930 hours last night I saw a Sheriff's Department truck slowly traversing the beach from West to East with its emergency lights illuminated. Ten minutes later he came back, course reversed.
Thirty minutes later a small boat came from the West, blue lights flashing.
Somethin's up... a drowning?

Then the airshow started.
A Coast Guard Dolphin helicopter flew along the beach, low and SLOW, then reversed course.
Another S.D. truck passed by on the strand, blue lights blinking.
And then "WOW... what's that noise? That sounds a lot like a BK117". No, it's an Air Force V-22 Osprey with rotors in helicopter mode, also low and slow, moving from West to East. We notice the two rotors give off a blue-green glow at the rotor tips. Do they have L.E.D.'s out there?
Soon a Robinson R44 joined the search, landing/taxi light illuminated and someone in the left front seat shining a very powerful portable searchlight at the surf.

This activity continued until just before midnight. The V-22 hovering by made me wonder if there had been some sort of military training accident.

I recorded the early news this morning to see if answers would be provided.
This is what we learned.

Dateline: Hampton, Georgia

I can walk through two doors and put my hands on a UH-1.
Sitting next to that Huey are two AH-1 Cobras. Step through a clear plastic barrier designed to keep heat in one part of this big hangar, and feast your eyes on two more Hueys, two more Cobras, an OH-58, and an O-1 BirdDog.
Think I'm in heaven here? :)

I spent the day yesterday attaching covers to the many inspection panels on a Huey just coming out of a major inspection. Having completed that job several of us installed all the canvas seats in the cargo compartment of the aircraft. All of this was harder than I expected, and made me realize I should have thanked my maintenance personnel for the good work they did MUCH more often than I did.

Ground schooling finished and written tests all complete, tomorrow I take what they here call the "Nickel Ride" to show the folks that keep these neat old birds flying I'm not a total idiot at the controls. It's my first step to getting completely qualified to fly the machines from one point to another. Eventually I'll be at the controls when we buckle folks willing to pay for the experience of actually flying in this Viet Nam icon into the rear to take them for a spin.
It's exciting.

There are 11 guys in this class.
Other than the instructor I'm the only guy in the class that flew this machine in combat.
We're ALL having a ball, working hard... playing hard.

I'll give ya an after-action report soon as I come down off this "high".

3 Feb 16- Open Letter From Destin, Florida:

Sometimes you get something in your head and it won't go away until you tell someone about it and clear it out-
If I asked you to "hum a few bars" of "The 59th Street Bridge Song", you might look at me cross-eyed and think you don't know it. But I bet you'd be mistaken!

We've now been here three months, minus the three weeks over Christmas and New Year's that we spent with our son in Phoenix. Weather here has been palatable, but except for a few "brass monkey" days weather back home has been pretty decent too. The view out our picture window here, however, makes the extra expense of being here more than worthwhile.

Update on "Little Harley"-
It HAS turned out to be a perfect little errand vehicle. Bread, milk, a dozen eggs, and a 2-liter bottle of soda? Most of that will fit beneath the seat. Really small stuff will fit in the topcase.
Need more room? There's a hook on the front leg shield behind the handlebars to accommodate a plastic grocery bag... between your legs.
I'm still having a ball riding the little sucker. Last week my GPS indicated I actually hit 41 mph with a slight tailwind. I have not yet had to refuel... three months and the fuel gauge is just now hitting the quarter-full mark, so the "100 miles per gallon" estimation is probably pretty close.
My only complaint with it? I have to be careful to plan my trips across town and stay on the feeder streets because of the scoot's speed limitations. The little bike has been an education...
Next year I'll trade Little Harley for a 150cc machine so I can ride to Ft. Walton Beach and move with traffic. (More room for Sara Jean on the back, too.)

Tomorrow I depart for Atlanta.
I'll be spending a few days there putting in "sweat equity" with the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation in hopes of getting current in the UH-1 Huey, and eventually the AH-1G Cobra.
Several of us back home have a dream of taking a couple surplus Bell helicopters and making them flyable so we can do demonstration flights at Veteran's events and fly-ins.
I'll keep you posted on progress... this weekend and in the future.

We are blessed.
I had a birthday last week and I've decided to emulate Jack Benny...
I'll be "Holding" at this age. I don't like the sound of any additional birthdays!

Be safe and well everyone.

Big Brother Loves You

I'm pedaling fast as I can to get away from the "trouble".
To get to safety it sure would be nice to know how far, and which direction to pedal.
But even experts are confused. How the heck do you and I prepare?

Let me pose a hypothetical scenario-
Our president decides to follow FDR's "solution" from the 1930's and issues an executive order:
"It is now illegal to own precious metal coins or bullion. Turn in all your Gold and Silver".
Would you comply?
What if our government mandated all of a certain class of people had to be interred in concentration camps...
Would a chunk of our fellow citizens smile and march willingly into camps?
In today's world, I don't think so.

I think we really are entering uncharted waters.
If you're getting as queasy as I am, do yourself a favor and try to digest this article. Read the comments too.

Water.
Food.
Shelter.
Some form of "currency" for trade.
And enough guns and ammunition to defend you and yours.
Be prepared, or be a victim.

We are going to see it today.
If you are sick and tired of lies and corruption, you should too.

Zucchini

Once again I find I'm disgusted with myself.
I'm very nearly as heavy as I've been in my life.
When I reach this point, I take drastic measures-
I (we) resort to "The Sacred Heart Soup Diet". (Lazy this morning... you'll have to google it.)

This diet works for us. We both lose 10 pounds in one week when we adhere to it.
We've modified the diet in this way...
We add more vegetables, figuring that more variety and more color add vitamins, minerals, texture, eye appeal, and fiber. We add cabbage, yellow squash, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and zucchini.

Yesterday I went shopping for soup ingredients and found everything I needed... EXCEPT the zukes.
I'm looking at a produce section with all we've come to expect... apples, oranges, onions, spuds, etc. in the section that does not require refrigeration. I'm also reviewing a "cool" produce section about 40 feet in length with all sorts of green, red, orange, and yellow stuff that gets "spritzed" down with cool water every few minutes.
I find NO zukes.
And I'm slightly pissed.
Where the heck are the zucchinis?!!

I ask an "associate"...
"We don't have any right now".
Frustrating.
And then it hits me like a 2X4 upside the head...
Unbelievable!

I live in a world where people stand for HOURS, hoping there will still be a loaf of bread available  by the time they reach the head of the line to purchase one, and I'm upset there are no zucchinis available to add to the thirteen other veggies I'm gonna add to my soup.
(And I'm at least 25 pounds overweight.)
God forgive me, please.
I/we are SO blessed.

Now, where is the arugula?

Natural Born Citizen

Something I wish someone would ask-
What is the difference between a "citizen", and a "Natural Born Citizen", and why did the Founding Fathers use the latter term as regards eligibility to be president?

Our Tombstone, AZ Visit:

26 Dec 15-
We drove South to Fort Huachuca, AZ the night before our visit. On the Post, not a creature was stirring, not even the mice. It was obvious most of the troops based there were home for the holidays.
Reservations I made a week earlier were upgraded to suites at no cost to us. We were in tall cotton.

We woke Sunday the 27th and ate the "free" breakfast, then got on the road to Tombstone just before Noon. Temp was about 50 F., but the sun was shining and there was no wind, so we were comfy in light jackets.

Yeah, it's a "tourist trap". Sara Jean and I both commented how much Tombstone felt like Skagway, Alaska... lots of junk to sell to rubes, much of it made in China. Unlike Skagway, the main street was blocked to vehicle traffic (other than those pulled by horses), so pedestrians can freely walk the boardwalks and cross from one side of the street to the other without fear of being clobbered.

Research indicated the thing we needed to do first was to see the "Historama", a combined movie and diorama telling the history of Tombstone. For $10 you can buy a packet of tickets including the Historama, the re-enactment of the Gunfight at the OK Corral, and a replica of the "Tombstone Epitaph" newspaper devoted to the gunfight and the testimonies given at the following trial.
The packet was worth the cost.

We learned a few things at the Historama-
Obviously, silver attracted prospectors to Tombstone. Those prospectors needed supplies and entertainment. "Entertainment" to a man coming in from the mines with his pockets full of silver means wine/women/song and gambling. The town grew exponentially when word of the silver strike went public.

Fire destroyed much of the town twice, but so much money was flowing out of Tombstone the damaged areas were quickly rebuilt. But fire finally defeated the town in an odd way...
The mines struck water at a certain point and HUGE pumps were needed to keep the water at bay so the silver could be extracted. One of the big pumps caught fire and was destroyed and all the mines filled with water. There are still tons of silver down there waiting to be mined, but the price of silver will have to soar before it will be worthwhile to pump the water out to mine it.
(That day may come soon.)

The first thing the folks at the Historama want you to know is that the Kurt Russell movie is a bunch of hooey. The "Cowboys" didn't wear easily identifiable red sashes.
But one thing about Hollywood's version of the town is true... it was difficult to differentiate the Good Guys from the Bad Guys. Doc Holiday and the Earps were making a fortune from gambling interests, and that was maybe their main reason for keeping Tombstone relatively safe for folks to walk the streets.

About the gunfight-
It DID NOT happen at the OK Corral.
The actual altercation happened on Fremont St. between 3rd and 4th streets. When news spread of the fight news outlets wanted to know where it happened. "Near the OK Corral" was the response.

Testimony from the living participants is interesting to read. The following is my opinion based solely on my gut from reading the different descriptions:
The Clantons and McLowrys were bad dudes... horse and cattle thieves. Their gang, the "Cowboys" was a thorn in the Earps and Holiday's side. Over time, MUCH bad blood developed between them.
The night before the big gunfight Holiday and Ike Clanton had a heated verbal meeting. I think Doc Holiday made the decision then that something had to be done.
The next day that chance to do "something" presented itself...
There were reports that the Cowboys were carrying arms, in defiance of town ordinances. Virgil, Wyatt, Morgan, and Doc Holiday intended to disarm these men. From testimony it seems pretty obvious that (drunk and sick with not much to lose) Doc Holiday fired the first shot. Ike Clanton was not armed. Tom McLowry was apparently shot trying to remove his rifle from the scabbard carried on his horse. He was NOT carrying a sidearm.

The other thing that surprised me that I had never heard before reading the "Epitaph"?
"Billy the Kid" was there.
According to his testimony, when the shooting commenced he wisely laid on the ground and watched, having no "dog in the fight".

The area around Tombstone is beautiful. It's an hour South of Tucson, about three hours South of Phoenix. It's a nice drive and a fun place.
I recommend it.

That 3 A.M. Phone Call

Back when we had a "hard-line" phone, you could at least pray it was a wrong number.
Cell phones have narrowed that likelihood to nearly zero.
Now when that little irritator wakes you, your heartrate doubles as you reach for it.

Sara Jean had run her phone completely dead, so it was OFF and being charged downstairs.
He tried to call her phone three times before he dialed me up.
I ALWAYS leave my phone downstairs because she ALWAYS has her phone upstairs within arm's reach. That's how we found ourselves with both devices downstairs.

0300 hours. My phone rang.
I knew it was my phone because my ring tone is Guns and Roses "Sweet Child of Mine".
Drowsy, I ignored it.
It stopped ringing, then IMMEDIATELY rang again.
Again, I ignored it.
When it instantly rang again I rolled outta the sack and went downstairs to grab it. (See "heartrate" comment above).
"Dad, I wrecked the bike."
Okay, now I'm AWAKE. Thankfully, he doesn't sound like he's in a great deal of pain...
"Are you hurt?"
"I'm a little banged up, but nothing serious."
He was riding tired. He needed gas. It was dark. He misjudged the entryway to the gas station and hit a curb a glancing blow. He high-sided. He's worried about how I'll react to the fact the new Yamaha Super Tenere is lying on its right side, wounded, with oil dripping out of the engine.


"I'm about two miles from home. Would it be safe to ride that distance?"
I felt like a Doctor being asked to diagnose an illness over the phone.
"Absolutely not. Park it. Find a way home. We'll deal with this tomorrow after a good night's sleep."

I was worried the engine block was cracked. As it turned out, he had holed the clutch cover on the engine... still a $$$$$ repair, but nowhere near the cost of repairing/replacing the engine.
For my son, the worst part was the time it took the dealership to make the repair.

Fast forward to this week-
We're here in Phoenix visiting him.
He mounted the now slightly dinged/scratched Super Ten to go to work.
Fifteen minutes later Sara Jean's phone rang...
"I've been involved in an accident".

He's okay.
He stopped to allow a Fire Engine to proceed through an intersection. The 17-year old girl in the new Mustang behind him had her stereo blaring and didn't hear the siren... saw the stopped motorcycle too late. Slamming on her brakes, she thankfully was only going about 5 mph when she rear-ended him and sent him flying.
The bike is now dinged in the rear and on the opposite side from his first incident. It's really beginning to look like an "off-road" motorcycle.

We thank God he's not seriously hurt.
But that's two "incidents" in three months now.
Our thoughts are, naturally, "Should he be on two wheels?"
He's 32. I'm not at all sure he'd quit motorcycling no matter how much we cajoled.
It's his decision.
He's the one with the aches and pains this morning.

Headline Writing

Okay, I'm a little fuzzy this morning, so bear with me.
Check out two headlines from "Drudgereport":

"Number of Journalists Killed Balloons to 110 This Year"...
"Emergency room visits from distracted walking skyrocket"

Why are journalists killing these poor balloons?
And how is it "distracted walking skyrockets" are being allowed to enter our emergency rooms?

Dateline: Fort Huachuca, Arizona

People move here to escape cold weather, don't they?
It was 24 degrees F when we woke this morning. (Cold enough to freeze a Winnebago, for you "Muppets Family Christmas" fans.)
We spent the night here on Ft. H. with the intent of checking off one of my "Bucket List" items today-
We're going to Tombstone.

Yep... I'm your huckleberry!

Christmas, 2015

We are in Phoenix.
The idea of a "White Christmas" here is ridiculous.
As a matter of fact, weather here makes it hard to realize today's date is 25December.

But our family is all under one roof.
I am grateful I don't have to spend this day with a second family, waiting for the telephone to ring because another family is having the worst day of their life and needs the services of me and my medical crew.

If you are still here, reading, know this...
I am grateful for you.
You probably share MOST of my thoughts and prayers.
God Bless you and yours.
It's my wish that you finish this day with a smile that, added to all the other smiles and laughter, makes your cheekbone muscles ache.

This is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad therein.

The Stuff You Learn When You're Curious

Without access to cable or satellite TV here, we've been watching a lot of broadcast TV.
This morning we watched an episode of the old "Hazel" show.
I always had a crush on beautiful "Mrs. B.", an actress named Whitney Blake.
When I delved a little into her biography I got quite a surprise... she was older than I thought.
And... she's the Mother of actress Meredith Baxter!

Movies. Movies. Movies.

An 80-inch HDTV viewed from a distance of six feet may as well be a movie screen.
Our son has a wall where such an electronic monster exists. We've now been in Phoenix 3 days and our time here has been spent making good use of this big sucker.

Our son LOVES movies.
At 0100 hours last Saturday night he was in a local theater watching the latest "Star Wars" offering. Sara Jean and I have discussed his love of movies and attribute it to Saturday nights almost thirty years ago...
At 9 P.M. our local PBS station would air a program called "Movie Theater", hosted by a professor at our local University.  The movies shown would be old black and whites from the 30's and 40's. Similar to what Robert Osborne does on TCM today, the professor would give us an idea of the storyline; who the actors were and what was going on in their lives at the time of production; any difficulties making the film; and other bits of trivia to make watching the movie more interesting and those of us watching more informed.

Our son was five.
Our family of three looked forward to "Movie Theater" on Saturday night.
At about ten minutes to nine we'd bring our bowl of popcorn or chips and salsa to the Master bedroom and we'd line up, Sara Jean, our son, me, backs against the headboard of the Queen-size bed, covers pulled up over our laps, to watch whatever the Professor had to offer.
Today we all remember those nights fondly. (And I frequently brag about how our five year old son learned to love HOT salsa with his tortilla chips!)
Imagine now... you've got "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" all leaning against the headboard, either dipping chips or grabbin' a handful of popcorn, snug and warm, watching and enjoying some old film together as a family.
Grand.

Last night we watched Hitchcock's "Rear Window".
The night before, we watched "Whiplash", which I recommend HIGHLY, and "Rudderless", which I also can recommend.
Sometime this week my son wants to watch the mini-series "Band of Brothers" with me.
He's never seen it.
After we see all episodes of B of B he wants to watch "The Best Years of Our Lives" with his Old Man.
We'll build some more grand memories.

What a kid.

OH Canada!

Apparently Canada now has its own Barry Soetoro.
Winston Churchill, where are you when we need you desperately?

"I Don't Know All The Facts"...

I, alias "Greybeard", knew enough facts at this point to understand that we as a people, and our Law Enforcement personnel specifically, were in BIG trouble.
Black lives mattered from the outset, didn't they?

Some 14DEC15 Thoughts-

Yesterday we drove from Destin back home in just under 12 hours to clean up the property and prepare for our flight to spend Christmas/New Year's with our son in Arizona. When I think of our forebears moving across this land in Conestoga wagons I'm amazed...
During the complete trip we were warm, dry, seated comfortably, and had access to Sirius/XM radio the entire journey. We stopped twice for eats, once for fuel. Wonderful.
It was still warm enough when we arrived to open up windows and get some fresh air in this house.
It was then I realized, when the wind blows strong, the noise it makes passing through the bare trees sounds a great deal like the ocean crashing against the shore.

I had a couple thoughts during my drive-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope and Change... we now know that Hillary lies with the best of 'em.
It's a little easier to understand how Germany got into the fix they were in in the mid-1930's when you consider almost half our voting citizens would vote for a consummate liar.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Donald Trump has never indicated how he will make Mexico pay for "The Wall", and no media-type has forced the question.
Why?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don't care for Trump. Would I vote for him if he's the candidate?
Consider this: Would any of the present candidates, (Hillary included), do more damage than Bozo? (Yes, I'd vote for Trump.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do Muslims shop at "Piggly Wiggly"?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Are women REALLY that out of touch with reality? Why are they not absolutely RAVING about the growing threat of Islam in the world?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your turn. Teach me sumpin '.

Darth Trump Fields The REALLY Tough Questions:

Borrowed from BZ.

The "Mini Harley"-

In past Winters we've had two different motorcycles here in Destin... The old R80RT BMW and the '89 GoldWing. Both were rusty messes when we headed back North in Spring. There simply is no way to keep the saltwater spray from attacking them.
There is a small back porch/patio on this unit. It's too small to comfortably cover either of the motorcycles.

We sit on our balcony and watch as rental scooters whine by all day. Most of these little bikes are of the 50cc variety, screaming by as renters have throttles "wide open" and the little bikes reach all of 41 mph, getting almost 100 miles per gallon.
And the thought finally hit me:
Most of our shopping here is within a 10 minute drive. It's actually damaging to the Dodge/Cummins diesel truck to run such a short distance. If I could buy a small scooter I could do virtually all our shopping on the thing.

So I looked on eBay and was surprised.
Most of the offerings there were a little more than I wanted to pay. It was then I realized one of our neighbors at home has a 49cc Yamaha that sits in his unheated garage all Winter long.
I called him:
"Hey, would you consider renting your Scoot to me for the Winter?"
My thought was that I'd pay him $200/monthly or so to cover wear and tear on his machine.
He agreed to let me use the scooter, but balked at the idea of my paying him anything.
I'm uncomfortable not paying to use the machine. Heck, I'm uncomfortable just borrowing it.
He's uncomfortable charging me anything for the machine when he wouldn't be using it during the Winter anyway.
We were both uncomfortable.

Sara Jean and I went for a walk in the opposite direction we normally go.
About a mile away from home we passed the scooter rental place and saw the bike you see above, sans the rear topcase, for sale. It was marked for sale at $475. "We need to check that out", she said.
So in I went to talk with the proprietor.

"I have some new topcases to put on it if you'd like" he said.
"Throw one in at the $475 price and you've got a deal", said I.
And he offered his hand for me to shake.
It fits EASILY on the back patio.

Now I make my way to buy a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread at the screaming speed of 41 mph.
And there's a smile on my face the entire way.

Christians Have It EASY ! Muslims Have It HARD !

We need to try and understand why Muslims are so angry.
The only time they seem to smile and dance is when others are dying.
I think I finally understand why.
Let's consider the difference in "Operator's Manuals"-

My instruction book tells me:
1. That God loves everyone equally.
2. To understand and acknowledge why Christ was born, died, and rose from death.
3. To love him.
4. To love my fellow man, even my enemies.

The Muslim instruction manual tells them:
1. There are two kinds of people- Believers, and INFIDELS.
2. Believers should convert infidels.
3. If infidels refuse to convert, believers must:
    a. Tax them.
    b. Enslave them.
    c. Kill them. (And the preferred method of killing is removing the head from the torso.)

Considering the above, I think it's easy to understand why Muslims always seem angry.
Let's introduce them to OUR instruction manual.

For Music Lovers Only:

Some years ago, George Harrison was sued because the first three notes of "My Sweet Lord" were similar to "The Chiffon's" "He's so fine".
Harrison lost that suit and had to pay. I thought it was ridiculous. With that in mind, check this out...
This is a "new" tune:



Compare that now to this tune from MY youth:



Sounds like the same tune to me!

True Hypocrisy:

Last year's New York Times wisdom.

THIS YEAR'S New York Times "wisdom".

How stupid do these people think we are?
(That's rhetorical, of course.)

Sitting

I'm in my "spot".
It's a reclining chair. From here I have a good view of the TV, slightly to one side of the sliding glass doors that overlook the Gulf of Mexico. Today the water is like "Lake Destin". Two days ago the water was like the "Wicked Witch of the West". It's an interesting, constantly changing picture. (Sometimes dolphins spoil our view.)

Retirement...
This has NOT turned out as I thought it would, (although I have to admit, I had NO idea what to expect.)
I didn't realize the DVR would end up being "Master" of our lives.
We record STUFF, then feel obligated to watch what we've recorded.

I started to title this post "The Curse of The DVR" in honor of the new show "The Curse of Oak Island" now showing on the "History Channel", which is one of the shows we record weekly.
Daily we record, "Fox and Friends First" so that with our first cuppa we can get News/Weather/Sports.
We also daily record "Special Report" on FOX News. Add to that a daily dose of "The O'Reilly Factor".
NASCAR is done until next year. So is MotoGP. And Formula One. So those are no longer being recorded. I stopped recording "The Twilight Zone" because we've seen ALL the episodes six times. I'm still recording Alfred Hitchcock because now and then we see one we don't remember having seen.
But now, let's talk about "Turner Classic Movies"!
Even there we've seen most of the "A" list offerings. Now we're beginning to record stuff we haven't seen that MIGHT be worthwhile.
Last week, for some reason, they showed a bunch of "underground/resistance" movies filmed during WWII that were almost straight "Allied" propaganda.
If you're like me, considering what's going on in our world today, you cry like a baby when you see this stuff... realizing how much our world has changed... how much our fellow man has changed.
I've said before...
We've now gone from the "Greatest Generation" to the "Me-Me-Me" generation in 70 years.
And-
The world is a lesser place.

I sit in this recliner enjoying my view, with my pistol within arm's reach.
I'm still angry.
But watching old movies on TCM gives me HOPE for CHANGE.

I know there are a TON of folks out there reading that agree.
Give me your thoughts, PLEASE.

These Are Not The Droids You Are Looking For.

Why do I feel this urge to cling to my guns and BIBLE?

My Truth. Your Truth.

Even lefties are now having to admit the truth about Rosa Parks.
I feel sorry for them. Their heads may explode.
Lefty hero Woodrow Wilson is under attack at Princeton.
Tree-hugging Margaret Sanger is exposed
Now if we can just insure voters are aware of  the TRUTH about Hillary.

I know...
"Don't confuse me with facts, I've already made up my mind."

Gun Control-

I think I have a resolution to our "Gun Control" problem.
Let's compare the areas having the biggest problem with guns, and the areas with the least.
Then let's pass the laws similar to those with the least gun problems in the areas with the worst.
Problem solved.
(I vote for the Swiss solution.)

I'm Still A "Fly By Night" Kinda Guy!

"How would you like to make $100 for about 15 minutes work?" he asked.
My poor math skills immediately went to work-
Fifteen minutes... a hundred dollars. That's $400 an hour, isn't it!?
"What's the job?"
"Flying an R22 with a night sign. You'll be proposing marriage to a gal on the ground."
"Wonderful! Where do I sign up?"

I had met the owner last year. The pilots who normally do this job were home visiting relatives for Thanksgiving.
"What are the restrictions with this system?"
"If you don't exceed 75 knots, you won't even know it's attached to the helicopter."

I had to get night current, so my total time added up to 45 minutes of night time.
The only tense moment I had was, flying right over the beach, starting a turn toward the Gulf and realizing I wasn't in my own aircraft...
No artificial horizon, it was BLACK out there. I stopped and reversed my turn where there were lights to identify my attitude.

Neat job. New experience.
Great to be back out flying at night.
And, best of all...
She said YES!

On this Thanksgiving Day, My Family IS Blessed.

I know I'm one of the fortunate ones.
LONG ago I realized... I'M RICH.
You probably are too.
Does that make you happy?
It should.

If, when you've paid your bills, you have money left over to spend on things you WANT...
You are probably in that 1% of the world's population, income-wise.

Don't envy Donald Trump.
I suspect he's not really a happy camper.

Hug your wife.
Hug your kids.
Eat too much.
Watch something on your big flat screen TV.
And be happy.

Yes, the world's a mess.
But... where ON EARTH would you rather be?

Thank you Lord.
Guide our leaders.
Be with us and guide us, too.

Yes, I Know I'm Angry.

And I guess it IS a problem.
But... how do I correct it if it seems to be an "un-problem" to me?

She said, "Greybeard, I'm worried about you.
And I'm not the only one... there are others worried about you."
She's talking about my anger. And I understand.
My problem is, others don't try to see the world through my eyes.
So, if you can, try to see how the world looks to me:

It all started back in '08 when it was obvious Hillary wouldn't be the dem nominee.
I already knew more than most about this young, attractive, powerfully speaking upstart.
Living in Illinois, I had watched him win the scandalous election for U.S. Senator after some POWERFUL but corrupt individual had (illegally) released information about
the divorce of Jeri and (U.S. Senatorial candidate) Jack Ryan. I watched as the republican party scrambled to find a suitable candidate to replace Ryan on the ballot, then watched as Alan Keyes made a hash of his campaign.
Dirty, dirty politics... normal for the state governed by "Chicago Style" politics.
I shrugged my shoulders and accepted.

But Obama had only served as U.S. Senator from Illinois a short while when, suddenly, he became a candidate for president of the United States.
He had a poor record as State Senator.
Information on his life, to include his birth certificate, his passport, his undergraduate college records, his graduate college records, and his tenure as editor of the Harvard Law Review... all vanished. Rather than take a stand, he voted "present" on virtually all controversial bills.


But I had faith all would be well.
I grew up in Indiana. I was surrounded by grounded, thinking, solid citizens there.
This will work out... Obama has NO chance of winning because voters will see through this carnival.
In front of others I even began to mock him, saying his name in the most quiet, reverent way I could.
Hadn't Oprah called him "The Messiah"?

I put too much faith in young voters.
Here at "Pitchpull" a young med student calling himself "Flightfire" and a guy studying to be an aircraft mechanic... "Rodolfo", began forcefully commenting in favor of electing "The One".
No rational argument could dissuade them.
Logic?
"Don't try to convince me with facts. I've already made up my mind!"
I was stupid. I did not realize how much Bush Derangement Syndrome had affected my country.

So Obama was elected.
Oh well. It IS historical. He DID campaign on uniting the nation.
Maybe he'll surprise me.

Yeah, he has surprised me. But voters have surprised me even more. Obama runs for re-election and wins? How is that possible?

Against my will I found myself in the U.S. Army in 1966.
I decided to make lemonade out of lemons.
When I took the oath to support and defend the Constitution I had tears in my eyes. I meant every word. I still take that oath seriously, and will until I no longer draw breath.

So, through my eyes, try to imagine how it felt to go to war, be repeatedly shot at, (one round missing my face literally by six inches), and come home to watch my war be lost by politicians.
Through my eyes, try to imagine what it's like to watch the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the land decide which laws he'll enforce and which he won't.
Through my eyes, try to imagine how I feel when, as a former Deputy Sheriff, I watch as the leader of the land announced "The cops acted stupidly".
I'm in despair.
Why am I in despair?
My government is letting us down. My country is dying. Why?
Because my fellow citizens were stupid. They willingly voted for a "Pig in a Poke".

And MY biggest problem is that I know who to blame.
I actually was called a racist by some of these idiots because I disagreed with Obama's policies...
Policies I KNEW at the time would lead to the terrible situation we now find ourselves in.
What should I do? What can I do?
I have, to the extent I can, removed myself from them.

If you want, how do you come back within my "circle of wagons"?
Is it too much to ask for an apology for calling me a racist... for voting in a way that's destroying our country?
Millions of my fellow Veterans are, (let me be nice), ANGRY.
Maybe a little self-flagellation on your part would suffice?!

ANGER...
I just hope we get adult leadership soon. I hope that some REAL leader can say the magic words that help us avoid a Civil War in my beloved country.
God be with us.

Poor Bozama

I'm waiting on the Hollande/Obama press conference to start.
It will be interesting to see if Obama blames our failures on Bush, or on Global Cooling/Global Warming/Climate Change/"Weather Weirding".
Place your bets ladies and gentlemen.

Have The Scales Fallen From Their Eyes?

When (the worst president in my lifetime) Jimmy Carter criticizes your foreign policy, and ABC News has the stones to report it, you might need to think about changing course.
(Or don't, and make the elections next November REALLY interesting.)

Obama Vs. Cruz?

Let's get ready to RUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMBBBBBBBLLLLLE!

Reserve a venue. Put gloves on 'em. Donate the proceeds to charity.
Who'd win?

Egyptian Analysis

I'd "LOL", but I'm too angry, frustrated, and depressed:

Turkey is a member of NATO.
At a soccer match there yesterday spectators booed when asked to participate in a "moment of silence for Paris", then, in unison, chanted "Allahu Akhbar".
I'm yearning for someone smarter than me to reassure me this is nothing to worry about-
Our world IS NOT falling apart around us.
So, reassure me.

More here.
Be prepared, or be a victim.

"We'll Simply Have More Babies Than You."

Denial.
This video was removed from YouTube because of "Copyright Infringement".
What "all-powerful Wizard" doesn't want you to see it?

My hope?
We'll have front-row seats to watch what is going in in France, Sweden, Germany, Greece, etc., and will have time to prepare before the violence starts here.

Be prepared, or be a victim.

Choose Your Heroes Carefully

Where you get your news and information DOES make a difference!

Unleash the Bubbas.

This demonstration happened in the Dartmouth school library while true learners were trying to study.
The "Bubba Effect" is ridiculed in this wiki entry.

With Paris in mind...
With University of Missouri in mind...
With Ferguson in mind...
With "the Police acted stupidly", or "ISIS is contained" in mind...
Are you, like me, proud to be a "Bubba"?

I fear the stupid "intelligent" people are about to reap the whirlwind.

"MODERATE Muslims"?

My Holy Book tells me-
To love my Lord.
To love my neighbor.
To love my enemy.

What does your Holy Book tell you?

With that in mind, educate me:
What is a "Moderate Muslim"?

Presidential Wisdom-

"We have contained them."
"No challenge poses a greater threat to our future than climate change.”

Brilliance, from "Choom".
We voted for this.
Now we're suffering the consequences.

Brave New World

I'm not at all sure I'd be brave enough.
I think I know how I'd respond, but even Peter failed the test, didn't he?
"Are you a Christian?" (The question is asked with a pistol to your head.)
If you've not read the post "I support the troops" beneath this one, go read it now.
The above question... also comes down to "What are your principles?", doesn't it?
What's important in your life? Skin color? Economic status? Political party? Defending those in your Foxhole, or in your unit?
We are a divided nation. Our spoiled children think of the world in terms of "How will this affect me?".
We've (collectively) failed our kids by allowing them to think the world revolves around them.

Family?
Well, "The Walton's" was fiction, wasn't it?
Government is now our supplier and protector... until it can no longer handle that job.
And when that happens, what then?
I'll tell you this-
The Peggy Josephs of the world will be desperately trying to find a way to feed their children, even if it means stealing from you to do it.

Be prepared,
or be a victim.

"Iwo Jima: From Combat to Comrades"

I recorded this last night and watched it today.
All I can say is... WOW.
Veterans of the battle from both sides met on the Island and shared their experiences.
It will be rebroadcast on PBS here Tuesday morning at 0400 hours. Your mileage may vary, so check your local listings.
If you cannot record it, watch the YouTube version above.
It's amazing to compare today's youth with the young "Greatest Generation".
Fair warning...
Keep the tissues handy.

I Support The Troops!

Okay, so I'm confused.
You support the troops, but also support today's political environment that puts our troop's lives more at risk?
(Do you honestly believe putting 50 Special Forces operators in Syria is gonna win the war?)
Tell me how.

Please, if you are saying "I support the troops" out of one side of your mouth...
Did you buy a new GM or Chrysler automobile?
Where are your principles?

Do you do business with AARP?
Where are your principles?

Do you plan to go see the new Quentin Tarantino movie?
Where are your principles?

We live in Bizarro World.
I guess in order to stick to your principles, you first have to have 'em.
But you need to be aware how your lack of principles is helping destroy the country.

Mr. Bankston

My sophomore year in High School I had a teacher I liked a lot, named Mr. Bankston.
Mr. Bankston was a history teacher. He taught the subject, which had always bored me to tears, in a way that at least made me think how it connected to the way I was living.
He was from Texas, and he was a bit of a character. Trying to impact our personal lives, he'd frequently get off on tangents about how to drive safely, how to act in such a way as to avoid trouble, and how to FIGHT if trouble was unavoidable.

I can remember one thing about his advice on fighting to this day...
"If you get into a streetfight and you're losing, you'll end up fighting dirty.
Why not start out that way? At best it will shorten the fight. At worst, at least you'll get your licks in early."
Agree or disagree?
I think our nation today would be better off taking Mr. B's advice.

I'm now watching the last of my recordings of Ken Burn's "The Civil War", which includes General Sherman's infamous "March to the sea".
William Tecumseh Sherman had the attitude that if you wanted to shorten the war, you needed to make war as unbearable as possible. That meant denying the enemy the civilian support they needed to continue prosecuting the conflict. There are still those who will argue Sherman's actions were inhumane.
I'm sure Mr. Bankston would disagree.

We are now engaged in a war against Muslims.
Our enemy feels no shame in lining up 200 Syrian children and machine-gunning them.
They feel no compunction against taking 35 Christians to the banks of the Mediterranean and beheading them.
They're using Sherman's tactics.

At some point we'll realize we're in a streetfight.
We're now losing that fight.


"War is all Hell" said William Tecumseh Sherman.
I'd argue it's not yet ENOUGH Hell for Isis.

We need adult leadership.
And we need an electorate that isn't a bunch of pussies.

Goodbye Glen, and Thank You.

CNN ran the movie about Glen Campbell's battle with Alzheimer's disease again Saturday night.
I cried like a baby.
If you have personal experience with the disease this song is beautiful, and heartwrenching.

Here's Lookin' At You, Kid.

A couple weeks ago a friend saw a news report about a lady that had entered a bathroom with her child.
The lady's kid was intelligent... curious.
"Mommy, what's that?"
When the lady investigated she found a camera pointed at the commode.
Law enforcement was called. Arrests were made.

The report obviously made a serious impact on my friend. She now does her own reconnaissance every time she enters a restroom. Good thing too-
At a shop she regularly frequents she asked to use the "facilities".
"Just a moment" the owner responded, and, as if to insure they were suitable for her use, momentarily went into that space.
When he came out she noticed he had not flushed the toilet... hadn't washed his hands.
So the first thing she did upon entering was look under the sink.
There, camouflaged behind a sheet of cardboard, was a cell phone- video mode activated.
She hesitated a moment wondering what she should do, then, wisely, used her own phone to take a photo of the hidden camera. She then reached down and pulled the phone from its attachment and inserted it into her purse, opened the restroom door, and walked out of the shop.

The shop owner followed her out the door...
"Please. I have a wife and kids. Can I please have my phone back?"
"No."
On her own cell phone she dialed the police.
At this point the shop owner grabs for her purse. A struggle for the purse ensues, resulting in my friend being pushed onto her back into a thicket as the owner succeeded in retrieving his phone. He immediately begins to DELETE, DELETE, DELETE.

The police arrive fifteen minutes later.
After viewing her photo of the hidden camera, the shop owner is arrested.
My friend is slightly bruised, scratched, stressed, but not seriously hurt, thank God.
She's also mentally shaken.

As she told us the story the realization came to me-
Do we have a right to privacy? Absolutely.
But cameras these days have been downsized to the point you WILL NOT be able to see many of them by bending down and taking a look beneath the adjacent sink.
We might have a RIGHT to privacy, but I think we must realize our true expectation of privacy is going the way of the Dodo Bird.

I now behave as if I am ALWAYS being watched.
Sadly, that may be true.

Screaming Sasquatch!

This is "Jack Link's Beef Jerky's" "Screaming Sasquatch"
It performed yesterday at Pensacola Naval Air Station's "Blue Angels" homecoming.
And it did something I have NEVER seen an airplane do-
He climbed vertically and "hovered" the airplane at about 2000' AGL.
Then, from that point, he added power and ACCELERATED VERTICALLY!
(Watch at just after the 8:00 point in the  video.)
A 1920's airplane with added modern-day technology.
Amazing.

(Another good video about the airplane here.)

To Sleep, Perchance To Dream?

Sleep... nap, really.
Wake, and my mind goes ninety miles an hour.
Sleep an hour or so more.
Wake, look at the clock, stagger to the bathroom.
Back to bed... rest and wait for sleep to return.
Repeat this cycle a couple times each night.

I think part of the problem is lack of activity.
We spend much of the day watching news, then stuff we've recorded on the DVR. The only real exercise we get is on our two-mile walks, which have been interrupted lately by lots of rain.

An article on "healthy sleep" that I read yesterday also reminded me that drinking Diet Coke all day gives me a decent dose of caffeine.
I'll switch to caffeine free.
I'd hate to think my days of  "sleeping like a baby" are gone forever.

Suggestions?

Intelligence?

I said, (with tongue firmly in cheek),
"People smarter than you and me got us into this mess".
He said, (something to the effect), "I doubt they're smarter than you".
Facebook.
Smart people, on the same page, attacking one another.

Bye-Bye Facebook!

I'm now sitting about forty feet from where I sat when I started "Pitchpull" a little over ten years ago.
Destin, Florida.

I've been unfaithful.
I've neglected the Blog now for over a year.
I now know how Don Quixote SHOULD have felt. Ol' Don assumed he was doin' good things.
But the rest of the world thought he was a fool.
I'm tired of shouting from the rooftops.
I'm tired of posting stuff on Facebook that eventually comes true because no one else cares.
My cardiovascular system needs a vacation in Destin.

My Facebook account will stay open, but this is the last time you'll see anything on my page.
I'm returning to Old Faithful, where at least I can easily go back and show how idiots like "Rodolfo" and "Flightfire" voted for poison.
(Remember them, Pitchpullers? :>) )

Deep breath.
I'm goin' to the balcony. It's 80 degrees with a few clouds today.
I feel good.
I hope you do too.
Leave a comment at "Pitchpull" and I'll respond.

The Cruise, Part II

The best laid of plans-
Sara Jean LOVES purses.
She has a collection of 'em hanging on the door of the guest bedroom...
Coach. Dooney and Burke. Kathy Van Zieland. Bruce Whatever'isname is.
When you open that door, it's heavy enough to make you look at what is causing the considerable effort to open it.
There's a LOT of money hanging back there.

I don't know which brand the purse she took with her on the cruise had placarded on its innards, but it was a BIG one. So, since I was pulling two fairly large suitcases as we departed our truck to get on the light rail system, I handed my NEW Nikon digital camera to her to put into her purse for safe-keeping. Obviously, we wanted to take LOTS of pics of Eagles, Whales, Bears, and interesting fellow travelers.
Protecting the camera was of utmost importance.
We boarded the train, sighed in relief, and sat back to relax and enjoy the ride to the airport.

About 10 minutes into the trip I noticed the sign:
"The weekend of 20-21 June, repairs will be underway at *********** station. Shuttle buses will be provided for passengers continuing to the airport."
And so it was. At the designated station we had to disembark the train and board the airport shuttle.

"UH-OH" I heard my beloved say.
(Uh-oh nearly ALWAYS costs me money.)
I turned to look at her. She held up her LARGE purse to show the line about two inches from the bottom where the water bottle she had also placed in the purse had leaked and soaked everything aboard...
My camera included.

ADVENTURE!
I LOVE traveling.
It's the getting to and from it that irritates me.
(The trials will continue in Part III.)

The Cruise, Part I

It was my first cruise, her second. Because of her previous experience we decided not to skimp.
The cost initially took my breath away. Then I looked at the big picture-
Great quarters with an AMAZING view.
Food. Food! FOOD!
Live performances nightly in the Princess Theater.
A chance to see Eagles, Whales, Bears, and Serbians up close. (Our waitress was an attractive Serb.)
Add to that the fact we'd be traveling over 2000 miles by a vehicle as nice as any hotel I've ever stayed in...
The reason for the cost came into clearer, less scary view.
Still, it was a chunkachange.

We were packed. All my stuff was in half a suitcase.
Her stuff occupied the other half of my bag and two more (larger) pieces of luggage. In our years together I've resigned myself to the fact that being beautiful takes work dedication, and artistry. She makes me proud.

The night before departure we carried Lucy to our friend's house where, for just over a week, she will be treated as well, maybe better, than she would be pampered at home.

I slept fitfully.
"Have I dotted all the I's and crossed all the "T's"?"
In order to get on the ship, several links in a chain have to hold strong:
-We have to get to the Light Rail Train on time.
-The Train has to get us to the airport on time.
-Our airplane(s) have to remain airworthy and our flight(s) have to depart and arrive reasonably on time. (We had a connection in Denver).
-The Hotel room I reserved for the night before departure has to be ready for occupation.
-A taxi then has to get us to the ship on time.
WOW.
That's a LOT of "ifs", isn't it?

But I had scheduled everything with ample time margins, and it all fell into place as planned.
Departure morning dawned clear and warmer than normal, and with a free "La Quinta" breakfast in our bellies we climbed into the ubiquitous Toyota Prius taxi for the 20 minute trip to Seattle's Pier 91.
Here we GO!

Thirteen

True story:
It's a simple math exercise...
The sum of eight and five is thirteen.
To get that answer, you need to put three into the "units" column, and carry one into the "tens" column.
You need the remedial math to understand my (admittedly lame) story.

I was nine.
The guy that owned the local hardware store was a personal acquaintance. He drove a truck, and his dog ran alongside him, following him everywhere he went.
One day the dog somehow got beneath the wheels of the truck and his right rear leg was crushed so badly the Vet had to amputate it.
In an amazingly short period of time the dog learned to function almost normally without that leg, once again running alongside the hardware store owner's truck.

We named that dog "Thirteen".
It was an expert at "putting down three and carrying one".
And in spite of his name, we actually thought he was pretty lucky.

Don't Touch That!

Neighbor calls...
"Does your new car have a dipstick to check your automatic transmission fluid?"
"Sure" I answered.
I was wrong.

He had taken his new car in to have its initial checkup performed. Before he left the dealership he read the paperwork to see what work they had done.
"Check transmission fluid" and "Check power steering fluid" were not checked on the checklist.
"Why didn't you check those?" he asked.
Their answer surprised him...
"The steering is electric. There is no fluid. There is no way to check the transmission fluid. When the transmission warning light comes on, come back and we'll do the necessary maintenance."

I opened the hood to our new Taurus. Sure enough, the only dipstick I see is to check the engine oil.
The owner's manual reinforces what his dealer told him...
Got a problem with the car?
Take it back to the dealer for service.

Wow.
How things have changed, huh?

"Now Hiring"

We've been walking a lot here.
We first noticed it at the "Wendy's" we walked to-
"Help wanted. All positions."

The next day we walked to "Del Taco". On the front door was a sign- "Now Hiring".

A little later we ate at "Golden Corral".
Wait... don't get ahead of me now!
But you're right.

And it's not just the fast food joints.
The Home Depot just down the block is also begging for help.

So guess how we handle the "Homeless. Two kids. Will work for food." folks standing on the corner near the "San Tan Village" mall?
We ignore them. Then we wonder if it would do any good to inform them of the MANY employment opportunities available if they'd just open their eyes.

No. Of course not.
They're too happy getting the equivalent of $61,000 in government benefits while adding to that any money they can mooch while standing on the corner with a sign.

What have we become?