The Border Situation

Four years ago we cruised across the Atlantic from New York to Lisbon, Portugal with a few stops along the way.
Neat trip.

We departed Lisbon to drive to Gibraltar. I was surprised to find the border between Portugal and Spain was unmanned. If you weren't paying close attention you wouldn't notice you had crossed from a Portuguese speaking country to one speaking Spanish. No lines. No mass of people.

I've been thinking about why there are thousands and thousands of people amassed at our Southern border desperate to enter the U.S.A., and the most obvious reason is economic.
People are leaving "garbage" countries to come where there is more money and a better quality of life.

I think the quality of life in Portugal and Spain is relatively equal, so there's no reason to leave one for the other.
And that points out how to resolve our problem here-
Equalize everything about the U.S. and the countries these folks are fleeing.

So as soon as the U.S. is equal to Venezuela, and we become a garbage country, the rush to cross our border will cease.
With the amount of traffic down there now that should happen pretty quickly.

Estar Preparado.

I HATE "Can't".

In our little community I had this friend named Dennis. He was a couple years older than me.
Dennis had a problem... he had a newspaper route. His family was moving, and he had to find someone to take the route from him.

I had tagged along with Dennis on the paper route a couple times. Dennis was a generous kid...
He always had a "jingle in his pockets" and when I accompanied him delivering papers he always bought me a candy bar and a soda.
I liked that.
I wanted to be Dennis.

"Can I take Dennis's paper route?" I asked my parents.
I was 10. They were worried. The Regional Manager of the Newspaper was unsure.
No question, I could remember where the customers were and deliver their newspapers. BUT... what about the money side of things?
When collecting for a week's worth of newspapers, could I make change without making mistakes?
I proved I could. I delivered "The Indianapolis News" (which no longer exists) for four years.
And always had a "jingle" in my pockets.
I even saved enough along the way to buy my first motor scooter when I was 12. (Law Enforcement in our area ignored the 12 year old delivering newspapers on a motor vehicle!)

My parents encouraged me.
The Regional Manager encouraged me.
And that set me on the "Positive Mental Attitude" (PMA) course.

Thomas Edison failed a LOT.
And in failure he learned what DID NOT work. Using that knowledge, he kept moving, trying, failing, until he began to see things that worked better and better until he succeeded.

Looking at the world today I am dismayed. I think we are more and more fearful of failure.
"That won't work."
"I can't do that."
If you tell yourself you can't, you won't even start, and therefore you're right- YOU CAN'T!

It's the Elon Musk's of today that are succeeding and getting rich.
Try. Fail. Try again.
If you fail, learn from they experience. Learning is a good thing. Like Elon, try again and again until you succeed.
Your PMA will rub off on others, making their world AND YOURS a better place.

Be Elon Musk.
And surround yourself by people with "PMA".
You'll be richer... maybe even beyond your wildest dreams.

Military Reunions II

Where do I start?
Let's start here-

For YEARS I thought I was unaffected by my Viet Nam experience. Heck, I had returned to "Life in the World" with few complications
(I thought). And then in '95 one of my Huey Crew Chiefs called and asked me to come to a Unit reunion. I hesitated. "I don't want to spend time with a bunch of guys crying in their beer, still living in 1969."
"No... you'll enjoy it, I PROMISE" says he. It was in Dallas. I have family there, so I figured if I was upset with what was going on I could just spend time with my kin.
But I was surprised. We had a great time. We laughed. We listened. And I must admit, we cried a little.
All good.

My wife, 10 years my junior, learned much about her husband (also her older brother who was a Marine VN Veteran).
Good too.

I mostly let my buddies talk. She also sat quietly and listened to the stories my fellow Vets were telling.
She heard, "You mean he's still alive?! His legs were gone when we loaded him onto the helicopter!"
This kind of conversation is why these reunions are so important.
It is THERAPY of the best sort... at little cost.

And now our Viet Nam Vets are dying at a similar rate to what we heard about our WWII Veterans 20 or so years ago. Which means these reunions are doubly important for those of us still healthy enough to attend, (and some NOT so healthy).

IF you are a Combat Veteran, DO get together with your fellow Warriors, even if you are reluctant.
You may not think you need the therapy, but you may be wrong.
And remember there are others that need someone to listen to what they experienced.
Your attentive listening may prevent a tragedy.

That's Doc Greybeard's advice.
No charge.

Military Reunions

 I'm writing this from Columbus, Georgia where I'm attending a reunion of graduates of Officer's Candidate School. These reunions are therapy for me. I'm surrounded by like-minded people who had similar life experiences 50+ years ago. We're VERY comfortable with one another so conversation flows freely, and is sometimes compelling.

To get here I entered the address of the hotel into the GPS and followed "Carmen the Garmin's" instructions. She did a great job.
Some several miles North of Columbus I ruefully smiled:
"Columbus, Ft. Benning... next exit."
With our new social conscience that sign, and MANY others around Columbus will be changed.
Fort Bragg. Fort Rucker. Fort Lee. Fort Hood. And how many other BIG road signs will be coming down?
At what cost?

But we'll all feel better, right?
RIGHT?

Well, It's a Good START To Your Collection:

 

The Coming Democrat Primary:

"But whatever you say about RFK Jr., he never drowned a woman, like his uncle. He never crippled one, like his brother. He never raped an underage babysitter, like another of his brothers. He’s never been accused of raping a woman, like one of his cousins, or beating a teenaged neighbor girl to death with a golf club, like another of his cousins.

Come to think of it, his opponent for the Democratic nomination, Joe Biden, has been accused of rape, by his former aide Tara Reade. And unlike Biden, none of Bobby’s daughters have ever written in their diaries that Daddy used to take long showers with them when they were 11 years old."
Howie Carr

This campaign will be mighty rough for "Average Joe". Republicans will enjoy it; democrats will squirm.

Pop the popcorn.

Anheuser Busch's Dilemma

 

I moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1974. The guy that lived in the apartment above mine owned the roofing company that had re-roofed the Anheuser-Busch brewery.
"Hey Greybeard... Come with me. I'm gonna inspect the work my crews have done at the brewery and we can drink all the beer we want while we're there."
At that time, (no longer), there were coolers of draft beer strategically placed throughout the brewery and workers could drink all the cold beer they wanted. Contractors could too.
We became "tipsy" roof inspectors.

We met one of the brewmasters and I got to ask a question I had been curious about-
"How do you make 'Light Beer?'"

"Basically we just add distilled water to it" was his response.
I stopped drinking Light Beer at that point. If I want Light Beer I'll add my own water, thank you.

This kerfuffle about the brand will be interesting to watch.
In my opinion, A/B has backed themselves into a corner with their customers-
Can they apologize? If they don't, they're gonna take a huge hit in sales. (Just ask "Kid Rock"!)
If they do, they'll lose the Trans community, and the apology probably will now fall on deaf ears to the customers that have been loyal to the brand.

Coca Cola realized their mistake with "New Coke" and changed course.
I don't think that will be possible for Anheuser Busch.

Once Upon A Time, This Was Farce:

I'm now surprised that it's still available on YouTube !

Jacoby

My wife was born and raised in Chicago. Her family still lives there... NOT actually in the City, but in various suburbs. When we chat with them they assure us they feel safe in their cocoons.
"Nimby" stuff.
A dozen or so kids die in the city every weekend. "Not my problem... all that stuff is happening several miles away"... in The Zoo-
Chicago's Southside.

And then comes the mass shooting in Nashville, and those same people get all up in arms about gun problems.
And I shake my head.
Yes, there is a problem. But the reason these kids are dying goes WAY deeper than just guns.
And government is at the heart of the trouble.

We don't have the time to discuss ALL the "Whys".
And we probably wouldn't agree anyway. Lefties "have my mind made up. Don't confuse me with facts."
SEVENTY PERCENT of Black babies are born to single Mothers. So those kids have no Father figure in their lives ready to tie a knot in their ass when they misbehave while growing up. They go out and find a "family" gang and that group establishes their value system.
And why does this problem exist? Our Government pays these Mothers to have babies!

We already know this 28-year old in Tennessee had a confused upbringing.
Just how "confused"? We'll find out when we learn more about the manifesto She/He left before killing a bunch of innocent Christians.
But still there is now outrage because our legislators are doing nothing about "assault weapons".
And "Jacoby" in Chicago will go out this weekend and shoot up a bunch of Chicago Southsiders.

How did Jacoby get his gun?
If you take Jacoby's gun away from him, how long will it take for him to find another?
What legislation would stop Jacoby from being an angry thug, capable of killing his fellow man at the drop of a hat?

Our world is angry.
Can we find a way to fix that?
I have an idea the left WILL NOT LIKE-
WWJD?
Let's learn.

Gun Violence Solution-

My bride is not only "movie star beautiful", she is also smart.
She has a solution to all this gun control controversy...
At birth, cut off baby's thumbs.
With no thumbs, no gun or rifle can be cradled with enough force to pull a trigger.
(Or just abort 'em. Aborted babies don't kill people.)

No charge for this "think tank" brilliance, folks.

Beauty.

On more than a few occasions I have been swept off my feet by a beautiful face.
The image above is just one example.
Can you identify her?

Anger. 10March23

She'll be angry if she knows I posted this, (so keep it to yerself).
I have a hiatal hernia. Sometimes, particularly when I'm eating fowl or fish, I swallow and that food makes it about halfway to my stomach.
It ain't comfortable. Sometimes the situation requires I excuse myself to the bathroom. (I'll leave it at that.)

Yesterday my beautiful bride brought me a Quesadilla made of turkey, cheddar cheese, and a light squirt of yellow mustard. It tasted great. BUT... About halfway through finishing the thing I had a "stoppage". And the fact I was uncomfortable caused Lewy Body Dementia to take control of my wife.

She got upset that the meal she fixed me caused me discomfort. MY discomfort made me less tolerant of her upset condition. Once again I forgot that at times the person that looks like my bride... is no longer the wife I married. I'm now married to this disease.
My problem is that I have not yet learned how to defuse the situation. And yesterday I failed completely.
Sigh.

Change DOES NOT come easily for me.
But for me to remain sane...
To care for her in the best way possible...
Major change is gonna have to happen.

If prayer comes comfortably to you, pray for me and all who are dealing with dementia and other terrible health issues.
Thank you.

Dominoes?

 Hope for the best. Plan for the worst. Silicon Bank in California just filed for bankruptcy-

We are on THIN ice.

Mother Nature's Pruning

We live on 2-1/2 acres with an adjoining 5-acre pond. We love our neighbors and MOST of the time love our homestead.
Until the wind picks up.
On our property you'll find Maples, Oaks, Paperbark Birch, Hickory and one Pecan tree. When the wind blows, as it has recently, Mother Nature does a natural pruning of the trees, especially the Maples.

It's been quite windy recently, so last week I decided to clean up the mess Mom Nature left for us. We have a "Burn Pile" down near the pond and I move the downed branches there. Weather permitting we let our neighbors know we'll be setting the pile afire and invite them to come roast weiners and burn marshmallows.
An hour into my cleanup task I realized a couple things:
I'm no longer a 27 year old, and-
I've got to get off my butt and resume walking again ASAP.

As we've said many times before- this "aging" business is no fun at all.

Big Brother Loves You-

BIG PHARMA wants nothing but the be$t for you. (Take your meds.)
Big government wants nothing but the be$t for you. (Vote for Joe!)
Pay NO ATTENTION to the man behind the curtain. He has your best interest at heart.

Bear.

Our neighbor..Two doors down.
On our daily walks we'd have to stop at his fenced-in yard and "give a little love" to this dog-
A 100+ pound walking mass of "give me some attention" canine named "Bear".
He wanted "some" attention, but after a few ear scratches and some "whatagoodboys!" he would have enough of that and wander away.
This was an almost daily experience.

BIG dogs live, on average, about 10 years... 12, IF you are fortunate.
Bear is 14.
And tomorrow, he will be no more. Our neighbor has resigned himself that Bear's quality of life is just not there.

Tonight we went over to say our goodbyes. Bear paced the floor... he cannot get comfortable. He begs to go outside, then begs to come back in after a few minutes.
Several times while we watched- his back legs gave out on him and his butt hit the floor.
Trying to comfort his owner we assured him-
"Yes, you're making the right decision".
I cry...And feel somewhat stupid that I'm crying.
This isn't even MY dog. But it IS a friend of sorts.

Many times I have commented that we invite these fellow living creatures into our lives knowing from the outset that in 10-15 years we will suffer heartbreak that will make us miserable.
And still we do it- because the positives SO FAR outweigh the negatives!
Bear has been a now-and-then bright spot in our life.

And we will miss him.
 

AMC Theaters and Graduated Pricing-

My family went to see "Elvis" during a matinee showtime at an AMC theater about a month ago.
Great movie. Recommended, even if you are not an Elvis Presley fan.
There was one other person in the theater other than my bride, son, and myself. We obviously had our pick of any seat we wanted from which to watch the movie.

Now the powers-that-be at AMC are discussing applying "graduated pricing" at their theaters...
Seats in the middle of the auditorium will be priced higher than seats in the front rows, and maybe seats way back in the back?

Questions-
-Will you pay a premium price to sit in the middle of the theater?
-If you enter an empty theater having paid the lower price for "undesirable" seats, will you sit anywhere you darn well please?
-Will ushers become "enforcement personnel" and demand you prove you are sitting in the seat you paid for even if the room is virtually empty?
-Is this idea more or less likely to make you want to watch a movie in an AMC theater?

If AMC management is trying to increase profitability, I'm not sure this will play out as they imagine.

Trump's Financial Statements

I made the mistake of dialing NPR on my FM dial this morning only to hear a lawyer discussing the investigation into "Corrupt" president Trump. The DONALD apparently paid Porn actress "Stormy Daniels" $130,000 to keep her mouth shut. Yeah, he's a dirtbag.
So they are going over Trump's Business records with a fine-tooth comb.
Good.

Now I just hope these same folks delve into Brandon's financial statements from ALL his private businesses.
Oh, wait...
Nevermind!

Old Friends; New Friends

I may be the outlier.
I'm still in touch (via this magical invention we're now using) with the neighbor I played Cowboys and Indians with 70 years ago. And I'm glad.
...High School Classmates have seeped out of life's fissures.
Several of the guys I rubbed elbows with in Officer's Candidate School still pretty regularly converse with one another. These guys all meet at now-and-then reunions and hug one another without embarrassment.
Flight School buddies... Fellow Viet Nam Vets... similar situation.
On my search engine I frequently enter names of old girlfriends, friends, and acquaintances that have had an impact on my life. This is how I found (and was shocked by) my first wife's obituary.
My point is if you've been an important part of my life in the past, chances are I'd probably like to find out what has happened to you since we were last in physical contact.
So I admit to cruising FaceBook now and then, trying to find old friends... male AND female.

What am I noticing?
Something that should have been obvious, but took a 2X4 to my left temple to sink in...
Not everyone has the desire to stay connected with their past as I do. To some, I'm a considerable pest.
And that is simultaneously a revelation and disappointment. It requires a "reset" in thinking.

The "salve" that helps heal the dull ache caused by that reset?
My continued efforts to locate folks from my past continue to be successful.
And many of those contacts are actually glad to hear from me and share histories.

Life?
It's a wonderful way to pass the time, doncha think?

How Divided Are We?

So the Paul Pelosi video has been released.
I heard he and his assailant shared the hammer when the Police came.
I heard Paul Pelosi was in his skivvies and the assailant was likely a homosexual lover.
But now I've watched the video, and I am sickened by what I see.
I'm ashamed to admit I thought the rumors were true. I risked my life to defend this country because I loved it... still do.
But we are broken.
And we need Jesus Christ to lead us out of this hatred and chaos.
...Rant... OUT!