Wise Stuff That Came Out of My Mouth:

I'm sure I'm not the first. But while my son was growing he'd sometimes express extreme displeasure at the way his life was unfolding. Frequently I would reply,
"If you wanta keep gettin' what you're gettin', keep doin' what you're doin'."
I know... this is a corollary to "Doc, it hurts when I do THIS!"
SOMETIMES my son would actually listen to me.
Someone needs to have a frank talk with voters.

But would it do any good?
The country needs to take a look at the things we're doing and stop hitting ourselves in the head with that hammer. Sadly, it appears close to half of voters are masochists.
(Hope and Joy!)

Some medicines are hard to take because they are distasteful, painful, or have uncomfortable side effects. (Or some combination of all those.)
Our country has Cancer.
I think it's time for radiation and chemotherapy.

Retreat!

(Click the "YouTube" link if necessary to watch.)

Those with military service smile at this video.

A couple years ago I had dropped Sara Jean off at a military hospital for her to go to the Pharmacy and pick up her medications. Doing that was taking a little longer than normal.
Waiting in our car I was watching four children in a playground across the street, playing on a swingset.
Suddenly the kids stopped swinging, simultaneously turned to face the same direction, and placed their right hands over their hearts.

I knew instantly what was going on. I got out of the car, faced the same direction as they, and offered the hand salute as "Retreat" was sounded.

The incident brought a question to mind:
These "military brats" are being brought up in homes that know the sacrifice our servicemen and women make in order to protect and support the Constitution of the United States.
They know how to pledge allegiance to the flag.

And, unfortunately, they ARE different than most kids today.

How Far Is "Too Far"?

I'm trying to add photos/videos here to better make my point, and "Blogger" has clamped down on posting photos we may not have the "right" to share.
So I need your imagination to make this post work.
Imagine the image of Kathy Griffin holding the decapitated, head covered in blood of someone who looks suspiciously like Donald Trump just below here. (If you're not aware of the sickening photo, go look it up now):












You won't need imagination for this one:

Is this okay?
Would it be okay for me to post an image or video of Vice President kneepads being raped and murdered?
I don't think so.

How do we heal from the evil and madness that our media is promoting now? How do I reconnect with friends now that I know how naive/stupid they are?
Lord be with and guide us.

Let's Do "True Communism" !

We hear so often... "Communism would work if it wasn't perverted by people like Joseph Stalin!"
It's hard to reason against that argument.

If Clem and Ziggy and Herbie all got together to plant a garden for the "benefit of all", and for which they had spent an equal amount to buy seed, then all contributed an equal amount of work to till the soil and plant that seed... then all three spent an EQUAL amount of "sweat equity" to cultivate, water, then harvest and share the fruit of their labor-
That would be true communism.
What are the chances you could get three Alpha Males together to do that?
How often have we seen this scenario tried?

When the Pilgrims first landed at Plymouth Rock... they tried it.
And if it had not been for Native Americans they would have starved.
It's why we now have a holiday called Thanksgiving.

But I'm ALL FOR trying it again.
And this time I want to be in LEADERSHIP of this attempt.
I want the Dacha.
I want the fine car that others will envy.
I want to be able to LOUDLY rail against anyone trying to take advantage of my poor, disadvantaged brethren.
And I want to be able to determine who owns the guns while my considerable security force protects me.

Where can I sign up?
Want a piece of this action?

If My Head Wasn't Screwed On-

We bought a nice sofa table to install in our living space at our son's home and waited for a day where the weather was completely clear for the three hour drive from our home to his.
Loaded the table into the bed of the truck. It is a solid wood piece and pretty heavy, so Sara Jean could barely lift it over the tailgate.
Got the other incidental stuff we always take loaded and started the journey.
Fifteen minutes down the road and I'm wondering where we'll buy the cheapest diesel fuel along the way when it hits me-
I forgot my wallet.
And my phone.

So we're 15 minutes into our trip. Returning home to fetch my wallet containing my driver's license, credit
cards and cash will consume over 45 minutes.
"We'll just use mine" says my spouse.

So no driver's license this trip.
And I'll be watching my "P's and Q's" on the road.

I gotta start using a pre-trip checklist!

Living In The Past

I am retired from the U.S. Army.
I am a recipient of the Purple Heart.
When I wear my "Army Veteran" cap folks around me frequently say, "Thank you for your service".
And that is somewhat awkward.
My response is always, "I was honored".
And I am.

To the extent it is possible I still attend reunions-
Officer Candidate School.
Viet Nam Helicopter Pilot's Association.
And the unit I served in while in Viet Nam.

Those reunions are therapy for me.
More importantly, they are therapy for my fellow warriors.
For some of them, those years were the MOST important time of their life.
More than fifty years have passed since our time "at risk" there.
What have we all done in the ensuing 50 years?
Those years were NOT the most important of my life.

I spend these reunion times LISTENING, knowing I can honestly say "I would not trade my Viet Nam memories for anything", but many others carry deep wounds from those experiences.

I still have PTSD.
But I truly feel my problem is pretty minor.
Before we commit our human treasure to war in the future, we MUST consider the long-term effects of our decisions.
And this doesn't take into consideration the material expenditures, which are considerable.

Boeing

Some years ago I was, for several days, attending a helicopter safety school and was seated next to an Air New Zealand 747 Captain. I liked the man and the feeling was mutual.
While in that class we received word that a DC-10 had crashed killing all aboard, and I got a chance to chat with him about how he compared the two airplanes.
He indicated there was no comparison.
"The DC-10 was conceived AFTER Boeing conceived the 747. Nevertheless the airplane was built, tested, and hit the commercial market before the 747 was fielded. The DC-10 is a good airplane. The 747 is a TANK!"

There's a saying from my childhood that always makes me smile:
"I've always thought the 'Cadillac' was the 'Rolls-Royce' of automobiles!"
Similarly when flying, I've always felt more comfortable reaching for the safety card stored in the seat in front only to find I've boarded an airplane built by Boeing, feeling I was aboard the "Rolls-Royce" of airplanes.

I'm not sure now I can say that.
And that fact makes me slightly heartsick.

D.E.I. or Die?

Harley- Davidson.
Jack Daniels.
Tractor Supply.
John Deere.
Bud Lite.
Have we dodged a bad outcome here?

Maybe.
I hope so.

The "Peter Principle"- A Permutation.

One of the things I have seen during my military career that has slightly overflowed into my civilian life will be uncomfortable to discuss here at "Pitchpull" but is MY truth that we can discuss:
On several occasions I have watched a male officer advance into senior ranks bring an attractive female assistant along with him as an "aide" while rumors flew that the reason she was being advanced was not because of her expertise as an expert in any field.

We're seeing that unfair scenario unfold now at the presidential election level with the democrat candidate.
And no one is talking about it.

I fear for our country's future.

Practice Makes Perfect?

I need to practice making holes of different calibers in paper targets.
But "Bidenomics" has made things so expensive, I'm reluctant to practice making holes because I'll have to replace the pew-pew hole makers.
I'd buy a reloading system if I was sure I'll be able to buy primers in the future.
Am I worried for nothing?

Newspaperboy

Now and then I feel the need to publish an "I, Me, My" post.
Our environment motivates me to do that today-

I'm not sure how I met "Dennis". He lived in the addition across the fence behind us, so maybe that was a factor. Whatever...
Dennis delivered "The Indianapolis News" evening newspaper. Dennis and his family were moving, so he had to find a replacement.
About halfway along his route there was an old community grocery store. We delivered a newspaper there and Dennis asked, "Want a candy bar and a soda?"
I heard the change jingle in his pocket. The fact he was able to reach into his pocket and pay for both of us impressed me and planted a seed-
"Why couldn't I do this?"

I was 10.
A manager for the newspaper showed up at our home. He wanted to make sure I could correctly make change for our customers when I did my weekly collections.
Mom, Dad, and I had practiced.
I passed the test.

My first "job", I delivered those papers for four years. That job taught me A LOT-
How to budget. How to save. How to take care of customers.
And how to deal with customers in an older community that sometimes would not be there when collection time came, having passed on.
Tough, because you learned to care for them.

With money earned on that route I saved enough to buy my first motor scooter at 12. (In our community, our Law Enforcement Officers looked "the other way" when they saw 12 yr-old kids illegally riding motor vehicles on our roads.)
With funds saved from that route I talked my folks into allowing me to buy my first car from my Dad's brother when I was 14.
(This they WOULD NOT allow me to drive until I was legal!)

Today? It's hard not to compare my generation with kids who have their noses stuck into IPhones and IPads that have been given to them by their parents.
(I'm also guilty of wanting our son to "have it better than I did", so I don't throw my stones with too much force.)

But I do wonder-
Are we doing these kids any favors over the long term?

2024 Olympics

"Competing for Trinidad and Tobago, from Chicago, Illinois"...
The meaning of the Olympics has gotten completely lost for me.
(But I may still watch Simone!)

PTSD and Tears

I don't normally watch the conventions of political parties.
Normally.
But my wife has, believe it or not, become more of a political junkie than me.
(She barely chats with her relatives in Chicago, and WON'T visit them unless there's a death there.)

I don't know if it is my wife's present political interests... or the fact we were watching LIVE while some stupid 20-yr old tried to make history last Saturday.
I'm sure all of us who watched that now have an "I remember it vividly" story to tell.
When I heard the shots and Trump fell to the floor of the stage I shouted out loud "THEY'VE SHOT HIM!"
Sara Jean literally went into hysterics.
When he rose to his feet, behind the (much too short) female Secret Service agent and I saw the blood trickling down the right side of his face I shouted, "THEY'VE SHOT HIM IN THE HEAD!",
And anyone my age who has seen "The Zapruder" film knew the man was gonna die.
But GOD, not the shooter, had a plan.
And when we heard the news that he was pretty much okay?
I cried.

Now, we've been watching CSPAN... every single damn moment of this convention, and I want Madeline Brame to move into the house next door to us.

When the National Anthem is played or sung...
the tears flow.

When the Pledge of Allegiance is recited...
I cry.

And when I detect the sadness in the eyes of my former president...
I cry.

Sara Jean is sure it is PTSD that is affecting me.
That may be true.

And I'm just as sure that the sadness I see in Donald Trump's eyes is also PTSD.

I'd appreciate your comments.

Killing Fetuses

It seems to me the only issue dims have to pound on before the election is ABORTION.
And pound on it they will... like a dead horse.

They will lie, (and unfortunately it will be somewhat effective) and say republicans will make abortion illegal. (THIS republican would be pleased if that was true.)
And that brings up the question I ask so many of my acquaintances-
"How can you be a democrat and a Christian simultaneously?"

It's not unusual for us to be sick to death of politics sometime in October. (September this election?)
But I suspect I may turn off the TV and go back to my stack of "gotta read" books by that time.

Poopin' With The Pope-

I'm not Catholic so I have no idea how exciting it would be for this Baptist to meet "Il Papa".
I suspect he's a nice man. Just taking on that job has to be a pretty big deal.
But Joseph Robinette Biden IS (or pretends to be) a member of the Catholic Church.
So meeting the Pope for him had to be a really big deal.
But our President has to be prepared for LOTS of Big Deals.
And the fact he soiled himself when meeting the head of his Church troubles me.

(This post is mostly B.S.. The whole idea of this demented weenie being our president... troubles me.)

Solitude

Boss called me into her office last week-
"I've noticed you're awfully quiet lately and want to make sure there's nothing wrong here at work."

"My wife has Lewy-Body Dementia and I'm trying my best to maintain my sanity at home.
There's nothing wrong here at work. As a matter of fact, this is a respite from what is going on at home.
I like EVERYONE I rub elbows with here."

But there's more than that going on here-
My son says, "Dad has lost his country and he is in mourning".
And that comment brought tears to my eyes. It may be more truth than I want to admit.

We are now living "In interesting times".
The next few days of our lives might be VERY interesting.

The Presidential Assassination Post-

Pictured above is "Joe Bftsplk".
Joe was one of the characters from Al Capp's "Lil Abner" newspaper comic strip from my youth. That thundercloud followed Joe everywhere he went. Nothing good ever happened to Joe.

My Sara Jean is like Joe. If we are facing a life result between "A" and "B ", and "B" is negative, S.J. is certain "B" will happen to us.
She's my Polar opposite.

Her latest worry is that Donald Trump will be killed before November 5th.
Until recently I've been poo-pooing her fears.
Until recently.

Today I saw him interviewed on Fox News and he said IF he's elected he'll release documents relative to the JFK assassination,  the 9-11 findings, and the Jeffrey Epstein "suicide".
And now even me, the eternal optimist?
I'm worried.

Fifty-One folks from our "intelligence community" signed a letter saying Trump colluded with the Russians prior to the '16 election. That's now a proven lie.
Former head of the FBI James Comey was fired by Trump. Ditto Peter Strzok and his mistress Lisa Page.
Many folks, smarter than me, think the CIA killed JFK because of his association with MOB leaders and his leadership failures during the Bay of Pigs invasion.
Comedian Kathy Griffin graphically (and proudly) held an effigy of Trump's severed, bloody head for publication.
The HATE for this man by a large portion of our population is palpable.

If the CIA, FBI, and DNI killed Kennedy and Trump is threatening to release information exposing them, what are the chances Trump might either commit suicide or have an extraordinary, unfortunate accident before 5November?
And how does our country survive if that happens?

Someone... ANYONE, please tell me why I'm worrying unnecessarily !

I Am STILL T.E.A. Party!

News came to us that there was to be a gathering of Patriots near us.
In 2009 we began to be worried about the fiscal policies of our government. We began to hear about a movement called the "T.E.A. Party" and heard about a gathering of like-minded folks that would meet at a city park nearby. Folks planning that meeting asked that IF you were coming, please make a home-made sign to display so the media that came would know this is a grassroots assembly.
I procured the necessary materials and Sara Jean and I made funky signs. Mine said "$top $tupid $pending!!"

Coincidentally at the time we had invited friends to come visit us. These were lifetime friends... raised in the same community I grew up in.
I "assumed" they would have the same values as we had and suggested they also make signs to carry at the meeting.
"Greybeard, we don't feel the same way you do."
You may as well have hit me with a 2X4. These were nice people... smart people. The one with XY chromosomes was, like me, an ARMY Veteran. How could they NOT also be worried about the direction the country was taking?
The incident changed how we felt about them dramatically.

So here we are, 15 years later. The country I risked my life to "Support and defend" has been inexorably slipping to the left.
Black is White. Men are women and vice-versa.
Inflation is like a Cancer.
You can be "above the law" if your name is followed by a "D".
We are rapidly approaching a time where servicing our National debt will start eating into the money our government uses to provide basic services to its people.
And I'm remembering a time a while back when Sara Jean and I made crude signs to try to prevent this happening.

And we failed.

23 May 1966

"Greetings...."
The note came from my Uncle Sam. It "requested" me to report to the induction center in Indianapolis to serve my country for two years.
And I reported and served.
I decided to take lemons and turn them into lemonade.
That decision for me was life changing.

When you're given a basket of lemons... invite friends over for beverages.

Kindle, and The "Catch-22"

I like reading. I read a lot.
I like History, historical novels, and Science Fiction.
In my office I probably have, (and I'm ashamed to admit this), a library of about 300 books in my "when I have the time" stack.
It gives me comfort and makes me smile to look at 'em.

I've seen others reading books on their "Kindles".
They seem to enjoy them.
Books on Kindle are cheap. Amazon sometimes offers them to me through one of their programs for free.
That's a temptation.
But there's a problem. I like the feel of a Codex. I like the smell of a Codex. And looking at books in my library gives me "warm and fuzzies".

While considering putting thoughts to "paper" on this post
I remembered reading Joseph Heller's "Catch-22"-
You've no doubt heard of it. That's because it is a GREAT BOOK.
But I read it while preparing to start Flight School in 1968 and preparing for my tour in Viet Nam.
My thoughts at the time were, let's say, divided.
For me the wonderful thing about a Codex is that I could get to a point in my reading and say-
"Wait! What?"
And I could flip back a few pages and refresh my memory about how the story was unfolding.
(This is even MORE true with another of my favorite reads... "DUNE") !

A lineup of 300 or so "to read" books probably precludes any future purchase of a Kindle device...
Unless you convince me here that it would be a good idea, with compelling reasoning!
(Smiles,)