Friday, December 25, 2009

Ded in the water

Motherboard in computer went graveyard ded a week ago last Tuesday. So, ain't gonna be no communicating for a while.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Cuz I kin

This morning’s newspaper poll asks the question: “Should education be spared from cuts in this year's state budget process?” As of 7:33 am the results are: 50.7% Yes, and 49.3% No. I wonder why there is even any debate about where to cut monies in the budget; be it city, county, state or federal.

Why, are we so exuberant about making sure there is public money available for statues in the city? Most of the statues I see, as I drive downtown, are ugly, and more of an eyesore than a landscape enhancement. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder…Any reason that money couldn’t be better utilized in repairing the streets downtown?

Since beauty is in the eye of the beholder, how come the affluent people, who desire these sculptures to be available, don’t fund them their selves? Why do we always have to use public monies? Public monies are taxes paid by honest hard working citizens.

Why do we have to use taxpayer dollars to build a “convention center”? Every convention center I have ever seen, seems to be collocated with a major hotel chain. If the hotel chain wants the events center so bad, why don’t they build it? Have you ever tried to stay in one of the hotels at the convention center? I have never made enough money to participate in that extravagance.

Well, I am afeared, that the reason the governor is going to “cut” funds for education, is because the affluent in this state, would rather see tax income going to artificial beautification, than to actual beautification. You see, when you want the general, hard working public to get behind something, you scare them into believing there is no other way, than to cut the funds from areas that we really need.

You see, I question why we need to have homeless shelters paid for by tax dollars. Back in the “boom years” of this country. When taxes were almost non-existent, there were itinerant workers all over the place. No one worried about building hotels and “projects” to give them a place to live. Employers, made sure their employees had some kind of a roof over their head. Even if it was a tent. Whole communities sprung up, because of employment needs. Look at the towns around mines, and large factories, like steel mills, and automobile plants.

We are informed that a considerable number of our homeless are mentally unstable in one way or another. There was a time when these people were committed to “non-profit” institutions. Places where they received the care they needed, and received their medications on time, every time. Yet, in the name of all that is “humane” we shut these institutions down, shamed the people who made them work, and turned this part of society loose on the world. Yep, you got that right…let the taxpayers figure out what to do with them, instead of private funding.

Well, for those of us who have taken the time to read “The Communist Manifesto”, and taken the time to learn about world affairs, it is a no brainer that for more years than I have been alive, we have been slipping down the slippery slope of surrendering our personal freedom and liberty, for the artificial security the affluent tell us we really need because of the situations they put us in.
Yes, folks, evil really does exist. Especially the evil that perpetrates envy, and jealousy between the people of this great nation.

Unless the people of this nation, realize how far we have slid from the founding fathers’ ideas for a great country, predicated on the grace of God, endowing each citizen with the right to pursue excellence, and individual freedom, we will find ourselves living in the hell our forefathers left Europe to get away from.

May God have mercy on our souls.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

My two cents; for what its worth

This morning's paper online asks the poll question: "Should the decision be appealed by whichever side loses in the smoking ban case?" As of 9:07 am the results are: 210 votes cast; 25.7% say yes, while 74.3% say no. I see two dynamics at work here.

First, there are people whose whole purpose in life is to make sure that everyone is as miserable as they are. The old song, "Misery Loves Company" surely was written before its time. These people also want to run everyone's life. I suppose deviant behavior analysts would have a lot to say about this, but that isn't where I want to go. Suffice it to say, that I am getting really tired, no, I've been tired, I guess that means I am retired, regarding people attempting to run my life, through getting legislatures to pass laws. First, they come and tell us that smoking can kill you, and second hand smoke can kill you, and they even believe that third hand smoke can kill you. Who really gives a big rat's ass? Lightning can kill you; swallowing spiders while you sleep can kill you; drinking alcohol can kill you; having an affair can kill you; walking down the street can kill you, hey, just being born can kill you.

What I find so sinister about this is the fact that this country was founded on liberty and freedom. Uhmmm, that is L I B E R T Y and F R E E D O M! And these nattering nabob's have tweaked the system until we are no longer centered on freedom and liberty, but are a nation of laws. For crying out loud, that's why so many of our ancestors left the old world to come to the new world. To get away from oppressive laws. There are people in this country who are multimillionaires, and for their benefit it is called "old money". They call it old money because it was earned when there were very few laws, and taxes being levied. It was during the time of unprecedented freedom and liberty, to do, and be the best you could be. Now, those "privileged" few, want to make sure no one else can have the benefits they have, so, they get elected into positions of making laws, and they can't find enough areas to write laws on. Sheesh! Can I get a witness?

Well, these nattering nabobs get the legislature critters to write a law outlawing smoking in public places; makes no difference whether the only clientele are smokers, or not. They want to control people, and make everyone as miserable as they are. So, when the business owners, and the people who provide the business income, don't want that law passed, they file a lawsuit, to stop the progression, and bring the thing to a public vote. I daresay, a lot of laws would not be put into place if it depended on the citizenry to vote them into place. How have we become so complacent that we no longer want a hand in the laws that are written?

Secondly, in the past handful of years, we have witnessed a lot of voter fraud in this country. Not too long ago, the Attorney General of one southern state informed the governor and the legislature that they could not clean out the voter rolls; by removing names of dead people, and people who had moved away. When we the people said enough, we want voter ID, the people who want to run our lives told us "NO!"

To exacerbate the entire folly, we see groups of people being bussed to voting sites, and paid to vote a certain way. When we complain, we are told “Hey, that is the American way”. To which I say, “Bravo Sierra”, or “Bovine Scatology”, or, I guess in good old American slang, “Bull Shit!”

The person who is willing to surrender their liberty and freedom for security will soon have no freedom or liberty. Hey, my military mind just popped up an analogy of security and freedom and liberty. Freedom and liberty allow me to go where ever I want, when ever I want. All I need to do is open the door and come and go as I please. Security on the other hand, is being locked up all the time. Why else do you think we term our prisons, “maximum security”, “minimum security”?

Well, I’ve vented my spleen. I guess if you are happy being locked up, and knowing there is very little chance of anything happening to you; then, I guess, I wish you well. If you want nothing more out of life than to be told what to do, where to do it, when to do it, and how to do it, then I wish you the best. However, just because you desire to live like that is no reason for you to require me to live that way. I recall, Hank Williams wrote a song a while back wherein he said, “Mindin other people’s business seems to be high toned, I got all I can do just to mind my own, why don’t you mind your own business? If you mind your own business you’ll be busy all the time.” And that’s all I’m gonna say about that!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Post Veteran's Day commiserating

The US Navy, and the US Marine Corps birthdays are behind us, as is Veteran's Day. So, in this post remembrance period, I am going to take a little license and say some things that have been percolating in my military mind.

What have we learned from the Fort Hood, shooting? To listen to the majority of news pundits, we have nothing to be concerned about. But, what do you think? On a military base where ALL firearms are to be turned over to the armorer, except for the ones that are being used for maneuvers, or qualification/requalification, we have a basically non-combatant officer going around the base with a loaded weapon. Talk about a serious case of cognitive-dissonance...

My 29 years of active duty in the US Armed Forces taught me that medical personnel are primarily non-combatants. There is no call for them to be armed in order to do their jobs; especially in garrison. My money is on the outcome of this fiasco, had all the military people been packing heat of any kind. If there is one thing I am sure of in this crazy mixed up world we are living in, it is that criminals/thugs/terrorists think twice when they are going into an area where there are armed people. Especially on a military base, think about it, probably every one of those combatants could have stopped that muslim terrorist cold in his tracks with one shot, instead of having to cower for cover.

While watching Monday night football, a commercial came on advertising an upcoming movie. The preview showed cities crumbling, apparent tsunami waves rolling through the city, and apoplectic activity all around. What was the title of the movie? “2012”. Now, who’da thunk that? My immediate thought was, Hollyweird is trying to tell us that the 2012 elections are going to be catastrophic. Yep, they would rather not have the elections and just crown B Hussein king for life. How sad, that people who live in this country, the greatest country history has ever known, are willing to destroy everything we stand for.

Finally, I have come to see that there is EVIL in this world. Evil does not depend on mental conditions, though it does have a lot to do with moral conditions. Stay with me for a minute. The bottom line for me is whether or not there is a God, in the sense of being The Almighty, The Creator, The Sustainer, The Finisher. If there is a God, who is Sovereign, and controls everything, we know, and then some. We have a distinct responsibility to know where we fit in in the scheme of things. If we believe there is a God, and we choose to align ourselves with Him, then there are some things that stand out, and need to be dealt with.

First of all, if we truly acknowledge God, and love Him, then we must also love His creation, for it is an image of Him. That means, we must love the life He provides, in any and all forms. If we then love in that manner, we cannot reconcile hating another person, or considering taking their life for any reason. See, the ramifications? That makes it morally wrong to kill someone or something: If we are not going to eat the game we hunt, then why kill it? You see, then we have to ask, how we can justify killing a person who is still in the womb, and has not seen the light of day, nor taken a breath on their own. This also relates to the planet and all forms of life. In my heart and mind, God is love, and in order for me to acknowledge Him, and live my life to the fullest, I must love others as God loves.

Alternately, if I believe there either is no God, or the God there is, could care less about his or her creation, then why should I be concerned? If all there is to life, is an accident, that will end when I expire, what should I care? If there is no reason to love one another, then I can very well look at someone and decide if they should be able to breathe the air, that I want to breathe. The difficulty with that mindset, is I have to figure out pretty quickly where I stand, to prevent that other from erasing me from this existence. Isn’t that what we call a dog-eat-dog life? Along this same line of thought is the idea that if some other has what I want, and I normally do not have any way of obtaining it, I can take it from them, and if need be, erase them from this world.

You see, evil does exist in this world, and evil is hell bent on insuring that none of us love and worship the One True God, but instead, place ourself above everything else. That gives us the impetus to do whatever it takes to feel good about ourself, and our station in life. I would probably continue writing here, but the voices keep telling me it is time to stop; that no one is going to listen anyway.

Friday, November 6, 2009

God, country, Corps

Tuesday is November 10th. For most of the citizens of this great country, it is just another day. For many, it is the day before Veterans day; and probably just as meaningless as just another day. However, to a number of us it is the day the Marine Corps was officially founded. Yes, that would make this the 234th anniversary; or as we choose to call it, the Marine Corps Birthday.

Why, you probably ask, would grown, intelligent men and women choose to celebrate the birthday of a national fighting team? That would be a good question. I might basically answer by saying, there is no other fighting force known to modern man, that commands such respect, and awe as the United States Marine Corps. History is replete with comments from many sides. The name "Leatherneck" is a title of respect, earned by the men who rode the ships of the continental navy, and were prepared to defend them to the death. "Devil Dog" was an endearing name given by the Chinese many years ago. General MacArthur, General of the Army, made it known, that he could take a certain piece of land, but only with the Marines.

I joined the Marine Corps in August of 1963. For a small town boy, the Marine Corps was quite a wake up and learning experience. Consider, that in my seventeen years of life, the most powerful weapon I had ever fired was a .22 rifle. By the time I completed my basic training I had fired an M-1 and an M-14 rifle; a Browning Automatic Rifle; a flame thrower; a bazooka; a .50 caliber machine gun, and had thrown real grenades.

Perhaps the most endearing part of my time in the Marine Corps came from the understanding that our priority was God, country and Corps. You see, every Marine, male and female, is first of all a rifleman; a grunt, a groundpounder, an infantryman. A large part of basic training, was formulated to bring a bunch of rag-tag ignorant civilians and turn them into a team, capable of working together without getting in each other's way. Of primary importance was the person next to me, my life depended on that person, and they depended on me. I was taught ways of surviving in unfamiliar and uncomfortable situations.

In the end, being a United States Marine, has taught me many things, but more than anything, I learned to love the Corps, like my own mother and father, because that is where I learned many lessons that have served me well throughout my lifetime. I choose to celebrate the Marine Corps Birthday, because all I am has depended upon the skills learned and honed through sixteen years as a Marine. On the internet, I use the moniker "Gunny Pink", when I left the Marine Corps in 1979, I had attained the rank of Gunnery Sergeant, and for the rest of my life, my honorable discharge gave me the right to say I am Gunny Pink.

I wish every person could know the camaraderie and respect those of us who wear the Eagle, Globe and Anchor have. But then, if every body knew, and understood, there would be no need for a Marine Corps.

HAPPY 234TH BIRTHDAY, U.S. MARINE CORPS.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Soggy cogitation

Sittin here at my computer, listenin to the rain fallin, and the water runnin off the roof.
Listen to the rythm of the falling rain, pitter-patter, pitter-patter; raindrops keep fallin on my head, but that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin red; they must be raindrops, so many raindrops, it feels like raindrops, fallin from my eyes; so you'll never see my pain, I'll do my cryin in the rain; just walkin in the rain; rainy days n mondays always bring me down;rain, rain, go away, come again some other day.

Monday, September 21, 2009

HAPPY FALL TO YOU

From one pumpkin to another!!!!!!!

A woman was asked by a coworker, 'What is it like to be a Christian?'

The coworker replied, 'It is like being a pumpkin.'

God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you.

Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff.

He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed.

Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.'

This was passed on to me by another pumpkin.

Now it's your turn to pass.

I liked this enough to send it to all the pumpkins in my patch.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Rollin down the road

Last week I was driving south on I-29 toward KC. Somewhere between Sioux City and Council Bluffs, I saw a huge reddish-orange ball in the sky. By the time I was able to find a safe place to pull off the road, where I had a clear unobstructed view, the clouds were already covering a lot of the sun.

 

 


But the picture still turned out pretty neat.
Posted by Picasa

Thanks Pamela at Atlas Shrugs

Okay, here comes the "change" our astute leader has been promising, and hoping for. I, for one, cannot believe we, the American people, have not learned our lesson voting for democrats and republicans in name only.

My brain housing group, and heart are severely taxed, knowing there are so many "scrambled, brains" in this country that are so hell bent on giving up everything we stand for, and everything our forbears brought about in this country. "WHISKEY FOXTROT TANGO OSCAR!!"

So Osama bin Laden thinks B Hussein Obama is a weakling...do you think he had to hire a behavioral analyst to come up with that assessment?

Methinks, someone in this administration has a severe case of "cranial-rectal insertion". It is one thing to bury your head in the sand...it is quite another to bury your country!

May God have mercy on our souls

Awesome testimonial to a fallen hero

You just can't say it any better than this.

You truly can see the difference between the patriotic (people who choose to put on the uniform) and the useful idiots (people who choose to denigrate them).

Thank you Linda for reminding us.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Random ramblin

I left Olathe, KS late yesterday, and drove east to Montgomery City, MO. East meaning traveling on I-70. For some reason, eastbound I-70 is home to some of the most dangerous, discourteous, drivers, I have come across in my fifty-some years of driving.

I remember, back in the 60s driving old route 66, it was a major highway, but only two lanes, one in each direction. The courtesy afforded to everyone, by everyone, was common. The rule of the road allowed a slower vehicle, that had caused traffic to back up, and included more than three or four cars, to pull over to the side, and allow traffic to continue. Driving at night was always an experience, specially, when you were going to pass a semi. Of course, back in those days, semis were restricted to only one trailer.

Today, with super, four or five lane, highways, we no longer have to worry about traffic delays from slower vehicles; or tractor trailer rigs with multiple trailers. And yet, it is nothing to watch the traffic situation ahead, and see brake lights coming on.

Yeah, wanna see some really crazy, bordering on stupid, driving? Get eastbound and down, when there is a Jayhawk, Tiger, Cornhusker college football game somewhere in the distance. Yeah, you kin tell which vehicles are trying to set speed records for getting somewhere.

Oh yeah, the primary reason for my rant today, has to do with the cool customers, who wish to "draft" on another vehicle, therefore using less fuel. I find it fun to watch vehicles come racing up behind me, and then suddenly, within thirty feet or so, to suddenly drop speed to match mine. Yup! Just because I choose to drive a good sized SUV does not mean I am totally unconcerned about gas usage. But you know what? You wanna be out on the road, take responsibility for yourself. If you don't want to be buying the gas it takes to get where you wanna go, stay home; or take the bus and leave the driving to Gus.

You wanna draft on me, you gonna find me slowing down to ten or twenty mph under the speed limit, yeah, you got no prolem with that, then go ahead and draft on me; otherwise get off my tail.

The I's have it...

Friday, August 28, 2009

Getting my head right

How sad…Ted Kennedy is dead.

The thought running through my mind, relating to the adoration and adulation going on throughout the media, I think, is a little bit different than what I am hearing across the air waves.

We are told he was an “icon”. In today’s language, an icon, is primarily a way to enter into another web site with just the click of a mouse. In religious, or archaic, language, an icon is something tangible that is designed to transfer your heart or mind to God.

What an interesting thought…the Kennedy family are undoubtedly, members of the Roman Catholic church. There has been much throughout history that has been instrumental in turning people away from organized religion, and especially the Catholic church.

To my military mind, Ted Kennedy is the epitome of immorality, impurity, enmities, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, drunkenness, carousing and things like these. Yes, you see, by him being an “icon” we think of these things when we think of him. So, what does that say about our national consciousness?

How truly sad, that our society immortalizes someone like this. Is there any wonder how our “Christian” nation has become a “non Christian” nation? Is there any doubt how we have gotten the gummint we have?

More, and more, I am wondering if there is any intelligent life left on this planet.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Came in my email

The Scent Of Freshness

A new Publix supermarket opened in Hudson, Florida.

It has an automatic water mister to keep the produce fresh. Just before it goes on, you hear the distant sound of thunder and the smell of fresh rain.

When you pass the milk cases, you hear cows mooing and you experience the scent of fresh cut hay.

In the meat department there is the aroma of charcoal grilled steaks and brats.

In the liquor department, the fresh, clean, crisp smell of tapped Miller Lite.

When you approach the egg case, you hear hens cluck and cackle and the air is filled with the pleasing aroma of bacon and eggs frying.

The bread department features the tantalizing smell of fresh baked bread & cookies.

I don’t buy toilet paper there anymore.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Cognition n re-cognition

I have just finished reading Winterflight, Joseph Bayly, Word Books Publisher, Waco, TX, 1981. I was drawn back to the book by the events of today, primarily having to do with the “Obamacare” debacle.

The story is of an extended family consisting of husband and wife, their daughter and her husband and son. Involved in the story is 1) state run health care, 2) genetic disposition, and 3) senior citizens. The story takes place in the United States. At the time of the story, nationalized health care has been the law of the land for about ten years.

Due to the success of the state run health care, there are no invalid people. Every citizen is healthy, and productive members of society. We got to this point by ensuring that everybody was healthy to begin with. Families could only have one child, and pregnant women were required to have pre-natal medical care; which firstly consisted of checking the fetus for any congenital markers. Should a fetus be found with the any markers, the fetus was to be aborted immediately.

On the other side of the equation, when an individual reached the age of seventy-five, they would receive a letter notifying them of their termination date; which was generally within three months of their birthday.

Instrumental in maintaining a healthy society was the Center for Life Support Systems; commonly referred to by the people as “Thanotels” and more descriptively as “organ factories”. In the event that prenatal screening did not locate suspect markers, and the child later came down with some life threatening malady, the state would require the parents to take the child to the Center for Life Support Systems. Upon entering the thanotel, the child would be put on life support equipment, and a part of the brain would be destroyed. Then the child’s body would be able to be sustained for a number of years, and replacement parts could then be harvested to place someone else back into a productive status in society.

You prolly gonna say, that would never happen here in the United States, but my military mind tells me, if someone could think it up, or even contemplate the possibility, it could very well happen. When the citizenry gives the gummint the power to make decisions on what a healthy society looks like, anything is possible. It is not out of the question, nor reality that we could reach this position.

For over thirty years now, abortion has been the “law” of the land. Gummint supported and gummint financed. During the most recent presidential campaign, we were treated to one candidate’s ability to amass millions of dollars by suing hospitals, HMO’s and health insurance companies for birth defects in children, supposedly caused by errors in the hospital. Look at all the money that would have been saved, simply by aborting the child before birth, and avoiding the follow on malady.

We have a president who campaigned on the slogan of “hope and change”. Apparently our country was not right, and change was needed. Today, his highest priority is nationalizing health care. Rush has said, and I totally agree, that we don’t spend any health care money on healthy people. Stands to reason, no? So, in the scheme of things, if we are gonna reduce health care costs, what do we gotta do? Ahhh, get rid of unhealthy people, yeah?

Somebody once said, be careful of what you hope for, cuz you just might get it.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Obamacare concern

Like many of the other concerned American citizens I have been thinking and rolling around in my mind, just what our country is heading for.

Having spent about half of my life in the military, I have come up with some concerns that seem appropriate to me, and so far, I ain’t seen nobody else talking about.

Primarily, I must say, I am concerned about our military; it is no secret that B Hussein has gone on public record saying since our military is all volunteer, wounded military members do not need public funded health care; as in VA healthcare. Now, I have my own bone to pick with VA and the fed, but that ain’t what I’m addressing here.

Let’s think a moment about all that we know, right now, regarding any proposed health care reform. A gummint panel will evaluate any requests for health care, and decide on validity. We already know this administration and their complicit lackeys are dead set against the military to begin with. You know it really is beyond my ability to comprehend why anybody would hate this country for her strength and benevolence. Even the staunchest Marxist-Leninist communists believe in a strong military. Yet, the statists in this country hate our military, and our ability to stay on the cutting edge of updated military armament. I just don’t understand it!

Anyway, here comes the Obamacare proposals that will do away with individual care, and require everyone to come under the federal gummint auspices. Are you following me? Can you see one of our service members, being wounded in combat, only to come home and be told he/she is no longer a productive member of society, therefore, they cannot avail themselves of our social medical care? Outrageous??? Think it couldn’t happen here? Just think of the money the gummint could save, cuz there would be no “medical retirements” so they wouldn’t have to pay out retirement pay.

As a Marine, we do not believe in leaving anyone behind in combat. But what is gonna happen when we realize that someone has lost both legs, an arm, and sight in one eye, and we are gonna do all we can to get them home, only to find out there is no medical care for them?

I am going to reread Joseph Blayly’s book “Winterflight” because I want to take another look at what he referred to as “Thanotels”. How interesting that a book published in 1981 is so prescient for today. But then again, as Rush says, the dems have been working on getting this far for over sixty years.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Just a minute...

My heart has no desire to stay, where doubts arise, and fears dismay…

How efficacious is God’s Word for today? Have the times changed so much over the centuries that we cannot still receive direction, and comfort from God’s Word?

Matthew 22:15-21, {Moffatt} Then the Pharisees went and plotted to trap him in talk. They sent him their disciples with the Herodians, who said, “Teacher, we know you are sincere and that you teach the Way of God honestly and fearlessly; you do not court human favour. Tell us then, what you think about this: is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” But Jesus detected their malice. He said, “Why do you tempt me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the taxes.” So they brought him a shilling. Then Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness, whose inscription is this?” “Caesar’s,” they said. Then he told them, “Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give God what belongs to God.”

The current talk around town has to do with not only the health care bill, it also has to do with taxation. The current administration is hell bent to take away wealth from people and give it to illegal aliens and people who refuse to work. I just heard about a law being worked on that would allow gummint to have access to our bank accounts…I assume that includes safe deposit boxes.

Yesterday, I spoke with a person who informed me they have money in a safe deposit box, and a small safe in their home. And my military mind went back to stories I recall about life in communist Russia. Not only was the gummint able to look into your bank accounts; they would periodically change the monetary medium, leaving people with money stashed away, without anything. Once the dollar bill you hold is no longer acceptable, you are out of luck. Yeah, the gummint would allow people to bring in their old money and trade it in for the new…Yes, another way of keeping track of how much money you have.

When the people allow the gummint to rule over them, they have to accept that whatever the gummint can control, they will.

And God’s Word reminds us, “Give to Caeser what is Caeser’s, and give to God what is God’s”.

This should give us cause to stop and cogitate on where our priorities are. As a Christian, my first priority is supposed to be God. The Psalmist said it succinctly, “The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want…” The argument appears to be that Christians don’t want a democracy, they want a theocracy; and I have to look back at the people who laid down their lives, livelihood, and wealth to establish this country as a God-centered land. And as I look around, I see “Christians” who are more concerned about their money than what God wants them to do.

As a Marine, my loyalty, my priority is, God, country, and Corps. See???, that assumes me is at least fourth in line for priorities. And yet, we can get so caught up in making sure that I am taken care of first. Oh, right! “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” See, that moves me down the priority line also. What I am trying to say, is gummint can take everything away, but they cannot take away my belief in, my trust in, my hope in God Almighty.

We elected a person who ran on the platform of “hope and change”. Bottom line, and I think we Christians have misplaced this idea, is that only God can give hope. Only God can make the change in a life, that will bring hope. Only God is to be worshipped and depended upon.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Reflective pause

Took the opportunity to attend a concert by The Blackwood Brothers Quartet, last night. Program was sponsored by the Union Gospel Mission here in town.

Pretty good turn out for a payday Friday night. The nose bleed seats were pretty much empty, but the rest of the auditorium was pretty well filled up. There are not very many opportunities for me to attend with my mother and both of her sisters. We had a great time.

Although this group is not made up of the original singers, the Blackwood Brothers started singing publicly back in 1934, they maintained the level of harmony and spirituality that all would be able to remember from the days of yore.

The two hours were very refreshing. I would highly recommend everybody find the time to attend a good southern gospel concert at some time; you really will find your spiritual batteries recharged.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

The AMA's take on Obamacare

Found this post at An Ol' Broads Ramblings and thought it was worthy of being brought over to my blog. It do give another perspective.

Apparently the American Medical Association has weighed in on Obama’s Nationalized Health Care Plan

The Allergists voted to scratch it, but the Dermatologists advised not to make any rash moves. The Gastroenterologists had sort of a gut feeling about it but the Neurologists thought the Administration had a lot of nerve.

The Obstetricians felt they were all laboring under a misconception. Ophthalmologists considered the idea shortsighted. Pathologists yelled, “Over my dead body!” while the Pediatricians said,”Oh, Grow Up.” The Psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness, while the Radiologists could see right through it. Surgeons decided to wash their hands of the whole thing.

The Internists thought it was a bitter pill to swallow, and the Plastic Surgeons said, “This puts a whole new face on the matter.” The podiatrists thought it was a step forward, but the Urologists were pissed off at the whole idea. The Anesthesiologists thought the whole idea was a gas and the Cardiologists didn’t have the heart to say no.

In the end, the Proctologists won out, leaving the entire decision up to the assholes in Washington.

Paranoid schizophrenia

The final vote on the Thune bill to allow persons with concealed carry permits to carry across state lines, definitely shows us the schizophrenic mind set permeating the current plethora of con-gress critters.

To say that honest, law abiding citizens {persons who take the time and effort to apply for and receive an honest, gummint founded personal firearm carry permit} crossing state lines, for whatever purpose will cause violent crime to increase, is, in my military mind really stretching any credible intelligent understanding of reality.

I’m sorry, I must have had a lapse in brain activity…apparently I forgot that the left-leaning, statist, cranial-rectal insertion types see personal responsibility as illegal or sinful. Oh, yeah, almost forgot…how else could the gummint declare so many of us honest, law abiding citizens as domestic terrorists?

Sometimes, I wonder if there has been too much inbreeding in the democrat held constituencies. One thing I learned in the Marine Corps, is to never shit in your mess kit, or your sleeping bag.

Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing, where have all the flowers gone, long time ago, gone to graveyards everywhere; when we will ever learn?

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Random thinking when I don't get paid for it

This morning’s devotional readings got me to thinking about a couple of things, that relate to what is going on in our world, or more to the point, in our country.

First, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.” “Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.” (1 Pet 2: 13-15, 17, NASB).

Submission is a difficult concept for us to consider. In this postmodern world, we have been conditioned to reject any semblance of being subjected to another person. We are so full of ourselves, and we preach constantly that “self-esteem” is the number one priority for each of us. What is “self-esteem”? Is it not, realizing that you are just as good as the next person; and just as worthy of love and appreciation as is the next person.

We have been taught that submission is being a doormat, that people can walk on and clean their feet with. Now that I think about it, perhaps this explains why the divorce rate, and inability of employees to get along with bosses, and employers is so high. I sense, also, there is a modicum of lack of trust in others, that exacerbates our prejudice against submission, or submitting. It probably doesn’t help any, that the term “submission” conjures up images of people being tied up, whipped, humiliated, and treated as scum of the earth. Yeah, what healthy ideas we have pertaining to submitting.

Should we ever go back to the basics, we would find listed in the book of Psalms, this passage: “But God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another” (75:7, NASB). How unfair! It is God who chooses who is to be leader over another? Doesn’t He understand how devastating that can be to our psyche, and our self-esteem? Ah, perhaps now we have gotten to the heart of our rejection of submission…we don’t trust God! We just cannot believe He has our best interests in mind, when He places someone over us.

Secondly, we are called to “honor all people…honor the king”. Actually, this goes hand-in-hand with submitting. When I refuse to submit to another, to accept my place in the scheme of things, I cannot in all true honesty give honor to another; especially because I feel I deserve the honor more. You see, it can become a tiring, endless circle of trying to be better, and more deserving than others. Yet, God calls us to accept our position, realizing that He has placed us just where He wants us. Jesus is the Great Emancipator, He is the ultimate Savior; yet, he got to His position by submitting to the will of God.

The Apostle Paul adjures us to “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look our for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of me. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights inb the world“ (Phil 2:3-8, 13-15, NASB).

Ah, so that’s it…we are in training mode here on earth for a life that is far more better than we could ever imagine; but are we interested in making the grade, or is self-esteem more exciting?

Finally, I consider the thought of love. Where is love in this ole world? God calls us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might (Deut 6:4).” Jesus goes one step further by calling us to: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might, and you shall love you neighbor as yourself“ (Matt 22:37, 39).

Methinks, in the event I cannot trust God, in order to submit myself to authorities, then I cannot love God with all my heart, soul and might. If I cannot love God, then I sure am not going to be able to love myself, and you can forget about any love being there for my neighbor. I am too involved in my own personal life to be aware of God working in and through my life. Sure I love my new car, cuz it inflates my self-esteem; I love my beautiful garden, cuz it inflates my self-esteem; I love my job, cuz it inflates my self-esteem. I can’t love God, myself, and my neighbor, cuz it calls me to forget about myself, my self-esteem, and submit myself to God as the ultimate Authority. And so, I struggle, here in this life, trying to get through as much of it as I can under my own power, while felling good about myself.

May God have mercy on our souls.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Imagine

For some time now, I have noticed vehicles {mostly gummint ones} with a bumper sticker that says: “ERACISM”. I guess, there was something in me that thought this was something to do with bad English. Then I guess, I came to realize that it was someone’s bright idea of contracting two words “ERASE RACISM” into one word.

Talk about cognitive dissonance…we have gummint workers brandishing “ERASE RACISM” bumper stickers, and a gummint that continually markets racism. Methinks these are the same moonbats who propose “ENVISION PEACE”, “MAKE PEACE NOT WAR”, “WORLD PEACE, WE CAN DO IT”. Feel good platitudes that have no place in reality. Reality is a hard taskmaster. Back in the 60s and 70s it was not uncommon to hear someone proclaim, “Drugs are for people who can’t handle reality”. YUP!!! Pipe dreams. Hmmm, haven’t heard that in a while.

By the way, am I the only person who remembers the call to “get the gummint out of my bedroom”? Sheeeshhhh! Now forty years later, these same reality drop-outs, moonbats, are running the gummint, and everything they preached against back then, they are implementing now. Sometimes, I wish they would have dropped acid, and dropped completely off the face of the earth…OH!!! I guess that makes me guilty of being hateful. Now, we get off another tangent, because my military mind asks me, if wanting this country to be like it was when I was growing up is demonstrative of being a hate monger.

Perhaps that is why the gummint has branded us conservative, veterans, Christians as domestic terrorists; just because we don’t want to give up our liberty and freedom, we are deemed a threat to the gummint that has evolved.

Well, God’s Word tells us that love overcomes a multitude of sins, and fear. As the moonbat’s key spokesman, John Lennon has said, “IMAGINE”; and from that we have “imagine peace”, “imagine world peace”, “imagine peace in your time”, “imagine living together in peace”. So, I wonder what this world would be like if we imagined every person 1) loving God, 2) loving their neighbor as theirself, and 3) loving theirself.

When we truly love God, we have no need to fear Him, and when we no longer fear Him, we find peace between ourself and God. Hmmmmm, imagine that.

When we truly love our self, we have no need to fear what we may do or say; because truly loving our self, we can trust that we will do what is right, and therein lies the peace that will permeate our being. Hmmmmmm, imagine that.

When we truly love our neighbor, we have no need to fear him or her, because this is love that one would lay down his or her life for another. Culminating in peace with God, myself, and my neighbor. Hmmmmm, imagine that.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Praise where praise is due

I asked Jesus if He’d make me whole,
and He reached out and mended my soul;
I asked Him to help me along,
and He gave me a special song;
I asked Him each day for things so small,
and Jesus said, “Terry, I want you to have it all”.

I cried out, “This me just won’t do“,
And Jesus said, “I’ve made all things new”;
I complained and cried, and cried,
and Jesus said, “For those tears I died”.

I told Him, “I’m tired of being so strong”,
He answered, “I know, I’ve held you up all along”;
I cried deep within my being,
and shuddered at all I was seeing.

Then Jesus told me not to grieve,
to accept His gift, and then believe.
So, I raised His name in song and praise,
and saw His grace light up my days;
I’m truly thankful for what He’s done,
and I’ll strive to keep Him Number One.

A matter of perspective

In search of happiness we find
that happiness lies within our mind.
In search of patience we soon learn,
we cannot watch a candle burn.

And peace is just an elusive dream,
beyond our grasp, so it would seem.
Yet, love, we think we know the best
as that which beats inside our breast.

Its oh so hard to understand
that these all come from the Father’s hand.

Respite

Once more the sun burns to its towering height
Eating away the dark shrouds of night.
Giving vent to the warm rays of light
Illuminating this world so brilliantly bright.
Reflecting off majestic birds in flight,
Representing spectacular universal might.
Erasing all semblance of humanly fright
Allowing to the knowledge of heaven’s delight;
Compared to the universe, its merely a bite
Never changing ~~ not even a mite.
Appearing only to rest sometime at night.
Giving the feeling of being polite
Showing the way of the pilgrim’s plight
Restoring the light that helps our sight.
Giving off the warmth that draws our skin tight
And heals the flowers of cold’s crisp blight.
Yet oft times appears so trite
And eventually shows that all is aright.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Cogitatin n regurgitatin

How is that “hope n change” workin fer ya?

Each day, I roam around the internet reading various sites. I admit the internet has become quite an educational medium for me. Sure, there are sites where you can see things that still don’t seem to be real. But, I am not really wanting to look at what is on the internet, per se. There is another area, that interests me, and it comes from walking thru sites, and having the privilege to see the hearts of many, many people.

I am pretty much up front, with how I feel about our current economic and poli-tic-al atmosphere, in this country. And this weekend, my military mind has been flashing on that old bumper sticker that says, “Don’t blame me, I didn’t vote for him!” What a panacea, we can use to salve our minds, because “we” elected people to con-gress and the highest office in the land, who we don’t trust. I use the term “we”, because in truth, “we” voted him and them into office.

This, then, brings me to the area I wish to discuss. In these latter years, and elections, we have become more and more aware of the “single issue” voters. You know all about them, in fact, you may even be one. I am of the mind, that single issue voters have been instrumental in getting us to where we are today.

“Don’t blame me, I didn’t vote for him!” is quite a platitude, except, we cannot really use it in truth, if we did not cast a vote. And that is where I get caught up in the single issue voter. Have you ever heard: “ I won’t vote for him/her unless they will revoke Roe v Wade”, I cannot vote for him/her unless they support hate crime legislation”, “Unless they speak outright on the second amendment, they aren’t getting my vote”, I won’t vote for him/her because they have not stated unequivocally that they will reduce my taxes”.

For all practical purposes, each one of these voters, refuses to vote, PERIOD. Simply because the candidate doesn’t meet their prerequisites. And based on the single issues addressed above, we can see there are four votes that are not cast for the candidate that may well be a champion in the other areas.

And this tells me, that we have truly gotten away from the love of liberty and freedom that the United States of America has so strongly stood for over the years. How does it feel to know that we are rapidly losing the distinction of being the “Land of the free, and the home of the brave”?

There is an analogy I love to use, that really shows me where too many of us in this country have come to. In the realm of breeding dogs, it is well understood that too much inbreeding will cause the animals to lose a lot of their instinctual behavior. So much so, that they have been known to “shit in their mess kit”, and even where they sleep, and not be bothered by it. And I wonder, if something along that line is happening to our collective mind set. Are we seeing the truth of the axiom, “Familiarity breeds contempt”?

Well, I have gained a little catharsis, by getting it off my chest. So, for those of you, taking the time to read this, “HOW’S THAT HOPE N CHANGE worken for ya?

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Token Cooking Post

Precious friend Katherine at Smoky Mountain Cafe recently encouraged me to post any of the recipes I try, so, I thought I would give the one I tried last night a chance. Unfortunately, I don’t have cool pictures to go along with, so, bear with me, and we’ll see how this turns out.

I started with eight chikken breast tenders, threw em in a collander and washed them real good {as Emeril would say, you never know when the chikken police are watching}. While the tenders were draining, I placed about five pats of butter in a medium sauce pan, and started the butter melting. Then I placed 1-¾ cups of rice in the pan, plus 2 tablesoons of rosemary n garlic seasoning, and allowed that to cook for about ten minutes, occasionally stirring, until most of the rice turned brown. I next added 3-½ cups of chikken stock and stirred until it began boiling, then turned heat down to low, and covered the pan.

While the rice was steaming, I poured “sweet rice flour” in a dish, and stirred in black pepper and rosemary n garlic dried seasoning. About 2 tablespoons of EVOO in a large frying pan, then rolled each tender in the flour, and fried til both sides were brown. Then placed the tenders in another pan and in the oven at 300 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

Now the rice was done, and the chikken was done, and WOW was it delicious. I didn’t fix any vegetables with it, but I could see the possibility of having hominy or fried okra along with it.

God’s Word For Today

Dear children, let us not love in word only and with the lips, but in deed and truth. In this way we shall come to know that we are loyal to the truth, and shall reassure our hearts in His presence in whatever matters our hearts condemn us ~~ because God is greater than our hearts and knows everything. [1 John 3: 18-20, Weymouth]

Unable to agree among themselves, they as last left him, but not before Paul had spoken a parting word to them, saying, “Right well did the Holy Spirit say to your fathers through the Prophet Isaiah: ‘Go to this people and tell them, you will hear and hear, and by no means understand; and will look and look, and by no means see. For this people’s mind has grown callous, their hearing has become dull, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes, or hear with their ears, or understand with their minds, and turn back, that I might cure them’ (Isaiah 6:9, 10). [Acts 28:25-27, Weymouth]

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Rubicon or rubics cube?

Received an interesting email this morning from a good friend of mine…I’ll go ahead and post it here, and we can see what goes.

The message below is written by Scott Wagner, a law officer from Columbus, Ohio.
Note From A Cop
The fear on the street is palpable. Ever since the election of Barack Obama as President of these United States in November 2008, coupled with the election of a democrat party majority in both the U.S. House and Senate, concern for the United States and personal safety has ignited like a fire in dry grass.
Sales of guns – black guns, rifles, shotguns and handguns (particularly 9mm) everywhere, have gone through the roof. AR15s have literally flown off of dealer shelves, and only now in the spring of 2009, have I seen the display samples of ARs begin to reappear on the wall of my favorite shooting emporium after the initial post election rush.
Manufacturers of ARs are still working to catch up and some of the major suppliers are as much as 150,000 guns behind. Not only that, ammo is in the shortest supply I have ever seen in the 43 years of my shooting life. Have you recently tried to get 5.56mm, 9mm or even 380 ammo?
Supplies of 5.56mm and 9mm ammo are in short supply due to the black gun buying craze; .380ACP because of the rise in people getting concealed carry permits and the resurgence of interest in convenient 380 handguns like the fine Ruger LCP. In fact, in doing a review of the Ruger LCP, my gun store only had a small supply of ONE .380 round on hand, the Winchesters 95-grain SXT, which they had just gotten in. Unfortunately, I had to do a 30-round review of that pistol. There was none other to be found.
The 5.56mm was the first caliber to noticeably be in short supply. This was first due to the war effort, the headlong adoption of 5.56mm rifles by law enforcement agencies ever since the great LAPD bank robbery and shootout, the general shooting public interest in and acceptance of the AR15 weapons system along with a realization that yes, the AR does have sporting purpose, and of course now, this new fear that is on the street. Sales of ARs also went up following 9/11.
What is odd about this new fear is that it is not coming from the average citizen gun owner out there, but it is coming from what to me is an almost shocking source: street cops.
Street cops and SWAT cops that I know from various agencies – rural, suburban and metro – in my area are scared. Cops that before November 2008 never gave much thought (that I knew of anyway) to politics or more importantly to gun rights. For the most part, these are the guys that didn’t generally have any interest in shooting or gun ownership beyond keeping track of where their duty gun is, and a few of them didn’t even do that so well.
The guys I am talking about now are some of the same guys who used to not even carry off duty on a regular basis- but not anymore. They don’t scare easily, defenders of the Constitution of this State and the United States (as our oath of office reads), have been buying ARs, survival gear, and all the ammo they can lay their hands on. All of them (or I should say “us”) have been discussing and have been acquiring guns to provide a layered perimeter defense.
We want something in .308 (or in my case a superb M1 Garand in .30-06) for covering the outer perimeters, 5.56mm weapons for mid-range use (for some with more limited funds, the AK-47 and 7.62×39 cartridge will suffice), and for the close up stuff shotguns and handguns (love my Benelli M4 Tactical and Beretta 92 9mm).
What are we suddenly so afraid of?
Well in our discussions it seems to boil down to four areas.
First, fear of federal government intrusion into our lives. Every time I look at or listen to the news, there is something new and intrusive coming out of the Obama administration and this Congress. New tax schemes, government-run Canadian-style healthcare, a volunteer citizen defense force (whatever that is, what happened to the National Guard?) equipped with funding similar to our military, forced voluntary “service” after retirement, a lack of a southern border with hordes of illegal and criminal aliens pouring over our border, the swine flu scare as well as government forced closing of thousands of privately held Chrysler and GM dealerships, which will be the final nail in the coffin for these companies and the list goes on and on.
But these items in the news are just the tip of the iceberg. We can’t see the full impact of these actions yet, but we don’t know what was added into the thousands of pages of stimulus package bills in the dead of night yet. I predict however that when the plans contained in the stimulus packages go into effect, a lot of us are going to be surprised if not shocked by what has suddenly and sweepingly changed.
What also scares us is the Second, well-founded fear that there is an assault weapons ban looming, one that would make the Clinton Ban appear like a look of disdain in comparison. I remember well the 1990s and the Clinton years: the rise of militia groups, the “black helicopter” rumors and paranoia, all of which was motivated by the Brady Law and the Assault Weapons ban.
What if a new ban comes requiring registration or confiscation and turn-in of banned weapons as what happened in Australia? I watched cops and citizens alike purchase these guns at $900 dollars and more, with custom or tricked out guns easily running into the $2,000 range.
Then add on all the accessories, red dots, lights, slings and anything else you can name and you may have up to $3,000 wrapped up in your rig. I saw the looks in their eyes. These purchasers weren’t spending this kind of money just to turn in the guns for no compensation when a government tells them to. I foresee much civil disobedience coming down the road.
Americans are citizens, and not subjects like the British, Canadians or Australians. They just don’t always obey the law blindly and not one officer or citizen that I spoke to said anything like “I hope I get to keep this gun for awhile before they are banned; They are fun to shoot, so I would hate to give it up.” It isn’t going to happen, so the cop on the street and the soldier on the base needs to think now what he will do if the orders come down. I think you all get what I am saying here.
Which leads me to the Third fear, that there is a revolution coming, yes, a revolution on the scale of the original American Revolution. You can hear this topic discussed on many of the talk radio shows by even the big name hosts. The possibility of an armed revolution against the U.S. government is being discussed, albeit very gingerly and fleetingly and as something to be avoided, which it is. I never heard this mentioned in the 90s. One of my quietest, low profile officer friends brought it up the other day.
He said that at some point in the near future, he felt there is going to be an armed revolt if things keep going the way they are. Something has got to give. I was shocked. Yes, I had heard this from some of my more radical cop friends in the past, but to hear it from a guy like this was unprecedented. Now, these guys are not saying this will happen to foment revolution, preach sedition or to even participate. They just want to be ready if it happens, to at least defend their families, because number four on the fear list is general societal chaos.
Cops fear for their parents, wives, children or grandchildren more now than ever before. Most cops are encouraging their spouses and loved ones to get concealed carry permits. Not only that, but some of these same cops are buying gun mounts for their personal cars so they can carry an AR in the family ride at the ready all the time. They are also strapping on heavier forms of off-duty hardware. I have other friends that are issued ARs or subguns for tactical team use, who always have their gear with them and are planning on just commandeering these weapons for personal use in defending hearth and home.
Final Notes
This is pretty heady and maybe even dangerous stuff. Know fully that I am not advocating anything here. I am reflecting to you what I see and hear going on around me, and maybe saying things that haven’t been said in the open, until now.
It is something to think about.
“People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough|
men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” - George Orwell


I am not a cop, I have never played a cop on tv, and I have not stayed in the Holiday Inn Express. However, I have spent bout half of my life in this country’s armed forces. I have been, and lived in other countries that do not have a modicum of the freedom and liberty that this great country stands for. I do not see myself as being particularly ignerant, nor stupid; but I have a lot of trouble understanding some of the thinking that is going on in the minds of some of my fellow citizens.

I learned, years ago, that if you do not exercise your muscles, atrophy sets in, and they turn to flab. I am not so sure the brain is a muscle, but I am sure that if it is not properly exercised, it too becomes flabby, in a sense. Our gummint indoctrination stations, currently known as publik skools, have made a mess of edjmacation over the past fifty to sixty years. When I was stationed in northern California, I vividly recall hearing about schools teaching children, that if you need something and you do not have the means to buy it, it is ok to steal it, because if someone else has it, and you don’t, that ain’t fair. Criminetly {sic}, how have we gotten to this point in our history?

We now, feel good about robbing, hard working, people, to try and level the playing field for those who refuse to work. Am I missing something here? People still risk their lives to come to this country for the ability to pursue their dreams, and they are being cut off at the knees, and being told they can have it all, and don’t need to do nuthin but vote for the cat whats gonna give them the most. Obviously, there ain’t a lotta intellejunt cogitatin goin on around here. Scripture talks about sheep being led to slaughter…ask any sheep person, they will explain that sheep are about the dumbest animals given to this earth…they don’t take care of themselves, they walk around with their head down following where the grass goes, just so they can be content. They don’t fear, cuz all they are interested in is getting their belly full. They will walk right off a cliff, or into a predator’s camp simply following the grass.

My, how much that reflects what we are seeing in the people of the USA these days. No concern bout where they b headin, as long as they are getting what they think they need.

I sure I am glad I have lived longer than I have left to live. I feel sorry for my children, and their children.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Still above ground

Well, I see I ain’t said nuthin for over a week…Let’s see, what has been happenen.

Last Thursday, I went down to KC area to spend a coupla days with my children. I do love them both, and the grand-daughter is soooo precious. I didn’t take any pictures this time around, but had a wonderful time with the kids.

On Friday, son directed me to a gunsmith in the area, to see about replacing rear sight on my S&W 686. Finally found the gunsmith, and he indicated, that he normally would not have the rear sight in stock, but that another man had come in some time back and ordered one, and never came to pick it up. So, within a half an hour, I had a new rear sight and was off to see my daughter. I think I may have touched on this before, but I dearly love my 686...with the 4” barrel and seven round .357 magnum cylinder. I had previously had a S&W .40, but the local dealer gave me a great deal on the 686 with the .40 trade in.

On Friday evening, son and family came over to daughter’s house, and we had a great roast dinner {daughter’s first time cooking a roast in crock pot}. Found out daughter’s old boy friend has been threatening her, even to the point of having him arrested and filing a restraining order. I left my Glock 32 with her with two mags of seven hollow point rounds. Yes, I have a .357 Sig Glock, and think it is one of the great wonders of the world, especially since I found magazine extenders and can tote 1 in the oven, and 14 in the mag.

On Saturday, son and I did some running around, til about noon, when daughter joined us and we went out to a gun range. Pretty neat idea, there in Missouri. The range is owned by the state game and fish, and they charge $3 an hour to shoot. You can’t beat that even with a stick. So, finally got to put a few rounds through my new Marlin 30-30, I think that one is gonna grow on me.

Son, spent a considerable time with daughter on the firing line, shooting the different handguns we had between us, trying to get a feel for which one fit her best. She finally decided that son’s .45 ACP seemed to agree with her more, than the 9mm or .357 Sig. Did I say it rained? So funny standing on the firing line with a roof overhead, and shooting in the rain. The target area did not have any roofing, so, the targets got kinda wet in the process. Anyway, daughter had to go to work, so, we called it a day, and headed back.

I have to admit that it is pretty awesome seeing that your children are grown and doing well on their own.

Well, I mentioned that it rained while we were at the range, what I didn’t mention is that the temps were in the high 90s and humiditty was prolly just as high. When I left Sioux Falls, temp was up pretty high with high humiditty, also. To be honest, when I got to KC I thought I was back on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi cuz the heat and humiditty were so high. Well, I drove back on Saturday night, cuz, son and family were going to wife’s family for Father’s day on Sunday, and daughter was back on work schedule.

Can you believe it? Got back to Sioux Falls bout 10:30pm, and the humiditty was so high, that it took me a good hour to cool down and get the sweat to stop. And since then each day has been high heat and humiditty…guess I have gotten too fat, just can’t take that high humiditty any more, so, pretty much been holed up in the apt with the blinds closed to stay cool.

And so, now you know why I ain’t writ much this past week.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

AUGGHHHHH!!!

My military mind just formulated where the “crisis” is in health care in this country.

There is a large majority of people made up primarily of “illegal aliens” and “welfare recipients”. Sadly, these people are the ones who primarily vote for liberal candidates with liberal policies, especially those that take money from the earners and give to the non-earners. You know what, my sister, her two daughters, and their three or four children are all welfare recipients. It is much easier to let the gummint give you the things you want, rather than have to go to work to get them.

So, back to the health crisis. All across the nation, states have been clamoring for our borders to be closed, and illegal aliens to be sent back home, because they are draining our economy. They generally have little money for medical care, and the medical care they generally go for is the emergency room. Anybody in their right mind realizes that emergency room care is the most expensive care, and is available to everybody, whether or not you have insurance. The writing is already on the wall that states are trying to get out from under having to provide emergency care for illegal aliens, and indigents. Add to this, that the majority of indigents are covered under Medicaid, and make ridiculous trips to the ER for routine care.

That is the health care crisis that we have encumbered ourselves with. It takes a liberal gummint to decide that the way to deal with the problem is to take away money from the earners, especially those who very seldom use the ER and make it available to the ones who habitually misuse the ER.

I can see Rush’s explanation as being a part of the situation, and recognize it is incumbent with the current administration. As Rush said, by B Hussein taking over health care, the unions would be able to drop their responsibility to cover their employees with health care insurance. Is there any doubt in anyone’s mind, today, that the Obama administration is in the tank, uhmmm, the pocket of the union’s?

In rethinking, if you add the two ideas together, then you do get a panorama of a mega health care crisis. A crisis that only the B Hussein administration is qualified to handle.

Funny, I often wonder how so many of us got to be the age we are, when as children, there was no health care insurance…doctors made house calls. I remember when I broke both wrists, there was no hospital near by, we went to the doctor’s office, waited maybe fifteen minutes and were taken care of by the local doctor.

What has happened to this country? How is it that we are now so intent upon going crazy over anything that is out of the ordinary? Scotty beam me up, there ain’t no intellejunt life on this planet

Friday, June 12, 2009

Un{freakin}believable...

Rodger The Real King of France has posted regarding the lack of mainstream media acknowledgement of the bombing of Sarah Palin's church in Alaska.

Each day, it appears to my military mind that DOMESTIC terrorists are creating more damage in this country. And it didn't start with Bush...

What was that axiom? There is nothing a good man need do for evil to flourish? or something like that?

How's that "hope n change" worken for ya?

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Its 2009, parents do you know where your kids are?

Tuesday, while I spent an hour waiting in line at the local DMV, the man in front of me was talking with a woman who worked in the Auditor’s office; since they were standing within one foot of me, I was treated to their conversation.

At one point they got to talking about voting, she indicated that the most recent election had pretty nearly taxed her office in the area of absentee voting. She stated that the majority of absentee voters were RV’rs; and that the only requirement for registering to vote in this state is to spend one night. As they discussed this, they talked about there being a lot of RV parks in the area, and that one of the largest parks is in the county that had the largest number of absentee voters.

Now, for some time, I have wondered how it is that a conservative state like South Dakota can vote, so strongly, for some pretty damn liberal things. And I think I am beginning to see the light…

What ever happened to the requirement for being recognized as a citizen in good standing, of being in the place (city/state/county) for at least six months, changing driver’s license and vehicle registration, and establishing a domicile?

{Scratching the back of my head} Now, I think I begin to see why so many of the conservative, right-wing bloggers use the phrase “nuking futz”! The great philosopher of our time, Pogo, once commented that “We have seen the enemy, and he is us!” When are we going to wake up and realize that we have shot ourself in the foot, or stuck our sword in the dirt?

Add to this idiocy, that fact that a state supreme court recently informed the state they could not legally purge their voter rolls to eliminate dead people, and illegal voters, it is no wonder this country is going to hell in a hand basket!

Would I be redundant to say, I am so tired, even to the point of being retired? You know, how sweet it would be in the midst of all this screwin’ we’re gettin to maybe get kissed once in a while.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Think about it

The Second Book of the Kings, chapter 22 verse 18b-19, NASB.

Thus says the LORD God of Israel, “Regarding the words which you have heard, because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,” declares the LORD.

There is no other way, we are going to save this great nation, except that we tenderize our hearts, and humble ourselves before the LORD.

As we read through the Bible, we see over, and over again, God’s call to people to humble their selves, and soften their hearts. How much plainer can it be laid out than to see the prosperousness of the people of God, and how they allowed their hearts and minds to turn away from God, and how they paid a severe price, in spite of all God did to turn their hearts and minds back to Him.

To my military mind, there is no plainer picture of our nation than the picture of Egypt, when God determined to make His Name known among the Egyptians. The Book of Exodus tells us that over and over again, God called Pharaoh to repent, and acknowledge the One True God of the universe and creation. Yet, time and again, he refused to humble himself; he was considered to be a god among the people and he would not allow his sovereign status to be relegated to another. History tells us that his arrogance brought calamity to himself, and his nation.

Well, if we refuse to learn from history, we will endeavor to relive it. Think about it!

Friday, June 5, 2009

Slipped Back Into The World

Found this in this week's newsletter from Sgt Grit. Spoke to me, but then, like the bumper sticker in the rear of my truck: "Its a vet thing; if you weren't there you won't understand.

Vietnam. The word brings different images to different people, often with some sort of negative connotation of a quagmire of a war fought as much in the political arena as on the battlefield, although the stakes were much higher for those on the battlefield. Most people I think would even have trouble finding Vietnam on a map, if they could do it at all.

When I think of Vietnam, I think of "Joe". Joe can find Vietnam without a map. He usually finds it in the middle of the night when he wakes up in a cold sweat and shaking because he just realized that he's still alive... again. He's been finding it every night for 40 years, but he probably won't tell you about it because the first time he tried to tell someone he got burned. The last time, nobody cared anymore.

Joe isn't one person of course, he's 3 million American's who went to Vietnam for no other reason than their country asked them to and then shamed them for going. 58 thousand of them came home in boxes; 155 thousand came home in pieces and the rest wake up at night shaking. That's Joe.

My Joe is a smaller group of people, maybe half a dozen that have I been honored to know and have blended together to try and tell a bit of their story. Joe decided to join the service in 1967 because at 18, he thought he could make a difference in the world. He went to his local recruiter and proudly announced that he was there to join the war effort to go stop communists in Vietnam. After an interview and a couple of weeks of meetings and evaluations, it was decided that he would he would leave for boot camp in 6 weeks. Several days later at the dinner table of his parents' home, he received a phone call letting him know that a slot had become available immediately and that he could leave for boot camp the following morning.

Unfortunately, he had neglected to tell his parents anything about his plans yet. Why should he have? He still had six more weeks, and that is a LONG time... well, it is if your 18, isn't it? "Mom, Dad, I have something I need to talk to you about. I've been thinking about it and, well, I've joined the military and I'm going to serve in Vietnam. I know what you're thinking, but I've already made up my mind and I signed all the papers earlier today." Silence. "Mom... Dad?" Finally, dad mustered up a few words. "When do you leave?" "Tomorrow morning. I go to boot camp for 13 weeks and then probably straight to Vietnam. I don't know when I'll be home again after tonight."

His mother now lost what remaining vestige of calm she had left and fled the room in tears. Dad was able to keep control of himself in rapt silence, but Joe found out later that he had a nervous breakdown not long after he left for the war and Mom ended up being the glue that held the family together.

Boot Camp is where you lose your identity and then get a new one back. You are stripped of any sense of self, and you learn a humility that is beyond imagination to most of us. I'm not just talking about sleeping in a bunkhouse with 100 other people or changing your clothes in public. I'm talking about 10 toilets in a room with no walls or doors. Variations on the word "I" will be used only under pain of a million pushups, and replaced with "this recruit". The closest you will come to even being acknowledged by your peers is when you are screamed at by a drill instructor at 3 o'clock in the morning because there is a bug on your bunk, because you have no peers.

You are a recruit, and that is the worst scum on the earth. Even the other recruits aren't your peers, because they are you. All sense of identity is lost here. What comes out at the other end however, is a sight to behold. Boys come out men and girls come out women with a whole new identity. They are the most polite, cleanest, responsible, and well behaved group of young people you ever will meet. They are also your worst nightmare if they need to be.

Joe actually liked boot camp. Sure, he would write letters home complaining about the food, or more specifically the lack of it, or about the drill instructors and the physical demands, but he felt like he was starting to fit in. He was learning to trust himself, and to trust the person on his left and the one on his right. And as much of a jerk as that drill instructor seemed to be, Joe was coming to realize that this was a person he would never forget. To this day, he has not.

On graduation day, Joe and his fellow recruits were marched onto the parade grounds to perform a very elaborate ceremony that would be witnessed by a handful of officers and noncoms but an otherwise empty grandstand. Joe's parents were not there, but he expected that, no one's parents were there. To the outside observer, it must have seemed a very lonely and sad day, but Joe had never felt like he belonged anywhere more than he belonged here at this exact moment. These were his people now.

For the next three years, Joe's story mostly disappears for those of us who stayed home. To be sure we have movies and books and newsreels, but for the most part we don't hear the stories from the people who lived them and I'm not sure we ever will. I'm not sure we ever want to.

For something to be so horrible that close to 3 million men and women hold it inside for nearly 40 years, it cannot be easy to bear. What we do hear is the stories of friendship and the bonds that were created between them, which is where my Joe comes back into the telling. His best friend was kneeling over him holding his hand and trying to reassure him that he was going to be all right.

Joe was bleeding badly and his unit was in the middle of an intense firefight but he could hear the helicopters finally coming in to get him and the other wounded out. He had no idea how badly he had been hit, but he knew that he couldn't move his arm and that he was starting to lose consciousness. His friend had patched him up as best as he could and helped get him on the waiting helicopter, which then sped out of the jungle without time for a goodbye. They would not see each other again for 40 years, not even knowing if the other was still alive but when they finally did meet again, it was as if two brothers long ago separated had found each other. They had both cheated death together, and they knew it.

His next memory is of being in a bunk on board a naval hospital ship in pain and without enough room in his bunk even to roll over, let alone get comfortable. He had just about decided that his life was as bad as it possibly could get when he turned to look at a young man in the bunk below him who was driving him nuts with all of his moaning and whining. The young man was in a similar bunk, but he was confined to his back not because of the cramped space, but because he no longer had arms or legs. It was at that moment that Joe decided never to feel sorry for himself again; to my knowledge, he never has.

Eighteen months later, the war now over for him and his wounds as much healed as they were ever likely to get, Joe came home on a commercial flight and landed at his hometown airport. There was no pomp or fanfare or cheering throngs with welcome home signs. He was one of the lucky ones, left alone that night. No protesters were there to meet him because it was too late in the evening to be bothered with going out to spit on another soldier or call him a baby killer and so he quietly grabbed his bags, walked out of the terminal and slipped back into the world as alone as he was the day before boot camp. The country he had given so much of himself to didn't even know he was home, and sometimes didn't care.

Today, Joe is an executive, and a truck driver, and a teacher, and a police officer, and a friend. Sadly, he or she may have gotten too lost to get back and is no longer with us, but more often he is right among us still hanging onto an anonymity that protects him from any more hurt. More and more though, he is starting to emerge as America finally starts to understand that he is still here and deserving of our respect. He organizes crowds at the airport to make sure that our newest generation of fighting men and women come home to the sort of welcome that he should have had. He volunteers to pack care packages for our troops overseas even after working ten hours and driving 90 minutes to get there, and he gives his dog tags to a young Marine heading into battle.

As a society, we need to make sure that he keeps coming out; that he knows that we are a grateful nation and understand that without his sacrifice, not even protests would have been possible, let alone prosperity and freedom. If you know a veteran, tell him thank you; it might just be the first time anyone ever has. Write a letter and take it to the Veteran's Affairs office. Do something to let these men and women know that they don't need to hide anymore, that we're proud of them, and that we get it at last. And if you see someone wearing a yellow bar tipped on the ends in green with three vertical red stripes through the middle, that's Joe. Shake his hand and tell him that you know who he is, and that you appreciate what he did. Remember, he's been to h≪ he'd go again if we asked him to, and he might go there tonight before he wakes up shaking.

Thanks Joe... and Roger... and Mike... and Lloyd... and Jim...

Monday, June 1, 2009

Linda on top of the news whats fit to print

Hard to imagine, but guess it could happen: cutting off your nose to spite your face?

Da Cajun comes tru agin...

Found this at one of my favorite morning stopping places, and thot it was too good to pass up, and not {mis-}appropriate. I did take a little poetic license and encased it in {}. Thanks Tanker!

Importance of Walking

Walking 20 minutes can add to your life.

This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $7000 per month..

My grandpa started walking five miles a day when he was 60. Now he’s 97 years old and we don’t know where he is.

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

The only reason I would take up walking is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

I have to walk early in the morning, before my brain figures out what I’m doing.

I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks. Haven’t lost a pound. Apparently you have to go there occasionally.

Every time I hear the dirty word ‘exercise’, I wash my mouth out with food. {I lay down on the couch and eat a Snickers bar! And wait for the thought to pass.}

I do have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.

The advantage of exercising every day is so when you die, they’ll say, ‘Well, he looks good doesn’t he?’

If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.

I know I got a lot of exercise the last few years … just getting over the hill.

We all get heavier as we get older, because there’s a lot more information in our heads. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

AND

Every time I start thinking too much about how I look, I just find a Happy Hour and by the time I leave, I look just fine.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

A Marine ain't happy less he's bitchin

I signed up with Sprint cell phone service in June 2000, and Sprint “Broadband” service in October 2007. To my military mind, that would indicate a loyal customer; I did not say, necessarily satisfied customer.

Sprint advertises their “Broadband” service as “hi-speed”; yet, here in Sioux Falls, it is dial up out of a tower in Minnesota. I have had numerous contacts with Sprint in the past six months regarding the slowness of the “Broadband” and its ability to drop calls in the process of trying to access the internet.

On Saturday, my computer was taken over by a Sprint update; there was no option to cancel, or relegate to a later time. The download took about an hour and a half to complete. Yeah, it screwed up my system, big time. On Sunday, the system was still screwed up so I called tech support, and spoke with a lady named Pamela, she walked me through a removal of the download, and then sent me an email to download a better update. She also promised to call me at 4:00 pm the next day. You guessed it, here it is Thursday morning, and I still haven’t heard from her.

On Tuesday, I sent her an email documenting what problems I was encountering due to the download; and I haven’t even received an email from her, nor any contact, at all.

So, lo and behold, on Tuesday, I start receiving these message windows that Sprint has a “PRL” download ready for me to process. Got another message this morning when I logged on. I spose it is possible that Pamela may be working behind the scenes to correct whatever has happened due to the download, but I don’t think she should be sending out downloads without at least letting me know it is coming, and how it is going to make a difference.

If this is the level of competence and loyalty we may expect from companies, these days, I can truly see why there is such an overpowering desire among the great unwashed to allow gummint to take over businesses…I can see it; but I can’t believe it.

I have thot in the past, about dropping Sprint broadband, however, I am not aware of any other company that provides just mobile broadband. Seems like everything, here, in this part of flyover country is oriented toward desktop computers and bundled with phone and cable tv service. That do make it difficult to be on the move, working from a laptop.

Paranoia strikes deep, into your life it will creep;
Starts when you’re always afraid, step outta line the man come and take you away.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Cogitating on right and left

I am becoming more and more intrigued with the mind of William Barclay. I really appreciate his astuteness and willingness to go the extra distance to help me understand a lot of things.

In today’s devotional reading from his book, Daily Celebration, Word Books, Waco, TX, 1972, pgs 135, 136; we find the subject Two Natures.

Which is the real man? I read in the papers about a criminal who, during his gaol sentence, had tamed a magpie and who had so won over the bird that it was quite fearless. The criminal, or the man who with infinite patience tamed the bird ~ which is the real man?

This question is written into the Bible. Which is the real David? The David who spared Saul’s life with infinite magnanimity, who would not drink the water which his mighty men brought from the well which was by the gate, at the jeopardy of their lives, or the David who callously arranged the death of Uriah that he might lustfully possess Bathsheba?

Which is the real Peter? The Peter who denied Christ in the courtyard of the High Priest’s house, or the Peter who took his life in his hands for Christ before the Sanhedrin?

Which is the real John? The John who wanted to call down fire from heaven to blast a Samaritan village, or the John who had but one message: “Little children, love one another.”

For that matter, which am I? I can work to the point of exhaustion and I can be completely lazy; I can be generous, and I can be mean; I can be kind, and I can be cruel; I can be patient, and I can be impatient.

The Jews said that inside every one of us there are two natures ~ the Yetser Hatob, the good nature, and the Yetser Hara, the evil nature. They said that every man had two angels, a good angel on his right hand pulling him up, and a bad angel on his left hand dragging him down.

Socrates said the soul was like a charioteer with the task of driving two horses, one gentle and tame, the other wild and undisciplined. The one was the passions, the other the reason. With almost poignant vividness Paul described the struggle within in Romans chapter 7.

It is a characteristic of human nature that we are a mixture. To the end of the day that remains true. There is only one person who can control the evil side of us and who can make the good supreme, and that is Jesus Christ himself.
In this life we never finally win the victory, but the nearer we live to him, and the more constantly we remember him, the more the good in us is victorious and the evil is defeated. In him alone there is conquest of ourselves.


Basically, two ideas stand out for me in this devotional thought.

First is the idea of two sides inherent in each of us: the good side, and the evil side. Throughout the entire Bible we are shown the power of God residing in His mighty right hand. We understand this to mean His power for good. We also know that when a king, or a sovereign wishes to recognize someone for the good they have done for them, they are seated at his right hand. You know, Scripture tells us that Jesus returned to heaven and sits at the right hand of God ever ready to intercede for His own.

Continuing in this thought, I am reminded that in earlier times, it was considered to be bad, or evil for a person to be left-handed. If we talk with our parents, or grand-parents, we learn that in school they were forced to use their right hand to write even if their left hand was their dominant hand. The popular belief, I believe was that a child who used the left hand was destined to deeds of evil; so, nip it in the bud, and get them on the right path.

In ancient cultures, and in many of the mid-eastern cultures today, the right hand is good and the left hand is bad. You never use your left hand to eat with, nor to greet another. The left hand is used to clean yourself after using the bathroom, it is dirty, and can never be cleansed. Witness, the cruelest punishment a thief can receive in that culture…to have the right hand cut off. You immediately become an outcast, right up there along with the lepers who raise fear and loathing in others.

Today, we talk about the “left” and the “right” in the realm of politics and intellectual direction. We generally relate the left to mean, oppressive, degenerate rulers who have no concern for their fellow man. We think of Stalin, Hitler, Cesar and the many of their ilk.

I am amazed at the Jewish interpretation of Yetser Hatob and Yetser Hara: the angel on the right hand that pulls you up; and the angel on the left hand that pulls you down. Isn’t that what we are seeing today in the political struggle we are witnessing? To my military mind, the “left” is definitely pulling us down; as a nation and as individuals. Make an attempt to discuss something with someone from the left, and they end up calling you names, and doing all they can to destroy you or your character. If you want to have a real down to earth discussion with someone, you must meet with a person who is dedicated to the “right”.

The second idea that readily stands out in my mind is the thought that the evil side has the tendency to be the dominant direction in our lives. After all we live in a fallen world, a world that has chosen to deny God, and invent our own gods that we can worship and depend upon.

I am sure that every one of us alive can testify how easy it is to do something wrong, or evil, and yet, how difficult it is to do something good. One of my favorite statements has been in reference to physical exercising: “When the thought crosses my mind to exercise, I lie down on the couch and eat a Snickers bar.” Consider the time a clerk gave you back too much change, and how difficult it was to bring it to their attention and return the overage. Wow, how much easier it is to just put the windfall in your pocket and walk out thinking, they will learn.

The only remedy, that can bring us beyond this overpowering bent to do evil rather than good, is to trust totally in God through Jesus Christ, that He will, and can, change us into loving, caring persons who are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow in our dealings with each other. Sadly, we have come to point where we no longer believe in evil…so, we continue to steal money from the workers to pay to have babies killed in the womb; we free criminals who prey on society, we continue to steal money from the workers to support the lifestyles of the criminals and the lazy; all in the name of being beneficent.

Until the time, we as a nation, and as individuals, come to the realization that there is evil loose in this world, and that only God, the Creator, is capable of controlling the evil in this world and in our lives, we will continue to deteriorate until there is nothing left of good. May God have mercy on our souls.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Memorial Day pause; addendum

When the Army and the Navy
look up on heaven's scenes;
they will find the streets are guarded
by United States Marines.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Memorial Day pause

From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli;
we will fight our country's battles, in the air, on land and sea.
First to fight for right and freedom,
and to keep our honor clean,
we are proud to claim the title
of United States Marines.

Over hill over dale, we have hit the dusty trail;
and the caissons go rolling along.
For its hi hi hee, to the field artillery,
shout out your number loud and strong.
For where'er we go you will surely know
that those caissons go rolling along.

Stand Navy out to sea
Fight our battle cry:
We'll never change our course
So vicious foes steer shy-y-y-y
Roll out the T. N. T.
Anchors Aweigh
Sail on to victory
And sink their bones to Davy Jones, hooray!

Off we go into the wild blue yonder,
Climbing high into the sun;
Here they come zooming to meet our thunder,
At 'em boys, Give 'er the gun! (Give 'er the gun now!)
Down we dive, spouting our flame from under,
Off with one helluva roar!
We live in fame or go down in flame. Hey!
Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Randomly wandering

During instructor training, we were going into the portion dealing with presentation of ideas.

To begin the class, the trainer wrote the word, "G O S S I P" on the chalkboard.

He then went on to explain what the word meant by saying something along the lines of: Good Ole Slow Sippin Incindiary Poison.

I recall, how I thought that gave a really good description of gossip.

Good Ole Slow Sippin ~ conjured up the picture of old plantation owners sitting out on their veranda with a bottle of Jack Daniels, and slowly sippin while they talked of things important to them.

Along with that was the picture of the group of ladies, that meet every morning at the local cafe to drink coffee, and talk about what all is going on in town.

Then I got the picture of what I understand the term "chewing the fat" meant.

No matter how we might look at gossip, "Incindiary Poison" really shows up its potential.

Consider how something we may hear from a trusted friend, about another friend, can roll around in our brain housing group, fermenting, and coloring all that we know and see.

As humor requires at least a modicum of truth to be funny, so, gossip must have a bit of truth to be seen as viable.

And truth be known, if you tell a lie long enough, it will eventually become common knowledge.

Well, that is my mind wandering around, so, perhaps I better get up and go look for it before it gets lost.