Sand Points

Part 3, Reviews and Sales

2012-02-11T14:48:00.000-08:00

I read somewhere that the average book sells only a few hundred copies, and based on sales to date I’ll probably be in the average category. No bestseller list for me! The book is now available in several European countries, but I have no idea if any copies have been purchased outside the US. It takes several months for sales figures to be reported from some sources.

Promoting is the most difficult thing for me to do. Some serious writers send out dozens of complimentary copies to professional reviewers and lobby for a good review, but I can’t bring myself to do that…even if it made economic sense. In my opinion, that almost amounts to bribery. I had one solicitation offering a free review, which I accepted, but after seeing what she wrote I suspected she had only glanced through a few chapters and hadn’t actually read much of the story, so I won’t link to that review. Like everyone with even a hint of an ego, I find praise easier to accept than criticism, but I would rather have an honest review that said the story was garbage, than to see it praised without the person having read it.

Amazon has several active, semi-professional reviewers, but getting on their list is difficult. I plan to contact some of them, since the more reviews that show up on Amazon, either from professionals or readers, the higher the sales potential. (Self-serving, shameless hint!)

I did a search a few weeks ago, and found a nice, independent review in a Romance Writers of America newsletter in California. Even though the plot doesn’t conform to the accepted rules for the Romance genre, it apparently caught the interest of at least one person with that reading preference.

I also found it included in Christmas gift-list suggestions on two Internet shopping websites, and on a Chrysler club website in Germany, but how it got there is a mystery.

Some folks have asked when I will finish another book, but I’m ashamed to admit that I have no idea when that will be. The one I have in work is perhaps twenty-five percent complete, but I can’t find the fire to finish it. Maybe the fire will return, but as a habitual jack-of-all-trades, master of none, there are too many other projects that for the moment I find more interesting than writing.

I hope your questions about my novel have all been answered.

In Dreams, Part 2

2012-02-10T17:45:00.000-08:00

Over the next three years, I worked on the story off and on, but mostly off. I was certain I could never write well enough to have something published, so I simply wrote for practice and for my own entertainment. As the story neared completion, I asked several people to “beta read” the manuscript and critique it. The reviews were frustratingly mixed. Women said there was too much car stuff, while men said the plot was lacking in action and was too mushy, so I quickly learned that there was no way to please everyone. It was suggested that I change the story to make it more palatable to either men or women and to forget trying to appeal to both. Since the main story was about relationships, which might appeal more to the ladies, I decided to remove some guy stuff and concentrate more on the characters with hopes of making it a better read for women.

The manuscript languished for another two years while I fiddled with the plot, but with much prodding I eventually decided to attempt marketing the manuscript. After being rejected by one agent, it dawned on me that trying to land an agent was a waste of time. Their understandable goal is to make money, so their focus is in signing talented authors who write for a large audience and who are young enough to have a long writing career. A book written by an old guy, targeted to readers from his generation, doesn’t merit serious attention from successful agents.

I also knew that most large publishing houses will only consider the works of agented writers, so it would be extremely difficult for a new author to place a manuscript before their editors. That left two ways to get the book published. I could self-publish, which meant I would have to assume all the editing, printing, marketing, and promotion costs. That route would only serve to satisfy my ego, and those who know me won’t be surprised by the fact that I’m too frugal to spend money in that way.

The only other option to see my book in print was to shop the story to small publishers, some of whom will accept un-agented manuscripts. The first publisher expressed no interest, but the second one I contacted, Wings e-press, dumfounded me by offering a contract only a few days after asking to see the full manuscript. Their offer was fair, and unlike some unscrupulous publishers they asked no financial investment from me. I would receive no money upfront, but they were willing to invest in my novel to the extent of absorbing all editing, publication and marketing costs for both the e-book and paperback versions. Needless to say, I quickly signed, and they have been wonderful to deal with.

Then the real work began, and it was hectic for a couple of weeks.

While the first editor was busy correcting my grammar, punctuation and typos, I worked with one of their contract artists to design a cover. I was shown samples from several contract artists and selected Robert Stroud to create the cover. I was allowed quite a bit of input in the design, but the final layout was the artist’s responsibility. It took about a week from the day we first talked on the phone until we agreed on the final rendering.

I was amazed by all the work that goes into publishing a book. Three editors reviewed the manuscript before it went off to the printer, and I was horrified to see all the stupid mistakes they caught. When you try to correct your own work, it’s all too easy to overlook the same mistakes every time you read it. I find myself “comma-ly challenged” in a major way, so there were a lot of corrections in that area.

The first editor just laughed at my embarrassment and explained that it’s normal, and that’s why editors are needed. Even after all that work, I’ve spotted a couple of errors in the published version, but then I also found a major typo in a recently released New York Times bestseller.

I was pleased that there were only three paragraphs she requested I change. I did rewrite two of them, as I agreed the editor’s suggested version was better, but I argued and won a debate on the third. However, as I now reread the story after months have gone by, I ask myself why I wrote so many clunky paragraphs! The editors were being too kind to let me get by with some of the weak writing.

After the majority of errors were corrected with the first edit, we had to format for publication. The publisher has a preferred format for their books, and it was different than the way I originally had set up in my computer. Thank goodness Microsoft Word is so versatile!

After completing the edits, deciding what scenes to use for teasers, and writing a synopsis, bio, and other info for promoting, it took about three weeks before it was available in e-published form and a few more weeks until the print copy was released.

Final thoughts tomorrow.

In Dreams...The Real Story Exposed! Part 1

2012-02-09T14:33:00.000-08:00

I never expected my little novel to generate so much speculation about the identity of characters, and even more curiosity about the plot. So, to pacify inquiring minds, I’ll reveal the story behind the story and relate what led up to its publication.

Despite terminal antipathy when it came to high school English, combined with an inherent streak of learning laziness, I somehow acquired a latent interest in writing and over the years have had a few articles published in automotive enthusiast magazines, newsletters and local newspapers. They were nothing that required much thought or effort, and I had never seriously considered tackling a project as big as a novel.

The first thoughts about writing In Dreams entered my mind several years ago as I was passing through Denver on a trip from Texas to visit my parents in Montana. As I inched across the city in rush hour traffic, I passed exits with familiar street names that brought back memories of my time in that city. Denver was a great Air Force assignment and I came to love the area in the short time I was stationed there.

Yes, I had dated a girl while attending missile school at Lowry AFB, and I guess our relationship had become as serious as a relationship between seventeen year old kids can be. Naturally, I wondered if she might still live in the area and I contemplated what it would be like to meet a former girlfriend again after decades had passed. I also contemplated what life might have been like had I made different choices when I was young.

Contemplation was as far as it went, but the seed was planted and since long drives are little more than hours and hours of boredom, I passed time by writing a story in my mind. Before the trip was over I had the basic plot formulated and when I arrived home I drafted an outline for future reference, but it would be many months before I took the next step.

Although the idea of writing a novel was now a semi-serious consideration, I really didn’t know how to begin, so I browsed the appropriate Internet forums and tried to soak up enough knowledge to take the first step. Experienced writers advised me to first write about what I know, and to borrow the personalities of real people to develop believable characters. That seemed logical and easy, and by recreating bits of my own early life and military experiences, I had a background for the main character. The girl I had dated would be the inspiration for the female character, and while there would naturally be some similarities, almost everything about her would have to be changed for obvious reasons.

Yes, the main character resembles me to those who knew me when I was young…and that was intentional because the character was easier to realistically create. I learned that most writers include themselves in their stories in one form or another.

Conceding that much to the speculators, I don’t believe the protagonist(s) in the modern segments of In Dreams contain(s) much of who I am today. However, I don’t know how others see me, so maybe I did inject more of “me” into the role than I realized. It wasn’t intentional, but others will have to decide that.

The main female character is far less similar to the real person from the past, and I have no idea what she might be like today. While researching background for the story, I learned that she is still alive and living in the Denver area, but I have not talked to her. When I finished the first draft of the manuscript I did send her a copy, only to let her review it to make sure there were no coincidental similarities to her real life that could be recognizable and embarrassing if revealed. She never responded, so I assumed there were no issues with the plot, and there was obviously no interest in making contact. I also sent her a copy of book, with the same response.

Except for “Dean”, whose character was affectionately based on my old Air Force buddy to whom the book was dedicated, the other characters were entirely fictional with names derived from friends and relatives, and even pets. All of them are composites, but they too were inspired by people I know. None were intended to be anything like the individuals might be today, especially since they were constructed from a collection of dimming memories, imagination, conjecture and embellishment.

The most enjoyable part of the writing experience was researching the past and present, and discovering little nuggets of information on the Internet. Along with relearning the physical layout of Denver in 1959, I found weather records of the local conditions during Christmas week of that year, as well as the phase of the moon and the number one song on the top 40. For some reason, trying to be factually correct for little things seemed important, though I doubt anyone would have been too critical had I only guessed at those relatively unimportant facts.

Radio station KIMN…my favorite at the time...was one of the two top AM stations serving the Front Range for many years, and if I expected to evoke nostalgic thoughts from local readers when it came to their long-ago favorite radio, I had to be accurate. The highlight was when I located the KIMN disc jockey that was working at the station during that time. I had earlier found an audio clip of an actual radio show from KIMN that was recorded only a few weeks from the date I wanted, though it was from a different DJ’s program. I tweaked the wording slightly to make it fit a Christmas broadcast, and then emailed it to “Dapper Dan” at his retirement home in Hawaii, and asked him if the final result closely represented DJ chatter that might have taken place at the time. He responded with a very nice letter, and verified that it was accurate to the best of his recollection.

Fast forward a couple of years.

It was a long weekend and Judy was away visiting family. The weather was dreary and there was nothing of interest on television, so I decided to see if I could put the conceptual plot into actual text. I was surprised to discover that the words came easily and at the end of three very long days I had consumed several pots of coffee, had a pounding headache, my eyes were on fire, and I was totally exhausted. The good news was that I had 30,000 words on paper. While that was less than half the number the final version contained, it formed a skeleton on which to build.

More tomorrow.

Another February 3rd...and More Memories

2012-02-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

I guess it was because of my age at the time, but this event will stick with me forever. Maybe this was the day the United States began to lose some of its greatness.

You Think Your Herd Dog Has Talent?

2012-01-30T05:02:00.000-08:00

Check out this badass bunny!

India's Animal Wars

2012-01-23T07:07:00.000-08:00

Looks like the animal wars are escalating. I read where Hindus in India planted pig parts on the site of new mosque. In retaliation, Muslims slaughtered a pregnant cow on the grounds of a Hindu temple. Several people were reported killed in the resulting riots.

If the practice of critter dumping spreads to Texas, I hope the offenders use the entire animal. After their point is made they can donate the carcasses to our Southern Baptists so they can throw a barbecue.

A Little Sunday Entertainment

2012-01-22T09:05:00.000-08:00

If you've ever been to Louisiana, you understand what a different world is tucked into our gulf coast. Swamps, Spanish moss, alligators, snakes, millions of birds, and a cast characters you couldn't even imagine. The first time I drove through the state, I tuned in a local radio station and heard this kind of music as I enjoyed watching the wildlife that populated the bayous along the road.

It Might as Well be Spring

2012-01-19T17:38:00.000-08:00

On a day when the Pacific Northwest is being pounded with snow, ice and flooding, and Canada's prairie provinces are experiencing minus 30F temperatures, I should probably feel guilty talking about spring.Then again, it might give some hope to those having to put up with more typical winter weather.

More than four and twenty...the blackbirds are flocking together and feeding heavily as they prepare to migrate.

A few brave bulbs are sending up shoots to test the weather, so it appears a few of them survived the brutal summer. I was afraid that most had been baked.

Salad fixin's from a volunteer bibb letuce will be ready in a few days and there are a few others a week or two behind this one. If the weather stays mild, I'll have to begin planting early crops in about two weeks.

I forgot what this bush is called, but it's trying to bloom early. Looks sort of like a wild rose, but I don't remember planting anything like that.

But, there is a downside to the mild weather too, as the weeds are also making an early appearance...

Then there is the surest sign of spring. The purple martin scouts have already begun to arrive in South Texas, Louisiana and Florida! They are about a week earlier than normal.

January Pain

2012-01-10T12:04:00.000-08:00

Property taxes, Christmas bills, estimated state and federal income taxes, plus auto insurance on four vehicles, certainly makes January a painful month for my bank account.

If we made payroll deductions for all taxes illegal, people might get angry enough to put the government(s) on an economic diet. When you have to sit down and write checks, tax paying becomes a whole lot more personal.

A Hint of Spring

2012-01-07T06:17:00.000-08:00

Mother Nature has been blowing warm kisses across the Gulf of Mexico into East Texas the past few days. Yesterday it was a breezy 73 and it's already 60 at dawn this morning.

One unidentifiable bird has apparently been fooled by the balmy weather and has already begun singing his spring song, so I had better clean out the bird houses soon. The bluebirds usually begin nest building in early February.

One bad thing...billions of tiny weeds are sprouting in the yard, but maybe they'll be killed when we get the hard freeze that I know is yet to come.

Journalistic Logic

2012-01-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

"The shooting renewed dabate about a federal law that made it legal for people to take loaded weapons into national parks."

This quote in today's paper is another brilliant display of journalism from the Associated Press, referring to the killing of a park ranger in Mt. Rainier National Park.

Let me get this straight. The guy was running from a multiple victim shooting in Skyway...blew past a ranger checkpoint in the park...shot and killed a park ranger who tried to block him...and then ran again. And now the debate is whether a loaded weapon should be allowed in national parks?

I'm sure if there had been a sign warning that no loaded weapons may be carried into the park, that he would have stopped and turned his in.

Only from a mindless, nanny mentality can you expect this type of logic.

Year-end Roundup

2011-12-30T17:37:00.000-08:00

Another year behind us…and more uncertainty ahead. I wonder if I’ll even have an Internet site where I can post my thoughts at this time in 2012. The more I read and hear, the more I fear that the second Tuesday of November will be the tripwire for the future of our country. If we continue down the path of socialism I foresee attempts to split the country in two, or to change that path with social upheaval that could make the Arab Spring look like a family spat.

As I sat watching several chipping sparrows, goldfinches and one busy titmouse at my bird feeders this morning, I was thinking that instead of retiring I should have kept a job so I could get more done around the house. The more time I have off, the less I seem to get done. It’s hard to imagine how I managed to accomplish so much and still work a full-time job all those years. Without having to plan my day as I did when I worked, I now find it too easy to sit down with a good book or a crossword puzzle when I should be working on my honey-do list.

We should be breaking ground on our new house in a few weeks. Everything has ground to a halt during the holidays, but should start moving again when the world gets back to a normal schedule. The drawings have been reviewed and corrections are to be finished this week. Then we can get the permits and process the loan and insurance paperwork. The builder estimates it will take about three months to build, so we might be moved in by the first of May.

I was doing some research on the itty-bitty town of Ponder, where we are building. Not much history there, with the exception that Bonnie and Clyde once tried to hold up the town bank, but discovered that it had gone broke a week earlier. There are fewer than twenty businesses listed with a Ponder address, but the steakhouse boasts that it is a favorite eating establishment for the Hollywood-type known as Meatloaf, and his pictures on the wall speak to their honest claim. I wouldn’t know the guy if he walked in and stepped on my foot, but I guess you grab all the celebrity association you can find.

Weatherwise, the year is going out gently in this part of Texas and I’m not complaining. The temperature was near 70 today, and I actually worked up a sweat doing a few chores outside. You can’t beat that kind of weather at this time of the year, and the forecast is the same for tomorrow.

Happy New Year!

My Christmas Wish

2011-12-24T14:27:00.000-08:00

I guess I’ll never understand some atheist’s rabid opposition to any religious sign or symbol being displayed on public property. You might have read about the dust-up over a manger scene on county property in the little town of Athens, TX, just a few miles down the road from here. There is talk of lawsuits, and last week several thousand people gathered for a demonstration in support of the display. No matter what happens, the only lasting result will be more bitterness, hatred and distrust.

Even if someone doesn’t share the beliefs of those who erected the display, why do they object to a symbol that represents goodness? Is there something threatening about joy, peace and love? It’s not as if the government is dictating that anyone must pray to a deity, or submit to any doctrine. I’ve never seen the three wise men carrying signs telling everyone to become a Baptist. A manger scene should be no more offensive than hanging a welcome home banner on public property proclaiming love for the community's high school football team. I know the Constitution doesn’t address sports teams, but here in Texas, a winning football coach is next thing to a god. Some folks might object to a banner like that, and I’m not a fan of football, but I’m certainly not offended by enthusiastic fans celebrating their excitement.

Religion is faith in something you believe to be true, but can’t be proven scientifically. It’s an individual’s unwavering trust that our presence on earth is not happenstance. If tenants of these scientifically debatable beliefs advocate honesty, respect for others, love, and helping those who can’t help themselves, why is advocating that belief so offensive?

My personal opinion is that Christians would be better served by being more humble about practicing their faith. They should accept the fact that there are millions of Deists, Jews, Agnostics, and others who don’t share their religious beliefs, but are tolerant and willing to coexist on this earth peacefully and respectfully.

Atheists would also be better served to practice their no-God beliefs a bit less stridently. I wonder if they even realize that their theory that a higher power doesn’t exist, is also not provable and is just as offensive to believers to have it constantly shoved in their face. Tolerance is a virtue we can all use more of.

No matter what you believe, or don’t believe, Christmas should be accepted as a beautiful story, and should offend no one.

Merry Christmas

Christmas Question 2011

2011-12-24T13:55:00.000-08:00

Are you better off now than you were three years ago?

Christmas Surprise from the Garden

2011-12-23T14:58:00.000-08:00

I didn't plant watermelons this year, since squash beetles ruined all my vine plants last year and I wasn't ready for another round of disappointment.

After I harvested the last of my meager crop of tomatoes and peppers in August, a volunteer watermelon plant sprouted next to the tomato plants. I decided to let it grow, but did nothing to help it survive.

Two melons developed, and before the frost hit I picked the biggest one. To my shock, it was ripe and is probably the tastiest watermelon I ever ate! It must have been a hybrid that reverted back to it's original form, because it has far more seeds than those typically sold today, but the exquisite flavor makes spitting out a few more seeds a minor problem.

The bell pepper plants also decided to yield a fall crop, so despite the losses from the brutally hot summer, I did manage to harvest a few early Christmas presents.

Late Fall in East Texas

2011-12-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

As long as I'm posting pictures of our late fall...this one was taken at a friend's rural home and it made the local television website. We don't often get to see displays this brilliant.

If The Weather Doesn't Cooperate, Just Wait a Minute

2011-12-18T12:37:00.000-08:00

The hot, dry summer and fall created confusion for many of our plants. The trees turned brown and shed most of their leaves a month before their normal time to drop, but when the rains came last month, some trees began growing replacements. Those new leaves displayed far more fall colors than is normal for this part of the country. The are also more than a month late, and only now have the trees seriously begun shedding their leaves.

The shrubs and flowers are also perplexed. Our single rose bush has been totally ignored since I planted it under an oak tree three years ago. I'm not a rose fan and only planted it because it was given to us. It normally bears a few pathetic looking flowers in summer, but by November it didn't have a leaf left, and I was certain it was dead. It has never bloomed in the fall, but this is what it looks like today, after after several frosts last week.

It looks as if the Texas sage is also getting ready to bloom again. It loves hot summers, but it's awfully late for it to bloom.

The heat killed most of our encore azeleas, but one keeps trying despite being baked all summer and now frozen several times.

Maybe This Would Work

2011-12-16T05:35:00.001-08:00

http://youtu.be/X86nP4HYRbQ

Dogs and Storms

2011-12-16T05:09:00.000-08:00

As much as I appreciate the rain we've been receiving recently, I have also come to dread the thunder that goes along with it. Not because it bothers me, but the dog is driving me nuts!

She tries to get away from the noise, but doesn't know how to do it, or where to go. If I let her, she will climb on my lap when I'm in the chair, or stand on my head when I'm in bed. She's too big to fit under the bed, and she didn't like being alone in the closet, but I'll be darned if I'm going to spend the night in the closet with her!

I don't understand what makes one dog instinctively fear something that another dog totally ignores. Our sweet Belle, the big, loveable Shar Pei we lost last year, had no fear of thunder and could sleep right through a storm, but if she passed gas and it made a little noise, she would leap up and run out of the room in a panic.

Dogs are wonderful, but sometimes very puzzling.

New House Progress Report

2011-12-12T12:38:00.000-08:00

It appears we are on schedule to begin building our new house sometime in January. We met with the builder yesterday and picked up the drawings. They had a few errors and omissions, so we'll have to mark them up and return to the draftsman. With everything drafted on computers in this day and age, he should have them ready within a day.

The cabinet distributor also sent their detailed kitchen cabinet drawing and a bid, so now we have numbers to compare to other sources. Except for their installation cost, the price actually came in below my estimate.

December Potpourri

2011-12-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

Despite all my good intentions, I've been terribly guilty of not posting regularly, but the world situation has been such that about all I want to do is assume the fetal position and whine. However, that won't help anything, so I'm once again going to try being more diligent when it comes to blogging.

Winter finally arrived in East Texas. We had our first frost last week, so I had to pick the last of my tomatoes and green peppers. I also picked one volunteer watermelon that was almost full size. I haven't cut it open yet, but I doubt it will be ripe.

Our severe drought was also eased with a few good rains the past several weeks and even more forecast for the next week. The soil is well soaked, so now we need a few gulley-washers to help refill the lakes and ponds.

Some of you know that we'll be moving back to North Texas as soon as we get a house built. We closed on a two acre lot on the outskirts of the tiny town of Ponder, in Denton, County, about nine miles from the city of Denton. We got a call from the builder yesterday that the plans are ready for review, so we'll probably be breaking ground soon after the first of the new year. It will be smaller than the house we live in now, and will be even more energy efficient. It will also have a backup generator and will be wired to make it easy to install solar power at some later date. Since the current president boasted that his policies will make energy prices "necessarily skyrocket", I'd like to be prepared as much as possible.

I've been slowly restoring the old '56 Plymouth I bought over a year ago. Most of the chrome parts have been replated and the stainless steel polished. The body has been stripped and will be taken to have the rust removed by a chemical dip. I had planned on doing that by now, but since the shop doing the work is located near Fort Worth, I'll wait until we move so I won't have to haul it twice.

The new home will have a large heated and cooled workshop, so restoring cars won't require suffering from extreme summer heat or winter's chill. Yes, I'm getting soft in my old age, but why suffer if you don't have to.

Ode to the Welfare State

2011-12-02T13:10:00.000-08:00

If you think the welfare state is something new, this shows how old the political cancer is in this country.

http://www.oldhippie.com/forums/us-politics-chairmanobama-com/21620-welfare-state.html

I Must be on the List

2011-12-02T10:57:00.000-08:00

Now that the Senate passed the bill that allows American citizens to be rounded up and held indefinitely without benefit of constitutional rights, I guess I'm automatically on the government's list...the list of potential terrorists. From what I've read, if you have more than two weeks worth of groceries stored, own more than one gun, have anti-government stickers on your vehicle, have posted comments criticizing the president, or have served in the military, you can make the list. Since I'm guilty of all of the above, I probably rank quite high on the list. Well, now you feds can add one more for insulting congress, because every senator who voted for that bill is a traitor to America. Yes, Texas' two senators voted for it and I will do everything I can to see them defeated for any elected office they seek in the future.
Edit: I'm reading conflicting reports that Rand Paul was successful in defeating the controversial part of the bill.

Speaking of those wonderful folks along the Potomac...today I received notice of the 3.6% increase in Social Secutity benefits and the insurance rate change that goes along with it. I will now be making $57 less net income per month after the raise. No, it won't require me to eat dog food, but I don't think I can stand another raise.

It's time to impeach Obama and the Supreme Court, recall Congress, fire every bureaucrat, and flush the moral and ethical pollution that permeates our goverment.

Some Personal Veterans Day Thoughts

2011-11-12T10:17:00.000-08:00

Another Veteran’s Day come and gone, but weekend events continue.

Am I the only veteran who is somewhat embarrassed by the fairly recent and seemingly expected desire to express love and respect for those who put time in the military? Most thanks are sincere, but sometimes I feel the words come from those who instinctively hate the military’s guts, but don’t wish to be viewed negatively by their peers.

Fifty-two years and some months ago, I enlisted in the Air Force at age 17. It wasn’t wartime, but there was a draft in effect, and the only decision we young men had to make was if we preferred to serve three or four years on active duty, or if a part time hitch in a local National Guard or Reserve unit better suit life’s plans. Very few of my friends and acquaintances made conscious plans to avoid military service.

I didn’t enlist because of a burning desire to serve or to sacrifice. Military service was something expected of every young man, and we accepted it as such. It was also a rite of passage…one of the first items to cross off your adult bucket list, even though you didn’t yet realize such a mental list existed. Those who enjoyed formal education went off to college and joined ROTC, or perhaps a National Guard unit, while some enlisted after they received their degree, or they simply waited for the draft board to summon them for a shorter two-year tour of duty. Those of us, who were bored to tears in high school, raised our right hands and happily flew off to basic training. We were seeking adventure and excitement, and an opportunity to get away from home while getting paid a meager salary to do it.

I served my contractual four years on active duty, and while I mostly enjoyed that time, pay was low and promotions were slow, so I got out. Progressing from a scrawny pimply teen, who couldn’t be trusted to take out the garbage when asked, to an airman wearing the uniform of the United States and being trusted to help launch a nuclear missile was an awesome step. It helped you quickly grow up and learn the importance of accepting personal responsibility.

After a couple of years as a civilian, American involvement in the Southeast Asian conflicts began and I decided I wanted to rejoin the organization and the people that I had come to love and respect. I tried to reenlist in the regular Air Force, but they weren’t taking people with prior service. It took over nine years, and while I never could get back on active duty, I was eventually able to join the Air Force Reserve as an electrician on the C-141A Starlifter. I came to love the job and the camaraderie of working with others who wore the same blue suit and shared similar experiences. Nineteen years later, I retired when it appeared that a sleazy draft dodger by the name of William Jefferson Clinton would be elected president and I decided I didn’t want his signature on my retirement papers.

That’s probably far more than you ever wanted to know about me, but I just wanted to explain how an old veteran became that veteran.

I don’t want to be thanked for my service. In my twenty-three years in the military, I never heard a shot fired in anger, I never saw a body bloodied by combat, and I never feared for my life. I babysat missiles during the cold war, and I fixed airplanes or pushed paper during the latter years of the Vietnam War. Yes, I saw the flag-draped aluminum coffins that arrived stateside on our airplanes, and I smelled the death they contained, but I don’t deserve thanks for doing something I loved while getting paid to do it. I was the far more typical airman/soldier/Marine/sailor for most of my career…the non-combat variety…not the dirty, sweating grunts that make the evening news because the viewing public finds pain and suffering more entertaining than anything done by the nine out of ten GIs who provide mission support for the combat troops.

I carried a weapon only during training or while on alert status. The rest of the time I carried a tool box or a briefcase. Oh, I too suffered the jeers and insults from a generation that hated anyone who wore a uniform…and the critics didn’t care if your job was to drop a tank of napalm, or count C-rations. The hate bothered me, but suffering insults is nothing compared to humping a pack in a stinking, vermin ridden jungle, or up the side of a mountain in 100+ degree heat.

I have a baseball cap that declares I’m retired Air Force. I often wore it at certain gatherings to send a message to others who wore the uniforms of the United States. It was an invitation to share stories and reminisce about our youth. However, when it became the norm for people to begin thanking me for my service, I quit wearing the cap in most venues. For similar reasons, I have begun avoiding such public events as Veterans Day parades, and Memorial Day services. I’m simply not comfortable sharing praise with those who earned it by risking life and limb, and especially those who died.

Perhaps I would feel differently if I had experienced war up close and personal, but I didn’t, so please don’t thank me for doing something I chose to do without expectation of anything more than a warm feeling and a big enough paycheck to make it financially worthwhile.

If I had my druthers, people would show veterans their thanks by doing everything in their power to rid our political system of those who violate their oath to defend and protect this country against all enemies, foreign or domestic. I swore that oath six times during my military career, and even though I no longer wear a uniform, I will continue to honor the oath I took. When we have accomplished that mission, we can thank each other…and I won’t be embarrassed to hear it.

Rain at Last

2011-11-08T13:52:00.000-08:00

When I lived in Western Washington, I never thought I would welcome rain as much as I did today. We've had a few light showers in the past three weeks, but today we were treated to two hours of a nice steady rain that produced nearly an inch of the wet stuff. That should dampen the forest floor enough to lessen the chance of wildfires.

It Works!

2011-10-23T19:41:00.000-07:00

...the emergency generator, that is. Last winter I bought a 20kw, propane powered generator and had it wired to start by itself when the power goes off. About 10PM last night, a car hit a transformer about a half-mile down the road. Less than a minute after the power died, the generator started and everything worked as advertised.

Only problem was that I felt guilty sitting in my chair and reading a book while the neighbors wandered around with flashlights and candles. I did offer to run extension cords if it turned into a long outage, but thank goodness repairs were made by 2AM.

Legal Tender not so Legal

2011-10-21T05:10:00.000-07:00

Louisiana recently passed a law that purchases for second hand items cannot be made in cash. Checks and money orders are fine, but “legal tender” is not. The reason given is that authorities want a paper trail to discourage thieves from reselling at thrift stores, pawn shops, garage sales, etc. As if another law will discourage someone who already broke the law that created the situation.

All they've done is create yet another law that honest people will ignore. Seems like the more laws that are written, the fewer are being enforced and the more irrelevant the authorities become.

Another Bill Whittle Gem

2011-10-17T04:31:00.001-07:00

http://youtu.be/OAOrT0OcHh0

Where are the Hummingbirds?

2011-10-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

Every year we have been treated to the sight of hundreds of migrating hummingbirds stopping at our house to refuel and rest. We have six feeders that had to be refilled every day and at the peak of migration, more than once a day. A dozen birds would hover a few feet away while I refilled an empty feeder, and would begin feeding as soon as I stepped away. Our next door neighbor also had several feeders to catch the overflow from us.

This year there are no migratory birds...none! When I first put up a feeder in early September, it was visited by what I believe was one local family of Ruby-throats. We never had more than four birds visit, and that number has dwindled to one regular visitor. Typically, they are gone by the second week in October, so I imagine our one little bird will be gone any day now.

It must be the drought that's altered their migration route. Louisiana has had more rain, so they might have shifted their flight path a few miles to the east. Whatever the cause, I sure miss the entertaining little critters.

Live Free or Die

2011-10-02T16:30:00.001-07:00

Every politician should watch and heed.
Link

Tropical Storm Lee

2011-09-04T05:19:00.001-07:00

So near, and yet so far. Tropical storm Lee was spinning a mere 40 miles from here and drenching the area with the rain we so badly need, but its westward progress stalled between the towns of Nacogdoches and Jacksonville. Nearly two feet of rain fell in parts of Louisiana, but all we got to see was a heavy cloud bank hanging on the horizon off to the southeast. At least, the hundred degree days might have ended for the year.

This dry, hot year, combined with the turmoil in the world reminds me of the lyrics in the old Kingston Trio song from the 50’s.

They're rioting in Africa, they're starving in Spain.
There's hurricanes in Florida, and Texas needs rain.
The whole world is festering with unhappy souls.
The French hate the Germans, the Germans hate the Poles.
Italians hate Yugoslavs, South Africans hate the Dutch.
And I don't like anybody very much!

But we can be tranquil, and thankful, and proud,
For mans' been endowed with a mushroom-shaped cloud.
And we know for certain that some lovely day
Someone will set the spark off, and we will all be blown away.

They're rioting in Africa, there's strife in Iran.
What nature doesn't do to us, will be done by our fellow man.

No Words to Describe

2011-08-31T16:45:00.000-07:00

Perry Isn't Ready for Prime Time

2011-08-31T16:34:00.000-07:00

"If Rick Perry wants to be president of the United States, he should start acting more like a president and less like a second-string radio talk-show host"...Democrat Strategist Susan Estrich

I think he should act more like dope-smoking pimp, since that seems to work.

Long Texas Winter

2011-02-05T08:08:00.000-08:00

This is the longest it has gone with below freezing temperatures during my fifteen years in Texas. It's been three days since the temp climbed above 32, but is expected to grudgingly reach into the low 40's today. However, the reprieve is short, as the forecast is for snow and colder weather again next week. Hope the 4" we now have on the ground melts before we get more. Al Gore, you are nuts...

Lots of birds taking advantage of our feeders recently, as the snow really makes it tough for the little ground feeders to find a spot to forage.

Goodbye Spring...Hello Winter!

2011-01-31T13:00:00.000-08:00

When I lived in North Dakota, we used to joke about the weather, saying if you didn't like it, just wait a minute and it will change. While that was somewhat true, I learned that Texas does it in spades.

From a balmy 73F the past two days, we are expecting heavy thunderstorms tonight...to be followed by possible snow, before temperatures drop into the high teens Tuesday night.

The gas company came out this morning to hook up the propane line to my new generator, so I now have fuel to burn. The electrician was supposed to call me last week to set up an appointment to install the wiring, but so far I haven't heard anything from him. I suppose the coming storm will cause a power outage and the backup system won't be ready for use. I can run an extention cord from the generator to the house, but that will only power lights and a few other things. Better than nothing, but it would be nice to have the full system on line.

Gloomy Day

2011-01-16T18:45:00.000-08:00

It looked like the Pacific Northwest outside today. Temps in the mid-40's and moderately heavy rain most of the day. I woke up with some kind of stomach bug this morning, and the weather isn't helping my disposition. Attitudes will improve when it to begins to warm up again.

I wonder if we're going to have an early spring. The Goldfinches at the feeder have more color than I've ever seen at this time of the year. One little male is almost entirely yellow already. They also have a ravenous appetite and manage to empty a tube feeder of thistle seeds in less than two days.

The Purple Martins must also be planning on an early migration. Many scouts have been spotted, with some as far north as Atlanta and the San Antonio area. They are about a week earlier than normal.

Unchained Melody

2011-01-15T16:54:00.000-08:00

Has any song been recorded by more artists than Unchained Melody? This Floyd Cramer version is my favorite.

Ego Buster

2011-01-15T09:59:00.000-08:00

Billions of mysteries to solve, and our president wants NASA's new mission to be Muslim outreach, not exploration. So much to learn, and we get all wrapped up in political correctness and social agendas.

Somehow I think life on our tiny planet would be a bit more livable if every time we became a little full of ourselves we'd stop and consider the immensity of the universe.

What it Means

2011-01-12T09:24:00.000-08:00

I don't often keep track of famous quotes, or who they might be attributed to, but I think it was Churchill who said that America and England were two countries divided by a common language. Modern political correctness has further extended that humorous truism to the thought processes that influence the American language differences between the left coast and flyover country.

For your daily chuckle....I can't get the link to work, so you'll have to copy and paste.

http://survivalblog.com/

Jury Duty Again

2011-01-02T16:51:00.000-08:00

This is the third time I've been called in the three years I've lived in East Texas. I was called twice during the 10 years I lived in North Texas, and six times while living in Washington.

I've more than done my share of jury duty, and my attitude is such that any lawyer with half a brain will recognize it and excuse me from the panel. The last time I was called in Washington, I was asked by the judge during voir dire questioning if I had ever served on a jury. When I told him I had been on several, he asked if I enjoyed the experience. I said no, and when he asked me why not, I told him that I had seen lots of law being practiced, but not much justice being dispensed. I was excused.

What really burns me is the low number of Hispanics summoned. The Hispanic population is approximately 25% in Smith County, yet out of 300 citizens summoned the last time I served, during roll call I counted less than a dozen with Hispanic surnames. If jury duty was to represent a cross section of society, there should have been over seventy, so I have to conclude that either most Hispanics in the county are illegals and ineligible to serve, or they are not doing their civic duty.

If there isn't a somewhat representative Hispanic turnout tomorrow, I'm going to contact the paper and ask them to do some investigative reporting. After all, since almost half of those charged with crimes are Hispanic, they should have a jury of their peers deciding their guilt or innocence.

Just remember, if you are ever charged with a crime, your fate will be decided by 12 people who weren't smart enough to figure a way to get out of jury duty!

A Spring Teaser

2010-12-30T18:52:00.000-08:00

The thermometer on our deck crawled all the way up to 72 degrees today, so I took advantage of the spring-like weather and spent most of the day catching up on outdoors chores.

I took down the Christmas lights, drastically pruned the weeping cherry, picked up trash and fallen branches from our last windstorm, cleaned gutters, removed and stored tomato supports and cleaned the garden, dug compost into the garden, filled the bird feeders, watered hanging plants, picked up two weeks worth of dog poop from the back yard, cleaned leaves and trash out of the septic tank pump housing, filled the treatment tank dispenser with chlorine cakes, and finished off the day by poisoning several fire ant hills. Now, the yard should be in good shape until the next warm day arrives.

I imagine I'll vividly recall all that exercise when I try to get out of bed tomorrow, but with a cold front moving in, I'll have some time to recover in front of the computer. With tax time just around the corner, I have to get all the financial records updated and ready to go.

Will it Come to This?

2010-12-22T15:46:00.000-08:00

http://europenews.dk/en/node/38344

The author makes a comment about already being in a fight, and when you look at what has happened around the world in the past decade, it makes you think.

A Little Bit of Catching Up

2010-12-21T17:49:00.000-08:00

I'm gradually getting over my annual bout with the common cold, but the weather today sure made it easier to live with. I spent about three hours reading a book and drinking coffee on the patio. Not the usual activity for the winter solstice, even in the sunny south, but who am I to argue with 81F. It will be cooling off about 15 degrees tomorrow, but even that is fine with me for the week before Christmas.

Even the birds are confused about the date. I finally got around to setting up the feeders and have seen very few customers. One nuthatch visited several times today, and gave me a scolding each time he arrived. I guess he doesn't know who paid for his lunch.

Speaking of birds...the baby whooping cranes made it to Florida well ahead of their normal arrival. Usually, the migration team has to take a holiday break and finish after the first of the year, but this time the weather was more cooperative and they arrived about a week ago.

The house is sure empty without Belle. The big, lumbering oaf was such a wonderful dog...funny, well mannered, gentle, loving, loveable, playful. There just aren't enough complimentary adjectives to describe her. She had a puppy mind encumbered by a body that was too old, too broken and too tired to keep up with her happy spirit. I'm just glad that we were the ones blessed to share her all-too-short life.

Grandma Got Molested at the Airport

2010-12-09T19:18:00.000-08:00

November 6th

2010-11-06T19:10:00.000-07:00

November 6th, has always been a day to remember, as it was my dad’s birthday and for some reason it was the one birthday I never forgot. Now, that date will be etched even deeper in my memory, but not for the joy of celebrating someone’s birth.

My first wife…the mother of my children…passed last night. Barely seventy, in a time when octogenarians are the rule, she was far too young to go. I’ll leave writing her eulogy to those who are more deserving and more talented, and will only say that the world is not a better place with her gone. Too many people will miss her kindness and selflessness.

The second loss of the day was our oldest Shar Pei, Belle. If those who believe in reincarnation are correct, somewhere a loving, happy, gentle, soul arrived on this earth the moment she left. Only minutes before she died, she found the strength to wag her tail when I stroked her head. She was a good dog, and we loved her like a child.

Be it human or animal that is stricken, cancer is indeed an evil disease.

Good Listening

2010-08-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

Taking a Break

2010-07-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

When I started this blog, I imagined I had an unlimited number of things on which to comment. For a few months I did, but then we had an election and the nation began to quickly slip into socialism while politics transformed into nothing more than a mud-slinging hate contest. I’ve become totally disgusted with the evil Democrats and the spineless Republicans, and I don’t even want to talk about them anymore. I’ve tried writing several political entries recently, but have given up in frustration.

There was a time in my youth when I was an old school Democrat, but my opinions matured when I saw what their tax and spend policies did to our nation. I evolved and eventually moved my allegiance to the Republican Party, but over the years, it became what the Democrats used to be…spendthrifts and power-hungry liars. Instead of two parties that put America first and forgot our differences on the nation’s shores, we now have one party that wants to turn our country into a new version of the old Soviet Union, and a leaderless party that doesn’t have a clue how to prevent the destruction from happening...a pox on all their houses!

To make a long story short, I’m taking a break from blogging until the American public makes a decision. The Texas legislature also convenes in January and there are several state sovereignty issues on the agenda. No matter who wins the election, I expect Texas to become a leader in efforts to wrest power from Washington, and it could get ugly very quickly.

If “we” are smart enough to clean house in November, there might be a chance to resurrect our country from the depths of bankruptcy and collectivism, but if the Democrats retain control of the legislative branch and pursue their current agenda, I fear we could see the beginning of a new civil war…and Texas could be at the center of the maelstrom.

The time has come to quit talking about the mess we are in, and to begin doing something to fix it. To that end, I intend to concentrate my energies and my interests, so blogging is one of the things that will have to take a back seat for the time being.

Heartfelt thanks to my regular readers.

Interesting Parallels

2010-07-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

Who am I?

No Comment Required

2010-07-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

Link

No Comment Necessary

2010-07-04T13:26:00.000-07:00

Link

Murphy's Lesser Known Laws

2010-06-25T15:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks to "Taxidave" on the old hippie website for the best laugh I've had in weeks.

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

He who laughs last, thinks slowest.

Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.

Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.

The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.

If you lined up all the cars in the world end to end, someone would be stupid enough to try to pass them, five or six at a time, on a hill, in the fog.

The things that come to those who wait will be the things left by those who got there first.

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day drinking.

Flashlight: A case for holding dead batteries.

The shin bone is a device for finding furniture in a dark room.

When you go into court, you are putting yourself in the hands of 12 people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty.

A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.

Obituary

2010-06-23T21:50:00.000-07:00

Which freedom is next to go?

Thanks, Justice Roberts...you so-called right wing radical, you sided with the communists in the White House and DOJ. Put the razor wire manufacturers on overtime. Obama will need to build concentration camps after he declares vets, tea partiers, religious groups, and those with conservative stickers on their cars, terrorist groups.

We'll never be able to vote our way out of this socialist quagmire!

RIP Free Speech

Dead Elephant Society's New Mascot-A Jellyfish

2010-06-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

GOP's New Mascot

John Boehner's threat to pull Texas Representative Joe Barton's committee chairmanship for his Obama putdown is the type of stunt that has eroded grassroots support for the Republican Party in recent years. What a spineless thing to do.

Boehner...get a clue! No matter how much you grovel and try to get along, the media will never like you, and the Democrats sure don't like you, so all you are doing with this gutless stunt is making certain that half the conservative voters don't like you either.

If you can't stand up for the Constitution, do the honorable thing and resign. We don't want career politicians that don't represent us.

III

Dennis Prager on Americanism

2010-06-17T20:08:00.000-07:00

Billionaires Of The World Unite!

2010-06-16T13:45:00.000-07:00

So Warren Buffett and Bill Gates believe that all American billionaires should donate half their wealth to charity. Wow! Warren will have to shop for Hamburger Helper to get by on the measly 31 billion remaining after he gives half of it away, and Bill will likely have to clip coupons from the Sunday paper to make it on his mere 26 billion.

I have a better idea. Instead of giving half to charity, why don't you all keep 10 or 20 million for walking around money, and donate the rest to the US Treasury. Then your good friend, Chairman Obama, will have a little seed money to buy more votes and redistribute wealth to the really needy folks, like SEIU members. It's a win-win situation.

Rain at Last!

2010-06-10T17:29:00.000-07:00

After several weeks of hot, dry, weather, we closed our seasonal rainfall deficit in two days. My rain gauge measured exactly 5", but not far from here they recorded nearly 11".

The grass had gotten so dry, it looked like late summer with yellow, thinning patches and uneven growth. Now, it looks like April...rich, green and lush...and all within two days. No matter how much you water from a hose, it doesn't begin to match the results of natural rainwater.

Not All Combat Took Place On The Ground

2010-06-06T10:14:00.001-07:00

A Great Day As Remembered By A Great Man

2010-06-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

One Impressive Dodge Powerwagon

2010-06-06T04:31:00.000-07:00

When you have money to burn....

Dodge Powerwagon

Checking In

2010-06-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

There are times when I simply don't feel like writing anything and this past week has been one of those times...in spades. I get so fed up with world events that I'd like to put a fence up around our little acre and throw rocks at anyone, or anything, that tries to enter. It's a case of the bah-humbug syndrome, summer version.

If I don't post for a few days, I'm building fences and gathering rocks.

Rain!

2010-05-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

It was only a little shower, but at least I won't have to drag hoses and sprinklers around tomorrow. It has really been dry this spring. Every storm seems to sneak around us. Thirty miles in any direction and they have been getting at least one or two good showers every week, but this is the first we've had in nearly three weeks.

I hope the pattern is broken, because we only have a few weeks before the long hot days of summer are due to arrive.

The Cold Civil War

2010-05-25T20:39:00.001-07:00

Link

Thoughts About Life...

2010-05-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

...a few I haven't seen before.

Marriage changes passion. Suddenly you're in bed with a relative.

I saw a woman wearing a sweat shirt with 'Guess' on it. So I said 'Implants?' She hit me

How come we choose from just two people to run for president and over fifty for Miss America?

Now that food has replaced sex in my life, I can't even get into my own pants.

I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose fitting clothing. If I HAD any loose fitting clothing, I wouldn't have signed up in the first place!

When I was young we used to go 'skinny dipping,' now I just 'chunky dunk.'

Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.

Wouldn't it be nice if whenever we messed up our life we could simply press 'Ctrl Alt Delete' and start all over?

Wouldn't you know it... brain cells come and brain cells go, but FAT cells live forever.

Why do I have to swear on the Bible in court when the Ten Commandments cannot be displayed outside?

And remember: life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

How Can You Defeat an Army of Freeloaders Who Can Vote?

2010-05-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

The Capsizing of Democracy

Jo in Florida...The Now Generation

2010-05-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

Sunday Comics

2010-05-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

With thanks to Dan Bell posting on oldhippie.com, here are a few Sunday grins at the Democrat's expense.

The Tea Party Movement Captured In Music

2010-05-16T15:38:00.000-07:00

Refreshing!

2010-05-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

If we had a few more leaders like this, the public might not be on the verge of revolution.

I'm Sixty-Three and I'm Tired

2010-05-13T16:23:00.000-07:00

Except for a few minor points, and five years difference in age, I could have written this...should have written this.

I’m Sixty-Three and I’m Tired.
by Robert A. Hall
I'm 63. Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I've worked, hard, since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven't called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, there's no retirement in sight, and I'm tired. Very tired.
I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.
I'm tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to "keep people in their homes." Sure, if they lost their jobs or got sick, I'm willing to help. But if they bought McMansions at three times the price of our paid-off, $250,000 condo, on one-third of my salary, then let the left-wing Congress-critters who passed Fannie and Freddie and the Community Reinvestment Act that created the bubble help them with their own money.
I'm tired of being told how bad America is by left-wing millionaires like Michael Moore, George Soros and Hollywood Entertainers who live in luxury because of the opportunities America offers. In thirty years, if they get their way, the United States will have the economy of Zimbabwe, the freedom of the press of China, the crime and violence of Mexico, the tolerance for Christian people of Iran, and the freedom of speech of Venezuela.
I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.
I'm tired of being told that "race doesn't matter" in the post-racial world of Obama, when it's all that matters in affirmative action jobs, lower college admission and graduation standards for minorities (harming them the most), government contract set-asides, tolerance for the ghetto culture of violence and fatherless children that hurts minorities more than anyone, and in the appointment of U.S. Senators from Illinois.
I think it's very cool that we have a black president and that a black child is doing her homework at the desk where Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation. I just wish the black president was Condi Rice, or someone who believes more in freedom and the individual and less arrogantly of an all-knowing government.
I'm tired of a news media that thinks Bush's fundraising and inaugural expenses were obscene, but that think Obama's, at triple the cost, were wonderful; that thinks Bush exercising daily was a waste of presidential time, but Obama exercising is a great example for the public to control weight and stress; that picked over every line of Bush's military records, but never demanded that Kerry release his; that slammed Palin, with two years as governor, for being too inexperienced for VP, but touted Obama with three years as senator as potentially the best president ever. Wonder why people are dropping their subscriptions or switching to Fox News? Get a clue. I didn't vote for Bush in 2000, but the media and Kerry drove me to his camp in 2004.
I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and mandrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in America, while no American group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach love and tolerance.
I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate. My wife and I live in a two-bedroom apartment and carpool together five miles to our jobs. We also own a three-bedroom condo where our daughter and granddaughter live. Our carbon footprint is about 5% of Al Gore's, and if you're greener than Gore, you're green enough.
I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses while they tried to fight it off? I don't think Gay people choose to be Gay, but I damn sure think druggies chose to take drugs. And I'm tired of harassment from cool people treating me like a freak when I tell them I never tried marijuana.
I'm tired of illegal aliens being called "undocumented workers," especially the ones who aren't working, but are living on welfare or crime. What's next? Calling drug dealers, "Undocumented Pharmacists"? And, no, I'm not against Hispanics. Most of them are Catholic, and it's been a few hundred years since Catholics wanted to kill me for my religion. I'm willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic person, who can speak English, doesn't have a criminal record and who is self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably for three years in our military.... Those are the citizens we need.
I'm tired of latte liberals and journalists, who would never wear the uniform of the Republic themselves, or let their entitlement-handicapped kids near a recruiting station, trashing our military. They and their kids can sit at home, never having to make split-second decisions under life and death circumstances, and bad mouth better people than themselves. Do bad things happen in war? You bet. Do our troops sometimes misbehave? Sure. Does this compare with the atrocities that were the policy of our enemies for the last fifty years and still are? Not even close. So here's the deal. I'll let myself be subjected to all the humiliation and abuse that was heaped on terrorists at Abu Ghraib or Gitmo, and the critics can let themselves be subject to captivity by the Muslims, who tortured and beheaded Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, or the Muslims who tortured and murdered Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins in Lebanon, or the Muslims who ran the blood-spattered Al Qaeda torture rooms our troops found in Iraq, or the Muslims who cut off the heads of schoolgirls in Indonesia, because the girls were Christian. Then we'll compare notes.
British and American soldiers are the only troops in history that civilians came to for help and handouts, instead of hiding from in fear.
I'm tired of people telling me that their party has a corner on virtue and the other party has a corner on corruption. Read the papers; bums are bipartisan. And I'm tired of people telling me we need bipartisanship. I live in Illinois , where the "Illinois Combine" of Democrats has worked to loot the public for years. Not to mention the tax cheats in Obama's cabinet.
I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of both parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.
Speaking of poor, I'm tired of hearing people with air-conditioned homes, color TVs and two cars called poor. The majority of Americans didn't have that in 1970, but we didn't know we were "poor." The poverty pimps have to keep changing the definition of poor to keep the dollars flowing.
I'm real tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems.
Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 63. Because, mostly, I'm not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter.
Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam veteran who served five terms in the Massachusetts State Senate and the actor who plays the coroner on CSI.

Soul Food

2010-05-11T18:14:00.000-07:00

Having lived most of my life in the northern part of the country, I really wasn't exposed to soul food until I moved south. Since I'm retired, most of our home cooked meals are simple, easy to fix, and mostly low-cal, low fat, but there comes a time when you have to ignore dietary dicipline and partake in a plateful of pure cholesterol.

Tonight was one of those nights. We just finished a delicious meal of blackeyed peas simmered for hours with several pieces of thick bacon, fried okra, fried yellow squash, homemade bread, and fresh tomatoes. Eating just doesn't get any better!

America's Dilemma-A Danish View

2010-05-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

For some reason I can't get this address to link, so you'll have to copy and paste it. Don't miss the link in the article to the blog entry about splitting the USA along political lines.

http://europenews.dk/en/node/31942

Don't Forget Them

2010-05-06T17:38:00.000-07:00

It was my war, but I wasn't there. Though I wore a uniform during part of it, I didn't deploy to SEA, and I'm often nagged by guilt. Now those slimy, dope smoking protesters who worshipped Mao and Che, and who spit on our returning troops, are running the damn country and running it into the ground!

More than 50,000 died in a valiant, botched effort to defeat collectivist thinking, but when I look around today, it's obvious the communists won anyway. What a terrible waste of young men and women. I knew several whose names are etched on that wall, and they were all far more patriotic and honorable than the entire Congress, the Administration, and the mainstream media, put together. It's enough to make me want to puke.

Link

In Eric Holder We Trust

2010-05-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

Link

Remember who the DOJ listed as potential radicals in their memo last year?...Tea Party participants, returning veterans, tax protesters, Oath Keepers, anyone with anti-government or right to life stickers on their bumpers, among many others.

If this legislation comes to pass, the feds will be able to prevent anyone from purchasing guns and ammo, as well as confistcate legally purchased guns from anyone the Attorney General decides to add to his list.

Violent Tea Party Hoodlums Attack Riot Squad

2010-04-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

This Is The Tea Party The Media Doesn't Understand

2010-04-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

http://www.oftwominds.com/blogapr10/Tea-Party04-10.html

The Rappin' Cowboy

2010-04-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

Rap is not my music, and liberal is not my politics, but here's a link to my cousin's blog. I read it to see photos of the old home state and my shirttail relatives.

http://www.rappincowboy.com/journal.html

Another Weekend Without Power

2010-04-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

Last Friday night, a strong line of thunderstorms rolled through our area with winds clocked as high as 88mph. We lost power within the first minute and didn't get it back until late this morning. The electic co-op reported that there were more than two dozen power poles down about a mile up the road from us, so I'm guessing another small tornado was the culprit.

We were fortunate that none of the trees in our yard were damaged, but between here and town there were at least three trees lying across the road that had to be cut up and moved before traffic could get by. We were also fortunate that a cool front arrived after the storm passed, so the house stayed comfortable without air conditioning.

As I was sitting in the dark, trying to read a book by the light of a dim flashlight, I vividly recall another storm last winter when I swore I was going to buy an emergency generator so this wouldn't happen again...but this time I'm really going to do it...if I don't forget again.

Your Government At Work For You

2010-04-19T17:56:00.000-07:00

And some wonder why the populace is angry.

Rain At Last

2010-04-18T18:16:00.000-07:00

It was beginning to look like midsummer around here. The grass was withering and everyone reluctantly began watering their lawns, but during the night a light rain began falling and by noon the rain gauge measured 3/4". We should be good for another week, and the long range forecast is for thundershowers next week.

I sure hope this dry spring is not an indication that we're going to have a similarly dry summer. The price of water has more than doubled since we moved in, so I hate watering the lawn.

Well, tomorrow is the day for the big armed demonstration across the river from Washington DC. The Second Amendment blogs are deathly silent as the authors are on their way to attend the event. I only hope their message will be taken to heart by those arrogant politicians who refust to realize there is extreme anger in the heartland. What's scary is that it would be the perfect opportunity for a radical leftist to goad a violent response from a short tempered protester, which could result in the feds overreacting and creating another Concord Bridge situation.

Tax Day Blues and a Night Out

2010-04-13T18:30:00.000-07:00

The annual agony of computing and filing my income taxes is history, and I'm so pleased to do my part to help Obama bail out his Chicago buddies and European banks. If there was a law that every American must figure and file their own income taxes, including politicians, you can bet the tax code would change overnight.

We celebrated by going out to eat at Pop's cafe. Every Tuesday night, they serve a tasty hamburger, fries and a drink for a special price of $3.95, which is cheap compared to the local competition. They even offer entertainment in the form of an older couple who sing along to tape recorded country music. They sing reasonably well and create a comfortable small town Texas atmosphere for the motley collection of farmers, ranchers and laborers that frequent Pop's. When you hear songs like Luckenbach, TX, He Stopped Loving Her Today, and Four Walls sung with a strong East Texas drawl, you can't help but feel there is still hope for this country.

No matter what happens in the years to come, I hope that part of Americana never goes away.

Workin' Like a Dog

2010-04-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

This dog really does work, and he shows up as reliably as any factory worker. Every morning, rain or shine, he arrives carrying a ball or an old stick and then goes from house to house hoping he can convince someone to throw the ball so he can fetch. He’s especially happy on weekends when homeowners are working in their yards and the kids are out of school. He can wear out the arms of a dozen people before he tires, so the more cooperative ball-throwers he can find on any one day, the happier he is.
We don’t know much about him, and we don’t even know where he lives, but according to his tag, his name is Dakota, and he looks like a purebred Black Lab. He’s a big lovable oaf, always clean, healthy looking, and always appears to be well fed. He wears a collar and knows some basic commands, so he’s not a stray, but he certainly doesn’t spend much time at his home during the day.
He’s also very smart. He keeps his favorite fetching balls where he can find them. At one time we had three stored in our yard. He would come trotting down the driveway, pick up one of the balls, take it next door and play there for a while. Then when they tired of playing his game, off he’d trot to another neighbor. At the end of the day, he’d bring the ball back into our yard and drop it off before going home...wherever that might be.

Tuesday

2010-04-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

How quickly the weather changes. Only a couple of weeks ago we had snow, and this week I turned on the air conditioning...but this is Texas, so that's to be expected.

I've been nursing a toothache since Easter, so I haven't been in the mood to write, or do anything else. The dentist said I'd probably have some discomfort after he filled it last week, and he sure had that right.

Think I'll go to bed and read until the Tylenol kicks in and maybe I can get to sleep.

Spring Chores

2010-04-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

It's a shame how out of shape one can get over the winter months. The truckloads of pine bark and top soil arrived yesterday afternoon, and I immediately began spreading the bark in the flowerbeds and around trees. I hauled maybe 20 wheelbarrow loads of bark, 4 loads of topsoil and planted a few caladiums. After that, I was ready to crash. Last summer, that small amount of exercise would have hardly been noticed.

This morning, I awoke stiff and sore, and tried to work it out by digging a new flowerbed. I managed to get it half done before I called it a day, but it's supposed to storm tomorrow, so it might be several days before I finish.

I saw the first hummingbird of the season...a male Rubythroat...and he announced his arrival by slamming into the kitchen window. He wasn't hurt, but he had better learn which flight paths he can take and which ones he can't.

I got a letter from the IRS today that nearly gave me cardiac arrest. They said we missed listing a substantial amount of income, but it turned out that the bank that transferred Judy's IRA when we moved, mis-coded the paperwork so it looked like she had withdrawn the entire IRA.

Catching Up...March Edition

2010-03-29T19:57:00.000-07:00

This time I know it’s spring! Temps are forecast to be in the low 80’s this week and everything is either blooming or leafing out. The photo is of a weeping peach that we just purchased and planted a few days ago. The color is far more vivid than the puny weeping cherry in the front yard. It has only a few pale pink blossoms and if it doesn’t get busy, next year it will be replaced by another peach like this one.

The hollow stump where a Tufted Titmouse nested last year has been taken over by a pair of Nuthatches. They are already feeding babies, so they might raise more than one brood this year. Multiple broods seems to be the norm for Texas songbirds.

The front yard Bluebirds have built a nest in their house, but the world might be better off if this pair doesn’t preserve their gene pool. They have to be the dumbest pair of birds I’ve ever seen. At first light, the male attacks the kitchen window, and he’s been doing so for over a month. He goes through this battle until about noon and then the female joins him. Those two idiot birds spend most of the day fighting their reflections and are totally exhausted by evening. If she starts to sit on eggs, he’ll probably kill himself in his futile battle to defeat his glass enclosed nemesis.

Another pair of Bluebirds has been building a nest in the backyard Martin house, but their progress has been slow and erratic, as if they’re not too sure they want to move in, or maybe they forget what they’re doing. They might be related to the mentally challenged dummies from the front yard.

I found a dead Red Bellied Woodpecker in the yard today. It showed no sign of injuries, so I have no idea what killed it, but its mate has been calling all day from the dead tree where they had chiseled out a home.

Final bird report. Last fall, a male Carolina Wren began spending nights in a fern that was hanging on the patio. When the cold weather arrived, the fern froze and stopped providing much cover for the wren. I felt sorry for the little guy, so I cut a hole in a plastic bucket and hung it beside the fern. The wren moved in immediately and spent the rest of the winter roosting in the bucket at nights. He must have really liked his accomodations, because he has now built a nest inside. I suppose that ugly bucket will have to hang there for the entire nesting season!

I ordered 12 yards of pine bark mulch and 10 yards of topsoil to be delivered Wednesday, so I’ll have enough work to keep me busy for a couple of weeks. Wore myself out cleaning a bunch of weeds from the flower beds today, so I’m ready to mulch...after I rest a couple of days.

April 19th, 2010

2010-03-25T19:17:00.000-07:00

Don't Tread On Me

Rattling the Second Amendment Sabers

The Educated Voter

2010-03-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

Test Question: The recently passed healthcare bill was supported by about 30 percent of the American public and opposed by 70 percent. After watching the video, to which group do you believe these voters belong?

Thanks to The Old Hippie for finding another good one.

Contemplating the Future

2010-03-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

King George couldn't do it, nor could the Kaiser, Mussolini, Hitler, Hirohito, or Mao. No, our Republic was destroyed by a bunch of self-serving politicians who took an oath to defend and protect the Constitution against all enemies. Led by a trio of stealth Marxists, they have set the nation on course to imminent bankruptcy and perhaps violent confrontation...and it's our fault for sleeping on duty and being too politically correct to recognize that pure evil exists in the hearts of those we elected. The Norwegians called them Quislings. I call them something that's not appropriate for this blog.

Now we are faced with serious decisions. How do we fix the mess? Do we sit back and wait for the next election to get us back on track? Do we engage in civil disobedience demonstrations that mimic those of the left in the sixties? Do we do as some hotheads are already suggesting, and destroy property as the Sons of Liberty did before the Revolutionary War? Do we goad the DC statists into an act of violence so as to trigger a violent response? Or do we do something else to put fear in the hearts of those who would destroy our country?

I wish I knew what was the right thing to do. What I do know is that it will no longer be business as usual for me.

Winter...Round Three

2010-03-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

I've guessed wrong twice already. Despite the calendar, winter is determined to give us another icy blast. It was 70 yesterday, and it's now 36, with a strong NW wind, and there is snow in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow.

Last week, I hauled a bunch of plants from their cozy spots in the house out to the patio, and I'm too tired to haul them in again, so that's where they are going to stay. The palm should be okay, but a couple of semi-tropical plants might be in trouble.

Global warming my butt...bah-humbug!

And The Fools in Washington Refuse to Listen

2010-03-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/2010/03/to-all-modern-sons-of-liberty-this-is.html

Sons of Liberty

Another Concord Bridge?

2010-03-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

Concord Bridge Patriots

Restore The Constitution

On April 19, 2010, an armed rally will take place on the grounds of Gravelly Point Park in Washington D.C., and it’s no coincidence the rally falls on the anniversary of the 1775 battle between British troops and the Minutemen at Concord Bridge in Massachusetts.

A year ago on that date, a few members of a newly formed group known as Oathkeepers reaffirmed their oath to defend the Constitution at the site of the original bridge. They were a small group that was mostly dismissed by the media, but since then the number of Oathkeepers has grown by thousands and can no longer be ignored.

This time a protest takes place on the back porch of the federal government. It will be difficult for the media to ignore hundreds, and perhaps thousands of armed modern day patriots standing together in a peaceful display obviously meant to spit in the eyes of an increasingly overbearing federal government intent on pushing our country into the gutter of Socialism as they blithely chip away at the very liberties those Minutemen died to gain over 200 years ago.

Let’s hope April’s show of force sets off a chill in the spines of the elitist tyrnants, and that it successfully conveys the atmosphere of discontent roiling among the citizenry. Additionally, let’s hope nothing happens during the rally that triggers a response from either side that can’t be controlled. And let’s also hope we can find a peaceful way to prevent Washington’s Marxists from destroying our country until we can hold an election to evict their sorry asses from government.

Stocking Up

2010-03-13T19:32:00.000-08:00

America's economic goose is cooked.

Between the warnings from Glenn Beck and articles like this, I've finally accepted the fact that a US economic collapse is not only possible, but probable. During the Carter administration, Similar fears were commonplace, and many of us prepared by storing enough food and supplies to weather several months of chaos. Thanks to the leadership of Ronald Reagan, those supplies weren't needed then, but the situation today looks far worse than the Carter dabacle, so it's time to prepare for survival again.

Over the past several weeks, I've been adding more and more survival items to our shopping list, such as camping gear, lanterns, fuel, ammunition, etc. I also enlarged the size of our tiny garden so we can at least grow some of our food.

This morning, I ordered a three month supply of freeze dried meals to supplement our pantry and freezer stock. Along with the food, I bought a 72 hour emergency survival kit that contains all the little things you tend to forget when stocking up. One of the neat items in the kit is an AM/FM radio/flashlight/lantern that is powered by household AC, solar cells, crank generator, or batteries. It even has the capability to charge a cell phone and flashlight batteries.

The food is advertised to store safely for 30 years, so even if we don't use any, someone will have a supply available long after we're gone. I hope none of these things will have to be used, but as Glenn Beck says, prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

God Blessed Texas

2010-03-10T18:07:00.000-08:00

I recall a time when I wanted nothing to do with the state of Texas. As a youngster, I had endured four weeks of basic training in San Antonio and made a quick trip to El Paso while on temporary duty with the Air Force. I quickly decided that those were not places I wanted to live, but with time, my opinion changed. Years later, my employer sent me on a couple of business trips to the Dallas/Fort Worth area and I fell in love with the state. Now, I can't imagine living anywhere else.

I think this youtube video does a good job of capturing the spirit of the land, and feelings I have about the state.

Thanks to Taxidave on the oldhippie website for finding this.

Extreme Makeover

2010-03-07T17:03:00.001-08:00

Well, ABC’s Extreme Makeover crews are gone and the Carr family has moved into their new home that was built in one week. Now the topic of conversation at the coffee shop is if they can afford to keep the house.

For those who don’t know, the new house is located just outside of the small town of Mineola, which is about six miles from where we live. Naturally, the area has gone gaga over all the activity generated by the event.

The house replaced one with an $80,000 mortgage, and those who know the area said that houses in that neighborhood are mostly in the $100,000 range, which means they are modest two and three bedroom homes no larger than about 1500 square feet. ABC sort of overbuilt the neighborhood with their upscale 4500 square foot home that would be valued at a half-million dollars in an area where houses that size were the average. If the family can’t pay the property taxes, utilities and insurance on that monster, they will have a hard time selling it for half the assessed value.

As of last week, they were still $20,000 short of paying off the mortgage on their old house, so that could still be a worry if no one comes up with the money they still owe.

Makes you wonder if the television folks ever bother to think beyond the feel-good aspect of the show.

Tyler Morning Telegraph photos

Has It Come To Choosing Sides?

2010-03-06T17:08:00.000-08:00

Bossier Parish is far from being a rural parish filled with rubes, rednecks, Bible thumpers, and old fat guys with guns, as the lefties in this video would like you to believe. It is located across the river from the city of Shreveport, that together with Bossier City, have a population of over a quarter million. One of only two B-52 bases left in the country is located within the parish. It also has several large casinos that are filled with thousands of people around the clock, so it is certainly the type of place terrorists would consider for an attack.

You can almost smell the fear when those lying, elitist idiots do their pontificating.

Is It Spring This Time?

2010-03-04T16:22:00.000-08:00

After a false start about a month ago, it looks like spring might have actually gained a foothold this time. It was a glorious sunny day with highs in the upper sixties and more of the same forecast for the next ten days. There is the possibility of a few thundershowers next week, but thunder is another harbinger of spring.

I stopped to check on any progress they might have made on my convertible, but it's not going very fast. The rear end has been changed, and he's working on the suspension, but nothing has been done to prep it for paint. I have a hunch it's going to be well into convertible season before I get it back.

Except for the governor's race, the local tea party supported candidates did very well. Our over the hill local RINO was defeated by the very conservative young man who visited our coffee group last month, and another woman who visited us was elected county clerk against tall odds. Her opponent was supported by the party and all the big name politicians, but she easily defeated him. A few years ago, he organized a union for county workers and that unpopular effort came back to bite him. I enjoy watching RINOs defeated almost as much as I enjoy watching Democrats go down.

It Makes You Think

2010-03-03T17:05:00.000-08:00

As a lifelong flag waver, it's disconcerting to read articles like this, but it certainly makes you step back and rethink some things.

Link

If You Have Talent....

2010-02-27T18:32:00.000-08:00

The Texas Country Reporter is a weekly television show that travels the state looking for stories that are different and interesting. I think this one meets those requirements.

Catching up-February Edition

2010-02-24T16:50:00.000-08:00

Nothing has made my list of must-comment subjects recently, so I’ll do the potpourri thing again.

You might have read in the national news that there have been a series of church burnings in East Texas. Well, they’ve charged two young men with the crime. One was an honor student in high school, regular church goer, a talented artist and an Eagle Scout. Yep, he got into drugs. Sad to say, but they both lived within a few miles of our house. They burned ten churches in four counties before they were caught. Story is that they were turned in by a sister of one of the boys. She happens to be a dispatcher with a local law enforcement entity.

The law says they could get life in prison, but despite the anger in this Bible thumping part of the state, I doubt they will get that much.

The Lindale motels are filled with folks from the Extreme Makeover television show. They are going to build a house for a family in the Tyler area. We don’t know exactly where, but it should be revealed later this week. Everything has to be hush-hush until the builders have been assembled and trained. So far, over 300 construction workers have volunteered.

Got our second taste of snow earlier this week, and every flake adds to the decades-old record. Temperatures have been 10-20 degrees below normal all month, with only three days over 50 degrees. Normal for February is 60-65. Thanks for the global warming, Al, we’d really be freezing our buns if things were normal.

The weather seems to be keeping the birds from migrating, and I’m tired of feeding the hungry little buggers. They manage to empty the feeder at least once every day. I'll run out feed bythis weekend, and then the welfare is going to be cut off. They can clean up their spillage and then point their little beaks north

Flaky Internet Service

2010-02-23T19:31:00.001-08:00

Cloudy skies and light snow have made our internet service flaky again, so while I can get on, I'll share the link to a good read about this nation's state of affairs.

Link

Great Minds Think Alike?...or Zoomies are nuts?

2010-02-20T17:47:00.000-08:00

It appears that I'm not the only one who saw the Joe Stack suicide attack as a frightening first symptom of citizen frustration gone amok. This widely known author mirrors my thoughts, right down to the canary in the coal mine similitude.

http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/2010/02/journal-rage-against-the-machine.html