Three Great Bicycle Crashes

When we were kids we went everywhere on bicycles.   It was much faster than walking and also included some very exciting(?) moments.  I learned not to ride fast with my mouth open when one day I was treated to a snack consisting of a large bug that just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.  Not the best snack I ever had but a memorable one.  And then there was the time I was riding home from school and a bug went up my nose... and I mean waaay up my nose.  I think I smelled that bug for a week after the fact.  Pretty bad stuff, huh?  Okay, let's talk about bicycle wrecks.
There was the time Rhett Dawson and I were racing home from somewhere and as we got close to home we broke into a sprint.  Now, we lived in the 1600 block of Iola Drive in Valdosta, Georgia at the time and our block was still a dirt road.  Rhett always won these races but I was destined to win this one as all of a sudden his front wheel came off resulting in one of the most spectacular crashes ever.  The front forks of his bicycle dug into the dirt road and the bicycle came to a screeching halt.  Unfortunately for Rhett, he didn't come to a screeching halt.  No, he kept on going... right over the handle bars and nose first into the dirt road.  He still didn't come to a stop... he slid down the road for about 20 feet before finally coming to an agonizing halt.  You should have seen his face.  He must have swallowed about a gallon of dirt and it was obvious that the road won this round.  I'll never forget that terrible wreck.
Even worse was the wreck Taylor Perryman had when he was trying to outrun me as we raced down College Street on our Schwinn Wasps to get a Coke and a Milky Way at Bray's Curb Store.  Taylor made a fatal mistake that day.  He looked back to see where I was.  Bad move.  When he turned to look back at me (I was usually in second place in these races.) his bike swerved just enough to crash into a parked car.  Blam!  Talk about coming to a sudden stop?  THAT was a sudden stop... for the bicycle.  Taylor went over the handle bars and onto the car in a heap.  I don't remember how bad the bike was damaged but I do remember that it was a while before Taylor regained his senses.  A terrible crash.
But the most memorable bicycle crash of all was the one I had involving my sister Peggy and me.  Actually I was the only one who crashed.  Okay, maybe I didn't really crash, but Peggy sure thought I had crashed.  We were coming home from somewhere and it was getting dark.  I figured I would play a trick on her and act like I had crashed my bike and see what she would do.  Well, I found out when I laid the bike down in front of Troy Blasingame's house.  It was a good place for a bicycle crash.  There was this nice smooth ditch that was lined with grass.  I had a nice soft landing and as soon as I went down I began to moan and groan as loudly as I could, trying to scare Peggy.  Well, it worked.  Peggy started screaming bloody murder and took off on her bike as fast as she could.  And I mean FAST.  Talk about panic... the girl was hysterical.  I jumped on my bike and took off after her to tell her I was not hurt and that it was just a joke.  Let me tell you something ladies and gentlemen, that was the fastest girl on a bike I have EVER seen.  There was no way I was going to catch that girl.  She must have thought I was a ghost or something.  She was flying!  I guess she beat me home by about half a mile or so and boy was I in trouble when I got there.  So unfair... and I was the one who had the wreck.  Oh well.  That's how it goes.
Next time any of you talk to Peggy, ask her about it.  Bwaaahaaaaahaaaa!

Feeding Hummingbirds #2

This is a brief addendum to my post that was written earlier today.  If you have not yet read my previous post you might want to drop down and read it.  I was going to enclose this additional information when I did another post next week but I got to thinking that some folks might be motivated to go out and buy a hummingbird feeder after reading this morning's post and this information may be something they would be interested in.
Okay... here goes...
Almost every hummingbird feeder on the market has either yellow or white imitation flowers on it.  We are led to believe that these flowers attract the hummers and are a necessary part of any good hummingbird feeder, but is that really the case?  They certainly are pretty, that's a fact.  But do they really make a difference to the hummers?  Think about this...
Hummingbirds will drink nectar out of a test tube with only a curved piece of glass protruding out of a stopper in the top (bottom) of a nectar-filled tube.  They will also drink nectar out of a Solo cup with a hole cut in the side of it so the hummer can stick his bill inside the cup to get at the nectar.  Neither of these look anything like a flower.  Go figure.  And then there is this to consider...
Bees and wasps are not attracted to red colored objects.  They are not actually color-blind but they do have a problem with any color approaching the infrared portion of the color spectrum.  People who are allergic to bee and wasp stings know this and often wear red when working in the yard.  Bees and wasps simply do not see red as a color.  Hummingbirds definitely are attracted to red, but not bees and wasps.  Any other bright color that is shaped like a flower bloom invites investigation by these insects but red does not attract them.  Any hummingbird feeder with colorful yellow or white flowers on it will attract bees and wasps much quicker than will a feeder without these colorful flowers.  Think about it.  Now, feeders with a green base and red flowers is something that I am not sure about but I do know this.  Most of the feeders of this type have white perches.  Is this bad.  Honestly, I do not know.  But I do know that those feeders with the raised up realistic flowers are very difficult to clean and the ones that I used in the past were real bad about being a magnet for mold... and these realistic blooms are VERY difficult to clean.
The yellow "flowers" on these feeders are very pretty and people buy a lot of these because they are pretty.  They sell and they make the manufacturers a LOT of money.  Most of us think we are doing the right thing when we buy one of these pretty feeders and maybe it isn't so bad if we can control the bees, wasps, and mold.  But I prefer to play it safe.
I like the Hummzinger feeders with the highview roost on them.  New studies have shown this to be an improvement on the previous roosts that are basically level or just below the level of the nectar hole in the feeder.  The raised perch allows the smaller hummers easier access to the nectar and a bonus is that we get a much better view of the hummingbird as it sits on the roost.  In addition, these Hummzinger Highviews feeders (made by Aspect) allow the use of nectar guards.  Be advised that not all of the Hummzinger feeders are compatible with the nectar guards.  I know that the Aspect Hummzinger EXCEL does not accept the nectar guards.  There may be others, but I do know that all of the newer "highview" feeders will accept the nectar guards.
http://www.aspectsinc.com/429_HighView.html
In summary, probably any hummingbird feeder on the market will work.  The question is how particular are you about your feeder.  Maybe I am too sensitive about this but I like to think that I am doing all that I can to provide my hummers with a good clean easily accessible nectar supply.  After all, studies show that these hummers will return to the same location year after year and they will be depending on the person who is feeding them.  We actually hold their life in our hands when we decide to feed them, and that is a serious responsibility whether we are aware of it or not.  That's my two cents worth.
Now about hummingbird swings.  Aren't they cute?  Yes, they sure are.  A nice place for our hummers to rest when they are not feeding.  But, which hummer do you think will be using the swing the most?  Yes, the dominant male of your yard will control the swing.  He will drive the others off of the swing if it is anywhere close to "his" feeder just as he will attempt to keep them off of the feeder.  This is an instinct born out of the necessity for hummers to establish a territory for their constant supply of nectar.  This is a life-or-death situation in most cases and they do not realize that there is enough nectar in a well-maintained feeder for a whole flock of hummers.  He is merely instinctively defending his territory.
Maybe this is not such a problem if a person has multiple hummingbird feeders spaced far apart from each other.  The same thing would apply to the swings.  Maybe multiple swings hung fairly distantly apart would be okay.  Once again, just my two cents.
Now you should be prepared to feed some hummers.  Get a feeder, fix some nectar, and enjoy the show!

Feeding Hummingbirds

Many of us love to feed hummingbirds.  I think they are a blast to watch and my wife and I have been feeding them for many years,  just as many of you have also been doing.  One of these days in the near future I want to write about my bird feeders and include some pictures but today I think I will write a little refresher about what we need to keep in mind when we are feeding these amazing aeronautical acrobats.  I will include some Do's and some Dont's that I feel strongly about and maybe you will disagree with some of them but I ask that you do please consider each of the points I will mention.

Hummingbird Feeders:
 1. Should be easy to clean.  Hummingbird feeders are very susceptible to mold and bacteria that are harmful and even deadly to hummers.  If your feeder does not come completely apart so that you can easily every nook and cranny of the nectar chamber you may be prone to overlook some of these organisms which can possibly result in the death of some of our feathered friends.  If your feeder is not very easy to completely and thoroughly clean then you may want to consider a new feeder.
 2. Should provide a perch.  This is much more important than you would think.  A hummer's rate of metabolism is fantastically high and in order to survive it must consume up to one and a half times it's body weight in food daily just to survive.  A hummingbird rests every chance it gets because it's body has to work so very hard just to keep up when it is in flight and it needs every bit of rest it can get.  The hummingbird heart rate can vary from about 250 beats per minute, when the hummingbird is resting, to about 1200 beats per minute when the hummingbird is feeding.  This difference is HUGE.  It is a fantastic advantage for the hummer is he/she can rest while feeding.  I love my hummers and I always provide a feeder with a perch for it.  Some perches are better than others but I will talk about that on another day.
 3. A feeder should have a Sun/Rain Protector.  Most hummingbird feeders do not have a dome to help shade it from the sun and to keep the rain off of it.  The result is that the nectar gets hot from the onslaught of the mid-day sun and the hummers find it very unpleasant to drink.  Not only is this a nuisance but it is also dangerous because we all learned in science class that bacteria grows faster in warm water than it does in cool water.  And you can bet, regardless of how meticulous you are about cleaning your feeder, you have bacteria in your nectar.  It is simply unavoidable.  Even if you boil your nectar before placing it in the feeder there will be some airborne bacteria that gets into the nectar via the feeding holes or from the beaks of the hummers.  A hummingbird feeder is like a petri dish and is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria.  The best thing we can do is to minimize the bacteria and keep the liquid as cool as possible by offering it some shade.  A good tree or bush works well but if you do not have a shady place for your feeder you should purchace a nice red-colored dome to hang over it.  It will also help to attract more birds to your feeder.  Manufacturers do not design feeders to have a built-in dome because this would raise the price significantly and they would sell fewer of their product.  That certainly should not surprise us.  Their motivation is money, not hummingbird safety.
  4. Do not use red-coloring or red-colored nectar!  The red dye in hummingbird nectar is harmful to animals and serves absolutely no useful purpose other than maybe making your nectar more attractive to YOUR eye at the expense of the hummingbird's health.  There are other reasons but if this one reason is not enough for you I would ask that you please refrain from feeding our beautiful hummingbirds.  Manufacturers sell the red nectar mix so that you will not be aware that you are paying a big price for a very small bag of sugar.  Hummingbirds do fantastic on nectar made from 1 part table sugar and 4 parts water.  Remember, these measurements should apply to the water AFTER it is boiled.  If, after boiling the sugar with the water, you find that you have less than 4 cups of nectar you will need to add additional water to replace the water that was lost due to evaporation during boiling.
 5. Ant Moats keep those pesky ants off of the feeder and out of the nectar.  A hummingbird will not eat from a feeder that is covered with ants.  Many of the ants drown and comtaminate the nectar which is also very harmful to the hummers.  Ant moats are cheap.  Get one.
 5. Nectar Guards to ward off insects will keep bees and yellow jackets out of the feeder.  A nectar guard is simply a synthetic cap that slips over the bottom of the tube the hummer sticks his beak into when drinking the nectar.  Nectar Guards have slits that the hummers can push their bill through to feed but the insects are blocked and can not enter into the nectar chamber.  Your nectar will stay much cleaner if you use nectar guards.  They are about $5/pack.  Not all feeders accept nectar guards.
 7. A good hummingbird feeder should not leak or drip nectar on to the ground.  This only attracts insects that you do not want around your feeder.  Avoid feeders that leak or drip.

Thanks for being patient and reading my thoughts on feeding hummers.  I have much more that I want to write about concerning hummingbirds and other birds in our back yard but I will save that for another day.  I also make and sell domes and ant moats on eBay but I am not trying to sell anything on this site.  I am only trying to raise awareness so that we can keep our hummers healthy.  Thank you for your patience.

I Thought I Was Dead

I want to tell you a funny story.  Well, it's funny now but at the time I thought I was a goner.  Some of you have already heard this because I told this story on Facebook last year but I think I'll tell it again just so I can get another little chuckle out of it.  If you have already heard it maybe you can act like you have never it and make me feel good when you laugh about it again.  Anyway, just humor me if you will... I am in a silly mood today.  I get like this from time to time.
Last year we had a real bad thunderstorm.  This was not your everyday storm.  In fact it affected a large part of the eastern United States.  I can only imagine how many others that have their own story about the storm but here is mine.
I was sitting here in my recliner watching the Weather Channel and my computer as I tracked this storm as it headed toward me.  It had already hit Indianapolis and was now slamming into Cincinnati.  I told my wife to call her sister Sue up in Ohio and tell her that a bad storm was about to hit her area and to take cover because this one looked like a bad one.  She later called back and thanked me for warning her but I doubt it really did her much good.  On the weather map it was an ominous line of yellow and red extending from Ohio down into Tennessee and maybe even farther.  I like to watch storms on the weather maps as they tear across the country because I am a sick man and I do sick things like that.  There, I said it.  Anyway, I knew this was a bad one because red on a doppler radar foretells of bad things in someone's life.  I take these storms seriously because my property is a magnet for high winds and lightning.  For some reason they love to terrorize this little piece of the planet.  I have at least five trees in my yard that have been knocked down by these big lightning storms.  I don't even bother to cut them up anymore.  I just leave them where they are for the animals to play on.
Anyway, as the monster storm got closer and closer my family (my wife Wanda, our weiner dog Sissy, Miss Kitty (the cat of course) and I grew more apprehensive by the minute.  The animals were laying on the day bed next to my recliner nervously watching the window right behind me and they weren't liking the fact that I had the window open so that I could enjoy the nice cool air blowing into the house.  Blasting through the house might be a better description.  But everybody seemed to be able to maintain a semblance of composure, at least up to this point in time.
This storm didn't give much warning when it hit us.  A little wind of course but when it hit us it was sudden and it was hard.  We had been listening to the lightning strikes to our west for some time but it still seemed to catch us by surprise when it began hitting all around us.  It was bad.  By now it had everyone's attention.  I noticed that the Miss Kitty's fur seemed to be standing up and I was hoping the she would be able to weather this storm because she is pretty wild sometimes and can be more than a little bit unpredictable.  So far she was doing pretty well.  Maybe we were going to get through this one.  The curtain behind me was blowing in the wind pretty much and the lightning was striking all over the valley but we were hanging in there.
And then it happened.  I will never forget it.  BOOM!  Lightning struck just outside the partially open window and it struck HARD.  It all happened in the blink of an eye.  Miss Kitty leaped up into the air and landed on the curtain right behind my head.  The curtain (a blackout curtain) crashed down on me and the curtain  rod banged off of my head.  All of a sudden I was blind.  And I was deaf.  I couldn't hear anything because the lightning had been so loud it almost paralzyed me.
I thought I was dead.  Surely the lightning had been a direct hit and I was a goner.  Goodby cruel world.  It was nice while it lasted.
Suddenly I was aware of a loud squalling and the curtain that was draped across my head seemed to come to life.  The cat was trying to get untangled from the curtain and I was right in the middle of it all.  Well at least I wasn't dead.  Miss Kitty got untangled from the terrible curtain and was nothing but a blur as she streaked across the room to parts unknown.  We learned later that she had retreated to safety under the bed in the back room.  I untangled myself and began counting fingers and toes and soon realized that I was all here.  I was still alive.  It must be a miracle.  Whew!  I thought I was a goner.
It's funny now.  But I will tell you that my pacemaker got the workout of a lifetime that day.  It was one heck of a storm.  The power was knocked out for us and millions of others in this part of the country for several days.  It was a humdinger of a storm.  I will never forget it.  Neither will Miss Kitty.  Or the dog.  My wife is still laughing about it.  Women are so cruel.  I'll get her back.  It wasn't funny... at least not to me and the cat.
I thought I was dead.

Money, The Root of All Evil?

How many times have we heard that money is the root of all evil?  There may be some truth to the old biblical saying but I'm thinking that the LACK of money may be the root of all evil.  Sometimes people do terrible things to get their hands on money... robbery, murder, embezzlement... you name it.  The fact is that we can't live without it.  Maybe times are different from what they were when the old biblical saying was written.  All I know is that we have to work like crazy just to get enough money to "get by" in this day and age.
I don't get out much anymore.  I stay home and let my wonderful wife do the shopping most of the time.  I am very out of touch concerning the prices of just about everything these days and I almost faint when I look at the store receipt after a day of shopping.  I guess my brain is still trying to hang on to the prices that we paid for things back in the 1960's.  Of course our paychecks were much smaller back then but I still have trouble believing the price of a trip to town these days.
The other day we went to Walmart and bought groceries and some other things we needed around the house.  When we got home I needed to check some prices on the store receipt to see how much it was going to cost me to build some small items that I plan to sell on eBay.  When I picked up the receipt and saw that we had spent almost $300 for that buggy load of "stuff" I almost passed out.  Son of a gun!  And to make matters worse, there were a few things that we forgot to pick up that would have driven the bill even higher!  Wow!
Money is a necessary evil.  Simply put, we can't live without it... lots of it.  And for simple folks it means hard work just to keep up and live a "normal" life these days.  And I am talking about a lot of hard work.  That's just the way it is.
In the end if we work hard and make a little bit of money we can afford to buy the luxuries of life... toilet paper, bread, milk, and even some food for the animals.  We can't expect to get rich but we can survive, and then we might be able to take a few moments to enjoy ourselves.  But first we have to earn and accumulate some of that nasty money.  That's just the way it is unless you were born with a large trust fund or some other large inheritance.
Money is a necessary evil, but at least we live in a country where we can make a few bucks if we put our mind to it.
For that I am thankful.

Two Hillbillies Go To Town

You may not have noticed but I did not write anything in my blog yesterday.  This was because Wanda (wifee) and I had to go to town.  Afterward I was just too pooped to write and a bit frustrated to boot.  Let me tell you about our little trip to town.
First I had to go to my Primary Care Physician... a fancy name for Family Doctor.  Now I don't have a lot of love for most doctors, but I have to say that Dr. Dillard is a fine doctor. Beside the fact that she is very intelligent, she is a very caring and understanding person.  She has to be to put up with me but I think that goes without saying.  I am one of those patients who always wants to know things like what this particular medicine actually does to my body (last count I have 8 different prescribed medications) and she is really good about explaining right down to the molecular level what is going on.  She is the first doctor that I have had that would take the time to do this.  She is great.  Also, she will write me a "script" for pain pills.  No, she doesn't write me a "script" for 10 Oxycontin per day, but she does provide me with enough Percocets that I can take one now and again when my old knee is really acting up.  Most doctors won't even do this.  They say, "You'll have to go to your orthopedist and get him to help you with that."  Give me a break!
Well, yesterday was my last appointment with Dr. Dillard.  She is moving to another hospital where she can dictate her own schedule and have enough time to take care of her two young kids.  Damn, I will miss her.  I wish her only the best.  She is a keeper and I will never forget her.
Oh, I forgot to mention that Wifee and I gave her a bottle of White Zinfandel as a going away present.  In keeping with my own sick sense of humor I told her it was a "Get out of town" present.  Did I say that I would miss her?
Next we hillbillies had to go across the river into Ohio so that I could let a pretty blonde plebotomist (pronounced "flea bottom ist") take about 9 gallons of blood for a pre-surgical work-up... whatever that is.  I'm having open-heart surgery next Thursday.  Ok, maybe not "open-heart" surgery, but they are going to put a new battery in my pacemaker.  Same thing, right?  The good news is that I don't have any fleas on my bottom.  I guess the chiggers and cooties ate them all up.
Next stop for us hillbillies was the hardware store.  Listen to this.  All I wanted was some 3/16" nuts and a few eye nuts the same size.  Is that asking too much of a nationally franchised hardware store?  Obviously it is.  The store had absolutely no 3/16" nuts for sale.  I told the guy that maybe I could use #10-24 nuts instead since they will fit onto a 3/16" bolt but the outside diameter is smaller than a regular 3/16" nut.
"The will?" he said (asked).  "But of course you already knew that, right?"  Obviously not.  And when I asked him about eye nuts he thought I was joking.  Nope.  I had to tell him what they are.  "Wow, that sounds like a good idea." he said.  I agreed although I refrained from telling him that it would also be a good idea if his hardware store carried a few of them too.
Overall Wanda and I enjoyed our little trip to town.  We even went to Taco Bell for lunch.  You are not going to believe this though.  The taco salads had RICE in them.  Hell, if I want Chinese I'll to to Kung Fu Chopstick Charlie's to eat.  What is the world coming to?
Well, needless to say this old hillbilly was thrilled to get home to the animals (Sissy and Miss Kitty).  I immediately went online and order the parts I needed (off of eBay, no less). 
Hillbillies should probably stay out of town as much as possible.

Not Blogging About Women Today

I'm not going to write a blog today... or is this considered a blog?  I don't know.  All I know is that while I was trying to decide what to write about today I researched "the fairer sex" and I still don't know enough about them to write a coherent blog about them.
It's not because I haven't been doing my research.  Heck, I've been studying women for many years... I mean really studying them.  Just to show you how dedicated I am to my research I even took some time this morning to look through some pictures of NFL Cheerleaders on CNN.com.  I don't think I know any more about women than before I started my research.  Go figure.
I am a very dedicated researcher of women.  I have been studying them since I was a kid sneaking a look at the magazines in Bray's Curb Store on the corner of Ashley and College Streets in Valdosta Georgia.  Dedicated is the word.  I love to do research.
As a young boy I "went steady" (very unsteadily I might add) with quite a few girls but I don't think I learned a darn thing about them in the process.  Now that I am a grown man (Notice I didn't say "grown-up.") I am married to one. And let me insert that she is a wonderful woman.  I have to say that or else she will beat me up with a baseball bat while I am sleeping.)  But she is the best.  Any woman who can put up with me is definitely angel material.  Yes sir, I am dedicated in my research.
I am sorry to say that all of this research has not helped me one bit.  I think that I know less about women now than when I gave a bottle of perfume (L'eau de Toilet) to Pam Middleton in the third grade.  I think that was the beginning of the end.  I blame everything on that little green bottle.  From there it all went downhill.
But I think I may be onto something.  The other day I was reading about the difference between the brain of a woman versus that of a man.  I am still doing research in that department.  When I get enough material together maybe I will be able to write a blog about women.  You will be the first to know when I get this thing figured out.  In the meantime if anyone out there has any information that will help me in my quest to understand women I would very much appreciate it if you would forward it to me.  If I get enough good material I just might write a blog about women someday.
Until then I will be doing my utmost to figure out just what it is that makes women tick.

Idiots

Idiots... they're everywhere!  No matter how hard I try to avoid them, somehow they always find me.  It seems that everywhere I look there are idiots.  I hardly know where to start when I want to talk about all of the idiots in the world.
First of all, what is an idiot?  I looked up the definition of "idiot" and here are some of the definitions I found.
   1. Any person having a mental age below that of a 3-year old child.
   2. An embicile.
   3. A dolt. (Whatever the hell that is...)
   4. A moron.
   5. A cretin.  (I guess Crete has a lot of idiots.)
Does that sound like anybody you know?  Your friends?  Your brother?  Your sister?  That person in the mirror?  I guess we all act like idiots sometimes, but I'll tell you that some of these idiots aren't acting.  They are the real thing.  Here is a list of people that I think are total complete idiots.
   1. Anyone who doesn't agree with everything I say.
   2. Anyone who watches Snooki on television.
   3. Rednecks (This one might include yours truly.)
   4. Anyone who votes for the other political candidate.  (See #1.)
   5. The folks who write and produce television commercials.
   6. The people who watch television commercials.
   7. Politicians who think they can convince me they are telling the truth.
   8. Anyone who watches Kim what's her name do Miami or whatever.
   9. People who write blogs.
  10. People who read blogs. (Just joking... lol.)
Have I offended you yet?  This is only the beginning of what could be a very long list but I am going to stop the list at 10 because I will go crazy(er?) if I keep thinking about it.
One thing about an idiots... you can't argue with them because in order to do so you have to get down to their level and if you do they will win because they have more experience arguing at that level.
Have you ever noticed that idiots always seem to have a lot of friends?  Go figure. 
I'll tell you another thing that really gets my goat... those manufacturers who try to make and sell "idiot-proof" products.  Heck, I'm still having trouble figuring out how to open the child-proof lids on my Nyquil.  I'm sure the idiots have no problem with it.  Whatever.
Do you know any idiots?  Do you have friends who always seem to ask the most idiotic questions?  Is your spouse an idiot?  I think my spouse's spouse is an idiot, but I'm still working on that one.
Before I started writing this little rambling essay I "Googled" the word "idiot."  If you ever get bored and want to read some crazy stuff (notice I didn't say shit) just Google the word idiot.  There is even a test for idiots which I found myself taking until I realized I must be an idiot for taking a test for idiots.  Duh.
Anyway, to sum this up, there are a lot of idiots in this world and we are not going to be able to get away from them.  So, as they say, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

Stupid Television Commercials

Most of us do not like television commercials.  They always seem to interrupt the programming at the most inopportune moments and force (or try to force) us into watching someone try to convince us to buy their products as opposed to some other product.  But that is not what really upsets me about today's (and yesterday's) commercials.
Being that I am a mature (a nice word for OLD) male I will admit that I may be somewhat biased in my opinion, but it seems that today's commercials, by default, must have at least one stupid man in them.  This man must appear to be clueless, ignorant, and totally inept at making intelligent choices and it is all that much better if the male is as goofy-looking as he acts.
Sure, there are goofy idiotic males out there... but it seems that television commercials portray ALL adult males as being totally incapable and absolutely idiotic.  You know what I mean.  I don't think I have to expound on this to make you understand what I am saying.  It is all too obvious.  Do we really think that males are this clueless?
And what about these talking animals that we are supposed to take advice from?  Yeah, right, I am going to listen to an animated lizard tell me what kind of insurance I need to buy.  That REALLY gets my goat!  It must be working for a lot of people because this seems to be the wave of the future of television commercials. 
I'm not going to drag this thing out, but I am going to ask a couple of quick questions.  Are American males really that stupid?  And ladies, are you really that simple-minded to think this is realism?  Don't you dare answer that!  You girls obviously this sort of thing but doesn't it offend your intelligence just a little that these folks expect you to watch and take advice from these types of commercials?  I will be nice and not comment on that one... lol.
That's about all I can say about these commercials without getting really nasty and offending all of you wonderful intelligent folks who are reading this.
Stupid television commercials!

We Are Infidels and We Are Going to Die!

Yes, we are non-believers and we are going to die.  These are the cold hard facts and there is no getting around it.  EVERYONE is an infidel and everyone is going to die.
"Oh no, I'm a believer" you say.  Well, maybe so, but what do you believe in?  Whatever it may be that you believe in I can guarantee you that there is someone, somewhere who believes in something different and views you as a non-believer.  Some people, a lot of them in fact, take offense at your differing beliefs and is willing to kill you because of it.
And don't tell me that you have never had thoughts of killing someone of another faith. Let me repeat that.  Don't even TRY to tell me that you have never had thoughts of killing someone of a different religion because of their beliefs.
Every religion I know of is violent in some form or another even though some will try to tell you that God is Love.  Hogwash.  A religious person is not a fun person to be around.  Think about it.  You may take offense at this as you read it but as you have time to think about it you will realize that this is the truth.  Think of a person who is a lot of fun to be around.  Does that person talk religion?  Heck no!  Now, think of the most religious person you know.  Are they fun to be around?  Heck no!  And don't try to tell me about this "fellowship" thing.  Bah humbug.
And what about the folks who don't believe in any sort of a God?  EVERYBODY hates them!  If you choose to be an atheist or an agnostic you had better be a tough cookie.  Either that or keep your big mouth shut.  No self-respecting believer wants to hear what you have to say.  You better have eyes and ears that swivel because there are a lot of people out there that think this would be a better place without people like you.
Why is this?  Maybe people just don't like people who don't believe the same as they do.  It makes them look wrong about what they believe and you are basically saying that they are wrong and therefore stupid.  This may sound a little bit blunt, but this is no time to pull punches.  This is a time for the truth... whatever the heck that is.
We are going to die.  I love telling people this.  I always get a chuckle at their reaction.  People do not want to hear this even though they know it to be true.  We are all going to die at some point in time.  We may or may not know what the cause of our death is going to be but we definitely are going to die, so get ready to face death.  It's going to happen and we can not change that.
One thing we can do though is to keep someone who believes differently from killing us.  How?  Why, we can kill them before they get a chance to kill us, of course.  Then we would have a peaceful world.  Bwaaaahaaaahaaaa.  I love it.
There is one group of folks who seem to be an exception to what I am saying and that is the Buddhists.  They seem to be a peaceful group of folks.  But wow, do they ever pay a price for it!  I don't know a lot about Buddhists, but they do seem to be peaceful.  Of course, there are some Buddhist monks that seem ready and able to take care of themselves.  Maybe I need to learn more about them.
One more thing... I don't see this situation as getting better any time soon.  In fact, I don't see it EVER getting much better.  But that's just me.
We are all infidels and we are all going to die.  Am I right about this, or am I crazy?

Come On CNN... Get with the Program!

Like many others, I was watching the continuous LIVE(?) news or the hunt to capture the second Boston Marathon bomber last night on CNN.  It was becoming more of an effort than it should have been because good ol' Wolf Blitzer's droning was putting me to sleep.  Nevertheless, I was hanging on to every tidbit of news as it was being released but it seemed like actual facts were few and far between.  Anyway, I was hanging in there.
Then Wolf said something that really upset me.  He said that they were delaying their programming intentionally so that they could cut out "anything that happened that the viewer should not see."  What?  You have got to be kidding.
If I am going to spend hours on end watching Wolf and friends drone on endlessly and repetitively about insignificant non-news I feel that I deserve to see the news "as it happens."  Someone else was going to make a determination whether or not I should see graphic news and they were going to make this decision within a matter of seconds?  I am not a happy camper at this point.  I am pretty upset.
So I change the channel to MSNBC and I start seeing things that CNN is not even reporting.  The same thing was happening over on Fox News (which, incidentally, I despise).  These other two news networks were not only telling that the suspect was hiding in someone's boat which was parked in their back yard, but they were even giving the address where the boat was.  MSNBC was actually showing a satellite of the area showing a photo of the house and the actual boat where all of this was taking place.
All of this was being done while CNN was busy showing only police cars running up and down the street and deciding what I should see and what I should not see.
What is CNN thinking?  Don't they realize that in the 21st century that the whole world is connected wirelessly and that instant news is a fait accompli to even the most unimformed?  Have they forgotten that CNN stands for Cable News Network?  Maybe it should stand or Cable Non-News.
Come on CNN... Get with the Program!

Heroes

A fertilizer plant in West, Texas the other day caught the attention of at least one off-duty firefighter who immediately rushed to the scene to offer his services in fighting the fire and assisting the injured.  What he ended up offering was his life when the fire suddenly became a terrible explosion killing him and many others in the vicinity.  His family was suddenly and unexpectedly torn apart because of his heroism.
In another incident in the Boston area a campus policeman was shot and killed when two suspected bombing terrorists shot and killed him.  He will never go home to his family again.  He did not go to work yesterday with any expectations of becoming a hero.  He was merely doing his job.
In the past I have joked and kidded about volunteer firefighters and campus police and have heard many jokes about both professions.  I will never again think that these jokes are funny.  These guys have very difficult jobs that are basically thankless. Sometimes, to their families' despair, they become heroes.
And that is nothing to joke about.

Welcome Home Mama Squirrel

I love animals.  Dogs, cats, hamsters, birds, squirrels, snakes, you name it... I love them all.  Ok, maybe I don't love spiders, but if they are furry or have feathers I love them all.  No, snakes don't have fur or feathers but I grew up in South Georgia and I was introduced to snakes at a young age by a women who kept King Snakes and Rattlers in her outbuilding and she let me hold them occasionally, so I lost my fear of snakes at an early age.
I live in West Virginia now, on the side of a hill overlooking a large river and there are woods all around my house and we get surprise visits from animals quite often.  I'm not so sure that these animals need to be fed but I just enjoy feeding them.  It also gives me a chance to see them close up when they come to nibble on the treats.  I really enjoy watching them.
I have had deer walk right up to the back door, and the raccoons and possums just love it when Wanda, my wife, sets garbage bags out for them to tear into... lol.  We even had a Mama Squirrel who just loves the old sycamore tree just outside the back door and there is a hole about 15 feet up that she calls home for part of the year.  A few years back she had a little family that we got a kick out of watching grow up.  They grew up and left for the forest out back and I haven't seen them for a few years.
A few years back we quit feeding the animals because my health just wouldn't let me get out and do it and the animals, including Mama Squirrel, wandered away.  We would see her on occasion but we weren't putting out corn for her and there was no bird food for her to pilfer.  Not until yesteday afternoon anyway.
Yesterday I called Wanda, my sweet wife, and asked her to bring some bird food home from work. I'm feeling a little better these days and I wanted my animal friends back so I could watch them and maybe take a few pictures of them with my "new" camera.
So, wifee brough home some black oil sunflower seeds and some wild bird food mix.  It was early in the afternoon so she went ahead and filled up the old homemade bird feeders and sat outside in her favorite lawn chair waiting for the birds to show up.
After a few minutes she noticed a movement in the trees out back.  Something was out there.  Pretty soon she saw it... a squirrel.  It went from limb to limb around the far side of the house and kept jumping from tree to tree in front of the house until it worked it's way around to the big cedar tree in front of the near side of the house.  From there it jumped on the power line that runs up to our house and scurried up to the big tulip maple tree that holds the big bird feeder.  She scampered down the side of the tulip maple until she was able to leap the 4 feet out to the bird feeder and hung on for dear life until the feeder stopped swinging.  She then climbed in and gorged herself with "bird" food.
Remember, we hadn't feed the animals for a few years... and yet must minutes this squirrel comes out of the woods and digs in for a big meal.  Only one squirrel knew how to get to that feeder by the route that this squirrel took.  This had to be our Mama Squirrel from a few years back.
Welcome Home Mama Squirrel.

The Teen Years or Standing Along the Wall

Last night I watched a couple of teen movies.  One of the movies showed a line of boys standing along the wall at a school dance.  That brought back some memories and I tried to put myself in the place of one of those boys.  It wasn't difficult.  You see, I've been there... done that.  Those were some awkward times.
In the movie the camera panned along the line of guys and saw them doing a lot of the same goofy things we used to do in order to try not to look so out of place as we stood there against that wall... picking on each other, telling corny jokes, laughing at other guys trying to dance with the girls... you know the drill.  What these guys did not realize at the time is that they were going through one of the most important rites of passage in their life.  Think about it.
Did these guys get dressed up and come to the dance just to stand along that wall?  Heck no!  They came because they thought that there would be a chance that somehow, someway, there would be a chance that they would get to dance with a GIRL.  Only one small problem.  When it comes time to ask a girl to dance the guys all realize that they are nothing more than big goofy chickens.  There is terror coursing through the veins of each of these guys every time a really good dance song starts up and a real feeling of remorse as the reality sets in that this is going to be another opportunity wasted.  But... If I go and ask a girl to dance she might turn me down.  Then how would I face my buddies after the long walk back to the wall?  Better to just stay here and act cool.
Then it happens.  Your buddy standing next to you double-dog dares you to ask a certain girl to dance.  Oh no.  This isn't happening.  I can't let these guys know what a big chicken I really am.  Not after putting all of this effort into acting like Cool Hand Luke.  Ok, what the heck.  Maybe she'll say no and I'll escape all of the embarassment and then I'll be able to double-dog dare HIM to ask a girl to dance.
Here I go... walking toward her and OH NO... she sees me coming.  Is she going to take off running to the Girls Room?  Wow, that would sure bail me out, wouldn't it?  No, she's just standing there smiling.  OK... here goes nothing.  "I don't guess you would want to dance, would you?"  What?  Did she just say yes?  She has my hand and is leading me out on to the dance floor.  Oh well, I'll just go with the flow.  It will only be a couple of minutes anyway.
Hey, she's a pretty good dancer.  And she's not too bad looking either.  Maybe this isn't so bad after all.  Maybe she'll go for a slow dance after this.  We'll see.  After all, it gets kind of boring standing along that wall all night.  Surely it can't be any worse than that.
Little does that young man know, but he has just gone around one of the largest turns in the Road of Life.  His life will never be the same again.  Little does he know it but from now on his conversations will be filled with the names of girls, along with fast cars and football of course.  And when he gets a car he will spend hours cruising around town with his favorite girl, or else he will be looking for one.  A girl, that is.  Yes, his life has changed forever.
Those were the good old days.

Boston Marathon Bombing

A terrible thing happened yesterday in Boston.  Bombs took the life of an 8-year old and several others who were in downtown Boston to watch the annual Boston Marathon.  Many lives were forever changed including a substantial number of people who had arms and/or legs blown off of their body.  We will know the total extent of the carnage in the days to come.  We may discover the motive and we may not but any way you look at it it was a terrible day for Americans and some who are not Americans.  I will only make this brief comment today.  My heart goes out to any and all who were affected by this terrible deed.  If you believe in prayer you should probably offer a prayer for these poor unfortunate families who were out to enjoy a day in the sunshine only to have this act of terror tear away the security and happiness that they were feeling before the blasts.  I am sure we all have much to say about this but today I will hold my comments for another day.  I am shocked and angry and wish I could do more to help.  No one can help this 8-year old child.  It is too late.  And please don't tell me that everything happens for a reason.  More later.

Monsters of the Night

When you were a kid were you afraid of the dark?  Of course you weren't.  Neither was I.  A lot of my friends were afraid of monsters and other creatures that lurked about in the dark of night... but not me.  No sir, not me.
Some of my friends were so petrified of the Night Monsters that they would run anytime they had to "walk" outside at night.  Of course I had to run to keep up with them, but I wasn't running because I was afraid of the dark.  No sir, not me!
I even heard of kids who would hide under the cover at night in the bed so that the creatures that roamed in little kids' bedrooms could not see them and "get them".  But of course I never did that.  Not me.
However, being the cautious kid that I was, I did take certain precautions at night when I was in bed in my dark bedroom.  Any intelligent kid is cautious, right?  Absolutely.  I mean, it only makes sense to be cautious.  Everybody knows that.  It wasn't that I believed in Night Monsters... I was just being cautious.
For instance, I would always be as quiet and as still as possible when I was in bed.  I heard that Night Monsters don't bother little kids when they are asleep, but I wasn't trying to act like I was asleep so they wouldn't "get" me.  Not me.  I just didn't want to keep my sisters in the next room awake by making too much noise.  I was always a considerate kid when it came to things like that.
And one last thing... I never let my arm hang off ot the bed at night, not even for a second.  I wasn't afraid that some silly monster would be hiding under my bed just waiting for a chance to chew my arm off the minute I hung it off the side of the bed.
No sir.  Not me!

Am I In Love?

How many times have you heard someone ask, "How will I know when I am really in love?"   How many times have you heard someone say, "I wonder if I am in love?"
Love is strange... very strange.  You can't describe it.  You can't define it.  But there is one way that you can be sure whether or not you are really in love.
If you are wondering if you are in love... you are not in love.
I don't have to wonder.

Was Jesus An Alien?

Did that title get your attention?  I imagine that many of you probably feel like swinging a big baseball bat at me right now.  Or worse.  OK, I understand, but just hang on for a minute or two.  Let's just take a look at this, ok?
From the time I was seven or eight years old my family attended a small Independant Baptist Church (Calvary Baptist Church) in south Georgia.  In fact, our family helped to found the church and my Dad was a deacon and the songleader.  Side note:  He couldn't carry a tune in a bucket but, like I said, it was a small church.  It was also very fundamental and followed the Bible LITERALLY.  This meant that Jesus was born of the VIRGIN Mary and that he rose again on the third day after his crucifixion.  He could die for out sins because he, unlike man, was not born in sin. Let's talk about that, shall we?
If he was not born in sin like you and I supposedly were, and if his father was not of this Earth, does not that mean that he also was not of this Earth?  Don't get upset, just think about it.
Ok... now... what is the definition of an Alien?  It can mean a lot of things but I am talking about the meaning in context of either being an Earthling or not being an Earthling.  Was Jesus an Earthling?  He can not be both.  Either he was and Earthling or he was not of this world.  If God, his father, is not of this world, how can Jesus be of this world?  Like I said, he can't be both.
Now you are upset.  Think about why you are upset.  Maybe you prefer not to think about it.  That is your choice.  I prefer not to hide under a rock.  I like to try to think things out.  Isn't that what Jesus would want me to do?
Let's not get into a discussion (today) about when the Bible was written and by whom.  As far as we know most of the gospels were not written by their namesakes but by believers anywhere from 100 to 600 years after his death and resurrection.  The closest thing we might have to an exception to this might be the books written based on letters to the Christians in certain churches.  But some don't classify these books as the Gospel.  I didn't say that they are not about actual letters that he wrote.  I just said that by definition they are not part of the Gospel.  And some of the writings that were not chosen by the attendees of the conference at Constantinople contained reference concerning things that we consider taboo.  I'm going to mention just one of those things.  Some of those writing that were discarded and not included in the Bible talk of Jesus having some children.
Did Jesus have any children?  I do not know.  Period.  But if he did would you have a problem with that?  I would like to know the truth but probably never will because some guys at a conference hundreds of years ago decided that I did not need that information.  Methinks they were playing God.
I do not think that Jesus was of this Earth.  Would not that make him an alien?  What do you think?

Mothman

We have all heard of the legendary Mothman who allegedly roamed Mason County West Virginia from late 1966 to late 1967.  I moved to Mason County 20 years after all of this excitement but I can tell you that I knew a guy named Ralph who swore up and down that Mothman was real.
Ralph was a barber in Point Pleasant, where the Mothman statue now adorns an area watching over the small downtown area just off of Main Street.  Ralph used to tell me about Mothman and about the hunts that he and his buddies went on to capture Mothman.  Knowing Ralph and his love for hunting, like so many others in this area, I doubt that capturing Mothman was ever even considered unless we are talking about capturing something after filling it full of high-powered rifle bullets.  Ralph was a character, but when you listened to the big old grizzled barber with his salt and pepper beard talking about Mothman you couldn't help but to notice how his eyes light up.  It kind of made you want to believe that this loveable old country boy had actually seen something that resembled a man with wings but I never could let myself even come close to accepting his story.  Of course, I never told Ralph that I didn't believe him.
Now I'm not so sure.  If you look at the Mothman statue you will see the image of a being that much resembles ancient depictions of devils and other unworldly creatures that have been drawn, painted, and carved by our ancestors around the planet.  Is this a coincidence?  Maybe.
During the time of the Mothman sightings another memorable occurance took place in Point Pleasant in which several people were killed.  The old Silver Bridge that connected West Virginia to Ohio collapsed into the Ohio River killing quite a few commuters.  This happened in 1967 and was a terrible tragedy.  What does this have to do with Mothman, you ask?  Maybe nothing.  But some say that the picture below shows Mothman on the bridge just hours before the collapse.  Go figure.
Is Mothman for real?  Was he a creature from the woods?  Was he a creature from another world?  I don't know.  But isn't it weird how so many of these alien sightings seem to depict beings that are similar?  I really don't know what to believe anymore.  I will tell you this.  I am finding myself leaning toward having a more open mind about these things as I rethink them.  What do you think?

 

Bigfoot

Bigfoot, Sasquatch, call him what you want, but call me skeptical.  Don't get me wrong.  I want to believe that there is a big hairy creature walking around in our forests trying to exist in solitude. It is exciting to think that such a creature exists, but I am convinced that this whole Bigfoot thing is hogwash. Why?  Let me explain.
I spend a lot of time watching the Discovery Channel and other channels with "scientific" programming because I love science.  In high school and college I took every science course that I could fit into my schedule.  Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Botany, Zoology, Astronomy, Geology and even Computer Science.  I love science.  Science answers a lot of my questions but it also presents me with a lot of new questions to ponder.  And right now I am having a problem with the question of whether or not Bigfoot is a reality.  Why?  Please allow me to explain.
There are 7 billion people on our planet and many of them are believers of a big hairy creature that is as large or even much larger than we are.  But where is the proof?  Yes, there are a few samples of hair that some claim to be from this creature but that has not proven to be conclusive.  There are many who have seen a big hairy human-like creature but can not provide us with any evidence.  And there is some video.  Let's talk about these videos.
The one video that we are all so familiar with is a facinating film clip.  It this clip is authentic then I may be totally wrong about being a non-believer.  But I have some problems with any and all of the video I have seen to date.  The one that I am referring to shows a very hairy "creature" walking away from the camera at a leisurely pace.  It almost looks furry.  Obviously Bigfoot cares a lot about grooming.  Strange.  Researchers claim that one of the most common claims made by people who have sighted Bigfoot are that he stinks... really bad.  In fact they claim that Bigfoot's odor can be detected by our puny olfactory senses from great distances.  That doesn't sound like a well-groomed animal to me.
Last night I watched a program showing Bigfoot researchers pursuing some sighting leads.  They went out into the woods with cameras to capture some footage.  The video was horrendous!  The camera shook constantly and was in and out of focus and seemed to be pointed everywhere except where it should have been pointed.  The "videographer" seemed to be unable to take clear video of ANYTHING other than poorly illuminated faces of "witnesses" on the scene.
I really have a problem placing these Bigfoot productions in the category of science programming.  They are entertaining sometimes but seldom are they enlightening or filled with facts.  Does anyone have any good video of Bigfoot.  Even a good snapshot from a cellphone would be good.  We don't have any skeletal remains other than an unidentified partial jawbone that could or could not be relevant to Bigfoot's existence.  A creature this large must have a voracious appetite, but we can't find any droppings.  Weird.
I want to believe in Bigfoot.  I think most of us do.  But until someone can show me a better reason to believe than what I have seen so far I guess I remain a skeptic.
And I'm not even from Missouri...

Who Are We?

I often ask myself 'Who am I?"  This simple question does not have a simple answer.  I am not saying that I am not a simple man.  But really, are any of us simple?  I don't think so.
We all have things about ourselves that we are proud of.  Conversely, we all have things that, given a chance, we would like to do over in a different way.  It's probably a good thing that we aren't given that chance, because if we made the same mistakes twice I imagine we would have a difficult time dealing with it.
We learn from our mistakes.  Hah!  I wish it were that simple.  If this were true I would certainly be a brilliant man because I have made just about every mistake in the book at one time or another.  Still, I did learn from some of my mistakes and that has made me a little bit wiser than if I had not fumbled the ball at all.  I guess that is why older folks are wiser (or we seem to think we are) and the younger generation really can not understand why we think we know so much.  But, I regress.
I am a man.  I had nothing to do with that.  It was not a choice that I was given but it is something that has had a large part of defining who I am.  Men and women have different expectations and we try to live up to those expectations... sometimes.  There are times when we see that these expectations are not fair and we simply ignore them or we consciously turn our back on them.  Sometimes we actually do a pretty good job of living up to them and I guess that makes us feel pretty good about ourselves.
I am a husband.  Boy, have I ever botched that one up.  I finally found a woman who can put up with me and that is about the best thing I have ever done in this category but I will tell you that finding her was nothing more than pure luck.  Nuff said...
I am a Dad.  Wow!  Another botch job.  I never read the book on this one, not even Dr. Spock's  book.  No, kids, Dr. Spock was not on Startrek... or is it Star Trek?  My kids didn't want to listen to what I had to say any more than I wanted to listen to my Dad.  I guess in the end they pretty much have to decide for themselves just who they want to be.  I feel for them because I remember how tough a job it was to "grow up."  Actually, I am still working on that one.
I am an American.  Once again, I had nothing to do with that, but I am very thankful for it and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Have I bored you enough yet?  No?  Well, just wait, because here it comes.
Am I a Democrat or a Republican?  Or am I an Independant?  This is really tough.  I am registered as one of the three because it is required that we do so when we register.  The problem is that by choosing a party we have to take both the good and the bad.  Remind you of anything?  ("...for better or for worse...")   And if I choose not to register as a member of either of the two major parties I can always register as an Independant.  We are all independant, I hope.  The problem with voting for Independant candidates is that they seldom win and we rarely get to make a real statement by voting thusly (Is "thusly" a word?").  I will dwell on this subject in a later blog... maybe.  Zzzzzzzzz...
All of these things and many more determine who I am.  There are so many issues that demand a decision from me and I have to live with those choices.  I like to think that I make good choices... as opposed to when I was a young man... lol.
So, who am I?  I am the result of the choices I have made and of the ones I make on a daily basis.
Of course we all know that I am right and the rest are all idiots... right?
Does that sound familiar?  That's who we are... for better or for worse.

Does Owning Guns Make Me a Bad Person?

Gun Control seems to be a very polarizing issue.  Every day there are good people who are either killed or wounded by guns and I believe that this is the root of the problem.  The fact that more good people are killed every day in auto accidents by drunken drivers than by guns does not diminish the issue.  The same can be said about obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and even household accidents.  The simple fact is that the number of death by firearms is at the bottom of almost any list of "Causes of Death" in America.  But that does not make it any less significant.  I agree that death by a firearm is a terrible way for a person to die.
Gun Control is a wonderful concept.  Maybe we could also have Alcohol Control.  And let's not forget Drug Control.  Bigotry Control.  Racism Control.  What a wonderful world it would be.
Back to the real world... so... what about it?  Can we control firearms in the United States?  The answer is "I doubt it."  Can we control who buys a firearm?  Maybe, but only to a certain extent.  Criminals and crazies will always be able to get weapons.  It's a fact that we will just have to live with.
My answer may not be the same as your answer but I choose to own guns.  My wife owns a gun.  We keep them where we can get to them in a heartbeat.  If someone breaks into my house I don't want to have to find the key to a box and then open the box, take out the gun, find the ammo, load the gun, and then address the situation to see if the intruder is still around.  No.  I keep my guns loaded and handy.  Does that make me a bad person?  I don't think so.  Everybody in my area knows I am a gun owner.  Most know that my wife is also.  I doubt that I will ever have to face an intruder.  Why?  Because I am a gun owner.  Does that make me a bad person?

Back In 60 Seconds

If you are under the age of 60 you might not remember this, but commercial breaks on TV used to be about a minute long.  If fact, I can still remember the countless times I heard the words, "We'll be right back in 60 seconds."
Those were the magic words.  Upon hearing those words the family would enter a spontaneous mayhem that would astound modern battlefield commanders.  The choreography of our lightning movements to the bathrooms, the kitchen, and to other brief destations was amazing.  I found that I could even feed the dog in under 60 seconds if I planned it out to the last detail and executed my plan flawlessly.  As the clock hit 60 seconds the family would be all perched in their respective places in front of the TV as if nothing had transpired over the last minute.  Well, there might be a few clues to suggest otherwise.
There was a little bit of puffing a panting for a few seconds, maybe a couple of sodas present that were not in the room a minute ago, and maybe a relieved look on the faces of a couple of those in the room.  And there would be the smell of Twin Pet dog food in the room.  Oops... somebody didn't wash their hands.  Oh well, maybe in the next 60 second break.  Maybe.
Fast forward to the present.  No rushing and scurrying during the commercial breaks anymore.  No yells of "I've got dibs on the downstairs bathroom!"  No refrigerator door slamming or loud sounds of little feet running up the stairs trying to utilize every spare second of precious break time.  No... no rush at all during the commercial break anymore.
Today's break are a marathon of commercials and promo's that almost equal the broadcast time of the regular programming.  Have you ever timed the break while watching "Jeopardy" between the announcement of the Final Jeopardy Category and the return to see the answers (questions)?  If you haven't, don't.  It will depress you.  And how about the number of minutes per hour you actually get to watch a movie?  I go nuts when I try to watch a movie on the show "Dinner and A Movie."  Even worse is "An Officer and a Movie."
Arrrrrrrrgh!
And please don't remind me that television programming was free when I was a kid.  My DirecTV bill is in the $80/month neighborhood and I don't even watch PPV movies.  Yes, we have more channels to watch these days.  Heck, I can watch "Pretty Woman", "Overboard", and "Down Periscope" most any given night of the week.  And we have dedicated News Channels nowadays.  Yes, I can watch the same 5 News Stories over and over for 24 hours straight.  Super!  And all this for only $80 per month.
I think I used to get more enjoyment watching the Test Pattern on the TV while my sisters and I were sitting on the floor waiting for the cartoons to come on at 7 in the morning.

Rest In Peace, Annette.

Christopher Columbus

"In fourteen hundred and ninety two Columbus sailed the ocean blue..."
Many of us learned this little jingle in grammar school and were reminded and tested on the subject until it became ingrained in our youthful brains.  We were taught what a great man Columbus was, so great that we named towns and cities after him and even named a holiday after him.  He must have been a great man.
So... let's recall just what he did that made him so famous.
First, and most importantly, he discovered America... even if he did arrive 15,000 years after the first wave of North American settlers who emigrated from Siberia according to recent DNA studies.  Super... Christopher Columbus discovered America... oooook.
Second, he beat, robbed, and abused the natives of the islands he "discovered" and forced them into being virtual slaves to his eminent will.  Yes sir, good ol' Chris discovered America.
Third... well, I can't think of a third thing he did to make us want to idolize him on his holiday unless maybe to celebrate his getting lost on the way to India.  Now we are calling Native Americans by his erroneous title of "Indians."  Wow... Go Chris!
In summary I will have to give good old Chris a little bit of credit.  At least he did have the right idea about being able to sail west to reach India.  He just didn't figure distance quite right.  But, give him credit for trying... but NOT a holiday.
Kids need to learn about the history of our first settlers and about men like Amerigo Vespucci, Ponce de Leon, and even the Vikings of Vineland (Canada).  We also need to learn about Christopher Columbus.  But please don't try to tell me that he discovered America.  The first Siberian that walked across the Bering (Aleutian) Land Bridge discovered America.  Well, at least that would be the first "Earthling" to discover America.

UFO's

UFO's are on my mind today and I feel the need to express my thoughts. Why? Not sure, but maybe because I am wondering if I, and many others, have been misled over the years about the subject.
There are a lot of "Loonies" (for lack of a better word) on this planet, but there are also quite a few credible people among us. Are all of the UFO sighting reports fabricated?  I don't believe that they all are.  Surely some are, but with this many sightings and actual reports filed by credible people, I am inclined to believe that as least a percentage of them are factual.
A doctor and his wife, both of whom I have known for over 20 years tell me that they once saw two "objects" fly overhead as such a phenomenal speed that they could not have been any kind of aircraft, military or otherwise, that they had ever seen or heard of.  They were both glad that the other was with them and witnessed the event.  They will never forget it, they told me.  The doctor actually filed a UFO report.
Did test pilot/astronaut Gordon Cooper and his camera crew actually film a UFO landing on the desert floor near Edwards AFB years ago. According to Cooper, the film was immediately flown to Washington D.C. and was never released for public comsumption.
Are there really bodies of some of these creatures in cold storage somewhere at Wright-Patterson AFB?  A retired worker from the base who had very high security clearance says that he saw some of the bodies and that the skulls are of humanoid shape but much smaller than ours.
Are the reported sightings by commercial airline pilots just figments of their imagination?
I really doubt that these sightings are all a hoax and I do not think that they are experimental US aircraft.
I would really like to see some physical evidence released to the public so this matter could be settled once and for all.