Holiday Season... blahs...

  I took the day yesterday and hibernated, just dropped out and lost myself. Hmmm, and no one noticed. It is the time to celebrate and get back into the darker part of the cave, Spring is weeks and months away, and although the bulbs are popping up in the garden, they won't get large nor bloom without warm and much more sunshine. It did seem to rain and drip all night long, but I was sleeping through it.

  People talking about going to see the Interview, for patriotic reasons. I pass, I want to see three others, two about WWII when patriotism was real, on all sides of that conflict. I am thinking about the New Year, already, since we are changing the calendars and time for tax preparation and paying off debts. You know, what the Federal Government doesn't do, ever. Well, actually back in the day, when the Treasury had obligations they did pay off the debt. But now we have dollars made of air, no one worries, there was never enough gold or silver, but we have lots of air, much of it hot air.

  I noticed the Swiss Banks are going to charge negative interest about .25 of one percent on accounts to stimulate a drying up of deposits. Too many folks stashing money in the banks, the Swiss ones, because they think they will be safe there. With the banks in America borrowing money from the Federal Reserve and not needing deposits and assets on hand, they don't pay interest on deposits or very little, and the government taxes that little gain along with everything else. So negative interest is here until the depositor and his deposits become important again. Ever? I am sure that you have been stashing your excess in the market and causing the rise in the HISTORIC levels of value... I would tell you that the dollar doesn't buy what it once did, but then much of what we buy wasn't there long ago, and far away. Nice that oil prices have come down a bit.

   About time to head out to the YMCA, for many virtual miles of sweat... hundreds of years ago there was enough real work to be done - now, not so much. Winter...

What is your chant, today?

 Seems very easy for the big movers and shakers to forget that they incited the riot, or the assassination, or the revolution... it couldn't be that someone thought what they heard was troubling but true - that police are racist, that kill a cop was a great thing and that some things in the different cases of unarmed fools getting killed by highly skilled representatives of the government goodness must be obeyed. I do know it was really lucky that Maryland has good gun control and no stupid fools could try to shoot an ex-girl friend and then drive to New York faster than an electric transmission to kill two cops - which he didn't know, had no beef with, and hadn't even been introduced to... just the uniforms in the police marked automobile.. A fine target defined by rage and anger, exploited by mainstream media (presenting a over reaction by police causing death to the almost innocent and causing marching and mayhem in the street to sell commercial time on cable) and even the city Mayor had cast doubts on the professionalism and good will of his policemen...

  Mike Rowe says one must submit to arrest and police control --- but that got lots of folks killed in NAZI Germany, Communist Russia and Cambodia.... perhaps in Cuba, too, our relations haven't been established long enough to know, yet. I do know that many police forces are starting to feel like targets, from Constitutionalists (poor Eastern Washington), or drug gangs, or wild crazy fools, or their own lost politicians looking for more votes. I have only one thing to say to them, like all uniformed services that protect and defend our country and its best and brightest hope -- yours is a thankless task, you will always be needed, always be expendable, and always be lauded by those too feeble and too frightened and too foolish to stand with you for decency, respect and good sense.

  I commented on another forum, that I trust ninety percent of the police force, but only ten percent of the elected officials - that I don't trust any of the government employees to do their best work for me, but am so happy when I discover one working wonders (think Post Office during the holidays) My chant will never be that I have to kill cops, start off by changing the chant to law enforcement, then change the laws to reflect our total population - think about it. Big money buys political powers - and it does not matter what my brother says, the NRA is not owned by the firearms industry, the Republican Party or Blue Dog Democrats... I think Wayne owns it, he would help by becoming a retired adviser about five years ago... but like politicians that should move out, he has become his most important product. Does he shoot? Has he taught anyone else to shoot well and safely, lately?

  I can't tell you, I think he shoots because someone comes by and has a gun, he has a range and there is free ammunition. So I do hope he shoots, but my being a brave American, a law biding if it is Constitutional
(no matter what the Supreme Court say) then I am around for the better of the whole world, honest I would kill fools in most any country to protect innocence. But then I am a bit different than main stream culture... sigh.

How to know you missed the culture shift...

  My mother was the BIG Christmas Spirit in our home, she loved buying gifts all year long, was putting money in Christmas accounts for all of us so we would have money for gifts. And in the end, she would buy necessaries (underwear and socks) and wrap them in Fancy paper to add the the pile of stuff under the tree. There have been a few great gifts that I have worked hard to give, but not as many as my mother. The holidays were special, homey, and never commercial. Seems many Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays were spent days on the road going to Minnesota, to see the grandparents and have a white Christmas.

  One thing I never wanted was to waste my time going to a movie on Christmas Day or even just shortly after... I could wait. But this year there is Imitation Game, Unbroken, American Sniper, and Into the Woods. Unbroken is the one I will for sure see, and probably own, will likely own the others also. They make some great movies, often about subjects that shouldn't sell. I never would have seen Chariots of Fire, but just happened by it on video long after the theater circuit. I don't read reviews - nor had I read the book.  What got me thinking was the movie The Interview, about a comedy about assassinating the Glorious Leader of  the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Now, having seen the trailers - it was not a movie I was ever going to see, having chased North Korean soldiers and raiders in the Republic, having waited for release of the Pueblo crew, having an idea that leadership has to be earned... well, I don't think North Korea is funny.

  They do seem to have all the advantages as they struck at Sony, the Japanese company that bought into American film industry. I don't care about the controversy. I am saddened by what passes for humor in the film and entertainment industry. I am of a different era and miss Carol Burnett, Red Skeleton and Bill Cosby. It seems like I am avoiding much of the current younger humor, but I wasn't into some of the harder humor of my era, either. There were days when I laughed because the alternative was to cry, and men don't cry, difficult to shoot straight with tears fogging the view. Edgier comedy, to make the audience squirm - not my kind of comedy, I liked the type that made me think, George Carlin and his wonder at words and how they relate to us. Baseball and Football.

No, I won't go see movies on Christmas Day.

It is beginning to look a lot like... Christmas?

   Or it should look like Christmas, if some more decorations were put up, if there were lights on the tree outside, if I would have replaced the Christmas tissue box from last year with this year's model - but it stayed on the cabinet all year long... I haven't had many sniffles, have I?

  Call for the furnace to be checked and serviced, make sure the garbage is on the curb, put up the decorations, finish the Christmas card sendings, continue tracking the packages to destinations far away (lovely thing barcodes and scanners).

   Would be bad form if Christmas suddenly arrived and we hadn't prepared room in our heart nor at our hearth for a baby savior, or just the feeling of love that should be everywhere. Y'all have a very merry Christmas, enjoy and celebrate and the New Year may be bright.

First Christmas Party...

It was December,
right after your sister was born,
your Grandpa and Grandma Dungey
asked if they could take you
to the War Dads Christmas party,
(the only organization they ever belonged to
other than their church).
We said sure they could,
and we dressed you sunday school best,
and put your snow suit and cap
and mittens and let you go with them.
We looked at each other and Don said;
"I wish we could be little mice in the corner
and see how he did!" I agreed....
Time past, slow for us waiting for your return,
Finally we heard steps onto our front door,
          and here were Mom and Dad Dungey,
and you all exited, so much so,
you didn't want to have to
take your snow suit off and your cap,
but your grandma proceeded to take them off
while you, all full of what Santa brought you,
opened up your package and showed us,
a little plastic donkey
with a bobbing head.....
of course your grandparents had bought it
so you would have something to open like the other kids.
It was a happy time and a happy memory,
(though I cried remembering).
... the years have gone too swiftly...

from my Mom, a Christmas story from long ago, and the people that made me happy and full of wonder have all gone on to the LORD.

I will not comply...

  They want me to lay on the ground with my hands spread - just shoot me, stupid. I haven't done anything, and I am not afraid of dying at the hands of a government that doesn't love me - actually fears me for my faith and my intelligence and my bravery. Makes me think that they, the government, are sure I am an enemy. The government is not my enemy, but for sure they are silly to stupid in how they conduct my government's business. They don't even recognize they belong to me, they think they belong to the powerful, rich, elite, lovely leadership class and the bankers behind the scenes. Ah, maybe they aren't crazy, just misguided and greedy. Any of them leave office as poor folks? Lately?

  I went to the demonstration We WILL NOT COMPLY with I594. My wife was telling me I should get out more, so that was a good place to go, guns were everywhere. Unlike Texas, Washington State has open carry. How did that happen? Family and dog friendly, folks were a bit weird to very nice, the State Police and the grounds keepers were friendly and helpful. Most of the people I met, I knew from Appleseed events, or were introduced to me by folks I knew from Appleseed events.

  I saw lots of fine firearms, and many that were exotic and some I would have taken home but then another shooter would have been short one gun. I met some famous folks, a couple of which were speakers. I noticed the sound system, and it worked perfectly except for one brief feed back problem, but quality voice - poor song choice, but I wasn't in charge of the music.

  As I stood by two of the fine RWVA instructors with revolutionary war flags in their hands, we got questions about the flags and why we were flaunting them. So the Appleseed Opportunity for improved marksmanship with rifle and sling was slung... one young lady, a competitive shooter from high school, knew very much what she was about, her mother liked shooting but not the cost. Still good talking to people about something I knew and could relate.

  I am already planning on attending the one in January, on the fifteenth. Midweek it may not be as big a demonstration, there were about 1200 folks at this one, but the legislature should be in session... could talk one on one. There was one legislator that spoke at this demonstration, with a message from another she read to the crowd. And where were you? In spirit you were there on one side of the issue or the other, but make up your mind.

Good Morning, coffee, and oatmeal...

  It is 5am, in the Real Coast Time. If more of the coast doesn't slide off into the Pacific. Last count was only three homes attempting suicide as they pretend they can be a ship at sea. There are always going to be more, they build them on earth temporary land - then come the storms.

  I have been building my reputation at the YMCA, still two basic workouts, the rowing machine for ten kilometers, and the bicycle for over ten miles, please. I have looked at elipticals for thirty minutes, need to get weight on feet without pounding again. Foot doctor drained the large pocket of joint lubricant that hides on top of my foot. He says it happens to folks, and it was a kind of clear jelly product - looks like good grease to me. Three hours later it starts to fill and gather again, looks like a different treatment is called for, will look at it again on Monday and call his office for the next level of cure. That reputation building at the YMCA is based on other old folks asking how long I row, and being very surprised at my calm 'over fifty minutes' response. But then I could be OCD type 'the boy who washed his hands'. I mentioned to the front desk crew, that the Y in YMCA stood for 'young'. Like they didn't know, and since they all are.

  Today, I am taking a break from the YMCA, to attend and participate in 'We WILL NOT COMPLY with I594' demonstration and illegal activity in Olympia, WA. The illegal activity is exchanging, buying and selling firearms without a background check. My participation is based on they never put the entire eighteen pages of the Initiative on the ballot, nor in the Voters pamphlet provided by the state. I will not comply mainly because I am not selling nor transferring any firearms by my reckoning. The State may see it differently, but then I will want a jury trial. The State is really not prepared to administer this law, since it has big flaws in language and how do they know which firearm belongs to whom? There is no registration in the state. Nor should there ever be, until the criminals using firearms for illegal purposes demand registration?

  On a very positive note, I started and have finished reading "Unbroken", wanted to get it before the movie comes out and I go to see it. And I will see the movie. I don't think they could stuff the whole story on the screen, but since they wanted PG13 rating, reading the book is better. Then again, I can read and imagine better than those that no longer do read and imagine. Mel Gibson did a movie about a book, and left the important second part of the book out, made the story a 'love story'. Hmm, as I get older I fall farther outside of the norm, i do so love that point of view and period of life - like exploring a new land.