Time is passing... yes, it is...

This is Thursday, and one more doctor's visit bites the dust. We chatted a bit about his new medical tech, the last one didn't last long. And she was young, he said she didn't take criticism well. Too much pride? Or just not looking for work one could be found unfit for? Don't know, the one today found the vein and took the blood and ran the tests and I am still not dead, but I was hungry (fasting for the last sixteen hours). Next visit in four months.

The idea about time passing is that this is Throwback Thursday, I have no idea how one plays that game but, I did post an old picture and asked for information about the other children in the picture, I was the oldest and looks like junior high to me.

I was viewing more salemanship of coins for the coming terrible times, and telling my wife that needles and pins would be better than gold and silver, actually nails (in quantity) would be hot items when everything goes, heavy but really will be needed. Good jars, and such. What you can't buy you must make or find another way to replace them. But I didn't want to undercut the beauty of some of the coins in their design. How after Queen Victoria Britiannia can hold her trident while one of her breasts is pleasingly exposed (it could have been covered by the shield) I will never understand. But I do like the work. Makes our Liberty with the Fort McHenry Flag look a bit dowdy.

While I was waiting I looked at my Concealed Carry License and it expires in less than ninety days, time to renew! That will be the third time, I have carried that card for five years, the one before it for five years, over ten years and no drunken shoot outs, not one bad guy biting the dust, not one mugging, murder, robbery or rape prevented by my armed presence, nice to live in a country where everyone out to get you is only on the internet or television or in your mind... or in your government. If the government was really ours, it wouldn't be out to get us, would it?

Too much television makes me wonder...

Caught a bit of a movie named Rendition and it was interesting. But what caught my eye, was not the number of government people in their power and goodness telling untruths. But the man caught by a power that knows no fear.

That is the problem, the powers have no fear, so they have no honor, they aren't controlled by the sense of right and wrong, and they don't think law is for themselves either. In my life, if one has no power, one must be kind and quiet and responsible - otherwise bad things happen to me.

The innocent man caught by American CIA, given to Egyptian law enforcement for torture, has no information, has no idea, and has no one to protect him. So he spends time in the hole, is hurt, humiliated and should have decided to die alone. But he was concerned for his son, his wife and unborn baby, and still has no idea how to make the world a better place. He finally cooperates and gives up the soccer team of Egypt from his boyhood before he went to America.

His American wife is working hard to find him, and tries the hollowed halls of Congress - since one of his college friends works for their elected representative. She even gets to the CIA liaison (or was it Homeland Security) but no one tells her the truth, none of them are afraid of her, their power depends on lies and ignoring her request.

Like the President, the governors of their respective states, or law enforcement officers that don't have anything except bad ideas and power - the innocent man can't survive without adapting and becoming invisible.

The movie should be seen, just to put yourself in the prisoner's place. He will never know what is going on, only that there is an American standing by allowing it to happen.

The rifleman that is told to take some shots near the end of the movie, misses most of them, but no one trains in Hollywood nor Terroristlands to precision just to pretense.

America's Rifle, Rise of the AR-15

CNBC special from 2013 I found drifting around the cable until the Korean Historic Drama shows up. They did a fair job of covering the threat of the rifles, the allure, the mythology, the panic buying and the regular buying. They didn't cover competitions, hunting. They did dwell a lot on the shooting classes, the preppers, and the idea that some kind of control had to be out there. Nothing too deep, sure enough, if I had some more money I still wouldn't have an AR. You all may have yours, and thirty round magazines and three thousand rounds in the ammunition storage of your home or ship. I won't be worried nor afraid.

The four people that once worked in the gun industry and have now gone over to the Gun Control Darkside were highlighted, as well as the 800,000 ARs sold to people that may not have owned an AR before, but are becoming one with the Force. Twenty-five years of carrying the AR, which I have always held was built for women to carry in the military, I am convinced that the heavier rifle is the one I want for the couple of years and couple thousand rounds I have left in me. It doesn't matter to me. If your entirely sane, intelligent and caring politicians can't figure out that the law against murder doesn't protect anyone, they won't be sane, intelligent and caring enough to know that disarming the law abiding folks won't protect them either. Remember the family killed by the New Orleans Police on a bridge during Katrina?

More reports of 22LR found a proper prices this weekend. It only takes five hundred for a fast paced Appleseed Event, two days of shooting the best one can. I am now reading another examination of the Norman Conquest of England, which only started with the Battle of Hastings and the death of Harold.

The 42nd Anniversary of our marriage...

42nd Wedding Anniversary
Traditional Gifts: none
Modern Gifts: Improved Real Estate. Look for properties to invest in if you want to buy real estate. Or simply redecorate your house. Now that the kids are gone, isn't it about time you turned that room into a gym or an office? Install a porch swing or outdoor fire place.

I do really thank God for many great years, and like many things in modern life I am sad when other marriages don't endure and flounder. In between traditional gifts, 40 is Ruby and 45 is Sapphire. Wonder if the gems cost so much no one had money for the none years.

When I finally got government sanctioned married, you have little idea of how much I blame the government and its representatives for slowing my marriage way down, almost three years worth. Vietnam and other things were in the way, mostly for my good or the country's. Shouldn't be bitter about it, but I am until I realize that not knowing much I wasn't very effective from my side of getting married. Heavens, my parents had not much idea about my life, how could a government?

  My parents were married twenty-five years, almost, before us. March marriages, our on the 14th, theirs on the 23rd. I wore my uniform because I had no suit that fit, I was really a blue jeans guy. I mentioned my parents, but her parents weren't in the loop either. I saw her father once, and he saw me. Neither of us added together the meeting quickly enough to make the connection. Both my wife and my mother had left their home country and married a gringo, or mi-guk. My father often commented that he couldn't do like his friends and tell his wife to go live with her parents until she got over the argument. Me neither.

I spend a lot of blank page time while thinking and re-living those years. No, I won't write them on the post for others to read. My mother wondered at my commitment, saying that I didn't have to get married, she was looking for my romantic side - which I would always deny having. Men had no romance in them. She finally found me holding my wife's hand in France and took a picture, to her it was so amazing. To me it was the thing to do at the time. Lots of good times in my life, and my love is most of them. My wife and I count from meeting in 1968, being introduced by friends that knew we were just perfect for each other.... they really work hard at match making in Korean Society but through the families - this wasn't. But it was the start of a wonder in our lives, that I could never have planned better.

Being such a poor planner, we are winging it today, although the buy real estate is a fine idea for investments, I haven't won the Lottery. Will see what happens in the next forty-two years.

Span of control...

Only ten, an infantry squad, only ten. It could be one or two larger but ten is a wonderful number. So the Sergeant, as squad leader, only has ten to lead, motivate, train, coach and fight against the enemy. Ten is not too many, the Centurion had a hundred - not actually. He had leaders of ten in that hundred that were responsible for their ten. So he only had to concern himself with those ten to control their ten... So General Anybody, isn't really leading 15,000 troopers, just ten particular sub-leaders, although the whole outfit can turn on a dime at command. Or close enough for government work.

This came to my mind when I heard someone proclaim - leader of 310 million people - knowing there isn't such a hero, or shining figurehead. Ideally, the Federal government should only have ten agencies, and those agencies should only handle the States and territories. Where did this fool idea they could handle all the schools, businesses, farms and ranches and such come from? They aren't that good.

The States can handle only the Counties of their state, by the time one gets to the Counties they can handle families, businesses and such.

Go back the other way, how many bosses do you need? Just one. And you married her, just kidding, that is supposed to be a partnership. And for those of great faith, you have only the ONE, God. The ones without faith keep trying to find the little god that could... too many to count, cause they couldn't.

Only one tax payer, me, and a Federal tax, a State tax, a County tax, and sometimes a municipal tax and then union dues or the boss wants a kick back.... only one payer and how many levels of sucking your wages away. One voter, can only influence the local level, not thirty local levels, fifty states, one hundred and eighty nations... and I know with Spring coming out here, the snows in Ohio aren't affected. Span of control.

The speed of communication, the ease of communications - the Pony Express is long gone, Clipper ships and fast frigates and cutters under billowing sails of yesteryear gone into memory or romantic mythology, while we speed dial our best friends to brag or blame or ideally or idly boast. Have more than ten well used numbers? But the sit down meetings and dinners and coffees on the side are where the contact counts. Generals sit in the Operations Centers watching the battle from afar, another step back from the Command and Control helicopter that influenced the battlefields too dangerous to be upon. They think because they can see and hear, that they have control. The lieutenant turns off his listening and takes care of the battle and those he has in his control. Not being far away, it is personal. Guess you have to live in the span to control it.

I am not to use the "B" word with little delicate girls...

Which in my mind conjures up lots of words not to use with any lady, young or old. Of course the cause of making young women into someone you never want to laugh with and share secrets with... seems a few successful women are trying to modify hurt by attacking the word, not the ill mannered behavior that makes the word a weapon causing harm.

Is there a pattern here, if I said a gun is the problem, not the killer, robber, or rapist you might see it clearer.

Grabbed right on to it didn't you? Of the offensive words I never use, and they are legion, those weren't selected by the verbal police. Because they love to use them, hurtfully, on the females that aren't part of their clique. Or Click. Really. Do you think, wanting Hillary to become President, anyone is going to complain that she is BOSSY?

So they are going to try and diminish a word, instead of the ugly, hurtful and totally unattractive behavior. Yes, I have seen that before -- since the music, theater, movie and entertainment industry can enrich our lives with filth, by using other words never used in truly polite society. The word Bossy must go. Such Bossy Babes they are, aren't they? They aren't delicate little ladies, haven't been for years.

You would stop complaining about the rain, if you lived here in the Great NorthWest...

And start smiling when the Sun breaks through.... Wouldn't you?

Remembering that Media and Politicians must have your attention to sell advertising space and become richer than whatever, remember that Earl doesn't sell space. I just occupy it.

We had a perfect rehearsal, full blown all equipment and men, and it was perfect. Vertical assault on an airfield in enemy territory simulation, actually Fort Bragg, NC. So we go through it all for REAL and the Soviet Defense Minister, who happens to be a General in the Soviet Army the following day.

What a difference a day makes.

Everything felt the same, just a little more tension from the top - this was for the Soviet DEFENSE Minister. But for the paratroopers, of my unit, they were going to get to jump, assemble on the howitzers, break them free, set them up and fire (LIVE!!) from the Drop Zone into the impact area. This is braggin' rights and beers tonight stuff, all for God and Country and the glory. How did I feel? Fine, I was a Senior Sergeant, I knew my men, the mission and I was only there for the glory. So, the green light comes on and out we go.

And the Air Force in its best Airman Murphy way, puts us over the trees off the drop zone, I could see that from the door as I went through. Must have been a major wind change, but for sure as much as I tried to slip back towards the Drop Zone I was going to come down in the trees (do you have any idea how many years I have been jumping without going into trees? About twelve... not enough for the Air Force) not only that but the trees I kept trying to slide between had this reflective shining surface around them WATER! Thank you Lord., I get tree and water landing on the same jump on the same day, may Your Mercy ever find me. Amen.

So my parachute hangs in the tree, but I am close enough to the little creek to get out of harness and get my feet wet, get my gear and weapon into action and leave it all behind, since my men and the mission were a quarter mile in that there direction. Get that airborne shuffle working, lots of sand to suck on my boots.

I get there, as I get closer I see most of the Heavy Drop Equipment is rolled over or on its side - it must have been a freak wind. But everywhere paratroopers are working on making it right, assaulting the objective and taking it down with the men and equipment available. Each minute more showed up, and then finally that howitzer round, LIVE! from the Drop Zone to the impact area.

The entire time the visiting dignitary and escorts in their open vehicle drove around the area, looking at what we would call chaos and mayhem seeing little groups of guys busting their butts making it work - reminded me of that operation in Normandy long ago and many real bullets back (June 1944) - the comment from the Defense Secretary of the Soviet Union, how many officers did you have to dress as privates to make this happen. Meaning that privates couldn't have done the correction and take down without more oversight and motivation. Shucks, I could have done this operations with nothing but trained Specialists and Privates. Which is true, it would have come out the same.

But that is the power of the American Military - we don't need no stinkin' officers, certainly not the ones that only want to please the boss, think their waste products don't stink, or won't fight when needed. Now I love a great leader, but they aren't all officers and certainly all officers aren't leaders, most certainly not. So I have over my life in uniform, followed and assisted leaders, and I have encouraged and developed leaders of all ranks and kinds.

The country America, and the United States of America, which aren't the same have exactly the same ability to make it work, and work well, no matter how screwed up it gets from those that should have known better and adjusted but didn't.  There will be no years without rain, no end to good looking fools and folly, no end to folks that want to run everyone's life for their own power and the victim's good. No end of them, and the work around reality will automatically start. Just like running between the rain drops, you will get wet, but the distance will be less by the speed of traverse.

Ivan the Awesome (Terrible), Peter and Catherine the Greats, Stalin and Putin are a problem in their country, they can make some things happen, but will never be able to make ALL things happen. Only the people of the country could, and they must be allowed power to do so. In American History, only the people save us, great leaders show up and we follow, but time moves, the wind changes and what worked yesterday is off the mark, more power to the people - less trying to make it exactly what it was, and if banks fail let them fall. The fear is the country has become dependent on stupid folks doing what worked yesterday and trying to make it work today... when the wind changed. Believe in the people they will make it work out.