No Ulterior Motive

THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION IS BEING IGNORED…

The Convention of States is correct, “OUR CONSTITUTIONAL SHIP IS SINKING.” I’ve said it before and I must say it again… The truth is, right now, it doesn’t matter what you or I, or anyone believes. If our DOJ, our legal system, our presidents and our congress (Democrats, Republicans, Independents, etc. who we … Continue reading →

IT’S YOUR CHOICE

With 11/3 real close, I need to remind as many as I can… IT’S YOUR CHOICE 1. Now, if you and I, and enough voters, Vote Republican—at city, county, state and national levels—we get Dramatically Reduced Government Interference, Free Enterprise and Capitalism, a constitutional republic (which INCLUDES our BILL OF RIGHTS), Continued Reduced Taxes, Enforced … Continue reading →

WASHINGTON’S BLABBER MILL

A few days ago I read a diatribe by an individual who tried to, and I’m paraphrasing, salvage Mr. Trump’s presidency. That writer apparently feels President Trump is making America’s problems worse (see the list below), and that’s fine, the writer is entitled to their opinion. Let’s be rational and put this person’s feelings in … Continue reading →

AN APOLOGY IS OVERDUE…

Just a reminder, an apology is overdue… I assure you the freedom, fun, untethered simplicity and privacy my generation enjoyed as kids, growing up in the United States (in the 40s, 50s and 60s) will never be experienced by my grandkids, or anybody’s grandkids, regardless of where they grow up. What’s most tragic is my … Continue reading →

WHO’S THE SMARTEST VS. WHO WILL WIN

About our candidates… Everybody, specially the media, always talks about who is going to “win” the election. I wish everyone would talk about who’s the smartest candidate. There is a difference, you know, between who’s the smartest and most qualified to solve our problems and who’s going to “win”. Just because someone is a “winner” … Continue reading →

THE PERFECT COVER-UP…

When I graduated from 8th grade, in 1957, my parents gave me an amazing 35mm Wirgin camera, 2 rolls of black and white Kodak film, I think they were 24 exposure rolls, a brown custom fitted leather camera case with a matching leather strap and a collapsible fan-shaped flash attachment with 6 flash bulbs. The … Continue reading →

“WHEN THE DEBATE IS LOST, SLANDER BECOMES THE TOOL OF THE LOSER.” …SOCRATES

Regarding Giuliani’s recent “remarks” about Obama not loving America, well, here’s how I feel about Giuliani… Since withdrawing from the election for a US senate seat because of cancer, Giuliani has become a nuisance, a vexation to everyone’s spirit. He just needs to be ignored henceforth and forever more! Socrates says it best… “When … Continue reading →

THEIR SELF-INDULGENCE IS MOST DEMORALIZING…

Here’s the link to listen to a 60 Minutes interview of Boehner and McConnell that did nothing more than reinforce what I already know…. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/boehner-mcconnell-60-minutes-scott-pelley/ It seems our president and congress need to apply, immediately, the same intense resourcefulness, utilized to save our Apollo 13 astronauts, to balancing our budget and solving our problems. JFK … Continue reading →

DO YOU HAVE THE WISDOM TO LIVE BEYOND THESE PRESENT MOMENTS?

On 8/6/14 I emailed the letter below to US House of Representative member Mr. Steve Cohen and US Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker. I’m most embarrassed to say, I helped elect them. I also emailed a letter, similar in content, to John Boehner, Speaker of the House… Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader… and Mitch … Continue reading →

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE AND SIMPLE…

Lately, marijuana is in the headlines a lot. In 1964 our congress took a big step, and rightfully so, to legislate morality and get rid of discrimination with the Civil Rights Act. Fifty years later, I think some of our states are trying to legislate “happiness” by legalizing pot? Thank you very much, but I … Continue reading →

WE MADE HISTORY…WE DIDN’T JUST READ ABOUT IT AND WANE

The 50s, 60s and 70s were a period of intense discontent, mistrust and passionate “cultural change” in the United States. The Vietnam war, young folks protesting that war, burning draft cards and bras, the civil rights marches, Rosa Parks and freedom rides, the Civil Rights Act, Woodstock, Kent State, love-ins, LSD, pot, hippies, yuppies and … Continue reading →

INTO OBLIVION IT WENT…

If you didn’t go to high school in the 50’s or 60s, don’t bother watching this video or reading my “essay”. If you did go to high school in the 50’s or 60’s you might enjoy this 5 min. video and my essay. The video is straight from YouTube. A friend introduced me to it. … Continue reading →

IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO FEEL GOOD ALL THE TIME… SO…

It’s impossible to feel good all the time, for most of us anyway. So, when you have one of those not so good days or moments, if you haven’t seen this CBS 60 Minutes piece, you really should watch it. It’ll probably make you feel good. It’s about a symphony orchestra and choir in Africa, … Continue reading →

STARE AT THOSE EYES, THAT EXPRESSION, THAT FACE…

Look at me folks. Today is Friday, Friday morning. Do you understand? Be loving to all, and be on your way. Don’t dilly-dally. Great things are expected of you today. See you at you supper. May God Bless everyone! OK, you can inhale now.

I’M JUST AN INNOCENT (almost innocent) BYSTANDER…

Just so Santa doesn’t waste a stop, and interrupt my precious sleep, every Christmas Eve I fasten a big, bold, neon sign on my roof that reads: DON’T STOP HERE RESIDENTS BELONG TO AARP Even when people can’t, or don’t, understand what I’m saying, I still believe in freedom of speech. As far as I’m … Continue reading →

WHAT WERE YOUR HOPES AND DREAMS A LONG TIME AGO?

What were your hopes and dreams a long time ago? When we were in high school, college, starting our first job, moving into our first apartment or house, or getting married, why did some of us let a lot of our hopes and dreams fade away? My experience has told me, back then, some of us … Continue reading →

DIMINUENDO AND CRESCENDO IN BLUE…

Have you ever played in a band? With all due respect, I’m not talking about your high school or grade school band. Have you ever played in a band for money? Do you know what it feels like to play a guitar, a sax, a piano, an acoustic or electric bass, the drums, or a … Continue reading →

WE THOUGHT WE’D LIVE FOREVER…

As time passes, I often remember you and me and all the fun we had when we were kids. I can’t prove it, but I think you were about two years old when I found you. I was a cocky eight-year-old then. From the way you acted and looked, I decided you had been a … Continue reading →

WHERE HOLLYWOOD ZOMBIES REALLY CAME FROM…

A few days ago I read Daphne Prost’s very funny article COULD THE ZOMBIES ALL JUST DIE NOW? PLEASE? For your enlightenment, her website is http://daphnepropst.wordpress.com. As I read her article, I suddenly realized where Hollywood got the idea for a zombie. The idea grew from many years of Hollywood moguls observing our “leaders” in Washington … Continue reading →

BIG BAND JAZZ, SWING MUSIC… IT’S AN AMERICAN CREATION…

JAZZ. SWING. BIG BAND SWING. BENNY GOODMAN, GLENN MILLER, COUNT BASIE, DUKE ELLINGTON, LOUIS “SATCHMO” ARMSTRONG… THERE ISN’T ENOUGH ROOM TO LIST ALL THE GREATS OF JAZZ that make Jazz the enduring and feel good art form it is. From its deepest roots in the music of our slave culture, into the twenties, thirties and … Continue reading →

GERONIMO AND A GERMAN IMMIGRANT…

Two distinctly different people met and became close friends. Their differences were never a barrier to accepting each other. Each was a man making a friend for life. A few days ago I read a blog about Geronimo, a Chiricahua Apache warrior (http://militaryhistorynow.com/?s=geronimo). The article is titled GERONIMO AND THE APACHE—THE TALIBAN OF THE WILD … Continue reading →

COOOOOL THEN… STILL COOOOL TODAY… I SAID, DO YOU WANNA DANCE?

I’m tired of people exhorting their armchair quarterback opinions about politics and the economy. I want to talk about something the politicians can’t screw up. Well, maybe I should say, they haven’t screwed it up YET… Do you know what Boogie-Woogie Music is? What about dancing to Swing Music from the thirties, forties and early … Continue reading →

I’VE HAD IT UP TO MY HARD DRIVE…

I Phones, I Pads, laptops, smart phones, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, hot zones, Facebook, Twitter, video games, data streaming, texting and video surveillance (hidden or otherwise) are making people obsessive-compulsive information gatherers, whether they really need the information or not. These devises have morphed into our security blankets. When was the last time you left home without … Continue reading →

THE ULTIMATE VIDEO GAME AND YOU BETTER NOT SCREW UP ! ….

What is the ultimate video game? If you caught a glimpse of the pictures or the videos below and then guessed flying an F-18 for the United States Navy’s Blue Angels, you’re right. At least to me it’s the ultimate video game. What makes this the ultimate video game? The pilots cannot make a mistake, … Continue reading →

DESIDERATA… SOMETHING THAT’S DESIRED AS ESSENTIAL…

Written around 1920 by Max Ehrmann, some are familiar with the poem Desiderata and some are not. Many times, and in several languages, the words of this poem have been recorded. When you hear this poem, you’ll know what inspired writing is all about. And not surprisingly, in 1971 it won a Grammy for Best … Continue reading →

WHY CAN’T CONGRESS WORK 50 WEEKS A YEAR LIKE THE REST OF AMERICA?

Shortly after I published my last article, HEAR YE! HEAR YE! 58 YEARS IS LONG ENOUGH…, I decided to get a few more concerns off my chest … As far as I’m concerned, left-wing, right-wing, Republican, Democrat, Independent, Tea Party, Libertarian, or The Greene Party, etc., most of these candidates just want make sure they’re … Continue reading →

HEAR YE! HEAR YE! 58 YEARS IS LONG ENOUGH…

I know, this article will have the same impact as me standing in my backyard and hollering help to the world, but I got to say… HEAR YE! HEAR YE! The purpose of this article is to get as many people as possible to vote in every election and to follow 2 simply rules when … Continue reading →

EVEN THE PEASANTS SWING THEIR PITCHFORKS TO A GOOD BEAT !

Even the peasants swing their pitchforks to a good beat… Today, no social commentary, no stories, no who shot John, just some great music. A good beat that will hopefully make you say what James Brown is famous for screaming, “I FEEL GOOD!” Turn up the volume to get the full blast value of this … Continue reading →

THIN AIR CAN BE A MIND ENHANCING EXPERIENCE….

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I visited our grand-kids and in Denver, Colorado, the mile high city. During a side trip into the mountains, we visited a child’s indoor interactive playground, in Beaver Creek, Co. (altitude approximately 8,500 feet). While I enjoyed watching the kids having a blast, I noticed on a … Continue reading →

A MOUNTAIN GORILLA CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF THE WONDERFUL KIND…

WARNING: THERE IS NOTHING OFFENSIVE, GRAPHIC OR REPULSIVE IN THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE OR VIDEOS… Except for a visit to a zoo, when was the last time you had a close encounter with a gorilla? I know, that’s a silly question, but I couldn’t resist asking… Please remember, the gorillas in these videos are really … Continue reading →

A MUSICAL EARTHQUAKE WITH AFTERSHOCKS CHERISHED AROUND THE WORLD…

All over the world in the 50’s, millions of kids experienced a musical earthquake of the highest magnitude. This earthquake came from the rich musical soul of a changing and growing America. That soul, that passionate emotion, was, and still is, rooted in songs, rhythms, and melodies from around the world: Negro Spirituals, Latin and … Continue reading →

THE 2 MOST FEARED WORDS IN THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE ARE…ASSEMBLY REQUIRED !

One of the most dreadful, frightful series of words in the American language, in any language, is “ASSEMBLY REQUIRED”. Several days ago my wife decided to replace the coffee table in our den. A few days later she called to tell me she finally found a coffee table she really liked. I said, Fine, but … Continue reading →

100% CONTROL…IT’S NOT TOO LATE…A BUNT…1 REASON…FOG..NOT FOR ME…

I don’t know how you feel, but I’ve decided, the only thing in my life I have 100% control of is my integrity. When we were in high school, college, starting our first job, moving away from dad and mom into our first apartment or house, or getting married, why did some of us let … Continue reading →

I REALLY, REALLY DON’T CARE WHAT IT WAS SENT FROM…

When I get an email and in the signature block I read: ‘Sent from my IPHONE’, or ‘Sent from my BLACKBERRY’ (or something similar) I want to gag. It’s as though the sender wants to impress me, that he/she has the latest “Magic Bullet” communication device, or their device has some inherent charm or revelation … Continue reading →

IT’S KNOWN AS THE GRAND CANYON…

If you haven’t seen it, in person, it’s known as the GRAND CANYON. Once this spectacular, ever-changing, vivid event of nature is witnessed, the most smug person is even overpowered by its beauty and magnificence. My wife and I visited the Grand Canyon in September of 2010. Although my wife is not a big fan … Continue reading →

THROW RUGS, 1 ORIGINAL THOUGHT AND A PARACHUTE…

****** * * * * * * * * * * I suggest in the interest of improving home and office safety, all throw rugs, regardless of size, color, thickness or shape, be outlawed! They’re cute, till someone trips over one. No, I didn’t … Continue reading →

SANTA CLAUSE, EXCESSIVE HAPPINESS AND OTHER STUFF…

Dr. Patch Adams is right; everyone on this planet needs a life long dose of excessive happiness, and I mean everyone. * * * * * * * * * * * * * No later than the night before Christmas Eve, I will have a large sign in place on my roof, with neon … Continue reading →

THE WORD BLOG IS UNSANITARY…

No disrespect intended, but I don’t like the word “BLOG”, I’m sorry. Say it, “BLOG”… It doesn’t even have a decent sound. It sounds like the name of some disease, or a monster from a class B movie. I guess one day, a long time ago, someone was writing about all the wonderful things the … Continue reading →

A STICK SHIFT AND SHOELACES…

The shoelace is one mankind’s greatest inventions, right there with the wheel, the zipper, the ballpoint pen, the tie clip and false teeth. I checked; it was around 2000 BC when the first evidence of shoelaces showed up in the timeline of man. Unfortunately, I think the shoelace business is not going to be around … Continue reading →

WHO’S THE GREEDIEST… OUR POLITICIANS OR WALL STREET ?

The “OCCUPY WALL STREET MOVEMENT” started in New York City a few months ago, 3 blocks away from the real Wall Street, to protest the greediness of our big corporations. In less than 30 days the “OCCUPY WALL STREET MOVEMENT” went international. Time will test its endurance. On the other hand, as far as I’m … Continue reading →

I WAS THERE FOR THE 1ST REAL REALITY TV…

You should know my oldest son is a talented photographer and, to prove it, he’s won his share of awards and takes his cameras with him almost everywhere. A few days ago he took this picture in an airport on his way to boarding a plane. That evening he emailed me the picture. The subject … Continue reading →

EVEN IF YOU’RE INNOCENT…

There was a short “news” piece one of the national news “shows” several evenings ago about an individual asking for a DNA test to be completed on himself so he could be exonerated and finally be released from prison. So, I was curious to find out about exonerations, and the following are some things I … Continue reading →

THE DEFINITION OF THE WORD POLICTICIAN IS UNSETTLING

At best, the definition of the word politician is unsettling. Definition number 2 for the word “politician” in the dictionary that came with my computer is “a person who acts in a manipulative and devious way, typically to gain advancement within an organization”. Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, page 911 (copyright 1983), has for its … Continue reading →

OUR SONS AT 3 AND 6

Back in 1976, can’t remember the exact day, a sunny summer day for sure, Billy was 3 and Jay was 6. I watched them playing in the backyard; you know those silly games little boys play. You never know what’s next. Boys, you sure know how to make us hold our breath. We like to … Continue reading →