Please understand that this video is NOT the greatest thing since sliced bread.
It's the greatest thing since bread!
Monday, May 31, 2021
'God Bless the USA'
Lee Greenwood, US soldiers - 'God Bless the USA'
Please understand that this video is NOT the greatest thing since sliced bread.
It's the greatest thing since bread!
Please understand that this video is NOT the greatest thing since sliced bread.
It's the greatest thing since bread!
The Minstrel Boy
The Minstrel Boy - Brian "Hacksaw" Williams
The Minstrel Boy to the war has gone
in the ranks of death you will find him
his father's sword he has girded on
and his wild harp slung behind him
"The land of song," said the warrior bard,
"tho all the world betray thee
one sword at least thy ranks shall guard
one faithful harp shall praise thee"
The minstrel fell but the foreman's chain
could not bring his proud soul under
the harp he loved never spoke again
for he tore it's chords asunder
He said, "No chains shall sully thee.
The soul of love and bravery
Thy songs were made for the pure and free
They shall never sound in slavery!"
Quote du jour
Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.
- Harriet Beecher Stowe
"Never give up. Never surrender."
- Commander Peter Quincy Taggart
I just hate it when people plagiarize Tim Allen!
Sunday, May 30, 2021
Hacksaw Ridge - A Trip Down Memory Lane
Thought I'd rewatch a movie I hadn't seen in a while to get in a Memorial Day mood. So many good ones to choose from. Settled on this one! Intensely realistic scenes of battle will make this less than optimal for the very young or faint of heart. Otherwise, it has my full recommendation!
I do not feel compelled to write reviews of every movie I see. I don't see that many, and those I do see seldom rise above a certain formulaic mediocrity. Not so with Hacksaw Ridge.
This is the true story of Desmond T. Doss, played convincingly by Andrew Garfield, as an Army Medic, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, charging into the Hell of battle without a weapon, to become the first Conscientious Objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
The movie has a much greater scope than I had imagined. After a brief glimpse of the Hell that was to come, we see a flashback to Desmond's childhood, experiences planting the seeds of the man he will become. We meet his Dad, a WWI veteran, haunted by the ghosts of his past and survivor's guilt, masterfully played by Hugo Weaving. He and Rachel Griffiths, who plays his Mom, come across as genuine, three dimensional people, instead of some stereotypical caricature of rural religious folk.
We next see Desmond as a young adult at the outbreak of WWII. The courtship of his future wife, his travails in basic training, his struggle to stay in the Army (and out of Federal Prison) for holding fast to his beliefs.
The movie is interspersed with humor and heart. The story is compelling and well told. The casting is excellent. The direction and cinematography are both remarkable. The violence is quite graphic, so this movie is not for the very young or faint of spirit. Wait for the toned down edited for TV version.
Trigger warning: There are no delicate snowflakes in this movie. Safe spaces are few and far between. There is some cursing, a lot of violence, and (cover the ears of the children) people of faith who read the Bible and pray! One scene is of a church choir that you cannot unsee!
I very seldom give any movie I see a superlative five out of five stars. For that, the movie must truly be a timeless classic, not just an entertaining pastime or good popcorn movie. Given the very strict standards with which I grade movies, I give Hacksaw Ridge, five out of five stars. I won't say that it is the best war movie I've ever seen. It may be the best movie I've ever seen.
Do yourself a favor and go see it.
I do not feel compelled to write reviews of every movie I see. I don't see that many, and those I do see seldom rise above a certain formulaic mediocrity. Not so with Hacksaw Ridge.
This is the true story of Desmond T. Doss, played convincingly by Andrew Garfield, as an Army Medic, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, charging into the Hell of battle without a weapon, to become the first Conscientious Objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
The movie has a much greater scope than I had imagined. After a brief glimpse of the Hell that was to come, we see a flashback to Desmond's childhood, experiences planting the seeds of the man he will become. We meet his Dad, a WWI veteran, haunted by the ghosts of his past and survivor's guilt, masterfully played by Hugo Weaving. He and Rachel Griffiths, who plays his Mom, come across as genuine, three dimensional people, instead of some stereotypical caricature of rural religious folk.
We next see Desmond as a young adult at the outbreak of WWII. The courtship of his future wife, his travails in basic training, his struggle to stay in the Army (and out of Federal Prison) for holding fast to his beliefs.
The movie is interspersed with humor and heart. The story is compelling and well told. The casting is excellent. The direction and cinematography are both remarkable. The violence is quite graphic, so this movie is not for the very young or faint of spirit. Wait for the toned down edited for TV version.
Trigger warning: There are no delicate snowflakes in this movie. Safe spaces are few and far between. There is some cursing, a lot of violence, and (cover the ears of the children) people of faith who read the Bible and pray! One scene is of a church choir that you cannot unsee!
I very seldom give any movie I see a superlative five out of five stars. For that, the movie must truly be a timeless classic, not just an entertaining pastime or good popcorn movie. Given the very strict standards with which I grade movies, I give Hacksaw Ridge, five out of five stars. I won't say that it is the best war movie I've ever seen. It may be the best movie I've ever seen.
Do yourself a favor and go see it.
Quote du jour
“Blessed is the man who is always angry at the right time and never angry at the wrong time.”- William Barclay, on Matthew 5:5
Saturday, May 29, 2021
Best of the Web*
*…that Dave and I have seen all week!
(BTW, if you wonder where any of the links will take you, hover your cursor over the link.)
Culture
Feel Good Friday
VIDEO: BLM Founder Labels Police ‘Terrorist Organization,’ ‘Always’ Wanted To ‘Fight Them.’
The Sort of Story That Isn’t Covered
Crazy People Are Dangerous
Photoshops/Cartoons/Graphics
Flopping Aces -Sunday Funnies
Sunday Funnies, 05-23-21
Today's Toons 5/19/21
Today's Toons 5/20/21
Today's Toons 5/21/21
No Question Here
Linkfests:
Larwyn’s Linx: Mark Zuckerberg Should Never Be Allowed To Touch U.S. Elections Again
In The Mailbox: 05.24.21
Larwyn’s Linx: The Lab-Theory Cover-Up: When Truth Serves Prejudice
In The Mailbox: 05.25.21
Larwyn’s Linx: Fauci Admits To Funding Bat Virus Research At Wuhan Bioweapons Lab
In The Mailbox: 05.26.21
Larwyn’s Linx: Was the US complicit in China’s Covid research?
In The Mailbox: 05.27.21
In The Mailbox: 05.28.21
Dave's Rule Five Roundup:
Proof Positive - Best of the Web
Animal Magnetism - RULE FIVE WHITE MAN’S BURDEN FRIDAY
By Other Means - Tuesday Tap Rack and Bang, BeCos(play) It's Friday and Seeing Red
Evi L. Bloggerlady - A Quiet Place Part II: A Review️
Ninety Miles From Tyranny - Hot Pick, Girls With Guns, Morning Mistress and Blogs With Rule 5 Links
Grouchy Old Cripple - Saturday Boobage
Irons in the Fire - Friday Data and ... Saturday Data Overflow
The Feral Irishman - Friday Femme Fatale
The Daley Gator - Daley Babe
Diogenes Middle Finger News - A Good Monday Morning
A View from the Beach - Rule 5 Saturday - Spicy Italian - Manuela Arcuri and Fish Pic Friday
24 Femmes Per Second - Laraine Stephens
Knuckledraggin My Life Away - I'm sure she's taken, men And ... I’ll leave you with this
American Power - Bella Thorne
Woodsterman - Rule 5 Woodsterman Style
The Other McCain - Rule Five Sunday: She Comes From A Land Down Under
The Pirates Cove - If All You See ... and Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup
Wired Right - A Beautiful End to the Day ... Indeed!
The View from Lady Lake - Gotta love women who fish
The Right Way - Friday Babe and ... Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama
Quote du jour
I need to lose weight for an upcoming firefighters calendar shoot.
Oh, and I need to become a firefighter!
-Mike B
Friday, May 28, 2021
Free Gun Friday
Having so much fun breathing and all, I nearly forgot Free Gun Friday! Today, it's a sweet little Henry .22 lever action for the Memorial Day weekend.
Medical Update: Breaking News!
Okay, before we get into the medical update, a tiny pet peeve: Back before I pulled the plug on cable *cough* virtue signaling *cough*, Fox News would run this graphic at the top of nearly every hour, alerting you to "breaking news". Typically, it was the same news they broke at the top of the last hour, and the hour before that and the hour before that...virtually all day!
This is my roundabout way of saying there is some news, but it's really not that earth shaking, it's just the way Fox opens every hour on their news channel!
Started to post this yesterday, but yesterday was a REALLY rough day physically. And the news was not that earth shattering, so I figured it could wait. Sorry for the delay.
Had a really good chat with a cardiologist from the St. Joseph's Heart Valve unit. Some new information (to me) . I had been leaning towards the open heart option, as opposed to the TAVR: Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement , in which the new valve is inserted through a small incision in the leg.
Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. I thought the open heart might provide two: the surgeon mentioned that with the open heart procedure, a small ablation could be made on the heart which could/should stop my A-fib, with its correspondingly higher risk of stroke.
Second was the fear that if the aortic valve were already decreased in size, inserting another valve inside it would have, of necessity, decreased even further the area/diameter of the valve.
Dr. Waters, same name as my first GP in Stockton, back in the 60's (no relation), informed me that I was born with the largest size aortic valve. He may or may not have said you could see it from space! Therefore, they would be using the largest possible replacement valve. For all you folks saying I'm not "large hearted":
Neener, neener!The other matter was that the ablation in question could also be performed, at a later time, through a transcatheter procedure, if needed. The recovery time for even two transcatheter procedures pales before that of cracking open one's chest and fusing the bones back together. The downside is not having that really large scar to impress the ladies at the beach!
Even in the unlikely eventuality of premature failure of the TAVR valve some years down the line, a new replacement valve could be inserted through the failed valve without removal. Even three TAVR procedures, one hour surgery versus four for open heart, one day hospital stay versus four, without the 6-8 week chest healing recovery, should be a walk in the park!
The Heart Valve committee met after my appointment yesterday, and should be getting back to me soon. I believe their recommendation will be for TAVR, which I now agree with, and should be getting a schedule date perhaps as early as this afternoon. (Ever the optimist!) I will let you know as soon as I do.
To use a sports analogy, we seem to be passing the clubhouse turn. The finish line is in sight. Thank you all for your prayers!
How It's Going...
A key U.S. inflation gauge rose 3.1% year over year, higher than expected
Can you say "Misery Index"??
Quote du jour
"There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all."
- Peter Drucker
Thursday, May 27, 2021
Quote du jour
"(Men) are not socialized to be cherished for just how f'ing cute they are."
_Tik Tok photographer, on why men don't take good dating app pictures.
Wednesday, May 26, 2021
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Quote du jour
“Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven, Blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels.”-H. W. Longfellow
Inflation: A Tax on Everybody
When Joe Biden said he wouldn't raise taxes on anyone making less than $200,000... he lied.
Here's some of the damage so far:
The Spanish have a saying: "Whether the stone hits the pitcher, or the pitcher hits the stone, it's equally bad for the pitcher."
You're paying more for gas and groceries, and virtually everything else, to pay for the spending schemes of the Democrats. The dollars you already owned were worth less. The dollars you will earn in the next two years will not be worth as much in buying power, as they once were. Thanks, Joe Biden!
Here's some of the damage so far:
The Spanish have a saying: "Whether the stone hits the pitcher, or the pitcher hits the stone, it's equally bad for the pitcher."
You're paying more for gas and groceries, and virtually everything else, to pay for the spending schemes of the Democrats. The dollars you already owned were worth less. The dollars you will earn in the next two years will not be worth as much in buying power, as they once were. Thanks, Joe Biden!
Monday, May 24, 2021
Quote du jour
“Wasn’t friendship its own miracle, the finding of another person who made the entire lonely world seem somehow less lonely?”
― Hanya Yanagihara
Sunday, May 23, 2021
Lessons in Humility
This post will be medical update adjacent. Even before I was a Dad, I would make the Dad joke that Humility was ...my best quality! Nothing like being weaker than a kitten to keep you humble. I've been telling people that if you put me in 'the Octagon' with a three legged kitten, with two paws tied behind its back, bet on the kitten!
Being forced to sit still for long periods of time, or lie flat or your back, gives rise to introspection. One is, that every surgery can have 'unseen complications', i.e. you could die. I used to goggle at the consent forms from my dentist, that one of the possible complications was 'death'. My GP asked me if I had any "trepidations" about the upcoming surgery?
When you go from heavy breathing and increased heartrate from mild exertion, to heavy breathing and increased heartrate from lying down resting, one can see the sand slipping from the hourglass if nothing is done.
I answered him with a paraphrase from Stonewall Jackson:
My religious beliefs teach me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time of my death. I do not concern myself with that but to be always ready whenever it may overtake me. That is the way all men should live, and all men would be equally brave.
But I also told him I didn't think God was finished with me yet. We're told in Scripture, that man was created in the "image of God". I figure if God, then, is anything like me, he's not going to throw away a perfectly good white boy, that still has some usefulness in him. I have stacks of stuff around the house that are used, but still good, not used up yet, too good to throw away, why shouldn't He?
And then I got to thinking how this latest period of weakness/mortality have changed my outlook, how much more sympathetic I am towards those undergoing illness, or weakness or suffering. How much more better fitted to minister to the broken, having been brought down about as low as one can physically go?
Over the years, I have filed away the knowledge that a portion of my current heart problem is likely congenital. From my birth, a piece of me was more prone to failure that that of my peers. So for 70 years, waiting in the wings, an unfinished melody, waiting patiently for its entrance.
But, the Lord knew me seventy times seventy times seventy times a thousand years ago, and determined exactly what kind of heart I would need to do His will. Having finally shaped me into the being He needed me to be, would He throw it all away now?
(Note to self: prepare sermon on "presumption" for next Sunday, just in case!)
So, very little trepidation. A desire to stay behind for now and do the Lord's will. Including getting those "stacks of stuff" taken care of. My housekeeping, which is 'casual' during the best of times had degraded over the last passing year, and it's a mess I do not wish to bequeath my next of kin.
So, for now, my expectation is to wake up in a hospital bed, with a very sore chest and an arm load of very excellent painkillers, which will not be quite adequate to the task. An additional six to eight weeks of being weak as a kitten, with stabs of pain when I forget just what my condition is, as I go about rebuilding my life.
And a thankfulness for every breath that I take, every sweet song that falls on my ear, and all of the friends and family I know and love.
May God bless you, and don't wait to thank Him for His many blessings towards you. Like the old song goes, you don't know what you've got until you lose it. Start today. Carpe the diem.
Quote du jour
"God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars."
- Martin Luther
Saturday, May 22, 2021
Best of the Web*
*…that Dave and I have seen all week!
(BTW, if you wonder where any of the links will take you, hover your cursor over the link.)
Political/SocioEconomic
The Supreme Court unanimously rejects Biden administration arguments in Rhode Island case that police should be allowed to enter homes without a warrant to seize handguns
"Border Patrol Intercepts Child Rapists Entering US Illegally." -If I may paraphrase: "Mexico wasn't sending their best!"
Judge Blocks Biden Administration From Doling Out Grants Based on Race, Gender - The fact that this was even necessary is an indicator of the corruption at the top of the federal gov't.
Culture
Feel Good Friday
BLM Founder’s Video From 10 Years Ago Reveals Her Fondness of Mao’s Red Book
Oregon Counties Vote to Secede Into Idaho -more power to 'em!
‘Caring, Loving and Charitable … He Got a Kick Out of Pulling Pranks on People’
In Racist Screed, NYT’s 1619 Project Founder Calls ‘White Race’ ‘Barbaric Devils,’ ‘Bloodsuckers,’ Columbus ‘No Different Than Hitler’
Florida Jumps The Shark
‘Breaking the News’ Reveals: NBC’s Chuck Todd Was Amy Klobuchar’s Landlord, Didn’t Disclose During Interviews and Coverage - the word "incestuous" comes to mind!
Nolte: ‘Out of Control’ Shoplifting in Democrat-Run San Francisco Closes 17 Walgreens - Something, something - reap what you sow!
Photoshops/Cartoons/Graphics
Flopping Aces -Sunday Funnies
Today's Toons 5/12/21
Sunday Funnies, 05-16-21
Today's Toons 5/13/21
Today's Toons 5/14/21
Your Sunday Funnies - with an Army twist
Science/ Technology
Golden Oldie: Crime Deterrence and Solutions: The Micro Stamping Lie
Physicists Have Broken The Speed of Light With Pulses Inside Hot Plasma
Nikola Tesla invention from 100 years ago suddenly makes more sense today - Tesla's macrofluidic valve
Linkfests:
Larwyn’s Linx: The Beasts Smell Blood
In The Mailbox: 05.18.21 (Afternoon Edition)
Larwyn’s Linx: A Legal System Corrupted
In The Mailbox: 05.18.21 (Evening Edition)
Larwyn’s Linx: A disaster entirely of Biden’s making: the true dimensions of the open borders crisis
In The Mailbox: 05.19.21
Larwyn’s Linx: Biden issues sweeping executive order requiring agencies to pay China combat climate change
In The Mailbox: 05.20.21
Larwyn’s Linx: President Trump Remarks on Political Targeting by JoeBama DOJ and New York AG
In The Mailbox: 05.21.21
Dave's Rule Five Roundup:
Proof Positive - Best of the Web
Animal Magnetism - RULE FIVE SEVENTH ANNUAL COMMENCEMENT SPEECH FRIDAY
By Other Means - Tuesday Tap Rack and Bang, BeCos(play) It's Friday and Seeing Red
Evi L. Bloggerlady - Nabucco 🎭️
Ninety Miles From Tyranny - Hot Pick, Girls With Guns, Morning Mistress and Blogs With Rule 5 Links
Grouchy Old Cripple - Saturday Boobage
Irons in the Fire - Friday Data and ... Saturday Data Overflow
The Feral Irishman - Friday Femme Fatale
The Daley Gator - Daley Babe
Diogenes Middle Finger News - A Good Monday Morning
A View from the Beach - Rule 5 Saturday - From the Lipstick Jungle - Lindsay Price and Fish Pic Friday
24 Femmes Per Second - Elsa Martinelli
Knuckledraggin My Life Away - I'm sure she's taken, men And ... I’ll leave you with this
American Power - Kendall Jenner Bikini
Woodsterman - Rule 5 Woodsterman Style
The Other McCain - Rule Five Sunday: Get In The Robot, Alegrachan
The Pirates Cove - If All You See ... and Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup
Wired Right - A Beautiful End to the Day ... Indeed!
The View from Lady Lake - Fifth Floor - Ladies Lingerie. Everybody in who's coming in
The Right Way - Friday Babe and ... Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama
Friday, May 21, 2021
Medical Update
First of all, if you come here to the blog for politics, or humor or culture, PLEASE don't feel like you have to read this! I mean, this is life or death to me, and I'm bored with it! This just seems to be a handy forum for keeping my family and friends informed, without having to write all this down eight or ten times. Trust me. I don't HAVE any friends I like that much!
Had a visit with my GP today. It was an inauspicious start when the nurse tried five times with her machine and once with her stethoscope to take my blood pressure. I'm thinking that's how most of these zombie apocalypse movies start out:
Had a visit with my GP today. It was an inauspicious start when the nurse tried five times with her machine and once with her stethoscope to take my blood pressure. I'm thinking that's how most of these zombie apocalypse movies start out:
"Doctor! That man over there! He has no pulse!!"When the doc came in, he managed to find a BP, 90 over something, and another zombie apocalypse was averted!
Finished up the visit. There were a couple of sale items I wanted to grab from the supermarket down the street, so off I go.
Decided to call the doc back to go over one small detail, and ended up in my car sitting on hold for longer than I would have rested between errands. The significance of this in a moment.
I did not need to traverse the whole of the store to find what I needed. Still, I lost track of how many times I simply had to stop and rest my forehead on the shopping cart handle. And I physically sat down in the supermarket 3-4 times as well, pushing my cart, heavily laden (sarc) with 15 items or less.
To me, this is an indication that my condition, deteriorating since January, is still getting worse.
The good news: when I got home there was a voice mail to call April from the Heart Valve Clinic. I have an appointment for an interview and a CAT scan on Monday!
"O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
And a tentative meeting with the heart surgeon next Thursday. This gives me at least a week to "baby proof" the house:
"What do you mean you can't pick it up? It's only ten pounds, you big baby!"
There is light at the end of the tunnel. My GP said no sky diving or marathons, so I want to get that in writing before he changes his mind. On Thursday, I imagine we will be setting the date for the surgery, so as always, I'll keep you posted! - Mike
Free Gun Friday
First, just because of the novelty of it all, someone reported one of my "Free Gun Friday" posts for... who knows why? They hate guns? Capitalism? Freedom? Who knows?
The good folks at Blogger looked at the complaint and rightly blew them off. However, the day I get upset because someone else gets something for free, just shoot me.
Okay, not literally! I know SOME of you have firearms already!
This Friday's contest is for an FN SCAR-17S. The package is worth approximately $5400 and I would be tickled pink if one of my readers won it. What have you got to lose? Other than the respect of the loser who reported my last contest? (And I think that's a foregone conclusion!) Enter here.
Thursday, May 20, 2021
Separated at Birth?
One of them is a clown known for saying incredibly silly things.
The other knows the Hamburglar and Mayor McCheese.
Quote du jour
"A million here, a million there, pretty soon, you're talking real money."
-Everett Dirksen
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
With Apologies to Blanche DuBois...
Seems like just the other day, I was talking to someone on Twitter about how we never "meet cute" in a supermarket, the way it happens in the movies or on TV. Well, yesterday, on my way home from the cardiac surgeon's office, it almost happened to me!
It was in the soda aisle. My caffeinated brand of choice was on sale, must buy three. But they were packed in on the shelf tighter than Michael Moore's pants at an all you can eat buffet. I managed to pry one out and get it into the cart, but that was going to require a minute or two of restorative breathing, so there I was doubled over in the aisle, leaning on my cart, waiting for strength to try it again.
"Do you need any help?", a nice lady was asking me. I wasn't sure if she worked there or not, because, bent over like that, I could only see her from the waist down. I couldn't tell if she had a nametag, or was carrying an official clipboard or anything.
"No. I'm okay. Just need to catch my breath". I think she made a follow up inquiry. I'm not too sure. Moments like that I try to conserve oxygen for more vital functions than say, "hearing" or "comprehension"!
She came over and help put a couple more 12 packs in my cart. Just for reference, my M.O. for carrying soda consists of slipping two fingers each into two 12 packs and carry them from my car four at a time.
The Good Old Days!
By this time, I have straightened up and seen that she is not an employee, but a mere civilian like myself. We introduced ourselves. I'm Mike. She's "Cricket", like the insect. And she asked me if there was anything else she could do for me? I asked, "Are you a praying person?"
"Yes I am."
"Then you can pray for me." My expectation was that we would separate and at some future time, she would say something like, "And God please bless that poor man in the supermarket!" and that would be the end of it.
To my astonishment, she had an accomplice. She called to a lady down the aisle, "Mom!" and motioned her over. She introduced me, "Mom, this is Mike".
"Hi, Mike"
"Hi, Mom!"
Cricket explained to her mom that I had requested prayer, so her mom came over and took my hand in hers, threat of COVID and all, social distance be damned, and started praying for me right there in the middle of the soda aisle at Safeway!
I thinked them for their kindness and quickly made my way to the checkout, lest a revival meeting break out somewhere north of the frozen food. Unlike Blanche DuBois, I have seldom depended on the kindness of strangers. This was a very pleasant exception to the rule.
It was in the soda aisle. My caffeinated brand of choice was on sale, must buy three. But they were packed in on the shelf tighter than Michael Moore's pants at an all you can eat buffet. I managed to pry one out and get it into the cart, but that was going to require a minute or two of restorative breathing, so there I was doubled over in the aisle, leaning on my cart, waiting for strength to try it again.
"Do you need any help?", a nice lady was asking me. I wasn't sure if she worked there or not, because, bent over like that, I could only see her from the waist down. I couldn't tell if she had a nametag, or was carrying an official clipboard or anything.
"No. I'm okay. Just need to catch my breath". I think she made a follow up inquiry. I'm not too sure. Moments like that I try to conserve oxygen for more vital functions than say, "hearing" or "comprehension"!
She came over and help put a couple more 12 packs in my cart. Just for reference, my M.O. for carrying soda consists of slipping two fingers each into two 12 packs and carry them from my car four at a time.
The Good Old Days!
By this time, I have straightened up and seen that she is not an employee, but a mere civilian like myself. We introduced ourselves. I'm Mike. She's "Cricket", like the insect. And she asked me if there was anything else she could do for me? I asked, "Are you a praying person?"
"Yes I am."
"Then you can pray for me." My expectation was that we would separate and at some future time, she would say something like, "And God please bless that poor man in the supermarket!" and that would be the end of it.
To my astonishment, she had an accomplice. She called to a lady down the aisle, "Mom!" and motioned her over. She introduced me, "Mom, this is Mike".
"Hi, Mike"
"Hi, Mom!"
Cricket explained to her mom that I had requested prayer, so her mom came over and took my hand in hers, threat of COVID and all, social distance be damned, and started praying for me right there in the middle of the soda aisle at Safeway!
I thinked them for their kindness and quickly made my way to the checkout, lest a revival meeting break out somewhere north of the frozen food. Unlike Blanche DuBois, I have seldom depended on the kindness of strangers. This was a very pleasant exception to the rule.
Quote du jour
"As a rule, men worry more about what they can't see than about what they can."
- Julius Caesar
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Monday, May 17, 2021
Quote du jour
Turning these criminal creeps like Duante Wright, George Floyd, Jacob Blake into civil rights icons is the CULTURAL ROT that plagues the black community.
-David A. Clarke Jr.
Sunday, May 16, 2021
Quote du jour
“The Past is frozen and no longer flows, and the Present is all lit up with eternal rays.”
-C.S. Lewis
Saturday, May 15, 2021
A Little Saturday Night Music
Which Is the Girl, Which Is the Boy - Stan Freberg
A transgender tune from a man ahead of his time!
A transgender tune from a man ahead of his time!
Best of the Web*
*…that Dave and I have seen all week!
(BTW, if you wonder where any of the links will take you, hover your cursor over the link.)
Political/SocioEconomic
>Merrick Garland's DOJ Indicts Derek Chauvin On Federal Charges, May Face Death Penalty
Culture
Feel Good Friday
Florida Jumps The Shark
Photoshops/Cartoons/Graphics
Flopping Aces -Sunday Funnies
Today's Toons 5/5/21
Sunday Funnies, 05-09-21
Today's Toons 5/6/21
Today's Toons 5/7/21
Linkfests:
Larwyn’s Linx: Stunning Admission: Maricopa County Election Officials Didn’t Have Control Of Vote-Counting Machines
In The Mailbox: 05.10.21
In The Mailbox: 05.11.21
In The Mailbox: 05.13.21
In The Mailbox: 05.13.21 (Evening Edition)
In The Mailbox: 05.14.21
Dave's Rule Five Roundup:
Proof Positive - Best of the Web
Animal Magnetism - RULE FIVE MAYBE THINGS AREN’T SO BAD FRIDAY
By Other Means - Tuesday Tap Rack and Bang, BeCos(play) It's Friday and Seeing Red
Evi L. Bloggerlady - Elise Stefanik Replaces Liz Cheney 🌞🤠️
Ninety Miles From Tyranny - Hot Pick, Girls With Guns, Morning Mistress and Blogs With Rule 5 Links
Grouchy Old Cripple - Saturday Boobage
Irons in the Fire - Friday Data and ... Saturday Data Overflow
The Feral Irishman - Friday Femme Fatale
The Daley Gator - Daley Babe
Diogenes Middle Finger News - A Good Monday Morning
A View from the Beach - Rule 5 Saturday - Katelyn Anderson and Fish Pic Friday
24 Femmes Per Second - Jean Porter
Knuckledraggin My Life Away - I'm sure she's taken, men And ... I’ll leave you with this
American Power - Library Girl Busty Bikini; Pop Star Dua Lipa Behind-the-Scenes; and Beautiful Down Home Gal Bustin' Out ... A nice way to start your day!
Woodsterman - Rule 5 Woodsterman Style
The Other McCain - Rule Five Sunday: Not From The Black Widow Movie
The Pirates Cove - If All You See ... and Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup
Wired Right - A Beautiful End to the Day ... Indeed!
The View from Lady Lake - Rule 5 girls in baseball Caps
The Right Way - Friday Babe and ... Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama
Friday, May 14, 2021
Free Gun Friday
It's that time again! How would you like a Ruger Max 9 and 500 rounds of HoneyBadger?
Black Hills new line of ammunition that does not have hollow point. 9mm Luger +P 100gr HoneyBadger doesn't need hollow points and does not depend on them for performance.
You can enter here.
Quote du jour
Joe Biden flew to Pennsylvania to announce his multi-trillion dollar infrastructure bill which he calls the biggest U.S. government project in history. Democrats immediately compared Joe Biden to FDR. Not for his leadership, but his inability to walk up stairs-Argus Hamilton
Thursday, May 13, 2021
Hollywood Went to War
Like many men of their era, you don't find much mention of their service. They went, they did their duty, they heard the shots fired in anger, and then they came back and life went on!
Here is the totality of what I could find of Terry Wilson's service to our country:
Terry enlisted and served in the Marine Corps from 1943 to 1946
For Frank, it was even shorter. Just a mention in passing that he was a Navy vet.
Gentlemen, we thank you for your service to your country. Rest in peace. *Sixty two posts, eighty-one individuals.
Quote du jour
“I think that everybody needs four things in life. Everybody needs something to do regardless of age. Everybody needs someone to love. Everybody needs something to hope for, and, of course, everybody needs someone to believe in.”- Lou Holtz
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Tuesday, May 11, 2021
I'm Sorry, Proof, But It Looks Like We're Going to have to Tune You Up!
Now, I've seen enough cop shows to know that when people talk like that, somebody's going to get hurt!
Odds are, it's going to be me!
I may be off the grid for a bit. I've never been admitted to a hospital before. The first one I ever visited was with my Mom. She wouldn't even tell them my name when I first went in! Trust me, this was NOT on my bucket list.
I asked my doctor's nurse practitioner if she knew the three reasons a guy would call his doctor or go to a hospital. She said no, so I enlightened her:
1) Uncontrollable bleeding - if you can't stop the bleeding, you should see a professional2) Bone protruding through the skin (May be accompanied by #1)3) Inability to regain consciousness - in all fairness, this is one that has to be done by your buddies, so there are really only 2!
My goal today is to try to avoid #3, since I don't have as many buddies as I used to! If I have access to my phone (and possibly a charger) , I will update the situation as often as I can, probably out of sheer boredom.
If you don't hear from me in a REALLY long time, keep reading the blog. Every good newspaper has a morgue, and the blog's obituary is already scheduled to run sometime in the future. (Has been for years!)
Now if I can just smuggle some brass knucks into that paper gown, maybe the "tune up" won't be as bad as I feared?
Pray for me, if you're the praying sort. I need the prayer and you need the practice!
But don't worry about me. To live is Christ and to die is gain. I don't mind dying at all, it's just it puts such a crimp in everything else I had planned.
It's probably nothing life threatening, ,but I can see it from here. Just doing this out of an abundance of caution. (And my cardiologist needs a new speedboat!)
Quote du jour
“We are trying to do all we can to help our gallant sailors, soldiers, and airmen, and we are trying, too, to bear our own share of the danger and sadness of war. We know, every one of us, that in the end all will be well. For God will care for us, and bring us victory and peace.”
— Princess Elizabeth, October 1940
Monday, May 10, 2021
Sunday, May 9, 2021
Quote du jour
Prayer is always the preface to blessing. It goes before the blessing as the blessing's shadow. When the sunlight of God's mercies rises upon our necessities, it casts the shadow of prayer far down upon the plain.
- Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Saturday, May 8, 2021
Best of the Web*
*…that Dave and I have seen all week!
(BTW, if you wonder where any of the links will take you, hover your cursor over the link.)
Political/SocioEconomic
National Border Patrol Council Endorses Elise Stefanik to Replace Liz Cheney
Culture
Feel Good Friday
Homeless dog kept stealing favourite toy from shop – before someone bought it for him - and he was adopted!
Former BLM Movement Leader Arrested for Interfering in Homicide Probe: Police
Florida Jumps The Shark
Photoshops/Cartoons/Graphics
Flopping Aces -Sunday Funnies
Sunday Funnies, 05-02-21
Today's Toons 4/28/21
Today's Toons 4/29/21
Today's Toons 4/30/21
Science/ Technology
A Suppressor Primer, 2021
Linkfests:
Larwyn’s Linx: DOJ Puts Grandma on Wanted Poster -- While Sealing the Records of Antifa/BLM Terrorists
In The Mailbox: 05.03.21
Larwyn’s Linx: A Manifesto for the Based
In The Mailbox: 05.04.21
Larwyn’s Linx: Joebama wants to outsource domestic spying to private firms to evade laws prohibiting domestic spying
In The Mailbox: 05.05.21
Larwyn’s Linx: Russiagate the Model
In The Mailbox: 05.06.21
Larwyn’s Linx: VDH: Are Americans Becoming Sovietized?
In The Mailbox: 05.07.21
Larwyn’s Linx: Solyndra 2.0: A Major Biden Administration Scandal Is Brewing With Jennifer Granholm
Dave's Rule Five Roundup:
Proof Positive - Best of the Web
Animal Magnetism - RULE FIVE PAPER TIGER FRIDAY
By Other Means - Tuesday Tap Rack and Bang, BeCos(play) It's Friday and Seeing Red
Evi L. Bloggerlady - Anti-Feminism Pro-Equality Rule 5️
Ninety Miles From Tyranny - Hot Pick, Girls With Guns, Morning Mistress and Blogs With Rule 5 Links
Grouchy Old Cripple - Saturday Boobage
Irons in the Fire - Friday Data and ... Saturday Data Overflow
The Feral Irishman - Friday Femme Fatale
The Daley Gator - Daley Babe
Diogenes Middle Finger News - A Good Monday Morning
A View from the Beach - Rule 5 Saturday - Ana Hablinski and Fish Pic Friday
24 Femmes Per Second - Lana Wood
Knuckledraggin My Life Away - I'm sure she's taken, men And ... I’ll leave you with this
American Power - Paige Spiranac
Woodsterman - Rule 5 Woodsterman Style
The Other McCain - Rule Five Sunday: Alegrachan
The Pirates Cove - If All You See ... and Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup
Wired Right - A Beautiful End to the Day ... Indeed!
The View from Lady Lake - Sexy mechanics
The Right Way - Friday Babe and ... Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama
Quote du jour
The USB cord is the Schrödinger's cat in the real world.
The plug is always in a state of right side up/upside down.
-Mike B., on why the USB never goes in on the first try
The plug is always in a state of right side up/upside down.
-Mike B., on why the USB never goes in on the first try
Friday, May 7, 2021
Free Gun Friday
Like the Swallows returning to Capistrano, Free Gun Friday comes around again!
Here we see Q Fix Creedmore 6.5MM rifle, with scope and removable tripod, valued at $5500.00
Forget May Fourth! This is the force you want with you!
Thursday, May 6, 2021
Hollywood Went to War
Sixty-first* in our series Hollywood Went to War, was a fellow who didn't actually go. It's not like he didn't want to, but Ward Bond was an epileptic, and was rejected by his draft board for active duty during World War II.
But don't count Ward Bond out of the fight or think that he didn't do his part in some way during World War II. You see besides making great movies to keep the morale of our troops high, he along with another actor by the name of Ronald Reagan, made training and morale films for the troops, and there is something else -- because Ward Bond couldn’t serve on active duty in the military during the war, he became an Air Raid Warden and was known to pull duty every chance he had, subsequently putting in many long days.
It's interesting to note that because of his efforts during the war, he was given full military honors with an honor guard and flag-draped coffin during his funeral.
Sir, we thank you for your service to your country. Rest in peace.
*Sixty one posts, eighty individuals.
