Questionable Saturday VI

 What is the best Bond movie?

Sad news

 The great Mike Ditka has passed away.

Baseball been berry berry good to me

I just cannot get excited about the baseball playoffs. Look at who is still involved. Who can I care about? 

The Dodgers? Nope Buying championships rings hallow.

The Yankees? I would rather root for any other team in baseball.

The Sox, Rays, Guardians? The American League is responsible for the designated hitter, I cannot forgive that abomination. 

Milwaukee? As a Cubs man that is almost as bad as cheering for the Cardinals. 

The Padres? 1984. "Nuff said.

I might have hoped for Cleveland,  despite the DH thing, since they now have the longest streak since they last one a World Series, but getting rid of the Indians moniker for something as stupid as "Guardians" keeps me from caring. Sorry Jean.

So, baseball ended early for me this year. 

Edit. I know some of the series have ended and a couple of teams moved on yesterday. I'm an idiot and failed to move this from draft earlier. Send me a self-addressed stamped envelope and I will refund your subscription fee for this month. Satisfaction guaranteed and all that.

That one little table that you left us

 It is a chilly 41F this morning.  I don't mind, it will be sunny and the 70s this afternoon. Other than the usual autumn allergy headaches and sneezing, the weather this time of year is glorious. 

After a taco dinner, the youngest and I moseyed over to the Nickleplate Trail.* She zipped ahead on her bike while I walked. After she got far enough ahead, she stopped for me to catch up. That girl can really zoom on her bike. 

While limping down the old rail right of way, some classic George Jones popped into my head.

Have a productive Tuesday. 

*Of course the Nickleplate Trail means nothing to you unless you are a local. It is an old train right of way turned into a bike / walking trail. On a completely unrelated note,  my great grandfather and my dad both worked for the Nickleplate Railroad -- Grandpa for his whole life, Dad for a short stint before my brother and I were born. 

A brief change in the routine

 The granddaughters are staying with us most of this week. They came Saturday evening. My daughter and SIL took a mini trip to celebrate my daughter's fortieth b-day. I'm glad they feel comfortable enough to let the girls stay with us and the girls are pleased to do so. They both spent every day here from the time they were born until they went to school and the wife still gets them off the bus and watches them until the parents get home from work. 

It will be a busy week. Already they are banging around getting ready for school. Mornings before work are usually my quiet time, but I'll gladly give it up to see those little faces.

Questionable Saturday V

 What is your favorite sports team?

Shoulda coulda woulda

 I should have some brilliant words. I could have some insightful political commentary. I would post it if I did.

Instead you get nothing. 

Yet another one

Today is my son’s birthday. He..,

What? No, I’m not confused. He…What? 

No, this isn’t a rerun. I have two sons.

Today is my son’s birthday. He…

Yes, their birthdays are one day apart. If you search the archives over there on the right, you will see my daughter’s birthday was a mere two weeks ago.

You are moving your lips as you count on your fingers. Yes, New Year’s used to be pretty fun at my house. 

Anyway it is my son’s birthday today.

Birthday season has come to a close. 

Man I miss the holidays…

Nothing happy about it

 Happy Birthday to my youngest son. 

He’s had a tough year capped by getting laid off last night from his job at Amazon. Since he was “seasonal “ he gets no unemployment. That’s the warehouse giant’s employment pattern — hire,  then lay off before you can become permanent. 

I worry about him. He’s struggled so hard and things were just looking up, now yet another setback. 

What a shitty birthday.

Everybody said hard times was to blame

 

Bonus blues

No bread baby.

Contented Content

 I guess it is Monday. I suppose that means I should actually post something. 

You’ll get words and sentences. Probably not meaningful or interesting ones. 

I have to make travel arrangements today. It appears I’m heading back to China in November. I don’t mind being there, it is the traveling there and back that sucks the life out of you. Home to hotel usually consumes about 25-30 hours, the same on the return trip. I’ll do it all in basic coach, so the accommodations will be uncomfortable even if I manage an aisle seat. So it goes, it is the job and I’m glad to have it. 

In other news the Cubs backed into the playoffs. They lack the pitching to go far, but it has been a fun year. 

Go Cubs Go. 

Look, that framed Chicago Tribune front page from 2016 on my wall is getting faded. It’s time to replace it with one from 2026. 

 

Questionable Saturday IV

 What is the last book you read.

Over and over

 

Yes - What He Ssid

 

On Italian cooking

 It’s said it is disrespectful to the pasta maker to break your pasta before putting it in boiling water. 

I don’t think the Creamettes machine cares. Fuck ‘em.

The real criminals

I’ve written this post before. I will again.

It is fine we are deporting illegals. The real criminals are the employers who pay them under the table, encouraging illegal migration, and, more importantly, cheating on their payroll taxes. 

In essence, these people are cheating you and me.

When are we going to see the indictments, arrests, and perp walks of the felonious tax cheats in our own communities?

Love was changin' the minds of pretenders

 

Of course I gotta post this today.

You tell lies thinking I can't see

 

The original

Questionable Saturday III

Who was your first real kiss? First name only!

Daybreak

 I'm looking out the sliding patio door as a fresh cup of coffee brews in my Keurig.  The cushions on the patio furniture are soaked from the heavy overnight thunderstorm. The sky remains shrouded in various shades of gray. 

I hear the coffee maker sputter and spit the last of the coffee into my insulated Yeti as I watch the tree tops buck and sway in the wind. It's going to rain some more. 

I sniffle a yawn. For the fifth day in a row I'm up by four. I'm tired. Afternoons have been tough as the numbers on spreadsheets blur and letters on emails dance before my drooping eyelids. I don't know what is going on. Life, I suppose.

I slap the lid on my coffee and trudge up the stairs to my office. The creak of the stairs is the only sound in the house. The wife's gentle snores are too faint to hear through the closed bedroom door. 

I plop into my recliner and stare at my desk with the two big computer monitors a few feet away. It is almost time to log on. Sigh. I've been working since I was thirteen. Fifty-one years, no wonder I lack the enthusiasm I once had. I like my job. I'm good at it. Somedays it's hard to get going, especially when I'm tired before I start. 

So it goes. No one came here to read my complaints. That said, I have no idea why you thirteen stalwarts come here at all.

Have a great Friday.

Today's earworm

 

Best Rolling Stones song. Period.

What you lookin’ at Willis?

 

Did you know?

 

Listen to the guitar styling of Eddie Van Halen. 

Reportedly,  after he went to the studio and recorded his solo, Van Halen rearranged the song adding more guitar than was asked of him, Eddie handed the tape to Jackson and said "Here, I fixed your song."

After listening, Michael left the changes. 

Damn, it looked like we were about to achieve world peace e through dance, then Michael got all distracted by monkeys and little kids and weird stuff. 

Today in history

 Today is my little girl's birthday. OK, she is not a little girl, but a fine woman and a terrific mother in her own right. 

She is still the first baby I ever held in my arms, and a joy. 

Happy birthday!

More truth

 

Questionable Saturday II

 What was the first album you ever bought?

On this date

 We all know what today represents. Given your current age 9/11 may have a greater or lesser impact on your memory and psyche.  I do know this, the attempt to rephrase the deadly terrorists attacks sickens me. 9/11 isn't a reflection of Islamaphobia. 

No Muslems were rounded up and put into concentration camps. No Muslims were murdered in the streets. Very little, if any, violence was visited upon Muslim citizens. These are facts.

It is also an undeniable fact that fanatic Muslims are responsible for the deaths of over three thousand Americans and countless since from the debris and fallout of the Twin Towers. Of course not every Muslim is responsible. That said, I can never forgive the Muslims of the Middle East, particularly Gaza, who cheered and celebrated the death of Americans. 

And any person who supports the evil brand of terrorist and hateful Islam as practiced in Gaza is a piece of shit human being and gets naught but scorn from me. If you support Hamas then you are dead to me. Those same people who cheered the death of innocent Americans also slaughtered innocent men, women, and children on October seventh. This is evil. This is the same Islam that perpetrated 9/11. This is the same Islam that wants to change America to follow Sharia Law.

If you vote for these people you are a fool. You are ignorant, and you deserve every evil thing that will happen to you. Read the Koran. You either get with the program, accept slavery, or die. Period.

If this is Islamaphobic, so be it. 

I remember the shock and sorrow of this date. I, for one, will not tolerate a repetion of this history. I will never forget and I will never forgive.

There is evil in this world

 Clancy defense attorney Kevin Reddington blasted the hold-out juror in a press conference following Friday’s mistrial. He then insulted the children's memories by calling the accused killer a “fantastic, wonderful individual," “so brave, so awesome,” and a "poor thing.”

Do these people have no shame or sense of decency.

She strangled her children.  There is no excuse. No defense.

Thursday Earworm

 

Does anyone listen to these music posts?

Anybody out there?

 One reader reports she is unable to access this world changing blog. 

Can you ?

Truth

 

After the Labor Day weekend show

 

Absolutely Zero

 

Stolen from MC

Yeah, it’s a Flock Camera

 

Questionable Saturday

 What was your first rock concert?

Sheer stupidity

 From a comment on my post regarding government spending:

But you go ahead, stay on your liberal plantation

That may be the dumbest comment I have ever received. A smaller, more fiscally conservative government is the antithesis of liberal. This person obviously hasn't read this blog for long.

Criticism of the president in no way makes me a die-hard Democrat.

Someone who automatically jumps in lockstep on every issue , no matter the political party, is not only an ideologue, but certainly lacks the ability to think critically.  

It it is people like this commentator that allowed the worse mass murders of the Twentieth Century to happen. 

Grow up.

I have answers

It's hot. It is not because of el Nina or el Nino. The warm weather is not from cow farts nor Yeti belches deep in the Himalayas.  Quetzalcoatl is not exacting revenge for Cortes. It is not a divine wind sent from the ghost of King Kamehameha. 

It is hot because it is summer. No more, no less. 

If you need to place blame, look no further than that big firey ball in the sky called the sun.

I'll wait in this place, where the sun never shines

 

This is not about politics

Our national debt is over thirty trillion dollars. Let's write that out for emphasis: $30,000,000,000,000. 

For reference, Pluto is only 2.6 billion miles away. Jesus was alive a mere 6.2 billion seconds ago. 30 trillion seconds equals 951,293 years. Thirty trillion is an unfathomable number.

President Trump started this term by looking for savings in the US government, yet wastes taxpayer money and effort on totally stupid and unnecessary shit like changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario. 

We all know the next Democrat president will change it back, costing more taxpayer money. 

This is why our grandchildren's grandchildren will live with all 30,000,000,000,000 consequences. 

 

The snowbird sings the song he always sings

 

Eight-year-old me used to irritate my brother to no end when I insisted on playing this on the juke box at the Pizza King. 

I will finally admit the song is fairly annoying. 

Already?

 Let it be known, on August 27, Costco has Christmas stuff out. 😫

Not happening

 Here we are early on a Thursday. Today is trash day. Worry not, my bin was rolled to the curb last night. It marks 186 weeks since I had to put my recycling bin next to it's standard garbage counterpart.  It is not because I'm a superior environmentalist, I have no compost bin. I do not eschew corregated boxes nor plastics in my house. 

Only about 21% of residential recyclables in the U.S. are actually captured and recycled, with plastic recycling rates dropping as low as 5%. I'm not going to wash my trash when it is likely going into the landfill (or shipped to China to go in their landfills) anyway. 

You can come and sort my trash if you feel strongly about it. 

Okay, it's been a couple of months. I cut down the corregated boxes (they are not cardboard, you heathens) when they build up and put them in that seldom-used bin with the yellow lid. 

But I'm not bothering with the other stuff. 

The world is a little less fun

 

Artsy Fartsy

 

Apples in a bowl on my kitchen counter. 

Now I need a nap

 What? Are ypu still here? Why?

We had a fun and adventurous weekend. The grandgirls came for the weekend. On Friday we ate some Mexican food and then played minuture golf. The youngest hit the only hole-in-one. The wife was the overall champion. 

I'm cool with that, I've no giant male ego. Heck, she wins about half the time we have played over the years. I would be way more disappointed if she lost to assuage my feelings and to make me feel like a big man.

Now she needs to get back home and do the dishes. And bring me a beer. 

Saturday I made spaghetti and we had movie night. In all, we had a great time. 

I'm glad the girls feel so comfortable and happy here. It is certainly not home, but the next best thing. 

Big Orange Drink

 

I had a 45 record of this as a kid. It cracked me up. 

It’s raining again

 Jeez. It’s raining. There are flood warnings. 

Rinse and repeat, I guess. At least I got the lawn cut this evening before it started raining.

Wet and repeat

 All of tbe recent rainy weather has left my day lillies confused. They are blooming like it is May. 

River Runnin' Dry

 The floods of last weekend are creating havoc in u expected ways. Down on tbe Hamilton County-Marion County line a little bridge over a little creek collapsed under the flow of water. 

Flood waters filled the little stream and raced toward a nearby quarry, cutting a new deeper channel that is lower in elevation to the river. 

Meet gravity and physics. The little creek once flowed into the White River. Now the White River is trying to flow Into the gravel pit/quarry!

Expert say it is possible the entire flow of the river may dry up downstream as the river changes course temporarily.  

I'm not by nature a rubbernecker,  but I would pay to see that disaster.

Anyway there is lesson #3,796 that Mother Nature always wins. You assholes should never tried to give her that crappy margarine on her toast. 

Apple head arrow

 

Dude does not get the credit for his guitar playing chops as he should. Campbell should be named with the greats. 

Not my fault

 I always crack up when a baseball fielder makes an error and immediately stares a hateful look at his glove like the leather was responsible. 

Air Drums

I know you were beating an imaginary drum. Don’t lie to me.

The Ventures cover may be better than the original:

Monsoon

 

Rivers that usually are 3-5 foot deep this time of year are flooding at 20+ feet. Things are ugly and a lot of people have their lives ruined. 

General prayers are in order if you are so inclined.

Me? I’m fine, just a soggy yard. For once it is not about me.

Cryin' on the corner Waitin' in the rain

 

 Sure I’ve posted it in the past. I still dig it. And I really love dark curly hair. 

Hey, is that a young Tyrion Lannister in that video?

Thunder only happens

Lots of people in the Midwest got hammered by storms yesterday. 

We have had far worse storms and stronger winds and intense and occasionally scary weather. 

Yesterday it rained as hard as I can ever recall. It was tropical storm-like in volume. Gutters overflowed, tiny waves formed in the cup-de-sac. The sheer volume of water cascading down my steep-sloped roof gathered in the valley and launched into the air like a waterfall. 

We ended with one branch on the ground about 6foot long and three inches in diameter. I had it cut up and into the trash bin an about 20 minutes. 

From me to you

 

Someone call Don Draper

Does anyone else find the Brand Power commercials absolutely boring and uninspiring?

Some lady stands before a wall of products and recites boring ad copy. 

Zzzzzzzz.

That corporation paid for those TV spots. Did the ad agency pass off the account to an intern? Even my cold call emails are more interesting and they clearly suck. 

They chucked Mr. Clean for this?

Sonntagsmusik

 

Make Georgia Howl

I’ve been reading Shelby Foote’s history of the Civil War (namely Volume 3). I find him a very good historical storyteller, much the equal of the great Barbara Tuchman or David McCullough. 

Foote has been criticized for his lack of footnotes, but I find that decision makes the narrative far more readable and accessible to the average-non historian reader. I’m fine with it. 

At this point in life I want to enjoy history rather than study it. 

Just as I found Ken Burn’s documentary on the topic enjoyable years ago (it featured Foote as a historian), I am having no issue reading a couple score of pages over lunch every day. 

Road Trip!

 With the start of school.imminent, the eldest granddaughter and I embarked on a historical roadtrip. This is our second adventure*, but I'm not sure I can yet claim it an annual thing. She starts middle school next week and we all know about adolescents and their elders. At this point she disp!aye none of the attitudes that some teenagers adopt.

We slashed pur way across NW Ohio, visiting the Neil Armstrong museum in Wapakoneta first. The granddaughter has aspirations of being an astronomer and what better place to visit? I found the museum to be a bit worn and expensive for what was there , but the 30 minute movie about Apollo 11 was terrific. It sent goosebumps down my spine. 

There weren't many people there and I suspect more than five  decades since Armstrong planted his left foot on th he lunar surface has dimmed his place in history a bit. 

Next we headed a bit south and drove past Annie Oakley's grave near North Star then visited the Annie Oakley center and the Garst museum in Greenville. 

Granddaughter 1 has a strong interest in strong nd famous women and enjoyed the displays about the famous entertainer and sharpshooter.. We toured the whole place and we enjoyed the "old stuff" and I even discussed the Treaty of Greenville with her and it's implications for settling the Midwest. 

Yeah, she is smart as a whip and not only loves science, but digs history. 

We had a great time and a long day. She is my intellectual soulmate, in that she likes learning new stuff, only she is far brighter than I am and thankfully lacks the sarcastic streak that I fight to keep under control.

What?  You only see a fraction of what bounces around in my head. 

*Last year we went to the Air Force museum in Dayton. Go. It is awesome.

There's a man who leads a life of danger

 

My ring tone for family is the James Bond theme from Dr. No. I used to travel a lot, often internationally. Does it mean anything? Probably not. 

I will admit we need to listen to Johnny Rivers a little more. 

Better late than never

 

If all else fails, fall back on music.

Let’s see, they are paving the cul-de-sac this morning. The streets of the neighborhood are all scheduled in the coming days. The whole process is typical government work. The school at the end of my short street is scheduled to go back Wednesday. So let’s block off the streets for paving!

It’s not like the city had all summer or anything. 

In the end the patched up streets really need repaving so I suppose I am glad the work is being done. 

Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes

 

Now you can own it too!

 Starting today, my novel Hoosier Flats will be offered at a reduced price for a limited time in ebook version. If you have always wanted to read a novel about a boy coming of age during Prohibition, this is your chance.

Come on already

 How is it on this day and age that someone does not know how to operate an ATM?

I was behind some guy last night that took over nine minutes to do whatever he was doing. The third song was on the radio when he finally drove off.WTH?

I tapped my card, punched my pin. The machine spit out my cash and receipt. I was out of there like the ATM was a mechanical pit crew at Daytona.

The other guy, he was using the machine like a vertical Ouija Board. 

It's not you, it is me

I feel bad about the blog.

I have nothing. My creativity is gone. I think my last novel broke me. I worked so long to bring it to life. I had a good story but lacked the ability to tell it. 

That is no "poor me". I am not looking for approbation, it is where I am at mentally these days. Even putting together a good presentation a few weeks ago was a challenge and for most of my professional life that sort of task was the easiest part of my job. 

Is the loss of creativity the first sign of senility? Am I bored? Have I said all I need to? Have aliens invaded my mind? Is life just getting in the way? 

Maybe. Yes. Yes. Not likely but not impossible. For sure.

Bear with me. I will be back. Or not.

Yeah, I stole it from MC

 

Sing along

 

Sunday with the wife

One Sunday morning a few months ago the wife and I were sitting at the table eating breakfast. She was reading some woman's magazine -- Cosmo, Vogue, Seventeen, I don't know. 

Anyway, she got up suddenly and started beating me about the head and shoulders with that rolled up.magazine. She eventually kocked me sprawling onto the floor. Standing above me panting, she said "That's for more than forty years of bad sex."

She went back to her seat and sat down as if nothing had happened.

I turned my chair upright and sat down. I sipped my coffee and took a bite of cold pancake. Standing, I grabbed the discarded rolled magazine and whacked her right off her chair. 

I tossed the periodical on to the f!oor. 

"That is for knowing the difference."

She broke down and let me in

 

I see you

 Ten years ago this month (and next - one eye at a time) I was gifted sight by strangers. Afflicted with Fuchs Dystrophy, I was slowly going blind.

Things were worse than I imagined when I was referred to the specialist. I thought my vision was bad. I was legal!y blind - 20\300 in one eye, 20\400+ in the other. 

A few weeks later I was on an operating table and new corneas were transplanted into my eyes. 

Through the gift of organ donation I can see. 

I do not possess the vocabulary to adequately express my thanks someone signed the organ donation form. 

I urge you to consider donating your organs. You never know whose life you may save. Heck, you might just make life better for some schmuck in flyover country.

I see dumb people

 

Turn out the lights

 

Demons of Camerone Part II

 Elements of the Third Company First Battalion of The French foreign Legion were surrounded by Mexican Cavalry. More than 2,000 Mexicans faced less than 46 Legionaires posited behind the crumbling adobe walls of the Hacienda Camerone. Mexican snipers occupied the upper stories of the ruined buildings, while the determined Captain Danjou elicited a promise from his surviving troops that they would fight to the end. A running firefight had erupted at around 7:30 am. At 9:30 the embattled Legionaires refused to surrender.

Around 11:00 am Captain Danjou was hit by sniper fire while scurrying across the courtyard. He was rescued by two men, but died less than five minutes later. Shortly after, The Legionaires heard bugle calls and prayed it was a relief column or the convoy coming to the rescue. A sergeant in the Legion climbed to the stable roof. He reported that the Mexican Cavalry was being joined by approximately 1,000 infantry. Local guerrillas swelled the already impossible odds. Still the Third Company refused to surrender. The noon sun baked the interior of the hacienda. The remaining soldiers and the wounded alike began to suffer from thirst. The North Africa vetrans drank their own urine to fight dehydration. Ammunition began to run low. At 2:00 pm the second in command Lt. Villain was killed. The attackers threw smoldering bales of straw over the walls. Smoke, heat, thirst, fear and exhaustion preyed upon the defenders. Repeated assaults brought the Mexicans close enough to batter holes in the ramparts. Still the defenders held.

At 5:00 pm The Mexican Commander called upon the remaining Legionaires to surrender. Only twelve remained on their feet. They again refused. Colonel Milan harangued his Mexican soldiers on the subject of their national honor and launched a full assault on the hacienda. After a desperate hour-long fight the Mexicans controlled the entire compound except the stable. Lt. Maudet and and five unhurt survivors were all that remained. Their ammunition was all but gone, they were dying of hunger and thirst, but they remembered their promise to Captain Danjou. Throwing aside the barricades, these six brave men launched a bayonet charge against the massed Mexican infantry!

Maudet and two others were struck down in a hail of gunfire. The remaining three brave soldiers formed back to back, bayonets lowered. They were ready to kill and be killed. The awed Mexicans could only stare. Finally the three were convinced to surrender. Unable to believe there were only three survivors Mexican Colonel Milan responded "Pero, non son hombres -- son demonios" (truly, these are not men -- they are demons).

The Mexicans treated the wounded. The three survivors and the 16 that were cut off in the earlier retreat to Camerone were later exchanged. Estimates are that the Legionaires inflicted more than 300 casualties. The half company had fought at more than one hundred to one odds for almost 10 hours.

Later, the wooden hand of Danjou was found amid the ruble of the buildings at Camerone. Every year the hand, in a little glass coffin, is paraded to the First Battalion of the French Foreign Legion as a reminder of their heritage and the standards they should attain. April 30 remains a holiday for the Legion.

Have you perviously heard of the Demons of Camerone?

The last two posts are reruns from 2005. Compare to the crap I publish these days. 

I need to get some mojo back.

Demons of Camerone

 The French have a well deserved reputation for surrendering in the face of the enemy. Not since the days of Napoleon have they offered an effective fighting force. This is a fact they realized themselves over 160 years ago when they were forced to form the French Foreign Legion. The Legion was the brainchild of Marshal Soult, one of Napoleon's Field Marshals. At the time of its formation most French thought the Legion was a disgrace and were offended that mercenaries had to be used to fight the Nation's battles.

The Legion was given the dirty jobs the French regular Army was too soft to handle. They subjugated North Africa, they were rented to Spain, they carried the brunt of the French fighting in the Crimea and Peidmonte Wars. The Legion was only for the strongest. Discipline was brutal. Soldiers from the Legion were separated from their homeland and family. For them, the French Foreign Legion was "Legio Patria Nostra" -- The Legion is our Country.

By 1860 Mexico had finished a bloody Civil war. The economy was ruined. The Government could not pay its debts(some things never change). President Benito Juarez suspended payment of all foreign debt. French Emperor Napoleon III took strong exception. He invaded Mexico with the intention of installing his own puppet government under Archduke Maximillian. Wait a minute you might ask? What about the Monroe Doctrine? Well you see the French did not have to worry about the US as we were in the middle of a little altercation already -- our own Civil War.

The Legion was given the duty of guarding the supply lines in the malaria zone of the coastal plain from Vera Cruz to Cordoba. Legionaire ranks were soon depleted by Malaria, Typhus and Yellow Fever. On April 20, 1663 a convoy of artillery, ammunition and paychests left Vera Cruz. The Mexican army soon caught word and set out to attack the convoy.

The French learned of this impending attack and sent the Third Company of the First Battalion French Foreign Legion to scout the route back to the convoy. This reconnaissance in force was to travel down the Vera Cruz road to Palo Verde, a trip of about 20 miles. The Third Company had a nominal strength of 120. Disease had thinned the ranks to just 62 men when the march began. All the officers were sick, so command was given to Captain Jean Danjou. The Captain was a longstanding veteran who had lost his hand in the Crimea. He sported a wooden left hand held on with a leather cuff.

The Company left their post at Chiquihuite around just after midnight on April 30. They passed an abandoned and partially destroyed hacienda called Camerone. The traveled on a few more miles to Palo Verde even more ruined and deserted. This was the limit to the patrol. Danjou allowed the men breakfast, but they no sooner lit the cookfires when Mexican Cavalry was spotted to the West.

Danjou moved the men quickly back in the direction of Chiquihuite, using the scrub away from the road as to avoid detection. Just past Camerone, the small column was attacked by Mexican cavalry. The pack mules with the spare water and ammunition fled in panic. Danjou retreated south of the road where he beat off another attack by forming his company into a square. The company moved toward the ruined hacienda at Camerone for protection, and 16 stragglers were cut off. Danjou got his company to the safety of the ruined adobe walls, only to find Mexican snipers have occupied the upper floors. A long fire fight ensued. By about 8:00 am The remaining 46 Legionaires are surrounded by about 800 Mexican Cavalry, snipers cover most of the courtyard where the Legionaires are holed up and an unknown number of local guerrillas have joined the fray.

At around 9:30 a Mexican Army officer came forward under a flag of truce. He informed the Legionaires that they were now surrounded by more than 2,000 soldiers. He offered generous terms of surrender. Danjou replied that he had plenty of ammunition and he would never surrender.

Welcome to psychedelia

Of course it’s not really live

Oh Frankie

Can you dig it?

When?

 I’ll ask yet again. We are rounding up the illegals. When are we going after the real problem, the employers? No jobs, no illegals.

Look, those employers are not paying taxes. They need to feel the wrath. I want perp walks — small business, CEOs. I don’t care. Arrest them and throw them in prison. 

They are stealing from me and you. 

Pepe le Pew thinks you reek

 The wife and I went to a sit-down burger place for dinner last night. Everything was going great until the hostess sat some people at the next table. I’m not sure what brand perfume the lady was wearing but she sure had a lot of it on. 

A lot.

And it was strong. My eyes started to smart like I was spraying Roundup, the real kind that kills everything.  Think flower-scented ammonia.

What possesses people to slather themselves in perfume snd cologne  that permeates the air within a Fauci-like six foot circle? 

If it’s you, just stop. 

Hobbies should not be habits

Happy Sunday. 

A couple of weeks ago we drove past what used to be Camp Kickthawenund, an old Boy Scout camp. I went to summer camp there several times. One summer I went twice, once with my troop and once with another troop. It was Okay, I knew those guys, I lived in a small town. In fact, I went through the Firecrafter ritual there. 

I sometimes camped with other troops. To celebrate the nation’s Bicentennial, the local Boy Scout council held a giant camperee for the whole council — BiJambo. I don’t know why my troop did not participate, but the troop from Mulberry did and I went with them. My dad was good friends with that troop’s Scoutmaster and arranged it. 

By coincidence, after college I served as an Assistant Scoutmaster for that troop before I had kids. 

Most of the time, as a kid, my troop went to Randsburg Reservation. Anyway, by the time I was 16 or so I quit going to Summer Camp. I had a job, and then there was girls, and cars…and I had earned my Eagle by yhen.

I remained active in the Scout Troop, serving as a Junior leader until I left for college. 

I never lost my love for camping. Unfortunately that passion was never shared by my wife and only my oldest son had any interest in scouts. I did take him to Weeblos camp at Kikthawenund a couple of summers when I served his pack as Weeblos Leader. He was done with it by the time he could move on from Cub Scouts and Weeblos. 

So it goes. 

When you see the Southern Cross for the first time

 

Dr. Green to Trauma 2, Stat...

 I've been watching old episodes of ER for the past week or two. I forgot how good the show was. I've also noted there were 20+ episodes in a season, not the 13 or sometimes fewer we are offered these days from both broadcast TV or streaming services. 

She sits alone waiting for suggestions

 

Don't skip on this one, listen to the bass line. That's quality folks.

Monday on Wednesday

 I’ve lollygagged enough. It’s back to work. I extended my glorious Independence Day holiday from last Friday until yesterday. I did not do much beyond watch old episodes of ER and relax . It was wonderful. 

Now I have to work on my presentation for the big sales meeting next week. 

I never travel these days and here I go for a few days next week after spending a week on the road at the end of June. Three days in the greater Detroit area. It’s good to be me, right?

Asked and delivered

 I told my Amazon spy device to play some 70s rock. It played Stairway to Heaven immediately followed by Free Bird.

That's about as 70s as you can get.

Dear Nabisco

 We went to pool.party on Friday. As I put together a batch of mini cheesecakes to take, I noticed the Nilla Wafers are significantly smaller than they used to be. Once upon a time the circumference of the cookie was nearly the same as a muffin cup. Now they maybe 3\4 of the size. It still.works, but the bottom crust for the cheesecake is a bit lacking. 

I suspect the health Nazis are responsible. In order to.make the serving size look better on the nutritional label, Nabisco might have made the cookies smaller. 

Or maybe it is just more shrinkflation. Who knoes?

We had a great time at the pool and the cheesecakes were delicious. Smaller cookies isn't life and death and I'm not angry. Just a bit of mild complaining.

I'm good at that.

Independence Day

 

Happy Birthday America 

Good morning, America, how are you?

 

It ain’t the drifters

 

Here we are, a pseudo-Friday leading into a glorious holiday weekend celebrating America’s birthday. 

I took off Monday and Tuesday for good measure. Sadly it looks like rain in the forecast, but what does a boy do? 

Hello Summer

 

So Worth It

I’m full of it this morning, if “it” means last night’s dinner. The wife and I had quite the repast. We spent too much, but it’s only money. I don’t need that electricity anyway. 

Oh wait, it is fry an egg on the pavement hot (aka summer). 

I guess I don’t need water.

Oh, in all that heat I sweat and need to shower…

Okay, I guess it means hot dogs at Costco snd Spam for the next month.

But boy was that steak good…

Duck quacks don't echo

Hey! It is summer. That means reruns. Yeah, I reran it in 2019 too. The blog was better in those halcyon days.

June 30, 2011

It would be cool if some bright young genius would find a way to insert a little code into Blogger that would allow me to type with an echo. You know, like the recording of Lou Gehrig when he says "Today...ay...ay...I consider myself..elf..elf..The luckiest man...an..an... alive...

Because today's post would be rife with that cool echo thingy. When I write "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on Earth" I too, like the Iron Man Gehrig, could have that awesome echo.

You see, today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth (OK, just pretend there is the echo thingy). Today is my 27th anniversary. Yep, 27 years. I verified the math on my calculator. The wife and I stood in the Methodist Church back on June 30, 1984 and we mutually pledged to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

Hold on, the Founding Fathers made that pledge. The wife and I pledged our love and marriage.

So far there has been a lot more health than sickness, and the poorer has far outweighed the richer. I will say this, the next time I get married there is going to be some kind of codicil in the vows about nookie. I'm just sayin'.

Seriously, my wife is a saint.  If you think I am irritating and obnoxious around here, you ought to try living with me. I am hard-headed, opinionated and find myself really amusing. There must be some redeeming qualities I fail to recognize when I look in the mirror, because the wife has stuck with me through a lot of thin and a little thick.

Woops, sorry about that. I just realized I forgot to turn off the imaginary echo thingy feature. Anyway, the whole point of this post is to tell you I am a lucky man.

Thinking back on the events of that warm June day in 1984, I have to question my wife's judgment. Not only did she agree to marry me, but she made the groomsmen wear light blue tuxedos. Clearly the woman has some flaws. But in all, I made a much better deal than she did.

I am a lucky man, indeed. But you have to admit I would be bordering on true greatness if I had an echo thingy for my blog. 

Oh, and duck soounds do produce an echo. 

Edit: it is now...ow...ow been 35 years...ears...ears...today 

Edit of the edit: it is now 42 years…ears…ears…today

Has it really been fifty years?

My little hometown went all out for the Bicentennial celebrations back in 1976. 

The big city park was filled with people as bands played in the bandstand and vendors sold pork burgers, roasted corn on the cob and lemon shakeups. 

Kids played and cars cruised slowly through the park. Teens and adults tossed firecrackers and smoke bombs. As darkness fell fireworks lit the night. At some some point in the afternoon some fool set of a military style smoke bomb and thick clouds of red smoke billlowed through the crowd. 

It seems those celebrations far eclipsed what we are seeing today but it may be the perspective of age. Back in 1976 in my hometown the fire hydrants were painted to resemble Revolutionary figures.

Later that year I attended a massive Boy Scout Jamboree -Bijambo over in Henry county. I went with another troop for that event, I don’t know why my own troop did not go. Of course I took every opportunity in those days to go camping. That might have been the year I went to summer camp twice - once with my own troop and once with a different group. It was OK, I knew all of those guys. 

 

It sure ain’t Mudsock

 

Looking west from the roof of the Londonhouse Hotel, Chicago, IL.

Sunday

It is good to be home.  Rolled in around 8 Friday night. It was great to lie down on my old lumpy mattress. 

Clearly the photographer can’t hold the camera straight and level.

Paging Sarah Connor

 

Sure it is cute and fun.

Didn’t its creators ever watch The Terminator?

Beautiful

 

I saw this was my view every day as I walked out of my hotel this week.