Thanks to you, I feel no need to go back to "pointless, incessant barking." Whether that means I'm engaged in "pointful, incessant barking," or "pointless intermittent barking," I'll leave it to you to decide. Have at it. This blog exists for two reasons; first because I think, on rare occasions, I have something worthwhile to… Continue reading A Huge “Thank You” to Readers of my Blog
Happy Birthday, Dad: The “Gremlin in the Petrol Tank” Edition
One of the enduring memes (if we had had such a word to describe them at the time) of my childhood would have been my Dad's invocation of the "gremlin in the petrol tank." He was prone to bring it up in any situation where something unexpected happened and a thing that was supposed to… Continue reading Happy Birthday, Dad: The “Gremlin in the Petrol Tank” Edition
On Love, Hate, and Indifference
The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference; for at a minimum, to love or hate someone is to have intense emotions toward them.--Elie Wiesel He would know. Elie Wiesel was a Holocaust victim who survived imprisonment in Auschwitz and Buchenwald before the latter camp was liberated by the the US Army in April,… Continue reading On Love, Hate, and Indifference
The Ugliest Car in the World
I've noticed, when it comes to automobiles, that many people fit into one of two molds: either they love cars, or they hate cars. I’m an exemplar of a third type when it comes to a person’s relationship with horseless carriages. Sometimes I love them, and sometimes I hate them. I love them when they’re… Continue reading The Ugliest Car in the World
Book Review By Seawriter: Ghosts of the Past–Seeking Stolen Nazi Art
On March 22, 1945 Major Max Hignite flew his last Luftwaffe mission; a flight to Switzerland in a Ju-52 loaded with artwork stolen by the Nazis. The plane crashed and was sealed in a cave by a Swiss lake. Hignite, badly injured, survived. Rescued by local Swiss, he spent months near death in a hospital.… Continue reading Book Review By Seawriter: Ghosts of the Past–Seeking Stolen Nazi Art
What’s The Sharpest Tool In Your Drawer?
Cross-posting this from Ricochet, where it appears on the main feed here. Speaking only for myself, I nominate my Fein Multimaster. (I’m not sure if the one in the link is exactly what I have; it may be a newer model. But it looks the same): I bought it several years ago when the guy… Continue reading What’s The Sharpest Tool In Your Drawer?
February 23, 1945
Seventy-six years ago today. From an article commemorating the seventy-fifth anniversary: Pfc. Jacklyn Lucas, 17, of Plymouth, N.C., was surprised when he suddenly saw two enemy grenades at his feet. He forced them into the sand with his rifle butt and his hands, and covered them with his body. He didn’t even have the chance to… Continue reading February 23, 1945
Happy (Belated) Birthday, George Washington!
So here we are on February 22, 2021, all set to observe George Washington's 289th birthday. Right? Not so fast. It's true that, for years, February 22 was a national holiday in the United States. Banks were closed. Schools were closed. No mail was delivered. Department stores nationwide celebrated the end of the "white sales"… Continue reading Happy (Belated) Birthday, George Washington!
Sunday Morning Chuckle
I like to share the vicissitudes joys of life on the farm with those I love. So this morning I sent the above shot of Pinky and Perky in their playpen in my kitchen, replete and mercifully (temporarily) quiet after breakfast, to my brother. His response? “You’re microwaving them?”
“Now, you and I know you can fire three rounds a minute. But can you stand?”
Crimenutely. I am gobsmacked at the number of people who, on the very few social networking sites I follow, seem to have given into despair. https://youtu.be/3t0Gk0nffXA I don’t believe our darkest days are ahead of us. I never have. People have been asking, “You’ve always said you’d tell us when it was time to panic. … Continue reading “Now, you and I know you can fire three rounds a minute. But can you stand?”