Friday, October 31, 2014

Mary, Mary, quite contrary

Has she lost her mind?  Mary Landrieu has been elected and re-elected to the Senate by the overwhelming support of the black vote in New Orleans,  but she is going to learn that other people vote too.  She gave an interview stating that Louisiana voters who do not support Obama are racists and those who vote against her are waging war on women.

I have never supported  Mary because  I believe she votes against what most Louisiana people want.  I oppose Obama because his policies are wrong.  Remember that Mary cast the key vote for Obamacare.  Enough said.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Poor City of Shreveport

Sadly, my impression of the three   leading candidates for mayor is far from optimistic that the leadership from the city's highest office will be much improved.  I hope I'm wrong and our days of incapable and uninspiring leadership from the mayor's office will come to an end.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Rights as an individual vs. overall good of the public

The idea of jailing someone for 21 days -- which is what a forced quarantine would be -- is foreign to our constitutional idea of liberty, but a voluntary quarantine would not work.   Much as I am against government taking away any of our rights,  I find myself on the side of a forced quarantine.

I have experienced a quarantine, and it is no fun.  When I was about 12, scarlet fever struck our family, infecting six of the seven children.  A big orange sign was nailed to the front of the house, warning people not to visit us.  We felt like pariahs -- we could not visit anyone including going to school, and no one could visit us for weeks.

Adults and children over 12 are usually immune to the disease, but adults can infect children.  That is what happened to us.  A man whose grandchildren had scarlet fever but never reported it lifted up in his arms two our  siblings too young for school.

Saturday, October 25, 2014

They are Islam terrrorists --- I don't care about political correctness

Terrorist attacks are not just "random acts" or "workplace violence" and this country must overcome its insistence on "political correctness." Let's look at recent  terrorist attacks:

Ft. Hood doctor kills 13 and wounds more than 30 while yelling Allah Agbar.

Recent convert to Islam beheads woman when she refuses to convert.

Two brothers set bombs that explode killing and maiming runners at Boston marathon.

Two Canadian soldiers run down soldiers, killing one and injuring the other.

Terrorist kills one soldier and attacks Canadian parliament.

Man attacks with axe, killing one and injuring another.

Man attacks in Jerusalem, injuring Americans among others.

          What two things did these acts have in common?  They were all committed by radical  Islam extremists and  Obama refuses them to be called acts of terror.

Friday, October 24, 2014

Remembering Bill Bailey

I lost a good friend this week.  Bill Bailey passed away at age 8l.  I had not seen Bill in a number of years but friendship  feelings remain if they are real.  I first met Bill the first year I was in Homer.  He was showing an animal on 4-H Achievement Day.

Bill played basketball for Athens High School and later Louisiana Tech.  He coached at Summerfield High School and later served as principal.  He was a regular poker player but the day he was selected as superintendent of Claiborne schools he gave up that activity.

Goodbye, Bill

We visit my sister and an old friend

Jen and I returned home Thursday night from two days in the Dallas area, visiting my sister, Jenny Louise  (Bit) and a long-time friend, Ken Dooley.  Both celebrated birthdays this month -- Ken was 90; Bit was 83.


Ken, who directed the choir of Christ United Methodist Church for 18 years, is singing in the choir of  a Presbyterian Church.  He stays busy pursuing such activities as studying languages.  We  had lunch at his favorite restaurant, which offers a wide selection of vegetables.

Thursday we had  a long visit with Bit, who has so many medical appointments we were fortunate to catch her Thursday, a rare day she was free.  As we age we all have many aches and pains, some more limiting than others.  Bit has to have treatments for macular degeneration and  glaucoma..

We had not seen each other in quite a while so we spent hours swapping news of both families and of our other siblings.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Who is your beloved veteran?

The cover story of  the November American Legion magazine is titled "America's Most Beloved Veterans." Iturned to the article wondering which war was the most popular only to discover Legion it referred to individual heroes, as voted by American Legion media audience members.

Most beloved of all was, not surprisingly, Audie Murphy, decorated World War II veteran who became a movie star.  Second was George Washington, hero of  the Revolutionary War and first president, followed by Theodore Roosevelt, third; Alvin York, hero of the first world war, and George Patton, general in World War II.

Probably a surprise to some was the selection of two Southern heroes of the War Between the States --Robert E. Lee, eighth, and Stonewall Jackson, 22nd.  Leading Northerners in being loved was Ulysses S. Grant, l0th.

Friday, October 17, 2014

Remembering Herbert Ford and his musem

The first week  that I became editor of the Guardian-Journal in Homer I visited Herbert Ford and his museum.  I was amazed at the number and variety of exhibits housed in a railroad box car.  Items covered many years with a loom and spinning wheel plus clothing from the time of the War Between the States to an extensive group  of World War I guns.  Ford served over seas during the war and was a founder                   of the American Legion.

One section was devoted to bells of varied sizes, types and histories.  Ford had  isolated bells which together   composed a musical scale.  At times he would arrange the bells on a pickup truck and go through town playing a tune.  Not everyone appreciated the music.  One woman was heard to say, "There goes Herbert Ford and his damn bells again!"    

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Typhoon hits us in 1945

I have written that I have few memories of our time in Japan but among those incidents I do remember is  being in a typhoon. The recent typhoon that hit Okinawa brought  this to my mind. We spent most of our time at the small city of Wakanoura awaiting the clearing of mines from the harbor at Nagoya.

To avoid most of the damage from the typhoon we left the port and went to sea.  While the Pickens was driven to pitching and rollong we avoid hitting another ship or being driven into the land.

The most damaging typhoon hit Okinawa November 9, becoming a disaster. A total of 12 ships and craft were sunk,  222 were grounded, and 32 were severely damaged,.            

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Our air campaign against ISIS is a sham and a disgrace

The United States air campaign is little more than an annoyance as ISIS continues to gain victory after victory. Americans should be ashamed to allow the murder of thousands of innocents and the enslavement of thousands of women and girls.

Susan Rice, that brilliant lady of Benghazi talking points, says the Obama strategy is working and the administration is pleased with what is going on in Iraq and Syria.  She says they expect the war with ISIS to go on for a long time.

Obama and his cohorts are showing us  something new.  In the past when we entered a war we did all we could to win the war.

Monday, October 13, 2014

A "" peaceful" Sunday baseball game

This story of a baseball game goes back more than 50 years, but something brought it to my mind. 

Before the well-organized Big Eight league (which had contact with major league football as well as  baseball) the Homer Oilers were in a league that played on Sunday afternoon.  On this Sunday we were playing Vivian there.

The score was tied along about the sixth inning when the manager of Vivian, though not in uniform, insisted on challenging the umpire.  He refused to leave and allow the game to proceed so the ump had no choice but to declare a forfeit and the game over.

As  we picked up our equipment and went to leave for home, we were challenged by women waving baseball bats, demanding we take the field and resume the game or there would be a fight. Homer fans disagreed on whether to resume playing or go home.  I was for resuming the game  and avoid a fight while some argued that if we returned to the field, the forfeit would not count.  We did go back to playing, leaving after two innings and  the game still tied.

Days later at a league meeting officials determined that because we had  resumed the game, the forfeit did not count.  I still hold the decision to re-start the game was the right decision. Those women swinging bats meant their threats of violence.

It's always Bush's fault

Of all the problems to make political hay over, ebola is caused by the Republicans,  according to the Democrats.  I have lived a long time and have seen plenty of dirty politicking but this is the lowest.  The nation and much of the world fear this vile disease and we must do all possible to minimize its danger and find ways to eliminate it.

How low can politicians go!

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Coincidence or warning?

Can we learn from words of 2500 years ago?  Habakkuk the prophet admitted to God that Israel deserved punishment but questioned why an evil nation (Babylonia) was chosen to administer it.  In the book we read in Sunday School October 5,  Habakkuk asked "Why would you look at the treacherous or keep  silent when the wicked swallows who is more righteous?

Then the writer says imagine if we were told    that  because of the sins of Americans, fanatical terrorists were going to overrun the United States.  "No doubt many of us would protest, saying, We are far from perfect, but the terrorists are much worse than we are."

At present it is going this way -- many are taking the side of ISIS, blaming the country that protects their freedom.  I get sick when I hear news people like Alan Colmes blame America and praise the terrorists.  He went to far as to say Christianity is as radical as Islam at its worst.  Alan, I haven't seen videos of Christians beheading Muslims.


Tuesday, October 7, 2014

We refuse to help Syrian town


The world, led by the United States, stands idly by as ISIS threatens slaughter in a Syrian town.

Air power cannot alone win a war but it can be effective if used properly and not just for show. In World War II over 200 planes bombed Tokyo one night and caused 100,000 deaths.  Japanese suicide attacks at Okinawa caused so many American casualties people back home in the United States criticized our military leaders.   Those heavy losses helped convince Truman to drop the atom bomb.

Sending over one plane to destroy a truck is disgraceful when 200 planes each destroying a moving vehicle would have great effect, as would fighter planes from our carriers strafing ISIS troops.

ISIS has a rival in cruelty

This sick world has at least one rival of ISIS for insane cruelty.  That rival is the Mexican Drug cartels, who push their death of poison into the United States.

With often the connivance of elected officials and law officers, the cartels take over communities and murder all opposition, even school children.

Report on Lowe reunion

The Lowe reunion Saturday had good attendance, mostly from members of the fourth  generation if we continue to call it descendants of T. T. Lowe.  I think wife Jen and brother Jon, and me, were the only members of the third generation -- that is grandchildren of T. T. -- who attended.

Margaret died during the year, leaving Mike (Winston) the last member of Aunt Eunice's nine children still living.  Mike has been unable to attend for  several years but two daughters were there and reported he has gotten better.

I was happy to see some who had traveled long distances to be there.  

Monday, October 6, 2014

Visit the doctor week

This is figured to be another visit to the doctor week.  This afternoon with a l:30 appointment I saw Dr. Brewer for three to five minutes.  I think that is the first time he has seen me this year, but the did what the visits are for -- renewed by prescription for pain medicine.

I will see Dr. Singh, my cardiologist, at 10 Wednesday morning as a followup to a visit a little more than two weeks ago.  Several tests were done at that visit and I expect to hear the results.  I have already heard from the test of my esophagus and it was  okay.

Friday, October 3, 2014

America is losing because of Obama

President Obama continues to act in the way he thinks will help him politically while the United Sates is in grave danger from terrorists and Ebola.

ISIS displays another beheading --  this time an aid worker -- next time an American war veteran  if their threats can be believed.

We were pleased that an air campaign was begun against ISIS although knowing ground troops will be required if we hope to defeat the terrorists.  But the air campaign is a farce.  We could be making 200   sorties each day instead of that number per month.   We could be a lot more effective but Obama has too many restrictions on who and what the planes may attack. The air campaign is just for show.

While he makes threats of overwhelming the country with illegal aliens, he does nothing to take every possible action against an epidemic of  Ebola. Romney says Obama should apologize to America.  I had rather he resign.

The truth -- economy worsens

How bad it must feel to be searching hard for a job and hear Obama claim the economy is booming and the unemployment rate is 5.9 per cent?

Misuse of statistics result in lies.  The statistic that matters is whether you have a job or not, and 92.6 million do not.  They are not in the labor force, the greatest number since 1938.  Obama and his administration  continue to push the wrong policies, including stupid "climate change" rules.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Get DHS out of Secret Service

Get Homeland Security out of the Secret Service.  Or get the Secret Service out of Homeland Security.  Any mix of two screwed up departments  is bad.

Some 25 years ago my family was visiting in Washington D.C.  My nephew, in the Secret Service assigned to the vice president, was able to help us avoid a few long lines.  A few years later my nephew resigned from the  Service.  His dad, my brother, could not understand why his son would do this.  His answer was "you can't understand how bad and fouled up the Service gas become."

As ineffective as the Service may have become, putting in under Homeland Security was a bad move.

Lowe reunion Saturday

Descendants of T. T. Lowe will hold their annual reunion Saturday, October 4, at Lakeview Methodist Church in Minden.  This is a very low-key affair featuring food, hymn singing, lots of hugs and some tall tales.

Some families have other reunions, but this particular annual event began more than 25 years ago.  The only second generation member then was Minnie Berry Lowe and she died a few years after the first reunion. We have had a number of deaths of third generation Lowes and spouses since that time.