My Father's Old Gibson J45

Somewhere around 1973 or 1974 there was a man who went down to the music store in Paintsville, Kentucky (on old US 23) and bought a brand new Gibson J45. He then took the guitar home and attempted to hide it. You see his wife 'belonged' to a church that didn't believe in having musical instruments. Musical instruments were tools of the devil.

Somehow his wife discovered the guitar that very same evening. I don't know for sure about all the details of what happened. I was only about 10 or 11 years old and recalling what my dad had told us. But anyway, there was some argument and finally the woman slammed the guitar against the floor or maybe a couch. She then demanded that he get that tool of the devil out of her house immediately.

This guy was a friend of my dad and they saw each other that evening. The man told dad what had happened and dad bought a brand new fresh out of the store $750 Gibson guitar for $100. The side near the bottom and the back were busted up pretty good. Dad pressed it together as best he could and used wood glue to seal it up. It was a bit rough looking but it worked.

Thinking is Now Obsolete Thanks to Me!

There's No Need to Think! Trust The Church of the Old School Hat!

Finally there is no longer a need for you to waste your valuable time and energy thinking and forming opinions! We do all the thinking for you which frees you up with more time to do the things you enjoy.

We have all heard about the good old days so there can be no doubt that they once existed. I myself can recall several of them.

Hey! Did you know that if something is new it is automatically better? New things are much smarter, more intelligent and even better looking than older ones. Everybody knows that right? New ideas, new coke, new math, new president, new flavor of chips... new is always so much better and tastier! Wrong! Go on get out of here and collect more experience points before returning to my podium!

You shall not pass lest you be cast into the chasm of eternal stench. However, if you are willing to confess that the old stuff is often the best you are qualified to join the church of the Old School Hat. The good old days can be right now for you if you join the Church of the Old School Hat.

My Opinion Doesnt Always Matter

I was hanging out with one of my buddies at his workplace. He was practicing on his brain surgery techniques at the time and he asked me what my opinion was on whether or not he should cut out this particular chunk or not. He pointed at an area of the patients brain that was somewhat discolored compared to the rest of the jelly grey matter.

I had been drifting off, trying to think about, or at least picture, something other than what was going on in front of me. The smell was awful and the sound from the saw was nearly as bad. I was thinking about what kind of cereal I was going to have for breakfast the next day; Frosted Wheat? Fruity Pebbles? Honeycomb? Grape Nuts? When he suddenly turned around and spoke to me, asking my opinion about his procedure it broke me out of my breakfast cereal reverie and brought me back to the stark reality of the drab laboratory.

"My opinion doesn't matter." It was all I could come up with on such short notice.

"Yes it does! Everyone's opinion matters! Your opinion is just as good as anyone else's."

"I disagree bud. I have some strong opinions about a lot of different things but I know nothing about brain jobs."

"Well, I think everyone's opinion matters. We are all human beings with feelings and so we all matter."

The opinions of the ignorant and uninformed aren't only worthless

Student Excited Dad Got Head Job and More

Im going to do a bit of cheating and use a bunch of images to make a post. These are supposed to be actual newspaper clippings form all around:

Pill Thieves at the Walmart Pharmacy?

Do you think you can trust your pharmacy to give you what you paid for? Well don't take it for granted because I was shorted some Lortabs when I had a prescription filled at Walmart. The number on the label did not match up to the number of pills in the bottle. Pills were missing, where did they go? Here is what happened:

Awhile back I had to go to the dentist and have a tooth cut out. The thing had gotten broken while I was eating popcorn several years back and it had finally gotten to the point where I couldn't live with it any longer. Literally years with recurring toothaches.

The tooth was broken off so short that they had to cut it out. Afterwards I was given a prescription for hydroco/apap which is the generic for Lortab. The prescription was for 28 pills. I dropped the prescription off at the Walmart pharmacy and did some shopping while I waited. Eventually I picked up the medication and we went on home.

I am not a pill person and it takes a lot for me to even take an aspirin or something so a couple weeks went by before I opened the Lortabs. My tooth never did hurt enough for me to use one of the pain pills, but I get migraine headaches occasionally and that was why I finally opened them. The bag was still sealed closed with staples yet when I dumped them out and counted them there were 2 missing! I looked at the label again. Yes, it said "Qty 28" clear as day. I counted the pills again, only 26...

The Sun the Moon and the Truth

"Three things cannot be long hidden:
the sun, the moon, and the truth."
~ Buddha ~

According to Buddha, "Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." While the quote sounds deep and meaningful it is far from the truth, or 'reality'. Let's just look at it; the sun, the moon and the truth cannot be hidden.

The sun and the moon can sometimes be hidden temporarily by cloud cover or eclipse but for all intents and purposes they cannot really be hidden. But what if a person had been placed in an indoor prison and spent the remainder of their life without ever viewing the outdoors or the sky? Would the moon not be long hidden? In contrast, the truth is all too often hidden whether it be by chance or design.

If the truth were as unhidden as the moon and the sun imagine the vast differences there would be in the world. More often than not the truth comes to us in reflections and in bits and pieces.

"For now we see through a glass, darkly."

I am all for peace and love and being good to your neighbor but I have to disagree with you Buddha. I like your little statues, but comparing the transparency and availability of truth to that of the sun and moon? Every day untold truths are hidden or lost forever.

The Mythical American Buffalo and a Pocketful of Misnomers

The Bison
Look at the face on that thing! man!
The bison is one strange looking critter.
www.livingwilderness.com/wildlife/bison-standing.html

"The Mythical American Buffalo a Pocketful of Misnomers" Now that is tough, try to say that ten times really quick!

Mythical creatures such as the Unicorn, the Dragon and the American Buffalo appear in books, art, songs and even in our religions but have any of them ever really existed?

It may be possible that the unicorn and the dragon once roamed the realm of reality. Perhaps they were all killed out to extinction by mankind long ago. Perhaps they were around so many centuries ago that only distorted memories remain of what they were.

The American Buffalo is a much newer creature. It is also one of the strangest mythical creature cases I know of. Although it does not exist it's existence is common knowledge, at least in the U.S. Sound crazy? Show a photo of a bison to someone, ask them, "What is this here critter?" few will say bison but many will say buffalo.

I was talking to a guy about coins and collecting and he mentioned that he had a bunch of Buffalo Nickels. He got them out and was showing them to me. I mentioned that it was funny how that even though it was common knowledge that the animal was not a buffalo we still called it a Buffalo Nickel. Long story short he disagreed and held that it was in fact a buffalo and I didn't know what I was talking about. OK. I just dropped it. No point in arguing about it. I know what I know but I don't need to preach it. Call it a koala bear nickel if you like.

Candy Cigarettes and Guns for Kids

Yeah, I am getting old(er) so you may hear me say "When I was a kid..." occasionally.

When I was a kid candy cigarettes were popular. The best ones even had a red colored tip so you could better imagine that you were really smoking a cigarette just like mom and dad.

It's really funny how times and people change, not so much individual people but all of us as a culture. Today I wouldn't even consider giving my children candy cigarettes and I doubt there are many parents who would disagree.

Imagine some mother or father standing there smiling, proud and happy. "Aww, look how cute junior is suckin' on that fake candy cigarette." and perhaps their mate replies with, "Oh yes, I can hardly wait to see him learn how to smoke real cigarettes!"

What about all the cool guns? When I was a youngin' we had all sorts of guns to play with. My favorites were the rifles or pistols with a western look but there were also some neat military weapons. Most of them looked pretty realistic and none of them had the big orange tips.

Poor Ole George W the Funniest President Ever

Hello Dummies! I am the Decider Man!

Just recently I watched the movie W. I don't know what happened but I wasn't even aware that there was such a movie until I was sitting back and watching it. If the portrayal of G.W. was  anywhere close to being accurate I felt pity for the guy. Yeah, he was a rich kid who didn't really have much sense but all he ever wanted was for his daddy to love him and to be proud of him. I do think that the movie only touched the surface on how much G.W. (and every prez) was manipulated by the string pullers.

Anyway, I was reading around about some of the things G.W. said and put some of it together here for some laughs.

This might be my all-time favorite Bush quote right here:

"I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office." -Washington, D.C., May 12, 2008

That is priceless!

G. W. Bush talks about Osama bin Laden:

Truth Taken for Granted Sheeple and the Lynch Mob Mentality

Another Bag O' Money!

Billions of dollars and thousands of lives have been spent to track down and kill one man. We have all been told that this man was an evil person who was responsible for the deaths of many including the World Trade Center bombing and "9/11". We have been told that this man and his followers were a terrible threat to the peace and safety of the world.

"Bin Laden has been implicated in a string of deadly attacks on the United States and its allies..."

The crowds rejoice about a man being murdered without trial or due process by those that watch over and rule them?

The Truth, The Whole Truth, And Nothing But The Truth?

Source - http://www.gilad.co.uk

Perhaps a lot of what we have been told about bin Laden is true. There can be no doubt that not all of it is true for we have been told conflicting "stories" over the years. And now the interesting position Pakistan finds itself in when the bogeyman is discovered within their camp.

Why dump the body at sea? Will divers find the body? Will we start seeing bin Laden parts offered on eBay? Or did they wait and make sure the sharks had their fill before leaving? People will wonder about this and many other questions for years to come because of the way they got rid of the body. All-new conspiracy theories will be launched and old ones revived.

We sit at home watching TV, surfing the Internet or listening to the radio and we hear about what this person or that country has done. We talk about it at work, school and wherever else we gather. We make our judgments based upon lies, half truths and omissions and we shout "OJ is guilty!" when in reality we know very little or nothing about the actual facts.

Osama bin Laden Has Left the Building

According to the reports Osama bin Laden was killed yesterday (Sunday, May 1) in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The news folks are warning everyone not to travel abroad as there may be some anti-American activity or retaliatory attacks. Warnings of terrorist attacks have also been mentioned.

The interesting thing here is the fact that the place bin Laden was killed was very close to a military base. For years Pakistan has vehemently denied any knowledge of bin Laden's whereabouts and here he was found not just within their borders but next to a military installation.

To make matters even worse the U.S. has given Pakistan close to a billion dollars every year to fight terrorism and to help in the search for bin Laden. This is likely to cause some serious issues between the U.S. and Pakistan.

Bin Laden's death and subsequent disappearance leaves many people with questions. Even though it was reported that genetic testing was done to assure the world this was in fact the man bin Laden I predict that there will be new conspiracy theories springing up to say that bin Laden is in hiding.

Perhaps Bin Laden is hanging out somewhere near Adolf Hitler. Hmmm, speaking of old Adolph isn't it an interesting thing to note that they were both killed on May 1?

Why Do You Think Innocent People Are Held In Prison?

Guantanamo secret files show U.S. often held innocent Afghans

WASHINGTON -- "Naqibullah was about 14 years old when U.S. troops detained him in December 2002 at a suspected militant's compound in eastern Afghanistan.

The weapon he held in his hands hadn't been fired, the troops concluded, and he appeared to have been left behind with a group of cooks and errand boys when a local warlord, tipped to the raid, had fled.

A secret U.S. intelligence assessment written in 2003 concluded that Naqibullah had been kidnapped and forcibly conscripted by a warring tribe affiliated with the Taliban. The boy told interrogators that during his abduction he had been held at gunpoint by 11 men and raped.

Only 4 Channels on TV But Nudity Included

When I was a kid things were rough up in the holler ("Hollow" for you northerners). What with only 4 channels on the TV, one phone in the house, and having to do actual chores it is truly a wonder that we even survived to pass on our genetic code. Yet a few of us are still running around griping about the laziness of the current generation and how the 'good ole days' were so much better.

Sesame Street in the 1960s!

Our TV "antenna" was a run of two copper wires separated by plastic pieces (It looks like a ladder). These wires were run up the hill and across the mountainside and connected to a big aerial antenna which was way up in a tree at the top of the mountain. TV pictures and sounds were sent magically to the antenna in the tree so if we could keep a connection to it we could actually see and hear them on our TV, yes I know, amazing right? These wires were always getting broken by tree imps, gremlins, and storms so it was an almost constant job to track down breaks and wire them back together. Some folks shared too. There might be three or four different houses connected to the same antenna.

Try to imagine having to get up and walk across the room to the television set whenever you wanted to flip the channel or adjust the volume... Luckily there were only the 4 channels to choose from so channel surfing didn't take up too much time and you could walk back over to the couch and sit back down. Lawd those were rough times indeed!

Keep Your Copper Pennies!

This 1973 cent, still found in pocket
change, holds almost 3 cents worth
 of copper at current spot value!

Not too long ago, when I was much younger, copper was going for about 35 or 45 cents per pound at the scrap yard. I gathered up quite a bit of scrap copper over the years for the scrap yards. But now copper is about ten times higher. In fact, as of the day of this post, copper is at US$4.2345. That means one copper penny holds nearly 3 cents worth of copper! Imagine a coin still available in circulation that is actually valued at nearly 3 times face value. Will copper continue to rise? Ten years from now will that copper cent be worth 10 times face value? Or even more?

How much does it cost you to get a 95% pure copper penny? Well, right now if you take the time to look at your pocket change you can find some of them for free, or rather for 1 cent. And if the bad times come and you have to break into the bank you can always spend them right? But I don't think you will want to spend them once you realize their value.

In 1982 the US Mint finally decided to change the composition of the penny because copper was getting too costly. It had reached the point to where the cost of minting a one cent coin was higher than a penny. The intrinsic metal value of the US penny had exceeded the face value. It reminds us of the situation with silver coins in 1964. In fact copper is right now at the same levels as silver was not too long ago.

Drugging the Children for Over 200 Years

 If you thought the notion of drugging our children was a new one... well... you might be surprised because it has been going on a long while. It has just gotten more "high tech" and controlled now. School counselors and doctors team up with pharmaceutical companies to spread the word like Paul Revere with the call of "Take a pill!" "Take a pill!"

Cocaine Toothache Drops Instantaneous Cure and only 15 cents!

In 1885 it was quite common for parents to administer preparations that included drugs such as laudanum, morphine and other opiates, and cocaine.

If a child is misbehaving or just isn't paying attention enough we must give them a prescription. When I was a kid we got a paddling. We were taken to the front of the class while everyone watched and whacked with a wooden paddle.

Mrs. Winslows Soothing Syrup Calm and soothing
with a special ingredient ~ Morphine

 There were always kids who could barely keep from laughing but they dared not lest they might get some of that wood too. Don't get me wrong, I was more often than not on the receiving end of that paddle myself. I felt I had earned the right to snicker a bit under my breath.

If your child is depressed and quiet someone may want to prescribe them a drug to get them going. If a child is too active and maybe difficult to control someone will want to prescribe a drug to calm them down.

Sugar Up Them Babies for Pure Pleasure!

Now this here is pure pleasure! Your baby will be sure to love it too! So sweet and syrupy and bubbly and what a treat! I wonder how folks would react if 7 Up tried an ad campaign like this these days? Well, I am sure a lot of people would be upset but hey from what I have seen most people fill their little ones up with pop and candy and tater chips right from the start.

The same person who would balk at the notion of giving a kid coffee has no qualms about loading them down with chocolate and caffeinated 'popacolas'... funny but sad. So, at least 7 Up has no caffeine eh? Always choose the lesser of two poisons when giving poison to your loved ones.

Outdated ad? Maybe, maybe not... But to be on the safe side ya better stock up on the carbonated beverages if you have little ones in the house!

For a Better Start in Life Start Cola Earlier!

How soon is too soon? 

Not soon enough. Laboratory tests over the last few years have proven that babies who start drinking soda during that early formative period have a much higher chance of "fitting in" during those awkward pre-teen and teen years. So, do yourself a favor. Do your child a favor. Start them on a strict regimen of sodas and other sugary carbonated beverages right now, for a lifetime of guaranteed happiness. 

The Soda Pop Board of America Chicago, Il

What the Heck is a Sheeple?

Are you a Sheeple? Most anyone you ask would reply with a quick "NO!" and they may even get upset with you for having the audacity to even suggest such a thing. Chances are they really don't know just what a sheeple is.

Simply put and in a nutshell a Sheeple is a person who believes what authority figures tell them without substantial questions. They trust the government and the media to be honest. They support causes without knowing the real truth behind them. They vote for crooks because they believe their lies.

Don't be a Sheeple! If you are a Sheeple it's not too late to wake up and look around you. Read, think, investigate, consider, keep an open mind. Truth is everywhere yet it is still less common than the lies.

What the heck is a Sheeple anyway?

"...persons who voluntarily acquiesce to a perceived authority figure's suggestion without critical analysis or sufficient research to understand the ramifications of that decision. By doing so, Sheeple undermine their own individuality and may willingly give up their rights. The implication of the term is that people fallaciously appeal to authority and believe or do what they are told by perceived authority figures who they view as trustworthy. The term is generally used in a political, social, and sometimes spiritual sense..."

Help Help I'm Being Offended!

When folks disagree with me or have a different
 viewpoint I get all fired up mad

Do you get offended when you see something that you don't agree with? If you are talking with a friend or family member and the subject of religion comes up does it often end up in an argument or hurt feelings? When someone else makes a statement (or a post on their Facebook, MySpace, or similar profile) concerning their religious beliefs do you get mad?

I enjoy discussing, reading and writing about Biblical topics and about religion in general. Supposedly religion and the like are 'touchy' subjects and one can't talk about them because of the risks of offending someone. "Help help! I'm being offended!"

*Somehow, and perhaps I am being too optimistic here, but I believe mature, intelligent people should be capable of discussing or sharing ideas and viewpoints without wanting to get into a fist fight or a yelling contest whenever someone disagrees or questions. We are different people and there is no way that we will ever agree on everything. So just face it from the start, there will be differences but we don't have to be the same to get along or even to be friends (or family members eek!).

Giving up Smoking is the Easiest Thing in the World

"Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times." ~ Mark Twain

Hoo Boy! Day Care was rough today.
Now to relax with a nice smoke.

I myself have quit smoking so many times over the past thirty some years that it does seem like thousands of times. Turning your back on that tobacco demon is an easy thing to do that is true. However, stopping oneself from turning right back around to that ash tray is the difficult task. Even most regular smokers say they don't really like smoking and that it is too expensive. Tobacco smoke stinks, it infiltrates your clothing and your hair. It even stinks up your car and your home.

Someone told me this (or it was as close to this as I can recall) "Smoking cigarettes is hurting my ability to breath and when I go hiking I get short of breath. I want to quit but I just can't. I have been smoking too long."

I started sneaking around with stolen cigarettes or an occasional cigar when I was around 11 or 12. By the time I was 14 I was a regular smoker and burned up a pack or so a day when I had them - and I usually had them.

When I was a kid it was common for folks to send their kids down to the store to get their tobacco. There was no age limit on the purchase of cigarettes, Prince Albert, cigars and other fine lung poisons so we could buy what we wanted without concern.

Of course since it was a small town we did have to be careful that certain people didn't see us buying our smokes or they may inform our parents. But then again some kids I knew had parents who didn't care if they smoked or chewed and so they did.

Sea Monkeys The Shocking Truth

I wonder how many people saw advertisements like the one below when they were kids and just had to have them. Sea Monkeys were an awesome idea! Imagine having these smart little creatures living in our room while we trained them to do tricks. Oh to be promised a handful of pets that are both smart and so eager to please! I had to have them didn't you?

I suppose I was in about the 3rd grade when I finally convinced my mother to allow me to order some sea monkeys of my very own. You can hardly imagine how excited I was and how much more so as the days went by. Everyday I would think about it in school and as soon as I got home I would ask if my Sea Monkeys had gotten here yet. "No, not yet. Maybe tomorrow"

Eventually the day came and there they were with the rest of the mail. I looked at the packaging and

Good Old Grit Papers

Good old Grit. I was a Grit paper salesman for a short time as a kid. I thought it was cool at the time but it turned out to be too much work for too little money. I lived way out in the country so the houses weren't exactly close to each other. Imagine riding a bike a half mile up a "holler" to deliver a Grit so you can make that "7 cents clear profit" and hope to get one of those "swell prizes" they give so many of away.

And "easy to sell?" Well, I think most of the ones who bought it just felt sorry for a kid on a bike because I never really saw anyone who seemed to want a copy of Grit.

The great fortune and easy money promised by the ads in my comic books never materialized. I barely made enough to get myself a cold drink on the way home and never saw a prize one... not nary a one! It wasn't long before I decided upon a career change but first there was grade school to deal with...

So remember folks, if you get the idea to make a living as an independent Grit Salesperson try to take something along with you to drink so it doesn't cut out all your profits.

Believe it or not Grit is still around. In fact they have been around for more than 125 years! And now they're even online at http://www.grit.com

Grit now sports a $2.50 cover price and is published bimonthly instead of weekly.

Anyone else sell Grit papers?

You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch

One of my favorite songs!

I have been a huge Dr. Seuss fan since I was a kid. After I got older and read more about Theodor Seuss Geisel I found that I was a bigger fan than ever. Dr. Seuss was by no means limited to the fun kid stuff we know him by.

Right now, as I write this drivel, I can look around the room and see a green plush Mr. Grinch toy (probably made in China drat it all!), several Dr. Seuss books including Green Eggs and Ham and The Tough Coughs As He Ploughs the Dough: Early Writings and Cartoons by Dr. Seuss. I am sure if I dug around a bit I would find more Seussicals within the walls of my office.

Gee Mommy You Sure Love Marlboro!

Some of these old advertisements are hilarious. A baby endorsing cigarettes? Imagine! The miracle of Marlboro!

Somebody help me over here. I am getting too much oxygen/ I know cigarettes are expensive but could you just exhale toward me? Let me move down wind a bit... There! Ahhhh, now that's almost like having a smoke of my own!

Remember folks, in todays economy second hand smoke can be a good thing! I get my nicotine fix and it doesn't cost a thing. This sort of life isn't without its dangers and risks though... oh no... Sitting just downwind of a smoker isn't a good place to be if that smoker has bad gas or even worse body odor. The best is when you can find a whole group of people smoking. Just wonder around in circles breathing in that free second hand smoke.

Note - the fella that wrote this doesn't smoke cigarettes but he is quite sarcastic at times!

Pipe O' Peace and Indian Tobacco Ads

Vintage Prince Albert ads using Native Americans

It may be difficult to read the text on these so I have written it along with each image:


A Jimmy Pipe O' Peace

Prince Albert
the national joy smoke

Has put the "Indian Sign" on all the tongue-broiling, smartweed brands. P.A. can't bite your tongue nor any man's, patented process removes the sting.

Prince Albert
the national joy smoke

The braves who have gone to the Happy Hunting Grounds haven't anything on the wisenheimers of this world who are next to the joys of smoking Price Albert. Get your heavenly smoke now. The bite is taken out by a patented process.

A lot of these ads would be considered offensive these days. Truth is an ad like the next one was always offensive if you happened to be or to care about "Native Americans".

Here is the ad copy from the one on the right:

P.A. is the "Big Smoke Medicine"

Prince Albert has soothed all kinds of pipe grouches for all kinds of men. One of the most interesting cases is that of the American Indians on the reservations. These direct descendants of the original jimmy pipers have taken to Prince Albert the national joy smoke with the same enthusiasm their forefathers took after paleface scalps.

P.A. is the "Big Smoke Medicine" in the lodges of hundreds of thousands of men of al races. You can smoke P.A. without feeling your scalp come up or your tongue blister. The bite is removed by that wonderful patented process that makes P.A. different, distinct, delicious.

Sold everywhere in toppy red bags, 5c; tidy red tins, 10c; pound and half pound humidors.

Death in the Valley and the Old Home Place Forever Gone

Picture beautiful fields, woods and hillsides out in the country stretching out behind a small house where a mister and the misses had lived and raise their children and grandchildren. For over 50 years they lived there as their children and grandchildren grew up and moved away to exotic locales like Indiana and Michigan. They visited from time to time and that was nice. But now the old man and his wife could sit back and enjoy the peace and quiet and wonder of their home. The home where there parents had lived and raised their children.

The cruel hand of fate came into the valley, or perhaps the almighty saw need to call but either way that sweet granny died. The old man was so broken hearted and so beyond alone that he died too just days later. People have different ways of dealing with death and sometimes they just go with it. The birds were singing in the trees basking in the sunshine and the wind was gently pushing the branches of the tree out front by the gate back and forth. It was almost as if nothing had happened. Almost like the world was going to continue on without the old couple who had put their hearts and souls into the house and the land. Almost like they never existed. Time didn't even slow down for them. Nature really is a cruel thing.

Oh, but that was a few years ago. The heirs sold the house, the land, the equipment and other things, all of it. They sold it and divided the money among themselves fairly and equally. The land was broken up into lots. the house demolished and most of the trees cut down. Some of them partied and had a good ole time. Others got themselves caught up on their bills and maybe got something for the kids. Maybe others donated it or shared it with others. Who knows, but very soon the money was all spent and the old man and his wife were gone forever. We don't even know their names... But every now and then someone will be driving by and they will look over at the trailer court and the car wash and the garbage and they will say, "Ya know, I remember when that was one of the most beautiful farms in the county."

I left out names for the old man and his wife intentionally here. I did that because this story is bigger than any one person or a name. The same scenario has played out many times.

If I ever get to the point to where I know I have little time left and I have possessions I want certain people to have I will give it to them before I die. Or maybe I will just up and sell everything and and have a big party with dancing girls and spend it all the day before I die.

Crazy Old Talking Tree Leaner

Have you ever heard tell of the Old Talking Tree Leaner? Well perhaps you have and perhaps not. Either way I am fixin' to tell you a thing or two about the critter.

The Old Talking Tree Leaner is a strange character who is some sort of a tree parasite with the ability to talk non stop for long periods of time. There are those who ask where does he get his food? The Old Talking tree Leaner gets his nourishment from the boredom of his victims. The more bored you become the more energy he draws in.

Why, you may ask, hasn't the Old Talking Tree Leaner been more closely examined? Perhaps even video taped? Well, the things natural defense mechanism is its ability to bore a person out of their wits. It can literally turn a grown man into a drooling aimless zombie-like shell. Many are doomed to stumble around repeating some of the things that Old Tree Leaner said... over and over...

Just remember, if you are out walking in the woods and you see this crazy lookin' old dude leaning up agin' a tree just keep on going. Don't even let that old fellow fool you.

Read more about the Old Talking Tree Leaner if you dare (or you are really really bored)

Make Mine a Traveling Bug - A VW Bug That Is

I have been lucky enough to have gotten to travel a lot growing up. The downside is that I am always wanting to go somewhere but in recent years there seems to be so much less time for it.

When I was a kid my dad got the idea to go to Virginia Beach. He was a super spontaneous person and wanted to head out that very day. We all got ready and packed up and left for Virginia Beach and drove all night. Unfortunately the jellyfish were running early that year and the shoreline was full of them. I was stung numerous times and as did many others I ran yelling from the water. Some types of jellyfish are very aggressive and they sting!

Another time my dad and I went up to Canada to do some fishing and camping. I loved it. We rented a canoe and went out onto the backwaters among the lily pads. I saw a few fish that I had never seen before and we had a great time.

Later on, after I was grown, I took a road trip into Canada in an old VW Beetle. I have always been a big fan of the classic air cooled VWs but this one was drafty and the weather was really cold. It was just before Spring, I should have waited a couple more months. But even though I was a bit cold I still enjoyed that Beetle. I wish I had it back...

I spent a few years in the military and as they promised I got to travel and see things. Unfortunately all military bases are pretty much the same and going to such "exotic" places as Fort Hood, Texas isn't quite as fun as hitting the open highway in your old VW.

I drove a nice VW bus for awhile. I did a lot of camping and traveling in that groovy ride, it was a second home to me for a long time! How I miss it.

I am looking for a decent fixer upper in the Ohio - Indiana - Kentucky - West Virginia area. If anyone knows of one get to me in the comment form.

Top Air Cooled Volkswagen websites:

www.allaircooled.com

www.aircooled.net

www.aircooledvwlove.com

www.mofoco.com

www.thesamba.com

Here are a couple videos for y'all

Make Mine a Volkswagen!

My dream vehicle right here. Would prefer a different color but man!

Ye Olde Thinkin Spotte

Now right here is a spot (blogspot that is) where I just lay back and write whatever I feel like. It's just a thinkin' spot, in fact it is Ye Olde Thinkin Spotte.

I don't have to worry about whether it is interesting or entertaining because over the course of the lifetime of the Internet's existence this will be read an estimated 27 times. Actually the page will at least attempt to load 27 times and out of those clicks maybe 3 viewers will read these words. I could just as easily have written "these turds" as no one will notice anyway.

So, what does it matter right? I mean its like I am free! No one to judge me and to say oh that story just isn't any good. Or this is getting boring can you type about something else? What would be much better though would be if I were to just type away blindly and publish. Never go back to proof read or spell check just click that publish button like its a finish line. Well, it would certainly be more efficient and there would be no one other than an occasional errant pelican who would notice anyway.

Regardless I still manage to churn out such interesting and fascinating treatises on the conditions of mankind in the cosmos that I surprise even myself. The stories and analogies and grand volumes that I come up with would amaze and even astound anyone. Oh they are wonderful indeed! But I always forget to write them down so nobody believes me.

Hey Alright!


Lucky Day I am Taking Donations!


Hoo Haa!

I would also like to announce officially to my base of readers here that I will be accepting donations the purpose of which will be to obtain a thinking brain dog to help me though the daily chores of life.

I heard somewhere that thinking brain dogs are really cool but I don't have enough money to buy one so I thought donations would be the best way to go. I tried working but I can only get jobs that include cleaning toilets and that is against my religion. I will not violate my vows of toilebacy. 

More Doctors Smoke Camels Than Any Other Cigarette

Doctors telling folks what kind of smokes to cough on!

I remember a day when folks walked around at Kroger smoking their cigarettes while they shopped. Mostly I remember the cigarette butts that were always scattered throughout the store but perhaps that is because I was closer to them.

I am a bit bored today so I am laughing at doctors who tell their patients not only to smoke but what brand to buy.

What if Man Walked With The Dinosaurs?

I like to wonder about a lot of "What if?" type questions and consider any evidence or clues that may be found. Lately the History Channel is loaded with programs that appeal to these types of questions. What if aliens from outer space interacted with human beings and affected our development and growth? What if the ancients possessed knowledge and technology that had been since "lost" for centuries? And another that was very interesting What if mankind disappeared? i.e. Life Without People.

It is a natural condition of man (or woman) to wonder about such questions. Did ancient man wonder and try to understand his own ancient past and beginnings? I believe that he did. He looked up into the skies and deeply into the forests for clues and lessons. He also passed down an ever changing ever growing body of knowledge on to each succeeding generation. We can never know how many myths, legends and stories have completely died; lost forever among the memories of the dead. Fortunately there are a great many documents, works of art, structures, etc. left and almost certainly many more yet to be discovered that will give us glimpses into the human of the ancient past.

Take a look at this picture.

Photo from Could Dragons Have Been Dinosaurs?

A dinosaur in a cave drawing? Wow! There has been a debate for a long time now with many holding the view that humans and dinosaurs actually co-existed for a period of time. While I have heard of the notion, even years ago, I have never really studied the theory. But just a quick glance over the Could Dragons Have Been Dinosaurs? article it really makes one wonder and definitely merits a further investigation. It could very well be that myths and legends of dragons were spawned from memories of the last big dinosaurs. And perhaps it was man who hunted them down and destroyed the last few survivors - as is often told in the dragon slaying tales... Think... think... think...

People Who Actually Claim to Be Vampires?

Recently I was watching the news and there was another thing about some kids who thought they were vampires. Are you kidding me? When I was a kid we pretended like we were cowboys, or Indians, or even monsters or aliens so I thought well, OK I reckon that's a normal thing, But then I realized that these "kids" were teenagers and some even older than that! And they actually believe they are vampires?

Ok just between you and I (You being the 3 or 4 people who might see this blog, you know who you are so don't try to duck down) I think this is crazy. While I can agree and go along with the idea that ghosts and other strange phenomenon are happening "out there" and yeah there just might be something in Loch Ness or on Planet 9, but vampires?

It reminds me of a song... Crazy... Crazy for thinking I'm a vampire.... Crazy.... I'm crazy for suckin' on you...

Now, if you think this is nuts and you are one of the people who has actually visited this page you qualify to check this out. This is some serious stuff for some of these people:

People Claiming to Be Vampires?

I'm telling you what now people this is some crazy stuff and it might be going on in your neighborhood right now.

Don't Limit Yourself to One Style of Music!

Do you listen to one type or style of music or do you mix it up?

I like a lot of different styles of music. All my life it seems that my friends and family, or at least most of them, only listen to one type of music. I could never be that way because there is just so much music out there and so many different styles to choose from. When friends and family gather at my house (or ride in the car with me) they often comment about my choice in music.

Just a few days ago I was listening to a list of tunes on my computer. Tunes by Disturbed, Black Sabbath and Korn played then suddenly Frank Sinatra was heard singing about New York City. But that's the way I am when it comes to music.

Naturally one of my favorite types of music is classic rock from the 1960s and 1970s like Led Zeppelin, Steppenwolf, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, etc. Great stuff and one of the best time periods ever in the history of music. Even these days, 40 to 50 years later, a lot of the younger generation is getting turned on to this classic music.

I love the older country music too. Greats like Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash and Buck Owens are among my favorite artists. To be honest I don't care too much for most of the current "pop" country and see little originality in it. Occasionally someone like Keith Whitley or Randy Travis comes along to regenerate country music but those guys are few and far between.

While I would find it very difficult to name my top favorite music, (either genre, band or artist) bluegrass would definitely be at the top of the list. I love attending bluegrass festivals and hearing the live music and meeting some of the musicians. I think there is an energy and feeling in live bluegrass that is unique.

Whatever type of music you listen to you should always be open to explore and experience other types. Don't limit yourself to only one genre of music! I think most people would find that they like a little bit of this and that. I even like some of Snoop Dogg's stuff though generally I dislike rap and hip hop. I like classical piano, Big Band music like Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman and even old rag time like Scott Joplin. If you open up your ears and investigate all the different music out there I have no doubt that everyone would find things they like.

Sincere Apologies That You Found This Page

I tried to hide this page by posting it on an unknown blog with no traffic. I have neglected this blog very badly. No one reads it anyway. Perhaps half a dozen people stumble across it in a month of days. Unfortunate people who mistyped a url or perhaps they were tricked. Either way it doesnt matter.

Today I will write a lament for those unfortunate folks who in their wanderings about on the super information highway have arrived at a dead end such as this. It would remind me of a good horror movie if I paid it too much mind so I will just continue typing and lets just see if any words come out.

Anyway without further delays or procrastinations I will present the lamentation here in just a few more minutes or two.

Hey y'all. First I apologize to you for the fact that you have found yourself marooned on this page. Second What the hell's wrong with you? I can't believe you read this drivel! I would have hit the back space after the first 3 or 4 words. You danged idiot aint you got nothing better to do? Go out and hug someone, smile at some nut, say hello to a bird, anything but just hit that back button and get out of here!

Or if you don't want to hit the back button right here is an excellent escape route to some funny stuff:

In A Van Down By The River

Embroidered Patches and the "Good Ole" Days

When I was a kid a lot of us wore a denim jacket covered in embroidered patches, sometimes we used iron ons too. Some kids looked like political billboards, others all flowers and smilies, and others (like myself) preferred to display their favorite rock bands. We often traded patches back and forth or for other things.

I no longer have my jacket but I remember it well. On the back was a huge patch showing Led Zeppelin. The front and sleeves were covered with the likes of AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath and all the old greats.

Other than Rock and Roll groups another type of embroidered patches that were (and still are) popular was the "Biker" stuff. Elements like skulls and crossbones, motorcycle logos, knives and daggers, even dragons. Of course the rock and roll stuff sort of crossed over with the biker stuff for lots of great artwork.

Another favorite patch style of mine was Big Daddy Roth and the Rat Fink. Remember Rat Fink? Ahh the good old days...

Now I am an "old man" and in recent times I have noticed that the younger generation is getting back into embroidered patches. Even more than that it seems 'they' are going back to the 1960s and 1970s for all sorts of stuff; music, clothing styles, even the slang is coming back!

I have always known that the 1960s and 1970s were some of the coolest years ever. Sure there were problems but there are always problems. I am talking about the styles and the music and not politics anyway.

Has a generation ever went back to the times of their grandparents for their styles? I don't think so, at least not on a wide scale like we are seeing these days!

Children and Their Imaginary Friends

A friend was telling me a little story about one of their children who seems to have developed an imaginary friend. I have heard many stories similar to his and have always heard that it is a common thing for a child to create an imaginary friend but I have never had an imaginary friend nor have I known anyone else who did when I was growing up.

Some children get really into the 'imaginary friend' thing. Their friend has to have a place to sit at dinner or in front of the TV. They have very involved conversations with their friend and relay messages, thoughts, requests and ideas from their imaginary friend to their parents.

I have often wondered about the possibility that a child's imaginary friend might be some sort of spiritual creature like a ghost or even a demon or maybe some other interdimensional entity. I don't know, but it is difficult to accept that all cases are no more than a child's imagination.

There have been cases where a child told their parents things about the past that they couldn't possibly have known on their own. They claimed to have been told these things by their friend who no one else seems to hear or see.

What could explain all this? Yes, I am sure that in many cases an imaginary friend is nothing more than that and in many of these the child does realize they are playing pretend. But there are those exceptional cases where there seems to be so much more than meets the eye.

What do you think? Is it possible that an imaginary friend could be a ghost or some sort of spirit? Have you or anyone you know ever had an imaginary friend they truly believed was real and alive?

More Pages About Imaginary Friends

Imaginary Friend or Ghost? A huge collection of Imaginary Friend stories and experiences and an examination of the question Imaginary Friend or Ghost?

Imaginary Friend Wikipedia Imaginary friends are fictional characters created for improvisational role-playing. They often have elaborate personalities and behaviors. They seem real but are ultimately unreal to their creators, as shown by studies.

HughesNet Satellite Internet Complaints

HughesNet aims its advertising campaigns at people who are unable to get cable or DSL. Life out in the country is great but there are many places where folks just can't get DSL or cable. The only alternatives are dial-up or satellite, meaning that satellite is the only choice if you really need to use your Internet connection.

Notice that HughesNet doesn't say "We are better than DSL or cable!" or "The best high-speed you can get!" No, they say "Don't settle for dial-up, get your net via satellite!"

If you have any choice at all avoid satellite internet. Read about the complaints and problems with HughesNet customer service. Remember, and this is the scary part, HughesNet IS THE SATELLITE PROVIDER. All others are 'middle men' and lease service from HughesNet satellites.

"When you call them up on the phone you will get someone in another country who can barely even speak English. You have to repeat what you are trying to say over and over and they usually still cant understand. I can barely understand what they are saying either. I have went to the Hughesnet website and contacted them with my complaints several different times – but not once have they ever replied back!" - Unhappy Customer with no choice Hughesnet is a Terrible Company with Terrible Service

"My main gripe with HughesNet is their over subscribing. When we move out to the country and got this service Apr of 2010, I knew from the get-go that it was going to a far cry different experience from the Comcast internet service we had when we lived in town. But I said, hey 1.5 Mbps shouldn’t be all that bad. I regularly perform speed test. We never even get anywhere near that speed. Just before typing this I checked and it was 55.25 KBps. The best we’ve ever gotten is 225 KBps." - b1lancer