“The day before Bernie or Trump was supposed to be elected, I saw a bright flash of light on the eastern horizon. I was going to vote for Bernie”

Rising from the ashes, not Trump, not Bernie. Clinton had to drop out of the race because of the email scandal. The asteroid that hit the earth on November 7th, 2016, (the day before the presidential election), wiped out most of the northeast coast of the United States. The rock the size of Manhattan hit Boston with such force, it moved  the earth off it’s axis. The new North Pole is somewhere in Iceland. At least it’s not in Phoenix.

Bernie was on his way back to his home in Vermont from Oregon, when he and the rest of the folks on his plane saw the bright flash in the eastern skies.  The pilot did a 180 and left the bright flash in his rear view mirror. If they survived or not is part of another chapter.

 

The Donald along with close friends and family were in New York City the night the big rock hit. Bill and Hillary were with the Trumps having dinner.  They never knew what hit them.

Forty-five million people were vaporized immediately, with another one point six billion people worldwide dying in the initial shockwave, and the aftermath of the incident over three long unbearable months. Ice caps melted quickly, raising the sea levels by thirty feet. What was left of the northeast portion of the United States was now ocean. The initial shock wave reached as far as California, British Columbia, and Central America.

The impact triggered earthquake activity all over the world. The tsunami that hit Europe and the northern portion of the western coast of Africa was three hundred feet high. No part of the earth escaped the effects of the asteroid hit. The skies were darkened and dusk-like for two years. The risen seas began to freeze and the global average temperatures eventually dropped to 48 degrees Fahrenheit. The least effected geographic areas of the globe were Asia and Australia.

The survivors, wherever they popped up, found that they were now without any means of communication with the rest of the lucky ones. Your cell phone was useless in the mountains of Switzerland and Colorado. No longer were there reporters describing the news of the day or any other news, wither it was the BBC in London, CNN from Atlanta, or your local station in San Antonio. However, survivors with short-wave radio sets were able to contact others and share their horror.

End-time “Preppers” in remote areas that survived, began to communicate with each other. If you happened to live in an area of the United States that survived  most of the disaster and it’s aftermath, you had no idea what actually happened. “Billy-Bob said it was the Russians. They nuked us, those rotten bastards!”. “Brother, how’s your food and ammo holding out?”. Yes,  a vast majority of mankind heard the news pundits discuss the approaching rock,  along with the experts that claimed that the asteroid, by their calculations, was going to miss our planet by 12 million miles. The experts were wrong. “Hey Billy Bob? Maybe it was that asteroid thingy that they were talking about?”.

By the time the scientists (astronomers) figured that their calculations were off a few percentage points, it was too late.  Most of the smart ones walked out of their observatories and sat on the grass, (or maybe smoked some as well), and waited for it. How glorious they must of felt to witness their first asteroid impact. If you happen to be in Manhattan, when the sky started getting darker you had 30 seconds to look up before the impact. Enough time to say to yourself, “Those asshole scientists were wrong!”

At any rate, there certainly were competing theories to talk about around the campfire if you were a survivor, including an Alien invasion from outer space. Government in the United States  and Canada is nonexistent,  as well as in most of Europe, northwestern Africa, and the northeastern part of South America.

There is so much destruction worldwide in the aftermath, most surviving governments are  limited to the process of helping their own peoples. Religious groups are claiming different things, like the “Second Coming”. The Vatican survived, but even the Pope was having thoughts of extraterrestrial invasion.

Wars and similar conflicts are over. International terrorism is nonexistent. People killing other people for food and water? Yes. Ungoverned Anarchy? Yes. Are you happy that you live in Alaska instead of Los Angeles? Yes. Do we as a species survive and prevail? Yes. After all the aid that the world had received over the years from the United States, countries that somewhat survived begin to send aid to what’s left of the western hemisphere.

Pockets of survivors eventually form rudimentary local governments.  The dudes with the most guns and bullets become our re-founding fathers. Life itself becomes more precious than ever. Here in “America”, the new symbol, new flag is a single white star on a black background.

What’s left of regional and international travel by air and other means is severely limited to those parts of the world that suffered the least damage.  People from these parts of the globe are at first hesitant to travel to the most damaged parts of the earth mostly out of fear,  and lack of information.

Eventually it’s a plane full of explorers and aid from South Korea that fly over the wasteland that once was Southern California and lands in Arizona. Although decimated by earthquakes and fires, they manage to find a place to land on the outskirts of what once was Phoenix.

To be Continued.

About two hours after publishing this post I decided to have a few puffs on my vape (first time after writing the above post), this wonderful John Denver song came to me, or maybe it was the background music for a commercial on TV?

You fill up my senses, like a night in the Boobyhatch, Come fill up my senses, with Dimethylheptylpyran againnnnnnnn

Strain: “R2D2” harvested last night

We sometimes think it is hopeless and against all odds, but hey, we are part of the 99% against the 1% that currently have absolute control. We can and shall overcome the odds, but only if we truly ORGANIZE. Otherwise, we are all just as a “Single Fly, Farting in the Wind”.

For those who have been keeping up with my progress with “The Dead Armadillo” story, here’s my latest:

TheDeadArmadilloManuscript112619

 

Peace & Abide, La paz y la morada, السلام والالتزام , שלום ושמירה, Paix et Demeure, Խաղաղությունը եւ մնալը, Мир и пребывание,, 平和と遵守, 和平與恪守, Aştî û Abad, صلح و عبید, Fred och Abide, Kapayapaan at Patuloy, Frieden und Bleiben, Mir i Ostanite, शांति और निवास, Hòa bình và ở lại, Мир и Абиде, שלום און בלייַבן, สันติภาพและการปฏิบัติ, Mir in bivanje,

Yadhum oore yaavarum kelir, “The World Is One Family”

Dr. T. C. Saxe, DD, RSISHE

www.itad-nao.com

 

Click on a link here to share:   

 

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    “Should I get the hell out? Or become a General some day?” “How about a mandatory psych evaluation?”

    I heard the term , “Military Intelligence” on the news tonight which inspired the following. War is STUPID! If you are a WARRIOR, you’re stupid! You’re just as stupid, or psychotic, or both, as that dude that killed 49 people at that Gay nightclub in Orlando. You’ve heard the term, “Military Intelligence?” I wonder if anyone has ever independently given an IQ test to every single man and woman wearing a uniform for our country? No, has never happened.

    How about we give that IQ test and a “Psychiatric Evaluation” when they first enlist, the day they retire or exit the “Service”, and every fifth year of service. Why so soon you ask? You can always dodge the IQ test if you choose to do so, just by exiting the military

    when your four year hitch is up. We figure it’s a good thing to find out if you learned, increased your “Intelligence Quotient” in four years, i.e., or are you that stupid that you signed on for another four years.

    Why every fifth year of service? Do the math, unless you are bare-foot stupid. Like in the fifth year, you really want to know if that person increased their IQ? Or that person is still just as stupid. If that person exits the service he is obligated to take the test regardless. Unlike the “smarter” dude that got out after four years. We have to consider that the dude increased his IQ. Even if it is only by a few percentage points, he got smart enough not to re-enlist.

    I would really like all the data compiled into a graph chart and keep collecting the data for twenty years or so. The interesting part would be to actually find out if killing other humans increases your intelligence? Or your chances of having PTSD? Think about it! Is that retiring Four-Star General any smarter than he was the first day of boot-camp?

    In all fairness to ALL officers that went through academies or schools, We expect that you will naturally be smarter than that grunt with a high school education that you just commanded to “Charge!”. You happen to be smart enough out of West point to be, and you are, THE order GIVER, NOT, the order TAKER. You are at a high enough rank that precludes you from actually aiming and pulling a trigger. Killing Someone! If you became a civilian soon after killing the enemy, just one other human being, I’d say you got a little smarter, even if only by a point or two.

    Even if you started out as an officer and you were the smartest person in your school,  the first time you kill, and like it, you are just plain fucking STUPID! Catch my drift? The ability to pull a trigger and take someone’s life, does not require intelligence.

    photo by D. Myles Cullen, U.S. Army. (Released)
    photo by D. Myles Cullen, U.S. Army. (Released)

    Maybe training with firearms and missile launchers, and how to stick another dummy or used tire, with a bayonet? I don’t think so.

    I really am convinced that we have always been savages, since the beginning of time. The fact that as a species, we have evolved, gained, “Guess what?”. Enlightenment! Intelligence! What I am saying is that a fairly good portion of humans are possibly, just possibly, smarter than that idiot with a gun. Smart enough to comprehend that killing someone is just plain old stupid.

    I also think that should we survive as a species, we will continue to get smarter, and purposely taking another person’s life will eventually be obsolete. For the stupid ones, no more war!

    It took years and a growth in intelligence before man invented the bow and arrow. We and our technology have evolved to the point where we can be sitting in a secure building a thousand miles away, operating that drone that just took out dozens of people.

    I think today’s modern deer hunter using a bow is much smarter than that dude with the AR-15 hunting that same deer. I will bet you that my Cousin Barry and his daughter Sam, would never invite Cousin Jack and his AR-15 on their hunting trip.

    Reminds me of another whole story. Comparing the hunters that wait for the deer to come to the salt block (lick) while they sit in their deer stand, and a bow hunter that starts at the edge of the field and woods, with camping gear as well, in case they have to or plan to, spend a night or two, until they have their deer. Or a week because  that’s how they planned their hunting trip. Canoe and all. You would think my cousin and his daughter were part Chippewa.

    I hope my grandson will still be alive when people stop killing other people. It sure as hell isn’t going to happen why I’m still alive. I’ll be lucky I guess, if I witness an Asteroid wiping out all of mankind, or full out Nuclear War, which some of us will survive. The sooner we evolve, the happier I’ll be.

    I’m really not an anti-gun activist. I’m an anti-multiple round clips dude and part-time philosopher. I had a NRA patch or whatever they gave you when I was pre-teen and barely had any pubic hair. The second amendment does not give you the right to own your own shoulder-held missile launcher. I will give you a single shot rifle. Your choice of caliber or gauge. Maybe a 3-round clip for your AR-15.

    Which comes right back around to our discussion about intelligence or the lack thereof.

    How about an IQ test before that person is allowed to purchase or possess a gun?  I would add that mandatory psychiatric evaluation.  Think about it! ANY person that has “Common Sense” is potentially smarter than that idiot over there with the PHD, and especially the ones that have M.D. after their name.

    I am not talking about all Doctors. My former brother-in-law is a pretty smart dude. He makes millions of dollars making balding men and women hairy in the right spots. I once asked ”Uncle Bob” if he had ever transplanted a man’s pubic hair to his upper lip (the dude couldn’t grow a mustache). Once the procedure was finished, the patient kept yanking on his nose, HAHAHAHA! (LOL!)

    Certain studies may naturally come with more common sense and exhibit a higher intelligence than say, a PHD in Hotel Management. Compare the PHD in Accounting, with the dude with a degree in Quantum Physics. I have met a lot of highly educated morons.

     

    My baby brother, rest his soul or energy source, never finished the eighth grade, and he was one of the smartest human beings I’ve ever known. I pretty sure this self-taught voracious reader named Johnnie had a much higher IQ than your average politician in Washington, DC. He was super smart and died way too soon and instantly, of an Aneurysm.

    Final thought. Next time you happen to see someone entering or leaving a recruiting office, or for that matter, a gun store, think about doing a survey. Three questions. How far did you get in school? Do you know what common sense is? Do you have any guestimate what your I.Q. is? Right it down, make me a chart. If you are stupid, and pass the Psych Test, you’re OK for gun ownership. If you are stupid or smart, and you tortured your neighbor’s cat to death when you were 15, guess what, you ain’t getting a firearm. You more than likely failed the Psych Test.

    I got a chuckle tonight, actually 4:15 in the morning, as I was turning off the lights and going to bed, I noticed that I had taped a 8 1/2 by 11 sign next to the A/C thermostat that read, “Turn Off” I did this as a reminder to myself when I go to Los Angeles to visit my kids and grandson, which is usually for at least five days. All lights turned off, and the A/C turned off I jumped in the sack.  In the Summer, here in Phoenix, I try to remember to turn the A/C off because at night, I’m not going to lose much of the cool air, at least for several hours.

    I started to lay down to go to sleep, and thought to myself, at least I haven’t posted a sign in the bathroom above the toilet that reads, “Wipe Ass”. That would be real “Oldtimers” disease. I did find out that I’ll have to tape up a sign in the bedroom that reads, “Turn Living Room Light On” in large easy to read letters, before I have to navigate over to my couch, as I did so this morning just before dawn in the dark, knocking over a half glass of juice onto the carpet. All because I just HAD to write this thought down as a memo on my cell phone. I LOVE the creative writing process.

    Then, once I was finished, I thought I may as well add this to my blog post this morning because at 4:49, I’m still wide awake. I’m not knocking anything over because daylight is streaming past the shutters at 5:30 in the morning. I think I like this post. Ten revisions by 5:30 am.

    One last thought for the day at 6:08 am, “Those of you that are free from sin, cast the first stone please”.

    Strain: “Double Dream”, harvested May 4th, 2016 (I have to remember this strain) Its was a mild, comfortable, hardly high inspiring strain.

    It’s 11 in the morning. After five hours,  I  discover that I should have left the A/C on. When I  turned it off at 5:45 AM, it didn’t take long for the inside temperature to catch up with the outside. Thermostat says 91 degrees. Lesson learned. Usually if I’m not writing, I’m in bed by no later than 9:30 pm and the house stays cool thru the night.

    It’s  interesting to take note that when I finally did  go to bed at 6:00, the arthritic pain in my right hip had receded quite a bit. I believe due to that marvelous strain I vaped last night. Hallelujah!

    And you had thought that you were finally going to bed  at 6:45 in the morning. You reach for and click the switch on the lamp on your nightstand, and turn the frickin light on because you were momentarily fooled by the full on sunlight. You quickly turn the light off and laugh at yourself. You also notice that the medicinal effects of that very good strain have  worn off.

    We sometimes think it is hopeless and against all odds, but hey, we are part of the 99% against the 1% that currently have absolute control. We can and shall overcome the odds, but only if we truly ORGANIZE. Otherwise, we are all just as a “Single Fly, Farting in the Wind”.

    For those who have been keeping up with my progress with “The Dead Armadillo” story, here’s my latest:

    TheDeadArmadilloManuscript112619

     

    Peace & Abide, La paz y la morada, السلام والالتزام , שלום ושמירה, Paix et Demeure, Խաղաղությունը եւ մնալը, Мир и пребывание,, 平和と遵守, 和平與恪守, Aştî û Abad, صلح و عبید, Fred och Abide, Kapayapaan at Patuloy, Frieden und Bleiben, Mir i Ostanite, शांति और निवास, Hòa bình và ở lại, Мир и Абиде, שלום און בלייַבן, สันติภาพและการปฏิบัติ, Mir in bivanje,

    Yadhum oore yaavarum kelir, “The World Is One Family”

    Dr. T. C. Saxe, DD, RSISHE

    www.itad-nao.com

     

    Click on a link here to share:   

     

    This website is not filled with a bunch of “Click-On” ads for the latest in “Toothbrushes” “Fashion” or “Free trips to wherever” generating millions of pesos in income. If you do decide to donate a few Pesos because you enjoy reading my essays, that’s awesome, and I sincerely thank you.

     

     

    Send Dr. Saxe a comment using the form below:

      Your Name ( required )

      Your Email ( required )

      Subject

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      Please complete the reCAPTCHA below ( required ):

      “Overpopulation” Can you spot Mickey Mouse?

      Starts out with scenes 100 years from now, of certain portions of the world deemed unlivable due to the war to end all wars. World War Three, named for the fact that it only lasted for three hours. The surprise nuclear attack by the United Americas (no longer just the United States) devastated much of China, Russia, and the Middle East. This was a huge factor in combating overpopulation of mankind. The person that pushed the red button? Her last name is Trump (great-great-great-grand daughter of the Donald) how bizarre is that? Yes, women are pretty much in control of things by the year 2116. Not so bizarre. Women choose mostly to artificially inseminate when their number is drawn, and men “Spank the Monkey” mostly for the money, if they are selected. The bar is set pretty high if you want to become a “Donor” with things like, intellect, health, physical attributes, etceteras.

      Humans have learned how to feed more efficiently, with chemicalized food. No longer cooked, (eaten at room temperature) and no longer grown in the ground. Not pills. That’s too “Sci-Fi”. Future food will look real, taste real, but all food will have the same shitty feel as you bite down. In other words, that Filet Mignon you just ordered will have the same feel in your mouth as that Reese’s Peanut Butter cup. I could get used to the funky texture as long as my steak still tasted medium-rare. Thank God that we eventually learned how to replicate raspberries, and spices like garlic. Water rationing is a normal part of life.

      So we have eliminated starvation and famines. One reason for the growth in the world’s population. People are no longer starving to death because we have learned how to manufacture our food quite quickly, and quite inexpensively. Mankind surely could get used to that I guess. Since the whole world has adopted the “one child per couple” law, to help win the war on overpopulation, we all consider life as a very beautiful thing and treat each other kindly.

      Which leads to the other reason the planet has become overpopulated. As we evolve and this kindness towards one another becomes the norm, humankind has finally eliminated war and conflict. No wars, no dying. I think one of the other causative factors in the extinction of war, was the eventual coming together as a people, with a one-world system of government. Oh yeah, and World War Three.

      Just think. With no more wars, we no longer have the need for…….Let’s say it together, “Weapons of War”. Which means that we have evolved to the point, that weapons no longer exist, all except for the two flintlock pistols (single shot) that are protected like the Holy Grail and used in the “A-MAZE-ING Fight” matches. That means no competing stadiums or arenas, because there are only 2 pistols in existence. It is the only WORLDGOV sanctioned “A-MAZE-ING Fight”, and it moves from city to city all across the globe every two years. Just like the World Olympics used to do many generations ago..

      What inspired this post was a few things. The first was something that I heard on a newscast this afternoon. The dude being interviewed stated that (7) million people are born every month on planet Earth. I let that sentence rest for a few hours. Then I opened up my calculator App (you notice I didn’t say I grabbed my calculator, they don’t exist anymore.)  So anyway, I tap in the numbers and equations to get to these numbers. 233,333 births every day, 85 million every year. Through-out known history, every so many years, we have a major war or conflict that helps to reduce the rising world population. Natural disasters help as well. I believe that cataclysmic disasters have wiped the planet clean of all life many times in the last billions of years. Wiped the planet clean except for……

      Wars and natural disasters are not fun. Perhaps we can come up with a spectator sport that would also help to keep our planet from becoming over-populated? Kill two birds with one stone. Create something that will help balance the increasing population, and give people something to bet on, and to satisfy their inborn lust for blood.

      People have been fighting each other for sport ever since the beginning of time. I’m sure that the combatants back in Cave Man days, each had their own sides cheering them on, “Ughh Raggah Daggah!” which translated means, “Kill that Asshole!”.

      It’s interesting to see the evolution of boxing from bare-knuckle in the old days, to modern day boxing with gloves, back to bare-knuckle fighting in backyards, with home-made boxing rings, and amateur as well as professional Mixed Martial Arts matches on prime time TV and pay-per-view filling huge arenas.

      Instead of a MMA cage, how about we put two dudes in a bulletproof thermo-plastic enclosed, lucid maze “box” the size of a football field. The walls and ceiling of the maze itself would be made of this clear, bulletproof thermoplastic, so the two competitors could see each other at all times. Hand each fighter a single-shot Revolutionary War type pistol, a baseball bat and a flyswatter. The dude that walks out of the other end of the glass box, alive, is the winner. You not only can fill the football stadium with paying spectators, the “Pay- Per-View” money would be huge.

      I bet you will ask, “Who’s going to be brave enough to do that?” Convicts with sentences of 25 years or more. United Americas North certainly has the prison population to sustain thousands and thousands of matches. Tell them that not only are they going to be paid millions, they’re going to have their sentences reduced to time served, and their record expunged if they win. The murderers, rapists and pedophiles and republicans would not qualify for this sport.

      Two things this will do. It will slowly reduce the prison population, and it will satisfy our bloodthirsty nature. When you think of it, you could televise these matches 24/7, 365 days a year. Have you ever heard the screaming during a MMA match? “Punch him. Kick his ass!” Kill that  Dude! Rip his head off!” Imagine the audience screaming, “Go left! No, Your other left!” as the spectators are trying to guide their fighter thru the plastic-walled maze. Lots of dead ends, and running into walls, “Go back you idiot and turn right this time!”.

      Halfway through the match, the audience starts screaming, “Let loose the flies” as the Fly Handlers start pumping millions of Horse Flies into the maze from both ends. The convicts, excuse me, “contestants”, know that they not only have to get close to each other, they have to make sure there’s no bulletproof sections of plastic between them when they shoot their pistol.

      If one dude shoots and misses, it could be all over, unless the other dude misses as well. Then, what you have left, is two dudes with a baseball bat, a flyswatter, and empty pistols. If you shoot first and miss, and decide to try to run back to the beginning of the maze, that would be entertaining in itself. Imagine the dude banging into the almost invisible walls and swatting at the flies, as he’s trying to retreat. The audience yelling at him, “Don’t give up that way”, or,  ”Watch out for the ”flies”.

      You see, this dude has two choices. Face his opponent and pray that he’s a lousy shot also, and hope that you do better with your bat than he does, and maybe live. If you do live, but you chicken out and make it back to the beginning of the maze without getting shot, they catch you in a net and put you back in prison to serve out the rest of your “25 to life” sentence. There would be plenty of action, a chase scene, perhaps some romance, as the next two contestants have conspired to try to escape instead of play the game. One dude gets netted right from the start. The other contestant, the hero of the story, escapes and a pursuit by the authorities is on.

      What got me thinking about the futuristic sport, i.e., my other inspiration, was a documentary that was on tonight called, appropriately, “Backyard Dawgs”. It’s worth watching, if just to get the gist of what I am saying. In a mostly black, impoverished suburb, men are fighting bare-knuckled, bloodying each other up, and literally knocking each other’s teeth out. One dude lost a gold tooth, and someone in the crowd found it and gave it back to him. Brutal. How far did that gold tooth fly?

      So, do the math, use your calculator App. Average match lasts 45 minutes. Add 15 minutes for commercials. They are run 24/7 which is 24 matches a day (24 winners, 24 losers a day). Out of the 24 losers, 20 die by gunshot wound or baseball bat. That is a reduction of 7,300 people in the worlds population every year. It could work. Point of my story. Can we learn to NOT fight? Can we lose our appetite for violence and blood? Lets’ just see how we evolve. Will our innate hunger for violence and blood evolve in the wrong direction? Just how blood-thirsty do we want to get?

      If it was me 100 years from now, I would prefer that we were less violent, but still enjoyed the “A-MAZE-ING” show. For the right reasons.  Reducing our prison population, keeping population growth manageable, and for the sport of it.

      Strain: “Gone Nuclear” harvested January 8th 2116

      We sometimes think it is hopeless and against all odds, but hey, we are part of the 99% against the 1% that currently have absolute control. We can and shall overcome the odds, but only if we truly ORGANIZE. Otherwise, we are all just as a “Single Fly, Farting in the Wind”.

      For those who have been keeping up with my progress with “The Dead Armadillo” story, here’s my latest:

      TheDeadArmadilloManuscript112619

       

      Peace & Abide, La paz y la morada, السلام والالتزام , שלום ושמירה, Paix et Demeure, Խաղաղությունը եւ մնալը, Мир и пребывание,, 平和と遵守, 和平與恪守, Aştî û Abad, صلح و عبید, Fred och Abide, Kapayapaan at Patuloy, Frieden und Bleiben, Mir i Ostanite, शांति और निवास, Hòa bình và ở lại, Мир и Абиде, שלום און בלייַבן, สันติภาพและการปฏิบัติ, Mir in bivanje,

      Yadhum oore yaavarum kelir, “The World Is One Family”

      Dr. T. C. Saxe, DD, RSISHE

      www.itad-nao.com

       

      Click on a link here to share:   

       

      This website is not filled with a bunch of “Click-On” ads for the latest in “Toothbrushes” “Fashion” or “Free trips to wherever” generating millions of pesos in income. If you do decide to donate a few Pesos because you enjoy reading my essays, that’s awesome, and I sincerely thank you.

       

       

      Send Dr. Saxe a comment using the form below:

        Your Name ( required )

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        Please complete the reCAPTCHA below ( required ):

        Bazookas and Shoulder-Held Rocket Launchers versus the Deer Hunter with a lifetime membership in the NRA

        If REAL lovers of killing animals, wither for the “thrill” of it, like sport hunters (trophy hunters) or for the hunters who actually eat what they kill. There are the hunters that shoot a deer not just for the “Joy” of the kill, but also for the delicious food that Bambi’s father provides to them (or venison jerky, like my cousin Barry sent to me ONE time, hint, hint).

        Here’s the if. A “Real” hunter will tell you that they prefer to hunt a deer with a single-shot rifle, hence the name “Deer” rifle. A vast majority of them will be using a scope however. Which I’m okay with as long as they understand that a “Really Real” hunter will use a single shot rifle WITHOUT a scope. The “Really Really Real” hunters will be using a Bow and Arrow, or maybe even a musket, which I have mentioned before in an earlier post.

        deer-caught-in-headlights

        Single shot from a scope-less rifle. If you miss, that deer just disappeared so quickly, you don’t  know if that 12-point buck ran right or left. That’s part of the “sport” or challenge of it. Obviously, if you are not a real hunter, and you are sitting in that deer stand with an AR-15 semi-automatic weapon, and you missed with the first pull of the trigger, you still have a chance of killing that deer with a few more pulls of the trigger, you know, (bang bang bang bang bang, said quickly).

        The ultimate in “Hunting”, is to draw back your bow, letting one arrow go. lf you happen to be a lousy shot, and missed with your first arrow and hit a tree standing behind that huge buck, there is some potential that buck will still be standing there, staring at you because all it heard was a slight swoosh or swish, as the arrow went behind and over it’s head.

         (U.S. Air Force photo)
        (U.S. Air Force photo)

        ”Target” range dudes. It’s more or less their hobby. Go to a target range. Walk up to the first redneck you find firing his assault style weapon. Ask him when he last went “Deer” hunting. If you happen to be at a range that is nowhere near a deer hunting state, ask him to show you his ”Deer” license or permit. That redneck, bus driver, doctor or lawyer, that waitress or school teacher, police officer or future terrorist, will give you similar stories.

        “Oh, I want to be prepared to fight off the enemy, both foreign and domestic.” Another common response is just stating, “The second amendment gives me the “Right” to own this AR-15″. When they say that, you respond by saying that you hear that they are going to make Bazookas and Rocket Launchers legal. Is that what our founding fathers intended? I don’t think so. Give everybody a musket.

        No matter how good you are at hitting a target with a semi-semi-automatic rifle, you are not going to be able to compete in the Olympics. Shooters trying to win the Gold Medal are shooting a single bullet. The majority of the citizens want a ban on assault weapons. Our lawmakers need to follow what the majority of us are asking them to do.

        I wish to take it a step further. Ban all clips that hold more than three rounds, INCLUDING pistols. The likelihood of a Bad Guy trying to rob a bar with a three-bulleted semi-automatic pistol is pretty remote, especially if all the patrons in the bar have their own pistols, and they’re not semi-automatic three-shooters, they’re six-shooters, “revolvers”. What about the revolvers, i.e., six-shooters you ask?

        Why limit the semi-automatic pistols to only three bullets, and not change the revolvers? Who would want a semi-automatic pistol if the clip could only hold three bullets? Basically, by limiting the number of bullets that can be fired before reloading, you decrease the amount of deaths and wounded, and increase the number of survivors. Of course, there also has to be a change in our way of thinking, about a lot of things.

        All of the assault weapons that function in a similar way to the original AR-15 (M-16) invented by the late Eugene Morris Stoner, Jim Sullivan and Bob Fremont at the firearms manufacturer Armalite in the late 1950’s, was originally designed to hold a twenty round clip.  Now the arms manufacturers are designing weapons to hold as many rounds as possible. Twenty, thirty-round capacity clips, forty-round clips that can be duck-taped together to afford the quickest possible reloads.

        This is beyond our founding fathers wildest dreams, as their intent was, via the second amendment was to allow all the citizens to carry a single-shot pistol and have a, guess what? A single-shot………Musket! Give them bazookas and rocket launchers too!

        For that dude looking to kill that elephant with whatever kind of rifle he has, give him a spear. Let’s see who lives. I think the odds are 50/50 that the elephant could win against one spear. That’s why the hunters of  our not so distant past and our prehistoric relatives, hunted large prey with packs of hunters. Okay. That’s kind of harsh. Instead of a spear, give that hunter a musket, and plenty of powder, and bags and bags of lead balls. If that hunter is a crack shot, the elephant has less chance of winning.  The shooter that is so bad, he couldn’t hit the road with a rocket-launcher, even if he was aiming down, is going to get trampled to death.

        I’ve got a suggestion for all the War-Mongers. Let’s teach chimpanzees to operate, at least in the beginning, “Fully Automatic” assault weapons. Once we have our distant cousins trained to fire and reload the weapons (costing us millions of bananas), and we go to war somewhere, we can drop the chimps out of airplanes over the enemy. Yes, we have to teach them to remove their parachute harness when they hit the ground.

        Now that makes as much sense as you NEEDING a semi-automatic assault weapon with a twenty-round clip to go deer hunting, rabbit hunting, or any other kind of hunting. As far as protecting your home and loved ones, how many families really want a weapon meant for killing our enemies during wartime, in their home? Well I suppose. If your neighbor has a bazooka, you gotta have a rocket-launcher. Again I say. Give everybody a musket.

        I think there is a healthy portion of National Rifle Association (NRA) members who are real hunters,  who will agree that they really don’t need an assault weapon to go deer hunting, or varmint hunting. I suspect, if they did an honest survey, they would discover that the vast majority of NRA members have never shot a deer, or any other animal. That vast majority of members fall in a category which include the target tin-can shooters,  the far right-wing militias and the nut that wants to see how many people are going to die before he sees his 97 virgins, or whatever number they have been told their going to get.

        It just seems senseless to me that people have to have a weapon meant for war, no matter how it physically looks. Let’s design the next assault rifle to look like you’re holding a furry little bunny rabbit in your hands, thirty-round clips and all. Bottom line, I was a NRA member when I was a kid. I had to take a course and pass a test. I was proud of my membership in the NRA. The organization was different before the invention of assault weapons. It was all about gun safety with simpler weapons.

        It’s still about gun safety and education today, it’s just the “RIFLE” in NRA has changed dramatically. Think about it! A great commercial for the ban of assault weapons is a video of a father, son, and grandfather during deer season, tracking a deer the old fashioned way. Opening scene. They are crouching behind trees, and the grandfather looks back at the camera and says, “I taught my son the proper handling and use of a deer rifle when he was a kid, and he’s passing that education onto his son”.

        View in the camera switches to the huge 14-point buck in the distance, snorting the cold November air. View of the father, looking into the camera, as he says, “We wouldn’t own a semi-automatic rifle, even if they were free”.

        Last view in the camera, the grandfather and grandson holding the massive buck’s head up while the father takes a picture with his cell phone, and the grandson say’s, “I’m proud to be a member of the National Rifle Association, and so glad for everything I have learned about being a good  hunter and safe rifleman”.

        We sometimes think it is hopeless and against all odds, but hey, we are part of the 99% against the 1% that currently have absolute control. We can and shall overcome the odds, but only if we truly ORGANIZE. Otherwise, we are all just as a “Single Fly, Farting in the Wind”.

        For those who have been keeping up with my progress with “The Dead Armadillo” story, here’s my latest:

        TheDeadArmadilloManuscript112619

         

        Peace & Abide, La paz y la morada, السلام والالتزام , שלום ושמירה, Paix et Demeure, Խաղաղությունը եւ մնալը, Мир и пребывание,, 平和と遵守, 和平與恪守, Aştî û Abad, صلح و عبید, Fred och Abide, Kapayapaan at Patuloy, Frieden und Bleiben, Mir i Ostanite, शांति और निवास, Hòa bình và ở lại, Мир и Абиде, שלום און בלייַבן, สันติภาพและการปฏิบัติ, Mir in bivanje,

        Yadhum oore yaavarum kelir, “The World Is One Family”

        Dr. T. C. Saxe, DD, RSISHE

        www.itad-nao.com

         

        Click on a link here to share:   

         

        This website is not filled with a bunch of “Click-On” ads for the latest in “Toothbrushes” “Fashion” or “Free trips to wherever” generating millions of pesos in income. If you do decide to donate a few Pesos because you enjoy reading my essays, that’s awesome, and I sincerely thank you.

         

         

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          Reflect on Memorial Day, why it’s not a “Happy” day

           

          This was originally posted Memorial Day 2016, and I re-post it every year.

          We place flags on graves and remember the “Brave”  who have given their lives for their country. In other words, you are NOT going to be “Memorialized” until you’re dead. Of course we appreciate our military men & woman who are still living, from the limbless Marine propped up in a wheelchair, to the veterans both male & female who have come home with the hidden injury we call PTSD. We honor and thank you particular folks on “Veterans Day”. Please understand, I don’t “celebrate” therefore I don’t say, “Happy” Memorial Day! I swear, I did not steal that from an old George Carlin routine.

          Tonight, the day before Memorial Day, I was watching the UFC fights live on television from Las Vegas. I noticed that the two or three fighters who mentioned the holiday during their victory speeches, saying “Happy Memorial Day”,  were speaking to “Living” military folks who have come back from a conflict injured and uninjured i.e., the Middle East.  ”God Bless our Troops” people say, as they wave their miniature flags at the soldiers walking in the Memorial Day parade. The only symbol we have left is if the news show pictures of soldiers planting flags next to the headstone in a military cemetery. Headstone. Sort of a slang term for a, wait for it”…………..a “Monument”, something made from a material that won’t rot and blow away. Granite.

          Although I admit that for most of my life, it’s just been another holiday that gives me a three-day weekend, I was really struck by the fact that most people will include the living veterans when they are remembering the military dead. Ask the parents who have given sons and daughters who they think of on Memorial Day. If you are a Veteran, you are still alive! As I was growing up, Memorial Day was fun. Even when we were planting flags next to the graves at church on Sunday for Memorial Day. I was scolded one day for taking a flag from a soldiers grave. He was ninety when he died, and wanted to be buried next to his wives ( Mormon soldier). Pretty fancy monument with an Angel on top.

          Mom caught me pushing the General’s little flag into the ground at my sisters grave. I went and stuck it back in where I found it. That I was scolded isn’t entirely correct. My mother explained the true reason for Memorial Day. Remember, we didn’t have  60″ Televisions and Facebook when I was growing up. As I grew older, I always remembered and took to heart how we should honor the millions of people who have given their lives for their country. Veterans Day we do honor the living. Those that have come back home with injuries, and those who came back unscathed. Maybe today’s generation needs to be educated. Maybe we should have a ”Wounded Veterans” day? For those of us that survived a war and came home, Memorial Day is the day we honor and remember our buddies that didn’t make it home alive.

          Memorial Day is not supposed to be a happy day. It’s not supposed to be a sad day either, except for the parent or child of someone who has made the ultimate sacrifice. If you have a normal experience of memorializing a loved one, you also remember the happy times, as you watch home movies or look through family photo albums. People who have lost a loved one, can laugh as well as grieve. For the rest of us, that’s all of the people that did not lose a loved one, it should be a day of solemn reflection, honoring all military who have died during war.  Just don’t confuse Easter with Christmas. Think about it. The memorial holiday was created to remember and honor the fallen, i.e., to memorialize those that were killed in battle.

          Although as a veteran, if you die at 98 Years old, you can be buried in a military cemetery. I think that should be changed. They should only bury soldiers who have died in combat or as a result of their wounds, in military cemeteries. Even if you are wounded in any way but live to be ninety, you should be buried in a civilian cemetery. The government should provide that same simple white headstone that you would have received for your government burial. Your family could use the simple white monument, a really fancy one that costs thousands, or both. The Veterans Administration would also cover the cost of the civilian cemetery plot.

          Don’t worry veterans, we will remember and honor you when you die. On Veterans Day. Not, Memorial Day. If you are still breathing, we will shake your hand, honor and thank you for your service and sacrifice, on Veterans Day.

          So, along with those surviving parents and children, let’s all remember our fallen heroes. If you give your life for your country, no matter how fucked up war is, you are our heroes.

          We sometimes think it is hopeless and against all odds, but hey, we are part of the 99% against the 1% that currently have absolute control. We can and shall overcome the odds, but only if we truly ORGANIZE. Otherwise, we are all just as a “Single Fly, Farting in the Wind”.

          For those who have been keeping up with my progress with “The Dead Armadillo” story, here’s my latest:

          TheDeadArmadilloManuscript112619

          Peace & Abide, La paz y la morada, السلام والالتزام , שלום ושמירה, Paix et Demeure, Խաղաղությունը եւ մնալը, Мир и пребывание,, 平和と遵守, 和平與恪守, Aştî û Abad, صلح و عبید, Fred och Abide, Kapayapaan at Patuloy, Frieden und Bleiben, Mir i Ostanite, शांति और निवास, Hòa bình và ở lại, Мир и Абиде, שלום און בלייַבן, สันติภาพและการปฏิบัติ, Mir in bivanje,

          Dr. T. C. Saxe, DD, RSISHE

          This website is not filled with a bunch of “Click-On” ads for the latest in “Toothbrushes” “Fashion” or “Free trips to wherever” generating millions of pesos in income. We are not seeking your financial support as a primary goal or function of this website, although we know at some point, that we will have the necessary funding to carry out our mission at ITAD-NAO. First and foremost, If you feel this is worthy of your financial support and you do donate, that’s great, and we sincerely thank you, but first and foremost we are looking for your involvement with whatever skill-sets you may have to offer. Communicate with us, help us organize, help us plan, and help us execute the plan.  Thank you

           

           

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            There’s a man with a gun over there, telling me I got to beware; Paranoia strikes deep, into your life it will creep

            I don’t think that I’m a Paranoid  Schizophrenic, but why is it, that everywhere  I go, people are following me. At the grocery store, I’ll turn around and look. See, that little old lady is following me. Standing in line at the DMV. Don’t even turn around, cause they are ALL following you. In a crowded mall, I’ll stop abruptly and turn around to look. Sure enough, those cute little high school girls are following me. The sure way to fool them is to sit down for a minute, until they pass by. Then, as you stand up and start walking again, you glance back and notice that someone else is following you. If you see a dude walking past your house carrying an AK-47, don’t be paranoid. Call 911. I think half of our planet has developed real paranoia. Especially against people of different faiths and religions. Its not just racism and bigotry. These differences in our cultures have been there for thousands of years. “Onward Christian Soldiers, marching off to war, killing millions of other people who don’t believe in the same God as you do”, (sung to the same tune). “From the beginning Men used God to justify the unjustifiable” – Salman Rushdie.

            Mankind has a troubled and bloody past. And it seems like we are bound to continue on that same path. The only difference is that our weapons continue to get more and more sophisticated. Its no longer huge swords, and face to face combat. It’s remotely operated Drones firing missiles and dropping bombs with built-in cameras, so the ”Remote” operator can guide that weapon right through the front door of your house.

            I think the settlers who came west in the covered wagons got just a little paranoid when they saw the Indians gathering on the hilltop over yonder. Especially if they had been attacked once or twice before. “Circle the Wagons!” People can say, that’s just progress. That’s how the good ole U. S. of A., came to be. Our forefathers were courageous explorers and settlers. We fought the Indians, and settled the land. We trapped the beavers and shot the buffalo. Bullshit!  We wiped out their nations and took their lands. Think about the blood of the women and children of the native indigenous people we massacred.

            I’m reminded of the story of “Bear Hair Bob”. A trapper who was fortunate enough to survive a “scalping.” Bob covered up his bloody skull by sewing a fresh patch of bear skin to what was left of his scalp. Pretty odd looking, bear hair and all, trimmed in a thick crew-cut fashion. When the Indians came upon his campsite, he had tried to negotiate with beads and trinkets that he had on hand. The Indians took those, all his Beaver pelts, his horse, scalped him, and left him for dead. Why you ask? For the Indians, he was trespassing on their land, and trapping their beavers. How would you feel if some hunter with a deer rifle came on your land without permission? Bear Hair Bob eventually ended up back in Boston, charging a nickel for anyone who wanted to touch his ”Hair”.

            What if the Native American lands had been legally and peacefully procured with beads and trinkets? And they were allowed to be a part of, and assimilate into ” American” society? In other words, real freedom. Would there have been a need for reservations?  I’m sure most of the settlers wanted to live in peace and harmony with the Indians, they were just singing the wrong song. “This land isn’t your land, this land is my land, from California to the………..this land was made for my cousins and me.”

            I don’t think all of us are crazy. I don’t think its crazy to believe that every human being on earth should be treated with respect. I don’t think our cultural, societal and religious differences should get in the way of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Love thy neighbor as thyself. Regardless of who or what you believe is your Almighty God, I am pretty sure that’s the point Jesus was trying to make. Throw in some religious Mumbo-Jumbo, and what do you get? “With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things, and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.” – Steven Weinberg.

            Back to paranoia. I really don’t think that people are following me. I do think that humankind needs a great awakening. In the meantime, treat all people, treat all things, with respect. If you really think that people are following you, see a shrink.  If you hear strange voices, it’s not your broccoli trying to give you advice, again, have your head examined.

            We sometimes think it is hopeless and against all odds, but hey, we are part of the 99% against the 1% that currently have absolute control. We can and shall overcome the odds, but only if we truly ORGANIZE. Otherwise, we are all just as a “Single Fly, Farting in the Wind”. 

            For those who have been keeping up with my progress with “The Dead Armadillo” story, here’s my latest:

            TheDeadArmadilloManuscript112619

             

            Peace & Abide, La paz y la morada, السلام والالتزام , שלום ושמירה, Paix et Demeure, Խաղաղությունը եւ մնալը, Мир и пребывание,, 平和と遵守, 和平與恪守, Aştî û Abad, صلح و عبید, Fred och Abide, Kapayapaan at Patuloy, Frieden und Bleiben, Mir i Ostanite, शांति और निवास, Hòa bình và ở lại, Мир и Абиде, שלום און בלייַבן, สันติภาพและการปฏิบัติ, Mir in bivanje,

            Yadhum oore yaavarum kelir, “The World Is One Family”

            Dr. T. C. Saxe, DD, RSISHE

            www.itad-nao.com

             

            Click on a link here to share:   

             

            This website is not filled with a bunch of “Click-On” ads for the latest in “Toothbrushes” “Fashion” or “Free trips to wherever” generating millions of pesos in income. If you do decide to donate a few Pesos because you enjoy reading my essays, that’s awesome, and I sincerely thank you.

             

             

            Send Dr. Saxe a comment using the form below:

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              “I don’t care about the color of your skin” and, “I don’t care about the color of YOUR skin either”, then we both laughed, and ordered another Black Label on the Rocks

              This edit added on July 13th, 2020:

              BLACK, WHITE, BROWN……..ALL LIVES MATTER!!!!
               
              I’m really appalled at the rampant racism (from EVERYONE) that we have been seeing for several weeks now. Ever since the beginning, after the murder of George Floyd, (if it was a real murder and not part of just another PYSOP False Flag to turn us against each other). This addition to my essay is not about ANY conspiracy theory however, it IS about the insanity of “Bad Apples spoiling the entire basket”.
               
              It’s okay to protest “Police Brutality” or unlawful acts perpetrated upon average citizens by the few “Bad Apple” members of Law Enforcement. Demonstrate, wave your signs, march on your city’s “Hall of Justice”, your Mayor’s Office, your Police Departments, but, and it’s a BIG BUTT, the moment YOU break the law and burn, pillage and hurt other people, you have accepted the “Game Plan” of those few bad apples, the outsiders, that purposely infiltrated your otherwise peaceful (and justified) protests.
               
              Don’t you have enough common sense and decency to see that? As individuals, many folks are on the “Fence” between peacefully protesting, and committing acts of violence. They have a right to protest, but, and it’s another BIG BUTT……a lawful, peaceful protest is NOT a license for violence, in ANY form, and the idiots who advocate and encourage violence, including many politicians and others in positions of authority (shockingly), are just wrong, wrong in every way.
               
              The absolute worst part is that many of the “Bad Apples” DO come from your own neighborhoods, i.e., they are “Home Grown”. They potentially were not bad to begin with, they were just set off, i.e., someone pushed them off that fence in the wrong direction. Their potential for common sense and decency gave way to their life-long bitterness, anger, and frustration. They gave in to the outside sinister influences as they were encouraged to contribute violence and mayhem, instead of maintaining a peaceful platform and regimen. The “Riders on the Fence” in many of life’s situations really don’t have a choice as to which side of the fence they ultimately fall over, and it’s easier to be pushed towards the wrong side of the fence than the right side.
               
              The “Outsiders” wanted YOU to break the windows, wanted YOU to set the fires to businesses and vehicles, wanted YOU to loot the local places of business, carrying off boxes of Nike Jordans, TV sets, whatever.  Guess what? Those businesses that you looted and burned, in many cases, they were owned by decent hard-working people from your very own neighborhoods. Your Mama must be so proud, trust me, people of ALL colors and ethnic backgrounds are NOT proud, they are disgusted with the outcome of the so-called, “Peaceful” protests. 

              The reason I write this addendum to my story about Kenny Strong, my second-best friend in my life, is because I have had about enough of seeing the “BAD APPLES” beating up or murdering other individuals. People that did NOT deserve to be hospitalized or murdered as a result of this mutual SICKNESS called RACISM. You can say that you were/are a “product” of your “environment”, obviously people, some more than others, are not treated equally, that’s the reason for protesting, demonstrating, marching, and holding up your signs……PEACEFULLY.

              There ARE MANY people that DO agree with your cause, for your right to protest, many people of ALL ethnic backgrounds do care, but, and here’s another BIG BUTT, I would just bet you that if you are pushed off that “fence”, and falling onto the wrong side into that trap of violence, your parents, and your Grandparents, more than likely are not and will not, be proud of you. How can anyone be proud that you took part in beating an 80-year-old man half to death just because he’s white, or killing an oriental man that was trying to defend his little donut shop that you ultimately burned to the ground……Or shooting an unarmed 24-year-old mother of a three year old child to death simply because she said “All lives matter”. Oh, and that one is not fake news, here’s a link to the story:

              https://fox59.com/news/crimetracker/indy-mother-becomes-2nd-homicide-along-downtown-canal-in-1-week/

               

              Bottom line is all of this racism, from ALL sides has to end. The majority of the folks desire a peaceful resolution to this nonsense. So, instead of blaming the “Other” side, how about we all work together to come to a peaceful conclusion? Before you label ME a racist, please read the following essay about my wonderful buddy Kenny Strong:

              This is a short story about my good friend, Kenneth Strong, with a few life lessons thrown in. Although they could’ve been twins, Kenny wasn’t a Sammy Davis Jr., married to a white chick, hanging out with the Rat pack. Not disparaging Sammy, I was a big fan of him, Sinatra, and Dean Martin.  I actually can say that Sammy’s daughter was a neighbor and friend, and that his grandson Sam, remains a close friend of my daughter’s to this day. The only similarities between the two of them, was the fact that Kenny was small like Sammy, five foot four or so, and they both could dance like champs. Oh yeah, the other difference? Even though he couldn’t carry a tune in a shoe if his life depended on it, Kenny still enjoyed going to Karaoke with me.

              His weight and height was proportional up until when his emphysema progressed. Before he died, he had lost fifty pounds and was skin and bones, ninety-eight pounds (easy to carry up and down the stairs). In his healthy years, Kenny was a muscular dude who worked out and ran a mile every day. Kenny, was an ex-marine and veteran of the Korean War, loved his country and eventually became one of my closest friends. In spite of the fact that when I met him face to face for the first time, I thought he was the biggest asshole I had ever met in my whole life.

               

              Kenny was the only person of color working in his department, so he was an anomaly of sorts. In fact, at that time, there were very few people of color that had risen the ranks and climbed the “Ladder” of success like Kenny had. He wasn’t sweeping the floor, or taking out the trash, he was responsible for administering the procurement of millions of dollars in high tech equipment and support for a globally recognized company. I was a sales dude at the time,  and my company had not seen any business from Kenny’s company in many years. Our only competitor had 100% of the business.

              After many phone calls to try to get in to see him, (they where in upstate NY), I made the trip from California to New York twice with appointments to finally see him. Both times he blew me off with lame excuses. First time, I was told that he had called in sick. Second time, he was there. When I spoke to him from the lobby, he blew me off again, asking me, “Can you come back next week?”. Kenny knew that I had flown cross country to see him. Lets just say that I was just a little pissed. Patient, but pissed. The third trip was successful, however disappointing.

              Lets just say that for the average salesman, it wasn’t just disappointing, it was devastating. I stood in the entry of his cubicle for what seemed like several minutes. “Thank you so much for taking the time to see me this morning”, I stated nervously to no avail. No response from Kenny. It’s as if I wasn’t standing there, gazing at all the accolades and awards on the walls. Glancing at his “Employee of the Year” award,  his Bachelors Degree, and all the other plaques, and then looking back at Kenny, I said to myself, “He can’t be hard of hearing, can he?” Lack of peripheral vision?

              He was sitting there typing two-finger style, staring at his computer. So I took a few steps to the side chair alongside his desk, and started to sit down. When my butt was approximately five inches from the seat, still directing his gaze at his monitor, he said in a Drill Sergeant manner, ” I didn’t tell you to sit down yet”. Well, I immediately stood to attention and backed up two feet to the entryway into his cubicle. I swear I stood there for another two or three minutes before he swung his chair around and said, “You can sit down now”. Kenny took the next ten minutes telling me all the things wrong with my company. Needless to say, we did not take lunch together, and like I said earlier, I thought he was the biggest asshole I had ever met.

              Now, what he said was true. Our prices were way too high, and our lead-times were way too long. I took these insights back to my company, and within six months, we had reduced both to the point where we started to get some of the business. After a year, and several more trips, my company was enjoying 100% of the business, and I was slowly becoming a  part of Kenny’s small circle of friends. I share this with all the sales people out there as a lesson. Three things. Be honest. Be genuine. Be patient. Take your time and really get to know your customer. Don’t get discouraged. Be patient. If you are able to look at your customer with one eye, while reading the documents on their desk upside down with the other eye, you are not my kind of salesman.

              Of course your company has to be competitive in all areas. I was fortunate that my company was willing to adapt to the marketplace.  Over time, Kenny became a real friend. We did things that friends would do. Went fishing. Went to the casino, usually with a few other dudes from his office. My favorite thing was going to the racetrack in Saratoga once a year, to watch and bet on the ” Running of the Travers”. To our amazement, I actually won a Trifecta one year.

              Kenneth and I went fishing many times. Once on the Hudson River, and several times at his favorite spot on the Erie Canal. Every time we went fishing,  Kenny would give me fishing “lessons”. Like the big brother he was, every time he would try to give me instructions on how to fish, I would tell him, “I’m from Minnesota, I was fishing when you were still in diapers”. Not really true, since he was about fifteen years older than me.

              Anyway, Kenny would retort with, ” I don’t care if you are from Zimbabwe, you ain’t gonna catch anything that way”, or, “You’re so full of shit, you should have worn a diaper”, then we would laugh. I would always tease him and ask him to put my worm on for me (I never used anything other than lures).

              I always caught the first fish and the last fish before he gave up for the day. Most of the time, I caught the only fish, which really pissed him off. Fishing on the Hudson was fun, but challenging because that one time we did go, it was in an old leaky row boat, oars only, no outboard. We always had a great time fishing except for that one hot, and muggy August day (I did most of the rowing), and we caught nothing.

              Kenny and I remained friends after he retired. When his health began to deteriorate more and more, his buddies and I would still take him to the casino. I can remember pushing Kenny, his oxygen bottle, and his cigarette through the casino in his wheelchair. No matter what you said to him about his health and smoking, he would acknowledge, ”Yeah, I know, I should quit, it’s too late for me anyway”.  He never did quit, and it WAS too late, he died.

              The last time I saw Kenny, he had been retired for about four years. He was so sick  and weak at that time, when we went to the grocery store or his favorite neighborhood tavern, I had to carry him up and down the stairs of his condo, and throw his wheelchair in the trunk. That last time I saw him was six months before he passed away.

              Kenny grew up in a farming community in North Carolina, so he knew what Racism and Segregation was. I grew up in a farming community in Minnesota. I didn’t know what the words meant as I was growing up. We would sometimes have spirited discussions about a variety of subjects, whilst drinking our scotch or having a meal.

              The most spirited conversations were when we talked about racism and segregation/integration, i.e., life in general. We mostly agreed on things, and our friendship with each other stayed intact. One of our most memorable exchanges was this one night, already three drinks into a long night, and I was a little pissed at something Kenny had said. I looked at Kenny and yelled, “I don’t care about the color of your skin!”, and Kenny paused for a second and quietly said,” I don’t care about the color of YOUR skin either”.

              We laughed at each other, and ordered another Black Label on the Rocks. Kenny was a great friend. I grieved when he died, along with all of his friends and family. Lesson number two. Folks, Racism, Bigotry, Prejudice and Indifference are taught and therefore learned, not in-bred.

              Strain: “Mark Twain’s Belly Button Lint”  harvested March 3, 2016

              We sometimes think it is hopeless and against all odds, but hey, we are part of the 99% against the 1% that currently have absolute control. We can and shall overcome the odds, but only if we truly ORGANIZE. Otherwise, we are all just as a “Single Fly, Farting in the Wind” and “Useless as Wings on a Penis”.  If you have questions, suggestions, comments, etcetera, again, and you would like to hear my thoughts on possible miracles/solutions, please feel free to contact me. You can contact me by farcecrap PM, send me an email or fill out the contact form below.

              For those who have been keeping up with my progress with “The Dead Armadillo” story, here’s my latest:

              TheDeadArmadilloManuscript062120

              Here, for your viewing pleasure, is a recent documentary titled, “The World is My Country” Produced and directed by my friend Arthur Kanegis, this documentary is about the courage and beliefs of Garry Davis, who after serving as part of a U. S. bomber crew during World War Two, recognized the insane futility of wars in general, and gave up his U. S. citizenship, becoming the first person to declare the “World” as his “Country”.

              You will be touched and hopefully inspired as well, as it is a film of hope and vision.  it is well worth your effort. Please share.

              https://youtu.be/M9g7hSJ2rs0

               

              Peace & Abide, La paz y la morada, السلام والالتزام , שלום ושמירה, Paix et Demeure, Խաղաղությունը եւ մնալը, Мир и пребывание,, 平和と遵守, 和平與恪守, Aştî û Abad, صلح و عبید, Fred och Abide, Kapayapaan at Patuloy, Frieden und Bleiben, Mir i Ostanite, शांति और निवास, Hòa bình và ở lại, Мир и Абиде, שלום און בלייַבן, สันติภาพและการปฏิบัติ, Mir in bivanje,

              Yadhum oore yaavarum kelir, “The World Is One Family”

              Dr. T. C. Saxe, DD, RSISHE

              www.itad-nao.com

               

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