World Views

Data is amazing. There are so many ways to present information. Sometimes how it is presented makes a greater impact than expected. These maps may have some influence on how you see the world.

 It seems interesting that the United States claims to be a Christian nation. Family values are so important to us. Yet almost EVERY other country and ALL INDUSTRIALIZED countries allow paid sick leave for new mothers. Allowing time for them to care for and bond with their new babies. Here it is either take time off without pay or drop that kid out and get him to a child care facility and get back to work.

 This map raises some questions. First, do you think most of the people living in Africa are lucky? No McDonald's for them. Second, why is a McDonald's burger so fucking expensive in Norway?

 The current world population is 7 billion. It means that the relatively small area in the circle contains over 3.5 billion people. It looks more impressive this way: 3,500,000,000.

 This is a sad statement on our national priorities. In 40 of our 50 states the top paid public employee in the state coaches a sporting team

 This one raises more questions than it answers. Population density can be a huge social problem. Crocadile Dundee probably had it wrong when he referred to New York as one of the happiest places on earth because all those folks had chosen to live together in that small area. At the same time with land that produces crops being taken over by urban sprawl the Houson model is even more frightening.

The last map is divided by color. Each of the colors represents a population of one billion humans. It is interesting to see how they are concentrated.

When you look at all the maps together you wonder where we are headed. Perhaps to a world increasingly densely populated being served MaDonald's hamburgers, and run by coaches.

Whoreos

Nabisco is going to release two new types of Oreos in the next month. Curious to see how many there are or have been you are being provided with a list. No claim is being made that it is complete.

 The two above are the new flavors.

 If I wanted this flavor wouldn't you just eat a watermelon?????

 Blow out the candle on your Oreo, Jimmy.

 Candy corn? Any questions consult Lewis Black's comedy piece on candy corn.

 Why?

 This could not possible taste like a creamsickle.

 How inventive, new shape.

 Peanut butter and chocolate, always a winning combination.

 This has got to be a turd of a product.

 What is that filled with? Bloody snow?

 This would seem to indicate they want to market just filling. Not enough cookie there to matter.

 Why?

 Where are the summer Oreos? Did the filling melt?

 Stupid idea.

Apparently the Oreo has become its own Whoreo. Too many choices and way too many of them are disgusting choices. Makes me long for simplier times when there was only one Oreo. You had two choices. Dunk or no dunk in your milk. Those were the good old days.

Are You Ready for Some Football?

At first glance lots of things appear to be clear cut. The correct conclusion a no brainer. Forrest Gump could figure this one out. The National Football League pays no income tax. Under the tax code they are considered a 501 (c) 6 organization. Those organizations are business leagues that promote a common business interest but do not engage in a regular business of a kind ordinarily carried on for profit. The activities of the organizations should be directed to the improvement of business conditions one or more lines of business rather than the performance of particular services for individual persons. The normal participants are groups like the local chamber of commerce. The NFL on its tax forms calls itself: "trade association promoting interests of its 32 member clubs." It should be kept in mind that the NFL is not the only professional sport in this catagory. They are joined by the Professional Golf Assoication and the National Hockey League. Major League Baseball gave up its tax exempt status about five years ago and the National Basketball Association has never been a not-for-profit. The Congress Joint Committee on Taxation estimates taking the exempt status from the NFL would provide an additional $109,000,000 in tax revenue over the next 10 years. Now let's muddy up the waters just a bit.

The NFL notes that while the league office is tax exempt the 32 franchises are not. The NFL's most recent tax form indicates $4,300,000,000 was distributed to the 32 clubs where that money is subject to tax. That is revenue from television rights, postseason revenue and shared ticket revenue from visiting teams. Every dollar of revenue according to an NFL spokesman is subject to income tax since it is distributed to the member clubs. The NFLdoes list $621,000,000 in receivable loans part of the lending program to teams for new stadiums. Those loans are made at below market rates helping the teams build better revenue producing stadiums. Those loans could be considered private benefits for NFL insiders and those kind of benefits are not normally allowed for tax exempt not for profits. The NFL central offices which is the tax exempt business collected $255,000,000 from team membership dues. Since they are a not for profit the dues are a tax deductible donation. If the NFL becomes a for profit business the dues become a business expense so there is no additional tax revenue generated by that change.

Want to stir the pot a bit more? A recent study calculated that 70% ofthe capital costs of an NFL stadium has been provided by taxpayers and not NFL owners. Cities, counties and states pay the stadiums ongoing costs by providing power, sewer and other infrastructure as well as stadium improvements. So working taxpayers are subsidizing the NFL with those expenditures. Is it that simple? Probably not. How much money do ticket sales, hotel stays, bars, eating establishments and other entertainment venues bring in due to attendance at the games. Very few folks drive to the stadium, attend the game and go home without spending any other money in the state, county or city hosting the game.

Once again when you look at all sides of the issue it isn't so simple. It seems to boil down to this. When everyone else is being called on to make some sacrifices to address our budget problems maybe even a revenue neutral move by the NFL would show some good faith and enhance the image of the league.

Walt- you BASTARD

I have made it plain in the past that I hate Mickey Mouse. He is a greedy degenerate rodent. He invites you to his parks or cruise ships so he can hook the Magic Kingdom" cash vacuum to your billfold. He will suck everything out of your pockets except the lint. That, however, is not the cause of today's rant. Three of our granddaughters are here for the weekend. They enjoy watching the Disney channel. I find the humor predictable and unoriginal in the teen and preteen shows. I personally prefer my humor much edgier and raw. Certainly not something that would be granddaughter approved. I feel like I have been fed a sugar diet for weeks. It has been less than a day. It does bring this thought to mind.

Miley Cyrus/ Hannah Montana did this silly shit for years. We should understand at this point that she is now tweaking and smoking pot and acting like a crazy slut to restore some balance to her life. You see it happen all the time. Big time preachers lecture about homosexuality and then get caught with a male prostitute. Catholic priests rail against child molestation while they abuse altar boys. Lawmakers write laws to make things like goat fucking illegal. You might surmise what I think they dream about at night.

So Miley Hannah go out there and be a freak for however long it takes to restore your sanity. I'm just happy that you aren't out going all Lizzy Borden on some family. Maybe a trip to Disney World is in order. You could claim that you felt threatened by Mickey and blast his brains all over Epcot. He's got beady mouse eyes, kinda feral looking. Claim you were just standing you ground. It will work better if you can get him to wear a hoodie.

You Win, I Surrender

I'm tired of fighting. Tired of getting shoved around. I've been bullied too long. They say you should fight back. They say it will make the bully back down. THEY LIED!!!!! I fought the good fight. I gave it everything I had. I dug deep into my soul. It is now a cold void. Mike, I was wrong. Sometimes real men RUN. Sometimes they leave things behind so they can be where they need to be. There are hot coals in the fireplace today. The furnace runs hours on end. Still we are assaulted. Winter this year is merciless. I have seen Mother Nature and she is a cold hearted bitch. Winter, you win.

We woke up this morning to a temperature of -6 F. It is sunny according to the weather channel. The high today was +3 F. Now Friday, Saturday and Sunday are going to be more moderate. By moderate I mean highs in the 20's or 30's. Monday, the day this will post the predicted high is -2 F and the overnight low will be -13 F. We will not see a high in the 30's in the forseeable future. Wind chill advisories are post for the below zero days because winds are predicated in the 20 to 40 mph range. That will give you wind chills in the -30 to -45 F range.

The last cold spell they blamed on the polar vortex. This one is due to the cross polar flow. According to weather people the cold air that normally resides in Siberia can cross the pole and enter North America. I have a couple of thoughts about this. The cold air belongs in Siberia where it lives. It should be stopped at the US/Canada boarder and refused entry. Canadians like cold weather, you know for ice hockey and curling. The common term here appears to be polar. If I want to see anything involving a pole it would most likely be a scantily clad or nude woman. Given the predicted weather here I don't think that is going to happen. Carol doesn't like the idea and there are no other women out here in BFE to dance around our flag pole. Teddi and Lily seem to have had enough of the cold. Lily has sensitive feet and has been trying to figure out how to pee while levitating. It is interesting to watch.

So, winter, you win! This is the last year I am doing this. I will take the advice of my feathered friends and head south next fall. I am a girlie man. A sissy. Pick a name, I don't care. I give up. When summer rolls around don't say this to me.

This is talent

Zach King does videos onVine. Content is limited to six seconds. Zach has figured out how to amaze and amuse you in that limited time frame. Take a few minutes to check out his work.

Zack King

Since I've got you wandering around the Internet while you are at Twisted Sifter check out the Friday posting of the Shirk Report. Always a good time. 

Then go to YouTube and check out a video called: "How Real Men Shoot Skeet" 

That is all. Have a nice day!

Birthday

Today is my father's birthday. If he were still with us he would be 85 today. Unfortunately a life of cigarette smoking and the resulting lung cancer took him from us during the Spring of 1999. Many people remember the date their father died. I choose not to. I have seen it from time to time but the date I want to remember and celebrate is the day he was born. You can wonder about if the thing that determines who we are is heredity or environment. I don't. Half my genetic makeup was through him. half from my mother. It is a constant battle waged between her stoic New England influences and my father's midwestern tell it like it is attitude. The other thing is environment. We never wondered if he loved us. It was shown every day without question. Life was different on the farm. Dad didn't leave to go somewhere to work. He was there. We were there. We saw him all the time. We worked for him and beside him. He taught us how to work and how to be a man.

Here we are at home sometime in 1958. Jeff, David, Anna, John Jay and Dad John G Sutor.

This is Dad later in life showing off one of the fish he caught. He loved to fish. The old saying is give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime. The truth is more like teach a man to fish and he will by a boat, motor, trailer, cabin near a lake, fishing tackle, rods, reels, lures, and a hundred other things. He enjoyed it so it was money well spent.

Miss you Dad.

TR- Why You?

Sometimes your mind wanders when you watch TV. This morning it was during the Gieco commercial which features Mt. Rushmore. That annoying little lizard is walking through a tunnel and wonders if he can see Mt. Rushmore from where he is. Turns out he is standing inside one of the eyes on the monument. The question came to mind, why is Teddy Roosevelt featured? Washington, father of our country, that makes sense. Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, third president, contributor to the Constitution. Again he makes sense. Abraham Lincoln, preserved the Union through the Civil War. Quite possibly our greatest president. Teddy Roosevelt? Became president due to assination of McKinley. Elected to the office once. Why are you there Teddy?

We all know what it looks like now. This is Mt. Rushmore before construction began.

The story begins with Doane Robinson. Never heard of him, well that isn't a big surprise. He was the superintendent of the South Dakota State Historical Society. Mr. Robinson spent a good deal of 1924 asking people to donate time and money to his project and finding a sculptor who would take on the massive project. What was his motivation? Well remarkably times haven't changed much. South Dakota wanted tourists and nobody was going there to visit. In his search of a sculptor he sent a letter to John Gutzon Borglum. Never heard of him either? Mr. Borglum was a famous painter and sculptor. At the time he received the letter he was carving protraits of Robert E. Lee, Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson and Jefferson Davis into Stone Mountain in Georgia. The Stone Mountain Confederate Monumental Association was making his life miserable. They kept suggesting changes, and interfering with the work so Mr. Borglum got excited about the idea of working on a larger more national project. In 1925 he destroyed the models he was using for the Stone Mountain project and ran off to South Dakota.

Mr. Robinson had planned on having figures like Buffalo Bill, General Custer or Lewis and Clark carved into the mountain. Mr. Borglum told him that was a small thought from a small mind. He was a charmer wasn't he? He suggested the four presidents named above. The first three for the reasons cited. Roosevelt, well take your pick. The cynical point out the fact that Roosevelt had been a supporter and patron of Borglum. His major work prior to Stone Mountain was a bust of Lincoln that Roosevelt had displayed at the White House. If you are more of an idealist Teddy Roosevelt is a powerful figure in American myth. He was a hero of the Spanish American War, builder of the Panama Canal, explorer, rancher, naturalist, conservator, athlete, a man who helped tame the American west. When Borglum began his work Teddy had been out of office for 17 years and only dead for 10. He was a powerful mythic figure in death much like Ronald Reagan has become in our time.

Work on the project began in 1927 and ended in 1941. The actual carving only lasted six and a half years. The rest of the time was spent raising money. Borglum did none of the actual carving. He created the initial model and then hired teams of drillers and dynamiters to remove rock according to his design. Over 450,000 tons or rock were removed with no workers being killed during the project. Borglum died before the work was completed and his son Lincoln took over. He made only minor refining touches and the project was declared complete seven months later.

So why is TR on Mount Rushmore? The answer to that question is completely up to you. Are you cynical? An idealist? Some of both?

Here are some pictures of the work in progress.

 

 

 

 

104

Interesting number 104. What does it mean? That dear friends is the number of conceal carry permits requests the Illinois State Police have received from residents of Knox County. 104 more people may be out on the streets carrying a gun later this year than there are carrying one now. You may not understand why that does not make me feel 104 ways safer. Illinois requires you to have 16 hours of training. Classroom and live fire training combined, 16 hours total. I took classes to be an emergency medical technician. It was hundreds of hours, and a long multiple choice test and skills tests. You can do things in a split second that those hundreds of hours of medical training I have can't fix. A Nurse with 1000's of hours training and years of experience or a doctor with tens of thousands of hours of training and experience can't undo what you can do in a split second with a gun. Police have hundreds of hours of training and practice and retraining and more practice and more training to know when to take their gun out and when to use deadly force. They do all that and they still get it wrong sometimes. I talk to guys who are so excited when they are sitting in a tree with a shotgun that they can't hit the broad side of a 12 point buck. The buck, by the way, is not holding a gun or shooting at them. It does little to inspire my safety when those buys want a concealed carry permit because "Something might go down and there aren't always cops around." Can't hit a deer standing still with a shotgun but if something goes down you are ready when the lead starts to fly.

I DON'T THINK SO!!!

I would like to think the bulge in a conceal carry permit holders pants is a gun. More likely it is the constant erection most of these guys will have because their lifelong fantasy about carrying a gun will be fulfilled. I have no doubt they will be looking for opportunites to put their permit to use. I hope I'm not going to end up holding a sign like these folks.

Worse yet one of my children or grandchildren.

MSN had a story today about a mother in Oakland, California who lost both of her children (sons) in 19 days to gun violence. Please take a minute to read the article. What disturbed me was the comments that were posted by readers. I cannot understand the thought process of many of those heartless individuals. She had lost both her sons. It is not the time or place for a  debate about parenting skills, unwed motherhood, or gun rights. http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/21/22385979-oakland-mother-grieves-after-two-sons-gunned-down-19-days-apart

This kind of shit keeps making the rounds on facebook. I understand you have a right to own a gun. You must also understand that I have a right to life and to free speech. You cannot use your gun rights to silence those rights. By the way as far as the last line goes. In the majority of deaths from violence by other people it is people with guns who kill people. Sure people with knives, clubs, baseball bats, rope, hell even people with underwear (read the atomic wedgie post) kill people. The clear winner in the killing sweepstakes, the weapon of choice, obtained legally or illegally, is a gun.

This is a picture of a woman taking a picture of a bus that has the names of over 6,000 people who will killed by guns between the date of the Sandy Hook School shooting in Newtown, CT in December 2012 and June 14, 2013. This was a period of less than six months. Over six thousand dead from gun violence. I live near Wataga, Illinois a sleepy prairie community with 3 bars, 4 churches and a gas station. Every month you would see enough people killed to equal every man, woman and child in that village, Am I the only one who thinks this is wrong? The only one who thinks we have to come together and find a solution. Maybe a solution that does not put another 104 guns on the ground in my home county?

USS Gato SS-212 Part 2

Yesterday the Gato had completed her sixth war patrol. The seventh patrol began on November 18, 1943. She went to the Bismark Archipelago and on November 30th she assisted the USS Ray in sinking the Columbia Maru. On December 16 the Gato found a lone Japanese soldier adrift on a raft and took him as a prisoner of war. December 20th the Gato identified and attacked a Japanese supply convoy sinking the Tsuneshima Maru and damaging another freighter. Enemy destroyers responded with a depth charge attack which took the Gato two hours to make it to safety. The Gato then tried to go to Tigmon in an effort to find and finish off the damaged freighter. The crew discovered an unexploded depth charge on the hull. It was dislodged, loaded on a raft and floated out to sea. The Gato spotted two Japanese destroyers and after evading them identified another convoy and pursued it. A Japanese floatplane caused them to abandon this pursuit. The patrol ended January 10, 1944 at Milne Bay New Guinea.

The eight patrol began February 2, 1944. The Gato was sent to patrol the waters near Bismark and Truk. A trawler was sunk on February 15, the Daigen Maru Number 3 followed on February 26th and the Okinoyama Maru Number 3 was sunk on March 12th. Before returning to Pearl Harbor on April 1, 1944 two additional trawlers were sunk.

The ninth war patrol began May 30, 1944 with the Gato serving as a clandestine transport for Admiral Charles A. Lockwood. The Admiral and his entourage were delivered to Midway Island. The Gato then conducted a photographic reconnaissance against Woleai Island and support air attacks against Truk. The patrol was completed on June 22, 1944.

The tenth war patrol began on July 15, 1944 as the Gato served as a lifeguard station during air attacks on Chichi Jima. The Gato was called on to rescue two downed airmen before returning to Pearl Harbor on September 2, 1944. She was ordered to Mare Island for another overhaul and refit before returning to Pearl Harbor for her eleventh war patrol.

The eleventh patrol began on January 13, 1945 and saw the Gato enter the Yellow Sea. There she sank the Tairku Maru cargo ship on February 21xt. She returned to Guam on March 13th before embarking on another patrol.

The twelfth war patrol began on April 12, 1945. Adolph Hitler would commit suicide later that month ending the  war in Europe. The Gato again served as a lifeguard station during the amphibious assault of Okinawa. On April 22nd and 23rd the Gato engaged two enemy submarines without success and barely escaped herself. The Gato was credited with rescuing 10 US airmen in the waters off Toi Misaki, Kyushu between April 27th and 30th. Whe returned to Pearl Harbor on June 3, 1945.

The thirteenth war patrol began on July 8th and was the Gato again on lifeguard duty during the attacks on Wake Island. She served the same role when attacks were made against Honshu. During an attack approach on a Japanese cargo vessel on August 15th the Gato was advised to abort any further attacks on Japanese targets. The war had ended.

The Gato was part of the massive US Naval contingent in Tokyo Bay on August 31, 1945 called to witness the official surrender of the Japanese Empire on the deck of the USS Missouri. The Gato left Toyko on September 3, 1945 and returned to Pearl Harbor. After resupply she returned to the New York shipyard ending her World War II tour of duty. She was decommissioned as a US Navy fighting boat on March 16, 1946. She served for a time as a reserve training platform for Navy submariners in New York before being moved to Baltimore. Her name was struck from the US Navy Register on March 1, 1960 and sold for scrap to the Northern Metals Company of Philadelphia on July 25, 1960.

The Gato was named after the Gato catshark a species found off the west coast of Mexico.

So there is the story of the Gato and of Harriet's brave husband Don. When you wonder about the Greatest Generation think about stories like the one of the Gato and its intrepid crew. Men who risked everything in war and then returned to do the hard work at home building a nation we can all be proud to live in. We cannot thank them enough for their military service or the lives they lived working and building this country. We will likely never see a generation like them again.

USS Gato SS-212

My grandmother Dora's sister Harriet Cramer is one of two great aunts who remain of her generation. The other aunt has dementia so she is no help in determining any family history. Harriet was kind and met with Carol, Kate and I several months ago. I have been tracking down information on the things she told us that afternoon. What an amazing woman she is. She has a clear memory of so many things. Today I want to spend some time talking about her husband. Don Cramer was an electrician. She met him when she worked at the state hospital in Peoria which is now Zeller. Don's mother worked as an activity specialist and his father was a barber. They introduced the Harriet and Don and the rest is a glorious story. Don moved around working at large projects, the Boss Glove Factory in Kewanee, Northwestern Steel and Wire in Sterling, Dixon State Hospital before moving to Colorado in 1952 and working on the Gunnison Black Canyon Dam project. This was after his service in the Second World War. Don joined the navy in 1938 and was trained as an electrician. During the war he served on the USS Gato SS-212.

The USS Gato was the lead ship in the Gato-class submarine fleet which numbered 77 ships and was the backbone of US Navy submarine operations in the Pacific during World War II. The life of a submariner during World War II was one of the most dangerous assignments during the war. The US Navy launched a total of 288 submarines and 52 were lost. When lost generally all hands on board perished. During the war 3,505 of the submarines were lost of the 14,750 assigned. About 24% death rate.

The Gato's keel was laid on October 5, 1940 and the boat was constructed by the Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut. My mother grew up in nearby Waterford, CT. The Gato was launched on August 21, 1941 and formally commissioned on December 31, 1941 with Lt. Commander W. G. Myers at the helm. The Gato had a running length of 311 feet, with a 27 foot beam and a 17 foot draught. It displaced 1,550 tons surfaced and 2,460 tons submerged. The Gato could officially dive to a depth on 300 feet though when under attack many were known to go deeper. The vessel carried enough food, fuel and supplies for a patrol time of about 75 days. It carried a crew of between 60 and 80 with 6 command officers.

The Gato began her first patrol in the Pacific on April 20, 1942 sailing out of Pearl Harbor. What a sight that must have been for the crew. Seeing first hand the distruction caused by the attack on December 7,1941. On May 3, 1942 she saw her first actionin which she identified but failed to sink a Japanese aircraft carrier near the Marshall Islands. The Gato was chased off by four destroyers who laid down a barrage of depth charges. During the battle of Midway Island later in May the Gato was stationed to the west to protect the US fleet. Her first war patrol ended June 10, 1942.

Her second patrol began July 2, 1942 off the Kurile Islands. On August 15, 1942 she engaged an enemy vessel and fired four torpedoes toward the target. The results were not confirmed. He mad way to Dutch Harbor, Unalaska, Alaska for resupply.

Her third patrol began September 4, 1942 after a stop at Pearl Harbor she settled in near Truk Atoll. An enemy convoy was identified and the Gato attacked on December 6th. She was driven off by a combined aerial attack and depth charge assault. Her third patrol ended at Brisbane, Australia on December 23, 1942.

The Gato set back to sea on January 13, 1943. She attacked the transport ship Kenkon Maru on January 21st sucessfully sinking the ship off New Georgia in the Solomon Islands. The Nichiun Maru cargo vessel followed on January 29th and the Suruga Maru was sunk on February 15, 1943. Her fourth patrol ended February 26, 1943.

The fifth war patrol began on March 19, 1943. The Gato dropped special operatives of the Australian Intelligence Party at Toep in Bougainville on March 29th. She took on 39 civilians, 27 of the group were children, and dropped them off safely to an allied ship at Ramos, Florida Island. On April 4th the Gato was conducting a submerged radar attack near Tanga and Lihir Islands when she came under an intense depth charge attack by  enemy destroyers. She suffered damage to her hull and some components. She was required to retreat and undergo repairs at Brisbane. She returned to the fight on April 20th. On May 29th she dropped Australian Special Forces at Toep Harbor and took on more refugees. She set course for Pearl Harborand then went to Mare Island Shipyard near San Francisco for an overhaul. She returned to Pearl Harbor on August 22, 1943.

The sixth war patrol began on September 6, 1943 when she made her way to Brisbane via Truk and Bougainville. On October 19, 1943 she attacked two enemy cargo vessels with unconfirmed damage. The patrol ended October 28th.

The story of the Gato will continue tomorrow with her seventh war patrol.

Martin P Sutor

Martin Parsons Sutor was born on November 21, 1901 and died on November 28, 1978. It was a life well lived in my opinion. Today you get to go on a little ride down Uncle Mart memory lane. Technically Uncle Mart was my great uncle since he was my grandfather's oldest brother. Uncle Mart was a farmer, businessman, former Illinois State Representative and liked to drink a bit and chew tobacco.

That is Uncle Mart in a 1950's campaign photo.

Growing up from time to time we would go over and work on Uncle Mart's farm. Like my grandfather Uncle Mart always had several dogs. Several means more than 3 but usually less than 10.
One of my favorite memories of Uncle Mart was working on his farm one afternoon with my dad and younger brother David. We were scooping corn out of a bin into an auger to load a truck. In between loads we would have a few minutes to cool off and catch our breath. During one of the breaks Uncle Mart came up to David and I and said the following. "Would you boys like to bury some old bitch?" We assured him that we were there to help in any way we could. He had several dogs and we figured one had died and he needed a hole dug. We went to the barn and got shovels and he had us put them in the trunk of his car. We thought that was a bit odd but then again it was Uncle Mart. We rode about 2 miles into Henderson, Illinois and he pulled to the north side of town into the cemetary. The graveside services were just being completed on top of the hill on the far corner from where we sat. After all the cars left Uncle Mart drove us over. We watched the casket being dropped into the vault and the lid put on. When everything was done he told us to get busy and fill up the hole. So on the resume is grave filler.

Another time when we were helping pick corn Uncle Mart came out to the field to pick up Dad, our hired man Homer, David and I. Dad and Homer got in the car first and sat in the front seat. It was a two door car and I thought that was a bit odd. I went to slide into the back seat and backed out. I told Uncle Mart we would walk the half mile to the house because we were young and needed the exercise. I closed the door and off they went. My brother David started giving me a hard time about it and why did I turn down a ride to the house for lunch. I told him when I went to get in the back seat one of Uncle Mart's dogs was eating a rabbit. I really didn't want to share the seat with that mess.

I want to include two newspaper articles in closing. Jack was Uncle Mart's donkey. While Uncle Mart was a state representative in the Illinois House of Representatives he took Jack to Springfield. Jack went into the State Capitol Building, up the elevator and onto the House floor. Uncle Mart was one proud democrat.

TIME?

The world is full of things that we can use multiple times. Unfortunately time itself is not one of those things. We get one shot. One go around. No going back. No changing what happened. We can apologize for things we did wrong. Savor things that went well. Relive them in our minds. We cannot go back and change them.

Something to think about. What matters most now? Where and how do you spend the time you have? Do you wish you had done more of this?

 

Maybe enjoyed times like this a bit more. Really lived in that moment.

The picture is from sometime around 1979 or 1980. Our youngest John is not in the picture or our niece Ellen. My father, grandfather and grandmother shown in the picture are no longer with us. It would be a wonderful thing to be able to talk to each of them again. To seek the advice I didn't seem to want or appreciate at the time. Advice that would be worth a king's ransom to me now.

 

So take time today to enjoy each moment. Think about the choices you make when you spend the precious time you have. Consider what is really important. 



I'm NOT a Car Guy

I'm not a car guy. I'm not saying I don't like cars but to me they are a tool. A way to get from one place to another. I'm less impressed with form, for me function is supreme. I can appreciate the beauty of a car but honestly most don't turn my head. Today I will share three cars with you. Only one made my heart pound in my chest. Only one said to me BUY ME.

The Detroit Auto show featured the Equus Bass 770. It is a fastback muscle car that reminds you of the muscle cars of the late 1960's and early 1970's. The advantage this car has is all the modern technology built into it and the modern materials that make it hundreds of pounds lighter. The other thing it will lighten is your bank account. The cars start at $250,000 and depending on what you want to add go up, up, up from there.

The Bass 770 tips the scales at 3,640 pounds so it is 480 pounds lighterthan a Camaro ZL1. It has a 6.2 liter supercharged V-8 producing 640 horsepower and 605 foot pounds of torque. Zero to 60 in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 200 mph. The plan is a limited production of 100 per year.

The next car is the reason I have a problem with the Equus Bass 770.

Meet the 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback. Sure the 2014 Equus Bass 770 shows some differences from the 1968 Mustang but I am saddened by the lack of creativity in design. Seems like we got new technology wrapped in an old design. Before you rip me a new asshole I LOVE the 68 Mustang. I would buy it and probably pay more for a mint example than the Equus Bass 770. Having said that if I am going to drop big bucks the next car is where the cash would go. I must first give kudos to my buddy Mike and his blog existinginBFE.blogspot.com. Before Mike posted pictures of this beauty I had never heard of it. I'm not a car guy but when I close my eyes and imagine driving a car, right now it would be this one.

This beauty is a 1929 Ruxton made in the Moon Motor Car Company in St. Louis, Missouri in 1929. Mike indicates in his blog there was only one year of production and no more than 50 were made. What a beauty. So if you are going to reach back and steal a design from history and modernize it skip the 1960's and 1970's. Take a trip in the way back machine and give a beauty like this one some modern technology and a new lease on life. So, I'm not a car guy but this one gets my blood pumping. My helper Nate used to see fast powerful cars like the Mustang Fastback and say he was getting a "motor boner". I won't go that far with the Ruxton. She's a lovely lady who needs to be pampered. The question that comes to mind is how many Equus Bass 770's could I buy with what one of this old girls would cost me?

Thanks Mike for opening my eyes to one of the finest examples of American Automotive art I have ever seen.