Saturday, June 27, 2015

THE NO SPIN ZONE --PART 2 (for the worst?)

Back in my neighborhood in the 50s, we all watched Rev Billy Graham on TV and advise presidents on matters of national conscientiousness.
      Today, close personal advisers of this nature are Brooklyn pastors in hock to the Federal government for back taxes in excess of $5 million and he gets to eat dinner at the White House on us 82 times this year alone.
      Our country launched a major police action in Korea to attempt to save hundreds of thousands of its citizens from slaughter at the hands of crazy killer soldiers of the Communist Party. We invested our best in money, war materiel and American lives that President Eisenhower finally brought to a halt - peacefully and with honor.
      Today, ISIS slaughters Christians by the truckloads in Muslim lands without so much as a head ache from us, and from the White House? We get no word...nothing.
       A maniacal group of crazed killers called Boko Haram captures 300 young girls in Nigeria and hauls them off to somewhere and the only word from the White House we get is, " I'm really torn about those girls." And a barrage of hash-tag videos on line. That was it. Big rescue effort for 300 pre teen age and young teen age school girls.
     tTwo months ago, 200 of them were recaptured by the Nigerian military who finally found them. Most of the youngsters (all girls) were raped and/or pregnant. PREGNANT. At 11, 12 and 13, can you  imagine the barbarity? These are the guys who de=capitate people.
      During the WWII a small boat load of Nazi spies landed on the south coast of America. Very quickly they were captured, tried and executed. All of America was fine tuned in the capture.
      Today, news reports indicate that just below the American/Mexican border near Arizona, they have discovered an ISIS training camp.
      Have you heard ANYTHING from NBC? The White House?
      Things have changed in this country. It is time for another change. Soon, In my opinion, I hope.
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Friday, June 26, 2015

" THE NO-SPIN ZONE" --- TIMES HAVE CHANGED

Bill O'Reilly mentioned something the other day that got me to thinking: " it was a different world."
      Amen. That's been gnawing at me. I was raised in the 40s grew up during the 50s and 60s. Different world then.  Back then, I didn't know anybody with a gun. Now, I don't know anybody who doesn't own one.  Back then, the girl on the block who was " easy," was known by all the boys. Today, the virgin on the block is known by every boy and she probably doesn't get asked to the dance.
      Back then in south Philly, everybody avoided the mob and their influences like the plague. Today, young kids like to dress up like them, carry stilettos, and make fun of their names, like "Snub nose Frankie."  Way back then, if you were depressed or in the dumps, you went to the ball game, bar or saw your girl friend for the night. Today, the single most popular perscription drug in the Pacific Northwest is Zoloft. They hand the stuff out all over the country like candy.
      When I was a kid, a girl who got pregnant and wasn't married practically got drummed out of the neighborhood. Today, she gets a movie contract or her own Reality TV show.
      In times gone by newspaper reporters, (Huntley/Brinkley?), doctors, POTUS, and others were considered among the more trusted by the public. Today they rank at or below used car salesmen according to nationally acclaimed credibility research foundations.
      The times, they are a changing. So, that leaves us with - whom do we trust?
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Sunday, June 14, 2015

ISIS AND THE USA --- A PREDICTION

" Lily Pads!!"....can you believe it? During Vietnam (ask a vet), they were " fire bases." Open up a fire base in the middle of hell and have them attack you. Barb wire yourself IN, ring the perimeter with all kinds of nast-iness and shoot the hell outta them when they attack. FIRE-BASES.
     Now, we're being fed a line, we're being languaged - Lily Pads. Sounds almost like Sesame Street, right? Can you say, snuffalupagus? I knew you could.
     Mission Creep was hung around Nixon's neck for just what Obama's doing. It's MISSION CREEP. America's longest war is about to become America's longererer war.
     " Just when you thought Obama got us out, ISIS sucks us right back in" with apologies to Tony Soprano.
      I do not want to think about the first POW ISIS gets and puts on our TV.
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Friday, June 12, 2015

The Benn Theatre - SW Philadelphia `1950's

About the time Richard Nixon rolled up Woodland Avenue in southwest Philadelphia trying to gather votes for Dwight Eisenhower, I was working at the old Benn Theatre on that same boulevard. In the mid to late 50's it was a sometimes crowded, sometimes unsafe street depending on the day or night, how much you've had to drink or who was carrying a gun within a 20 foot radius of you.
     
At 16, I was as tall as I am now at 75 so, they put me on the gate as usher/security. Give you an idea of what the neighborhood was like, management gave me a choice of weapons to carry for protection. It reminded me of an old Arizona joke amongst bar tenders: coming in to their bar, they frisk you for weapons. If you don't have one, you get one. 
During my time here, "Rock around the Clock " debuted here to sold out crowds and two riots, a gang fight involving knives, me and the police. I won. Hopalong Cassidy dropped by. He became my personal hero. Nixon rolled by the front door, as did JFK. In those days, after 6 pm, the crowds went " to the theatre" dressed in suits, just like they did when traveling on airplanes. The manager's name was Kessler who dropped out of sight. Years later I saw him again when he booked passage in 1962 when he left for France on the S.S.France, the flagship of the French Line. The picture above was taken in 1960. It was a gentler time then. Black was black, white - white. Very few shades of grey, we asked questions back then and got straight answers, not like now when everything we hear is mush. The sad part of today is the air is so filled with meaningless words, we can't see the sky anymore. 
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Thursday, June 11, 2015

OUR CULTURE IS CHANGING



Mentioned on Bill OReilly Show recently the aspect that the American culture is changing: taking a violent turn to the left. I agree, and point the finger at the Barack Obama administration for that turn of events.
      Obamanation (I jest, the book - Obama Nation) clearly spells out the projected doom and gloom ahead unless we change direction.
       One Russian General once uttered the homily, " you can't insult America into a war, you have to bomb them into it." WAKE UP AMERICA.
       The Lemmings who blindly follow Obama will be with him when it's time to jump over the cliff into the sea. Don't think so? Look into the eyes of the Germans on the History Channel when der Fuhrer marched into Austria as the cameramen filmed his triumphant entrance. We couldn't convince the Germans to surrender, or the Japanese. We couldn't talk them into a peaceful solution.
       Nor will we with the leftists in our own country. They will willingly follow him over a cliff, so save your breath trying to ' DEBATE ' them in conversation. They have swallowed the Kool Aide. '
       This culture has changed and for the worse. The Police are our friends. The worst elements in our country have demonized them and now Baltimore is a deathbed of turmoil, gangland confusion and fear. Texas pool parties are the new firestorm for racial discord and possible legal, criminal and God forbid, fire-fights.
       Our police HAVE to be protected. One Miami school Principal announced publicly his support for the Texas policeman, and he was subsequently FIRED by his school district. He needs the back up and support of every American.
       Change? You bet. In the sixties condoms were sold at pharmacies under the counter, no displays. To buy some, it was almost like a CIA clandestine transaction. Today, they hang everywhere for everybody to see and buy, usually at a cashiers station. PS, unwed births? At an all time high, especially in the minority communities. And the fathers? They are M.I.A.
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Monday, June 8, 2015

America's Grandmother - Barbara Bush, " the Enforcer "

 It's time we elect, appoint, or draft a National Grandmother. Someone who can uphold the office of old time Grandmother standards now fast slipping away from the American scene.
      "Bar" as she is known around Kennebunkport has just turned 90 and declared her intention to wander the beachfront on her walker and "shut-up" about politics and world events.
      It is our job to draft her into National Service. At 90, the wealth of experience she possesses plus her blunt delivery is of overwhelming value to the nation, the public at large, and to the current administration in office.
      I propose that Barbara Bush emulate the late FDR and conduct "Fireside Chats" on radio once a week from her home. In that, she can give us the benefit of her wide range of experience, advice of 90 years background of life in politics, family, and civic duty.
     Our nation needs to pay more attention to our seniors, not less. Bar's insistence on now remaining silent at 90, is, in my opinion the exact wrong thing to do. We need to hear from her about EVERYTHING that's on her mind, and we need to hear now.
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Saturday, June 6, 2015

VINCE VAUGHN, ACTOR ON GUN RIGHTS

Just when you thought Hollywood was weird, Vince Vaughn steps out of the darkness and delivers a ray of intelligence out of Hollywood & Vine praising Americans who value the Constitution, the 2nd Amendment, and firearms rights.
      Vince, I'll be in the audience for your next movie, pal.  Three cheers, Vince.
       Given the roles he plays, I've never had the privilege to get to hear or "know" him as I have the last couple of days in personal interviews. I am fully briefed on guns, firearms rights, the 2nd amendment issues, pro and con arguments currently raging in the nation.
       It was good to hear him speak out.
       On the other side of the coin, I heard briefly Liam Neeson, the Irish actor make a crack or two about his aversion to guns in America. Neeson says " America is CRAZY with one handgun for everyone here. " He loved the fact that Britain outlawed ALL handguns. Loved it. The hypocrisy of Mr. Neeson is he makes a damn good living SHOOTING UP our theatres in his TAKEN movies now playing.
Neeson
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