Saturday, December 31, 2016

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I want to wish all of my readers a Happy New Year! Thank you for your loyalty! I haven't produced much new work lately and for that I apologize. A combination of pulled muscles and arthritis make typing exceedingly uncomfortable. I will get back into things as soon as I can.

Have a happy, peaceful, and prosperous 2017!!!!!

Monday, December 19, 2016

A Few Things

First of all, I want to wish everyone a merry Christmas. And also a peaceful, prosperous and happy New Year. If you are of a praying nature, please offer a prayer for our country. If you are not of a praying nature, you might give it a try. It can't hurt and you may be surprised at the comfort it can bring. We are at a great crossroads and have an opportunity for resurrection. A resurrection our country badly needs.

Secondly, I know that I haven't been writing much lately. A few small problems make it difficult for me to type. Hopefully I'm on the way back.

And finally, I have a Christmas present for you. I have written new lyrics to an old song. With apologies to Roger Whitaker, this is to the tune of "The Last Farewell".


There’s a truck that sits all loaded at the White House,
Tomorrow to old Georgetown it goes.
From his land full of sycophants and servants
To our land where one uses his own dough.
No magnificent free vacations.
No longer will the traffic clear the way.
For he has screwed us all and harmed our own great country,
More deeply than the spoken word can tell.
His silence would be great.
More welcome than the spoken word can tell.

There’s a wicked war ablazin’ in the Mideast.
But mind you all he is not to blame.
It might be Bush or Trump or Hillary.
But naught was ever done bad in his name.
He claims he knows more than the generals.
But real problems went unsolved.
For he has screwed us all and harmed our own great country,
More deeply than the spoken word can tell.
His silence would be great.
More welcome than the spoken word can tell.

Monday, December 12, 2016

The New America

I will start out by saying that I was not a supporter of Donald Trump. I did vote for him because I felt that Hillary Clinton would be a terrible President and would do serious harm to the Republic. As I have, far too many times, I voted for the person I believed was the lesser of two evils.

Since the election, I am much encouraged. Mr. Trump is doing a far more restrained and presidential job than I expected. While the Democrats have just tanked into rancorous ranting. The control of the Democrat party has been left in the hands of old, and I do mean old, guard, like Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, and Chuck Schumer. No progress there. While the front runner for the chair of the DNC, we have been told, is a Muslim with ties to CAIR and other jihadist organizations.

While the corrupt press is trying to present the Trump organization as being in turmoil and unable to reach decisions regarding staffing of the new administration, they actually appear to be prompt, open, and thorough in their deliberations.

There has been no covert operations, sneaking people in and out the back door. All have entered through the lobby of Trump Towers right in front of the press hungry to rip any and all candidates.

What they have not seen is a stream of barely known political hacks who would operate in the party's best interest. Not in the interest of the American people. What we are seeing are people who are mature, experienced, intelligent, and successful. Pretty much the opposite of the administration which is presently in power.

Mr. Trump made a lot of promises during the campaign. He seems to be making a good honest start at doing as he promised. Anyone with a lick of sense knows that all will not be perfect. But I am still much encouraged. Although some of his choices were not choices I would have made, they are still excellent choices.

It would be nice now, if all Americans rallied behind him and gave him an honest chance the way we all did for Barack Obama. Let him succeed or fail on his own merits. Some hopeful unity would be good for the American people right now. That way we may actually have the new America.

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Make Our Navy Great Again

I was just sitting and musing about President elect trump's first moves. So far, better than I had expected. I hope he gives the job of Secretary of the Navy to an old fashioned, hard ass, deep water Admiral. The Navy needs help. They have been degraded and embarrassed. 

The new Zumwalt class destroyers are a good example. There are serious questions about stability in a following sea. The first one to sea has broken down twice. Once in the Panama Canal. It is not as stealthy as it could have been because they cut the budget.

I got to thinking that those responsible should be "hung from the highest yard arm" as they did in the days of wooden boats and iron men. Then I got to thinking, they don't have yardarms any more.

Then I got to thinking, yes they do. There is one US Navy ship of the line that still has a yardarm or two. The frigate Constitution, Old Iron Sides, is still in service. OK so we are not actually going to hang anyone from the highest yardarm.

But, then I got to thinking, how about taking Old Iron Sides on a Navy Pride sail. I'm sure there are those in the Navy who know how to sail a square rigger. Not to long. Not around the world or anything. I was thinking two weeks to a month. It would be great exposure. TV news, local and national, would be all over it. Maybe even put a couple of videographers aboard for the duration.

I was thinking, out of Boston harbor, south around the Cape and Nantucket. Sail past Martha's Vineyard, and around Block Island. Head up the West Passage of Narragansett Bay, around Jamestown Island and out the East Passage. East to the Cape Cod Canal and get a tow through. Past Plymouth harbor and back to Charlestown where she's berthed.

That would certainly help to restore the shine on one part of America's great military. I hope someone in the new administration sees this and gives it consideration.