As January Fades, so does the GOP Chances in 2012...

It might hit 60 degrees in West Central Ohio today....not sure if that would be a record, but it would have to be close if not an outright high for January 31st in recorded history.  Sure it will eventually get colder, but at this time of the year, each day that moves us closer to March and the beginning of Spring, is one day less we will have to contend with Winter....

The back slowly improves...sure it still hurts...but it is improving, so I believe this spell will be just that, a bump in the road, rather than a detour....in fact I am considering heading down to the basement weight room as early as tomorrow to start my lifting routine....or perhaps I will hold off until Friday, we will see how I feel tomorrow...

First thing tomorrow morning however is heading to Minster to my "doctor"...actually my doctor retired last fall, in his 50s, with health issues of his own....thus leaving Patricia and I without a regular physician....however his office is now staffed by a nurse practitioner and she refers major items to one of the regular MD's out of the Health Conglomerate...otherwise she takes care of the office work, and issues regarding subscriptions, etc.  My last visit was back in August when Doc Bergman was still practicing....and I need a refill of BP meds...but the real reason to go back was Patricia.  While my back was acting up, she managed to bend wrong and snap something out of place in her knee....she had one operated on back in the mid 1980s....this is the other one, and it might be that surgery will be needed on this one.  I guess her appointment on Thursday will go a long way towards deciding that....Ain't getting older great?

The GOP stumbles into Florida_____

The Republicans continue to self-destruct as they move into the Florida Primary Election today...Mitt and Newt appear to be all the GOP has left to defend America against the half baked, half wit, half breed, Marxist assclown, named Barack Insane Obama, this November.  And if I had my prediction right now, I say America loses....it appears at this point that this Kenyan Bastard Child will be re-elected by a people either to stupid, too unattached, or too hooked on Government handouts, to actually see what is happening to this once{look around it no longer is great in any sense of the word}great Republic.

But take a look at the Republicans....they have nobody to blame but themselves...the two front runners continue to destroy themselves and their base, by of all things, complaining about each other being too rich or too corrupt, or for gawd sake, too Capitalistic...WTF is wrong with these imbeciles? 

Rick Santorum is still my pick, but it appears that he is running out of time and money, Ron Paul is nothing but a side show freak, who will, if given a third party run, hand the election to Obama....which is likely to happen anyway.  Paul is nothing more than a spawn of the America First group which was in vogue back in the days right before Pearl Harbor was attacked

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_First_Committee 

....once the war hit American soil, the movement disbanded, and fell into place to support the war, along with the rest of the country.  The "Paulbots" as most call his most rabid supporters are nothing more than 1960s radicals that are cheapskates when it comes to taxes...in short they are the Anti Vietnam War Radicals, some 45 years late.  As I have said until blue in the face....Ron Paul knows economics, sad to say he is naive as Hell when it comes to the evils of Islam and the danger that cult presents to freedom loving people.


So that leaves us with Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney.....

Newt is a smart man, who will destroy the Kenyan in a debate....but who watches debates?  On the left nobody except the Political Class, who are already walking in lock step with this interloping sock puppet of George Soros.  The rest of the Obama base are too stupid to take their eyes off Jerry Spinger or Oprah Lard Ass, to even begin to think for themselves...if they do watch news, they tend to watch the evening left wing talking points on one of the 3 major networks, or CNN.  Despite being a good debater and a smart man, Newt Gingrich is still a progressive, who once he got the Speaker's Chair back in 1994, decided to wheel and deal with Bubba Clinton, and prove he really wasn't a small Government man after all....would I vote for him over Obammy?  Sure, but that's not saying much.


Then there is Mitt...


Romney, the former Governor of Taxyer2shits, was a Liberal when Gov....of course in that Kennedy infested crap hole, you have little choice to rule the brain dead majority but as a Liberal...after all, a population that elects and treats the inbred Kennedy clan like some kind of perverse royalty, can't be real bright, can they?  So I tend not to hold him totally at fault for his days in that sorry state....after all, all politicians lie to their base...they have to in order to be elected.

Do I trust Mitt Romney to do the right things?  Not a chance, but like Newt, I would vote for him over the Kenyan Sock Puppet....not that is saying much.  S this is the sorry state of American Politics....money and corrupt supporters handing out that cash.  Whether it be Wall Street and Unions giving cash to the Democrats, or Joe Six Pack and Small Businesses giving to the GOP...cash is king, and the American {working} Public are the pawns.


At this point in time, it appears Obama is headed for re-election, thanks to a people too stupid and uniformed, led by a lying main stream media, in bed with the Kenyan and his policies....a teleprompter reading Queen of the Chicago Gay Bathhouse Scene, who can neither think or speak for himself.  Sure things can change before November, but if even by some chance the GOP Candidate wins....the question remains, "Are we too far gone down this path, to reverse this disastrous course we have chosen to take"?  The old saying is..."We get the Government we deserve"....and no truer phrase has ever been locked into place when looking at the choices we are faced with in 2012.

So here we are at the end of January, things look worse than they did in January 2009, but a nation of sheep is yet to wake up.  Well at least I can thank God for Global Warming.... so I'm out to enjoy the last day of January and 60 degrees in the sunshine.


back later>>>>


Photos-Obammy is the Captain of the Sinking Ship The USS Amerika....but the voters are either too naive, too stupid, or too hooked on handouts to figure it out.  Ron Paul, while a smart man on economic freedoms, is a fool when it comes to National Defense and the dangers of Islamic Terrorism, "Beam Him Up Scotty"...that leave us with Newt and Mitt....unless Rick Santorum has a rebound, the choices we have don't instill a Hell of a lot of confidence in our future.

The Weekend....back to back to back...

A bit of snow early Saturday morning left the roads, at least the back ones, slippery, on my way to Wayne Trace for the 7th grade boys basketball tournament up in Paulding County....by the time I headed home at 1 pm, the sun was out, and the winds were blowing...most of the snow gone with it...only to return yesterday afternoon, as another small 'Clipper' came calling.  That was pretty much the way of the weekend.  A mix of sun, clouds, wind, and small amounts of snow arriving at various times on both Saturday and Sunday.

I was more concerned about my back as I headed to Spencerville on Friday night....it was still acting up, and sitting made it worse, at least by the time I would get out of a sitting position....didn't seem to matter whether the chair was soft, hard, or even the Nitro seats....which I chose to drive over the van, mainly because of the better headlights, and not so much the four wheel drive. 

As I stiffly got out of the car and walked slowly into the Spencerville High School, I wasn't sure how the night would go, back wise.  I wasn't really worried about the game performance, I was more concerned about my back....and whether this would be the beginning of the fall of 2007 all over.  I needed not worry, and least on Friday, or for that matter, the double header on Saturday....the more I moved, the better the back felt...the less I walked or trotted up and down the floors, the more it hurt, so moving was good....and it was to be that way for the rest of the weekend...Sitting or standing, not so good, moving, walking, not so bad.  With back problems you never know what they will bring.

If you've never had back issues, you probably cannot understand, or relate to the issues they bring.  Trust me, there may be people who fake back injuries to collect some sort of perverted reward they might perceive they need or deserve, but if you've ever had major ones, you would know it's no laughing matter.  As for me, I am waiting to see how this round of back pain, one of many over the past 30 years, pans out.  Over the years I have avoided surgery, but with two epidural injections and a hundred trips or more to the Chiropractor, I have had my share of pain in the back, which becomes over time a pain in the ass.

Roundball Slow Down_____

The good thing, if there can be one, with this round of back pain, is that my basketball schedule is slowing down, with just 10 more dates on my calender...sure I might add a day or two, but for the most part, I can see the light at the end of that tunnel, which began with scrimmages in mid November.  Hopefully as the roundball seasons winds down, and baseball looms ahead, my back issues can either clear themselves up, or I can at least have time to use any options I need to get them corrected or resolved enough to move on.

This week I have just three dates to cover....a Junior Varsity Girls match-up at Spencerville tomorrow, followed by the same at Elida on Thursday, and a boys JV game at Antwerp on Saturday night. 

Meanwhile the weather, after a cold start today, will look spring-like for the next few days, with temperatures reaching the upper 50s for tomorrow afternoon, before they start back sliding towards more winter like temperatures and conditions over the weekend.

back later>>>>

Photos-my usual breakfast, along with a banana, has helped me drop most of the 10 pounds I gained over the Holidays...after losing 30 pounds since the fall of 2009, I slipped up and gained a couple of handfuls back this season, but have no reversed that back down to the 190 range...another 5 or 10 to go and I will be ready for baseball umpire work, as my basketball officiating schedule winds down.  Beer tasting was about, other than nursing the back and basketball officiating was what most of the weekend consisted of....and mild winter or not, I am looking forward to watching morning sunrises, like this one, last August as I looked out over Grand Lake...

My "Back" Pages

Bob Dylan wrote, but The Byrds performed the best version of this song from "The Sixties" that hits home in a lot of ways:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FUGzwUTN80

The{my} Back____

However, the back I'm talking about this morning is the one where my spine is situated....

"Soft Chair, Hard Chair, Standing, Walking, laying down"...which seems to be the best for my aching lower back?  So far either laying down or walking seems to be the best, although none are great.  I worked the girls middle school double header last night on the old hard wood floor at the Junior High in Celina...both games were close, with the teams Celina and Marion Local splitting the games, the host Bulldogs winning the 7th grade contest, and the visiting Flyers taking the 8th grade game by 2 points....the teams with the best record lost both games. 

When done, I was scheduled to head to Van Wert for an informal baseball meeting with our association, however the fog had rolled in, and with the back issues, I opted to skip that and head for home....where after a hot shower, I sat for the remainder of the evening, sipping on a couple of dark stout beers...after a decent, but still painful at times, nights sleep, I awoke to more back pain...and frankly wasn't sure if I could work the JV game at Spencerville tonight, or the double at Wayne Trace Junior High tomorrow morning.  After dressing and heading out to feed the birds and back yard Squirrels, things seemed to be loosening up, but the pain is still with me....the longer I set, the more pain I have.

Now mind you this is not in the same ballpark as the back problems some 4 years ago, or those 20+ years, not even close....but the longer it goes, the more cause for concern there is....fortunately I only have 3 nights of basketball next week, and will put on hold any weight lifting sessions for a week or so, to allow some healing time.  I have had a few set backs over the past 4 years since the epidural in December 2007, with this one the worst of those so far.  Being as active as I am, and like to be, as I near my 63rd birthday in March....I can say, I'm not happy about this...at all!

So....I have some projects and other things to get done this morning and early afternoon....most likely will try to work the games tonight and tomorrow, then rest up as best I can over the weekend....with no game on Monday hopefully the issue of back pain will be once again in my rear view mirror.

enjoy the weekend...

back later>>>>

Gloomy Weather....and the back feels it

The winter, while mild compared to last year, and most others in recent memory, is still a bit "uncomfortable" to say the least....the past 24 hours is no exception.  Yesterday, while the temperature hovered around the freezing mark, I ventured out to the back yard to give the freeloading Sparrows and Squirrels their daily ration of seed and corn, at that time I noted, while not cold temperature-wise, the dampness of the morning went right through to your bones and inner body.  I also noted that for the first time in quite awhile, my back felt it as well.

Perhaps a combination of weather, and wear and tear from the area basketball courts, but none-the-less, I felt a noticeable soreness in the lower back...and that is never a good sign, as many of you who have visited this blog since it's early days of 2007 know. 

Shortly after starting this "daily rant" that Summer, I came up with a sever back problem that fall football season.  I had, for the most part, given up my other retirement gig of driving RVs across the country, and was settled in with good part time, post retirement, employment.  Officiating football as well as my usual baseball work, I had began driving to Greenville two or three times a week to do inventory for a company that supplied manufactured cardboard and boxes to the Honda affiliate down that way...the extra money was welcome, the walking was beneficial, and the hourly salary for waking, counting, and doing some computer math work, was excellent.  Anyway, about the same time, for some unknown reason, my back went "out".

Having two major motorcycle wrecks, one in 1975 and another in 1987, I am no stranger to back problems...this one however had my previous ones, one which lasted for about 5 years, beat all to Hell....it became almost unbearable.  From October of 2007 until just before Christmas, when I went to Fort Wayne Orthopedics,  I staggered up and down the football fields in major pain, and when home, I couldn't drink enough beer to ease the torment.  After a bout of high blood pressure set my procedure back, they finally set a date for an epidural the week before Christmas...once done, the back slowly improved, and by the time baseball season rolled around in late March, I was once again able to live a somewhat normal life. 

Over the past four years I have had some setbacks, but with the BP down and weight the same, they have been more mild and shorter in length.....hopefully this setback with be likewise.

Back to the Weird Weather_____

I have the Nitro this morning, taking it uptown in the next hour for an oil change...something that I was going to get done, but was sidetracked the day before the appointment, but the wreck in Van Wert.  So Patricia took the van, and I will have the SUV for the day, and tonight for the baseball meeting at Van Wert.  Before that trip however, I am back at Celina Middle School for a girls basketball double header...games at Spencerville tomorrow, and a rescheduled boys junior high tournament at Wayne Trace on Saturday morning.

Meanwhile the weather, which was supposed to be the major subject this morning anyway, continues to be strange.  The mixture of rain and snow started before dark yesterday, and continued through the night...finally changing to all rain before sunrise, well what sunrise, you could not tell by looking out the windows?  Most schools were delayed an hour or two, but not St Henry, so Patrica drove the van before daylight to her location.  The rest of the month looks to be normal or above temperature wise.....with no major storms on the horizon, but of course that can change...Mother Nature doesn't read the Weather Channel forecasts, it seems.

Football Changes_____

Over the past 6 or 7 years I have worked 40 or so football games per season, and usually a handful are varsity, filling in on crews from around the area....I was not really interested in being on a set schedule for Friday nights.  It appears that will change this coming fall.

One of the crews from our association was changing a couple of members out, and inquired if this old man would be willing to join them....since they have a set schedule, and I would be working the same position each week, I agreed...with the provision, that I will be 63 years old come March, and that I would work with the crew one year/season at a time...not wanting to commit myself or them, if the aging back and legs cannot keep up.  

Speaking of age, you would not believe the average age of Varsity Football Officials in Ohio, last I looked the crew members around the state average age was 56!  As I mentioned before on this site, the one crew I filled in for on 3 occasions last season was in total, with me as head linesman, 282 years old, and that included a 27 year old line judge....this new permanent crew will be much younger, with me being the "old man" at 63.  

Enough rambling...time to take the Nitro out and head uptown....

back later>>>>

Photos-The Nitro, shown here last Spring, now looks better than even then, thanks to the repairs, following the early winter icy wreck...back problems, off and on, have been a part of my life for over 35 years...I do not want to undergo another epidural, let alone surgery, so I will do what I can to rest it, when I can....and football officiating changes are in my future, but first there is basketball to finish, and baseball season looms ahead, so I won't be getting ahead of myself.

"Running On Empty"....another Vietnam Reunion beckons

"Running On Empty"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJYRtOPUonA 

And the "Summer of 69"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f06QZCVUHg 

The songs above are two of my favorites...great beats and lyrics....not a big fan of Jackson Browne and his left wing politics to say the least, but I always try to separate the actor or musician from their politics, if they are good....if they suck, then I'm not going to watch or listen to them anyway, and for sure won't spend a dime to buy or watch their products.

One of the reason I like both of these songs is they take me back to my days when the future, while not clear or defined, was definitely ahead of me...if I could manage to survive what lay ahead.  Also the year 1969 was prominent in both....that was the year I went to Vietnam, and like no other, the pre Vietnam tour and the post Vietnam days were the dividing line in my life.  No, not because I had some soul revival, or saw the world differently, but because I was 20 years old....and like Bryan Adams and Browne, the world was coming into focus, and what I believed in was slowly but surely in my forward looking view....both politically and socially...it would take a few more years of raising Hell, but at least by this time I was understanding what I thought life was all about.

Another Vietnam Reunion______

The past couple of years have seen more and more get togethers with fellow Vietnam Veterans, not only those Sky Cops from my Air Force Vietnam Days, but grunts, ground pounders, and squids, from those days as well, guys I have met at the past couple of Kokomo Reunions...

As I have stated on here many times in the past 4 and 1/2 years of postings...I was not a gung ho type military guy....I despised the Air Force and it's rules, regulations, as well as the spit and polish of the Security Police field...which is why I was much better off working Security as opposed to Law Enforcement, they could hide me there, and I could lay much lower in the boondocks frequented by Security than I could ever do in LE.  This makes it all the more strange that my favorite time in the Air Force was the 6 month stint working Law Enforcement, daylight shift to boot, at Nha Trang, RVN.  I was lucky enough to have a solid NCOIC, the late Phil Lange, and a good shift boss in Staff Sgt Melvin Sloan...they kept me out of the brass asses way, and allowed me to live my life and work within the rules laid down, without giving much in return.

Once I headed south to Tan Son Nhut....I was once again in Security, but at night, working 8pm to 6am....I could pretty much hide, whether it be in the bunkers, flightlines, towers, or the beverage and food patrol I ran with Blue Flight the last 3 months of my tour there...when I was discharged at Griffiss AFB in upstate New York in May 1972, I am not sure who was happier...me or the AF brass who were more than happy to see my leave, Buck sargent stripes and all....May 5, 1972, the day I walked out of the gate, was, to that point, the happiest day of my life.

Times change however, and now, some 40 years and more later...I embrace the time I spent in service...no, it doesn't make me wax nostalgic and want to live those days again...I still hate the military life and rules, but I have gained a greater appreciation for those of us, most who would not have joined, if not for the draft coming after us.  It is with that in mind, I really enjoy, and I believe Patrica does as well, these get togethers we have.....with another one coming up in Dayton.

March 9th through 11th_____Hope Hotel

Just 5 months out from our VSPA Reunion in Dayton, which attracted some 200 or more guests, I am in the process of setting up another "Mini" Reunion back at Dayton and Wright-Patterson.  We last met two years ago at the Hope Hotel on base, after skipping a year because of the main reunion in Dayton last fall.   We have decided to toss another party this March.  How many will show, I do not know....but Patricia and I, along with at least Sam and Ruth Lewis from Virginia, and Doug Davis from Michigan will be there, as will others I am sure....once again we will down a few cold ones, break some bread, and let the BS fly.   As our numbers dwindle, these meetings become all the more important, before we all have faded away.

back later>>>>

Photos-The Defender Fortis Statue at the Air Force Museum is our usual meeting, greeting, and photo shooting stop at each of our Dayton Reunions....I doubt if I ever looked that sharp, spit, and polished, as that dude does.....Wayne Dezarn, shown with me at the statue, the late Larry Dotson, Mike Tillman, Rick Adams, my son Sam, and I held the first mini reunion at the museum for a few hours back in February 2007....the next two photos are from the frozen reunion in January 2009, and a bit warmer view from March 2010, inside the museum.  And these next two show my Nha Trang buddy Harry Bevan{right} and me...first in "That Summer of 69" then seeing each other for the first time in nearly 43 years at the Dayton Reunion last October...

Just a quickie...

quickie:  As in a quick post and I'm outta here....

Running behind____

After a Boys JH double header at Celina last night, I made a quick run to Dartball at St. Johns....lucky I did, a couple of the kids were sick and we would have had to forfeit....I was on time and made just enough players to get started on time and 3 games played.

As it was, we played better than last week, but still lost 2 of 3 to Mendon, to drop our second half record to 2 wins 7 loses....I went 9 for 19, all singles, with an RBI, to raise my average to .415, somewhere near the top of the league, depending on what the three guys ahead of me did last night.  Hopefully our players on the injured list, Martin and Cowboy, along with Sam, will be back in time for us to make a tournament run.

As far as the basketball, two good games with Celina defeating Fort Recovery in both the 7th and 8th grade games, both were close, as Celina's 8th grade team remains undefeated.  More whining than I like, by coaches and players, my partner Kathy, "teed" up the Celina 8th grade coach, and I warned a couple of players on both teams for showing too much emotion when a call went against them....but kept my record of no technical fouls called this season....although four of my partners have called "tees"....not that I am against calling them, I dished out five last year, but would rather let the game played out without those, if I can help it.

Tonight I am at Crestview for a girls JH double with their country rival, Lincolnview....off tomorrow and back at it Friday Night at Spencerville, then Saturday a double header boys 7th grade tournament at Wayne Trace....

Gotta go...back later>>>>

The Grandson and Wacky Weather...

The title just about describes the weekend just passed, in full.

Friday afternoon I slipped and slid my way north to Columbus Grove, up highway 66, US 30, and Ohio 65, the 54 miles to Putnam County, arriving about a half hour before the JV game between Grove and Spencerville....the visiting Bearcats led most of the way, before falling by four points to the host Bulldogs, the varsity game went much the same...Spencerville leading early only to fall behind and lose...but by that time I was on my way home.  The roads had not cleared off, and a nasty layer of ice was beneath the 4 inches of snow that was deposited.  The trip usually takes between 55 minutes and an hour...both trips, to Grove and back took about 1 hour and 15 minutes each way, a testament to the roads and there lack of treatment.   I'm not sure what's with the road crews this winter, not enough practice I guess?  It seems that the few snows, albeit not a heavy one in the bunch, they have not be able to keep the roads safe...that goes for in-town and out in the boon docks.

By the time I arrived home I was ready for a beer....youngest son Hal and grandson Kasyn had arrived earlier in the afternoon, so Hal and I had a beer and I sat down to watch more basketball on the tube....shortly after I sat down, the cell phone rang, and it was Jim the Wayne Trace Athletic Director, telling me the 7th grade tournament games at WT for Saturday morning had been cancelled, and could I work them the following weekend?   It happened to be I had next Saturday the 28th off, so I told him I could, cracked open another Black Lager, and knew that Saturday would bring no basketball, just a chance to get out the snow blowers and work on the drive-ways and sidewalks.

The walks and drive was passable, so I figured I would get mom's Toro out and do my place then load it up and head over to her place and take care of business....Foiled Again!  For some reason, her machine just wouldn't start.....in retrospect, I have to believe the gas/oil mix for that 2-stroke had settled and I poured a amount that the mix had jelled into it.....so, I gave that up, and pulled out my Big Machine and took care of my place...loaded her Toro up and took it over there, where while it still wouldn't fire, I noted that not much snow had piled up....so took out the snow shovel and made short order of the carport and sidewalks....I will have to drain the fuel in her machine and probably change the plug....at least before the next snow, which isn't yet in the forecast....meanwhile Mother Nature took care of the rest of the snow on her own....early today.

The temperatures rose to 54 overnight, the wind picked up, and a batch of heavy thunderstorms rolled through about 3 this morning, taking care of all the snow, except the few amounts that had been piled up by the plows in town.

The K-man spends the weekend____

With Hal's wife Lisa out of town in Tennessee with friends to prepare for one of those friends wedding, they decided to give the Houseworth grandparents a chance to spend our first long term quality time with the newest member of the Houseworth family.....

Hal, Kasyn, and the two dogs, Kam and Avery, arrived just before I left for Columbus Grove on Friday afternoon, and stayed for almost 48 hours, heading back to Centerville about 1pm yesterday.  While Patricia and Hal took turns getting up with Kasyn during the night, and changing the diapers, I had the opportunity to hold him when I wanted, while spending much of the weekend watching  roundball and playing the racing game on Hal's IPad....a pretty easy and enjoyable weekend, once the Saturday basketball was cancelled, and the snow blowing finished.....

By the time they packed up and left, Patricia seemed just a depressed for a few hours, missing her grandson, after getting to spend quality time with him...truth be told, I missed him as well....but quickly fell back into my routine, as I spent the remainder of Sunday, sipping on a couple of cold brews, and watching two pretty good football games, which both went my way, as the Giants and Patriots move on to the Super Bowl in two weeks.  Not that I'm a big Giants or New England fan, frankly I could care less...except I never have like San Fran or Baltimore, and their two coaches, the brothers Harbaugh, rub me the wrong way.....just something about those two that I don't like.

Anyway, that was the weekend past....now back to the usual routine.  Tonight I stick around Celina, and will work a boys Junior High double as they take on Fort Recovery....tomorrow girls at Crestview, before a final day off for the week on Wednesday.   The rest of the week will be busy, including running up to Van Wert on Thursday after another Celina JH double to attend a Baseball Association organizational meeting....another sign that spring cannot be far off.

back later>>>

Photos-Kasyn, who turns 2 months tomorrow, spent the weekend with the grandparents...while not have a snow filled winter, like last year{pictured here}, the Snow Machine, now about a dozen years old it working fine...while the newer Toro leaves something to be desired....lightning/thunderstorms in January are a rare sight, but for a couple of hours the winds howled, the rains came, and we got a mid winter show overnight....and Grandpa and the "K-man" relax in the leather recliner yesterday before the boys headed back to the Dayton area....

Winter hits it's Zenith

Zenith:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenith

Tomorrow January 21st is what most consider the point historically in Winter, where we hit rock bottom{isn't that the opposite of  "zenith"?}...being on average this will be the coldest day of the year.....As I woke up a bit late this morning{isn't retirement great?} I noted 8 above zero...which in my recollection was tied for the coldest morning of the season....and if this is as bad as it gets, that is not too bad.

They are calling for 2 to 4 inches of snow tonight, which could make my drive north to Columbus Grove{not to be confused with or anywhere near the state capitol of Columbus}, and back 'interesting" again...it seems every time I get a Friday night game a long distance away, Mother Nature decides to toss me a curve ball.  I was hoping that if the snow was coming, it would come early and cancel the game...otherwise, stay the Hell away....because tomorrow early, I have to climb out and head back north for a 7th grade tournament double header at Wayne Trace....and I really am not looking forward to anymore sliding this winter, one crash is already one too many.

Speaking of icy roads....

Despite only an inch or so of snow locally yesterday, it made a mess of the streets and roads.  The inch was the small flakes of ice type, and Celina and Mercer County were slippery as it gets....heading to Convoy to work a girls double header last night, it took me 50 minutes as compared to the usual 35 or so....the trouble was strictly in Mercer, by the time I reached Van Wert County, the roads were better, and the light snow had ended.  Coming home I opted for the main roads, and despite some slippery spots, they were drivable.

The Weekend Ahead____

Patricia is pretty well ready for the coming weekend....Hal and the "K-man" are coming this afternoon, and spending most of the weekend, through Sunday afternoon, with us.  Hal's wife Lisa is joining some friends driving to Tennessee to prepare for their friends wedding in Georgia in March...so the boys are on their own, and Kasyn, just a few days away from being two months old, will spend some time with the Grandparents on this side....it's been many years since we had one that young staying here, his dad being the youngest, so make that some 27 and 1/2 years.

Hal, Kasyn, and watching the NFC and AFC playoffs is about it....the games themselves, without much interest, although I will tend to root for New England and the Giants, just because the Harbaugh brothers, coaching Baltimore and San Fran, tend to rub me the wrong way....

That's is about it for the week.....back later>>>>  

Photos- The first 3 photos are of our drive-ways in winter, after an Ohio and Wisconsin Blizzards...By all accounts, as winter, reaches it's mid point temperature and snow wise, this has been a mild one so far...compared to the top photo from 1984(the year Hal was born) when we lived out on the old Andrews Farm on Coldwater Creek...that was a winter!  As were the years living in the boondocks on northern Wisconsin, on a farm located between Wausau and Merrill....the next photos are from a Blizzard in March of 1979, I was lucky to escape with my life driving home that night...it was close.  And finally Hal and Kasyn, youngest son and first grandchild, will be staying with us this weekend while wife and mom Lisa is out of town....we are looking forward to the "K-Man" spending some time with us....

Dogs of War.....Vietnam to Afghanistan

More winter-like weather is here, but even that is not supposed to be anything severe, or to even stick around for any length of time...rain by Monday, and mid to upper 40s by the middle of next week.  On average Saturday is not only the day of the shortest amount of daylight in this part of the world, it is also on average the coldest day of the year...meaning, beginning Monday, the average high and low temperatures will start to rise...the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel{winter}.  I can't say I won't be happy for warmer temperatures, but as mild, as opposed to the dire predictions, as this winter has been, without much snow, I cannot complain so far.  Love me some Global Warming!

Less than two months away from my first baseball scrimmage umpire gig, and my schedule for the coming spring season, is pretty well full....topping it off yesterday contracting for a March 31st Triple Header{weather permitting} at Delphos St. Johns on that Saturday.  Meanwhile, with three of the last four days off, I am back to basketball tonight with a girls JH double at Crestview, tomorrow north to Columbus Grove for a JV boys game, and finishing off the weekend with a morning 7th grade tournament double at Wayne Trace.

The Dogs of War_____

 Being a member of the Air Force Security Police from 1968-72, I had a chance to see the working dogs of war, especially during my time at Tan Son Nhut in 1970, working both perimeter security and the Blue Flight protection of the inner workings of that largest of Air Bases in Vietnam during the war.

When assigned to SP School at Lackland AFB, Texas, in the summer of 1968, we were given the opportunity to be dog handlers, and even though my family had always had dogs, from Coon Hounds, to Airedales, to toy types, to mutts of all varieties, I wasn't inclined to be a dog handler.  One main reason, I knew where dog folks ended up....that would be Vietnam, working the outer and inner crevices of bases such as Nha Trang and TSN...if I was going there, and I did, I wanted to be in a somewhat safe location...dog handlers did not get those "perks".  Being an Air Force SP Dog Handler was among the most dangerous of duties one could draw in the Air Force during the Vietnam War.

The regular Sky Cops, both Law Enforcement and Security didn't hang around the puppy patrol guys much during the war, they were their own click, and any conversation we might have had, was usually reserved for my time on Jeep patrol, when I would stop and give the handler a cup of coffee...from what I remember, the dogs provided better conversation, than many of the handlers.


fast forward to 1999 the VSPA____

When I found and joined the Vietnam Security Police Association, I noticed that many of the members, and most of the founders of the organization were from that group of Dog Handlers at Tan Son Nhut and other bases in Vietnam....and to this day, 13 years later, they are still the heart and soul of the VSPA.  John Langley, who signed me up, Phil Savage, and Doug Davis, are among the former handlers that I consider friends, even though we never met until after Vietnam, and see each other only on occasion at Dayton or Kokomo, during reunions.  Yesterday I received an e-mail from Doug concerning the hotel accommodations for this March and our annual Mini-Reunion at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton.....while we were exchanging e-mails he sent me a short video and photos of Remmy.

Here is the e-mail I received, along with photos and a short video of Remmy, from Doug Davis:

"Don’t forget to mention that these Retired Military Working Dogs and Contractor Dogs are available for adoption.

I didn’t have a dog until November 08 since I got out in September 70. My last dog was 831F Bullet at WPAFB 6-69 to 9-70. (Mike M401 6-67 to 2-68 Lackland (dog school)  & SJAFB- Smoke 978X Phu Cat 3-68 to 3-69)

November 08 we got Ringo C261 and had him until 2-11. (unfortunately we had to put him down due to illness) In 6-11 we got contractor dog Remmy. These two dogs have changed our life. They give so much to families with their hearts. Both dogs have at least 100+ friends because we take them everywhere and tell the story about their duty.

These dogs are so happy to be free and able to roam in the house and not be stuck in a run. Most dogs are in a run six months before they end up with their family from adoption. Like anyone, freedom is a big deal and they show it after reaching a home". 

Doug     

 When meeting men like Doug, Phil, and John, you realize that even though it has been 40-45 years since they were Air Force Dog Handlers, they never really stopped being one.  They remember the dogs they trained and handled during the war years, even for a short time(usually less than one year), they never stopped remembering those days and dogs....

Frankly the dogs from Vietnam were treated like shit when it was time to retire them, not by the handlers, but by the Military and the US Government....the same so called "leaders" that treated the men of war like crap, treated the dogs that saved many a life, like so much disposable garbage...just one more reason I have no respect for military authority, or our Government...but most of my regular readers know my thoughts on those, so I will move on....here now is a video of Remmy in the war zone.....

http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x255/garacer/?action=view&current=OEFIV064.mp4 

The cousins of the Vietnam dogs of war are now treated much better than those of my era....and by chance if you would like to give one a home.....I am sure Doug will be glad to help you....e-mail here{no spam please}:

dedavis@charter.net 

Contact Doug if you are interested in helping out one of these heroes of war.

Photos-"Remmy" in Michigan this past fall, and Remmy in Afghanistan  Doug at the Dayton Reunion last fall, and with Remmy shortly thereafter in Michigan, and Remmy with his American Contractor handler in the Afghanistan front.

Just Reflecting.....

Reflecting...http://thinkexist.com/dictionary/meaning/reflecting/

I guess today's blog can be dedicated to Cars, Wrecks, Beer, Sports and a combination of same "reflections"

"Topper" 1937______

I sit here this morning, watching one of my old comedy favorites..."Topper" the Cary Grant, Constance Bennett, Roland Young, vehicle from 1937....it comes on Turner Movie Classics from time to time, and by today's standards is anything but politically correct...can you imagine the bean counters, and Liberals that ruin, er run, Hollywood today allowing a comedy that makes lite of drunken driving, in anything but a crude way?  Anyway, Grant and Bennett meet their demise in what is nothing less than a drunk driving accident, then proceed to "haunt" their stuff shirt banker buddy, Roland Young ...aka:  "Topper"...well acted and classic....needless to say they don't make them like this anymore.  Sure the movie calls it a tire blow out at high speeds, but given the opening, it doesn't take much imagination to realize that the couple had been partaking more often than not in liquid delights before getting behind the wheel.

The Nitro Returns_____

After the January 2nd wreck on the slippery streets of my birth town of Van Wert, Ohio, with no alcohol involved on my part, Patricia's Dodge Nitro went into the shop at St. Henry's Carriage Werks...the body shop is a busy place, and one of the best....finally the Nitro was returned last night, thus allowing Patricia to have her vehicle back, and me to sleep in....which I still couldn't do this morning...the aging Airedale, Reagan, got me up at 6am, while the wife was working out at the Snaps Fitness Center...and that was it, I was up, and not heading back to the sack.

I am glad the Dodge is fixed, however, not sure if I want to drive it again, at least anytime soon....feeling much more at home in the 98 Buick Montana...hardly a classic vehicle, but it suits me for now....however, with winter finally here, I realize that I do miss the Jeep Wrangler, although it's been gone for 6 months and I had not driven it in almost a year now...oh' well, what the Hell?  I'm sure I will need another "manly" vehicle one more time before I die, but at this point I am content to drive the "Soccer Mom" vehicle....{he writes while rolling his eyes}.

Winter Brews____

Regular or casual readers of this blog know I enjoy beer....lots of beer.  No so much I get drun very often, but enough over the years if not for partaking in the liquid hops, I probably would be financially better off....but I'm sure I would have spent my extra cash on something else.  

Anyway, during the summer and baseball umpire season, I am usually content on downing large quantities of American Large brews such as Miller Lite...however once the air turns cooler, about October, I switch taste buds....from the flavorful Oktoberfest brews in the fall, to the Dark Lager and Stouts from European recipes in the winter....Sam Adams, Blue Moon, and Guinness, are among the regular brewery selections I frequently purchase...but I am always looking for a new favorite, at a reasonable price....It appears that I have found a new one...but sadly, having found it, it's hard to keep in stock, seems I, and one other person, have bought out the local stock.


Kostritzer is the brand name and Schwarzbier, a German Black Lager, is what it is.  I had some over a year ago, when my buddy Bill Clem treated me to a Columbus Blue Jacket hockey game in October 2009...I liked it then, but had not been able to find a suitable bottle of it until a couple of weeks ago....then, once found, and purchased, the few six packs were gone within a week, and the local speciality beer barn is waiting on it's next delivery....so in the meantime, I will stick with Guinness Dark Larger, Blue Moon Abby Ale, and others that I find appealing.  One thing I have discovered, is I do not enjoy the Dark Amber, as opposed to Black shaded Lagers....it just comes down to taste.  But you can be sure, I will be on the lookout for Kostritzer's Schwarzbier, and buy out the stock when possible.


Basketball last night___

Back at Wayne Trace last night...where they were playing five games....a Junior High double header, a Freshman game followed by the JV and Varsity games....the JH games were on the small court, while the rest were in the main gym.  My young cousin, Aaron Hockenberry, and I had the Freshman boys(they all were boys contests) game....which went down to the wire, as the home team was upset by visiting Continental 29-27.   I was home by 7pm.  No game tonight, then Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, will see me officiate four Junior High games, sandwiched around a JV Boys game on Friday night at Columbus Grove.  Aaron, who was a good HS roundball player and played some in college, has the potential to be a good basketball official, hopefully he will stick with it in the coming seasons.

Baseball Umpiring____

With the first local baseball rules meeting just two weeks away, and the on-line state rules meeting up and running on January 26th, I have been checking out my gear and uniforms, and deciding what new purchases I might need to make....at the least, at least one pair of base pants, and a new facemask are in order....and perhaps other items as well.  When checking out the dealerships, one thing is obvious, the costs of replacement items is not going down.

Haircut Time?

 

That is enough "reflecting" for one day.....


back later>>>>

Thunderstorms, Debates, and Dartball....

Out of bed at 7 this morning, I checked "The Weather Channel" on the Internet.  I long ago gave up watching that "Global Warming Science is God" Network on TV.  Since NBC took over the original Weather Channel, it has become a mix of left wing political junk, mixed with fake global warming 'fact', and endless stories of people surviving or chasing tornadoes...what ever happened to the damn forecast?  Anyway, I checked the Radar, and noticed a large batch of heavy rain coming our way...and it did arrive minutes later.  I also noted that the temperature was a balmy 53 degrees, on January 17th no less...it was actually one degree warmer than my old hometown of Venice, Florida, some 1000 miles to the south....go figure!

The rain will end today, and be replaced by 40 mph winds and much colder temperatures by the time I awake tomorrow morning....more like 20 degrees, with a windchill factor probably below zero....that too won't last, by Sunday they are predicting temps back into the 50s...crazy weather indeed for this winter season.


 Dartball_______

Sam drove home from Columbus yesterday, basically just to play Dartball, so he would be tournament eligible at season's end...and that is basically our reason to play.  We were swept, by Rockford last night, not that they threw that well...but without our leading RBI man, we are a very bad team....I pushed my Average back above .400, going 6 for 12, but even with me batting .404, we are not hitting together, and appear in for a long second half of the season.  Gene, "Cowboy" Linn is down after back surgery, and 93 year old Martin is also out...our aging team, even with some new blood, is but a shell of our glory years of the late 90s and early 2000s.  Hopefully everybody will be back and playing well, so we can make a tournament run, much like we have done the past three years, where we have placed  tourney runners up in two of those years.  For now we will muddle on, hopefully winning a game or series, here and there.

The South Carolina Debate_____

I got home in time to watch the last hour or so of the GOP/Fox Debate in South Carolina....and the first thing I saw happen was Newt Gingrich knocking a question by race baiting Juan Williams out of the park....Seems Juan, like every other dung-for-brains Liberal cannot figure out why you might need to show some identification if your are going to vote...duh!  Sure the corrupt Obammy Administration wants illegals and criminals to vote, he has that vote locked up, which is where most of them should be....locked up that is.

While Newt was kicking Juan's ass, Ron Paul was proving again he is a doddering old fool when it comes to Islamic Terrorism, and National Defense.  The guy is a senile relic and cannot be trusted to figure out what day it is, let alone how to fight terrorism.  All of his freedom and economic issues aside, he is clueless, and his supporters, at least in large part, are becoming nothing more than hate filled, free speech preventing, radicals, out of the 1960s mentality.  While I agree with his "bring the troops home, close down the Europe Bases" stance....he, or anybody else that thinks the radical Islamic hordes will live beside us in peace...is a Gawd Damn Fool.

With the debate over, I gave Newt a narrow win, from at least the parts I watched, Paul was the loser, despite the crying and denials from his rabid supporters like Patriot Radio host Mike Church....Ron Paul was laid open like a beached whale...his campaign is done, the only thing he can do now, is lead his mind numbed followers on a mission to re-elect Barack "Insane" Obama.

So for now, my support remains with Rick Santorum....but I am open to just about anybody, except Obammy the Kenchurian Candidate....even Ron Paul, while getting us killed by Islam, he would at least cut our taxes and Government spending.  

The South Carolina Primary is up Saturday, then regardless of outcome, it's on to Florida....for me it's.back to basketball tonight, a Freshman boys game at Wayne Trace.

back later>>>>

Photos--The Radar as it looked at 7am...the heavy storms rolling across Indiana into Western Ohio...meanwhile, mid January and our temperature was a degree warmer than down in Venice...go figure~The Dartball season drags, personally I'm having my usual season, a .400 plus batting average or above, but the team continues to struggle to win on a consistent basis...and the GOP Debate, thanks to a photo from The Blaze, droned on in South Carolina last night...Florida is next.

Political Views Part #6, a final look....Winter Makes a Showing

The weekend finally saw a taste of winter, although nothing out of the ordinary...we ended up with perhaps three inches of snow, and plenty of wind.  Yesterday the temperatures finally settled in the single digit range, about 8 above by the time I awoke...things will warm up for a couple of days, probably melting the snow, then colder for middle and late week.

As I traveled back from Ada Friday night, after officiating, Interstate 75 was a mess...the lite snow was being blown across the north-south highway, and the cars and 18 wheelers were packing it into a thin icy mess....the usual idiots with front wheel and 4WD vehicles thinking they cold go the speed limit were ending up in the various ditches and guardrails along 75...with my experience two weeks ago, while having a fender bender, driving 5 mph, I took it easy, and made it home safe and without incident.

Saturday with JV games, Girls in St. Marys, and Boys at Crestview, I finished off my 10 game week...this coming week it gets a bit easier, less busy, and will stay that way until my season is completed on February 24th.  Frankly I am tired, and ready for the fews weeks off between roundball and baseball, which for me begins on my 63rd birthday,  March 16, 2012, with a scrimmage at Lima Central Catholic.

Speaking of baseball, I have already received my first post season assignment, a Sectional Game on May 9th...with the new rules concerning the post season and who works it, I'm pretty pleased that I was among the first to get an assignment.  More sectional locations will select their picks, then the District, Regional, and State games will be handed out come April..and by that time, hopefully the spring will have turned warm and somewhat dry.....unlike last year, when it remained wet throughout the early baseball season.

Political Views....a final look!

After the 1976 disaster, known as the Election of Jimmy Carter, I finished up studies at Hocking, moved back to Celina, where I attended Wright State Lake Campus for a year, then when finished there, I chucked it all and Patricia and I along with the Airedales, Rag and Max, the mutts, Ginny and Dixie, and the stupid cat, moved to the frozen north country...Wausau, Wisconsin, where I worked on the ski hills, bartended, and took classes at Trans American School of Broadcasting....finishing up there in the summer of 1978.  For the next few years I would be "living on the radio" in such places as Wausau and Merrill, Wisconsin, Kokomo, Indiana, and Dodge City, Kansas, before returning to Celina, where I would play Program Director at the local station, before turning my attention to Environmental Health work full time, and broadcasting would become a second and part-time paid hobby, for the next 20 years.

My politics became pretty well solidified by this time....While in Dodge City, early on in the 1980 Presidential Campaign, I had the chance, during the Kansas Primary, to interview, George Bush 1, Reagan, and Ted "The Swimmer" Kennedy.  But by that time I had already decided to cast my lot with Reagan.  Kennedy was challenging Carter, because he was not "Liberal" enough...lol, can you imagine that?  Jimmy "F-ing" Carter, not liberal enough?...meanwhile Bush and Reagan were doing fierce battle...George Bush one, the ultimate RINO, and Reagan, a true Conservative...both were far superior to Carter, or the bloated man-slaughtering Kennedy.

Reagan would to on to win that primary, the nomination, pick Bush as his running mate, to placate the moderates in the GOP, and easily defeat the dimwitted Carter, despite the appearance of another RINO, liberal John Anderson, as a 3rd party candidate.   We would have eight great years, bringing America back to respect, slap the shit out of Islamic Radicals, and repair the economy.  Sadly however, it's been all downhill since Ronald Reagan left office in 1989.  The past 22 years have seen nitwits, RINOs, fornicating hillbillies, Marxists, and Jackasses, hold office, and all variety of same have served in the White House....topped off by the Marxist Kenyan son of a Kansas whore we are currently saddled with...a man, in name only, that has as his Mission #1. destroying the Republic, his main goal...there are no Ronald Reagan's on the horizon.  Only a group of self absorbed Socialist Ambulance Chasers, and worse....even the most Conservative of the Republicans running for President in 2012, is less "conservative" than John F. Kennedy was...that's how far we have sunk as a country.  The media, the so called "5th Estate" has become nothing more than a sound bite filled bankrupt voice of the Democratic Party and the infiltrating filth of what's wrong with the USA these days.


So, there you have it....a rambling look at my politics, from Ike to Reagan...I've become more conservative{see far right} over the 55 years I have followed politics...and I've come to despise Liberals and the Government more....

My opinions include one which would surly piss off some of my fellow veterans and conservative patriots....I told my boys, when they were in high school,  not to enlist in the military....because frankly, a people that would elect Bill Clinton, not once but twice, to the office of President, was probably not worth fighting for....and now, with one illegal Marxist named Barry Soetoro, aka Barack "Insane" Obama, in the highest office in the land....that opinion has intensified...while I love this country, and love it's history, the current "Nanny State" with career political hacks is not what our founding fathers had in mind....if alive today, they would be leading a second American Revolution....and their muskets would be aimed straight at Washington DC....we have become a nation of "entitlement slaves", one were less that 40% of it's citizens actually work, or if they work, work on the taxpayers dole....and frankly I was one of those for 20 years...a fact that doesn't dim my distaste for what we have become at all.


I'm not sure what will happen this coming November, I suspect that by hook or crook, Obama will be re-elected....and if that happens, you best be prepared, because if the Mayan Calender is wrong, and the world doesn't end....what is coming to America and the World, is not for the weak and cowardly.  Let the game of war for our soul begin.....


back later>>>>


Photos-While Reagan and George Washington, both American Heroes, rode horses, today we are saddled with Horse's Asses, like the departed Ted Kennedy, who drank and fornicated his way through life, and Hillbilly Bill Clinton, who screwed anything with a skirt on in his 8 miserable years in the White House...What would our Founding Fathers, like Ben Franklin, of yesteryear think?  I suspect, "Washington DC?...let's get out the rope and find the nearest tall Oak Tree"

My Political Views, Part 5, along comes Ronald Reagan...

A taste of winter has come....the lite amount of snow, maybe 3 inches, was not the problem. it was and is the wind...45 mph when gusting, making the small amounts of snow blow, and dropping the chill factors below zero for the first time this season.

I got my double header Junior High game in at Wayne Trace, and headed the 35 miles home..Paulding County had some icy roads, but as I traveled south, conditions improved....it appears that continued overnight, while the schools here were on a two hour delay, the schools to the north cancelled classes....including Ada, where I am scheduled to officiate tonight, however since they are hosting nearby Allen East, the game is still on, at least for now....a decision will be made later in the day.  Two more games on the agenda, one in St. Marys and a night JV game at Crestview, will finish off my 10 game schedule for the week.

My Political Views..part #5...The Coming of Reagan___

As the sixties moved into the decade of the 1970s, and I finished up my four year Air Force stint, I had pretty set my ways and my views on politics....I had become a far right kind of person, but with the notable exceptions that included the following:

I hated authority, and refused to follow or bow to it.  I was in constant trouble in the military, frankly, because I though most of the rules and regulations were pure BS, that had nothing to do with national security or serving my country.   Some of my battles with so-called "superiors" are chronicled in the past four and 1/2 years on this blog.  I also had a Libertarian streak....with the notable exception of Abortion, I came to believe that whatever one did, if it didn't affect others in a negative way, was OK by me....I have modified those views over the past 40 years, but basically they remain as they were in my later years in the Air Force.

After the Air Force days which lasted from  1968-72, I "enjoyed", for the most part, my next 4 years, raising Hell, working as a bartending, bouncing, manager of a youthful nightclub in Celina, and really not caring or thinking much about politics.  Nixon came, and I voted for him in 1972, back when you had to be 21 to vote, but could drink at 18...those of course have been reversed, why I don't know....the fact of the matter is, 18 year old kids are to naive and stupid to vote, of course given the fact the 53% of the voting population voted for Barack Obama in the last election, the kids were not the only dumb asses pulling the switch for a half wit fool in 2008 election.

Nixon went down in 1974, and was replaced by the inept Gerald Ford, not a bad guy, but nothing special...and when Ronald Reagan challenged him early in 1976 for the GOP nomination...I jumped on board.  By this time I was in college, spending my first years at Hocking Technical College, majoring in Environmental Health.  When Reagan was narrorly defeated by Ford for the nomination, I held my nose and supported Ford over another inept fool, one named Jimmy Carter.  A peanut brained clown that made LBJ look competent.  Carter won, and America sank into the deepest bowels of a recession, and to our lowest level of respect as a nation...Carter was indeed, and still is, a pitiful clown of a man and President...by the time 1980 rolled around, despite a 3rd party effort from a RINO named John Anderson, Ronald Reagan would win the White House...the next 8 years, despite a Carter caused bumpy start, would look pretty good for the country and Republic...the "Reagan Years" were some of the best in the later part of the 20th Century, and as good as it would get for years to come.  We are still waiting for better days.

More next week, beginning with Part #6, on Monday.....

back later>>>>

Photos-Our first real taste of winter, with a bit of snow and winds to move it around, came last night.  Ronald Reagan, the actor came on the National Scene as Governor of California in the 1960s...then after a failed bit to take the GOP reins in 1976, defeated a useless Jimmy Carter in 1980....Carter, has to rank in any honest persons estimate as one of the 5 most useless Presidents in American History.