Epic Fury

 

Saturday, February 28, 2026

Flipped on the TV when I woke up this morning to be smacked in the face with the news that we (partnering with Israel) are at war with Iran – attacking Iran in “Epic Fury”. Trump is a man of his word ... unlike many. He is a man of action ... unlike many.  I will follow the news today for sure – am gearing up for the insanity of the typical short sighted political fallout in this country from the leftist Democrats. TDS continues to flourish. Today's Democratic party is not the Democratic party of past generations; that's for sure.  Oh ...  if only we all could unite as Americans in this endeavor to protect the future of the free world.  If only are the key words. ….  I fear that may be too much to ask or to even hope for.  We will see. Hopefully the world will end up a better, safer place for future generations. It would be a blessing if the country could pull together in this -- in support of the goal of ensuring world wide peace for future generations.

Sunday, March 1, 2026

Paraphrasing the words of a brilliant woman who shall remain unnamed and mixing those words with mine -- People who know remarked that the timing of Epic Fury was perfect thanks totally to the astute leadership of this administration. Excellent Team. Of course the elitist Democrats, who have not accomplished much to be proud of in the past 50 or so years, weigh in as only they can and do.  A lot of mouth. Very little action. They are good at screaming and sitting. No surprise that the criticism started almost immediately.  

These are the same Democrats, by the way, who found themselves unable to stand for American heroes, mothers of murdered children, or the US Olympic, gold medal winning hockey team at the SOTU. These are the same  Democrats who won't fund ICE, won't support voter ID and who shutdown the government in their short sightedness and in an attempt to get their own way.  They, once again behave as pouters and sore losers. They are like bratty children who take their toys and go home when they don't get their own way. Most of them lack the courage to stand alone or even to stand at all. They travel in groups, much like the mythical lemmings and the cliff. These are the same Democrats who are critical of our country and its current administration perhaps because they are too caught up in themselves and cannot see past their jealousy and greed (Speaking of -- how do some of these elite Democrats make so much money while they are supposedly humbly serving the American people?).  It appears that they simply cannot accept that President Trump and his team know how to get things done and have the courage to actually do it. Courage is key here. as is power through strength.  

Perhaps it is making a difference for all American people and the whole world that bothers Democrats the most. They have become, in large part, a group of do-nothing complainers, poor singers and protesters in silly costumes. In this -- they accomplish nothing of significance. Sad really. Compare people in frog and giraffe costumes singing off key in contrast to men and women in uniform fighting to protect even them. Oh wait - Democrats in positions of power today are good at two things -- making money off the American people and lying ... dubious talents at best. Please don't fall for it. Fraud has become an important word of the day. It is all coming to light now.

March 2, 2023

Not feeling much love toward England, and France in seeing their luke warm, wimpy, and begrudging support.  They are not being very good friends. Let's remember that.

My respect grows for fellow Pennsylvanian, John Fetterman.  Obviously he is a man who has the courage of his convictions and is not afraid to stand alone. I watch him with respect. I admit that I had misjudged him at first.

March 3, 2026

Tell me again what the UN does??? Remind me of what the UN has been doing lately???  Perhaps Melania Trump may inspire them.  As for the leadership of Spain.  Good luck. You have shown your true colors.

March 4, 2026

It is day five now.  I have been listening, watching, thinking....  Amazing results are being reported out of Iran and across the Middle East.  Talking heads and leftist Democrats continue to rail against our country and sit on their hands.  Instead of just criticizing, wouldn't it be wonderful if even one would come up with a constructive pro American idea? Perhaps that is too much to ask.  It has been so far.  

March 5, 2026

Personally, I am going to give this whole process some time.  It has only been five days -- not a lot of time really and a lot has been accomplished.  We will see.

May God Bless America and all those who protect and serve. 

For those of you who suffer from TDS, I wish you healing and calm. It's not your turn now and you blew it when it was. You totally missed your chance. Your time was an Epic Fail.  I know this must be hard for you. Please consider that this is, perhaps, a time to close ranks and stand together as a country with all the "other" Americans. We welcome you. United We Stand.

AI Stalker

There are a lot of things in our fast changing world that I simply do not understand and maybe never will.  I grew up, after all, in a age of limited TV channels, no twenty-four hour news and phones that do not do math or connect you to social media. There was no social media. There were no such words as streaming, apps, Starlink, internet, and "cells" were where prisoners lived.  When I ordered something it was by check through a catalog and the USPS.  It took days, sometimes weeks, for the package to be delivered. Master Cards didn't even appear until the late 60"s and at that time the first computers were the size of large rooms.  Now... we never leave home without our small computer phones and somewhat suddenly find ourselves with AI which I find it sort of creepy although ...  I have used it to find things like a valid phone number to reach Amazon or how to disable the spying stuff on my new 24" Smart TV.  That TV, by the way, is referred to as a postage stamp TV by some of my beloved. I find that to be really funny.  Anyway -- back to the point.  Does it bother anyone else that AI just suddenly appeared on your phone, computer and other devices? No one asked for it.  It was just there   -- an uninvited guest lurking everywhere you go.  Further -- you can't get it to leave.  Seriously I hope AI does a better job in driverless cars, translations of important documents, and in training doctors.

Focus on it for a moment. Artificial Intelligence. And to think I used to think that you could just unplug it and go on your merry way.  Now it pops up everywhere -- an unwanted stalker.  I have told it to go away but it doesn't listen well.  Case in point.  The other day it offered a unasked for summary of an email exchange that I had with a friend.  Neither party asked for a summary, but there it was. AI is a bit of a show off but without a soul.  I share it with you now.  AI concluded that:

".... the thread is a casual exchange of personal updates with no outstanding request or required actions."

Actually that email contained a lot of important information and conveyed things  like how people felt about certain situations -- feelings and opinions -- thoughts. Personally I wish AI would go away or come out only when you ask it to.  Like I said - sort of creepy.  For those of you of my vintage -- AI has become the nosey neighbor who made it a habit of listening in on your party line or watched you from behind a curtain. Again  -- sort of creepy. Right? The big difference is that AI lives in your home and is everywhere you go.

Darth Vadar On Ice

This weather!!!

I actually forget what day I started writing this blog, but it doesn't really matter because this entry describes just one of many days this winter in NW Pennsylvania where the township where I live and that I so love (Erie Co. Wayne Twp.) now holds the record for the most snow in the entire Commonwealth so far this season. I realize that is a dubious thing to be known for, but just think -- it could be much worse.  Anyway ...

In addition to over 12 feet of snow so far this season -- it's not just cold here.  It is brutal. It was -14º (feels like -24º) when I first checked this morning.  Now it is up to -11º,  but it is okay because it only (feels like -11º ) so there must be no wind to at the moment.  And to think that today is the day I simply must make myself go out to run a couple of errands.  At least the temperature is moving in the right direction. I hear that it may reach zero today before it heads back down into the "belows" - as in below zero.  Today will be a hat, scarf, boots and gloves day (thankful here for long underwear), and I will put on my special cold weather coat before I leave… that will be layer number 4. 

This coat is worthy of further description -- this is an ugly down filled puffy coat that goes almost to my ankles. It has served me well for too many years to count. I reserve it for days like this one. It is black, waterproof, and has a rather scraggly looking fake fur lined hood as well -- sort of gives me a puffy fluffy 5' 2" Darth Vader appearance without the hardware. Now I am wondering if lightsabers give off any heat and am sort of wishing I had one to help melt ice as I walk the 200+ feet to my mailbox and then back. (Sometimes I even wear this coat if I drive my Jeep to get the mail.)  It is an impressive winter garb even if on the ugly side.  I can't forget to add that it has so much filler in it that it cushions falls on ice.  I know this from experience. I really should give the coat a name.

If you live in a "colder clime", you tend to think a lot about the weather. In NW Pennsylvania, we talk a lot about it too. Some refer to it as a "character builder" and maybe even take pride in being "hearty stock" or a "survivor".  Personally, however, I am relishing the current forecast of temperatures above 30º.  Around here that is sweatshirt weather. We talk about that too and laugh at people who think 50º is cold or who whine about what we call a dusting of snow... anything under 6 ". One more thing...  in spite of it all -- I must mention -- I prefer North to South.  I can always manage to get warmer.  I find it hard to get cooler. I dislike sweating. Plus -- I am am way past the shorts and sleeveless stage of life. I have become a lover of thick socks, jeans, and baggy sweaters with a scarf around my shoulders. I own at least 7 pair of boots that look worn-out because they sort of are.  This has become my uniform. It is my comfort zone. I have even been known to iron my jeans for dress up occasions.  No apologies. That is just one of the things I love about being my age.  You get away with stuff.

Hanging on here until Spring... Can't wait for  "I wonder where the birdies is...".

Stay warm and take care....   If you see a guy with a snow plow -- say Thank You!  

If you live somewhere around here where you know what it is like to feel like your eyeballs are freezing.  They are.  Time to go inside.

This too shall pass.

Like a Log

Sleep is an important and wonderful "thing". I am thankful for it. Ironically... as a child you can't wait until you are grown up so that you can stay up late. Late was around 9 PM in my childhood world.  Then when you are older... or old...  trying to stay awake until 9 PM may be a difficult goal to attain.  I rarely make it until then. Some say that "9 PM is the new midnight" or "the older I get, the earlier it gets late." Have you noticed that sleep is a popular topic?

"Hit the Hay."

"Catch some Z's."

Sleep tight; don't let the bed bugs bite."

"Sweet dreams."

"Call it a day."

"Slept like a log."

Do sleep phrases run in families?  There certainly are a lot of ways to talk about it.

Another thing I've noticed is that people sleep differently. Some are night owls. Others, not so much.  I usually crash early and fall asleep within minutes without even thinking about it.  It happens rarely, but ...  if I wake up in the middle of the night and fall back asleep, I have weird dreams that I often do not want to remember or even think about.  Mostly though, since I go to bed earlyish, I just get up when I wake up at 3 or 4.  The predawn hours are peaceful, quiet and, being an almost morning person, I often work on a blog or do desk work.  If, for some reason, I do sleep in to a "normal" time, I feel like half the day is gone and everything feels off. I am behind before I even begin. My son jokes that people of my generation can get an entire day's work done before 8 AM.  The thing is -- I am starting to see this wake up early tendency in both my kids and they are not even 50 yet. Is it hereditary?

Is it true that a person needs less sleep as they get older? Personally I think that is a myth.  Are naps a good thing? Why do "they" call some naps "power naps"? Personally I wish I could nap more.  Nothing quite like waking up from a rare nap and wondering what day it is. 

One last sleep related idea -- I personally think that sleep will always be an interesting topic to contemplate -- and to talk and write about.  Every single human being sleeps... every single one. 

Five February Thoughts for the day + 1 ...

 

1. February is, without a doubt, the longest month of the year. Ask anyone who lives in snow country.

2. "When you are dead, you don't know that you are dead. It is difficult only for others.    It is the same when you are stupid." (unknown, but it sounds like something Sen. John N. Kennedy of Louisiana would say.)

3. "Did I offend you with my common sense?" (imprinted on a mug)

4.Question from me:  Have you ever seen hand railings in any photos taken in Europe? I have seen lots and lots of steps in photos  – never any railings.  I simply do not know how people get around there.  Guess people died younger when everything was built in that part of the world.  Are there not any elderly or disabled people there now?  I mean – some of those breathtakingly beautiful ancient cities in Italy, Greece, and throughout Europe seem to be carved out of a mountain and the ups and downs are seriously insurmountable – in my opinion. If I lived there, I would have to live at the bottom and hope that people would bring me food or just roll it down the mountain in a slow moving basket with a tight lid. 

5. Personal favorite:  Words on a suicide prevention sweatshirt:

                             You are enough.... (front)

                 Dear person behind me,

                         the world is a better place with you in it.

                                                       Love,

                                       the person in front of you  (back)

Just one more -- Winter cannot last forever... it just seems that way.

Brrr... (again)

Ran across this blog from 12 years ago and could not resist reposting it. 

Wonder why?

 Thursday, December 18, 2014

Brrr...

I continue to live in NW Pennsylvania because I don’t enjoy hot weather.  The summers are relatively cool (usually) and the winters -- well -- they are a bit more than cool, but I tell myself that the cold preserves me better. Earlier this season, even before the calendar start of winter, when what the weather people called an Arctic Express blasted Buffalo, it seemed too cold to snow here, but today is different.  I woke up to snow, and it has not stopped all day.  Now early evening, there looks to be a least a foot of the white stuff on the ground, not to mention deeper drifts, and it is still coming down.  Natives of this area would say that we are paying our dues for the seventeen days of sun this past summer or for a lovely autumn – several nice days in a row – maybe even three.   If you are not from around here, you need to realize that snow people believe that we will “pay” for every nice weather day we have throughout the “non-winter” month(s).  We simply cannot comprehend that there are places in the world that enjoy nice weather most of the time and where people don't know what lake-effect snow means.  I mean -- we know that there are places like that; we just don’t really get it. We live by our experience with weather and have begun to take some level of pride in our ability to survive. We often mention things like we are of hardy stock and take pride in our ability to keep a sense of humor when surrounded by white and gray from sky to ground. We also know that a person needs more than one type of snow shovel.  Bless our hearts. 

To make matters worse this time of year -- what I am finding now is that I don't enjoy winter as much as I did when I was younger.  Duh....  There are a few reasons. Snowshoes are no longer as much fun.  Ice has taken on new meaning now that my age group no longer jokes about broken hips... and... my eye balls sometimes seem to freeze during the time it takes to walk to my mailbox and back.  Yep -- new meanings. Winter no longer means ice-skating on Alice Lake at Mead Park, sledding on Piccadilly Hill, or spontaneous snowball fights. Then again it no longer means wool coats that when wet weigh twice your body weight. (Remember that wet wool smell of mittens and socks drying by the fire at Nichols lodge?  Actually -- I seriously don't miss that smell.)   

Then or now, winter weather is winter weather. As time passes, it takes longer and longer to get psychologically prepared for it even if we do have access to better winter clothing and to boots that do not require bread wrappers over our socks. Winter in NW Pennsylvania can be especially challenging, but then again -- there is a certain beauty to the change of the seasons here as well -- even if you start in early October to count the days until spring... even if you wonder if it will snow the night of the prom in May.  I think I will stay here for a while longer -- I am a snow person.

  Stay warm... 

Change of Plans

A Tribute to the people of David Corry ... As my son said more than once when I was telling him about this experience -- you rarely find that kind of service in today's world.)

 A few days ago, in a moment of extreme laziness, a lot of surface ice on a long driveway, and an impressive wind chill factor, I decided to drive my Wrangler down the driveway to get my mail instead of walking.  Alas, when I pushed the start button,  the battery was dead... dead... dead....  Time for a change of plans.

I called my Jeep Dealer (David Corry) thinking that the service department probably would be closing early since it was Saturday after all and the weather was terrible. I was just thinking that they could put my Wrangler on the list for Monday morning.  Surprise, surprise.  Within minutes the Service Department had arranged for two gentlemen to come to my home, jump my vehicle and take it off to the dealership to see what was what. Communication by text worked well from that point on.  Easy Peasy.

I think it was in less than three hours - maybe less than two, the Jeep was returned with a new battery and all ready to go.  The thing is -- I never even had to put shoes on to take care of this. It was wonderful.  Plus --  after checking with me, they even did the state inspection that I had been meaning to schedule, but hadn't gotten around to.  

What started out as an "Oh, No!" turned into a "This is wonderful!"

How often does that happen?

How many times can a person say thank you!  The people of David Corry get an A+... excellent service all the way around ... above and beyond.  Thank you again ... and ...  Happy 10th Anniversary!