Booker T. Washington, Soaring Eagles, and Ranch Dressing

 “There are two ways of exerting one's strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up."  (Booker T. Washington)

Is this the difference between today's far left and today's center and right? Is this the difference between the coastal elite and mainstream America? Is this the difference between the Democratic Socialist Party of 2026 and the Republican Party of 2026?

It seems to me that....

• One is constantly negative; the other is trying help others climb out of the muck.  
• One is screaming, and singing off key; the other is speaking softly, and working hard to bring plans to fruition and to remain positive.  
• One is critical from a dark side; the other is encouraging and comes from light and hope.
• One is trapped in the past; the other looks forward far into the future.
• One tears down and offers few honest goals out loud - it is becoming the party of creeping/seeping socialism; the other has positive plans to move forward and upward - it is the party of above board openness.
• One is the party of slavery and underpaid illegal aliens trying to push everyone but the leaders down; the other is the party of Freedom trying to pull everyone up. Americans first.
• One craves power in the hands of the few; the other places power in the hands of the American people.
• One is the party of destroying what others have built; one the the party of law and order.
• One destroys; the other builds.
• One likes to fester in algae: one likes healthy crystal clear water.

You get to choose. Personally I  choose the light and the upward.  And ... quite frankly... I am finding the traveling European and all world travelers who are here to view the World Cup Soccer events to be beyond wonderful in their positive reactions to our great country.  How nice of them to generously share their reactions to their travels here.  They are singing our songs -- even our National Anthem, They are loving our food -- particularly Ranch dressing  -- a fact that I find funny for some unknown reason.  Further -- the availability of goods that we take for granted are an amazing surprise to them apparently as are the friendliness and welcoming smiles of an American people.  Their collective reactions to seeing the United States first hand are most positive. In addition -- they clean up after themselves as well demonstrating respect for America. They are a gift.  Welcome and Thank You visiting travelers from all over the world for sharing your experiences. Thank You for reminding us in these times that the United States of America is fundamentally Good with a capital G.

Those of us on the light side needed to hear that the voice of heartland Americans is appreciated.  It's encouraging.  It has been a difficult journey these past few years fighting against a dark side trying to push the spirit of our country down. It has been difficult to watch the destruction, the lack of pride in our country. Time now to pull up.  Time to stand strong mainstream America. The tides are turning. We are the people of soaring Eagles.  Don't let the turkeys "drag" you down.  There are hopeful signs that their time is over ... yet ... they are still struggling to push down even on their way out.  Beware of Socialistic tremors. Socialism has an abysmal track record throughout time.  Be inspired by hope and dreams.  Fight! Fight! Fight! (Donald J. Trump)

"It is a sign of the highest civilization when individuals reach that point where their strength is used in pulling every human soul up to the very highest point of its usefulness and service."  (Booker T. Washington)

Vote to support the country of soaring Eagles come November. Let your positive voice be heard.

I Dare You

I have always envied people who know they are right.  I can only imagine what it must be like to be 100% sure about anything.  It would make life simpler for sure.  It would also be comforting...somehow peaceful in chaotic times.   Easy to be envious about that.  At the same time though -- I do not doubt that having questions about "things" encourages critical thinking and a perhaps that is a good thing and also comforting in a different sort of way.  The catch?  Questioning and thinking are difficult and sometimes painful.  Is it worth it?  

Why is there such a thing as TDS?  Many theories to explore here.  Perhaps another time. Perhaps not. That question is on the shelf for now.  Except ... I dare  you (Trump haters included) to think about the following....

What if all the bad acts that Trump is accused of are myths created by the deep state? What if no one can find actual evidence to support their claims of evil Trump because there simply  is no evidence? Is he an innocent man accused by haters who are protecting and covering up their own evil ways? 

Who is working to divide our nation?  Why? They are good at it -- at creating the narrative.  Case in point -- I have asked more than one Trump hater what it is that they hate about him, and I have never once received a specific answer -- just a general "bad man" comment -- one of those "everyone knows comments" or a diversion to talk about something else.  Think about that for a moment. Who is behind this? Why is mainstream media still perpetrating unfounded accusations?  Perhaps it would be wise to follow the money ... and to question... to think.

Does anyone else notice that the Democrats in power accuse opposition others of doing exactly what they are doing or have done and that they look you directly in the eye while doing it?  Actually, we have seen this on both sides of the fence.  It's insulting.  I know that I am sick of it.  You?  Example you ask.   Watching on split screen while Alejandro Mayorkas  repeatedly affirmed that the border was completely closed while, at the same time, watching 10,000+ undocumented people crashing through the fences along the border.  Then there is the whole Biden competency issue. Who remained silent and unquestioning about those issues? Why?

What would happen if we all questioned? What would happen if our questions revealed all the rot on both sides of an issue? What if our questioning brought about change? Is this possible?  Would we unite as an American people then? What would that be like? Are we seeing more of that now? Do you dare? Or -- is it just that the haters will hate and refuse to acknowledge all the good things that President Trump has accomplished -- lots of examples of that. Sadly -- not everyone is open to seeing them. Or maybe the haters just ignore those things because those successes don't fit their narrative.

Don't Do That Again

 "I'm at that stage when my body whispers to me the next day -- 'don't do that again'."   (From Humor is Infectious)

Funny; not funny....  Also accurate.  I have been trying to spend part of each of these "nice" days outside (so rare in Northwest Pennsylvania to have a string of them).  Just once, I would love to have the entire perimeter of my home weeded at the same time.  Just once.  I sometimes believe that weeds sprout on one side as I have made my way to the other side -- within a few minutes.  I am leaving the weeding around yard trees for later.  Hopefully those weeds will magically disappear. One step at a time. Right?

The thing is my whole body does whisper to me the next morning or sometimes by the time I am crawling into bed the very same day.  Not complaining, mind you, just mentioning so that you may not feel quite so alone in this. I do know that I am not alone. I talk to people.  I listen. I watch them lean on their shopping carts in Walmart. Anyway -- I hurt from the fingers on the hand that holds the weeding tool, through my entire body down to my ankles that recently have become rather sensitive to uneven ground. Some mornings, it even hurts to type. Sometimes I swear my hair even hurts.  I am not even going to describe the first few morning steps from the bedroom to the Keurig.  It's pathetic.

I keep telling myself that this is what you get when you sit around too much during the long winters of this area.  This past one seemed especially brutal to me, and I spent way too much time indoors reading, trying to use up leftover yarns by crocheting hats and scarves for no one in particular, and ... watching the boob tube.  Serves me right. I earned this stiffness and soreness.  I should have been more diligent about chair yoga and practicing Tai Chi walking around the house. Cross country skiing is definitely a thing of the past, so that is not an option.  Shoveling is the closest I can come to that and I have taken to using my leaf blower to make that easier.  

Live and learn.... probably not.  

I do, have, however, a rather impressive amount of hats and scarves to donate next fall -- so there is that. (I think it's important to try to look on the positive side of things.)  Then again I have heard that there is such a thing as crochet arm -- very painful.  One must not overdo.

Things I Did Not Know

Perhaps the title of this week's blog should be "Interesting Things I Have Learned Recently" rather than "Things I Did Not Know"  Either way...  Hope you find them interesting as well.

• According to Erie, PA - City and County History:  "Of 300 theaters built by Warner Brothers in the 1930's, only SIX still stand. Erie's Warner Theatre is one of them."

• Interest in the phenomena of UFOs goes back a long way even to ancient Rome or perhaps further.  Maybe those odd carvings on the walls of caves are depictions of space ships and alien figures. Then much closer to us along the line of time was Project Blue Book, the name of the US Air Force office of investigation of UFOs from 1952-1969.  It was this department that handled the case of Valiant Thor a self-professed alien visitor from Venus who is said to have met with President Eisenhower as well as Fidel Castro after his landing in Virginia in 1957.  He apparently looked like a human being (Earthling) except for having six fingers on each hand. He also spoke hundreds of languages and had an IQ of 1200.  (Yikes)  Apparently, a serious VIP for several years, he left Earth to return to Venus in his space ship in 1960.   (Why am I just hearing about this now?) 

• Then there is QAnon.  QAnon seems to have disappeared ... totally silent since 2020. Hmm... Wonder where he/she/they went?

• Of local interest -- It is confirmed by a national historian that a Corry man, Charles Keating, played in integral role in the establishment of the Tomb of the Unknown Solder.  (See the historic marker at 117 N Center Street in Corry PA.)

• Two more ....  If the forest goes silent, Move. You have seven seconds to find safety.

• If the sky turns yellow.  Find shelter. Check for severe incoming storms or for incoming dust or smoke.... Get off the road as soon as possible if driving.

And finally....

• A.I. tells me that a "... 2026 study revealed that a single night's sleep can predict the onset of over 100 serious health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, dementia, and cancer, years before symptoms even appear."  (Hmmm.)

Ilya Kuryakin and Captain Kangaroo

Was watching Gutfeld  a while ago and one of the guests was a UFC Champion fighter whose first name was Ilya and for some reason every time his name was mentioned my brain came up with Kuryakin. I couldn't remember why I knew that name.  A bit of research and Ta DA -- Ilya Kuryakin was Napoleon Solo's partner on The Man from U.N.C.L.E.  Remember?  Ah ... David McCallum who later played Ducky on NCIS.  I miss him.  

So many old, let's call them "vintage" tv shows to consider while we are on the subject.  Some of them seem sort of hokey when you watch the reruns now, but they are still fun to watch now and then.  Gunsmoke,  Have Gun - Will Travel  .... blasts from the past. Others?

I think my faves in the oldies/vintage category are Perry Mason, and MASH.  More contemporary would be the infrequently run Sopranos and the seemingly ever present Big Bang Theory.  (I think I know the dialog for most episodes and still laugh at the story lines.)

Smart TVs and the streaming apps are changing everything though.  I am finding out that you can pretty much watch whatever you want at any time and binge watch season after season if so inclined.  I do still miss Stupid TVs though and the basic channels where I knew where and when to find my faves.  I get overwhelmed by all the new techy techy stuff.  

Then again, come to think of it, I might be able now with Smart TVs to find some of the ones I haven't seen in decades. I think I need to search for The Honeymooners.  I miss Jackie Gleason as a Brooklyn bus driver. I so remember that show, his wife Alice, and his neighbors -- Ed Norton and his wife, Trixie.  Hard for me to believe that it was only on for one year. Hard for me to believe that I remember it so well. Truth be told -- the best part of watching The Honeymooners was hearing my Dad laugh out loud. He found Ralph Kramden to be very, very funny. "To the moon, Alice."

I don't think my family had a television until the mid 1950's. It changed my life in so many ways.  I confess.  I enjoy TV. Probably watch too much of it these days. Am thinking that Yellowstone reruns and the new spinoff Dutton Ranch will be around for a while. I find them to be fundamentally American in that hard work and pulling oneself up by the boot straps still work and sometimes someone just needs to be punched in the face. Watching those should keep me out of trouble at least for a while.  We've come a long way since the first TV show that I remember.... I Love Lucy. (Must mention here that a Lucille Ball and I have in common that we were both born in Jamestown NY.  A big difference is that I don't have a statue there -- never will.)  

Oh! Almost forgot my first TV experiences with a children's shows ... the long running -- Captain Kangaroo and The Howdy Doody Show.  They were wonderful!  Ah ... memories... memories of back when the world was black and white (as my granddaughter once said after looking at old photos.)Those were some days.  You had to be there to "get it".

It will be fun, they said.

Thankful that English is my native language for many reasons, but today I am thinking once again, about how fun American English is and about why it is so hard to figure out why it is fun.  Certain expressions gain popularity for some unknown and unpredictable reason and whenever you hear them -- it brings a smile or a pause.  You notice the play on words or maybe get some sense of the "underneath" humor intended.  Can't explain why or how this even comes to be.  Consider...

On Facebook the other day, I watched Fredrik Backman, one of my favorite authors, speaking at some gathering. He was self-deprecating and funny - making everyone laugh when talking about his feelings of standing up in front of them at the suggestion of his agent and others.  He brought the house down with something like - Take this speaking engagement, they said. "It will be fun,  they said".  I thought that was very funny  -  especially in combination with his facial expressions. Why though?  Why did I (and what seemed like everyone there) find that funny? How do these expressions come into being and spread like wildfire?  

In search of an answer, I asked my new friend AI (artificial intelligence -- that  I have come to think of as AL -- short for Alfred -- my personal nickname).  Although the exact origin seems to be a bit of an internet mystery, the phrase is a current popular Internet Meme. Al tells me that, interestingly enough, the concept's origin dates back to WWII with the classic military expression of frustration and complaint -- "See the world, they said".  Later on that phrase or a variation of it appeared in TV's MASH and more currently in video games in the 90's such as Warcraft 2.   Even more recently (in the memes of  2010-2012) it became the "go-to caption for images of people enduring miserable camping trips, DIY disasters, or chaotic family events" (AI Overview). "Build a pool, they said. It will be fun, they said."  Anyone who has ever taken care of a pool gets the humor in that.  Anyway ...

Next on my list to explore is:    Be afraid. Be very afraid.  Is this a threat one should take seriously? Or ... what about the origin of "Sh** eating grin"??? Perhaps I don't really want to know about this last one....

Do such things only appear in American English? Our language is chocked full of odd expressions that make sense perhaps only to us.  Personally  -- I think we Americans are an interesting and fun people. Unfortunately our language is difficult for non Americans. Try to figure out American expressions, they said.  It will be fun, they said.

I See You

Dear fellow Boomers...

There are a lot of wonderful things about being in our generation, but there are also some difficult bits and pieces. Every generation has them. Can't help here but think of that old expression -- We each have our own bag of rocks.... We need to remember, though, that we are in this together merely by living on this planet during the same time period. Shared experiences. We have grown up together -- seen the same things, face similar challenges.  We also have each other.  Perhaps we need to remember that once in a while and offer support to one another. Perhaps we even need to talk about the sad parts sometimes so that people realize they are not alone. The world can seem cold. Everything moves so quickly.

I hope that you all have the kind of joys and good things that I have and have had in my life.  Blessings too many to count.  But... that being said ... you know what? ... you don't get to the point where many of us are without loss. Some of life's blows are bone crushing.  Heart-rending loss is one of them. This is the process of life.  It's okay that we are sad to miss those who have passed on before us. It's okay that we have experienced the pain and struggles of various challenges.  We all have faced them. Too many types to even list.  We have made it this far and... we keep putting one foot in front of the other. Note... We have new challenges ahead.  Some of them will be hard as well.  We also have new joys ahead. Remember that.  

So if you find yourself crying at Hallmark commercials; it's okay.  If tears of joy are close to the surface; it's okay.  If watching kids play ... and try... and perform bring tears to your eyes; that's okay too. It's even okay to feel sorry for yourself once in a while. The phrase sentimental old fool is based on a real phenomenon. Maybe it helps to know that others are going through the same things. Maybe it helps to know that you are not alone in a sometimes indifferent world... a world that seems to be leaving you in the dust as it surges forward. It's hard to keep up. Yet... we are in this together. Perhaps we need to reach out to one another once in a while. I am reaching out in this blog. It's a Boomer support system.  You are not invisible even though it may feel like it sometimes. 

 I see you.