Are extremists giving the Democratic party a bad name?

Antifa at Berkley, California

The Democratic party of 40 years ago has metastasized into something unrecognizable to most conservative Americans. There is no middle ground between the partys. Moderate Democrats are thrown in with extreme Leftists, as it appears that is who is steering the boat. Its like one guy commented to me in the 70's: "The only bad thing about smoking pot is the kind of people you end up associating with".

Birds of a feather flock together and if you embrace the Democratic ticket, you are supporting everything the extremists want. Take abortion for instance. The left wants to be able to get a legal abortion. The far left wants your 15 year old daughter to get one on demand without her parents permission or knowledge. Heck, why not lower the age too?

Let's try violence to force our point. Antifa now represents the attitude of the party to many conservatives.

"The Antifa movement is a conglomeration of left wing autonomous, self-styled anti-fascist militant groups in the United States. The principal feature of antifa groups is their use of direct action, harassing those whom they deem to be fascists, racists and right wing extremists." Wikipedia

Middle of the road Democrats are for a more relaxed stance on immigration; extremists want open borders period. Moderates want stricter gun laws to keep guns out of children's hands. Extremists want all guns confiscated. Unfortunately, all Democrats are viewed by the Right, the same way many identify all Muslims as terrorists.

Conclusion? If you vote Democrat, you must be for all the extreme programs the far left wants to turn into law. Abortion, open borders, more taxes, bigger government, smaller military (or 100% reserves), extreme regulation, extreme climate control, more, more, more...

I'll be honest and say on some issues I lean slightly to the left, but isn't that the way its supposed to work? Aren't we obligated to educate ourselves on the issues and vote accordingly? The problem is there is so much information and smoke blocking our view and understanding. We don't know what news source to trust. Our political news is literally explained to us by either a panel of giggling big-toothed stooges, or an angry commentator slandering someone. Both sides openly claim the other side is lying and what do we have? Confusion. Or ignorance.
 

Watching the youtube videos of college students commenting on the accomplishments of people like Beto O'Rourke, I realize they are blindly following the puppeteer's hands. They support this Socialist with no concept what he is preaching and absolutely no idea of his past accomplishments. How destructive and dangerous!

Why I quit writing for the Baytown Sun

Announcement for anyone who reads my column each Thursday in the Baytown Sun: Effective immediately I have quit writing for this Leftist/Socialist rag. 

Thursday's (10-18-18) name change from my submitted title of  "Voting 101 makes it easy" to "My voting Guide, Dems bad GOP good" effectively skewed my column and made left leaning readers skip reading my column. It was the final straw and I called the Publisher and explained this in detail. The Publisher then defended the managing editor and that is when I resigned. I will continue to write and publish my blog and post it on Facebook. Following is the entire column.

Let me clarify that I am a columnist, not a reporter or an Op-ed writer. I write my opinion. My opinion. The Managing editor is well within their right to alter the heading, but when it is done is such a partisan way, it is unacceptable and the added cartoon above my column just drove the nails of offense deeper.
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Voting 101 makes it easy

In my simplistic blue-collar mind, I continually ponder one thought when it comes to the division in the 2 political parties that run our government. How can they walk together unless they agree? I think at one time the chasm wasn’t so clearly defined, but I do believe I can sum up which party you, the reader should vote for. Of course I am not going to tell you how to vote, but I would like to ask a couple of questions and based on the assumption that anyone who challenges us to define what we believe is our friend, it should make the decision easier.

So, seeing that almost no one trusts the media to tell the truth, let’s just look at this voting thing in a logical manner. Forget who you have traditionally voted for for a moment and let’s look at the bigger picture.

Are you for expanding government, adding more financial assistance programs (excluding affordable health care which we all found out wasn’t affordable at all), paying more and more taxes, restricting or removing the right to own a gun, free education that is funded by your tax dollars, opening the borders and letting non-citizens not only vote, but give them tax payer subsidies, and letting your 15 year old daughter get a free abortion without your knowledge or consent at tax payers expense… then vote for your favorite Democrat. Just remember, if you work and pay taxes, they are going to take more and more to pay for all those wonderful social programs that sadly, you do not qualify for.

They truly have a utopian vision where everyone gets everything from the elected government officials. On top of that, the more power you give the government over your daily affairs, especially subsidies, the more you are enslaved. They hold the purse strings and it has to come from somewhere. When a country reaches the place where the majority is nursing the government’s purse, the country collapses, because there are not enough workers to keep the zippered bag full.

Now, let’s say you do not want the government in your pocket any more than it already is. You work and pay taxes. You obey the laws. You attempt to live in harmony, but as libertarians (citizens who trust the Constitution and don’t want the government in their life unless there is anarchy, a serious weather event, or a plague). You want your Republican politician to tighten the borders, vet immigration, leave the 2^nd Amendment alone, promote education on the sanctity of life, close the loop holes in zealous government sponsored assistance programs that drain your tax dollars, pay less taxes, identify voters as US citizens… then vote Republican.

The Democrats love raising taxes, shrinking our military, opening the borders, offering sanction to people who sneak into the country, and draining the government coffers so they can enslave people. They have encouraged an army of misfits and thugs to scream and holler and challenge police at any and all conservative political gatherings. This is not hearsay, its history. I would much rather our government fueled the economy so people can work and pay taxes, wouldn’t you?

We cannot continue to fight politically and kid ourselves that it will make America better because it won’t. If half the energy was spent on government funded work-related training in all the trades, it would be astounding to see the results. Feed a person a fish and come meal time, they need another fish. Teach them to fish and you feed them for a lifetime.

As voters it is our responsibility alone to examine not only the issues, but the leanings of both parties. Of course I have over-simplified my guide and of course I am not a political major; heck I never was a major at any time in anything, but I do know enough about myself to know which direction to vote. Our founders gave us a Republic, not a Democracy for a reason, but you will have to research that one for yourself.

Oh technology, don’t pass me by

I walked into the Verizon store on Garth Road recently. Under my arm was my Xfinity modem. It’s quite substantial in size. Nothing like the flat 14.4 BPS Linksys router I proudly bragged on back in day that let me grab data from the mysterious electronic signals from my telephone wire (please don’t call my house and bump me off the bulletin boards!).

I was greeted by 3 younger punk-based humans who’s style of dress suggested they were highly knowledgeable of the modern technology products offered, most of which I had no interest in. At first I thought they were European, possibly German, as they had that “look”. It was one of those magical days when no one was in the store but them and me and when asked what they could do for me, I held up the modem and loudly declared, “I need help with my computer”.

via GIPHY

Just like my wrong conclusion that they were Germans, this incorrect description caused a snicker of techno self-righteousness from the trio. One of the emo-stylish humans (I wasn’t sure of the gender of each) repeated my assertion in a question and again the giggles. With a look on my face of extreme vulnerability I said, “Yea, I think this one’s a 386.”

The Intel 80386, also known as i386 or just 386, was a 32-bit microprocessor introduced in 1985, but my statement drew a blank look as to content. Instead was… pity. Pity that as a senior citizen, wearing shorts, socks and Crocs, a faded green Keep Baytown Beautiful shirt, and an old Jeep baseball cap that looked as old as me, I had sadly let technology pass me by.

With an air of aloofness, this human individual took possession of my “386” device and marched off toward the back of store, exclaiming that that particular “computer” was out of date and after scanning it, located a shrink-wrapped identical replacement and handed it to me. By the way, did you know that you must download an Ap to your smart phone to program the new modem? Yea, kind of surprised me too. My emo-human did not mention that tidbit, thereby indicating it was plug and pray – just like the old days. Plug and play was Microsoft’s modus operandi and more times than not, didn’t work as advertised, thus the pray part.

He/she returned to the mini-pod of waiting emo service technicians and ignored me. As I headed past the knowledgeable group, one said, “Enjoy your computer!” and again the troop giggled. I thanked them and smiling, replied, “Do you even know what a 386 is?” The total absence of recognition flooded their faces, which was rapidly replaced by boredom and a return to their screens. I was no longer their concern.

“Google it,” I said, but deliberately replaced the G with a J, making it sound like I said Joogle it,” and left. Now here is the weird thing about these Xfinity modems, I replaced my modem 6 months ago with the one I turned in. I replaced it initially because chatting online with the company, I was told mine was a dinosaur and it was. Now 6 months later, I was again told the same thing and if I wanted to experience “blazing fast speeds” I need the newest model. My emo tech told me the one I turned in was “really old” as they scrutinized me. I felt they were getting a “two fer”, me being number two.

“No one has used one like this in like forever, like really forever” they said and scanned, swiped, clicked, and basically showed me how real techies do it. The word impressive must have crossed my mind, as I was boring and old and technology obviously had passed me by. To them, we had nothing in common, except maybe a smart phone and I noticed when they grouped back up, all 3 had their faces buried in their phones. My phone was in my Jeep. I could go 10 minutes without it.

You’ve all seen it and experienced the same if you have a few gray hairs, or maybe an absence of hair altogether. Its okay, I had fun and within minutes of getting home, my new blazing fast modem was up and running. Oh, by the way, you might need a new modem, just don’t call it a... computer.

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More jobs than workers

From what I read and hear, if you want to work, there is a job waiting for you. This is great news, right? Maybe not.

I think it is important to note that a booming economy and lots of jobs does not bode well with some people on government assistance. It also doesn't set well with one political party that wants to control these folks (read their votes) by dangling meals, subsidies, and plastic debit cards in front of them. Why work when you can get by on the dole? This is the only reasonable answer to the objections some are raising. Why work when politicians demonize anyone who wants to take this away?

Let’s face it, whoever is paying your bills is in fact your boss and if that boss is the US government assistance system; they own you. Aside from the fact that being a free person in this country doesn’t exclude you from taxes, I want to make my own way with as little interference from the government as possible.

To my knowledge, I drew one month unemployment back when things got tight in 1976. I couldn’t get work in the construction field because there wasn’t any. I tried and tried and I had bills. I applied and stood in line and I felt humiliated, because I was now asking the government to give me money for nothing. I wasn’t raised that way. I sacked groceries when I was 14. My mom paid us an allowance for doing chores and to be sure, we did chores. Now here I was with what appeared to be citizens who had no interest in working. I drew one check and never went back. Instead, I began roofing houses with Jerry Tims.

After winter passed, I found a job in construction and shortly after that, I hired on with ARCO Chemical in Channelview. Did I look down on the other people in the food stamp line? No, but the very second I could get out of that line, I was gone. I entered the world of a process operator with no experience at all and was as overwhelmed as the next person, but I survived and after nearly 40 years, retired from the industry. Along the way, the economy slowed and I took side jobs because I had learned that the more money I could bring in, the more stuff my family could enjoy.

Crossing over into the criminal world never crossed my mind. I wasn’t raised that way.

According to every source, we are experiencing an economy that if you want to work, businesses will train you for free, so why is it that many choose to do nothing? Oh, did I say they choose to do nothing? Yes I did. No one should get a free lunch, if there is a suitable job they can do to earn that lunch. It is our tax dollars they are getting for hanging out. Work, or don’t eat and it is sad that certain elements of politics actually encourages this despicable “occupation” by constantly harping that others are “keeping you down”.

On numerous occasions I have stood in line at Food Town and watched someone use not one subsidy card, but two and after following them outside, observe them drive off in a new SUV. I commented on it to one of the friendly cashiers and they told me how real the abuse is. One well dressed person used their card for the bulk of their purchase and then low and behold, opened their wallet and wrestled out a hundred dollar bill from the others. The cashier rolled their eyes after I commented on it and said it was a common sight. Do I believe every person on assistance is a free loader? No, but one is too many.

Breaking free from government assistance is not easy, but it is the true and righteous path to freedom. Don’t believe those politicians who regrettably feed off those who were raised to believe them.
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There goes another summer!

Like many, I have a pretty good memory of our weather patterns and one of the best jokes is there are only 2 seasons on the Gulf Coast - summer and winter. Well, guess what? Summer basically ended September 1st, after a scorching Amazon rain forest August, the likes of which I can't remember. It actually feels like Fall weather.

Granted the weather has historically been unpredictable, but for the sake of argument, we usually have a drought in July that kills our grass. Mowing season normally begins in March and is played out by Independence Day. Not this year and yes, we had a minor drought a couple of times. What we did have was a very wet summer in Baytown. When the growing season begins in March, I may mow my yard every 3 days (because I like the way it looks).

I know I am going to cut my grass a bunch of times over the next 3-4 months and then July will get here and I will have raised my mower deck up at least twice and can slow way down on cutting. Not this year. I raised it once by June and then lowered it again to March levels where it is now. I mowed 4 days ago and it needs mowing again. From a lawn maintenance stand point, this is great - if someone is paying you. I mow close to an acre each time I cut and no one is paying me.

I haven't had to add water to my pool but once and this is a blessing, as the lowered water bill can attest. My Master Gardener bride hasn't ran our water bill up but once this year and that's also a blessing. The squirrels have went absolutely nuts (imagine that) and water birds aplenty have enjoyed the frequent showers. Now here is the downside... mosquitoes.

For reasons I cannot exactly understand, they see me as a blood donor and my bride as landscape, They love me and ignore her. It hasn't mattered how much spray I apply, or how many insect cones I burn, I will get hit by these monsters repeatedly. Now in a very unscientific way, I am going to explain how I categorize the 4 basic mosquito types we have here. Great big ones that bounce off me and are easy to feel and kill. Big ones you can hear and usually feel their landing also.

Normal mosquitoes that sip and leave a pretty good itch behind and I may or may not sense their presence in time to kill them. Then there are these tiny near invisible devils that ninja in and you never even see them until you have a huge whelp that itches and burns for 30 minutes. I hate these to the point that for the last week or so in August, I didn't want to sit in the back yard and chat with my bride while she swings. I tried wearing long pants and long sleeves and they still bit through it to my absolute itching discomfort. On top of that our dew point has stayed above 75 for what feels like a furnace.

I was grateful the city sprayed a few times recently, but then the rains returned and returned. I heard one fellow complain about the city not spraying at all until the skeeters were out of control, but I do not believe this to be the case. My real problem is the tiny marsh mosquitoes, the likes of which I do not remember experiencing in the 26 years I've lived in Chaparral Village. Why do they pack a bigger punch than the other varieties? Their sting actually hurts and persists.

This past Sunday we had our first breeze of the season with a cool front. I am hoping and praying there will be a change in their infestation, as I want to go back outside without being slathered in some insecticidal protection. October is a big month for being outdoors for many hobbyists, like us geocachers and hunters. I love summer, but I am ready for a break. How about you?
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Capitalism yes, Socialism no

I am not an expert on political systems or governments, but I like my freedom to choose by voting. I wish I would have paid closer attention in government class. My real school memories were the 1960's and as has been pointed out before, this was a time in our country of great change and strife. In the 60's, Communism & Socialism spread across the planet with many feeling the USA should join the giddy melee to convert.

I enlisted in the military to fight to stop the spread of this ill-conceived attempt to replace Capitalism. As proof it failed, only a few countries now exist as Communist and truthfully they are not much more than thinly-veiled hybridized Capitalists. The governments of this type of structure had to come to grips with the work/reward system of Capitalism. It works and their form of strict Socialistic guidance... doesn't. It doesn't, so why oh why are these newcomers to our political arena think it will?

Are they just visionaries or are they significantly in denial, wishing for a Socialistic system where everything is rosy? To be honest, I think they are ignorant of history. Wow. Really? Its actually the only sound explanation for their insistence that our country move in this direction. Sure, on paper, Socialism and Communism look great, so why hasn't it worked the many times various countries have adopted it?

The basic goal of Socialism sounds great: " Socialism is a movement of both the worker and middle-class, all for a common democratic goal." This would work if the system rewarded incentive and hard work, both a foundation to Capitalism. What it would amount to eventually and I'm sure detractors and political system experts will scream foul, is that it is the equivalent of everyone being on welfare. It encourages the loss of freedom with the promise of more security.

I guess you remember the debacle where the US government stepped in and took over a cat house in Nevada and within a short amount of time, it folded. It had been very successful before the government got its hand wet. As a Cold Warrior with a certificate of recognition on my wall, I find the push in this direction to be both astounding and repugnant.

I also want to tie in that many university students who rally against (fill in the blank), ultimately embrace the "injustice" later in life because they want to "make a lot of bucks" and pay for the nice house they've borrowed against. The next wave of university activists will attack them as the evil bourgeois base establishment, regardless of what they do or say. I find it ironic in the extreme that the filthy rich are some of the advocates for Socialism. Are they really this brain dead concerning history and the redistribution of their own wealth?

I'm not talking Robin Hood stealing from the rich; I'm talking the government stealing everything and doing it legally. Do you believe for a second that countries who embrace this form of government actually all live at the same economic level? No. They don't. The chasm between the lower/middle and upper class is just as wide as it is under our form of government.

I am voting against any attempt to expand government or give them more power over my life than they already have. As I've said before, I will obey the laws and pay my taxes and the only time I want to see the government in my business is when we have a crisis. I would rather have a 2 party constantly arguing circus, than a hammer and sickle Politburo locking me into a role where I have no incentive to produce.

Our local curmudgeons can have a field day explaining away the wonderful economy while they feverishly try to figure out how to give the last president credit. Poor characters lick their wounds and wish for a day when the government tucks them in at night. I pity them for their blindness and poor memory, but I applaud their First Amendment right to spew their version of two minutes hate. After all, I can be civil, as I believe in freedom of speech and don't care if they are politically correct or not.

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Living in amazing Baytown Texas!

 FLASH/CRACK/BANG! My bride and I both stood in shock realizing the bolt of lightning hit way too close for comfort. We were in our living room and I cautiously walked over and looked through my front door window. I was sure I would see destructive evidence of the bolt of electricity, but no. Nothing. No fire, no confusion... no confirmation, or so I thought.

Back about 25 years or so ago, I transplanted 5 Kenefick area loblolly pine trees in my yard and anywhere else I could put a tree. Back then Chaparral Village had an rental exodus, as homes here sold and the street I live on had a lot of foliage-free lots and many vacancies. I began offering trees to anyone who would plant one. Some I dug up in the forest around Livingston and others I got from the city's free tree give away program. Needless to say, I planted close to 30 trees here in Chaparral Village.

Imagine my surprise when talking to my neighbor Jerry LeCompte, when he pointed at his loblolly and there is a great lightning bolt groove down the trunk of the tree almost 2 inches wide. He explained he was just opening the door on his Jeep when the instantaneous blast of electricity went through the tree next to him. If I remember right, the power intrusion knocked out some stuff in his house and maybe his Jeep. It goes without saying that Jerry came very close to being incinerated. What a memory he has to pass along.

I recently rescued an Eastern box turtle while participating in the memorial walk for Sam Wingate. It was in the middle of El Chaco Drive and I don't think for one second a resident there would harm it, but someone not paying attention could run over it, so I intervened. I took it about a mile and turned it over to the local turtle whisperer. Yes, he now has 4 in his spacious backyard and as amazing as it sounds, he calls to them with breakfast and they all come to the patio to feed.

This all began a few years ago when his pet dog died and his bride asked that it be their last dog. I can't imagine life without dogs, but he did the next best thing when a lone box turtle crawled under his fence. Well, since this day, 2 more have came along and he had a wooden fence installed. Some would claim this was cruel, but these turtles are living in relative safety and security and each have been named. I asked what he would call it and he said his granddaughter would get the honor. I'll have to get back to you on what she chose.

Walking the Blue Heron Park trail has became a staple for many and isn't without the sharing of information and the gradual mitigation of constant litter and the group slowly catches on that picking up trash not only gives you ab work, but makes the trail and street look nicer. Baytown Parks Super Dustin Schubert has agreed we need a trash can at Barkuloo and Blue Heron Parkway and it will probably be installed at the end of the trail coming behind Chaparral Village. Stick-carrying Mike Williams not only paid a couple of grand to have 2 benches installed, but he is out and about like clockwork each morning at an estimated pace of 4 miles per hour. We exchange information about litter and the current number of walkers and move on.

Jose is a colorful Hispanic man of about 70 who jogs from Baker Road to JC Holloway Park and back nearly every day and is a walking/talking/jogging machine who always shares an interesting tidbit or two. We shared information on the American persimmon tree on the sidewalk close to N. Main Street. Persimmons are like seed-filled candy when ripe and if you pull lightly on the fruit and it drops into your hand, it is ready to eat. Better hurry though, as they are ripe. Each fruit has 6 seeds and they can be planted, but understand it will be 5-6 years before you have fruit.

I bet your neighborhood has similar characters out and about and the only way to meet them is to get outside. What better place to be than right in your neighborhood getting exercise and talking to neighbors? Grab an empty grocery sack and hit the trail. It'll benefit your abs and you might just meet one of the most interesting people of your life.

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What would happen if I wrote a meaningful log?

BaytownBert, NavyStud, & Muddywatergirl

Help! I have fallen and can't seem to get up, or is that something I can work on?

I had fallen into the TFTC SNTFTC LOL KCCO logger group without even realizing it. Using various Apps, macros, or chicanery I had removed the human element from my once very personal logging experience. I was simply the longer version of SLTFTC. or "more later" on occasion, telling myself I would come back and finish it.  How did this happen? I am retired for gol-dern's sake. It's not like my time is constantly drained or something, right?

No. We find time for what is important to us. Fact. If we write short abbreviated anonymous logs we are making a statement that the log is nothing more than a requirement. The cache owner doesn't mean a thing, nor the container. "Found it. STFTC!" Never mind that the C/O is a newbie screaming out for recognition, or worse, not caring what they read, just give me my smiley. Mentor? Me? You? What? What tha heck?

"The weather was rapidly disintegrating as I hovered over the delicate dry log and scribbled my strong font-based BB on the papyrus we all hold in such high regard. I mean the stuff is the stuff of life to a geocacher! We simply MUST sign the log. It's like the Icon of Icons! I salute you log and I put my ink upon you! Thank you. See relevant amateur photo. Have you ever seen such a wonderful face? I haven't." GC7RX1P

When I instruct geocaching classes to newbies and veterans alike, I urge them to "write logs you would like to read". Of course an LPC placed by a Vet to help us get through 31 days of August literally deserves a TFTC and a hi-5. I'm afraid the loss of the original intent of a log has devolved into nothing more than a way to record a smiley.

In other words, the numbers have became more important than the experience.

Is it really this quiet, or am I experiencing an auditory issue?

"I wanted to bump up the adventure on this one and it was really hot, sweaty and lots of mossies were flying around my face. I stripped down to my skivvies and crawled 385 meters through the wet grass to make the find. I was so excited, I ran all the way back to Tha Choppa with people cheering me the whole way. Now that's what I call a geocache, or was that obvious? See the photo!" GC7T2VF

Is it true, we ask ourselves. Are the numbers truly ruling us? Sure, justification is just that. We can excuse away almost anything, but our logs reveal something we may not want to admit. Let that sink in. Are we writing meaningful logs, or are we simply doing the minimum for the score? Food for thought, right?

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Just say NO to artificial sweeteners!

About 20 years ago, my brother Gordon told me, "Diet sodas will make you fat."   I couldn't see it and only the last 5 years or so have I stopped drinking them. I'll have an occasional one, yes, but will usually opt for a drink with real sugar in it. REAL SUGAR! Charge!  Yes, real sugar and although not related, I switched back to real butter too.

For a number of years I've noted the alarming number of kids with mental disorders and I remember growing up and not seeing this phenomenon. I lived in Toledo, Ohio in the 6-8th grade and there was one fellow of maybe 25 on the corner everyone said was "retarded". He smiled a lot and was never really outside his house and we would wave at him as we pedaled past on our wheeled iron horses. He was harmless and to us kiddos, a novel mystery. His name was Jim.

Jim is the only kid I can remember who was "retarded". All the other kids were "normal", meaning it ran the spectrum from tame to wild and honest to criminal. Some were over-achievers, others were very studious, but as a whole, most boys were rowdy to a degree. No one ever thought any of the boys had accelerated attention problems. They were boys for gosh darn sake. They acted like what they were and that is the way it was.

 

List of health problems associated with Asparteme

Something has happened in the last 50 years to create this massive and unexplained plethora of mental deviations. It seems everyone you know either has a kid on anxiety drugs, or is accused of a mental departure from what is labeled as normal. Back in the day people didn't drink Tab or Fresca because they were leery of sodium cyclamates (sweetener code 952) and on top of that, they tasted terrible... but they were diet drinks, so many endured the after taste.

To my personal knowledge and experience, this was my first artificial sweeter experience. Cyclamates are banned for human consumption in the US, but 130 other countries allow it. I don't care, I won't knowingly allow the substance in my food or drink. I will not consume any product with high fructose corn syrup or aspartame. Give me real sugar from honey, beets, or cane. I will curb the amount I use. Better yet, I will mix my 100% fruit juice with filtered water for my "soda" fix.

Its what's in my gym water bottle and works fine without a boost from artificial ingredients like Red Bull and Monster drinks. Speaking of those type of drinks, they are liquid Drano with enough citric acid to dissolve rusty metal. I say no to "energy" drinks or supplements. I've witnessed how much energy these drinks give people and 10 minutes after chugging one, they can hardly keep their eyes open. Its a typical big rush followed by a huge crash. The answer is always to drink more.

If one of these USDA approved sweeteners is present (saccharin (SugarTwin, Sweet'N Low), acesulfame (Sunett, Sweet One), aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure), neotame (NutraSweet variety), and sucralose (Splenda), I will not consume them. I'm going to avoid Stevia for the time being also, but it may be a very viable alternative.

Pretty much if the product is advertised as "diet or low this or low that" I am going to avoid it and go as natural as possible. I have to start somewhere and this is the line in the dust. I'm not going to make a big issue out of it and I will have to exercise portion control, but gosh, aren't we all accountable for what goes into our mouths anyway?

There is a study that suggests that your brain not only sees the artificial stuff as real, but it responds just like it would with sugar, so why oh why are we being duped into believing it is a diet drink? Aspartame has over 90 documented adverse reactions including mental retardation, Alzheimer's, fibromyalgia, birth defects and the list goes on.

Why is it that country people who grow old eating the pigs they butcher and the garden they grow, ate bacon, eggs, sweet tea, biscuits and gravy and are still healthy into their 80's and 90's or older and we are dying in our 40's? Join me and remove this possibly dangerous substance from your diet. Just say no to artificial sweeteners.

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There's no brakeman on this train

I smell a dirty rotten rat. Its a smell we've learned to live with because we have been told that smell is normal. I think its high time we decided it is not. The issue involves the stranglehold Harris County has on the Baytown jail. Something here defies logic and yes, logic is always a conundrum when it comes to the rules.

Here is the big question: Why doesn't Harris County pick up the prisoners in the Baytown jail? Why do Baytown police officers make the 2-3 hour round-trip visit to Houston 2 to 5 times a day to transfer prisoners when they could be working our streets? Why didn't our "new" jail of 15 or so years qualify as a Harris County jail annex when most of us thought it would?

How come the 65 million dollar future police department building doesn't include this resource-robbing issue? Over the years I've asked this question and it has always been explained that there is nothing BPD can do to alleviate the problem. I'm patient, but does it seem logical that we continue this practice to the waste of our police patrols and citizen's tax dollars.

I do not blame BPD. I blame the current system and Harris County and personally, I do not care how other Harris County cities handle this constant drain. We are on the far side of the ship channel and I believe our resources are better managed when we have trained officers on the beat; not taxiing prisoners up to 5 times a day.

I am a fan of our city and our police department. Since 1974 when I moved here after leaving the Service, I have never had a negative instance with BPD. I also support our city and wish it to be a great place to raise a family. Our police training programs are top notch and we train cops from all over the country. I want it to continue to be professional and leaders in law enforcement, instead of prisoner Uber drivers.

Maybe this is just the way it is done. Everyone under Harris County and Sheriff Ed Gonzales do it one way and that's just the way its going to be; I don't know. Maybe it can't be done another way, but let's get real. We just tragically lost 2 top cops with many years experience. They cannot and will not be replaced using "shake and bake" cops, which is something only little towns do anyway. No, it takes years to get cops like these replaced, so why are we toting prisoners up to 5 times a day to Houston?

Maybe our police chief and Mayor need to sit down with the honorable Sylvester Turner and get the skinny on what Baytown needs to do with its jail to stop this waste of resources. Maybe the citizens of this great city need to let their voices be heard. Maybe that 65 million bucks needs to include some provisions that aren't planned. If our jail is certified as a Harris County jail annex, we would suddenly have 2 to 5 more cops free to patrol the streets and stop all this red light running and car stealing. Does all of this sound unreasonable?

Look. I am not suggesting we all gather at city hall with masks, signs, and throw smoke bombs. I am suggesting each and every person contact your councilperson and inquire why we are continuing this at tax payers expense. It is illogical and should be addressed by citizen input.

I love this town. I do not ever plan on leaving. I am asking for your help to set this situation to the advantage of Baytown and its LEO's.

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If this house is rockin', don't come a-knockin'

 I don't think I am alone when it comes to uninvited guests suddenly appearing at my door. Gone are the days where people opened their front door to strangers. If you haven't heard, this is the new hospitality. With a few exceptions, I will welcome you to my front door under a couple or few conditions.

One, if you are family (and we are not fighting). Two if you are a neighbor in need (and I have to recognize you as such). I say this because these days a person can live 2 houses down and you never see them face to face. This would seem odd that a person can live close by for 8 years and you have never talked to them, but that is why the old rules are obsolete. People drive in from work and pull into their garage and close the door. You may see them leave to grab a bite to eat, or to drive to work the next day, but no one waves because we don't know each other.

Three, I will welcome you to my door if you call first. Apparently this is not an obvious consideration. Four, if by chance you do call, be punctual. Arrive when you say you will arrive. From the time I was a teen old enough to catch a ride with a buddy, I have hated standing by the front door waiting for my friend who is "on my way". After an hour of standing on first one foot than the other, they finally arrive even though they live 5 minutes away.

An exception to these rules are children accompanied by their parents selling cookies/candy as a fund raiser. I have also opened my door for scavenger hunting teens.

Back in the day before all rules changed, visitors were acutely aware they were visiting. Punctuality still applies believe it or not. If you show up to visit, be aware that your host might not be keen on you burning up 3 hours while you wait for the next folks to get home, so you can surprise them with a cordial visit.

If you are selling something (or swearing you are not selling something), I won't open my door. Sorry, times have changed. Like my dad used to say when a salesman came to the door, "I wasn't shopping". I really won't give you consideration if you want to argue that I should listen to your sales spiel. The same goes for the salesman attempting to gain entrance via the telephone.

The telephone is the modern day salesman at your front door tactic. I would like to think all of us know this, but the programs and robotic voices are getting more difficult to detect. The latest one sounds like a human and calls from "Dealer Services". Dealer services? Really? That is all the better they can do? I blatantly asked them what they were dealing. "Dope, drugs?" I asked and yelled out to my bride, "Honey, I have a drug dealer on the phone," and then hung up. I don't know if the robot responded as I wasn't shopping.

Here is the real poop on this whole front door thing. My home is my sanctuary. Please see it as such. Don't make me install a moat and a draw bridge; just take the hint. If you want to visit, give me a ring. We all have phones strapped to the sides of our head, so I will answer, or not. The "or not" is a subtle message that I will call later or never. If no one answers, don't come over. I may be sun worshiping my pale body with a mankini on in the back yard. I may be in a bad mood and bite at you and that's why I don't answer the door. Yes, sometimes I am anti-social to the point I simply don't want company.

In this complicated time of political and racial unrest, my home and yard are where I go to avoid conflict. If a casual visitor would like to join me, I simply ask that they warn me first. Is that weird, or am I just an old fossil that is not in step with the slippery times? I am not in a bad mood, give me a call. I may answer.

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Ball of confusion revisited

I proclaimed for many years that we as a country would never experience the level of unrest we faced in the 1960's... but I was wrong and it is getting worse. I first noticed it on the federal level when it appeared no elected official was concerned with anything other than keeping their lofty aerie secure. Every action was meant either to further their career, or attack the opposite party and members. Never mind that privately they sit down and dine together and giggle like love-struck teens. Maybe that is what good politics is all about; I don't want to know. I just want all the fighting to stop. Its childish and frankly, embarrassing.

I read today that the Republican party is running scared because they may lose some seats to Democrats and I thought, "What's the difference?" The Republican's for the most part won't support their own Republican President because he won't play ball the way the other two parties like to play. None of the incumbents care how many of the opposite party occupy a position as long as they don't lose theirs. Business as usual will continue and it appears it matters not to any of their ilk if the country goes to hell in a hand basket.

After Hurricane Harvey flooded us, everyone regardless of their political views now realize rain/flood abatement is the most important issue and we want politicians that make it the number one priority. Handling the many important issues like security, education, veterans benefits, Social security, Medicare/Medicaid, and immigration should be what we are reading in the news, not looking for Jimmy Hoffa's shadow. I can't hardly bear to listen to the news in rapidly disappearing 2018.

Networks and publishers keep the whole country in a massive state of confusion clouding anything that will actually benefit the true citizens of this great country. I'm sick of it, but then there is state, county, and even city level squabbling going on and this is why I think it is worse than when we were in the Vietnam War, seeing the president and his brother and Martin being gunned down, race riots, and the expanding drug culture that defined the 1960's.

I never thought I would again see so much confusion, but guess what? Its here baby. All we need now is to witness our Senate and Congress get into a mass fist fight and we can all check off living in a Third World Country from our bucket list.

"People movin' out, people movin' in. Why, because of the color of their skin. Run, run, run, but you sho' can't hide. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Vote for me and I'll set you free." Yeah, they will set you free alright, just like affordable health care. What a shocker that was for all those who giddily help get it into law. There are no free lunches and the sooner people wean themselves off the government teat, the sooner they will truly be free.

"Segregation, determination, demonstration, integration, aggravation, humiliation, obligation to our nation. Ball Of confusion that's what the world is today. The sale of pills is at an all time high, young folks walkin' 'round with their heads in the sky. Cities aflame in the summer time, and oh the beat goes on. Eve of destruction, tax deduction, City inspectors, bill collectors, Evolution, revolution, gun control, the sound of soul, Shootin' rockets to the moon, kids growin' up too soon. Politicians say more taxes will solve ev'rything, and the band played on." Incidentally, these lyrics were published over 45 years ago.

Right here in Baytown, we have the school Board debacle which is dividing the city. We have a firefighter under the microscope over insurance eligibility and its my understanding whatever happens here could have national repercussions. It's as if no one can be happy. Now my friend and veteran law enforcement professional has tragically taken his own life.

Whatever happened to Mom, baseball, and apple pie? How about opening the door at the Post Office and let a few people through for starters? Maybe push a grocery cart in from the parking lot instead of grabbing one at the door? Charity starts at home and if we are truly going to make America a place that is what we all want, then all of us need to pitch in a little. We need to contribute, not argue. Stop fighting and work on solutions.

I want to offer my deepest condolences to Stewart Beasley's family, coworkers, and his many friends.

Note: Lyrics The Temptations - Ball of confusion
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