A career in the US Navy, a life time of substance abuse, by the age of 75 he’s reaching the end of his road. No wife or kids. He spent the past many years caring for our parents who lived into their 90s.
Emphysema, lots of motor-skill issues, more substance abuse… he has ceased being able to care for himself. He was taken to the ER, hospitalised. It was determined he could not go “home”. So the System went to work for him…
His military service, his years of private sector work, all made him eligible to go into care at no financial burden to the family. He spent a life time pre-paying, preparing for this. He gets to stay in the community where he lives. He has family close. He is not being isolated or forgotten. He keeps much of his freedom.
They even let him enjoy a cigarette, but he has to wheel himself across the street, “off campus”. The System is working.
And color me shocked, amazed, gob smacked… The System works. Damn!
This is the System(s) that we Citizens have paid for.
Paid for throughout all our working lives.
This is the System that the Liberal Left side of politics, our Social Democrats, has worked to dismantle. Worked hard to dilute.
The System(s) we Americans have invested in, paid for, supported throughout our working careers, are close to collapse.
I suggest that we, We Americans, fight to ensure the System(s) we have invested in all our lives, and expect to be available “when the time comes” are maintained, supported, funded.
Not dismantled by social working, do-gooder, left leaning socialist ideals. It is a worthy fight.
I have many reasons to be interested in what happens in the Pacific Islands. My sense of History tells me the Pacific is important. We saw in the 1940s how the pivot point in the WW2 pacific theatre was Solomon Islands. East to West, North to South the Pacific theatre was and remains strategically and economically important.
I moved to Solomon Islands 44years ago. Unknowingly, at the time, it was to become my home. I had a 2year contract, thought I’d be away for 2years, no more. But life leads us on circuitous adventures, thats for sure!
In the early 80s the USofA still had a good “name” in the Pacific. I traveled over those early years, visited most of the Pacific Island Nations, talked to folks wherever I went. The overall attitude towards the “West”, the old Colonial Powers, the US, England, France, et al was very positive. The memory of WW2 was still alive then.
As the memory of WW2 faded, the affinity, the friendship, the positive relationship between old allies faded as well.
When I arrived in the Solomons, the US Embassy was an important fixture in the Community. The biggest diplomatic delegation then was the British High Commission. The Yanks were 2nd largest, Aussies were there but smaller. Diplomatic events were regular and fun: The arrival of a Naval Vessel, Melbourne Cup, 4th of July, 7th July, ANZAC Day… All saw the Embassies and High Commission contribute to what would always be a good event, a fun social celebration.
Into the 1980s and the US Embassy pulled out, US Offices in PNG took over the Solomons. The Brits started downgrading, the Aussie’s started building.
By the 90s it was all changed… No US Consular Offices. Brits had a small office with few staff. The Aussies were building a new, big High Commission. They increased their staffing numbers. It was evident that Australia was claiming custodianship over the Solomons, over the Pacific.
The 90s saw Civil Wars spread through the Pacific Islands… PNG/ Bougainville, Solomons, Fiji all saw protracted, still ongoing, conflict and tension. From 2000 to current Australia has been involved in what is called “Peace Keeping” duties in the Solomons.
Was Moti illegally abducted and sent to Aus for trial? It’s a big, long story worth a fair bit of study. I was never a fan of Julian Moti, I thought him to be a sleaze, And I do believe the Aussie Authorities in Honiara at the time used strong arm (illegal) tactics to remove Moti and his family from the country.
That was all in 2011. The then Solomons Prime Minster took it all as a person insult. The Aussies never had a firm foothold after that.
By 2020 the PM and his Cabinet decided to cease recognition of Taiwan and support and court relations with China.
Five years later China holds hegemony.
In recent years the US and Aus have tried, through cheque book diplomacy, to bring the Pacific island nations back into the “western” fold. Yet, as recent events in PNG show us, Aus has lost influence.
I speak as a Solomon Islander…. Islanders are simple folks. Islanders have simple needs. Islanders respect strength. Islanders despise weakness.
I do not think Mr Albo has much of a chance to regain popularity and influence in the Pacific Theatre.
Seasons have shifted here in QLD. After a mild and wet winter we’re heading into summer, which is predicated to be wet. More wet. Still wet. It’s been wet for a couple years. I blame it on Glow Ball Warming…
My house if filled with noise, messes, dog turds and little kids… Its great! This morning we have 2 children, 3 puppies, 4 dogs, one mother, one grandmother and an old fart in residence.
I shall admit that I am rather amazed, surprised, sorta… the doubling down of the Albo regime on the Great Green Scam, as most of the world is waking up from the bad dream that is the green-scare.
Tim Flannery & Co. have managed to maintain their positions as acolytes to the great green scam, but for how much longer? If you don’t know who Tim is remember that: Tim Flannery has made several public predictions, notably forecasting an ice-free Arctic summer between 2010 and 2030 due to ongoing climate trends. He also warned in 2005 about Sydney’s extreme vulnerability to water deficits if the prevailing drought conditions continued. Additionally, he made the observation in 2007 that hotter soils during a drought were preventing rain from filling dams, a comment he made as Australia’s Chief Climate Commissioner.
So after a whole bunch of “the sky is falling” BS, and way too much wasted time, energy, money, resources and more… we are “Back On The Road Again”… here in the Land of Aus that is…
As the rest of the world is shaking off the mental illness that is Suicidal Climate Hysteria, Albo &Co. are doubling down.
They can do a bunch of damage in the time they have left.
I was discussing mundane matters with a very old friend, enjoying each other, discussing a walking stick I recently made for him… I make sticks for my “old” friends. I harvest ancient trees and fence-wood from the mud in my stream. I like to laminate different woods, shape it down with old fashioned hand tools.
I name all my sticks, and brand them “whittled by mike”…
Some how in our discussion, discoursing on the important earth shattering topic of internet providers and baud rate and cost for connectivity, things got contentious… I commented that after years of living in Rural Queensland, suffering from near to non-existent connectivity, paying too much for too little, I got Star Link…
Well hell! World War 7 started by me mentioning Star Link… “That’s owned by bloody MUSK! Don’t mention that ass wipes name to me. He’s a bloody idiot, a menace to humanity… ”
I venture to discuss, to ask what is so bad, why so negative?
Ethnic tensions in the Solomon Islands, particularly between Malaita settlers and indigenous Guadalcanal residents, escalated into a violent conflict from 1998 to 2003, causing displacement and death. Rooted in land disputes, rising unemployment, and a perceived lack of government support for indigenous Guale people, the conflict saw the emergence of militant groups like the Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM) and Malaita Eagle Force (MEF). The situation was worsened by weak governance, corruption, and widespread possession of leftover WWII armaments. Peace was eventually restored with the assistance of the Australian-led multinational Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) peacekeeping force in 2003
The info herein states 1998 to 2003 but that not correct. Much of what is written about this topic is jaded, skewed, simply wrong.
Nonetheless, In those years I lived daily in a minor state of “apprehension”. Not fear, but a state of heightened awareness. I lived armed. I am not a gun toting kinda guy, but I refuse to be exposed to the point where I can be kicked to near-death (It happened to others), thus I always and all ways was armed… A couple knives, my steel toed boots, and ax handle behind my car seat. I am a dog-guy and my amazing Rottweiler, Asia, was often by my side.
The reason I reminisce is I learned a couple interesting and important lessons in those days… 1) Speak softly 2) Listen intently 3) Act purposfully
When we are all yelling and pounding our chests and baying like hounds, no one can understand what we are saying
And if I do not listen to you, intent-fully hear what you say, I have no clue what you are saying. I can’t understand you by only hearing every other word. Nope, don’t work that way. It’s not communication, it’s confusion.
To become frightened or confused means to lose cool, to lose poise and balance. To become reactive, not proactive. Reactive is not as good as proactive.
And when the words stop, when dialogue ceases, when listening become too hard…
The word hysteria originates from the Greek word for uterus, hystera.
Hysteria is a term used to mean ungovernable emotionalexcess and can refer to a temporary state of mind or emotion. In the nineteenth century, female hysteria was considered a diagnosable physical illness in women. It is assumed that the basis for diagnosis operated under the belief that women are predisposed to mental and behavioral conditions; an interpretation of sex-related differences in stress responses. In the twentieth century, it shifted to being considered a mental illness. Influential physicians the likes of Sigmund Freudand Jean-Martin Charcot had dedicated research to hysteria patients.
I think back into my youthful life and recall one particular family member that would not play, not finish a game, if they were not winning. I grew up in a family that played games… card games, board games, we always had a big jigsaw puzzle on a folding table in a corner. You get the picture…
I think to a game of Monopoly we were playing, circa 1970. A group of four or five of us, we’re on the floor, around the board, playing a marathon game.
My dear relative I am characterising always had issues losing at anything. To the sad point where it was family-slang to “make sure you let him win or he’ll cry”.
There we are… on the floor, rolling dice, supposedly having fun, coming towards the end of the game.
Someone is going to win and someone is going to lose, and that someone is the bad loser…
He tosses the board in the air, scatters the plastic houses, paper bills and metal pieces. He causes chaos, refuses to let anyone, but him, win.
We were having fun one minute, the next is anger and emotion and confusion.
I am watching the reaction(s) to this past week’s sad, stupid, wasteful shooting of Charlie Kirk.
It is sad… very sad… but very sadly expected.
I shan’t name names or give despicable folks a free byline. Those same saintly talking heads that spread the fear and angst by using words that ignite, incite and poison. They proclaim daily there is a threat, a dire situation leading us to the pending loss of personal freedoms. They state day after day we ARE AT WAR!
And we act shocked when some poor, deluded, mentally ill “kid” acts out the fantasies being purveyed and marketed by our supposed elite.
Like a fart in an elevator, we hear many folks trying to convince us “it wasn’t me”.
But it’s not going to sell.
Lots of prominent folks are complicit, 100% complicit.
When I was in school, grades 6, 7, 8 I was placed in a couple advanced classes. Or, rather, as a 6th grader that was a reader, I was put in classes with 7 and 8 graders reading to my level.
One of my classmates was an 8th grader that weighed 250lbs/120kgs. Named “Terry” by his family, everyone called him “Fuzzy”.
Now Fuzzy was from a big, big farming family. He had a couple big brothers, and they were big like him. He had so many cousins I’d venture to say half the school were his relatives. They were all big. I believe/ recall his father went by the nick-name of “Angus” because he was built like an Angus bull.
And Fuzzy decided early on that he didn’t like me. Hated the idea that I sat next to him in a couple classes. He tormented me physically.
But I learned quickly my wit and words were greater weapons/ tools than Fuzzy’s braun.
Rather than complain or cry when Fuzzy “hurt” me (which was often) I’d use my impressive 6th grade vocabulary to give Fuzzy a verbal left-right. I often stalled the torture Fuzzy doled out by confusing him, perplexing him, angering him with words. If I got the words right I’d have Fuzzy embarrassed in front of our peers, I’d get him to flush red and walk away as the peanut gallery snickered and laughed, at Fuzzy’s expense.
I learned then to stand up for myself. What Fuzzy wanted was for me to wilt, to cry, to be a baby. Though he could hurt me, and he did, I normally scored points with my words.
I learned then that articulate argument, discussion, exchanging of words was important, essential.
All those years ago I learned that I could both defend myself with words, and control much of my situation by having the ability to string meaningful words together in a sensible, clear manner. It’s called being articulate.
My old friend, Fuzzy (he has passed away https://www.reifffamilycenter.com/memorials/terrance-oloughlin/1994469/obituary.php) did not have the foundation to compete with my 6th grade vocabulary. He did not have the words, nor the ability to string the words together. So he hurt me. He hated the idea that this much smaller kid, much younger kid could better him in any way. He had no foundation from which to argue with me. His only recourse was physical. He had no articulate rebuttal, ever.
So, in our modern world of confusion, angst, and division, Charlie Kirk, a gentle, peaceful activist is shot dead because someone did not have the foundation to argue, face-to-face. To exchange words and ideas. To interact in a human and humane manner.
Nope, easier, much easier to shoot and kill that which you don’t agree with.
And for far, far too long the USA has been slipping into the realm of silent antagonism where I cant talk to you and you cant talk to me.
In Charlie Kirk’s own words, “When discourse ends, violence begins.”
Sad to wake and find another, yet another senseless act of frustrated aggression in the USofA…
I say frustrated aggression because I see and hear far too many folks become angry and aggressive when faced with honest, open, factual discussions. Their inability to deal face-to-face with the facts, and their emotions, leads to foolish, sick, acting out of violent, evil fantasies.
This time round, a 31 year old political activist and commentator, Charlie Kirk, was cowardly shot dead.
I have discussed the angst and frustration I witness regularly.
I’m going to have a good-rant about the folks out there that are so constipated on TrumpDerangementSyndrome that they cease making real sense. Those folks, we all know some, that cant say “Trump” without spitting, and sputtering, and frothing at the mouth.
I started this by thinking I’d write about 3 near-and-dears, but I thought of a 4th…
#4: FUCKINGDUMFUCKERSTUMBLEBUMBDISHITRICHBOYPERVERTEDNAZI… I have just exposed too much. If you know my friend, what I just wrote will make perfect sense to you.
#3: I dont watch the news, I dont pay attention, the news makes you stupid, I don’t even own a TV, dont have time for all the nonsense, did you hear what Trump did, the new jet will belong to him, Trump and Musk are stealing all OUR money, Trump is deporting US citizens…
#2: Trump is evil, Trump is Satan, Trump is evil, Trump is Satan, Trump is evil, Trump is Satan, Trump is evil, Trump is Satan, Trump is evil, Trump is Satan, Trump is evil, Trump is Satan, Trump is evil, Trump is Satan…
#1: You see what fucking Trump is doing? No one to pick veggies and collect eggs, so everything is going to be more costly. And those fucking tariffs, how can we live without cheap Chinese goods? Trump plays golf everyday, he’s spending a billion dollars on parade, I’d rather spend money on Sesame Street…
Each of these individuals resist or blatantly refuse to discuss anything, ANYTHING, that may be contrary to their delusion.
When gently confronted with facts, yes those pesky facts that always get in the way of a good delusion, #1 yelled at me “Idontwannatalkaboutthat”. #4 refused to engage when I asked a) if the Biden era was better, and b) if an extra 20million illegal aliens was a positive. #3 laughs almost gleefully when describing how fucked up and chaotic the world will be after “Trump has his way”.
Very sad. And I remain perplexed how smart, engaged folks can so quickly slip into derangement on certain topics.
So today, 11-09-2025, a young man’s life is taken because a coward could not take the words he was saying. A young man is dead, his young wife and two babies are grieving, as some inadequate, frightened, coward is thinking he is a hero.
He is not.
And those that celebrate the murder and applaud the murderer are low-life, weakling cowards.
Still aiming to figure out why… Why the Muslim neighbours of Palestine are reluctant, resistant to “help” the people stuck in Palestine. Those same poor souls that are locked behind fences by the evil Zionists. Those same poor souls being bombed and killed as they take refuge in hospitals and schools….
I have been trolling for words about this. There is a lot to read but little of real pertinence that explains to me why, how and when… why are Palestine’s neighbours not flocking to succour those poor souls suffering what is deemed to be A Genocide? How come the nearby kin folk of those held captive on their own land don’t rush in and assist? When can those suffering expect some assistance by those close at hand?
This is a picture of the barrier between Gaza and Egypt:
The best I can do is research the historical context herein:
Arab countries refuse to accept refugees Jordan’s King Abdullah announced immediately after the October 7 attacks that Jordan and Egypt would not accept refugees from Gaza. “That is a red line,” he said.
Similarly, Turkey and Qatar, both state sponsors of Hamas, are refusing to take refugees even as both countries express support for the Palestinians. Algeria, Kuwait, and Malaysia are openly siding with Hamas but have not said they would admit refugees.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi made his toughest remarks yet on the war about Palestinian refugees from Gaza, saying Israel’s military campaign was not just aimed at fighting Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, “but also an attempt to push the civilian inhabitants to … migrate to Egypt.”
And…
Arab hesitancy to accept Palestinians from Gaza Displacement has been a major theme of Palestinian history. In the 1948 Israeli Independence War, an estimated 700,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled from what is now Israel. Palestinians refer to the event as the Nakba, Arabic for “catastrophe.” In the 1967 Six-Day War, when Israel seized the West Bank and Gaza Strip, 300,000 more Palestinians fled, mostly into Jordan. The refugees and their descendants now number nearly 6 million, most living in camps and communities in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. The diaspora has spread further, with many refugees building lives in the Gulf countries or the West.
Egypt fears history will repeat itself, and a large Palestinian refugee population from Gaza will end up staying for good. Their refusal is rooted in fear that Israel wants to force a permanent expulsion of Palestinians into their countries and nullify Palestinian demands for statehood. El-Sissi also said a mass exodus would risk bringing militants into Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, from where they might launch attacks on Israel, endangering the two countries’ 40-year-old peace treaty.
Jordan was one of the countries to receive large numbers of Palestinian refugees when at least 700,000 Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes around Israel’s foundation in 1948.
Jordan, which clashed with the PLO and expelled it under similar circumstances in 1970, already hosts more than 2 million Palestinian refugees, the majority of whom have been granted citizenship. Israeli ultranationalists have long suggested that Jordan be considered a Palestinian state so that Israel can keep the West Bank, which they view as the biblical heartland of the Jewish people. Jordan’s monarchy has vehemently rejected that scenario.
There are many such discussions online. I am not the only one trying to figger this all out…
Golly, 2nd day of the 9th month. Skies are powder blue. Air is still. I can feel the seasons changing.
In the USofA, this weekend is the Memorial Day holiday. Traditionally the last holiday of summer. Memorial Day marks the last big party before the winter winds return. The end of summer, the start of fall… Halloween and Thanksgiving are the next things to look forward to, in the USofA.
Here in the land of Aus, as the season changes from nice but chilly – to nice but warm… We would normally be preparing for the “wet season”. But…. BUTTT… since we have not seen a “dry season” for a couple years, I shall content my self to prepare for the coming “wetter season”.
And reports predict “wetter than normal” weather patterns coming.
I blame it all on GlowBall warming…
But on what do we blame the insane double standards we see in the recent, large protests here in Aus?
An Aussie, marching in support of your homeland, is a bigot, a racist, a white supremacist.
An Immigrant, marching in support of a terrorist regime, is a martyr, a saint, a good guy.
The media portrays the recent Sydney Harbour Bridge “Pro-Palestine” march as a glorious party, including families, small children, dogs and old folks… https://bbc.com/news/articles/clydnvw1dg5o
You can profess solidarity with the folks holding hostages, wrap a checkered scarf over your face, pretend you are Yasser Arafat. Carry the Palestine flag, chant slogans, demand sharia law, and promise jihad, and be thought a thoughtful, sensitive valuable human.
But…. BUTTT… Carry an Australian flag, call for less immigration, lower house prices, less violence in the streets, better schools and… well hell! I guess being patriotic aint cool any more.
There is much to be said about the modern world and the shift from wanting, demanding safety, security, education, medical care and the ability to grow, build, and develop the society in a positive vein – To a retrograde development to a tradition time where women have no rights, children are chattel, and violence is a legitimate response to difficult times.
In this situation, after the loony liberal left back the conservative muslims, thinking we’re all fine and friends and diversity is our strength… the conservatives kick the liberals where their testicles once were.
What did they expect?
What does the world expect?
Expect from a group that proclaims death to the Western world, Western values, Western religion.
For my money, I say listen to the words. I dont think either side is lying.
My favourite month is near its end for the year 2025. Only one day left and we waltz into September. The year is all down hill from there.
Too, winter’s end is upon us here in the land of Aus.
It is blustery, chilly, and sunshiny outside. A southerly is bringing freezing winds to much of the land.
The old house is complaining. Making a lot of noise.
When we first moved here I told the grandkids the house was haunted. All the sounds, and rattles and moaning, it sure sounded like it was haunted.
In QLD houses are less insulated, less wind proof, much less so than a house built in Iowa… No double glazing here. The Windows rattle, the house moans in the hearty gusts.
Iowa builds to withstand subzero temps and snow-loads on the roof. Galvanised roofing material is reserved for sheds. Houses get built thick, strong, heavy … Nothing like the sub-tropical design of houses here in Aus.
So I sit inside. Was out a while ago but its simply too windy to get much done… I’d like to do some weed spraying, but it’s way, way too windy.
I know some folks out there will think that the use of herbicides like “Round-Up” is evil, bad, wrong.
I say this: Folks that believe such know little or nothing about land management.
I know I’ll get challenged for my statement, but the fact remains that passive control of invasive weeds does little to no real good in managing the spreading of such. Key invasive weed species in Queensland include common culprits like Lantana, Parthenium weed, Camphor Laurel, Giant Rat’s Tail Grass, and various water weeds such as Water Hyacinth and Alligator Weed. These plants crowd out natives, impacting grazing lands, and reducing water quality.
I know a few “Organic” farmers that think land management excludes the use of herbicides.
These self same farmers live on land overrun by weeds. And once the weeds get ahead of you, it’s a costly exercise to claw control of the land back. A couple of my neighbours have let their property go wild. In the 8 years we’ve been here we have had professionals come and spray 3 times. It is a constant, never ending story that some folks dont want to hear.
I use a combination of slashing/ mowing and herbicides. I can manage most of my front-20 with mowing. I spray the ditches and fence rows. Mow the rest, when its dry enough.
Right now, in my back-80, I have lots to do… I have left it way too long… The floods of recent times have removed my roads, my crossings over the steam that runs the length of my property. I need the roads to put my machines to use.
I last rebuilt the main crossing 18 months ago. We did a good job. Ended up with a great result, only to watch the floods wipe it out and carry the expensive culverts down stream…
after the crossing completeafter the floods wiped it all out
I was very proud of that crossing… I’d designed it so the “road” acted like a diving platform… I’d dug a nice deep pool on the downward side of the stream. Layered the culverts so in low-flow times all was cool, and in high-flow times things were cool too… Was planning to put steps in and out of the pool for the kids. The 1st pict above is me testing the swimming hole out. The second is the same location showing the result, only a few weeks later, of hydrostatic forces not being friendly.
A week ago it was dry enough to take the digger back and create a little weir/ crossing. As soon as the winds die down I’ll get back there, nuke the weeds.
This past week I have been clearing the many drains on my property…
The idea is to allow the water to drain away, to not build up too much pressure on the in-flow side of the drains. Another one of those never ending stories…
I am like a kid in his sandbox playing with his toys…
And the beat goes on… marching tot he end of 08 and the beginning of 09-25.
prestidigitation • \press-tuh-dij-uh-TAY-shun\ • noun. : sleight of hand, legerdemain. Examples: Her career as a magician began with feats of prestidigitation and illusion performed for her high school’s annual talent shows. “
As a child I received a “magic kit” and by about 10yrsold I could give a rather clumsy display of sleight of hand. I have always enjoyed card tricks and disappearing coins and tricks that took a bit of digital dexterity.
For me, prestidigitation equals “look over here”.
I see prestidigitation in our world, in our lives, in our politics… here’s one:
Democratic governor of the US state of Illinois, JB Pritzker said Trump is paving the way to a police state.“Donald Trump’s threat to bring the National Guard to Chicago isn’t about safety — it’s a test of the limits of his power and a trial run for a police state,” Mr Pritzker wrote on his Facebook page. “Illinois has long worked with federal law enforcement to tackle crime, but we won’t let a dictator impose his will.”
Pritzker is doing the “look over here thing”, he’s taking our attention away from the dramas in Chicago. He is directing us to look at the pending police state, not the death rate, lawlessness and corruption that is Chicago/ Illinois.
I’ve gone looking for decent stats per crime, violence, murder in the Windy City, but fear the numbers are undependable.
For too long the “look over here” folks have been fudging the stats, doctoring the numbers, lying, basically lying…
I find it interesting that the ability to control crime is real, we have the tools. But the Will, the conscious will to “clean things up”, to take the sick and needy off the streets, to make an effort to control the slow rot that is drug addiction. To take a knife to the cancerous growth that is organised crime.
I fear that too many are profiting, gaining, being enriched by “turning a blind eye”. Leaders can allow a city, say San Fran, to be turned into an out-door toilet. They can spend billions and billions on “solutions”, while enriching themselves, those close, those attached. As long as there is a problem, there shall be funds available to misuse and abuse.
I dont think the solutions are all that difficult. I think it’s a matter of WILL.
But then I do believe that many elected and appointed leaders do not want a sober, alert, engaged electorate. A bunch of junkies living in tents, shitting on the street, lining up for free dope are much more manageable than any sober informed individual.
Who says I suck at math? They are wrong. I know that today, and today only…
21=68.
Wouldn’t have it any other way.
Yesterday I posted an obit for Uncle Teddy Selman. I noted in that post that I have not heard from Teddy for decades. And thats OK. Sometimes people get lost in the currents of life. And as a life-long adventurer, I have been “leaving”, moving on, sailing away often. Any loss of communication between friends in my life remains largely due to me, myself and my eclectic and eccentric life.
After posting Teddy’s obit yesterday I started thinking of classic Teddy tales…
Teddy was an interesting man. An accomplished guitarist. A mechanical genius. A master machinist. An amazing story teller. Teddy’s father was from West Texas, his mother, Miss Molly, was a Cajun Princess. I was lucky enough to spend quite a bit of time visiting Teddy in his Orange, TX home. For a few years Uncle Teddy’s place was on our list of things-to-do whenever we visited the USA.
I got to know his Mother, Miss Molly.
Everyone called her “Miss Molly”. She had a “negress” caregiver looking after her daily. She was an artefact of a time past. She was old school Gentile Cajun. She was born in a time of a different form of political correctness. Miss Molly was prim and proper and correct in all she did. I always felt honoured to be in her presence. Uncle Teddy’s good manners and charm came from his Mother.
One of my favourite uncle Teddy tales…
It’s late in the 1980s. We’re on Guadalcanal. One of the big past-times in those days was scuba diving. Pretty much everyone that was posted to GCanal did a dive course, got certified, bought gear and started diving. The Solomons offers some of the worlds best underwater adventuring… The water is warm so no need for wet suits and loads of weight. The coastline of GCanal offers numerous, easy to access beach dive sites. So all we needed to do was grab our gear, hop in a car and drive the short distance to Bonegi.
It’s a Saturday morning. I recall Willis and a couple other folks all gathered on the beach, preparing to enjoy an easy 40minutes underwater. Uncle Teddy was there, going for his first ever scuba dive. It was customary for the gang I ran with to take folks on an introductory dive, to get them interested, started on their way to being a certified diver.
That day Willis is Teddy’s instructor…. gives him the prep intro, shows him his gear, gets him suited-up and in the water.
Bonegi is an easy dive, start shallow, work down to around 100feet, slowly ascend up the coral wall. 40minutes is the average time a tank of air lasts at such depths. And 40minutes was about as long as a recreational dive needs to be.
We surface, waddle ashore, drop our gear.
Someone asked Uncle Teddy, “how was it”… we’re all expecting the usual 1st-dive enthusiasm. A torrent of words proclaiming the amazing-ness of being under water, enjoying the gravity absent feeling of flying, the colours the activity the spectacle of it all…
So, “Teddy, how was it?”… To which Teddy replied:
“Damn long time to go without a cigarette.”
To my knowledge Uncle Teddy never went scuba diving again.
A rainy grey day in my valley. Good day to be tired and do some reading, some research…
I had a thought to check on an old compadre I have not heard from for ages and ages. My buddy, Teddy Selman, went off-grid a long time ago. I probably have not spoke to him since shortly after the September 11 2001 bombing . Teddy was unhappy with the idea of the Home Land Security scene and the resulting restrictions on what he saw as his rights to be armed. Teddy was an avid gun collector/ owner. I know he owned over 200 guns and a life time of ammo.
So Teddy went dark, dropped off the www, got rid of his phone.
I have a habit of checking the obituaries, checking phone numbers and such. Attempting to stay in some form of touch with Teddy and other old friends.
Today I find this:
THEODORE “TED” SELMAN
June 12, 2025
Theodore “Ted” Selman, age 74, of Orange, Texas, passed away at his home on June 10, 2025.
Ted was born on October 9,1950 to Jim Ben Selman and Mollie Belile Selman. He was a lifelong Orange resident with many hobbies, including playing guitar, welding, learning foreign languages, and history. He was a talented, self-made man, and after working as a machinist for Dupont for many years, he later opened his own machine shop. Ted also loved learning about different cultures and communities, which led him to volunteer for the Peace Corps. Although a lifetime bachelor, his contribution to the next generation, including his valued mentorship to his niece and nephews will be greatly missed.
Ted is preceded in death by his parents; brother, Carl Dean Selman and his sister Michele Selman Moore.
Those left to cherish Ted’s memory are his nephew James Stringer, Jr,; great niece, Katrina Stringer; great nephew, Jeremy Stringer; great-great nephew, Bodhi King, and lifelong friend Keet Goforth.
After cremation, Ted will be interred at Nibletts Bluff Cemetery in Vinton, Louisiana. An informal graveside ceremony will take place at a later date.
I was and remain perplexed that there are folks that can not, will not, ever ever ever say DJT did something good.
Never shall a positive word for Evil Orange Man pass their lips… ever ever ever…
So today, in DC, a European Leader’s meeting, the likes of which is unheard of, took place.
The leaders from Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union and NATO met with DJT and Ukraine’s Zelensky. They met in short order, post the DJT/ Putin meeting held on Friday in Alaska.
I find it amazing that in a few short days DJT got the leaders of Europe to agree on a path forward for the Russo/ Ukraine conflict.
What I heard was positive. May not check all the boxes but if it ends the carnage and destruction then I claim it’s positive. For instance: The Crimea appears to remain with Russia. Of course we know that the Crimea was “annexed” by Russia during the Obama administration. As well, Ukraine shall not join the Nato alliance, but NATO is offering security to Ukraine in the form of a one-for-all and all-for-one agreement, just like NATO has.
For all the talk of DJT being Putin’s bum-boy, I kinda think that Obama, yes, St. Obama of the immaculate term in office, gave more, conceded more, granted more to VPutin than any other, before or after.
Why did Obama allow Putin to walk in and “annex” Crimea? I’ll research this later, but for now… Do you recall a live-mic scene around 2013 when Obama told Vlad that he’s have more “lee-way” after he stopped being prez. I always saw something fishy, something sinister at that time.
So, all the TDS sickos that think crime in DC and war in Ukraine his better than paying DJT a compliment, granting him a win…
I say damn!
Hats off to DJT for a) being the only clown in the circus that can get there other clowns to cooperate, and b) having the ability, sense and experience to pull a deal together that will end what I consider to be a terrible decade plus long conflict.
Pondering, ruminating… on this fine Sunday morning… blood sports on the tube… cloudless powder blue skies… flora and fauna active and happy… a herd of young deer frolicking outside my window…
I am trolling through the various news feeds… trolling as in “trolling for fish”… not “Trolling” in the modern social sense:
I am going through the various comments and thoughts regarding the Alaskan Summit. I am trying to see what folks on all sides of this discussion think. I am finding it difficult. There is soooo much illogical BS going on…
I wonder if I watched, experienced, the same thing that other folks saw. What people close, important, respected saw, heard, experienced…
I watched and saw a pretty interesting international event… I watched the Authoritarian Leader of Russia meet the Democratically Elected Leader of the USA… At an airbase in the USA (Alaska)… with a show-of-might fly-over of the world’s most deadly aircraft.
I watched as Vlad Putin appeared small in stature next to DJT. I watched as Vlad Putin did a triple-take on the show-of-might flying above his head. I watched as DJT appeared to be welcoming, charming, in control.
I have listened to the talking heads, read the articles left and right, spoke to many people near and dear…
So many folks are illogically defending the indefensible position that TRUMP is weak, TRUMP is bad, Trump is evil.
I had one such near and dear explain to me that Vlad Putin won the day, Trump got played, looks like a fool, was only there to perform oral sex on Vlad…
That was deep and meaningful!
I dont get it… we all watched the same thing…
Putin met with Trump at an agreed location in the USA. I call that home court advantage. I call that being the shot caller, getting to choose the location for the meeting. I call it “being in control” when someone I’m doing business with travels to meet me at the venue of my choosing.
But, no chance, none what so ever that our TDS afflicted friends and family will see this for what it really is. Nope! Folks with their heads still stuck in the “hand up dont shoot” BS, folks still believing George Floyd is a martyr, these folks will never see anything DJT does or accomplishes as good, successful, positive…
Nope, not possible with folks sick, ill, afflicted with TRUMP Derangement Syndrome…
And I find this very sad. I am sad and disturbed that sooo many smart, thoughtful, aware and learned folks simply dont see, cant see the factual reality I see…
I see a situation that has been allowed to ferment in an era of incompetence and negligence. An era starting decades ago when the Clintons and the Obamas, with a side-kick named Biden kicked a high octane Pay-to-Play scheme into gear. Operated out of the white house, this scheme was suppose to be the new SOP… standard operating procedure. Using foundations and family members and non-profit orgs, the Clintons were raking in huge $$$s. Selling influence and access. While lining their pockets.
The Obama team was going to do the same, wanted to do the same, the same as the Clintons… charge half-a-mil for a couple hour speech. Charge a hundred-grand for a round of golf with the ex-USPrez. Charge for dinner meetings. Charge huge bucks to sit on Boards, to be on a committee, to influence and assist, to grease the corrupt wheels that run the DC machines.
As near as I can tell, anyone or anything that interferes with the greasing of the corrupt wheels gets disappeared ala’ Clinton style suicide.
Using the Alaskan Summit as a starting point and looking backwards… In 2025 we are attempting to resolve a military conflict that has been going on since 2014… February 2014:Russian troops, initially without insignia, began appearing in Crimea, taking control of key locations like airports and government buildings. March 2014:A referendum, widely considered illegitimate by the international community, was held in Crimea, with results showing overwhelming support for annexation by Russia. March 2014:Russia formally annexed Crimea and Sevastopol, incorporating them into the Russian Federation. International Response:Most of the world does not recognize the annexation, considering it a violation of international law and Ukraine’s sovereignty. Ongoing Conflict:The annexation of Crimea and Russia’s support for separatists in eastern Ukraine (Donbas) led to a prolonged conflict in the region, with fighting continuing until the 2022 invasion. Death and Destruction: Over 2million combatants and civilians have been killed or injured since 2022.
Quick important note… Barack Obama’s tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017.
Obama allowed the initial actions of this now decade long war to take place, and though he spoke of lines in the sand, I never thought he was honest about his intent to resolve the Crimean issue. To stand up against Vlad Putin.
Biden allowed the Russo/Ukraine war to happen. In 2022 the Russian invasion was accepted without overt response or action. Putin knew he could ride rough over Biden. Even after Biden said “dont”.
And where are we now…
For many folks they remain in illogical defence of an illogical position.
The Native Iowan 
thoughts and opinions