Practice Makes Perfect

Posted in Food, Gun Safety, Safety by

From my early youth, I have heard the expression. Yet, today I can attest to one and all that it is not completely true. How many times do you suppose an infielder, since his days in Little League practiced the throw to first base. Then, even in the pros, he throws one so high the first base man can’t reach it. Maybe practice makes a person good at something, but even then, only if it is practiced properly. Invariably, one thing many have trouble with is to unlearn the bad habits, both in baseball and in life, which they learn in their youth. And, by the way, the bad habits are well practiced.

One of the things we learned in the Marines on the rifle range was to practice, practice, practice. However, every second, they had a PMI standing over me correcting me the instant I started to practice something wrong.

I used the rifle range example for two reasons. A bad practice can mean missing the target, but a bad safety habit can lead to wounds or even death. It might seem a simple thing, but the first thing I was taught was to keep my rifle pointed downrange. That way, even if I should make the mistake of not following some other safety rule, no one will get hurt.

It is a practice that I hold to this day over all these years, even though it was years since I left the Marines. If I never point a weapon where it might hurt someone, then it won’t hurt anyone should it go off. Well, it mostly works. I can tell of examples where it didn’t. That is why they have other safety rules, like don’t play fast draw with a gun, loaded or not.

Actually, I have gotten way off of my intended subject. It was a subject that was brought to mind today as I saw a woman, likely a little older than me, coughing like crazy. I watched to make sure she recovered. In a while she was okay and back to normal.

However, it did remind me. The woman had likely swallowed and choked. We all do it. I do, and I have had an awful lot of practice. I have been swallowing for 73 years and it seems I get it wrong more frequently now than when I was 40.

It is something we don’t think about much, but we all swallow no telling how many times a day. Certainly we swallow our food. However, from time to time we swallow just because we feel a need to. We have all practiced it so much that we do it without thinking. Then, when we mess up and do it wrong, we are reminded that we need to do it right. Maybe, from time to time, we need to remind ourselves to, not only practice, but practice it right, especially while eating.

Now that I am done with this, I need to go out and practice some more… the battle with the weeds.

The World’s 2nd Most Important Invention

Posted in Advertising by

Of course we all know what the world’s most important invention is, the wheel. There is simply nothing that is used so much everyday in so many ways. It’s a shame there were no patent offices back then.

Oh yes, the second most important. We all know that. I use mine so frequently every day, I simply can’t keep track. Of course, it is the mute button. Not one advertiser can get their childish ads past my mute button, that is, assuming another invention holds up – the battery.

And I never leave my eazy chair.

Yard Work

Posted in Uncategorized by
Daily writing prompt
What have you been putting off doing? Why?
View all responses

I was keeping up with it till this stupid virus. I got it, got over it and got it again. Took me a long time to build up my strength again. Truth be told, I am still not completely recovered. I don’t know if I ever will.

I managed to keep up with the front, more or less, but the weeds got almost 6 feet high in back. I work on it about an hour a day, as the heat permits. At 73, I just can’t stand up to the heat as I did.

Oddly my electric trimmer does most of the work but I do all the sweating. After an hour, I retreat inside and it takes well over an hour to recover. I huff and puff and drink the ice water.

About one more week, I will have the weeds under control, but there will be no grass till spring. Too late this year. Now, mostly dirt.

It’s the problem with weeds. They don’t care about reasons or excuses. You give them a chance…

Who is at Fault?

Posted in Biden, Christian values, Deceit, Growing Old, Kamala Harris, Lawyers and Representation, Lobbyists by

Almost one week ago, Hamas started an attack on Israel. Since that time, every life lost was the fault of Hamas or their terrorists friends. Regardless of who pulled trigger, all the blood is on their hands.

And by the way, I would say Old Joe put in his 2 cents but it is actually 6 billion dollars, which he provided by way of Iran. And now he and his are quickly busy trying to deny it. However, he can’t. We all saw him do it. Even most of the media admits it.

To be sure his hands are in the innocent blood all the way to his elbows. Worse, he doesn’t care. His only concern is that he was caught.

Odd, as in Strange

Posted in Abuse of Power, Biden, Christian values, Communism by

I just became aware that North Korea is supplying weapons to Russia. I consider this very odd, considering it was not that long ago that the Soviets were the big supplier, not just to North Korea, but all over the world.

I don’t absolutely know it’s true. I mean, I am having to rely on our media on this. & of course, I am very much aware the news from our media is every bit as reliable as was Pravda, the former Soviet news agency.

Still, if true, it would be an indicator that Pravda would never want to admit. It would show just how much of a failure communism was & is everytime it’s tried.

It begs the question, if it failed so horribly there, why pursue communism elsewhere? This especially when freedom based capitalism has been such a success.

Fantastic Snickers Commercial

Posted in Advertising by

A man waiting in a dermatologists office with, apparently, a mascot painted on his face. A kid keeps looking at him.

Finally, the man explains, “I used the wrong paint.” The commercial goes on to explain it was a “rookie mistake.”

I suppose it could happen. I don’t know, maybe the commercial was prompted by something that actually happen. At any rate, I loved the little story and I do like Snickers too. The problem is they rarely last that long.

Self Powered Trailer?

Posted in Uncategorized by

Many of us have small cars that can’t haul trailers. Now that I have my electric car, that’s even more so. I have been giving the subject much thought.

Then I figured why not power the trailer the same as the car. A sensor could be installed on the tongue to signal the trailer to apply more or less power to the trailer’s motor. This is sort of like electric brakes but in reverse. That would mean battery and motor on the trailer.

My original thought was only for electric cars. Then I had 2nd thoughts. Why not for small gas powered cars too.

I suspect safety would be a factor. Speeds should be limited and, should the trailer come loose, power should be removed from the trailer`s motor. Perhaps some braking should also be applied.

It would be for light and likely long loads. Some might like to buy one. Others might prefer to do their hauling on a rented one.

Mostly, 2x4s simply do not fit in most cars. I live just a short distance from places to buy stuff for my home but I will likely need to rent a vehicle to haul the stuff for my storage shed.

Doesn’t matter to me. If anyone does develop such a thing, it will likely be long after I’m gone.

The Primary Requirement to Win

Posted in Abuse of Power, Biden, Elections, Politcal Opinion, Socialists by

Over the years, I have heard a number of things about winning.  The football coach Vince Lombardi said, “Winning isn’t everything.  It’s the only thing.”  It might not be the most frequently quoted quote, but I suspect it might be one of the top ten.  In truth, we will never know how many times he was quoted unofficially, by both by coaches and who knows how many others.  Just maybe it was quoted by a few marines.

Certainly, for the marine out there facing the enemy 3 or 4 hundred yards away, it is very real.  For if the Marine doesn’t win, he will very likely die.

If I were to prepare a list of things a soldier needs to win, I would certainly include the will to win right up there at the top.

If the soldier has no will to win, the enemy just gained an edge that cannot be perceived.  However, the will to win doesn’t start the day the soldier marches off to war.  It begins long before.  For sure, he must undertake a lot of training.  He must whip himself into top condition.  His ability to outrun, out-jump, out shoot and even out fight the enemy hand-to-hand are all oh so important.

However, it even begins before the training.  The will to win starts in the hearts of those who will be sending the soldier off.  How much time and money will be put in training him?  How much money will be spent to arm him?  Finally, and most important, how much will the win be impeded?  That is to say, what kind of rules set which he must follow?  Is he going to have to wait for the enemy to grab his weapon before he is able to use the rifle on him?

What limits will be put on our side, knowing there will be no limits put on their side?  What limits will be put on the ability to gather intelligence?  If all we can do is ask, we might as well give up before we start.  If we have to make sure that we not killing a civilian before we shoot, the war is lost before it is begun.

The primary requirement to win at anything is the will to win.  It is why the runner strides just a little harder as he approaches the finish line.  However, when a man goes out to do battle with the enemy, finish lines just don’t seem to be all that important.

Frequently, the objective of the marine is to shoot the other guy before he shoots you.  That is true weather in a fox-hole or in a jet fighter.  It is true weather in a rowboat or cruiser.

And, believe me.  Those that have the greater reason to win have a very big edge.

During WWII, we had the reason to win.  It is why Truman ordered the dropping of the bombs on Japan.  Incidentally, they had the will to win too.  If they had the bomb, they most certainly would have used it on us.

In Luke 14:28, The Prince of Peace was heard to say, “Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider weather he is strong enough with 10,000 men to encounter the one who is coming against him with 20,000?”

The truth is, once the battle is enjoined, it is too late to consider such things.  Once the first shot is fired, as Coach Lombardi said, “Wining is the only thing.”

Moreover, the quicker it is over, the fewer who will die or be wounded.  It is the long lingering wars where there is no commitment where the casualties mount.

Then, quite frequently, at the end, those who are not completely committed are the ones who will lose.  For those who are truly committed will not give up… not as long as they have the means to fight.

It is a crying shame, Since President Truman, all dems have been more committed to winning elections than winning wars. They fight for a while and say, well, guess we can’t win that one. We need to withdraw… immediately if not sooner. If we have to leave a few Americans behind, sorry about that.

Let’s Take a Quick Look in a Mirror

Posted in Uncategorized by
Daily writing prompt
What’s something you would attempt if you were guaranteed not to fail.
View all responses

In my mind, I changed the title of this post at least half a dozen times.  I may yet change it another 6 or 7 times.  In theory, the title should tell the reader something about the subject.  Yet it should not drive away the readers, which puts me in something of a quandary.  I guess, in a way I will have to resort to a little deceit, though I don’t really like doing that.  However, I really do want it to get to as many as possible if it will have the very success of The Daily Prompt’s mission to succeed.

More than most times, I feel the encouragement by God to write this.  However, don’t get me wrong.  I still have no claim to being a prophet, if only I were.  I would like to speak on this subject as if I had the authority of God.  Yet it is all common sense, or at least the most of us who have a conscience.

A little less than a week ago, I turned the radio on and found out that Hamas has again attacked Israel.  How terrible this is, I thought.  More senseless killing.  However, as time unfolded, I realized that things were worse, much worse.  It seems they were killing babies.  They were burning them, beheading them, right before their parents.

How horrible, I thought.  How can a people do such things to another people?  It did not gain them anything in their war effort.  It was simply because, well, I won’t go there.  As I said before.  I don’t know how people can do such things, and yet, if the reports are true, then they are.

Throughout history, people have been killing other people in war.  It is a horrible thing and, for sure, I would like to put a stop to it.  However, recently things have gotten worse.  A socialist, that is the communist bunch out of the Soviet Union and China have killed, seemingly just to kill.  Even more, year by year, the Israelites have become more targeted, apparently just because they live.  Certainly the Nazis were not the first nor were they the worst

If you want proof of the existence of God, here it is.  Why else would the world try to do away with the one people who must remain in order for the prophecies of the final days to be fulfilled?  I mean, does the Bible not speak of the Jews in the last book of the Bible.  How can these prophecies come true unless there are Jews?  So, in order to keep them from being fulfilled, Satan is putting every effort into killing Jews.

Some believe man actually thought of it.  Nope.  It was Satan.  And those trying to kill Jews are doing the will of Satan.

Nonetheless, let me return to the atrocity spoken of recently on the news.  You know, where the Hamas men were chopping off the heads of babies.  It does sound bad to just almost everyone.

How-some-ever, let me remind one and all.  We have people; highly respected people have done and will continue to do this in this very country.  And guess what, they get paid for it.  The dems call them doctor and have high regard for them and they are highly protected murderers.

They cut and chop babies into little pieces.  Needles-to-say, I would like to put a stop to that.  It is the one major thing I would like stop right now.  I would really like to be assured of my success.

But, alas, I am doomed to failure.  People listen not to my cry for the babies, nor to the speeches of others.

You see, it is about money; it is about convenience; it is about power for the dems.  Never is it about the baby.

However, before we get so all high and mighty about what the Hamas do, let’s get a mirror and glance at ourselves for a while.  They have killed their hundreds.  Our so-called healers have killed their millions, and it continues, mostly to black babies.