LM (to hide his real name)

Today at the Post Office I ran into one of my ex-coworkers for the Postal Service. He is also retired but is trying to get back on. I'll call him LM. LM is an officer in the Army Reserves. He was in a special service unit that was trained to kill. He was one of the leaders who captured Manuel Noriega (Panama Canal) in 1989 and brought him to justice. At work every time he did something eccentric or just plain nutty we would comment, "And he is also a trained killer!" One time for a short time he was a window clerk. The window clerks sometimes brought goodies in, they baked or bought goodies and kept them out of sight to munch on. One time a Window Clerk named Jackie brought Duncan Donuts in, all different flavors. They had the box hidden in a room away from public view and the clerks were to slip back and have one and return to window. That was the plan. LM was first to go back. After he got back and gave a nod the next person went back - and hit the roof. A bite was out of each donut. They asked LM did he do that and he happily said yes, they all looked so good he had to taste each one. No matter what they angrily said, LM just laughed, like they were kidding him. I remember one time in the break room we were, well, taking a break. LM was one of us at the sitting at the tables talking. There was a vending machine man in the room either loading or repairing a vending machine. When LM spoke apparently the vending machine recognized his voice. He snapped to attention and told LM how glad he was "to see you again SIR!" LM and the vending machine man talked of old times and the different killing machines they were trained on. I could tell the vending machine man really looked up and respected his officer, LM. Then LM's supervisor came in and ruefully told him to get back to work. I bet that was a downer for both of them.

John and Lizzy Hawkins Huey

John and Lizzy Hawkins Huey. John is the son of my (and my Hunter 1st cousins) g-great grandparents John T. and Drucilla Wilson Huey. The Hueys lived on and near Carmel-Bascomb Road in south Cherokee County, Georgia. It looks like John and Lizzy just got caught smooching behind the barn doesn't it?

Pull My Finger

I went to physical therapy today. It was the first session of a bunch that will go into 2018. I damaged my left shoulder and cannot raise my arm without enduring sharp pain. Today she gave me several arm tasks to do and groped my arm some and took notes on her electronic note pad. One time when she put down a lot of words after groping my shoulder muscle I said, "It would be easier just to put down "Flabby"". She laughed. Another time she asked me where was I born. I said "Here, Marietta. One block from the Square,". She said she never met a Marietta native before. I said, "Yep, I'm a sight to behold". That cracked her up. She laughed at a lot of my wise-ass cracks. I was thinking I have good insurance and mental health is also important. It is good therapy for someone to appreciate your wit. After my arm gets well I wonder if I can continue to go to the sweet therapist just to wise crack. I think it would help me.

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! MAD #16's RESTAURANT

Story by editor Harvey Kurtzman and art by Will Elder. Be sure and click on each page to make everytrhing bigger and better.

Passport Problems

There is a ruckus now in the Cobb County Passport Office on passport fees. It seems some of that office have taken a lot as a personal fee for handling the passport. One person has collected almost a half million bucks in less than a year. It is now a squabble on disagreeing what the fees are. And to top things off it has been decided to destroy the records to keep off an investigation by the news. All I got to say, where is my cut? Is it retroactive? I worked as a Postal window clerk and one of my duties was to do passports if someone came to my window. The only award I got was bragging rights. For instance, I am the one that did the photo and paperwork for Travis Tritt’s passport. Yessir, sure did. And that reminds me: my co-worker Jackie one time handled a person’s passport that nobody was sure if it was a he or she. After the person left our boss was looking over the application and he fussed to Jackie because he thought she allowed the wrong sex put in the sex blank. She said she did not put that in, the applicant did, then she added, “Do you think I should have taken also a picture of his balls?”

Georgia Tech Inspired Scientific Experiments

This was my late friend Sam Carsley (1941-2013). This picture of him with Allatoona Dam as a back drop reminds me of the time he was going to Georgia and I helped him partake in some scientific experiments. Lide for instance the time he came by with a stack of holess paper. We took the paper to the top of Allatoona Dam. On the east side of the dam the water appeared to be fairly deep. On the west died the Etowah River, looking down at it, looked shallow. It went on to Cartersville and Rome. His fellow students and their professor discussed the wind coming up the Etowah Valley from the west naturally hit the damn and went upward, causing a strong upwind. So we folded the paper sheets into paper airplanes and threw them off the west side. They would fall only about the level of the top of the damn, then the up-shaft wind caught them and shot them p again. Then, the same thing happened. And we kept making more airplanes and more the atmosphere became more and more cluttered with paper airplanes. Some going up, some making a nose dive down for a short distance. I don’t think polluting the Etowah rRver with wet paper was anybody’s concern back then. Another scientific experiment was west of Marietta near Dallas Georgia, where they had the DALLAS DRAGSTRIP on Weekends. My friends and I went there to see he races sometimes on Sunday. We discovered there is a road closed to the public that ran up near the Paulding County Drive-In Theater, which was an idea place to park to clip into the drag races. At Tech Sam was studying Einstein’s Theory of Relativity Sam said to put it simple, imagine standing in the back of a bus. If it suddenly stopped, standing in the aisle without holding onto anything, you would not stop. Your body weight would fling itself up the aisle. It would be in the motion as the bus was. Sam had just bought a green and white 56 Chevvy convertible. He believed the same theory would apply if you slammed on the brakes and threw a rock straight up in he air. If the car stopped still, the rock should land in front of the car. So, we did not have a rock but we were drinking beer. By the time on the lonely private little road we each had an empty beer can. Sam said he would holler “NOW!” when he stomped down on his brakes and I was to throw my empty beer can straight up in the air. “now!” Sam said. “WHOMP!”, was the sound the can made when it hit the hood, making an ugly scar on the Chevvy's hood.

Jones Family, the Original Founders of Jones Office Park, near Milton, Ga

The father is Walter Vernon Jones (1873-1940). The mother is Mintora Mathis Jones (1880-1975). They lived in the Milton/Cummings, Georgia, area. The oldest daughter, standing next to her mother is Myrtle Irene Jones (1895-1991). She married Paul Everett Foster. She and Paul are Anna's grandparents. The next oldest daughter is Edith Gertrude Jones (1898-1986). She married Twigg W. Wood. They had no children. The boy is Felton Murdock Jones (1900-1981). He married Voncile Carolyn Anderson. They had three children. Felton owned an ice cream shop in downtown Roswell. The baby sitting in her mother lap must be Nellie Elizabeth Jones (1903-2001). She married Leonard Floyd Stone. They had one daughter. Photo 2. Same Jones family some years later. I believe it was taken before 31 October 1912, because the youngest child Vivian Velma Jones is not listed. Left to Right. First Row: Nellie Elizabeth, Willie Echo Jones (1908-2002), She married Bennie Hill Glover. They had four children. And Vernice Vivian Vera Jones (1906-1982). She married (1)David Cain Sudan. They had one son. (2) Horace Wood. No children. And (3) Herman Bown. No Children. Second Row: Gertrude, Irene, and Felton. Photo 3. July 27, 1991. Surviving sisters Nellie Jones Stone, Willie Jones Glover, and Velma Jones Kelly attending their sister Irene Jones Foster's burial at Midway Church between Alphretta and Cummings.

Our Mayflower Ancestor

Hunter and Tysons Cousins Claim to Fame (again): We can brag saying our ancestor was on the Mayflower. I told you in a previous post that I discovered one of Tyson ancestors, Desire Doty’s 3rd husband, Alexander Standish was the son Miles (Myles) Standish. This morning I googled Desire Doty’s father Edward Dotyi and discovered he came to America on the Mayflower. He was a servant to Stephan Hopkins but coming on the Mayflower is something. Records show he was something of a hell raiser. But again, he did arrive on the Mayflower. While Googling Edward Doty I came across a Society of Edward Doty which consists of members who have proof they are directly descended. If you feel the need to belong to something go for it. About Edward Doty, "Mayflower" Passenger · "The first of the family in America was Edward Doty, who came when but a youth in the Mayflower in 1620. He joined the Pilgrims at London and came with them to Plymouth, Mass. He married Faith Clark in 1635 and their children were William, Faith, Edward, John, Thomas, Samuel, Desire, Mary Elizabeth, Isaac and Joseph." · Edward Dotey "of London" was a "Mayflower" passenger as apprentice to Stephen Hopkins, and signed the Mayflower Compact. · His alleged baptisms - 1599, Shropshire, England; 14 May 1598, St Mary le Strand, Thurburton Hills, England - were exposed as fictional by Neil D. Thompson, The American Genealogist 66 (1988), p. 215. · According to Gov. Bradford's "increasings and gleanings," he was married in England to a woman whose name is not known. He married in Plymouth to Faith Clarke (about 1617-1675), daughter of Thurston & Faith Clarke. They had 9 children. · He fought New England's first duel with fellow servant Edward Leister in 1621; both were sentenced to 24 hours of punishment by having head and feet tied together for 24 hours, fasting. With the help of their master, Governor Bradford released them within an hour. Family · Parents: unknown (see ancestral summary, below) Married 1. to an unknown woman; no children. 2. January 06, 1633/34, Plymouth Colony to Faith Clark, daughter of Thurston Clark and Faith. 9 children Children of Edward Doty and Faith Clark: 1. Desire Doty, b. Abt. 1646, Plymouth, Mass, d. January 22, 1729/30, Marshfield, Plymouth, Mass. 2. Edward Doty, b. Bef. 1637, Plymouth, Mass, d. February 08, 1689/90, Plymouth Harbor (drowned). 3. John Doty, b. Abt. 1640, Plymouth, Mass, d. May 08, 1701, Plymouth, Mass. 4. Thomas Doty, b. Abt. 1642, Plymouth, Mass., d. Abt. December 04, 1678, Plymouth, Mass.. 5. Samuel Doty, b. Abt. 1644, Plymouth, Mass, d. 1715, Piscataway, N. J.. 6. Elizabeth Doty, b. Abt. 1647, Plymouth, Mass, d. April 07, 1742, Marshfield, Mass. 7. Isaac Doty, b. February 08, 1648/49, Plymouth, Mass, d. Aft. January 07, 1727/28, Oyster Bay, New York. 8. Joseph Doty, b. April 30, 1651, Plymouth, Mass, d. Abt. 1732, Rochester, Mass. 9. Mary Doty, b. Abt. 1653, Plymouth, Mass, d. Bef. June 13, 1728. Biography Edward Doty came on the Mayflower in 1620 as a servant to Stephen Hopkins and was apparently still a servant in 1623 when the Division of Land was held, indicating he was under the age of 25 during that time. He signed the Mayflower Compact in November 1620, so he was likely over 21 at the time. This narrows his likely birth date to around 1597-1599. Doty had a lot of spunk and energy. He made the decision to take the Mayflower voyage as a teenager. He was extremely independent, and wasn't afraid to take chances. He is said to have jumped off of a small boat used by exploring by the Mayflower captain and crew to claim an island in the Doty name. This was, of course, an unappreciated prank. The custom was that land was discovered, claimed and named by much older and established men who would be rowed to shore and allowed to plant a flag and say a few words. Edward Doty is also recorded as a contentious man, and was often getting himself in minor trouble with the law. On 18 June 1621 he made history by fighting a duel with Edward Leister, which would become the Colony's first (and only) duel. A duel over honor. Luckily, neither were seriously injured, and both were subsequently punished by the elders by being sentenced to having their heels tied to their neck for a day. However, their punishment was cut very short as the two became friends during the ordeal. Records show Edward Doty was in court on a number of occasions, mostly in civil disputes which now seem quite humorous. On 2 January 1632/3, Edward Doty was sued by three different people: John Washburn, Joseph Rogers, and William Bennett. It all appears to have been a disagreement about a trade of some hogs; John Washburn's case was thrown out, Joseph Rogers was awarded four bushels of corn. In William Bennett's case, Edward Doty was found guilty of slander, and fined 50 shillings. Two years later it seems Edward Doty started a boxing career, in March 1633/4, Edward Doty was fined 9 shillings and 11 pence for drawing blood in a fight with Josias Cooke. In January 1637/8, Doty was fined for punching George Clarke during a dispute. In 1639, Edward Doty posted "bail" for John Coombes, who was charged with giving out poisoned drinks. There were a number of other civil disputes and court matters that Edward Doty was involved with. And however strong in personality, Edward Doty was involved in simple civil disputes and was never in any serious official trouble. If you were a friend of Edward Doty you had a friend for life. But on the other hand, he was not a man to cross. Edward Doty was a family man. He started a long line of descendants that were the first setttlers of this land that became the USA. Most all with the last name of Doty, Dotey, Doute, Doughty, Dotton and Dotten are descended from Edward Doty of the Mayflower. Perhaps it is the pride we have in our Pilgrim ancestors. They were a courageous group, with strong convictions and determination, ready to risk their lives to cross the Atlantic and land on unfamiliar soil, a wilderness. Our Pilgrims were people we can look up to, and they were our ancestors. Maybe we take pride in the accomplishments of the Pilgrims. It might be their faith in God that attracts us to honor them. There were Bible reading, praying Christians, not afraid to voice their faith. Perhaps unknowingly, the Pilgrims set the stage for religious freedom on this continent. Their goal was to worship God, as they thought right, following God's word, not the dictations of the established church. The Mayflower Compact, the first written declaration of self-government, was the genesis of the Constitution of the United States. And, that Plymouth Colony, except for Jamestown, is the oldest permanent European settlement on our East Coast. Ancestry The ancestry of Edward Doty is unknown. He came on the Mayflower as an apprentice ("servant") to Stephen Hopkins. The Mormon's I.G.I. says Edward Doty was born in Shropshire, England on 14 May 1598, but this record is complete fiction. [For more information on this hoax, see The American Genealogist 63:215]. Some sources claim he was baptized on 14 May 1598 in either Dudlick, Shropshire or "Thurburton Hills", Suffolk. I have investigated these in English records, and found both to be complete hoaxes. However, there is a real Edward Doty baptized on 3 November 1600 at East Halton, Lincolnshire, England, son of Thomas Doty. The Doty families of East Halton are regularly using the names Thomas, Edward, and John: the first three names Mayflower passenger Edward Doty assigned to his first three children. Even if this particular Edward Doty is not the Mayflower passenger himself, I strongly suspect the true Mayflower passenger will be found amongst this general Lincolnshire Doty family Another entry, which is circulated widely on the internet and is also on the 1994 I.G.I. addendum is that he was baptized 14 May 1598 in St. Mary le Strand, Thurburton Hills, Suffolk, England, son of John. This is just a perversion of the fictional Shropshire origins, and this record is, again, completely mythical. To begin with, there is no such place as Thurburton Hills, Suffolk. Further, the parish of St. Mary le Strand is in London not Suffolk, and contains absolutely no baptismal entries for any Edward Doty's from 1595 to 1600. There are no fewer than eight known genuine Edward Doty baptisms that occurred between 1585 and 1605, but none have been conclusively identified as the Edward Doty of the Mayflower. Edward was an apprentice (servant) to Stephen Hopkins, and apprentices could not generally get married until their contract term was up. William Bradford, in his journal Of Plymouth Plantation, states in early 1651 "But Edward Doty by a second wife hath seven children, and both he and they are living." Doty's first marriage must have occurred in Plymouth sometime after he was released from his contract with Hopkins (which apparently occurred between 1623 and 1627). Descendants 1. Edward, son of the immigrant Edward, married Sarah Faunce in 1663. Their children were, Edward, Sarah, John, Martha, Elizabeth, Patience, Mercy, Samuel, and Benjamin. 2. John, son of the immigrant Edward, was father of John, Edward, Jacob, Elizabeth, Isaac, Samuel, Elisha, Josiah, and Martha. 3. Thomas son of the immigrant Edward, resided in Middleton and was father of Hannah and Thomas. 4. Samuel, son of the immigrant Edward , who moved to New Jersey, was father of Samuel, Sarah, Isaac, Edward, James, Jonathan, Benjamin, Elizabeth, Joseph, Daniel, Margaret, John, and Nathaniel, this Samuel and his descendents frequently spelled their name Doughty. 5. Isaac,son of the immigrant Edward, frequently used the Doughty form, moved to New York and was father of Isaac, Joseph, Jacob, Solomon, James, and Samuel. 6. Joseph 1, youngest son of the immigrant Edward, resided at Rochester, Mass. His children were Theophilus, Elizabeth, Ellis, Joseph, Deborah, John, Mercy, Faith, and Mary.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Thanksgiving at the Varsity in Atlanta, two years in a row

In my preteen years I was a Boy Scout in Troop 132 of Marietta. Two years, maybe more, our troop went to Georgia Tech on Thanksgiving Day to the annual football game between Tech and UGA Freshmen teams. Our duty that day was to make our presence in uniforms known and be on the watch for people with alcoholic beverages and cameras. If we should see someone either drinking or taking a pictures we are not to inform them of the rules and threaten to throw them out. We were to do what we, as obedient scouts, do what we most likely had experience at: Go tell on them. I was amazed how dumpy and in bad shape the houses across from the stadium were. Both times after the game we went to The Varsity. To me, it was unbelievable of all the young Tech freshmen wearing yellow or orange “Go to Hell” caps with THE HELL WITH GEORGIA on the turned up bill. It seems like somebody of authority would take their names, like they would in high school. Another scary thing was the urgency and the sincerity of taking your order: “WHADAYA HAVE, WHADAYA HAVE? And in the blazing sincere eyes of he order taker said, “Tell me now, or I will explode.” Some things don’t change, now WHADAYA HAVE? Still comes from the order taker, but with an accent and more relaxed.

The Big Chicken, a pointer

In Marietta when someone from out of town asks me for directions to make sure we know a common spot to give the directions from I usually ask “Do you know where the Big Chicken is? And give the directions from that point. Today I learned that there is a local map on the side of The Big Chicken. The next time someone ask me for directions and I ask if they know where the Big Chicken is and if they say yes I can tell them to go there and look at its map. Labor savings!

Not Robots

On THE TODAY SHOW this morning outside the studio they has well synchronized high school cheer leaders team that did all kinds of well-practiced tricks, somersaults, leaping backwards, doing in-flight flipping and more. Impressive One of the female cheerleaders while running from one trick to be part of another wiped her nose. I’m glad she did that. It proved she is a human. A machine could be built to do all the other stuff.

My Tricycle Wreck

I am still trying to get more mileage out my pictures. This drive way downhill is from the back of the buildings on the 2nd block, south, of Atlanta Street. The big tree foliage is where Steele's Store used to be. The light green vacent field on the right is where the Clay Homes used to be. We lived there from about 1941 to 1947. Back to the hill going down to Waddell Street, across from Steel's Store: When I was about 3 or 4 I learned about gravity and mechanics. On my tricycle I figured out if I left my legs while going down a hill I could go faster. And, speeding down this steep little hill would be the ultimate thrill. What I didn't consider was that Waddell Street was meant for automobile traffic. I sped down the hill, with legs up, getting a thrill and WHAM! A car driven by a lady hit me. I was knocked out cold. I woke up hours later on our couch with several family members and neighbors looking at me. The lady was completely innocent, it was all me. Well, live and learn!

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! HELP Magazine No. 9, THREE TOWNS THAT NEVER WERE

Art by Will Elder (original MAD artist.

Book Report, DIRTY PARTS OF THE BIBLE

Book Report: THE DIRTY PARTS OF THE BIBLE by Sam Torode. The first person was just entering adulthood when his over strict pastor father got drunk, which was exactly the thing he preached against, had a wreck, a bird from overhead shit in his eyes, blinding him, and because he was drinking, the church he was over fired him., He sent his only son, the first person to his old home place in Texas where he had a fortune buried. If he explained how he came to own the buried treasure I missed it. With his all of his father’s savings the first person headed for Texas. His first stop he gave a prostitute all his money and about the same time the map to the treasure were torn up or crumbled like confetti. With no money the only passage to Texas was train, via hoboism. Living the life of a hobo an elderly hobo sort of adopted him, and became his protectorate. Not only did he protect him but he was full of appropriate quotes for the moment. The old man was full of wisdom. (and wit - or was that Sam Torode?). The author does tell of a few dirty places in the Bible but also spins a good story. BUT! The story has already been spun. If I read it right, the same journey ss in the book is a modern repeat of a story in the Bible.

Death in 3's

Sadly I had three longtime friends to die recently. Their obituaries were in the paper today Ronnie Crowe, 81. Ronnie was the middle son of two other friends. Ronnie’s older brother was Buster Crowe, a prize winning professional news photographer. He died early; Ronnie youngest brother Robert is a Marietta historical photograph archivist and also he owned Hardy’s Portrait Studio on the Square. He was known for his wedding photography. As a matter of fact, he took our wedding pictures. And Horace Crowe, the three young men’s father, worked at Lockheed by day, and other times he was a sports writer and announcer for Marietta kids sports. The Crowes lived on Hedges Street in my formative years, across from my friend Sam Carsley. Robert Crowe married, moved to West Cobb, and became an advertisement executive. LaJohn Ivey Patterson. LaJohn was married to another friend, Jennings Patterson, who died recently. I think they married as soon as they became adults, or not long afterwards. I will always remember LaJohn’s very happy and friendly smile. Tony Partain. I see by the obituary that Tony’s real name was Wayne A. Tony Partain. I bet the A. was for Anthony. Tony and I were in the same classes at Waterman Street Grammar School. Tony was very quiet and very nice. I don’t remember Tony in high school. Either we parted ways, or his parents moved out of the city of Marietta. Tony lived on Hawkins Street, about 2 blocks from me. Hawkins ran from Delk Street to Butler Street. I remember once I was invited to his birthday party. He received one present, some kind of toy that had bells and whistles, so to speak. I remember I was so impressed with it, I accidentally damaged it. My mother bought him another brand-new whatever. Boy, was I embarrassed.

Minkskies

This morning on THE TODAY SHOW one of the items of news was about a mink farm where someone unknown slipped in and opened all the cages and now thousands of minks are running loose (free) all over the area. While that news was being read THE TODAY SHOW morning people got the giggles. Non-professional? Yes. Being human? You betcha!

The Hunter Twins

These twins are the youngest sons of William A. and Emaline Ray Hunter/Trammell. Oscar Ray and Arthur Riley Hunter. Oscar Ray Hunter (1884-1963) went to the Panama Canal Zone. He went there as a young man and worked for the United States Government as an account. The second picture is Oscar formally dress for an event at the Panama Zone. He married a nurse there Charlotte Georgia McCabe. They had one son, William Ray Hunter (1924-2012) who became an aerospace engineer. He and his wife Dorothy Edmondson came to the Hunter Reunion in Marietta for several years. They had four children. Dorothy is living in an assistant living home in Springfield, Virginia. Arthur Riley Hunter (1884-1967). Arthur married Gwen Westmoreland and bought a farm in Cordele, Georgia., where they lived until he retired and moved to Florida. They had five children. Gwen Westmoreland (1887-1978) is part of the Westmoreland family that owned property at Bells Ferry Road near Booth Road. I think several houses in that area were Westmorelands. I remember back in the early 1960s we used to go to the houseboat at Victoria Landing at Lake Allatoona most weekends. Routinely, we usually stopped at Jake Medford's Store on Bells ferry Road to buy our beer. We bought our beer there because we met Jake's age requirement - we were old enough to slide the money across the counter. (we are related to him through the Tysons and Hueys) We started drinking as soon as pulled out of the parking lot. We finished our first can about the time we passed a certain house in the Westmoreland area of Bells Ferry Road. That is where we tossed our first beer cans out for the day. One time when we tossed our beer cans out in that yard a man cutting grass glared at us. The next Saturday morning as we tossed our cans in the yard a man jumped out from behind a tree with a pistol and took aim. We fled away screaming. We did not do that again. That may have been an in-law taking pot shots at us. Small world. And we have grown up and matured since then too.

Darlene

This is Darlene and me at Anna's retirement party a few years back. Anna and Darlene were co-workers. Darlene and I used to ride together going to Kennesaw Junior College at night. By her expression it looks like I am reminding her of the time we skipped class and went to her apartment complex's beer party and an ex-nun drunk us under the table.

People Keep On Fading Away

A childhood friend James Brown died a couple days ago. I haven't seen James since 1981 when we met at the Dwarf House in Hapeville one night before we both went to work. He worked at the Ford plant a few blocks down the street and i worked at the USPS a few blocks the other way. He is the second chilhood friend that I know of to die in 2013. About 2 weeks ago my baby sister Bonnie died at age 67. Yesterday a long time friend Jim Cannon died. It is not a pleasant thought to realize some of your life long friends are becoming "Nevermore". (I wrote this several months ago)

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! MAD#16's News Papers News

Writer Editor Harvey Kurtzman and Artist Harvey Kurtzman NOTE! CLICK ON EACH PICTURE TO MAKE IT BIGGER AND MAYBE SHOCKING.

Micajah Clark Dyer and his Flying Machine

Clark & Morena Dyer circa 1880's Micajah Clark Dyer was an inventor and patented a flying machine 12 years befor the Wright Brothers maiden flight. The incredible thing is he tested and flew his flying machine in the isolated mountains of Choestoe in Union County.

Jimmy Crain & W.C. Hunrter

Jimmy Crain, my first cousin, visiting our uncle W.C. Hunter at the Veteran's Hospital in Millegeville, Georgia. W.C. was a WWII casualty. He was shot in the head and the Army put a metal plate in his head. Recuperating in a North African military hospital he and another patient were drinking coffee outside and a group of U.S. Sailors walked by. W.C. pointed at one and said that guy looks just like my kid brother Dick. And that was Dick. After the war WC moved to Lake Jackson married, and moved back to Marietta single. The war did a number on him, he had a hard time living in society. W.C.'s name was Walter Clarence Hunter. He had a first cousin in Woodstock that had the exact name, so maybe that is why he preferred W.C. Jimmy visited W.C and my sisters did also. He got other Hunter visitors also. Near the end he had a throat operation and he could not talk after that I heard. Jimmy died in 2001` and W.C. died in 1998.

Hot Lips in Person

This is Veteran’s Week, and Friday will be Veteran’s Day. Of course both the day and the week are to pay tribute and say “Thank You For Serving” to the men and women who served, and many times gave the ultimate, themselves. All I can say is, “Aww Shucks, it wasn’t nothing.” But now that we are talking about war and veterans of those wars. It reminds me of the movie named MASH and the TV sitcom of the same name. MASH was a field hospital in the Korean War in the early 1950s, which technically, hasn’t ended. The TV version of MASH was the longest running war sitcom ever. The movie was first and also was a big hit. In both TV and movie they had the same characters, mostly different actors, but same names. In the movie MASH the main nurse got caught making out with a doctor and he said in a moment of passion she had hot lips. From then on her nickname was “Hot Lips!” In the movie HOT LIPS real name was Major Margaret Hoolahan and played by Sally Kellerman (1937-2022). After we were married but before kids, about early 1970s. I joined the PLAYBOY CLUB. The first time we went to THE PLAYBOY in Atlanta we ran into Anna’s first cousin Franklin and his wife Kathy. We sat together. The entertainment that night was a country and western band. I forgot the name of it, but I recognized the female lead singer. It was HOT LIPS! True. At their first break I went down and asked her was her name Sally Kellerman. She smiled and said yes. She was very friendly. Maybe she was worried that I might have a sack of rotten tomatoes hidden under our table. HOT LIPS!

Betsy Ross's Floating Flag

Betsy Ross’s Tattered Flag. I was stationed at NAS Lakehurst, New Jersey. In some of the neighboring cemeteries it wasn’t rare to see a grave for a Revolutionary War soldier and sometimes a whole section of a cemetery was for their remains. I think it was Halloween evening 1964, we were getting loaded at the base’s E.M. Club during Happy Hour. We were running our mouths when one of us said since it was Halloween we should visit a graveyard and we were immature, so why not? About a mile on the road to Toms River is a old cemetery. I remember we did not go into the driveway of the graveyard, but parked on the side of the highway and climbed a small bank. I don’t think we knew where the driveway was. It has some Revolutionary War soldiers buried in it. One was buried near the road, there is a black and white picture of me, somewhere, lying beside he grave. But, except for the lights of passing cars on the highway it scary dark. One of us remembered a nice cemetery in downtown Trenton, New Jersey, which is probably over 30 miles away. We reasoned with the town lights of Trenton it should be well lit up, not as scary. We drove to Trenton. We were in luck, the cemetery was well lit. It was just a stone’s throw from the Delaware River, that Washington and his men crossed the Delaware near Trenton and Emanuel Leutz painted the event on canvas and it is very popular* . We took time to appreciate the ancient art of tombstone making and Revolutionary Soldiers’ graves. One of us, reverend or not, stole a weathered Revolutionary War flag, the kind with 13 stars, the kind Betsy Ross designed (although there is a dispute among historians that it might not have been Betsy after-all). By the time we got back to the barracks it was after 10pm, which meant lights out; bed time; or bunk time. We went to the cubical of Dick Hyatt, who couldn’t go with us because he had duty that evening, to tell him about our adventure and he was sound asleep. We tried to wake him up but he just mumbled in his sleep. We draped the tattered American Revolution flag over his torso, like a second blanket and tiptoed out. But then one of us (not me) wanted to keep the flag and ran back the cubical and snatched the flag off Dick. That morning in the chow hall we were eating breakfast and Dick Hyatt said he had the strangest dream last night. He said an American Revolutionary flag floated inside his cubical and draped itself over him and then leaped up and flew out! We told him he was nuts. Then we told him he shouldn't have been drinking on duty last night. Then we asked him what he had to eat before he went to bed. * I heard recently that some experts believe the "Washington Crossing the Delaware" by Emanuel Leutz is fraudulent. The blocks of ice like that is more likely in the water in the very north such as Iceland.

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

My Navy friend Sam Kasuske brought this for me from India. It is a rubbing of a carving.

Paul Everett Foster (1895-1936)

Paul Everett Foster, Jr (1895-1936). on a tricycle. Paul is Anna's mother's father. He grew up to be Singer Sewing Machine salesman and repairman, and a teacher.

Benjamin, Freed!

Something went wrong with the bathroom door or lock and Benjamin could not open it. Neither could his parents from the other side. The fire department was called. The Heros of the Grant Park Fire House came and worked their magic and freed him. Benjamin's mother Sabrina, used a step stool, and the window to take the internal picture. Photo by Sabrina Sexton.

just passin' thru By Robert Crumb

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! HELP! Magazine, December 1960

This cartoon by Will Elder was in HELP Magazine, December 1961 issue. It represents the Soviets and their Berlin Wall that separated West Berlin and East Germany. The Wall was active from 1961 to 1989. But it is HELP’s Dec 1960 issue, which is before the separation was physical. That might be the magazine’s dating system trickery.

Friend Mickey Griffin in line at Krogers

We ran into my old friend Mickey Griffin at Krogers in line today. We talked about our common friends he lived close to such as Jimmy Pat Presley, Larry Holcomb, the Durett sisters and so on. A lady in a wheelchair behind Mickey said that was nice, old friends catching up. I said,”Yes mam, we have been blackmailing each other for years.”

It is only $$$

I just read in one of the UNCLE JOHN’S BATHROOM READER almanacs that it has been estimated that Americans are sitting on roughly $44 billion worth of unredeemed gift cards. So! That is why so many restaurants and department stores push gift cards! It is like them saying “Do you want to give us $25, $50, or $100? Your choice.

Bagwells of Alpharetta, Ga.

Anna's kin folks through her mother's mother's genes. Click on to make bigger and hopefully readable.

David DePape, Not Violent

On THE TODAY SHOW this morning the ex-girlfriend of David DePape, the man that attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer, said David was not a violent person. She said he is a normal person. By the way, she is currently in prison serving time for stalking a 14-year-old boy.

Chicken-Fat Stock Report

CHICKEN-FAT Stock Report Companies give their report to the stockholders. It is their way of bragging/beating their chests, or explain themselves why they did so badly, or give excuses. This is Chicken-fat’s report why we did so badly: Because most others had better stuff, that’s why! Here are the facts: Blog name: Chicken-fat Chicken-fat’s address chicken-fat.com. Created 2005. Editor & Publisher Eddie Huner ethunter@bellsouth.net Number of Posts since it creation 10,229. Visits: 191,162,336 Comments: 9559 (comments are no longer permitted. I soon learn they are a pain the ass.

Another Late General George

Over 20 years ago I worked with another Eddie at the Post Office. Eddie was an ex-executive with the Coke Company. His boss was General George Montgomery. George was Eddie’s hero. Eddie talked about the General so much whenever I saw George’s name I took notice. Somehow, if I remember correctly, General Montgomery lived on over 150 acres off Laura Lake Drive off Bells Ferry Road. I think at the time it was government land with no one allowed on it but General Montgomery. It was a bird sanctuary and he was the caretaker. But now the General is dead, I think he has been for several years, and the real estate people are chomping at their bits wanting to get in and draw up plans for lots and house building. I think over building over 100 homes is estimated. The local neighbors are putting up a fight. Bye Bye Birdies!

Dottie 2009

Has Dottie Golden ever had a frown or a scowl instead of a big smile on her face? You can't prove it by me. I remember on a Sunday morning in 1961 in Panama City Dottie and her sister Dianne had to break away from the partying and find a Catholic Church. That is being devout!

Too Much Halloween Candy?

Me Spelunking at Salt Peter Cave, neae Kingston, Ga

facebook post years ago:

This is a picture of a closed factory I took in Cartersville about a year or so ago. It may be the old Westinghouse building I have rode by a twice times over 50 years ago. We went to Salt Peter Cave I think near Kingston, Georgia. Once as an Explorer Scouts a group of us schouts went with our scoutmaster and camped out not far from the largest mouth of the cave. Secondly, a couple years later just a bunch of friends went. I forgot if we camped out or not. I remember the cave was miles out a long dirt road. It was marked private property. Well, we were elderly teenagers, what do you expect? The cave goes into a mountain or large hill with two entrances. The cave has many tunnels, rooms, stalagmites and stalactites. I remember one big set of stalagmites and stalactites met each other, it looked like two teepees, one balanced on top of the other. Once getting way beyond where we should have went I felt around and found something round and smooth, this was in the dark, I couldn’t wait to turn on my flashlight to see what was. I was thinking it was an monster egg or something. It was a flashbulb. In one room I think we waded on the edge of an underground pond or lake. We left there quickly. We came across two or three gave size pits. We figured they were Indian graves. During the Civil War they mined for salt peter in this cave. You can go through one tunnel and come across and opening facing the opening the huge entrance door, which you could probably throw a house through. When you come across the entrance to the room you are 25 or so feet up and you can walk carefully down to the big room’s floor but what we did not know until we got about ten feet down was layers of bat shit. And yes, its true, bat shit is slippery. Outside the biggest cave opening is a tree hanging over the opening. Larry carried a heavy rope. One of us tied the rope to a=the tree over the mouth and we took times swinging out in the pitch black and swinging back. It looked that a thrill, swing out and at one point the floor of the cave drops deep and you are above blackness. Then, your weight causes you to swing back to the take-off point. I unintentionally put a stop to all that fun. I was last. I was overweight. I swung out and as soon as I left the rocky edge I felt myself slipping. I hung on for ear life and finally slid off the rope onto the rolling hill going down into the blackness. I hit the upward hill of the cave and started rolling fast towards the drop off into blackness. I was rolling fast and cold not grab anything to slow me down. Then my body crashed into an upward boulder which stopped me solid. The skin was burned off the palm of my hands and big blisters replaced the skin. I was in misery for a few days but I lived (as you can tell).