Benjamin, July 2018

Photos by his parents:

Broken Promise

Trump made a campaign promise to build a wall separating Mexico and the United States to keep out illegal immigrants and make Mexico pay for it.

Mexico said they are not going to pay for it.

Apparently Trump thinks  as long as the wall is built, regardless even if we have to pay for it, he is keeping his campaign promise  And he threatens to shut down the government if he doesn’t get his way. 

Tch tch.  It would still be a broken promise.

Donald should have given some thought before making such an impossible promise.

But he didn't.

I think I know how he can get out of it.  Just make an announcement he made no such promise, it was all made up by the fake news organizations.  And his base support and on-the-bandwagon Republicans would not think of questioning if he was telling the truth or not.  If it comes from his lips it is true - just ask him.

Trumpy Wall

Peace in the Valley

A nice sedate setting as I drive away from Mabry Farm with a new jar of honey.  Never more.

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! MAD #6, TERRY & THE PIRATES made fun of

The above is the inside page of this MAD comic book with its luring subscription ad, art by Will Elder.

Below is a lampoon of TERRY & THE PIRATES, story by editor Harvey Kurtzman and art by Wally Wood.

Orlando Anarchy Beats Arkansas Wild Cats, Women's Football

This is a feeble attempt at making a video of a women's football game for championship of their league.

Anna's cousin James' wife Melinda Sparks is on he Orlando Anarchy (green) team.   Melinda is no wimp.  I remember several years ago riding her motorcycle from Marietta to Christmas Florida, alone.

Young Don

I talked to my Navy (and beyond) pal Don yesterday and they had to remove part of his brain.  He had to relearn a lot that we take for granite,like our parents and siblings name).   He remembers some of our Navy fun times, but I think the details are fuzzy to him.  Maybe some of these pictures will refresh his memory.  To complicate matters after he left active duty he went back to college, got his degree and also his commission.  He ended up as a Naval Officer Reservist.  Good for him.

2 Hangars across the way from our hangar

Me in Greenwich Village by Don 

Me swinging into the lake at Clearpool Camp, Carmel, NY, by Don

Notice the snow tits.  I bet she was frigid.

NAS Lakehurst movie house

Lt Chet Whitehurst, our division officer depressed

Ray Schultz entering Chumley's in the Village

Dick Day at 1965 NY World's Fair by Don

Professor Dick Graham

I and Dick Day in New Hope, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, dredging up a spirit out of a pot at an antique store, by Don 

Me saying, "Who says I can't fly a Bell Helicopter?" by Don 

This photo, by Don.  This wast taken in the winter time. That is me lying on the ground like I just had a wreck and was thrown out of the car.  Standing out of Camera range are Don, my two cousins (under 10), and their dog.  Ironically, a car sped around curve and almost hit us, but did whack the dog, which cut his tail off.

The following spring after the picture of above we are at Clearpool Camp, in Carmel, NY, playing cowboys and Indians.  Notice the dog is missing his tail.  picture by Don Lash.

Reuben Collier playing pool in the barracks lounge.

Where Crater Lake Is Now

On the 4-Lane, a.k.a. Cobb Parkway, in Kennesaw is a new fairly new shopping center.  The street that goes through it connecting the 4-Lane to the East-West Connector, aka Barrett Parkway  is named Crater Drive.

“So, where is the crater?”  a newcomer might ask.

In the late 1950s we used to go the body of water at the top of the hill.  I think it was a rock quarry.   I heard someone disappeared while swimming in it and they never found the body. Two of my friends bought scuba gear and learned how to use it in that water.

Several years ago I wondered if the big pond or little lake was still there.  We went looking for it.  Around the big hill was a trailer park.  Kids were out playing in the streets and grownups were hanging out talking.

At the top of the hill was a club of some kind and the view was the body of water many feet below.  Nice view.

The double-wide trailers were bull-dozed away and the families relocated themselves.  I suppose that is gentrification.

We have been to the new shopping center several times and I was curious what happened to the lake.  Did it get bulldozed away too?

Finally, I found it.  It now looks like a fenced in holding pond between two parking.    There is something sad about its new status.

Its The Money That Counts

Krogers is always running specials on their gift cards.  Often they will have a limited-time special if you buy a gift card your gasoline points will double, and maybe triple.

How can they do this time and time over again?  If they sell you a gift card for say Longhorns, for $25 during their special offer, you gas points might count 50, which would be that much more off when you pump their gas.

It seems it would cost them, like the $25 gift card that cost you $25 is only redeemable for $25.  So, how to they make any money?

I think I found how:  According to today’s UNCLE JOHN’S BATHROOM READER PAGE A DAY CALENDAR “Americans are sitting on an estimated $$44 billion worth of unredeemed gift cards.

You feel good because you found something to give somebody you care about something they can use.  The person that receives the gift card thinks well of you for your thoughts but too lazy to cash it in.  "Its the thought that counts." 

And the middle man is rolling in $44 billion dollars.

Everybody wins!

Donald Bruno Lash

I just received word from our mutual friend Reuben that my Navy friend Don Lash is almost blind because of brain surgery. 

I hate that.

Don Lash and Ron Langless, NYC

Don Lash, Times Square

Squadron Banquet.   L to R: Dick Day, Nancy Day, Sam's Date, Sam Kasuske, Don Lash, Don's date, my date, Me

Don Lash with Empire State Building as hat

Don swinging on a rope at Clearpool Camp, Carmel, NY

Don lash at Guggenheim Museum

Don Lash with my first cousins Rodly and Billy at their home in Carmel, NY

Don showing off black-eye a Marine at the EM Club gave him

Me and Don at Philadelphia Art Museum

Joseph Rexroad and Don looking at Hudson River from Roosevelt's home (Hyde Park)

Dick Hyatt, Don Lash, and Ray Shultz at Philps Hotel imitating fountain statues

Dick