Musing of one thinking about the guy trying to paint a picture of a hiccup.

I'm sticking with Merry Christmas because that's what the word means. And happy holidays to those who don't celebrate Christmas. My own memories go back to the time when Christmas trees had lighted candles on them. It is a wonder there were not more fires.

Musing of one thinking about social customs.

More and more during the month of December we hear the expression "Happy Holidays".  December 25th is Christmas and has been celebrated as such for a couple of millennia and so my own greetings to everybody will be "Merry Christmas"! I guess that makes me a member of the crotchety old curmudgeons club.

Musing of one wondering who wound up with Al Capone's wealth.

Our sympathy goes to the French people as they recover from the terrorist attacks of the other day. They seem to be taking firm action against the perpetrators and that is a good thing.

Musing of one wondering what Obama has in mind about future activity once he leaves office.

I was reminiscing the other day about when I inadvertently bribed a government official.  I had been stationed at Fort Bell Bermuda and was ordered back to the US.  Mary Kay and the kids had joined me and they were authorized to accompany me.  So we flew to NY on one of the largest and most luxurious aircraft of the time, a Lockheed 4 engine aircraft whose model number I cannot recall.  So we flew to NY and were housed somewhere. The next day I went to  Fort Hamilton to get a TR to get a ticket home. At that time, Jack Daniels whiskey was completely unavailable in the US but could be had outside the country. I had a small cardboard box of 5 bottles in my bag which I intended to give to my father-in-law. 

My request for a TR was handled by a civilian who was about as negative as one can get. He said it would take at least a week to get us out of NY, and as he was discussing the problem, I open my barracks bag to get something. He saw the box of Jack Daniels. He said, "Is that Jack Daniels?" and I said, "Yes".  And with a burst of generosity and without thinking I asked if he wanted one. He said,"Yes" and locked it away in his desk.  Then he said I think I know a way to get you out of here tomorrow and that was a switch to what he had been saying about taking a week. So the next day we were on a train headed west. It did not occur to me until some time later that I had bribed a government official. The matter never came to light and I am duly grateful for that.  Any way the incident got us tickets home, starting the next day. So it goes.

Musing of one wondering what people did before the advent of the IT age ( I can't remember.)

I am entering by 99th year and to paraphase Kermit the frog, "Being 98 isn't easy".  But time marches on.

Musing of one wondering why so many people want to be President.

I don't know why so many people are in the race for President. A couple of them Ben Carson and Mike Huckaby have some qualifications, otherwise I am not sure. Not that my thoughts make a difference anyway.

Musing of one wondering about the practical effect of raising the national debt.

I've been reminiscing about my great uncle, James B. Dent who died in 1907.  He served in the Union army in the Civil War and after the war acquired several thousand acres in NE Arkansas. (He apparently came from a wealthy family in Illinois.) He built the Dent family home near Augusta and called it Brentwood. It developed into its own little settlement because a number of people (farm hands, sharecroppers, etc.) lived on that acreage. Brentwood was a large house and it was home to uncle Ben's brother who was my grandfather and his family.

Uncle Ben never married. The family story was he was engaged to a girl in Illinois and they were both very devoted to each other. Tragically, she contracted one of the common diseases of the the day and passed away. The story goes on to say he was so devastated that he never considered marrying anyone else. After he built Brentwood, he lived in one wing of the house until he passed away in 1907. Brentwood survived many years until some time in the late 20th century it caught fire and burned to the ground. Only a few pieces of debris remain on the site where it stood.