How to win the BIG lottery

Everybody seems to be looking for some way to win a lottery of one kind or another. We know the odds against winning are infinitesimal. Despite that well known fact, people still pony up their dollars and eagerly await the random numbers to come popping out of the machine. Scratch off tickets, pick four and […]

Crushed But Never Broken

I love special holidays. Special holidays are those that let me honor the people who have given so much to ensure our freedom – the members past and present of the United States Military. Without their sacrifices, I would be unable to sit at my desk and write the words that I do in absolute […]

SWOT you talkin’ about Willis?

I am taking a break from the cares of the world today and having a little lean and continuous improvement fun. The old TV show Different Strokes is pretty appropriate for a day like today. It was fiction of course, but you get a 1%er taking on the responsibility to raise a couple of kids […]

How did this thing get so far out of alignment?

Like many submariners, I spent a few weeks in one shipyard or another helping to fix wear and tear issues. As an Auxiliaryman (A-Ganger) I quickly found that there is a special kind of hell reserved for us in a shipyard. Since our equipment and systems run the length of the boat, our work could […]

Seems like just yesterday…

Over 106 years ago, a group known as the Wobblies (IWW) was born in June of 1905 to organize all of the workers of the world into One Big Union The following is the preamble to the constitution for the International Workers of the World: “The working class and the employing class have nothing […]

2.6 million… Ready or Not

Some time ago, I posted a number of articles and references for people in the path of Hurricane Irene. As usual when I post about preparedness, I got a few folks feedback about “paranoia” and “let’s not get carried away Mac”. Fair enough. But as we sat in the living room last night having our […]

Target Rich Environment

Google the phrase “Target Rich Environment” and you will get about 5 million hits. One of my favorite quotes comes from a feel good movie released in 1986 Warning: PG 13 applies, if you are easily offended, skip past the quoted area “Top Gun” Maverick: This is what I call a target-rich environment. Goose: You […]

Taffy 3 – Courage Beyond Measure

In the annals of US Naval history, there are a number of instances that demonstrate the courage and determination of a committed group of dedicated officers and men. The one that stands out most in many people’s opinions is the battle which occurred on October 25th 1944. On this day, a small group of […]

Bullies Redux

There were three kinds of boys in Junior High School. First were the bullies. This group had probably grown up quicker than their peers and normally came from homes where toughness was considered not only a virtue but a valued commodity. Second were the “hangers on”. These boys weren’t quite as big or strong as […]

The Circle of Life

I will be away from the keyboard for a few more days while the family gathers to say goodbye to Debbie’s Mom. Melva lived a great life but had been limited in mobility and quality of life for the past few years. As sad as it is to say goodbye, it is a great joy […]