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1) "Don't be afraid to see what you see."

A) John Wayne

B) Tonto

C) Ronald Reagan

D) Aristotle

E) Jennifer Lopez

 

2) "Poor is the man whose pleasure depends on the permission of another."

A) Buddha

B) Madonna

C) Billy Bob Thornton

D) Dennis Rodman

E) Madame Blavatsky

 

3) "Logic will get you from A to Z -- imagination will get you everywhere."

A) Jonathon Winters

B) Norman Rockwell

C) Frank Lloyd Wright

D) Stephen Spielberg

E) Albert Einstein

 

4) "The first actor I ever saw was the Lone Ranger -- I thought, that's what I want to do."

A) Michael Caine

B) Clayton Moore

C) Meryl Streep

D) Dustin Hoffman

E) Steve Forbes

 

5) "Everything you can imagine is real."

A) Batman

B) Pablo Picasso

C) Joe Biden

D) Friedrich Nietzsche

E) Carl Sagan

 

6) "I don't know the question, but sex is definitely the answer."

A) Woody Allen

B) Sigmund Freud

C) Ellen Degeneres

D) Gypsy Rose Lee

E) Dean Martin

 

7) "The more I see, the less I know for sure."

A) Rodney Dangerfield

B) John Glenn

C) Carlos Castaneda

D) Jay Leno

E) John Lennon

 

8) "You can have it all -- just not all at once."

A) Monty Python

B) Donald Trump

C) Oprah Winfrey

D) Bill Gates

E) Angelina Jolie

 

9) "I'll try everything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure."

A) Mae West

B) Bill Belichick

C) Tiger Woods

D) Rudolph Wanderone

E) Annie Oakley

 

10) "People seldom do what they believe in -- they do what is convenient, then repent."

A) Bob Dylan

B) Billy Graham

C) Barbara Walters

D) Dog the Bounty hunter

E) Yoko Ono

 

11) "The only escape from the miseries of life is music and cats."

A) Mick Jagger

B) Bob Marley

C) Grace Slick

D) Albert Schweitzer

E) Catwoman

 

12) "It doesn't matter how slow you go as long as you do not stop."

A) Donald Trump

B) Richard Nixon

C) Bob Barker

D) Jane Fonda

E) Confucius

 

13) " Life has become immeasurably better since I have been forced to stop taking it seriously."

A) David Letterman

B) Hunter S. Thompson

C) Brad Pitt

D) Lindsey Lohan

E) Mel Gibson

 

14) "Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are."

A) Marilyn Monroe

B) Lao Tzu

C) Benjamin Franklin

D) Mark Twain

E) Depak Chopra

 

15) "No one here gets out alive."

A) Chester A. Arthur

B) Jim Morrison

C) Conan O'Brien

D) Clint Eastwood

E) Amelia Earhart

 

16) "What Washington needs is adult supervision."

A) Erma Bombeck

B) George W. Bush

C) Wolf Blitzer

D) Charles Krauthammer

E) Barack Obama

 

17) "Words build bridges into unexplored regions."

A) Adolph Hitler

B) Thomas Jefferson

C) Davy Crockett

D) Stephen King

E) Herman Melville

 

18) "You never really learn much from hearing yourself speak."

A) Harry Reid

B) Winston Churchill

C) Carrot Top

D) George Clooney

E) George Washington

 

19) "Everything that happens in America happens in New York."

A) Fiorello H. Laguardia

B) Frank Sinatra

C) John Gotti

D) Hillary Clinton

E) Rudy Giuliani

 

20) "If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?"

A) Chris Matthews

B) Whoopi Goldberg

C) The Joker

D) Richard Nixon

E) Abraham Lincoln

________________

 

ANSWERS: 1-C, 2-B, 3-E, 4-A, 5-B, 6-A, 7-E, 8-C, 9-A, 10-A, 11-D, 12-E, 13-B, 14-A, 15-B, 16-E, 17-A, 18-D, 19-D, 20-E

 

SCORES:

20 -- Highly unlikely

16-19 -- Get a life

11-15 -- Not bad

5-10 -- Okay

1-4 -- Pinhead

zero -- Highly unlikely

___________

 

Quote for the Day -- "Questions that will free you might have answers that will imprison you again." Nema Al-Araby

___________

 

Bret Burquest is the author of 9 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where the simplest questions are the most difficult to answer.

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Yah Lin “Charlie” Trie once owned a restaurant in Little Rock where he became friendly with Bill Clinton who frequently visited the establishment. In 1994, a couple of years after Clinton became President, Trie moved to Washington where he opened an office in the Watergate complex and became a Democratic fundraiser.

 

In June of 1995, Trie introduced a Taiwanese businessman named Winston Wang to Bill Clinton. As with many other Asian businessmen introduced through Trie, Wang had a cup of coffee at the White House and soon thereafter promised a $100,000 contribution to the Democratic National Committee.

 

Winston Wang is the son of billionaire Yung-Ching Wang, chairman of Taiwan’s largest business group, Formosa Plastics Corporation. In the summer of 1995, Formosa Plastics was seeking assistance with regulatory matters in Texas, Louisiana and South Carolina.

 

Shortly after the campaign pledge by Winston Wang, $6 million in federal grants were issued for a pipeline to dilute wastewater of Nan Ya Plastics (a division of Formosa Plastics that was headed by none other than Winston Wang) in South Carolina.

 

Such flagrant appearances of impropriety were commonplace in the Clinton Administration which included Whitewater, Castle Grande, outlandish cattle futures, questionable Presidential pardons, Travelgate, FBI Filegate, Lincoln bedroom sleepovers for cash, receiving illegal campaign contributions, Jennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, Monica Lewinski, Juanita Broddrick, Kathleen Willey, various bimbo eruptions, etc., etc. 

 

George W, Bush was elected President in 2000, promising to bring integrity back to the White House.

 

Apparently the promise failed to include Neil Mallon Bush, one of George’s younger brothers. Neil Bush made headlines in the late 1980s when he was director of Silverado Savings & Loan in Denver, Colorado. When Silverado collapsed under his dubious leadership, it cost the taxpayers $1 billion to bail them out.

 

In a deposition taken as part of his divorce it was discovered that Neil Bush received a $2 million contract in August of 2002 from a Chinese-Taiwanese company called Grace Semiconductor Manufacturing.

 

Subsequent questioning by a divorce lawyer revealed that Neil Bush knew nothing about semiconductors or the manufacturing thereof. In addition to the lucrative consulting fee, he was to be on the board of directors of the company.

 

Grace Semiconductor Manufacturing had two founders. One is a son of Jiang Zemin, the former President of mainland China, and the other is a gentleman named Winston Wong, a Taiwanese businessman who was also a major investor in one of Neil Bush’s ventures called Ignite, an educational software firm based in Austin, Texas.

 

Initially, no one made the connection between Winston Wang, the Taiwanese businessman who purportedly greased Bill Clinton, the previous President of the United States, and Winston Wong, the Taiwanese businessman who purportedly greased the brother of George W. Bush, the following President of the United States.

 

Apparently, there had been a spelling error in published reports of the two incidents -- it turned out that Winston Wang and Winston Wong were the same person.

 

A split personality is a person with two distinct personalities, much like my ex-wife during a full moon. Winston Wang/Wong was a split identity, unaffected by lunar conditions.

 

Those who strive for wealth in a free society rise to the top in business, then often attempt to manipulate government to further their ambitions.

 

Those who strive for wealth in a restricted society rise to the top in government, then invariably manipulate business to further their ambitions.

 

When you forsake your integrity for riches, you may gain wealth but you lose your soul in the process.

 

Whoever occupies the White House doesn’t need to be perfect, just honest -- an honest jerk is better than a dishonest jerk.

 

___________

 

Quote for the Day -- "Honor is not the exclusive property of any political party." Herbert Hoover

___________

 

Bret Burquest is the author of 9 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights make a left.

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Every other day, at exactly 11:30 AM, a procession of toy soldiers marches down Buckingham Palace Road in London, England, just as they have for centuries. There are dozens of toy officers on horseback, a full marching band and scores of toy foot soldiers all stepping in unison to some music meant to glorify the British Empire and save the Queen. This nonsense takes 40 minutes and is called the Changing of the Guard.

 

The British are big on tradition. They still have a royal family, living in the same old royal palace, wearing the same old royal jewelry, frolicking at the same old royal vacation retreats, attending the same old pompous ceremonies and living royally off the fat of the land as if they were actually special people.

 

Hundreds of toy soldiers are employed by the British government to “guard” the royal family. They spend endless hours standing at rigid attention, along the fenced perimeter of the palace grounds, while tourists from Iowa snap photos of their grim expressions and try to make them laugh. When not on duty at their guard post, they are kept busy marching, polishing boots and shining various metallic objects on their uniforms.

 

Even in wartime, the British refused to stray from tradition. During the Revolutionary War, British soldiers, dressed in bright red uniforms, would march down the road or across the battlefield, side by side, like a bunch of slow moving targets lined up to be slaughtered. They were always led by a couple of musicians, usually a drummer and a piccolo player, flanked by some poor soul carrying a flag instead of a weapon -- three toy soldiers marching in the front row, shielding the real soldiers with the real guns.

 

It’s really hard to sneak up on the enemy in bright red uniforms while a drummer and a piccolo player are hammering out a tune. At some point, adhering to tradition becomes a form of insanity.

 

Unfortunately, America was built on many British traditions, such as the judicial system (12-man jury), the dual parliamentary system (the House of Lords and the House of Commons became the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives) and the Dewey decimal system. We also inherited toy soldiers.

 

In spite of allocating zillions of dollars every decade or so to “modernize” the U.S. Armed Forces, we still can’t seem to eliminate the need for toy soldiers. Every time the President boards or disembarks a helicopter or Air Force One, there is a U.S. Marine stationed at the boarding ramp whose sole function is to stand at attention and salute the President as he passes by. Whenever the President enters the White House, there are a couple of U.S. Marines stationed at the door whose sole purpose is to salute the President as he passes by. None of these soldiers is actually protecting the President – you can’t guard someone if you’re standing at attention, looking straight ahead at all times. Turning a soldier into a useless human manikin is an insulting waste of manpower.

 

Every military installation of any size has a military band -- dozens of toy soldiers spending their military careers marching in parades.  There are many other military occupations that have absolutely nothing to do with defending our country as the military budget continues to grow far beyond reasonable necessity.

 

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has been "guarded" 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, by an active duty soldier ever since July 2, 1937. The absurdity of military tradition is a long history of pompous ritual nonsense and misguided human energy. It may be considered honorable, but it is also highly wasteful of human resources.

 

I was drafted in 1966, during the Vietnam Conflict. I spent two years at Third Army Headquarters in Atlanta working as a data processing analyst. I lived off-post with three other draftees. John Valentino from Chicago ran the post gymnasium where he lifted weights all day and made sure the lights were turned off at the end of the evening. Frank Berrnardi from Cleveland worked in the post library as an assistant to a civilian employee. John Ballas from Brooklyn was a lifeguard at the post swimming pool where he worked mostly on his tan.

 

The four of us were drafted because our country supposedly needed us in a time of crisis. While I was doing something of a military nature, basically shuffling paperwork, my three roommates were clearly wasting their time. Once a week we would be required to watch a training film, usually about the evils of communism or how to properly brush your teeth.

 

We weren’t protecting our country -- we were too busy trying not to go insane.

 

Let the British waste public funds on toy soldiers -- our military forces deserve to be utilized properly.

___________

 

Quote for the Day -- "The average bright young man who is drafted hates the whole business because an army always tries to eliminate the individual differences in men." Andy Rooney

___________

 

Bret Burquest is the author of 9 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and remains busy trying not to go insane.

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November 22, 2013, is the 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination -- the following text is a chapter of my book titled THE REALITY OF THE ILLUSION OF REALITY that highlights a remarkable synchronicity of the JFK assassination and UFO activity in 1947 (involving Guy Bannister & Clay Shaw).

 

* * *

 

A conspiracy is a secret agreement among a group of people attempting to conceal something.

 

The two biggest conspiracies in our lifetimes, if true, are the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the cover-up of the presence of extraterrestrial beings on earth.

 

Kenn Thomas, author of a book titled MAURY ISLAND UFO: THE CRISMAN CONSPIRACY, points out a remarkable string of coincidences that may actually tie the two conspiracies together.

 

According to Thomas, a man named Fred Crisman played a central role in these seemingly unrelated events.

 

On June 21, 1947, an airplane pilot named Kenneth Arnold spotted what he described as “flying saucers” over Mt. Rainier in the State of Washington, launching the modern UFO era.

 

The term “flying saucer” soon became part of the UFO lexicon. There were many UFO sightings later in 1947, including the famous Roswell crash incident.

 

Four people, including Harold Dahl and his son, witnessed the event from a salvage boat in a nearby bay.

 

They reported seeing six doughnut-shaped craft, about 20 feet in diameter, hovering high above. Five of the craft formed a circle surrounding a craft in the middle that was wobbling badly.

 

The seemingly damaged craft suddenly dropped down about 700 feet, then spewed two substances – one was a paper-like metal that floated in the bay and the other was a hot, steaming, black sludge that rained down, striking Dahl’s son and killing his dog.

 

Dahl reported these events to Fred Crisman, a man he believed to have some connections in the intelligence community.

 

Crisman subsequently went to Maury Island to investigate the incident. He found a great deal of both materials on the shore and recovered some for himself.

 

Crisman shared his experience with Ray Palmer, a magazine publisher, who then hired Kenneth Arnold (the original pilot) to investigate further.

 

Three days later, Arnold had more sightings, culminating with a woman recovering some unusual material in the same vicinity, who then turned the material over to FBI agent Guy Banister.

 

Capt. Lee Davidson and Lt. Frank Brown, U.S. Air Force investigators under the command of Gen. Nathan Twining, soon joined Arnold in retrieving debris on Maury Island.

 

Ultimately, Crisman was compelled to turn over his samples to the two Air Force investigators.

 

Classified documents, recently discovered under the freedom of information act, also indicate that Crisman turned additional samples he had held back over to CIA agent Clay Shaw.

 

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.

 

Many people believe it was part of a larger conspiracy, far beyond a lone gunman named Lee Harvey Oswald.

 

In his 1968 investigation of the assassination, New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison claimed that Guy Banister and Claw Shaw were involved in the plot to kill JFK, and that Fred Crisman may have been one of the gunmen.

 

Some interesting coincidences occurred between the JFK assassination and the 1947 UFO cover-up. Both included Guy Banister and Clay Shaw.

 

In 1943-1952, Guy Banister was FBI “Special Agent in Charge” in the Pacific Northwest, later transferred to Chicago.

 

Upon retirement he opened a private investigative office in New Orleans where he occasionally hired Lee Harvey Oswald in a variety of capacities.

 

In 1963, former CIA agent Clay Shaw was the director of the International Trade Mart in New Orleans, a CIA front organization.

 

He later went to trial as one of the co-conspirators in JFK’s death but was found not guilty by a jury. Key evidence linking Shaw to the assassination was not permitted by the trial judge.

 

According to many JFK assassination researchers, Fred Crisman was one of the three so-called "hobos" who were picked up in the railroad yard immediately following the JFK shooting, then released shortly thereafter.

 

The world is full of strange coincidences and possible conspiracies in high places.

 

In September of 1964, the Warren Commission Report declared that Kennedy was killed by a lone-gunman named Lee Harvey Oswald.

 

Fifteen years later, the House Selection Committee on Assassinations concluded that Kennedy “was probably killed as the result of a conspiracy” but “was unable to identify the other gunmen or the extent of the conspiracy.”

 

Based on the information detailed in CROSSFIRE by Jim Marrs and FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE by Robert D. Morrow, it seems likely that the conspiracy involved organized crime.

 

Carlos Marcello was the mob boss of New Orleans. In the spring of 1961, the new U.S. Attorney General, Robert Kennedy, had Marcello handcuffed and put onto a plane to Guatemala City with no luggage and very little cash.

 

Marcello was eventually flown back to the USA by his personal pilot David Ferrie, vowing to get even with the Kennedys.

 

Allegedly, Marcello and Ferrie devised a plan that included placing blame on a “nut” for the assassination of the President, Robert Kennedy's brother.

 

Ferrie had been Lee Harvey Oswald’s Civil Air Patrol leader.

 

The thrust of the plan was to make it look as though Fidel Castro was behind the killing of the American President, thereby inciting the U.S. government to attack Cuba, eliminating Castro who had forced the mob casinos in Havana to close.

 

Santos Trafficante, the south Florida mob boss, was a close associate of Marcello who had been in the casino business in Cuba and even jailed by Castro for a period of time.

 

Mobsters Johnny Roselli of Miami and Sam Giancana of Chicago were also involved.

 

Trafficante set up two men who thought they were working for the CIA to assassinate Castro and had them sent to Cuba.

 

Through Roselli, Castro was tipped off that the CIA was sending these two men to kill him. The two men were then captured in Cuba and forced to reveal they were CIA operatives.

 

On September 7, 1963, Castro told Associated Press reporters he was being targeted for assassination by U.S. government leaders who “could find their own lives in jeopardy.”

 

During this entire period, Lee Harvey Oswald was being manipulated by associates of Ferrie in New Orleans to appear to be a pro-Castro wacko.

 

The trap had been set.

 

A patsy, Lee Harvey Oswald, had been created to shift the blame to Castro. Plus, Castro had recently made statements to the press that he was being targeted by the Kennedy Administration, further fanning the flames.

 

Thus, when JFK was killed, Castro, through Oswald, would be targeted for invasion by the USA whereupon the mob would get their Cuban casinos back and get the Justice Department (headed by Robert Kennedy) off their backs.

 

However, when JFK was assassinated in Dallas several things went awry. Oswald was to have been killed in the confusion but managed to escape.

 

Oswald was later killed by Jack Ruby to silence him and close the case.

 

The FBI and the CIA both wanted the case closed as quickly as possible to avoid embarrassing entanglements.

 

The new President, Lyndon Johnson, wanted it closed quickly to avoid a possible catastrophic confrontation with Cuba and their cold war ally, the USSR.

 

Thus, the lone gunman nutcase became the quick official remedy.

 

Jack Ruby, the Dallas mob connection, was the key lynchpin to the conspiracy.

 

He made more long distance phone calls to known mobsters (Trafficante, Marcello, etc.) during the two months prior to the assassination than he had made the entire previous year.

 

In addition, Roselli met with Jack Ruby twice just prior to the assassination.

 

When the Dallas police chief was answering questions at a press conference shortly after Oswald was arrested, Ruby (from the back of the room) loudly corrected him (captured on audio and video) as to which Cuba freedom organization Oswald had belonged.

 

It was imperative that Oswald be portrayed as Pro-Castro, thereby placing ultimate blame on Castro as being behind the assassination.

 

Ruby then killed Oswald to end any further investigation.

 

Scheduled to testify before Congress, Roselli was found dead in an oil drum floating in Biscayne Bay.

 

Giancana had helped JFK get elected President, later to be subjected to Robert Kennedy’s organized crime taskforce. The evening before Giancana was to testify before a senate committee on CIA-mob assassination plots, he was shot in the back of the head.

 

A few days before David Ferrie was scheduled to meet with the New Orleans district attorney to discuss the JFK assassination, he was found dead (unsolved murder) in his apartment.

 

Just a couple of hours later, Eladio del Valle, a known Ferrie collaborator, was brutally murdered in Miami.

 

Dead men tell no tales.

 

A coincidence is the occurrence of supposedly unrelated events that seem to have a connection.

 

When you have dozens of coincidences all relating to the same event, the concept of everything being unrelated no longer passes the smell test.

 

Dead skunk in the middle of the road -- and it stinks to high heaven.

 

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Quote for the Day -- "A man may die, but an idea lives on." John F. Kennedy

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Bret Burquest is the author of 9 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and occasionally talks to trees.

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On November 9, 2013, Susan Ford Bales, daughter of former U.S. President Gerald Ford, broke a champagne bottle across the bow to christen a new $13 billion nuclear-powered next-generation aircraft carrier to the U.S. Navy fleet called the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford.

 

Gerald Ford was the 38th president, the only person to serve as vice-president and president without being elected by the Electoral College. Basically, he was simply in the right place at the right time.

 

Leslie Lynch King, Jr. was born on July 14, 1913 in Omaha, Neb. His father, Leslie Lynch King, Sr., a wool trader, and his mother, Dorothy Ayer King, were separated 16 days later and divorced the following December.

 

In February of 1916, Dorothy King married Gerald Rudolff Ford, a paint salesman, in Grand Rapids, Mich. Soon thereafter, Dorothy began calling her son "Gerald Rudolff Ford, Jr." and the name stuck. When Gerald Rudolff Ford, Jr. legally changed his name in 1955, he used the more conventional spelling of his middle name.

 

As a young lad, Gerald Ford joined the Boy Scouts of America and became an Eagle Scout. As an athletic teen-ager, he was captain of the Grand Rapids High School football team.

 

While attending the University of Michigan (1932-35), Ford washed dishes to earn money for expenses. He played center and linebacker for the school's football team which won national titles in 1932 and 1933. After his senior season, he participated in the 1935 Collegiate All-Star football game against the Chicago Bears.

 

In 1935, he earned a degree in political science and economics. After graduation, he turned down contract offers from the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, and applied to Yale Law School.

 

While attending law school, he often worked as a fashion model. For example, he appeared in the March 1940 issue of LOOK magazine and on the cover of the April 1940 issue of COSMOPOLITAN magazine.

 

After he graduated from Yale, Ford returned to Grand Rapids in 1941 and opened a law practice.

 

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, Ford enlisted in the Navy and received a commission as ensign in April of 1942. In 1943-44, he served as assistant navigator on the carrier Monterey in the Pacific, received nine engagement medals and two bronze stars, and was discharged in February of 1946.

 

In 1948, Ford was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and married an ex-dancer named Elizabeth Bloomer Warren (Betty Ford) shortly before the election. He held the seat for 24 years, representing the Grand Rapids district from 1949 to 1973.

 

In 1963, Republican members of the House elected him Minority Leader.

 

Republican Richard Nixon was elected president in 1968, succeeding Democrat Lyndon Johnson. Spiro Agnew became the new Vice President. Nixon and Agnew won a second term in office in 1972.

 

In October of 1973, Agnew was accused of accepting bribes and income tax evasion. He promptly resigned in disgrace and was later convicted.

 

Nixon chose Gerald Ford (the first person ever appointed to the Vice Presidency) to succeed Agnew. Ford was confirmed 92 to 3 by the Senate and 387 to 35 by the House.

 

The following summer, the Watergate affair began to unfold and it became clear that Nixon had been part of the cover-up. Facing impeachment, Nixon resigned on August 9 and Gerald Ford became our 38th President.

 

Ford pardoned Nixon, a highly controversial decision, survived two assassination attempts, and served out the term with his usual low-key dignity. He kept the ship steady and on course during a tumultuous period.

 

He reluctantly agreed to run for the presidency in 1976 but narrowly lost to Jimmy Carter.

 

Ford was the only U.S. President to become an Eagle Scout or to have been a magazine fashion model.

 

He was also the only U.S. President to stumble down the staircase when disembarking from an airplane, tumble down a ski slope and clobber a spectator with a golf ball, all within the same six months. Combined with his charisma, which resembled a potted plant in slow motion, he was great fodder for TV comedians.

 

But he wasn't full of himself, was more conciliatory than confrontational, and believed in teamwork. He never sought the power of the presidency which is perhaps a positive trait for the job.

 

Basically, he was a decent man.

 

In a certain sense, he was a great president. He took over after the dread of Vietnam and the paranoia of Watergate, a time of deep divisiveness in America, and brought some civility back to the White House.

 

Gerald Ford was the right man for the time.

 

He died on Dec. 26, 2006 at age 93.

 

Rest in Peace.

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Quote for the Day -- "If Lincoln were alive today, he'd be turning over in his grave." Gerald R. Ford

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Bret Burquest is the author of 9 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and was a runway (catwalk) fashion model at age 5-6 for a department store in Stevens Point, Wisconsin -- (my mother got store discounts).

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November 11 is Veteran’s Day, when we honor the men and women who serve in our armed forces, most of whom perform honorably with little fanfare. Some go above and beyond the call of duty.

 

The son of a Kentucky doctor, John Bell Hood enrolled in the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1849. He accumulated 196 demerits, 4 short of expulsion, and ranked 44^th out of 52 in the class of 1853.

 

As a Brevet Second Lieutenant in the United States Army, Hood was assigned to Ft. Scott, California. In October of 1855, he was reassigned to the newly formed elite Second Cavalry Regiment at Ft. Mason, Texas. In a battle at Devil’s River the following summer, his left hand was pierced by a Comanche arrow.

 

Three days after the outbreak of the Civil War, Hood tendered his resignation from the United States Army, then enlisted in the Confederate Army in Montgomery, Alabama, receiving a commission as a Lieutenant. He was assigned to the Army of Northern Virginia where he received rapid promotions.

 

On March 7, 1862, Hood was promoted to Brigadier General and took command of the renowned Texas Brigade. Under his command, the Texans won important victories at Gaines Mill (called the Seven Days Battles) and Second Manassas. In September of 1862, the Texas Brigade’s heroics saved the Confederate’s left flank at Antietam, prompting his corps commander, General Stonewall Jackson, to promote Hood to Major General.

 

Under General James Longstreet, Hood was a division commander at Gettysburg where he was severely wounded on July 2, 1863, permanently losing the use of his left arm. In September, after recovering from his wounds, Hood was assigned to the Army of Tennessee. He joined his division as they were positioning for the ensuing Battle of Chickamauga and led them at Brotherton Cabin, breaking through the Federal line, leading to the rout of Union General Rosecran’s Army. During the battle, Hood received another serious wound, resulting in the amputation of his right leg. He was promptly promoted to Lieutenant General by Longstreet.

 

After recovering from his latest injury, in February of 1864, Hood assumed a corps command in the Army of Tennessee (combined with the Army of Mississippi) under General Johnston. The Confederate troops floundered under Johnston’s cautious leadership in their skirmishes with the Union Army’s advances under Gen. Sherman.

 

Confederacy President Jefferson Davis promoted Hood to the temporary rank of full General and relieved Johnston of his command on July 17, 1864. Two days later, Hood launched an offensive, called the Battle of Peachtree Creek. On July 21, Union forces launched a howitzer bombardment on Atlanta. Hood countered by attacking Federal troops near Decatur. On July 29, Hood led another assault at Ezra Chruch. In early August, Hood’s cavalry had killed or captured two-thirds of Sherman’s cavalry at Brown’s Mill and Sunshine Church, south of Atlanta. On August 6, Hood’s troops repulsed Union forces at Utoy Creek. But Sherman’s Army was relentless and the fate of Atlanta was sealed. Hood evacuated Atlanta on September 2, 1864.

 

Hood’s forces retreated into the hills, harassing Sherman’s supply and communications. In November of 1864, Hood suffered a defeat at Franklin, Tennessee. In December, another defeat at Nashville. His shattered forces relocated to northern Mississippi. On January 23, 1865, Hood resigned his command and reverted back to his permanent rank of Lieutenant General. He surrendered to Federal authorities on May 31, 1865.

 

After the war, Hood became a cotton broker in New Orleans where he married and fathered 11 children, including three sets of twins, over the next ten years. On August 30, 1879, John Bell Hood died of yellow fever. His wife and oldest son also died within days. Destitute from a market collapse, his ten orphaned children were adopted by seven different families in Louisiana, New York, Mississippi, Georgia and Kentucky.

 

Above and beyond the call of duty, John Bell Hood went into battle time after time with only one good arm and a missing leg, and fought like hell.

 

He is memorialized by Fort Hood, Texas.

 

The war to end all wars officially ended at 11:00 AM on the morning of November 11, 1918. It was the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month -- 11, 11, 11.

 

But freedom is not free -- it’s fragile and comes with a price. It requires dedication, perseverance and sacrifice.

 

On November 5, 2009, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a Muslim and U.S. Army psychiatrist, opened fire on his fellow soldiers at Fort Hood, killing 13 and wounding scores of others, proving once again that the world remains a dangerous place populated by self-centered, radical, deranged and evil people.

 

The war to end all wars would later be called World War I, as brave men and women continue to lose life and limb in a never-ending quest for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

 

On November 11, we honor their dedication and sacrifice.

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Quote for the Day -- “It is not enough to win a war -- it is more important to organize the peace.” Aristotle

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Bret Burquest is the author of 9 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and served in the U.S. Army in 1966-68 (Specialist E5, Data Processing Analyst).

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When I was in college, back in the 1960’s, I spent lots of time trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my life. I wanted to be an architect or a mining engineer or a treasure hunter, depending on the mood of the day. Then I stumbled onto a brand new profession, called computer programming. It sounded technical, mysterious and lucrative. I decided to give it a try.

 

It was a great way to make a living and lasted about 35 years.

 

Then at the turn of the century, known as Y2K in the computer world, my career as a computer programmer was coming to a grinding halt. What once had been technical had become mundane. Programming was no longer mysterious or lucrative as thousands of programmers had flooded the job market and, after Y2K, many of the programming jobs were outsourced overseas. A thriving profession had become a dead end. So once again, I spent lots of time trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my life.

 

In the spring of 2001, my life took an unexpected left turn -- Ozarka College in Melbourne, Arkansas, was looking for a person to teach computer courses. Such person was required to have a master’s degree in the discipline and some related experience. Since I was indeed such a person, this caught my interest. I also had a B.S. (business) and an M.S. (management information systems), plus plenty of related experience, thus I appeared to be qualified for the job. Even though I had no teaching experience, except for tutoring junior programmers, I applied for the position.

 

The job interview went well. I talked to the Vice President of Academic Affairs and the head of the business technology department, detailing my work history. They were two of the nicest people I’d ever met. My first reaction was to check to make sure I still had my wallet. Having been a city slicker most of my life, my instincts around overly nice people are that they want to sell you something or swindle you out of something, or both.

 

For whatever reason, I was offered the job and started in the fall 2001 semester with one night class called CIS1303 – Computer Information Systems. I gave it my best shot, the students appeared to learn things, and no one got hurt.

 

I went on to be an adjunct instructor at Ozarka for the next six years, teaching a couple of differing night classes each semester.

 

Being a teacher had been one of the most wonderful experiences in my life. First of all, it fit my lifestyle. I taught in the evenings (or late afternoons), which accommodated my night owl existence. Plus, I only taught a few nights per week, which fit my ambition level at the time of taking life easy. While being a teacher is not the road to riches, it kept the lights burning.

 

Teachers are a special breed. When I worked in the corporate world, particularly in larger companies, being adept at office politics was often more important than doing a good job. Workers tried to please management by making themselves look good and making others look bad. In order to survive in such an atmosphere, you had to join the action or be trampled in the process.

 

However, teachers generally tend to be cooperative and helpful. They’re more focused on what’s best for the students than what’s best for themselves. It may be different in larger colleges, but everyone at Ozarka was so nice that I was constantly checking to make sure I still had my wallet.

 

The greatest benefit of being a teacher was the satisfaction that came from helping others gain knowledge. Computer skills have become a basic necessity in much of everyday life these days. The more I was able to help students improve their skills, the better I felt about myself and my new profession. There’s no greater reward than the sense of fulfillment that comes at the end of a semester when my students confidently scatter into the real world.

 

Being a teacher is a lot like being rich -- it’s a wonderful way of life, just in a lower tax bracket.

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Quote for the Day -- “Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.” 14th Dalai Lama

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Bret Burquest is the author of 9 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and occasionally has to get his nephew Jon to help him with the latest computer technology.

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A game warden in Fulton County recently confronted a fisherman with a bucket full of fish and asked the man if he had a fishing license.

 

"No, sir," replied the fisherman. "These are my pet fish. Every Tuesday I take them down to the lake and let them swim around some. Then I whistle and they jump back into the bucket and I take them back home."

 

'That's ridiculous, " the game warden insisted.

 

"I'll show you," the fisherman said, then emptied the bucket into the lake and patiently stood there waiting.

 

"Well, when are you going to call them back?" uttered the game warden.

 

"Call who back?"

 

"The fish."

 

"What fish?"

 

* * *

 

For the past several years, the National Transportation Safety Board has been secretly installing black box recorders in pickup trucks in an effort to determine the circumstances in the last moments of serious accidents.

 

While "Oh, no!" and "Damn!" were the words most often uttered just prior to a fatal collision in 42 states, the most frequently recorded response in Arkansas was "Hold my beer, I'm gonna try something."

 

* * *

 

An Arkansas trooper pulled over a guy in a pickup truck.

 

"Got any ID?" the trooper asked.

 

"About what?"

 

* * *

 

The owner of a gift shop in Hardy was confused about paying an invoice, so he asked his secretary, "You graduated from Ozarka College. If I were to give you $1,200, less six percent, how much would you take off?"

 

The secretary thought for a moment, then said, "Everything except my earrings."

 

* * *

 

Researchers at the University of Arkansas discovered that beer contains traces of female hormones. They tested 144 men who each consumed six quarts of beer in a short time span. All the men soon became emotional, talked excessively without making any sense and couldn't drive. No further testing was deemed necessary.

 

* * *

 

A farmer near Viola was out plowing the field one day when his wife brought him a lunch.

 

The farmer drove his mule into the shade and sat down nearby to eat his meal.

 

The farmer's wife began to nag him about various minor things, something she did on a regular basis.

 

Suddenly, the mule kicked out his hind legs, smacked the wife in the back of the head and killed her.

 

At the funeral several days later, all of the women in attendance walked up to the farmer and he nodded his head. But when the men approached and talked to him, he shook his head in disagreement.

 

After the funeral, the minister asked the farmer about the conversations.

 

"Well, all the women said how nice my wife looked and so forth, so I nodded in agreement," the farmer said.

 

"What about the men?" asked the minister.

 

"They wanted to know if the mule was for sale."

 

* * *

 

The early bird gets the worm, the second mouse gets the cheese, and he who laughs last thinks slowest.

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Quote for the Day -- “One captain, seizing the line-knife from his broken prow, had dashed at the whale, as an Arkansas duelist at his foe, blindly seeking with a six-inch blade to reach the fathom-deep life of the whale. That captain was Ahab.” Herman Melville

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Bret Burquest is the author of 9 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and has an imaginary girlfriend named Long Tall Sally.

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In May of 2012, I had a personal health problem whereby I couldn't walk 10 feet without stopping to catch my breath. I reluctantly went to the local ER and was soon admitted (after a couple of tests) into the Fulton County Hospital with congestive heart failure and blood clots on my lungs.

 

After about 10 days, I was released but still didn't feel very well. I was now on blood thinners and other medications.

 

After a few months of lethargic misery, unable to do much physically and in a state of anxiety, it became obvious that I had to do something on my own to get out of this rut. Thus, I embarked on a self-made diet to get to a proper weight and slowly began to do physical exercises and chores to build my energy back up. In this process, I have managed to lose 75 pounds so far (a few more to go) in about 12-13 months and have significantly more stamina than before. I'm still working on it and am now in a lifestyle pattern I intend to continue even after reaching my goals.

 

During the course of my self-imposed rehab process, I did a lot of research about foods and illnesses, including afflictions unrelated to my condition.

 

It's almost impossible to research causes of illnesses without learning a great deal about cancer. It was not my intention to delve into this subject but I do have family and friends dealing with this problem.

 

Dr. Otto Warburg, one of the leading biochemists in the 20th century, devoted his life to the study of the causes of cancer. His research made it clear that normal cells require oxygen, whereas cells deprived of oxygen may become cancerous. He found that cancer cells cannot survive in the presence of high levels of oxygen. Thus, he determined that too much acidity in the body is the root cause of cancer. In 1931, he won a Nobel Prize in Medicine for this important discovery.

 

"Cancerous tissues are acidic, whereas healthy tissues are alkaline… Deprive a cell 35% of its oxygen for 48 hours and it may become cancerous." Dr. Otto Warburg

 

A person's pH balance (potential hydrogen) measures the bodily level of acidity versus alkaline -- the lower the pH balance, the more an acidic state exists. According to Warburg, the proper pH balance (normal state) is 7.365. He concluded there was a direct correlation between pH and oxygen.

 

Many other sources also concur with this concept.

 

"There is clearly a strong correlation between body fluid pH and the level of health of disease of the individual… Acid states appear in people with acute and chronic inflammatory and pain syndromes, congestive disorders that include recurrent infections and allergies, and the degenerative diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular problems, and diabetes." Dr. Elson M. Haas, M.D. (founder and director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin, California)

 

As with most medical remedies, there are a variety of opinions among seemingly credible sources, including considerable skepticism among health professionals concerning the pH balance approach to cancer (and other maladies). Medical professionals often disagree about potential treatments. Plus, everyone has a different physiology -- what works for Person A may not work for Person B. Obviously, you must do your own research and consult a doctor you trust.

 

About 15 years ago, I was visiting friends in another state when I needed to see a physician about a minor matter, whereby my friends sent me to their local physician. During the course of the exam, I told the doctor that I had changed my dietary habits several months earlier, whereupon he said, "What does your diet have to do with your health?" At first, I assumed he was making a joke. But when I learned he was serious, I figured I would be better off making a graceful exit and seeking a second opinion from a Voodoo Shaman with a bag of chicken feet and a vile of bat blood.

 

Since my recent hospital ordeal, I have acquired many books about health. One of the books I use for reference is HEALTHY FOODS by James A. Duke, PhD, former director of the Cancer Screening Program (funded by the National Cancer Institute).

 

The following is a list of a dozen foods he refers to as "Duke's Dozen" -- his 12 greatest disease-fighting foods." The explanations are much more lengthy -- I summarized them below.

 

1) Beans

 

Low in fat, high in protein, an alternative to red meat. Loaded with soluble fiber, thus proficient at washing cholesterol out of the system through the intestines. Contain high levels of isoflavones, which may prevent some forms of cancer, improve prostate and bone health, ease symptoms of menopause, and other benefits.

 

2) Bulbs (garlic, onion)

 

Garlic contains sulfur compounds, such as diallyl disulfide, which prevents blood clotting. Also contains over a dozen immunity-boasting compounds to help ward off colds and infections. Onions also contain some of the same sulfur compounds. Plus, they have high amounts of flavonoids, particularly quercetin which has been shown to reduce platelet bunching and even prevent some forms of cancer.

 

3) Caffeinators (coffee, tea, chocolate)

 

The active compounds in coffee, tea, chocolate are polyphenols, such as theobromine and theophylline, which are excellent antioxidants that ward off free radicals, fighting heart disease and cancer. They also improve mood and alertness. Chocolate has unique polyphenols that increase levels of a brain chemical called dopamine, promoting pleasure.

 

4) Celery

 

Celery has an anti-inflammatory called apigenin, which helps lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and fights gout. It also contains acetylenics, phenolic acids, and coumarins which may be cancer fighters. According to the index of HEALTHY FOODS, celery is helpful with bad breath, bladder infections, bursitis, fungal infections, gout, hay fever, high blood pressure, indigestion, memory loss, menopausal symptoms and pneumonia.

 

BB NOTE: There are foods that have a negative calorie count whereby you burn more calories by eating them than the food contains, called "thermic" vegetables. Depending on your gender, weight and level of activity, the human body requires 150-250 calories to digest your food. If you eat an item that has a caloric content of 100 calories or less, you will actually burn more calories than you consume. Celery is a thermic vegetable, great for dieting.

 

5) Cinnamon

 

Cinnamon contains a flavonoid compound called methylhydroxy chalcone polymer (a.k.a. MHCP) which is an antioxidant that appears to activate insulin receptors inside the cells and may also aid in lowering cholesterol levels.

 

6) Citrus Fruits

 

There are some 200 anti-carcinogenic compounds in citrus fruits. They're loaded with vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant, and contain a soluble fiber called pectin which lowers cholesterol and subdues inflammation.

 

7) Ginger

 

Ginger is loaded with COX-2 inhibitors, strong anti-inflammatory compounds which inhibit a specific pain-causing enzyme in the body. It's also helpful in dealing with motion sickness or morning sickness.

 

8) Mints

 

There are over 70 varieties in this category, including peppermint, spearmint, rosemary, basil, thyme, oregano, sage, lavender, lemon balm. Many of them sooth the stomach (in tea form) and many of them stimulate the central nervous system. They're loaded with healthy-heart antioxidant compounds. Some are "uppers," such as peppermint and spearmint. Some have sedative effects, such as lavender and lemon balm.

 

9) Peppers

 

Chili peppers contain a compound called capsaicin, which increases endorphins (internal pain killers) and improves circulation -- they help with weight loss, stomach protection, cold treatment, arthritis pain. Sweet peppers are antioxidants that can ward off heart disease.

 

10) Pomegranates

 

Rich in antioxidants, they fight cholesterol and heart disease. They also contain phytoestrogens which help women with menopause symptoms.  They may also help in treating obesity and diabetes.

 

11) Turmeric (Curry)

 

Many people treat osteoarthritis with turmeric, which has a high concentration of a COX-2 inhibitor called curcumin. It also has compounds that prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine which may help to prevent mental deterioration.

 

12) Walnuts

 

They contain healthy monounsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and protein, particularly arginine. They are a good source of a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which aids in brain function and also helps to curb the appetite.

 

* * *

 

When you lay in a hospital bed for many days, not knowing if you will ever walk back out the door, you tend to dwell on your life and beyond.

 

Human beings are a combination of body, mind and soul. Repairing the body is only one aspect of well-rounded existence.

 

The mind also needs occasional repair. In this crazy world, we must cope with fear, anxiety, doubt, depression, greed, lust, envy, gluttony and other forms of negativity. Getting your mind straight can often be a more daunting task than getting your body in proper working order. A fearless, positive attitude will help keep your head screwed on and your outlook will become peachy keen.

 

The grand struggle in this dimension may deal with the salvation of our soul (inner spirit) -- seeking, discovering and aligning with a righteous path, a quest for internal peace and eternal bliss.

 

Stay strong, be cool -- life is good.

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Quote for the Day -- "Beware of reading health books -- you may die of a misprint." Mark Twain

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Bret Burquest is the author of 9 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and is so far over the hill that he's started up the next one.

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