The Way We Are Archives - A Boomer's Thoughts

ARE WE STILL FREE?

psteik — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 04:23:21 +0000

MY YOUTH:

Every parent dreams, prays, works to give their child/children a better life than they had.

I think back to my childhood in the 60’s and 70’s and can’t help but smile; it was great. Then I realize that I have quite a task ahead of me if I plan to enable my kids to have more.

Every day was an adventure, obviously an exaggeration- but it is close to the truth!

In the summertime we would play baseball, softball, four square, whiffle ball, tag, kick the can, hide and seek, crack the whip and more. We would race our bikes down the highest hills we could find and chase the mosquito spray. I wonder if that’s where some of the Cancer came from. (Author’s Note: Ask, in the comments, if you don’t recognize any of these games!).

We would play in the street, in our yards, in our houses, at the park, in the schoolyards or walk to the local pool and go swimming. As long as we were home before the streetlights came on, we were A OK! And parental supervision was seldom needed!

The other seasons were no different. In addition to school in the Fall, Winter and Spring, we would play football, hockey, combat, cowboys and Indians. We had snowball fights with neighborhood kids. Everyone built snow forts, went sledding, tobogganing and tubing. skeeching (Hanging onto the back bumper of an unsuspecting driver’s car to get a ride on the icy street) was always exciting and (In spite of all the rules of nature) we survived uninjured! The worst thing that happened to us while skeeching was the occasional lost glove that got stuck in the bumper!

Our days were filled with these and countless other ways to keep ourselves busy and, not always, out of trouble.

We weren’t always playing. I often walked to the store with my friend to buy cigarettes for his mother- many times without the “required” note.

All of the kids from my group had a set of chores we were required to complete before we were allowed to go out and play. Many of us mowed the lawn, weeded, cleaned the house, cleaned our rooms, helped paint, washed windows, babysat siblings or completed other household tasks as necessary.

It wasn’t that unusual to have a summer play day disrupted when one member of the group would report, “I can’t come out today. We’re cleaning the basement.” This, of course, lead to the inevitable search for a new second baseman, or whatever! It never lead to sympathy because, we all knew, that could be our fate on any given day.

We were constantly in each other’s houses, often without knocking. It seemed, back then, that all of the mothers were in charge of all of the kids. That wasn’t always a good thing. When a mother decided it was time for treats- it was a great thing! When a mother decided it was time for punishment- it was a terrible thing!

Sometimes the days plans were made on the telephone, other times the plan was made the day before. And then there were times we could just walk down the block and look for the house where all the bikes were parked.

We built go carts out of lumber obtained from local construction sites, wheels off of broken baby strollers, wagons and old bikes. I still remember clearly the time we tried to make a minibike with a discarded bike and a broken lawnmower motor. We got the motor running again but couldn’t figure out how to get the power transfer from the engine to the bike. Our problem was in the linkage, but we never solved it. My close friend Jeff’s dad was a mechanic and couldn’t/didn’t solve the problem for us.

Looking back I suspect maybe it was our guardian angels at work, knowing we were too irresponsible to become “motorized” at that point in our lives.

As kids, I remember we had a lot of fun. We had a lot of independence. There were also responsibilities galore!

I remember being mad, many times, because we were still doing dinner dishes and saw our friends outside, picking teams for baseball!

PUNISHMENTS:

There was no way to avoid learning life lessons when you, and all of your friends, were on your own all day every day.

What happened when you returned late?

In my day, coming home late resulted in a variety of punishments. I received most of them at one time or another.

Punishments included, but were not limited to, a spanking- yes, many of my boomer friends received spankings regularly. Spankings were my dad’s favorite form of punishment and NO, I did not feel “abused” at any time in my life! Another was to be kept inside the whole next day to do chores. What could be worse than working in the house and hearing your friends run past the window playing. Other punishments included being excluded from other activities, no snacks, early curfew, extra chores and more, depending on how creative your parents were.

WE LEARNED IN OTHER WAYS ALSO:

At a certain age we were allowed to stay up as late as we wanted. Unlike today, our TVs were not allowed to stay up all night. At midnight all of the stations “signed off.” In my area (Chicagoland) the channels were 2 (WBBM- the CBS affiliate) 5 (WMAQ- the NBC affiliate) 7 (WLS- the ABC affiliate) 9 (WGN the local station owned by The Chicago Tribune World’s Greatest Newspaper) We would see a “Test Pattern” while the star-spangled banner played and then nothing. This, I believe, taught us patience.

Still on the TV thing. We were not able to “binge watch” our favorite shows. When the episode ended, we waited a week to see the next show. Today I sat and watched four episodes of Castle in a row! Why? because I can! It took patience, back then, to wait. Some of you may remember when JR got shot to end a season of Dallas. The fans were forced to wait until the next season to learn if he would live or die, who did it, and why! We had no choice but to learn patience.

It seemed to me that teachers had much more control. I am aware that if a teacher punishes a child in school the teacher is liable to suffer consequences. When I was in school if I was punished by a teacher, I prayed my parents would not find out. They always did, and their reaction was always to punish me again, call the teacher, and ask for details.

Hillary Clinton quoted an old proverb when she was first lady saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” It may sound a bit “contrary” after what I wrote above but, I don’t want the government to have any additional control over me, my family, or anything else!

I thought it worked out great in my neighborhood, and most at that time, that the mothers got together and agreed to watch over each other’s kids.

I fear that our country has grown past efficiency and moved into ineptitude.

What do you think?

Have you questioned statements made by any elected official recently? I have!

Did you question any governmental orders during COVID? I did!

Did you question how they could shut churches down while leaving bars and gambling casinos open? I did!

Did you wonder if we would get the freedoms back that we gave away without a fight? I did!

Were you around when seatbelt laws were enacted? How about helmet laws for motorcycles? (All but 2 states have them). What about the really strange ones that are being discussed like penalties for not using the right pronoun?

Do you feel these are harmless? I do not!

The smallest loss of freedom is gigantic!

What about the second amendment (Right to Bear arms) arguments?

Those trying to take this right away from us have argued that, “You don’t need an assault rifle to hunt!” It is understood by legal scholars that the second amendment has nothing to do with hunting.

Our country had just fought a courageous battle to gain its’ freedom from a monarchy. The framers had no concerns about hunting! They put the second amendment in our constitution to protect our God given right to live free! The second amendment is there to allow us to protect ourselves from the government!

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I AM NOT A HANDYMAN, BUT I DO IDENTIFY AS ONE!!

psteik — Tue, 27 May 2025 00:14:51 +0000

I have always been able to fix things. Especially when I couldn’t afford the replacement cost and I needed them. When I was a kid, between the neighbors and my brothers, there were usually plenty of replacement parts for anything that needed to be fixed. In the rare cases when there weren’t any, we could ride a bike to stores in the area. A hardware store about 4 blocks away and a bike shop near 3 miles away, that weren’t out of range for us. My dad was handy, but usually too busy to fix bikes. My brothers were very handy and often had “garbage picked” bikes or other sources for parts. As is often the problem with older brothers, they were not generally enthusiastic about helping their little brother and they were very much against the concept of donating parts to a dead-beat little brother with no means of support (or repayment). This problem required me to learn how to obtain the needed fenders, tires, wheels- whatever, in the dark of night- so to speak! We were “boomer kids” and always had plenty of friends around to help, or join in, no matter what we were up to. We graduated from bike repair to go-cart building, to minibike building etc. My brothers rebuilt an inherited 1950 Plymouth in the driveway with the hesitant approval of my parents and then with that great success my brother Pat rebuilt his 1956 Ford Sun Liner when he was about 17-just a couple of years later. I was often allowed to help my dad on his household projects: Finishing the basement, turning an 8-foot-high projector stand into a bar in the basement, putting a cement patio in the backyard, tiling the basement, dividing the basement into 4 rooms, paneling rooms, putting a privacy fence in the backyard and many more things. As I was growing up, it was a badge of honor to proclaim, “I rigged that; I couldn’t get it to work so I…” After I was married “rigged” became a dirty word as my lovely bride often asserted- she would prefer that the job be done correctly. I guess that makes sense. When I bought my first house, at twenty-six years old while living alone, I repaired and painted the interior walls and sanded and varnished the hardwood floors. I put an antenna on the roof in a windstorm (I didn’t say I was smart). It wasn’t until I was holding this large metal antenna standing near the chimney, on the roof, of my two-story Cape Cod house and looking down at the thorn bushes approximately 40 feet below me, that I realized that I had not told anybody what I was planning to do! If I had gotten blown off the roof, or struck by lightning, I probably wouldn’t have been found until the next family party! I kept fixing things for over 40 years. Faucets, drains, tables, driveway patches, bicycles, cars, holes in walls. I made shelves, tiled floors, fixed broken screens, removed beehives and more. I think the beehive (Wasp nest) is an interesting story. Early in our marriage we had bees dive bombing us as we entered our front door in a duplex (The first home my wife and I bought together) we lived in for a few years. We spotted the nest on an overhang near the girl’s bedroom on the second floor. I didn’t have a ladder high enough to get onto the roof, so I backed our 1986 Buick Estate Wagon up to the front door and put our 6-foot ladder on the roof of the car. Yes, it was as dangerous and foolish as it sounds!

This is a mid-fifties Chevrolet Station Wagon

Not “my bees” but bees just the same!

Oddly enough, I didn’t see my wife or any of the kids in the yard to watch me as usual. The ladder was a little shaky on the roof of the car, but I got up there safely armed with a can of Raid and a disposable lighter. The nest was active and as I sat on the roof to work up my courage, I saw 5 or 6 wasps fly in and out. There seemed to be a short break in their activity, so I got active. I lit the lighter and then sprayed the Raid on the small fire it produced. The Raid acted like a flame thrower directed at the active hive. It’s amazing how many wasps can fit into those honey combed nests. Hundreds of them came swarming at me. I couldn’t get down the ladder/car combination fast enough, so I jumped about 20 or 30 feet into the front yard and rolled, purposely, to lessen the impact. As I dove for the ground I saw my wife with the three oldest kids. They were laughing hysterically at the site of me running for my life with a village of angry bees in pursuit. Somehow, I did not receive one serious sting. I think my rapid loss in altitude might have confused some my pursuers! In defense of my wife, she has a motto. She never laughs until she feels certain you will not be seriously injured. Then she lets go! From the timing of her laugh, I believe she knew I would not be seriously injured before I knew- I’m just saying… I am still an active Handy Man Impersonator. Recently, I have put a motion detector light in the backyard and put a dryer vent on a new gas dryer I installed. In answer to obvious questions that might arise: The gas line is secure, and the house has not blown up! The lint and exhaust are exiting the home as designed- even after my involvement. The problems I had that caused me to suspect my “handyman prowess” was not what it should be were how long the jobs took, and how many trips to the hardware store were required after I thought I had all the tools and accessories I needed. For the motion detector, the regular porch light I was replacing hadn’t been working so I needed to do some trouble shooting before I did any replacing. When I pulled it apart, I found one of the wires installed by the builder, 29 years earlier, had separated from the wire nut and was lying loose in the housing. Yes, this is a very simple fix. That’s why I’m doubting myself. That job took me about 8 hours and four trips for parts I didn’t realize would be needed. I imagine an electrician would have been done in no more than an hour. I was happy to finish it. I was happy it works. I was very disappointed that it took so long! A few months later I replaced a bathroom exhaust fan in the first-floor powder room. I had been putting that chore off for way longer than I should have. I have replaced the same type of fans in various bathrooms of different houses. but I recall they were all difficult and time-consuming tasks. The replacement piece, of course, was a different size and shape than the fan being replaced. I am not an adventurous man anymore! I checked every hardware store within 15 miles of my home- Home Depots, Menards, Aces, Farm and Fleets… you get the picture. If they sold screws, I went in and asked them if they had my style replacement fan. The general answer was a laugh and then, “I haven’t seen one of those for 30 years….” I was so desperate for this one to go smoothly that I read the installation instructions (That is a big step for me). They revealed a key to easy removal and replacement! WOW! That job went so smoothly I wanted to tell the world. It was the first time I felt like a true HANDYMAN in years! I felt so good that when my ex-wife and I walked into an appliance store a few weeks later and bought a dryer I declared, for all to hear, that I would install it myself- This, of course, was after they told me it would cost a few hundred dollars more for installation. As with most jobs around the house, I had done this more than once. The night of the purchase, I put the dryer in the back of my pick-up truck and drove my new prize home. I purchased a new exhaust hose and installation kit before I left the store. I was working on adrenaline. My son and I pulled out the old dryer. Slid it out of the way and gently placed the new one in its’ place. I tightened all the connections, checked for leaks and started it. Everything was AOK!!! I quickly turned it off and turned to the exhaust hose. I remembered how, the old one was very difficult to install- that’s why I had purchased a new hose! I placed it against the dryer exhaust piece- it felt like they were both exactly the same size- THE HOSE WOULD NOT FIT INTO, or OVER the dryer receptacle. Simple! I put the other end of the hose up against the dryer and got exactly the same result! The bottom line is…. It took me over 2 hours to accomplish what a dryer delivery guy, or trained repairman, could do in about 5 minutes! Again!!! I snatched defeat from the jaws of victory! I’ll tell you this for certain! The next time something needs to be done around the house I will try to do it! That’s because a true handyman must have the same lack of memory that any good professional relief pitcher has! Thank you for reading to the end. Please comment and share.

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LOOKING BACK AS WE ENTER ANOTHER NEW YEAR!

psteik — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 01:58:08 +0000

As we enter a new year, I reminisce about the changes that have come in my lifetime and throughout history. With The Christmas Season in our recent past, I am thinking about the trends in acquiring gifts for that holy season. It, historically, has morphed from parents making one gift for each child, to parents buying modest gifts at the “Dry Goods” store, to shopping in a busy “Downtown” with many stores to choose from, or ordering from the “Sears, Roebuck and Company Gift Catalog” then came driving to the nearby shopping mall and, most recently, shopping on-line. I used to save one gift purchase for Christmas Eve each year. I enjoyed the hustle and bustle of last-minute shoppers desperately trying to complete their yuletide chores. I have been disappointed the last couple of years because Christmas Eve crowds and the accompanying hustle and bustle, just weren’t there. Telephones are another area where obvious changes have come about, many of them in our lifetimes! Before I was a twinkle in my father’s eye, a telephone call required requesting the operator connect you with the party you hoped to speak to. Next, calls were made by “dialing” the number of the party you wanted to speak with by cranking the rotary dial on your phone. “Party lines” were common back in the 40’s to 60’s. A party line occurred when the phone company issued two separate telephone numbers a connecting line. This resulted in potential callers putting the handset to their ear to initiate a call and hearing a conversation already in progress instead of a dial tone. When this happened, the second caller needed to hang up and be patient, waiting for the first call to end. The first caller was expected to end their call quickly- this was usually done because of “common courtesy” and the knowledge that they may be the second caller the next time. Pay telephones were common in drug stores, post offices, gas stations, on busy corners and many other locations. Prior to the invention of “cell phones” pay phones were a necessity for people who needed to make a phone call when they were away from their home. The cell phone was invented and this, combined with the propensity of drug dealers to use pay phones as a way to keep their business stealth, ended the use of, and need for, pay phones. Telephones were improved in other ways as well. Pushbutton phones were invented and replaced many of the dial phones in households throughout the country. The next advancement was cordless phones that entered many households prior to the cell phone. The invention of color TV’s came about between 1946-1950. The first color TV broadcast was in June of 1951. When newspapers were the main source of news it was not unusual for a major paper to have a morning, afternoon and evening printing with changes and updates in each edition. Now, many newspapers have folded, and the industry itself is fighting to survive. Cars that started off with “crank start” models morphed through many stages- including a starter button on the floor, then the starter automatically activates when the key is turned. “Any color, as long as it was black” to numerous colors. Automatic transmissions as an accessory- now common; vent windows on the front window, many variations of the vent window, now, it is almost obsolete. Engines have been changed in many ways at many times. I have heard of 3, 4-, 6-, 8- and 12-cylinder engines. All cars, at one time, had drum brakes; those have been replaced by disc, which are more efficient. Car windows have varied from push open, to crank, to automatic. And, amazingly, we are on the cusp of “self driving” cars- WOW!!! We have moved on from full-service to self-service gas stations. Cigarette machines, which were a great gift to 16-year-old kids who had developed a yearning for tobacco, are gone. Typewriters have gone from manual to electric- of course! Hasn’t everything? Thanks for reading. Please comment about what you liked, what you didn’t, or anything you would like to add.

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POLITICS AS USUAL?

psteik — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 03:50:44 +0000

I believe political races have morphed into more of giant ad campaigns than debates on how our country should be run.

I also fear that many people are ignoring their obligation to know the facts before casting their vote; it seems voting, for many, is as simple as painting by numbers. If the candidate has a “D” (or “R”) after their name, punch the ballot.

I speak from personal experience and about 50 yeas of studying candidates, with an added 6 years of writing occasional articles on specific candidates or races.

With that being said I readily admit that I am no expert. I do have opinions and fears, but don’t we all?

I don’t know if the “downhill slide” of politics began when Maxine Waters encouraged her followers to harass Republicans in restaurants and other public places, “When they were relaxing with their families” and nobody condemned her for saying it. The deterioration had probably begun long before Maxine’s tirade, but her words certainly did make a bad situation worse.

My family, siblings and parents, weren’t very political. We did have some discussions at the kitchen table and other venues around election time. They were more “fact finding” discussions than debates.

I awoke, politically, when I was in my early 20’s or late teens. Jimmy Carter was the first politician I strongly disagreed with. I often voiced my opinion that if a Russian task force was spotted enroute to America and intelligence had confirmed they carried nuclear weapons, Carter would probably hold a straw poll to determine the most acceptable action.

The thing that was so different then was that I had friends who supported Carter, and we would have lunch and some beers discussing our opinions without yelling, or “unfriending” anyone.

In the family I raised, I did not push my agenda on my children, but I did let them know where I stood when the subject would come up.

Fast forward to 2015-16. My kids were grown and many lived out of the house. I had written some pro-Trump views on Facebook before I realized a daughter living in Chicago was offended because she was strongly behind Hillary. I know my children, and I figured she, and one of my boys, were probably going to vote that way. I respected that and, I guess naively, I expected them to respect my right to have my own opinion. It wasn’t the first time I was wrong as a parent, but it was definitely the most “off base” I have been.

When Trump won, that daughter posted, “I don’t know what I’ll do!” I was concerned about just how upset she was. I called her immediately and she said she was OK but needed to talk to me. We decided I would drive out to the city and buy her breakfast the next morning.

I enjoyed the breakfast with no political discussion. As we were finishing, she asked why I voted for Trump and not “The female candidate.” I explained that Clinton’s gender had nothing to do with my decision and voiced that I was disappointed that my daughter would ask such a question. I pointed out that in all the time she has known me there has not been one time that I have minimized the value of females.

I decided to defend my position by naming reasons I thought Donald Trump would be better for America than Hillary would have been. I started out with how disappointed I was in the way she handled Benghazi, listing details of the failure there.

While I spoke, I was watching for hostile reactions. I saw her facial expressions change to anger and stopped talking.

She took a deep breath and questioned, “Is that all? She made one mistake in four years, so you refuse to vote for her?”

I knew I was heading downhill quickly. I had walked into her trap, and she was preparing to spring it. What are my options? Stop talking and attempt a graceful retreat? Name some of the other reasons I questioned Hillary’s ability to serve, and hope my daughter was mature enough to accept this difference of opinion as just that, rather than a failure in parenting.

I knew I was doomed. I was sitting in a diner in Chicago, a block from my daughter’s apartment. Deep in the deepest blue part of the blue state I live in, and my daughter had insisted I defend my decision to vote Republican, out loud, in a crowded restaurant! I quietly prayed this discussion would not be overheard!

She was through with me. Our relationship has not recovered! I have only seen her a few times in the 8 years since the first Trump victory. Our family is mostly conservative. We have eliminated all political talk when the liberal daughter attends a party, which is a rare occurrence.

After our “incident” I called several times and she didn’t answer _DARN THAT CALLER ID! I text every week or so and she responds if she feels like it- about one response per 4 or 5 texts.

This child, our fifth of seven children, used to be daddy’s girl. She attended Sunday mass with me when the rest of the family chose not to. When I went on errands or asked if anyone was interested in taking a ride with me, she was up for it. I was invited to all of the plays and choral programs she performed in while she was in high school and college. And then, sometime when she was away at school- she drank the cool aid!

The day after Trump’s second victory my ex-wife let me know that our daughter had called her and queried, “Who did you vote for?” The phone was disconnected as soon as my ex answered, “Trump.”

I received the same call a short time later. I gave the same response and I was hung up on in the same way.

My daughter’s nieces’ and nephews’ who once gave her great joy have been blocked, dropped and whatever else means “cut-off” in the same way my entire family, my wife’s family, my wife and I have been removed from her life.

It’s sad that, as Christmas approaches, my daughter won’t have a family with her. We still love her and, I feel, she still loves us, but, somehow, she can’t bring herself to hear our side.

Who knows when this craziness happened. I guess it doesn’t matter.

I know I’m not the only one going through it. Some friends have shared similar stories with me. I have heard more on radio talk shows.

My thoughts on this craziness are, when you have no decent argument, you resort to emotional blackmail. What confuses me is- If they can’t defend their position, why don’t they change positions?

Thanks for reading this. Please comment, let me know if you agree, disagree, or have other feelings or comments!

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I AM STILL FAST!!

psteik — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 04:56:39 +0000

For those of you who don’t know, I retired after working as a police officer for 35 years.

My wife and I raised a large family, and policing pays adequately but doesn’t create millionaires! This “fact” required me to work overtime and outside jobs whenever I could.

I was a hard worker and some of my supervisors rewarded that by telling me about opportunities to earn more money. One such supervisor, who I still talk to on Facebook, told me about an opportunity to work security at “Cellular Field” (The home of the Chicago White Sox). I was a life-long Cub fan (The Sox cross-town rivals), but this was a chance to get paid for watching professional baseball! I have never been able to get enough of baseball and jumped at the chance. Until I was in high school, I had dreams of playing professional ball but, in the interest of honesty, they weren’t very realistic.

It was not the perfect part-time job. On days we were scheduled, about 5 or 6 of us would jump in a car right after our dayshift at our suburban department ended and carpool into Chicago. It was about an hour drive, much longer if traffic was bad- which it usually was. We had to pay for any food or snacks we wanted at the field. We also had to pitch in to pay for parking. Then, when the game was over, we cleared the park and the area around it. After working a patrol shift, and the game, we made the long drive home. It was a long shift and not really worth it, unless you loved baseball, and I did!

The good side was. It wasn’t a difficult job. There were quite a few people working every game day. The “force” consisted mostly of officers from The Illinois State Police, The Chicago Police and the Cook County Sheriff’s Department. Then my guys and some other suburban departments were thrown in as a stop gap for any day where the main force may be called to deal with an unrelated problem on the Northside of Chicago, but the Sox were still able to play.

I was loving the chance to work for the Sox. We were called to intervene when small fights would start, or fans needed other assistance. Our purpose wasn’t to arrest anyone, although we all had the authority to do so, if it became necessary.

My job was uneventful for the first several dates I worked. Then came the day I needed to earn my money.

I was working fairly far away from the field when we were called to an incident with a fan who had jumped the fence- the one infraction the management did encourage arrests on, although that rule was, somewhat, flexible.

“ I’m the taller security guy wearing the hat.

I felt I was close enough to the field to be able to assist on an arrest if it was necessary but had no expectation of getting there first. I decided that I would start jogging in that direction until I could determine whether I should “step it up” or “disregard.” I was always very fast and was not surprised that, even jogging, I was passing several other officers as I made my way towards the incident.

When I got to the wall I saw the offender on the grass, but no other officers on the field. I jumped the wall (At a higher point than was safe) and started full out running toward him. Another officer, a Chicago cop who was always stationed in the bullpen, had come onto the field as I scaled the wall. I caught up to him and ran with him for a few steps before I pushed ahead and tackled the offender. As I started to handcuff him the bullpen officer, who was only a few feet behind me, knelt down next to me to assist.

While we were cuffing the trespasser I asked the other cop, who does the paper on this? He smiled and almost laughed as he was handing me the offender’s other hand. Then he replied, “The guy who catches him!” By now there were about 4 or 5 other officers around us. They were officers I know I had passed. They were veteran officers who knew they should get there fast, but not too fast.

I was the uninformed rookie who had just learned a lesson!

So maybe the early bird gets the worm, but in this case, he also gets the paperwork!

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.

Please comment in the space provided.

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QUICK HITS; oCTOBER 29th 2024

psteik — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 03:14:09 +0000

If there is no election fraud planned, why are we hearing that it could take days to determine a winner in this presidential election? When all of the ballots were hand counted, we got the results in a day or so; now that we’re computerized it takes many days or even weeks? Something smells here- what do you think?

The top 1% of earners in our country pay 37.3% of the taxes, compared to the combined lower 90% of earners paying 30.5% of total taxes. This leaves a tax burden of 32.2% for the remaining 9% of the wage earners to cover. In my opinion, that shines a light on the divisive politicians who continue to say that the “Rich should pay their fair share.” How much do they want them to pay. They have lots of money, let’s just take more from them!

I live in a Democrat controlled state. For years politicians here have been touting the fact that they would tax the rich to pay this, or that social service or giveaway. Now, oddly enough, I have heard that my state has lost a net of over one million residents over the last 10 years. Added to these taxpayer losses many large employers are also fleeing my state, some that had been here for many years. I heard on the radio today that, as a result of the state winning a lawsuit to take even more money from them, Pepsico is leaving. Maybe the politicians will have to finally start balancing budgets instead of taking more money in taxes.

I have spoken out about how ridiculous I find it that many Democrats fight against mandating that anyone who votes in a US election prove they are registered by showing an ID. The Democrat apologists who read my blog and Facebook posts have risen up against me at those times. Their arguments range from, “ID’s are always required.” to, “You are a racist because many minorities can not acquire ID’s.” In an attempt to “head off” these objections I submit, per California SOS (Secretary of State) on their website, “In most cases, a California voter is not required to show identification to a polling place worker before casting a ballot.” Per the “National Conference of State Legislatures www.ncsl.org” only 36 states have laws requesting or requiring voters to show some form of identification at the polls.

In response to the claim that many minorities are not able to obtain ID’s I submit that the states that have passed laws requiring voters to show an ID have included in those bills the opportunity for legal voters who do not have ID’s to get them free. Also, there is the “common sense” knowledge that ID’s are required to buy alcohol, go to age restricted movies, drive a vehicle, buy prescription drugs, board most commercial airlines, get medical attention and many more everyday activities. I think we would have seen a boatload of protests if any notable percentage of the population was effectively prohibited from those opportunities due to an inability to produce legal identification.

Kamala Harris has called Donald Trump’s campaign ad’s stating that she cleared the way for inmates in the California prison system to obtain elective sex surgeries at taxpayer expense “disinformation or misinformation.” She says this even though she took credit for doing just that in a taped interview that Larry Elder played in his syndicated radio show on October 29th, 2024.

Speaking of “disinformation,” do you remember when the Hunter Biden laptop scandal was kept secret for months so it would not interfere with the 2020 election (The thought I expressed at the time was, “How is the truth election interference?”). Then, when the news did break, it was called Russian disinformation by some in the government and the Main Stream Media (MSM). As most people know, it was later proven to be 100% factual.

By the way, neither Hunter nor Joe Biden (The big guy) have been indicted as a result of the many crimes that came to light as a result of information held in that computer. Oddly enough, former president Donald Trump has been indicted at least 4 times since these obvious crimes were uncovered (Per Wikipedia). The charges were, in my opinion, mostly obscure, seldom used, charges. I believe that shows the democratic prosecutors involved in those indictments were involved in what is often called “lawfare” (Legal warfare) what do you think?

I was reminded of a quote attributed to Mark Twain recently. “The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.” I like that quote!

Is there truly evil in the world? I think there is a lot of evidence to support the affirmative, what do you think?

Thank you for reading. Please comment on what you liked or what you disagreed with.

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UNRELATED THOUGHTS FROM OUR PAST.

psteik — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 03:24:39 +0000

Who remembers the mechanical horses, cars and trains that used to be outside of department stores? As the fifth of six kids, I remember getting a bit upset when my mom refused to front the money for each of us to take a ride. Now, as a veteran grampie, I easily understand the stance she often took! That would be a few bucks out of a very tight budget, not to mention the extra time she’d be away from home.

It occurred to me that alarms and barking dogs lose their effectiveness when they are activated too often.

Geese should never be killed WALKING across a road, yet it’s a sight we have all seen. THEY CAN FLY! Not only can they fly, they can fly in formation so “No goose is left behind!” I can’t count the number of times I have been stopped by a large gaggle of geese walking slowly across the street. I wonder how many accidents are caused because someone in the resulting “human line” is impatient, or not paying attention, and collides with the line of cars the geese have created?

I was reading a prayer today that, I knew, was written in biblical times. A word in the prayer was “persist.” I read it as “posted,” what has this computer age done to my mind?

My wife and I raised seven children. We taught them to walk and talk and, sometime later, regretted it after they talked back or walked away when we wanted them to stay. We would laugh about how much better life was before the kids acquired those skills. We both agreed, emphatically, however, that the time we spent “Potty Training” the kids was time well spent.

I heard someone say, “Grief is love with no place to go.” I, unfortunately, don’t know who said it first, but I love that saying.

I am wondering, would one of my childhood favorite shows, “The Lone Ranger” have been as popular if it had a different theme song- Not “The William Tell Overture.”

Earlier today a friend asked me how I was doing. I thought it would be entertaining to say, “I’m drinking lukewarm coffee on a mediocre day.” My friend just went on to the reason for his call. I thought it was very clever so I’m trying it out on you now.

A couple of my grandsons are playing football this year. Other grandkids are playing soccer, basketball, softball and other sports. I look forward to enjoying their games with the rest of the family. Many of you may be in a similar position.

One thing that comes to mind when I think about my amateur sports career, my kids, my grandkids and watching my favorite sports on TV is this little piece of wisdom that, I believe, I came up with on my own- but I’m relatively sure I wasn’t the first to make this observation. THE SECOND INFRACTION IN SPORTS IS OFTEN THE ONE THAT GETS THE FLAG.

Was that too big of a buildup, sorry! Watch this year, if you haven’t noticed it on your own. In football, I often see one player take a cheap shot and as soon as the recipient of the shot returns the favor the flag flies.

Thank you for reading to the end. Please comment in the comments section and share this with friends if you liked it.

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SECURITY HAS TO BE A TEAM EFFORT

psteik — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 04:58:41 +0000

When you were growing up, did you ever get in trouble for not locking a door? I’ll bet the answer is yes.

As children we’re not aware of many dangers that surround us. Our parents try to instill awareness and safety procedures in us, that’s their job. They tell us about looking both ways before crossing streets, not taking candy from strangers, they warn us about the dangers of putting items in electrical outlets and petting dogs we are not familiar with. We are taught to swim or given lessons. We are told to be careful when running or riding our bikes. It’s all in the name of safety!

We’ve all learned some, or all of these lessons. As kids we perceive many of the warnings as tiresome and intrusive (or some smaller word that means the same thing).

As we age we take on responsibilities of our own, some of us marry, have children, get supervisory jobs, own our own businesses or homes. At these times many of the lessons we learned as kids take on a new and stronger meaning. We really start to appreciate where our parents were coming from when we have kids of our own and feel the pain of every skinned knee or broken bone they suffer.

These lessons about safety and security are important and kids who weren’t taught them often suffer by learning them in a more difficult way. As a cop, unfortunately, I was assigned a case of a kid who rode his bike into an on-coming car. The driver said the kid raced right in front of her. The neighbors said he was always doing that. The coroner said he died of blunt force trauma and multiple broken bones and internal injuries. In 35 years as a cop, that was one of my worst assignments.

I understand, and I am glad, that tragedy is not the end result every time we forget about the rules that make us safe and secure. I am also someone who acknowledges that I am “tempting fate” if I willfully ignore safety procedures. I have driven thousands of miles in my 35 years as a cop. I can count on one hand the number of times I have not worn a seatbelt and I can attest that I had my ballistic vest on every time I put my uniform on.

You never know when your seatbelt will save your life, and a cop never knows when the issued ballistic vest will prove what a good investment it was.

I was driving to work on a bitter cold February day. The windchill was well below zero and the actual temperature was near -10. I had my uniform on, so I was wearing my vest. I was hit head-on by a much larger car. The impact actually broke the frame of my little economy car in half. That released my seatbelt from its mount, and my chest then forced my steering wheel up to the ceiling of the car. With the seatbelt mount broken I landed in the passenger seat. I broke my upper and lower left leg, shattered my kneecap into 8 pieces, fractured my skull and lost a few teeth. I am now listed as confirmed save #670 of the “SECOND CHANCE BALLISTIC VEST” Company- and my family and I are very glad that I take safety and security seriously! I am very thankful that I had my seatbelt (For as long as it lasted) and my Second Chance Ballistic Vest on!

As a person who has been saved by prioritizing safety, I can’t believe that our government is not doing the same, I am even more alarmed that the compliant press is doing nothing, the opposition party is doing nothing effective, and we citizens are doing nothing. It has been confirmed that over 10 million illegal aliens (I call them illegal aliens because they are aliens- foreign citizens- who have entered our country by disregarding and violating the lawful entry procedures- illegally) have entered our country since the current president took office. Ten million is a low estimate of how many have actually entered the country because it does not even try to account for those who did not encounter border guards or those who have entered by some other ruse.

The same party that orchestrated this invasion is now, in many states, making it possible for these invaders to vote, have government funded housing, receive free phones, food vouchers, and more! Politicians and concerned citizens who demand that only people who can prove that they are U.S. citizens registered to vote be allowed to cast their ballots are being called racists!

Obviously not the Southern Border

The definition of “Racism” is: 1. “A belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usu. involving the idea that one’s own race is superior. 2. a policy, system of government, etc., based on such a doctrine. 3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races….racist n., adj. (RANDOM HOUSE WEBSTER’S COLLEGE DICTIONARY copyright 1998).

I include this definition because I have been hearing politicians who, in my opinion, are selling out our nation’s security in hope of political gain using the argument that asking a person to prove they have authority to vote, is racist. As you can see from the definition above, a racist action must single out a race, or races, for special treatment based on a belief that one race is superior to another.

Voter ID laws are merely assuring that those given the ability to choose our representatives are legally entitled to do so.

I have believed from the first time I heard that ludicrous argument that it is without merit, basis, or foundation. My initial thought was. “I am carded (asked to show an ID) to buy alcohol, when I am stopped by a police officer, to buy cigarettes (For my girlfriend at the time- I know, it’s a nasty habit), to cash a check or make any bank transaction, to take out a library book, to watch an R-rated movie, to fly on a trip, to go to college functions, and many more things.

It is a, generally, unmentioned fact that most of the states that were proposing voter ID laws offered free IDs to individuals who needed official identification.

Our founding fathers allowed the federal government limited enumerated powers in the constitution. They are: The power to coin money, to regulate commerce, to declare war, to raise and maintain armed forces, and to establish a post office. In addition, there are “implied powers” introduced in Article 1 Section 8. Congress is given the right to “…make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and other powers vested in the government of the United States.” The point is, by my interpretation, our government has grown well beyond what was intended, or considered beneficial for “we the people!”

While growing so large, large enough to accumulate a 35 trillion-dollar debt, our government is neglecting its’ basic, foundational, responsibilities. The government that I used to, irresponsibly, trust. Has outgrown its’ boundaries by leaps and bounds and is ignoring the few responsibilities it has been assigned.

How can a government that is concerned about the safety of its citizens allow 10 million unknown aliens to enter in a three-year period? Is it acceptable to allow 10 million people to enter our country without being vetted or monitored? – I say NO!

Why does our government then, in way too many instances, supply these invaders with food, phones, housing and spending money? Is this a bad joke?

These people who have entered our country illegally are being treated better than our needy veterans!

According to Ballotpedia.org Pew Research Center reported that the US had 25 million non-citizen residents in 2020. Fourteen million of those 25 were documented permanent residents, visitors, or students. Since that report it has been confirmed that over 10 million additional illegal aliens have entered, that comes to over 21 million illegal aliens currently in the US. The same article documented that as of June 2024, The District of Columbia and municipalities in three states are allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections. WOW!

What could go wrong? Let me just think out loud for a minute….

Here’s a thought, if you were in a country illegally and foolish people in that country gave you a chance to vote in their elections would you vote for the candidate who ran on a platform of reforming the out of control spending, or would you vote for the guy who promised free cell phones and lodging with no questions asked or responsibility? Another way of saying that is, as an illegal alien with no “horse in the race” would you vote for a platform that will save the country in the long run, or for a candidate who promised giveaways with no strings attached?

How many of these illegals are murderers? Nobody knows, they haven’t been vetted. Most states don’t keep separate statistics for citizen/non-citizen crime. Texas does; and an article in “City Journal” (6/24/2019) reported that illegal aliens were charged with more than 298,000 crimes from June 1, 2011, to the end of 2018- an average of over 39,000/year. Those numbers included 624 murders, 1,911 robberies, and 3,955 sexual assaults (Which, under Texas law, include rapes).

In my opinion, we deserve much better than we are getting from our government.

We deserve a secure border! We deserve secure streets! Our country is worth fighting for! Security of our elections is worth fighting for! I was raised in Chicagoland. We have joked about dead relatives voting in Chicago elections for years- I can not stomach joking about that now because the reality of it is destroying our country!

The press and politicians have been, successfully, dividing us. We had politicians openly recommending that constituents harass opposite party politicians wherever they see them. Is that what freedom of speech is supposed to be used for? I don’t think so. Could it be that those politicians are trying to bully people into voting against their conscience to avoid being attacked on the street?

We have politicians implementing tax increases directed at “the rich!” I guess we are supposed to accept it because it’s not us! I don’t!

Other politicians refer to “rich old white guys” in a demeaning way. I’m not rich, but I am old and white. Does that make me bad? Did they miss the point that- indicating color of skin in a demeaning remark is racist?

I love America! I feel, warts and all, this is the best country in the world! I miss the days I could talk politics with friends and later toast to each other’s health. I wrote above that I felt certain politicians were trying to divide us by race, economic status, ethnicity and whatever else might work. It’s not a bad plan. If we’re busy fighting each other, we won’t notice what they’re up to!

I have an alternate plan. Let’s remember we are all brothers and sisters. Let’s remember that all stories must be vetted. We can not just accept one news source. We have a responsibility as voting citizens to hold those elected to represent us do so honestly, while working in our best interest. We have to end the “tradition” of common people being elected to office and retiring as multi-millionaires, sometimes after only a short time!

Thank you for reading to the end. Please comment on what you liked, didn’t like, agreed with, disagreed with etc.

Phil

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FACEBOOK FOLLIES MIRROR OUR CURRENT LIVES

psteik — Sun, 07 Jul 2024 02:16:32 +0000

I have two Facebook accounts.

The smaller one, has mostly friends and relatives who know me. Some disagree with me but practice restraint and courtesy. We have amicable discussions in which we learn additional information on the subjects we review and, through our disagreements, we learn aspects of both sides of many topics.

The larger account, aboomersthoughts.com, is related to this site. For that reason, I have opened it up to a much larger audience. The problem that comes with this decision is that I am often attacked by people who don’t know me and don’t agree with me. Some of these attacks come over posts I feel are lighthearted or even humorous.

While I feel I am just conservative, I fear I am viewed as “Far Right” mostly because our society is losing its’ middle. For the purpose of arguments, I feel, our country has started to place everyone into groups- Black, White, Rich, Underprivileged- not poor, Physically fit, Fat, Beautiful, Ugly, Far Right, Far Left, Pro-Gun, Anti-Gun, Pro-Life, Pro-Abortion/ Choice, and many more. I fear, hopefully my fear is unfounded, that this is being done with a plan in mind.

My fear is that the plan is based on the premise that it is easier to conquer and/or control a divided mass.

I would not have thought this many years ago. I would not have thought this even a few years ago. But I do think this now.

While I’m conservative I do not consider myself a Republican. I don’t believe either party serves “We the people” any longer. If the Republicans were doing what they claim they want to do, and were elected to do, we would not have a 35 trillion-dollar deficit!

Our forefathers gave us a form of government that has thrived for over 200 years! There is a story that when our country was still being formed a woman stopped Benjamin Franklin on the street and asked, “What form of government are you giving us?” and Franklin replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

Is it possible that, after 200 years, the greedy among us have found a way to destroy our government?

Franklin and all of the founders were concerned about how long the fledgling country they had risked their lives and fortunes to establish would survive. They divided the government into three branches, each with the responsibility of overseeing one of the others. They assured that its’ citizens would have the right to own and carry arms, not for hunting as many of our greedy politicians say today! Our founding fathers assured that we would retain our right to own and carry guns to protect the citizens from the government! Remember, they had just fought a bloody revolution!

Against all odds they had initiated a revolt against the most powerful government of the day. If they had failed, they were aware, they would have been hung as traitors. These men were among the smartest of their day and they worked, argued, compromised, argued, worked and compromised some more to make the first government “Of the people, by the people and for the people.”

In his 817-page book, WASHINGTON, A LIFE, Ron Chernow documents many interesting facts about our country’s early leaders and founders. Among the facts that I found most interesting were the revelation that Washington almost went bankrupt more than once because he spent so much time away from Mt. Vernon. I always thought of him as completely successful, no idea he might have had trouble paying his bills! The other idea I was surprised to see was that serving in the government was meant to be a “temporary service” to the country. There was extended discussion on that topic; these elites of their time were anxious to make, or grow, their fortunes, but had no intention of doing that off of tax money!

We have lost that completely (How many career politicians do you know of?). I believe, our country is being run by the many lobbyists who wine and dine our, mostly greedy, politicians. Government officials give millions, sometimes, billions of dollars’ worth of contracts to unions and private industries. These entities then “donate” large amounts back to the same government official(s). Do you see a problem with that? I DO!!!

The last bill President Biden signed, I believe, was for $1.3 trillion, is all of that money being tracked? The answer is no!

Dennis Hastert, a retired wrestling coach at a high school, in the small farming community of Yorkville, IL went on to become Speaker of the House of Representatives. He was scandalized in 2015 when it became known that he had paid a former student $3.5 million to keep quiet about alleged sexual misconduct he had committed while he was working at the high school. Maybe I’m naive, but I figure, with his high school pension, Hastert was making around $300,000.00 a year- yet he was offering $3.5 million as a bribe. Perhaps I’m cheap, but I am not bribing someone that much unless I have much more in the bank- How about you? I wonder how he got all that extra money?

Do you remember when Maxine Waters encouraged her supporters to harass Republicans in restaurants and on the streets? I wonder if that was the “official beginning” of the rampant disrespect we experience on social media sites and, sometimes, in our daily lives? If that was the end of “civil discussion” and the beginning of families being separated because of different political beliefs?

I posted: “NONE OF YOUR PROBLEMS ARE BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE IS A BILLIONAIRE” on both my accounts. My smaller account was fine. But I got buried on the boomers account! Even after I explained that, per the IRS, the top 20% of income earners pay 84% of the taxes. I had people insisting that the “Rich” be punished for making so much. I, personally, don’t feel the thread would have gone that way if it was a face-to-face conversation. I believe social respect disintegrates, with many people, when there is a keyboard and screen involved.

In a last-ditch effort, I argued that taxes are not, and never were, designed to be a mechanism of social balancing! I was shouted down by the haters, and heavily supported by those who agreed with my view- maybe I was lucky it wasn’t a face-to-face discussion. There might have been a riot!!

Thank you for reading to the end. If you have any questions or comments please put them in the comment section.

Phil

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WHEN i WAS YOUNG A ROCK GROUP NAMED “THE WHO” HAD A HIT SONG- “WHO ARE YOU?” And I’m wondering the same thing!

psteik — Fri, 17 May 2024 06:49:37 +0000

Who are you? What are you all about?

Are you really that into music if you’ve never been “caught” jammin’ in your car?

When I was in my late twenties, I thought I was on the fast track to success. I had recently graduated from college and bought one of the businesses I had worked at to pay for my education- a repair garage. I had just purchased my first new vehicle, a 1983 Chevy 3/4-ton black pickup truck! One of my mechanics had talked me into buying an aftermarket stereo system for my “new ride” and he had just installed it for me. It was late on a beautiful Fall night and I was loving life! I had recently started dating the girl I would marry, Eileen, and I was driving home to shower and pick her up!

Eileen and me around 1984

Life was good! A Creedence Clearwater Revival song had just come on. I was at a stop sign, I cranked the volume up and started singing, “Looking out my back door!” My air microphone in hand, I looked to my right and saw there was no traffic coming. “Doo doo doo, looking out my back door…” I was “scream/singing” (a word I made up for this occasion) I looked to my left- no oncoming traffic, but the car in the lane next to me was filled with high school aged kids all laughing and pointing at me.

I didn’t miss a beat. I smiled at them, tipped my pretend hat with my left hand, and continued to sing into the air mic in my right hand. “Look at all the happy creatures dancin’ on the lawn….”

Are you really a “biker” if you’ve never visited a seriously injured friend in the hospital, or had a near miss yourself?

Shortly after I graduated from high school my friend Danny was on his rebuilt HD Sportster, racing a Corvette, and didn’t slow down on a clover leaf (Highway approach ramp) he ended up in the hospital with a few broken bones and a serious head injury. When I came to visit him, he asked me to pick his bike up from the police impound lot and bring him some beer- so I knew he was alright!

Are you really religious if you’ve never had to defend your beliefs?

On my Facebook site related to this blog (aboomersthoughts.com) if I post something as simple as, “I am thankful to God for all of the blessings I have received.” I get at least a handful of angry responses from non-believers. I try to be polite with them while explaining that I am a believer and why. I pray for them and hope, somehow, I make a difference in their lives.

Mark Wahberg defending his faith

Are you really a writer/poet, if nobody has told you, you suck?

Early in life, I fancied myself as a potential writer and offered my talents to venues way above my skill level. I wrote an article summarizing a benefit marathon softball game my 8th grade class had put on to buy items for our small school. The venture was a success and the article I wrote about it was published in our local newspaper- with no editorial changes- I was floored that the copy editor hadn’t changed anything!

I was thrilled! My dad, who was a writer, was thrilled! The softball game had been played the Saturday following our last day of school so I didn’t get a lot of immediate feedback from my classmates. When the local pool opened a few days later I did get several unfavorable reviews- With that article I experienced a phrase that wasn’t being used yet but would soon be made famous by “The Wide World of Sports” – THE THRILL OF VICTORY AND AGONY OF DEFEAT!

NOTE: I was definitely not the best player, or even one of the best players out there but, my article just might not have made that clear and, when they saw me at the local pool, a few of the other players supplied me with “negative input.”

Have you really been in love, if you have never experienced a heartbreak?

I mentioned above how happy I was one night that I was going to meet the girl I would eventually marry. I met her about a year after my first heartbreak.

My first long term relationship ended in a devastating phone call. My girl and I had been speaking, seriously, of getting married. During our two years together, I decided to return to school so I would be better prepared to support a family. The school was 6 hours South of where we lived.

On one of my visits home she suggested we date other people. A short time later I learned that she was dating a person I had considered a friend. Awhile after that I got the “Dear John (or fill in appropriate name) phone call.

I was shattered. It took me months to recover- and still – I believed she would come back to me. Her “new guy” was bald and had a gut (much like I appear now). While I was young, lean and mean! I ended up watching her wedding procession drive past the repair shop I would eventually own. That was one sad and sunshiny Saturday morning!

Are you really a parent if you’ve never felt that deep heart ache that comes when your child is suffering, and you can’t “fix their pain?”

My wife and I raised 7 children. There were so many hurts they experienced, both real and exaggerated, that we could not fix. The first time occurs at the child’s birth and, I expect, the last will come as we say good-bye for the last time- but there are so many hurts and good times that come in the middle, aren’t there?

Thanks for reading this. I hope you enjoyed it, please post a comment and share.

Thanks,

Phil

The post WHEN i WAS YOUNG A ROCK GROUP NAMED “THE WHO” HAD A HIT SONG- “WHO ARE YOU?” And I’m wondering the same thing! appeared first on A Boomer's Thoughts.