Friday Chatter

I took advantage of the cool weather yesterday to spend some time outside. After a morning rain, it was in the 70s most of the day, and you don't see that very often in late June. It was nice.

I drove out to Recreation Park and then rode my scooter around the lake. There's a trail about three-fourths of a mile long. I didn't even know the trail was there. I've been to the park before but hadn't been to the lake area.

It was calm and peaceful out there. Just me and the ducks. It's a good place to go and think. I wish we would have a few more cool days like that. The heat has returned today, so I'm back inside at least until evening. But the cool was nice while it lasted.

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I'm glad I have my regular scooter back. It was in the shop for a week. I had to use my mini-scooter. In the meantime, we found a scooter at a garage sale. It's older but in good condition. For a couple hundred bucks, it seemed like a great deal. Now, I have a backup scooter and a backup for my backup.

I need to come up with a nickname for the new scooter. We call my regular scooter 'Big Red.' My sister wanted to call it 'Big Bertha,' but I didn't go for that. It reminded me of a neighbor I had in Amarillo. I referred to her as 'Big Mouth Bertha' because you could hear her voice half way to Fritch!

I may call the new scooter 'The Tank' because it is big, Honkin' big. It's almost too big for indoors. I'd probably put a hole in every wall. Mom wouldn't like that. So I'll use it mainly when I go out somewhere. It doesn't have duct tape all over it. Not yet anyway.

Presidential Pettiness

It's pretty sad when the president of the United States puts his own bruised ego ahead of the best interests of the country. Barack Obama relieved Gen. Stanley McChrystal of his duties as commander of the Afghanistan war because the general made "disparaging" remarks about the president.

The top general admittedly used poor judgment when he made comments about Obama and the national security team. But what did he say that was so wrong? Everything he said is true. Obama's security advisors are a bunch of clowns.

Gen. McChrystal took the high road. He apologized for his remarks and offered his resignation.

If Obama was smart, he would have pleaded with the general to stay on as commander. The general knows how to fight this war. Obama does not. That's why Obama has followed all of the general's advice on war policy.

On all other important decisions, Obama has dithered for weeks or months before making a decision. Look at the BP oil spill disaster, for example. He waited 57 days before he met with BP executives.

But now, the one time that Obama makes a swift decision, it's the wrong decision. He should have put his ego aside for once, scolded McChrystal but then sent the general back to the war zone to finish the job.

Obama is just angry because he's not treated like a rock star anymore. He can't take criticism. He's too arrogant. Now his pettiness may well hurt the war in Afghanistan. We're in the middle of a tough war. Now is not the time to change commanders.

McChrystal's words may have been poorly chosen, but they did not warrant his firing. I say, 'Keep McChrystal and fire Obama and the clowns in the White House.'

June 22, 1992

Today would have been my 18th anniversary at the Amarillo Globe-News. Instead, it has been nearly a year since I had to quit work.

People are always asking me if I miss working. Well, yes and no. I enjoyed the work I did, editing stories, writing headlines and designing news pages. But the newspaper has changed a lot through the years, and not all of the changes have been good.

When I started in 1992, the Globe-News was the most prominent newspaper in the area. It was actually two papers: the morning Amarillo Daily News and the evening Globe-Times. The two papers merged in 2001. Since that time, the newspaper has continued to shrink, both in size and coverage area. It once covered all of the Texas Panhandle and parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas. Today, its coverage extends to only a fraction of that area.

The economy has taken its toll on the whole newspaper industry. Many papers have been forced to make cutbacks. The Globe-News has seen several rounds of layoffs in recent years. It's always sad when that happens. I saw many good writers and editors let go during my time at the paper.

It also seemed that the Globe-News forced many old-school journalists out in favor of younger ones with "fresh ideas." That never seemed right to me. I know the paper had to change to keep up with new technology and the way people get their news. But I thought management could have treated these veteran journalists better. These seasoned editors and reporters still have a lot to offer the newspaper industry.

Technology has really changed the face of newspapers. Papers have to be more visually appealing to keep readers' attention, or so the experts have told us. As a result,editing and reporting sometimes suffered. Copy editors don't have time to spend editing and fact-checking because they have been told to make the page "look good." It takes a lot of time and effort to design a page with all kinds of photos and eye-popping graphics.

That's my take on the newspaper business. I am thankful for the years I had with the Globe-News. I met a lot of interesting people along the way, and I made a lot of great memories. And those memories will last forever. I wouldn't have missed the ride for anything.

Remembering Dad

I've been thinking about and remembering my dad today. In August, it will be four years since Dad passed away. It seems like a lot longer.

I've been remembering all the things he did for me and for his family. He was a mechanic, a repairman, a gardener and sometimes even a cook. Dad liked to cook. We didn't always care for all the things he mixed together in some weird combinations, but that didn't stop him.

I do remember those great hobo dinners he made when I was young. They tasted so good cooked out on the barbecue grill in the back yard. I haven't had one of those in years.

As the chief mechanic and repairman in our house, Dad kept my three-wheel bicycles going, which was no easy task. He fixed many flats and repaired a lot of broken chains through the years. When I started driving, he would check my car every time I came over. He wanted to make sure it was safe and that it wasn't going to break down on me. He was always thinking about things like that.

Dad was also an avid gardener. He grew all kinds of vegetables on a little strip of ground in our back yard. I didn't like vegetables much back then and still don't like some of them. But Dad was proud of his garden, and he shared the harvest with neighbors, family, friends and anyone else who would take it.

Of all the things he did for us, the most important thing was he set a godly example. He was always reading and studying the Bible. And Dad lived it out in his own life, putting God and his family first.

So on this Father's Day, I say thanks, Dad, for all you did for us. We love you and we miss you!

Friday Observations

I have a theory on the oil spill disaster. Barack Obama is taking advantage of the whole mess in the Gulf to throw everyone off track and distract from the illegal bribes his administration made to try to get Congressman Joe Sestak to bow out of the Democratic Senate primary.

Since the oil spill happened more than six weeks ago, it has dominated the headlines, squashing the media's attention on the bribes.

That was exactly Obama's plan. He wanted to cover up the bribes. Obama may be incompetent, but he's not stupid. By not taking a more active role in starting the cleanup effort early on, he ensured the media's focus on the Gulf disaster would be prolonged. The media, then, would forget about the bribes, which are an impeachable offense.

The president wants to drag this out as long as possible. That's why he waited 57 days before he even met with BP's chief executive. Even when he went on TV this week to address the American people, Obama didn't have a plan for getting us out of this oily mess. He doesn't want it to end.

I know this theory sounds far-fetched. But what other possible explanation could there be for Obama's sheer incompetence in handling the disaster? He has botched every aspect of the cleanup effort, and America is going to be paying for this for a very long time.

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An area radio legend signed off his morning show for the final time today. Tim Butler has been a familiar voice in the Texas Panhandle for nearly 35 years. He has been on some of the biggest radio stations in the area, such as KPUR, Z-93, KIXZ, KGNC and others.

I first heard Tim in the early '90s when he teamed with the great Mary Lyn Halley to do the morning show on KGNC-FM's new country format. The duo quickly became a big hit with listeners.

Tim and Mary Lyn had the No. 1 morning show in the Panhandle for many years. Listeners were drawn to the show because of their family-oriented values and down-home sense of humor. It was a show for the whole family. They made it seem like their listeners were the stars of the show.

I hadn't listened to Tim regularly for a while, but I did catch him on the weekends sometimes. He was a great talent and will be missed greatly.

Burning The Bricks

There was a feeling of nostalgia around town over the weekend. The High Plains Cruisers had its annual Burnin' The Bricks weekend. There was a car show Saturday afternoon, a "burn out" contest and a drag night that evening.

There were more cars than I expected. Classic car owners from all around the region converged on Pampa's Recreation Park. I enjoyed roaming around out there checking out all the hot bodies... The cars weren't bad either (Bad joke, I know).

It was a fun time, seeing these classic cars and talking to other antique car fans. I love antique cars. I have a collection of die-cast 1950s and '60s toy cars, so I was in car heaven getting to see the real thing up close. My favorite at the show was a 1972 cherry red Pontiac Firebird convertible. I also liked the '50s Chevys and the '68 Plymouth Charger.

The car owners filled Pampa's downtown streets Saturday evening to "cruise the drag." People lined the sidewalks in their lawn chairs to watch the old cars parade down the brick streets of downtown. I found a good spot and sat in my truck to watch them cruise by.

The radio station even played hits from the '60s and '70s era to complete the nostalgic feeling. It was a neat way to spend a Saturday night. The event wrapped up Sunday with drag races at the airstrip north of town. I didn't go to the races, but I read about the races with prizes for the winners.

I'm glad that Pampa attracted an event like this. It's fun for the local folks, and it brings in people from the area, which helps the local economy. Hopefully, Pampa can bring in more events like this in the future!

Easy Livin'

It's only the second week of June and already the summer doldrums are setting in. It has been hot this week with temperatures near 100 degrees almost every day.

I realized this week that this is the first time I've had the whole summer off since before I went to work in 1992. What will I do all summer? This reminds me of the long, hot summers when I was growing up. The days seemed to last forever then. I was carefree and ready for anything.

Back then, I could handle the heat better than I can now. I spent hours outside, roaming the neighborhood on my three-wheel bicycle until late in the evening. Sure, it was hot, but I found ways to cool off. One of my favorite things to do was to look for someone watering their yard. I'd wait until the sprinkler came around and then I'd ride through it and let the water soak me. It was so refreshing.

It was even hot at night. In the sultry nights of July and August, we would sometimes sleep on cots in the back yard. A cool breeze would come in the early morning hours and cool everything off. I'm not sure I'd sleep outside now, but the times were different then.

Those were good times. People didn't seem as busy and life so hectic the way it does now. Folks took time to slow down and enjoy life.

We need to do more of that today. People are just too busy. Take time to slow down and concentrate on the things that really matter. Take time just for yourself.

I still enjoy being outside, although now I don't get out in the heat of the day. But in the evenings, when the sun is setting, I like to sit on the porch and watch the world go by. God created all this for our pleasure. Let's take some time to enjoy His awesome creation!

Watch Israel

Israel has been in the news a lot lately. It can be scary to hear about all the things happening right now with Israel. But for believers, it is exciting because we are seeing biblical prophesies being fulfilled right before our eyes.

The latest skirmishes in Israel are a sign of something much bigger that is coming. Some think what is happening right now is setting the stage for the great battle of the ages described in Ezekiel 38-39, where a coalition of world powers comes against Israel. In the end, Israel will win and her enemies will all be destroyed.

I don't know a lot about prophesy, but that sure looks like what is happening. Countries are lining up against Israel. President Obama is anti-Israel. He has joined other world leaders in criticizing Israel's actions. That is a very dangerous thing to do.

This great battle between Israel and the other nations of the world is predicted to take place after the rapture. That means the rapture of the church must be getting very close. Jesus is coming soon and then we will be going home.

This should be a wake-up call to all of us. First, we should make sure we are in a right relationship with God and that we have made Jesus the lord of our lives. If we have messed up (and we all have), we need to get it right now. Second, we need to warn others. We need to tell as many people as we can, so they can be ready, too.

Finally, we must watch and pray. Jesus is coming back for those who are watching for Him. We should live each day in expectation. Could He come today?

The key is to watch Israel. When we see these things taking place, we know that His return is close at hand.

Summertime Fun

The carnival is in town and has set up shop just two blocks from my apartment. I can open the front door and hear the screams of excitement and smell all the fried food-on-a-stick luring me. I resisted as long as I could, but finally I gave in. I went to check it out.

I waited until evening when it was cool and then rode my scooter over to the lot which had been converted into a carnival midway. First, I rode through the midway to see what was there and what food I wanted to try first. That didn't take long.

I guess I was expecting a bigger midway like the Tri-State Fair in Amarillo. The fair has a big midway and a whole row of food vendors.

Pampa's carnival has a few of the same rides and only a couple of food stands. I don't ride the rides anyway but was hoping for a few more food choices. There was the usual carnival fare: corn dogs and cotton candy. I wanted an elephant ear or fried pickles. The funnel cakes smelled really good, but 6 bucks for a small funnel cake! I don't think so.

The high school band booster club had a food booth with more reasonable prices. I'd rather spend my money with them.

I enjoyed riding around watching the people. It's fun to see the excitement on kids' faces when they come zooming down the Super Slide. I also like to watch people when they get off The Zipper or Starship. Some of them look like they're ready to hurl. Can't beat fun like that!

I saw some people I knew out there and got to talk to some old friends. The carnival is here through Saturday, so I may go back and look around some more. Maybe I overlooked the elephant ears!

The Cost of Freedom

Memorial Day was a time to reflect on all those who have served our country to give us the freedoms we enjoy. I watched the ceremonies on TV that paid tribute to the men and women who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. It made me proud to be an American. I feel so blessed to live in the United States.

We have so many freedoms in this country. We often take these freedoms for granted until we think we may lose them. More and more, it seems like the government is trying to infringe on our freedom.

I think back to when I was in elementary school. Every morning, we would stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance. We prayed at lunchtime. At Christmas, we would gather in the hallway and sing Christmas carols.

Now, these things have come under attack. Teachers can't even mention God without fear of a lawsuit. How sad is it when people object to the Pledge of Allegiance because of the words "under God." This country has been so blessed because of God's goodness. How can people just ignore that?

We must fight to protect our freedoms. We can't let the government or the atheist groups or anyone else come in and take away our rights. The men and women who served our country fought too hard and paid too great a price for us to let our freedoms slip away.

I am thankful for the military men and women who are fighting today to protect our freedom. Their sacrifice is great. They deserve our support and our prayers. And let's remember their families, too.

May God continue to bless America!