Then vs Now

 

So I've been watching the 1960s version of "Dragnet" on Amazon Prime for the past couple of weeks (I had to find something to watch once I finished "Adam-12"), and the more I watch this show the more the changes that have taken place in our country hit me.

The second version of this show started in 1967, with the first version taking place in the 1950s.  I remember growing up in the '60s and I remember the turmoil, unrest, and at times, chaos that was taking place in our country due to the Vietnam War, racial discrimination, and the quickly-emerging drug culture.  Vietnam wasn't really in full swing in 1967 so the show never addressed that, but the drug culture was so that was the main topic of the first two seasons.

LSD didn't hit the streets until 1967, and when it first came out there was no law against its manufacture, possession, sale, or use.  Very little was known about this drug at first, but that changed pretty quickly.  Most of the first season was spent preaching the evils of LSD and *gasp* marijuana, and both of them were portrayed as evil, habit-forming, mind-altering and society-destroying drugs.

I'm happy to say two things that the show got wrong:  LSD didn't take over the world and ruin mankind as they said it would.  You hardly ever hear about LSD use these days because people have indeed wised up to just what a dangerous and unpredictable drug it truly is; they'd rather use coke or meth instead.  (That's called trading one evil for another, by the way.)  The other thing is that we know MUCH more about marijuana now than we did then, and we now know that it's not the habit-forming drug they said it was.  So much is known about it now and society's attitude towards it has changed so much that it's now legal in ten states, and I don't think it'll be much longer before it's legal nationwide.  

The third season continued to focus on drug use, but they were preaching the evils of pot instead of the hard stuff now.  The main focus in this season (as I've seen so far, and I'm 13 episodes into a total of 24 for the season) is the attitude of the people towards the police.  I remember when it was "cool" to hate cops, and it was an everyday occurrence for people to spit on them, throw rocks at them, other things like that.  I also remember thinking that all of this was wrong, the people doing it were total assholes, and that I wanted to be a cop when I grew up.

And I was ten when this was going on.

People felt that way about cops because they saw them as representatives of what they felt was an oppressive, corrupt government - the "Establishment" that all of the hippies and flower children despised so much.  I'm happy to say that instead of the cops going away and the hippies running the show, the exact opposite has happened - hippies are a thing of the past, and the police are stronger and more well-respected now than ever.  Sure, you still have those morons, cretins, idiots, and assholes who hate the police, and to those outcasts all I can say is the next time you need a cop, call a crackhead instead.

All told, our country has come a very long way in the past 54 years since this show aired, and I'm glad to see that.  I still have one or two more seasons to watch, and I'm curious to see what other changes I'll come to realize as a result.

Oh, and one last thing - contrary to popular belief, Joe Friday never said, "Just the facts, ma'am."

Deo Vindice

IHC

Waiting For An Explanation

 

I would absolutely LOVE for someone to explain this one to me.  I mean, sure, I understand the importance of helping Ukraine protect and defend itself from Russia, but when we have deranged teenagers walking into a school and killing students and teachers at random, it's WAY past time to start thinking of America and Americans first before we start thinking about anyone else.

And despite what the libtards will tell you, more useless gun control laws is not the answer.  And neither is a total gun ban for several reasons - first, you'd have to repeal the 2nd Amendment, and good luck with that.  Second, there are simply too many guns in this country to ever be able to get rid of all of them.  Australia tried that, and it didn't work.  England tried it, too, and it didn't work.  There are still guns in those countries, although they're well-hidden from the governments of those nations.  So you're never going to get rid of them, and that's the truth.

So instead of taking actions that would do absolutely nothing to stem the flow of violence commmitted with firearms but would instead take the Constitutional rights away from law-abiding citizens, why not do something that would actually help and be effective?

Like what, you ask?  Well, like ARMED GUARDS at our schools, for example.

'OH, THE HORROR! MORE GUNS AT SCHOOLS!  NO, NO, NO, NEVER!' all the libtards will cry, mouths hanging open and eyes wide with terror.  Well, it's like this - we protect our politicians with guns; we protect our governors with guns; we protect our President (dumbass that he is) with guns, so why not protect our children with guns?  To me, that's the only logical answer.

So where are we going to get all these people to stand guard in the schools, and where are they going to get their firearms from?  Easy - hire the thousands of unemployed veterans in this country to do the job.  They would jump at the chance to put their training to work and be relevant again while protecting the youth of this country.  And as for the weapons, a lot of them would be provided by the veterans themselves, and the rest can be provided by the federal government using some of that $40 BILLION we saved by NOT sending it overseas.

The solution to mass shootings in our schools is stupidly simple, and I've just laid it out.  Develop a program for hiring our veterans and/or anyone else who wants to do it, develop a training program for it, supply the guards with the tools they need (ballistic vests, radios, and firearms), and then post them at our schools.  I, for one, would jump at the chance to do this.

Contrary to what the libtards will say, more gun control IS NOT the answer.  If gun control were the answer and actually worked, Chicago would be the safest city in the nation instead of the Murder Capital of the United States.

So here's the solution.  Wanna bet that the politicians in DC will ignore it while hiding behind the safety of their ARMED security detail?

Deo Vindice.

IHC

Auf Wiedersehen, Facebook!

Just to let everyone know, I'm done with Facebook.  I've had it up to my eyeballs with Herr Zuckerberg and his Facebook Nazis.  First thing Monday morning, May 2, 2022, I will be deleting my Facebook account forever.  Herr Zuckerberg and his Gestapo can shove it up their collective asses.

The reason for this is that Wednesday morning I got put in Facebook jail AGAIN for a comment I made on a meme posted by CWP Chick.  Rather than try to explain it, let me show you the meme and the comment that the Facebook Gestapo didn't like.  Here's the meme:

And here's the reply that got me put in jail:

We won't even talk about the utter stupidity of the "advice" given in the meme.  That's another topic for another time, and I promise you that I'm going to address it - soon.

In the meantime, I've got until noon today (April 30) before I can post again, so if you're reading this because you followed the link from Facebook, be advised that's the last time you're gonna be able to do that.  First thing Monday morning my Facebook account is going in the shredder, never to return.

I've always said that I hated Facebook (which I do) and that the only reason I kept my account active was to facilitate communication with my Masonic brothers and my MC.  Well, enough is enough.  I've made alternative plans to communicate with both, so I'm DONE with Facebook. 

I'm also done with WhatsApp and Instagram, as both are owned by Facebook - which means Herr Zuckerberg and his Gestapo can be found there as well.  I absolutely refuse to have anything to do with any program that Herr Zuckerberg has a hand in, no matter what.

Right now I'm just gonna sit here and wait for Elon Musk to buy Facebook.  Then and only then will I consider logging on again.

In the meantime, auf Wiedersehen, Herr Zuckerberg.   Sie können Ihr Programm nehmen, es in eine enge kleine Röhre rollen und es in Ihren Nazi-Arsch schieben - dann drehen Sie es darauf.

Deo Vindice

IHC

 

Truth Derangement Syndrome

 

This is easily the most accurate political cartoon I've seen in a very long time - okay, well, about a week, actually.  But it's still bang-on accurate in its depiction of the Demoncrat's reaction to free speech.

In case you haven't been keeping up on current events, the Demoncrats are all about free speech - as long as you agree with them.  If you don't, then it's not "free speech," it's "hate speech" and they want you silenced.

That's called CENSORSHIP and is prohibited by the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution.

But the Demoncrats don't care.  They're afraid of truly free speech because they're afraid of the truth.  They're afraid of the truth because it doesn't fit their narrative, and if people discover that then the people won't follow them like a bunch of mindless sheep and the Demoncrats will lose control over them.

As with anything the Demoncrats do, it's all about control.  They want to be able to control you in thought, word, and deed, and the truth prevents them from doing this.  

But the tide is slowly turning.  Nothing stays secret forever, and the dirty little secrets about the Demoncrats and what they're trying to do to maintain their control over the American people are starting to come out.  And the more truth that comes out, the more people will stop believing them which means they'll stop following them and (God forbid!) vote Republican in November.  Why else do you think they trotted out Fauci to start talking about mask mandates again?

Because they're trying to revive the culture of fear they successfully generated two years ago with all of that pandemic bullshit, that's why.  If they can get people afraid again then they'll maintain their control over them, which is what they want.

But they're too stupid to realize that those tactics won't work anymore, and that federal judge that just struck down Mein Fuhrer's mask mandate for public transportation REALLY set them back.

The people are starting to wake up to the truth, and when - not 'if' but 'when' - Elon Musk gets control of Twitter, the shit is really gonna hit the fan.

And I can hardly wait!

Deo Vindice

IHC

Bad News for Twitter

 

For those of you who've allowed yourself to be distracted by the re-emergence of that complete fake and liar Dr. Fauci, two things: first and foremost, you need to stop watching libtard news programs.  Life is too short now as it is and wasting even one second of your life on that bullshit is one second too much.

Second, Elon Musk is now THE major shareholder of Twitter which effectively puts him in the driver's seat and in nearly total control of the company.

And this, of course, has the libtards shaking in their boots.  I'm already seeing posts on Twitter by libtards who are bitching about Musk being the major shareholder and are quitting their jobs at Twitter because they don't want to work for or with him.

Please, go ahead and quit.  That will let Musk replace you with a CONSERVATIVE employee.  And trust me when I tell you that you won't be missed - not for a nanosecond.

It is my sincere hope that Musk completes a total buyout of the company and wrests it away from that Nazi asshole Mark Zuckerberg.  (In case you didn't know, Zuckerberg owns the company that owns Twitter.  He owns WhatsApp, too.)  If he does this, the first thing I see happening is a massive wave of resignations from all the libtards who don't want to work for him.  The next thing I see is Musk instituting a new set of rules for publication of information, and those rules will include the statement that if you refuse to abide by the rules, then you're fired.  

Then I see him reinstating the conservatives who've been banned by Herr Zuckerberg, with Donald J. Trump being the first to be brought back.  That will cause libtard heads all over the country to explode, and I, for one, am going to enjoy the hell out of watching it happen.  

In short, Elon Musk is about to transform Twitter from a libtard outlet of bias, hate, lies, misinformation, and censorship into a bastion of free speech, liberty, and American CONSERVATIVE values.

And I can hardly wait!

Deo Vindice

IHC

The Last "First"

 

Today is the first anniversary of my father's funeral, and this is the last "first" I'll have to contend with. 

Anyone who has ever lost a loved one knows that the first year is the hardest because that's when you go through things for the first time without the one who passed.  The first birthday, the first anniversary, the first of many holidays - all of these "firsts" happen in the first year.

And now the first year after my father's passing is over.  The last "first" has come and gone, and now I can get on with the rest of my life.  Sure, I'll still love him and miss him just as much as I have for the past year, but the pain of it all won't be quite as bad.  It'll be just a little easier to bear - not much, but a little.

Life goes on, and so must mine.

I love you, Pop, and I miss you so much.

Deo Vindice

IHC

An Unexpected Trip Down Memory Lane

In response to a meme that was posted on Facebook by an old service/war buddy of mine, I went looking for my old LBE (Load Bearing Equipment) with the intent of taking a picture of it and making my own meme, with the results being seen above.  The picture and subsequent meme came out better than I planned, but what I didn't plan on was the unexpected trip down memory lane that took place as a result.

Personally, I always hated nylon combat gear - the early stuff, anyway.  It was flimsy, prone to get torn, and wore out too soon.  I especially hated the "Y" shaped harness because it put all of the weight on one spot on the back of your neck instead of distributing it evenly over your shoulders like the old canvas "H" harness (the one shown in the meme) did.  So I always made sure I got my hands on an older canvas "H" harness, along with the older canvas butt pack.  In the mid-70s when I enlisted this was no big deal as we were only a few years out from the Vietnam War and that gear was still plentiful, but by the early '90s finding canvas gear was a real challenge.  But I managed to pull it off, as you can see.

If anyone has ever worn canvas combat gear when in the military, they know that canvas has its own unique smell, especially after its been used/worn/sweated in.  My old LBE is no different, and the one shown in the picture is the one I used during the Gulf War and for the rest of my service after that.  With the exception of the knife scabbard, it's still set up just as I wore it during the war, with the scabbard being added after the war.  (During the war I wore my Ka-bar in its original leather sheath strapped to my right calf.)  I keep it stored in the same "war bag" I used during the war, safely tucked away in a closet with the rest of my military gear.  And yes, the "war bag" is also canvas.

When I went into the closet and pulled out the war bag, as soon as I opened it up that unique old canvas smell hit me like a ton of bricks.  It instantly transported me back to the Gulf War and the years of service after that, and the more I smelled that old canvas the further back in time I went.  I ended up all the way back to the Panama Canal Zone in 1977, the very first time I used a canvas LBE.  That smell is still on my hands, and as I sit here typing this I can still smell it - and I like it.  I like it very much.

It takes me back to a very special time in my life, a time when honor, dignity, loyalty, country, and comradeship meant something and were the main focus of my life.  The military is a family, and that family is especially close when it goes through war together.  I made some lifelong friends while I was in the military, and those closest to me are my wartime friends.  We shared a bond that others can't, and even though we don't talk as much as we would like we know that bond will always be there.  And if we meet again in person, we'll pick it up and talk just like we had seen each other the day before.

That's the way military people are.  If you've been there then you know; if not, I can't explain it to you.

I miss my military family, I really do.  I've been retired from the Air Force for 24 years, and at least once a month while I'm in the bathroom shaving, I'll look at my reflection in the mirror and say to myself, "What in the hell are you doing out here with all these goddam civilians?"

So I'm gonna sit here, finish my soft drink, and enjoy that old canvas smell and the memories that come with it for a little while longer.  Then I'm gonna go shower and get dressed, the old canvas smell being washed away by the soap and water.  After that I'm going to get dressed and get on with the rest of my day, putting the past back where it belongs - in the past.

Because life goes on.

Deo Vindice
IHC

One Year Later

One year ago today at 1:47AM my life and the lives of my family changed forever when my father laid down his working tools of life and entered the Celestial Lodge above.  And not a day goes by that I don't think about him and miss him.

I love you, Pop, and I miss you terribly.

Deo Vindice

IHC

 

Mandate Repeals - Coincidence or Design?

 

So if you've been paying attention to the news for the past couple of months, you'll have noticed that there have been some significant events taking place which involve the ludicrous, liberty-crushing mandates that have been put in place by the governments of the various nations around the world.  The most recent event and the one that got the most publicity was the demonstration put on by the truckers in Canada.  Their peaceful (meaning they didn't burn anything down or destroy any property, unlike American 'liberal' protestors) protest resulted in the Prime Minister being made to look like the total fool and coward that he is, and ultimately resulted in the truckers getting what they wanted - the repeal of mandates involving COVID.

As I said, this has been happening all over the world.  Australian citizens have been staging protests for months, as have Italians, Germans, and Brits.  And slowly, one by one, the governments of the nations all over the world are coming to the realization that the people are VERY unhappy, and the only way to make them happy is to repeal the mandates.  Britain did just that earlier this week, just about the same time that Canada did.

And here in our own nation we have the same thing happening.  Demoncratic "leaders" throughout the nation are slowly repealing mask and vaccination mandates in places like Kalifornia (if you can believe that), Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, New Jersey, New York (surprise, surprise), Oregon and Rhode Island.  The SCOTUS issued an opinion that the mask mandates put in place by Mein Fuhrer are "unconstitutional and unenforceable," but the morons in charge at Carhartt decided to proceed with them anyway.  (And they're suffering financially because of it, by the way.)  

The big difference between the US and the rest of the world is the reason WHY the mandates are being repealed.  The people of the rest of the world have been protesting and demonstrating their unhappiness, so the governments of some nations are doing what the people want.  Here in the United States, it's being done for a very different reason.

There's an election coming up in November, and the Demoncrats are now realizing that if they want to maintain control and stay in power they'd better start giving the people what they want - namely, the repealing of all mask and vaccination mandates.  

Somebody in the Demoncratic party realized that sometimes in order to maintain power you have to relinquish a little bit of it, giving the people the false impression that they're regaining control over their lives while in fact they are surrendering more of it.  This is the strategy that the Demoncrats are now employing, and they're counting on the people to not notice it.

Only we are noticing.  We're not as stupid as the Demoncrats think we are.

I have a feeling that this strategy will ultimately fail.  From what I've seen on social media, there are enough people in this country who realize that the Demoncratic leadership from the White House down has failed the nation, and they're tired of it.  I've lost count of the number of Demoncrats I've heard say that they are finished with the Demoncratic party and will vote Republican from here on out.  Our dementia-riddled President now has the lowest approval rating of any President in our nation's history, and more Demoncrats are coming out and admitting that they made a mistake in voting for him than ever before.  

The tide is turning, and I have a feeling that there's gonna be a real bloodbath in the November elections.

Time will tell.

Deo Vindice

IHC

Unmitigated Disaster

I've been quiet for the past three weeks or so because I was trying to temper the things I was saying, trying to focus on the good things in life rather than on the bad, and while I can indeed find many good things to talk about (like seeing the sun come up this morning, for example) I can no longer ignore the dire, pressing need to vent about what a total and completely unmitigated disaster this past year under Mein Fuhrer has been.  And the flames of this desire have only been fanned by the libtard media fawning over what a great job this clown has done, and by that ludicrously stupid and totally unbelievable press conference Mein Fuhrer gave where he said that he felt he had "outperformed" what he had promised.

The only thing this incompetent old fool has outperformed has been his ability to totally and completely screw up our country.  And anyone - and I mean ANYONE - who thinks this clown in a suit has done anything other than that is walking around with their head up their butt.  He is a complete and total disgrace to the Office of the President of the United States and is the laughingstock of the civilized world.  His press conferences are a joke and a source of amusement for the entire world as you never know what stupid thing he's going to say next.  And you can pretty much count on him losing his train of thought several times and spouting off with line after line of incoherent babble.

He made promise after promise while on the campaign trail, and to date he's only kept two that I'm aware of - his promise to stop building the wall on our Southern border and to shut down the Keystone Pipeline.  Other than that, he's broken every other promise he's ever made, including the one about resolving the pandemic - you know, the pandemic that he said Trump didn't have a plan to handle but he did, and the same pandemic that ten months later he says the feds can't solve and it's up to the states to solve it.  Yeah, that one.

So what have been the effects of the two promises he's kept?  In the past 12 months the US Border Patrol has stopped 1,956,519 immigrants from entering the country illegally, the third highest number recorded in the past 97 years.  And conservative estimates are that for every illegal immigrant the USBP stopped, at least three others made it into the country.  So the truth is that we have no idea just how many immigrants are in this country illegally, but I'd bet my life that it's upwards of THREE MILLION.

THREE MILLION.  That's almost the population of the City of Chicago.  

And if you need to see just how the killing of the Keystone Pipeline has affected us, just go to the nearest gas station and fill your tank.  A year ago our nation was fully and completely energy independent, not having bought so much as one single barrel of oil from any other country in at least a year, and the price of gas was around $1.87 a gallon as a result.  Now, a year later, we are no longer energy independent and are buying MILLIONS of barrels of oil from RUSSIA, and the price of gas is now around $3.00 a gallon, much more in some places.  And we won't even talk about how killing the pipeline and the MILLIONS of jobs connected to it affected the unemployment rate.

At this point you have to ask yourself one simple question:  are we better off now after a year of "Creepy Joe" in the White House than we were when Donald Trump was President?

The answer is NO.  Anyone who thinks different is a fool.  And whenever you ask a liberal about this, you know what they're gonna do?  Why, they're gonna blame it on Trump, just like they always do.

Never mind the fact that Trump hasn't been President for more than a year, and that everything that has gone wrong with our nation has happened under Biden's watch.  No, never mind that.  It's Trump's fault, and it always will be.

Which is one of the many reasons why I have lost all respect for the Demoncratic party.

2024 can't get here fast enough.

Deo Vindice

IHC