DRONES, I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE

It was me, I think I had a hand in starting it all. I didn't do it on purpose, it was an accident, but it WAS ME. Let me explain.
     Somewhere in the late 70's I was one of the vice presidents of a CIA cover company, or vendor, or something of that sort called Evergreen Air Center in Marana, Arizona just 30 miles northwest of Tucson hiding in plain sight.
     I was the VP of finance, accounting, security, hotel, administration, housekeeping, you-name-it. If it didn't didn't fly, or involve a wrench, and it went wrong, I got blamed for it. Got the picture?
     Now, my handy calculator tells me that was 38 years ago, and what happened on that day surprised the hell out of me, being an AF vet, it should have, because I was used airplanes going forward, manned by pilots.
     Sitting at my desk, crunching numbers, a stranger walked in and said, " You Fulton?" Yup, I told him. Your headquarters sent me, I'm from the DOD (defense) and I'm here to set up a test facility for a new airplane we're going to try out and then give to the ISRAELIS.
     Oh, I replied, what kind of plane, I asked. He told me that it was called a pilot less drone, small, unmanned, equipped with a tv camera to broadcast what it sees back to ISRAELI AF headquarters.
     " They want to keep tabs on the Arabs beyond the mountains so there are no surprise attacks," he continued. (Oh, I thought. Makes sense to me)
     He plunked down paperwork, letter of credit, orders from Foggy Bottom, I arranged what he needed and that was that.
     Recently, while cruising the aisles at Walmart, I found you could buy a top shelf Drone for $50.

Today, drones are all over the place, getting in the way of passenger aircraft, delivering books for Amazon.
     And, it all started at my desk.
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DUMBING DOWN OUR CHILDREN

I can no longer hold it in: 1) did you know that in Tucson, Arizona, there are no Book Stores in retail malls any more? They are gone. In Tucson I can find only ONE on the main drag. Asking several mall store managers the location of a book store INSIDE their mall, none could answer correctly. Zero.
     The School system in Tucson is lagging behind the national average. It continues to score below national averages in many scholastic areas. Teacher SHORTAGES are a scandal. The district entered the new school year dozens short, preferring to scout out northern cities, recruiting those teachers to contract them to teach here in Tucson.
     In the one book store I found in Tucson, a "magnet" school was holding a promotion to solicit public funds to supplement their revenues. I quizzed two of the male teachers who were recently recruited from other cities.
     One told me he teaches FROM COMMON CORE in the Tucson Unified School District. What little history is taught there, he said, was all American History (only) which included World War Two with NO mention of Germany, the holocaust or our involvement. The curriculum, he said, was our
" attack " on Japan. He emphasized, WE ATTACKED JAPAN. That is the course curriculum that is demanded by the school district, he said.
     I am deeply disturbed by the absence of bookstores in our malls. Thirty years ago, I counted at least 3 retail book stores in each of the towns retail malls. Now, there are none, and further, no one seems to either know it, or care about it. A total absence of caring on the part of any adult I encountered.
     Speaking with school teachers in the book store, I told them I had been an elementary teacher in Yuma and had witnessed Mexican school children being bussed across the border into American schools to be taught by us, at our expense. Brazenly crossed the border, no questions asked, stopped by no one, entering our schools, taking up school time, resources and no one questioned it. Speaking to the school teachers in front of me, I asked, " do you know who pays for that?"
     Bewildered looks:  " .....You do, ...and me."  The American school teacher looked at me

and said that he didn''t believe it. There was a young Mexican American boy standing in between us coloring a book. He was a student at the school these men were teaching from.
     " Oh, yes, " the young boy chimed in. " It's true, my cousin is one of those students that gets bussed from across the border. "
     " I rest my case,"  I told the two gentlemen teachers from the Tucson elementary school. We, the taxpayers of America blythly pay for educating kids from another country, no one knows about it, or cares.
     Apparently.
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" WHAT WILL WE TELL OUR CHILDREN?"

It has been written that an American college in the mid-west published a notice to their students, as a result of the Trump election, WHAT WILL WE TELL OUR CHILDREN?
     Apparently, the initial "hysteria" of our juvenile generation has, as of this Thanksgiving Day begun to wind down. It is noted that Michelle Obama once said
" I am now proud of my country," once Barack was elected.
     In that vein, I confess I am embarrassed by my fellow countrymen and their reaction to the election of President Elect Donald Trump.
     The temper tantrums above to almost nightly riots have lowered civil discourse and most probably shaken allies confidence in us around the world. Between Obama's
 terms in office, when the effects of his politics were most sorely felt here and around the world, I had the opportunity as a Docent in a museum to speak to Europeans and Asians visiting that museum.
     The majority of them expressed to me grave concern over our elections and the hopes that we might turn OUT Obama for someone else - frankly, ANYONE else. The effect of his policies, they explained, were affecting them all, financially.
     It is important to recall what Obama told McCain shortly after his election, in front of live TV cameras.
    Bluntly, he said, " John, the election is over. I won."
    Good advice for everyone else.
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TRUMP, THE C E O.......

YOU don't get it, do you? Everybody in America who is crying, knashing their teeth, (Oh, my God, what ARE we going to do??) get hold of yourselves working for guys just like him, people.
     Donald Trump is not a politician, never was, never will be. He's a businessman, and currently you are now viewing him in his normal state - as a CEO. He's a different animal than you are used to. You wanted honesty? You're getting it. This is how he goes about everyday business in the board-room.
     I've spent my life in Board Rooms working for guys just like him. Think caged tiger pacing back and forth behind the bars waiting to be let loose. Hungry lion, yearning to free on the "hunt." He's ready, primed, got the ducks lined up. Count on this - whatever he says he will do, he'll do it. 
     And that bankruptcy crap? Forget it, it is the law. It's there for business and personal reasons. Don't think so? Check your daily paper, they list all of them each week. The filings list companies that go Chapter 11, down to your next door neighbor.
     Press reports here is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, partially true. He is a Wharton School graduate - a business college within the University. One of the best in the nation. I graduated in the same class he did. I know how he thinks, I had the same education. His chief skill? FOCUS.
     This should be an interesting ride.
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Things I hate.....

1. The current reaction by weirdo portions of our communist reactionaries to Trump's election. I wonder if it is due to lack of education about our Constitution. Read it, you dumb asses.
2.  The idiots that are hollering about the election AND WHO DID NOT VOTE. They are calling on the civil authorities to call into action  THE COPS. Do it, you guys. Do it. This is not the time to be PC. Not voting gives our police (and us) the right to pass judgement on this clowns. No vote no right to holler, break glass and ruin my day.
3   1.7 Billion in cash to the Iranians in the middle of the night? What, the air crew was not wearing black masks and trench coats?  Mr Obama was not doing a great job at screwing us over. Least he could have done was an attempt at cheating, ya know - masks, capes, something. That's how you know POTUS did it and not the CIA. If the spooks did it, we would never k3ow. This op was right out of the WH.
4 When can you honestly say our government did the RIGHT thing? About anything? In the past 3 months, Asad in Syria murdered at least 10,000 of his people - just rounded them up, and slaughtered them. Did you KNOW that? Betcha didn't. MSNBC didn't tell you, NBC, Nnor oh abc or anybody else that are butt-buddies of POTUS bothered. Yet, we did NOTHING to stop that mass killing. Asad murdered 10K of his people while the US SAT ON THEIR (OUR) HANDS.
5 I am NOT proud of that. women and children knew they were going to be killed, waiting for it, just like those guys on the roof tops in Benghazi. And like those guys in Benghazi, they knew we weren't going to rescue them, either.....I HATE THAT.
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I AM A CONFUSED AMERICAN

We are the richest nation on earth, yet most college kids think the Government will supply them with free college (these days.) ......ok
     Today.....or was it last week,  our government said no more wars, we were pulling out of the Middle East and TV news casts covered stories of GIs coming home to kids
     (Hurrah!!)
This week, I saw we're sending BACK , what? 6,000 more? That's more than what's stationed there NOW. I don't understand.
     Everybody hates the to candidates from the two major parties, and the third party from the Libertarians (?? - wassat?) can't find Hoboken on a map. Or, is it London.
     The only candidate running everybody seems to agree on is one VP Mr. Pence who has bearing, his presidential" This election year, a gaggle of Demos have vaulted the bird cage, fallen in behind Mr. Trump, and said so
     Likewise, maverick Republicans, purists all, have NOT endorsed Sir Donald, preferring to sniff their way through November and hold out for another miracle worker to fall through the clouds in -announced at present.
    Troubling. The chess pieces are not staying on their assigned locale, screwing ups.
     Meanwhile, the lame duck prez, is anything but, touring the country,  tossing wrenches into everything he can, for nearly everyone. Bill Clinton, yakking it up for Hillary (I think) makes a few caustic comments about Obama Care that ignites the faithful into frenzy, squared.
      " This ACA (ObamaCare) is crazy, the premiums are doubling January 1st, and the amount of care will drop significantly. That's CRAZY,"  he was quoted as saying.
      Watching the news on TV lately, you best have your hand-held around and dial in a version of Truth Checker The lies coming out of the tube could float a battleship.
       You heard it here.
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POST ELECTION BLUES - I HEAR.........

I write  this on the morning of our national election. Depression over takes me as a victim of the last `18 months or so of this political flogging we have endured. The collection below has been my personal experience from my fellow citizens:

      Contractor who services my heater: " we ought to have a law that says politicking confined to six (6) months, like in Europe." I counter with the fact that the people in Congress make the same laws as term limits on their seats. Fat chance.
      News caster on MSNBC (left wing tv station touting Clinton and Socialism), " The public's enthusiasm for this, and confidence in the future has been exhausted. They (nationally) are depressed, disheartened and can't wait to put this behind them, as I."
      Twitter War locally, " If Clinton wins, break out your Muskets."
      Regional newspaper headlines: " depending on outcome, some churches look to SCOTUS" Decisions on political speech in Churches"
      Facebook posts and blog reports increased comments about leaving US on ultimate selection of certain candidate as next president, either candidate is mentioned.
      Sociologists, Psychologists remain silent as to current adverse public reactions to schism developing in American split personalities in Red vs Blue development in public persona.
      Most industry scholars are unsure to in the dark about general reactions of the populace on the outcome of elections to come.

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