Huckleberry Finn and the N-word – 11 Jan 11

There exists so much good, and even great literature, out there and so little time to read it The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn may just be the ONE book I deem worthy of re-reading – the only one.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is actually, because of the purge for political correctness (PC) history that you can no longer find in our educational history books. It would be a shame for this to disappear.

The N-word is something I grew up with and heard daily. Thankfully, I can now say that I almost never hear it anymore. There will always be those that can’t let go; even though they actually have no real connection to that old world – they just think and live in a ferry tale world that exists only in their mind and unfortunately the minds of their closest acquaintances.

It amazes me that anyone would have the gall to filter for PC reasons what has been widely called the greatest American novel.

I very seldom agree with Leonard Pitts, Jr. of The Miami Herald but this time I am right beside him. Mr. Pitts says: “Huck Finn is a funny, subversive story about a runaway white boy who comes to locate the humanity in a runaway black man and, in the process, vindicates his own. It has always, until now, been regarded as a timeless tale.” (Published: 7:24 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011)

If one’s mind (and sometimes ears) are so delicate they just might ought to stay inside, lock and bolt their shutters.

Billy the Kid and Lincoln County, NM - 05 Jan 10

Did the article reporting the NO-Pardon for Billy the Kid bring back memories of your miss-spent youth? Boy, it did for me.

Were you a six gun packing hombre that actually was the fastest draw on your block – and maybe several blocks in any direction?

Did you get that Christmas issue of the old Sears & Roebuck catalog and turn down the corners of the pages with STUFF you wanted ole St. Nick to bring you? Did you go back to it everyday and re-look just to make sure you hadn’t missed something that was better than what you had already marked – maybe several times the same day; I know I did? (Notice the cost on the Monopoly game.)

Was there anything that got in the way of your evening viewing pleasure on the seven nights a week that had Cowboy TV shows in the lineup?

Could you ride a stick horse faster and further than anybody on your range (block)? Maybe you even made the transition to the round wheel devices as you aged just a bit – but still packed a six gun on your hip.

I often long for those simpler days of old.

Let me ask you this? Have you ever been to Lincoln County, New Mexico? Well, it’s not hard to find – down there in the south-east part of the state.

Just a few years back, my wife and I spent a time-share week in Ruidoso, just the next county over from Lincoln. I bet you have already guessed where this is going. I just had to see where it all took place.

Our first jaunt after arriving and getting the nightly visit from the local black bear and a good night’s sleep, we were on our way to Lincoln County.

The first evidence we came across was a road side marker commemorating the spot where John Henry Tunstall was gunned down.

Soon we were in the spot where it all took place. Driving down the main street (the only street by-the-way) you had the feeling you were naked – you had forgot your six shooter – how could any self respecting gun slinger manage to get away from home without his six shooter?

There on the left was the Lincoln County Courthouse and jail. I had to see. We sauntered on in and climbed the steps (bullet holes in the wall marking the exact spot where Billy had missed -one of the few times it must have happened) on our way up to the courtroom where the trial took place. You could feel the lead aflyin’ all around ya!

Walking around, we took in the Arsenal, the General Store, a couple of residences – there aren’t many left standing and finally the Church.

I spent some time diligently lookin’ for misspent lead in the surrounding area – no luck.

We didn’t miss a thing – at least I didn’t – always on my guard watchin’ for some trigger happy back-shooter. No low down scoundrel was gonna get the drop on me. I just kept wishing I hadn’t left my Fanner 50 back home!

Quick as a hiccup it was over. I was back in modern time, much to my dismay and back on the road to search out Fort Stanton (1855 – 1896) just up the highway. I didn’t need a six shooter there – the Army pulled out a long time ago.

02 Jan 2011 - Dutch’s Birthday

My brother called and left a message while I was out getting groceries this morning. I had remembered that it was my dad’s birthday but exactly which birthday hadn’t actually dawned on me. Dutch has been gone since Jul of 1993. He is missed by many. He was different from most anybody else I ever knew – I guess most dads are when you think about it. To those that knew Dutch, he was just about the best friend a person could have – especially when you needed a good one.

What my brother reminded me was that today wasn’t just Dutch’s birthday; it was his 100^th birthday. I guess also that to most, things like this have a way of sneaking up on us. At leastwise it did with me. One hundred years ago, my dad was born – think about that; one hundred years. This set my mind to wandering.

Dutch had practically lived a whole lifetime – thirty-seven years (life expectancy @55) by the time I was born; both my younger brother and I came late in life to my Mom and Dad. He is one of the greatest generation having survived the Great Depression and World War II; although he didn’t fight in the war – age and occupation (oil exploration industry) – he contributed in many ways. Dutch never finished school; actually only attending to some point in the fifth grade. He was at the same time the smartest man I ever knew and reaching the age I am currently and having a breadth of work behind me that I have; I can tell you this is a range of acquaintances that is matched by very few. He wasn’t the most intelligent; smart is rated on a different scale. Dutch was common smart; there wasn’t anything he couldn’t do if he set his mind to it. That I will always respect

Dutch (very early)

Let me just see if I can do Dutch justice by remembering just what he did for me:

While not an athlete, he did teach me how to play pitch and catch – baseball was always his favorite

Dutch taught me how to teardown and rebuild a drilling rig mud pump

Dutch taught me how to plow a somewhat straight furrow (using an old plow he had traded for and the wench on the water-truck

Dutch taught me, when I was about 10, how to get up early and put in a hard day’s work on the drilling rig, later on a water well pump teardown and repair rig

Dutch also very early - after long day in the field

Dutch taught me how to mow the lawn and earn a little spending money come summertime in the neighborhood; very little spending money in the late 50s and early 60s

Dutch along with my grandfather Grover and a guy that worked for Dutch named Charles Dean taught me how to drive a water-truck 1^st, a drilling rig 2^nd and then finally an automobile ; even later a bull dozer and a tractor

Dutch taught me how to ride a horse and take care of cattle, sheep, goats, chickens, guineas, turkeys and ducks

Dutch - clowning around on a Saturday in the '30s

Dutch taught me how to milk early (real early) in the morning and again just about evening time

Dutch gave me my first REAL job roughneckin’ when I was 16, even though he had used my free labor time and time again from the time I was 10 until then

Dutch convinced me that I NEEDED to go to college and that I NEEDED to stay in college when it looked like college just wasn’t really for me

Dutch and Anne (my Mom)

Dutch taught me integrity and nothin’ was more important than your word or having a friend

Later in life when I returned as my own man with my own family and Dutch needed my help to “go to town” for whatever, we would often have to stop at many other places along our route because Dutch NEEDED to go in and see a friend he hadn’t been able to get around to for some time. He had so many friends there was never enough time; we just did our best.

I know there is more and I could probably go on forever but I think I will stop here. You can make your own list and include the “whatevers” you see fit to include.

Dutch as I remember him best

As my cousin James Howard replied when I ask if he realized it was my dad’s birthday: “No, but Dutch would have liked being around today!” I am sure he would have really enjoyed 100 candles, you can bet.

How do you defeat the “Not my job, Man!” complex?

This is an organization and company culture problem. Oh, you say: “there’s always some bad apples!” Well, maybe that is true. But if you practice ‘management by walking around’ (MBWA); you just might find that the problem is bigger than a few bad apples.

The answer to the problem starts at the top and drives itself all the way to the lowest rung on the totem pole (organizational chart). I top management does not outwardly hold to the principle ‘it’s everybody’s job’ nobody will. The practice has to be an integral part of the fiber that holds the organization together. If the practice is not everybody’s job; then it is nobody’s job.

Everybody has to be responsible to everyone else in the organization and open communications must be part of your answer. This is not to say that the CEO’s door has to be constantly swinging. It has to start at there; but real results are experienced through empowerment and action at the lowest level of supervision – the guy on the shop floor that is tightly involved with the real problems – he//she is the best source and the best answer. Spend time training, reviewing and evaluating this asset and you will not be disappointed.

Leadership gurus on the web

I recently commented on a well followed lady’s leadership blog website primarily because she had said something that I wholeheartedly agreed with – I don’t often agree with the guys//gals expounding leadership theory on these sites. Quite often, they have no idea about what they speak and more often they don’t really say anything close to the edge – maybe it’s a fear of being challenged if they do say something definite or more likely, they don’t really have the background, experience or knowledge to be discussing the topic they have just regurgitated mumble-jumble throughout the internet.

In any event, after checking back a day or so later, I found that the self-professed leadership expert (her website’s claim – not mine) had misunderstood my point. She had even gone so far as to speak my point for me (incorrectly, mind you) and then tell me where she differed with me in this area. If she had understood my point, it would be one thing, but to not have understood and then correct me, that’s another thing entirely.

I have a huge problem with these wanta-be-leadership-gurus. Most I find have never worked a day in real leadership positions, but have taught a numerous seminars here and there, maybe took a class and some even received a degree that allows them to squawk on leadership – but generally, they know not. The particular guru I communicated with claims to have “personally coached over 100 senior leaders” and has a background that allows “her to provide valuable insights about individuals and organizational systems.”

These people are dangerous especially if their followers believe strongly in them. The followship has only the very basic understanding of the subject as the gurus are never really clears and absolutely don’t answer any specific questions that would lead to better understanding of the role of a leader. My fear is that some will try to put these half-baked truths into practice and pay the penalty for the shallowness of the guru. A real misfortune in any event. Nobody is gonna learn LEADERSHIP over the internet – NOBODY!

Be careful who you follow, subscribe to, and put your faith in. There’s a lot of shallowness involved in the guru level of expounders on leadership.

As I peck this into my computer, another thought came to mind concerning these short answer//short idea//short advice websites. They just may be dumbing down their information and advice for the generation they see as their audience – the short attention spanners of today’s world.

Let’s hope the situation improves over time.

Little Gus has a plan

I have begun to notice. There’s always that strange look in his eyes. I don’t quite know where he is going with this, but I can tell he is on a journey. He seems to work at it everyday. Not all the time mind you – but he puts time in on it everyday.

With the addition of Little Otis to our humble group it now appears that he is in on it also. I just can’t imagine that KnuckleButt Otis is gonna be that much help in whatever Little Gus is planning to pull off. Although Little Otis’ ability to negotiate any fence and gate in the area just might come in handy to whatever knavery like Little Gus has in mind.

They think that I am not watching, but I catch them whispering to one-another while they sit on the rug in front of the dishwasher and other places. They look like they are warming from their last trek outside on these December mornings. I know different. They are up to something and Little Gus is the ring leader; that is obvious.

One of his tricks is to lure me back outside by pretending that Little Otis has to go. It has nothing to do with Little Otis; it’s all about Little Gus. He just wants me to throw or kick his ball. He will chase a ball all day long if you will oblige him by making it leave the close proximity of anywhere you just might happen to be at the time. He will go get the ball (or his big orange bird if that is the object he has chosen for this trip out). He will bring the ball back, but it is not to be your turn just yet. Not at least until he has thoroughly shaken the ball, he has growled at it for sufficient time (measured only in his mind), he has probably shaken it again for good effect and then he stands there with one foot holding it in place still not having given up control just yet. Then and maybe only then he will back off and bark at you as if giving instructions on velocity, direction and altitude for the next throw. If I don’t respond and kick it or chunk it quickly enough he will repeat the preceding instructions again; this time a little more emphatically and gruff emphasis. I launch the object and the previous takes place again ad infinitum…

It looks as though that Little Gus is having a champion of a time, running here, running there, catching the ball on the first bounce; I believe he has an ulterior motive in mind. While the game almost includes Little Otis, I don’t really think that being run over, stomped on as others pass above him and the possible dislodging of teeth as he attempts to grab the ball as it passes near comes anyway near to being classified as inclusion. The result most of the time is a pretty well beat-up Little Otis not one third of the way into the game; maybe a little more than pretty beat-up might be more appropriate. Little Otis just keeps coming back for more.

No, I don’t think a game is what Little Gus is all about during these incidents; I’m just not convinced. Little Gus is an astute player of the human kind. His mind is always working several steps ahead – not so much with KnuckleButt Otis. I’m not really sure his mind is ever engaged – no proof in his short tenure yet.

I wonder where he got the idea. Maybe this was passed along by Buck before he departed our group. This could be how one generation passes along thoughts, aspirations and goals – I don’t know.

Upon lengthy cogitation of the events I have described above I have decided that Little Gus’s purpose has nothing to do with a dog’s life but has everything to do with a dog’s purpose on this earth. As I sit here and type away (utilizing both fingers that I have train ed to do so) Little Gus jumps up causing me to turn in his direction, placing both front paws on my chest, looks me straight in the eyes and jesters to the back door. Not getting his point across immediately, he gives me one of those little licks on my chin, pats on my chest with one paw or the other and then hugs his head up against my chest and holds it there while he looks up into my eyes again mournfully with those cold dark brown eyes of his and then jesters toward the back door once more. All the while Little Otis nips at Gus’s hind feet – a nuisance none-the-less. Still not getting the response he insists on as I return to typing; he sticks his head up between my body and arm and pushes and shoves as I try to continue – it is down right impossible to type (even with two fingers) under these circumstances.

I request a continuance of just a minute or two hoping to get the last of the current thought recorded. Gus implores me to not but descends to a prone position somehow knowing that I will be true to my word.

No, I have decided that Little Gus motive is a dog’s purpose on earth – to improve the childhood of his human companion no matter how long it takes him and his kind to do so. I know it is a long and hard journey as my canine companions have been working at it for some sixty years or more. I truly wish them luck; I intend to assist them in any way I can. My childhood really needs improving.

Remembering Dandy Don – 06 Dec 10

I remember when Chicago picked Don Meredith and then traded him to the new upstart Dallas Cowboys. The year was 1960. I had watched Professional (Fighting) Football several times before – Lou Groza and George Blanda; even John David Crow and Bobby Joe Conrad on the Chicago Cardinals. Those Aggies made the Cardinals my favorite team. Then here comes Dallas and we no longer receive the Cardinal games. What was I gonna do? A little known fact about the Cardinals that many forget: Ken Hall also played running back for the Cardinals in 1959.

Now I was being forced to watch a team that never existed before. Why and how could this happen? These guys didn’t even have a draft pick this year. They got cast-offs from the other teams in the league. Their first draft pick finally came in 1961 with Bob Lilly being taken as the first ever draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys – good pick by the way.

There was nothing else to do but roll with
the flow.

I took a quick liking to the team, although they didn’t do very well. I just couldn’t understand why they didn’t play that guy Meredith guy more than they did. He was always alternating with Eddie LaBaron.

I liked Meredith even though he was a Mustang. He just seemed to be the right guy. He played hard and there was some hard playing those first several years – real hard playing. They didn’t win many; but they were our team.

I can remember watching the Dandy One playing with tape all over his face – broken nose – and a stiff shoulder – broken collar bone. But he played. Some of today’s sissies are in street clothes with these minor injuries.

Year after year, the Cowboys hung in there and started to get some real talent – competitive talent. Finally the difference maker – Bullet Bob Hayes – and the game has never been the same. Meredith to Hays and then on the next play – Meredith to Hays. Could football get any better than this. A lesser quarterback would not have made the difference that the Dandy One did.

Those that came later: Danny White, Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman owe their fame to the one who started it all – the Dandy One – Don Meredith. You remember him?