fritz

I didn't realize that a law was necessary to do this, we do it around here on a normal routine. Guess that is why I live in Texas. Several years ago my neighbor, boyhood friend, and I attended a Christmas play on the life of Jesus Christ that is held each year at a big Baptist church in Victoria. The actors are all church members, and they really put on a professional show. At the beginning of the presentation, the folks who were veterans were asked to stand up and be recognized. I was never so proud to stand up alongside my neighbor and boyhood friend (they are the same) as that time. And the applause was quite noticable. So, we really didn't need a law here to tell us what is right and proper. It's a sorry state where a law is necessary for this. fritz

"I have 3 letters for you D.V.R Tom " Yes, that is what I use, then watch the programs on slack periods. I don't know what I would do without the DVR upgrade with my DishNetwork subscription. I use the program guide and flip forword for about a week or so ahead, when I see something I want to watch, I put a timer on it. With a hundred hours of timer space before it resets, I sometimes have a backlog of programs to watch. I like the RFD Channel, with all the old tractors restored and paraded, also the Texas Country Reporter shows. The classic tractor shows got me into tractor restoring, and that takes a lot of my time now. It really gets annoying when it rains everytime I have parts ready to paint, like the entire tractor. Almost as annoying as having to wait a month to get parts from the "slow movers" warehouse, some come from England for my David Browns. I record the Guns & Ammo TV shows, but usually just fast-forward through them unless there is something that interests me. Same for the American Rifleman shows. The nice thing about using a DVR is that you can watch a program in half the time, after editing out the commercials. fritz

In his obituary, it reads, "Mr. Hill served with credit through the Civil War as a member of Company K, 127th Illinois Volunteers. " He was a very active member of the veterans organizations after the war. I will always wonder if he maybe was in a battle that put him up against mrs fritz' other kinfolks from the South. My folks didn't get here until the late 1800's. My great, etc. grandfather was a shoemaker in Germany, although he had the same name as a famous gunmaker from Belgium. Heck, I though that was where I got my interest in guns, never have been interested in shoemaking. But it was a necessary profession in Germany at the time. Just as guns were. fritz

When my well comes in (and I become rich and famous) I am going to go to Canada in the summer and fish for those big ones thay have in the pristine lakes, and when it gets cold up there I am going to head down to the Hill Country of Texas and hunt the big antlered deer there. What I drive between the two places ain't as important as the time spent on site. Life is short, enjoy it now, no matter where you live. But as a man of the South, I will always be polite to the ladies. That's why I am known as the "Gentleman Farmer". And you thought it was because I wore a suit and tie when plowing the back forty! fritz

mrs fritz had kinfolks here during the War of Northern Agression. One of her great, etc. grandfathers fought with the North in the Illinois Volunteers (on her father's side of the family), and her great, etc. grandfather on her mother's side of the family fought for the South. Not sure what unit he was in, but I have a photo of her Union kin. He is pictured in this reunion photo taken around 1900 of the survivors of that Illinois Company of the GAR. I believe he is on the right seated---- http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/fritz/garpost522.jpg fritz

The NRA endorsed Rick Perry for reelection as Texas governor! I don't think any more has to be said about the NRA, after that piece of schitt. The Texans that bought the NRA endorsement (and went to the polls like sheep) deserve what they got----Rick Perry! And I resent a local FFL adding the extra money donation to the NRA, and then charging me for it. I dropped my longtime membership after getting finally educated about what they really are----just another political lobby. And they don't even send autographed photos of Wayne LaPierre like Bush does of himself! All for money of course, but no more money for either of them from fritz. fritz

I'm not sure if maybe this article would be better on the "alternative fuels" discussion, but I shall put it here since Karl mentioned we need more reliance on nuclear energy (uranium). This issue has gotten me and mrs fritz on different sides. She goes to the uranium information meetings (aka propaganda meetings) and I stay out of it since my land is not for lease for uranium (even though it may someday be)----- Facts about uranium mining are available August 05, 2007 - Posted at 12:00 a.m. When we hear words such as "uranium" and "groundwater" mentioned in the same sentence, concerns from the public are expected. When Uranium Energy decided to explore a mining program within a small area in northern Goliad County, we decided to meet with county officials. The company was not required to contact and inform the county of its presence, anymore than an oil and gas operator is required, but did so nonetheless because its management believed it was the right thing to do. This first meeting was met with swift county opposition, a resolution opposing the mining industry before any facts could be presented. County officials were told at that initial meeting that the permitting process would take years and there would be ample time for them to take a position if they had continuing concerns. What should not be expected or tolerated are people in public positions irresponsibly playing upon these concerns, in the appearance of the public interest, until perceived legitimate concerns become irrational fear. Unfortunately, this situation is exactly what has occurred in Goliad County. Everyone has a right not to take things at face value, to investigate claims and judge for themselves. But not everyone has the time or resources to do it. So often, we look to elected community leadership to verify and validate information using creditable, unbiased experts and advise us as to the "pros" and "cons on the issues." If people in public positions make up their mind in advance, without the benefit of corroborated data - or worse - in spite of reliable information, the public good is not well served. In that case, we, the people, are only presented with misinformation, however distorted, and manipulated to fit a pre-determined picture of "reality" with which to form our opinions. Some well-intentioned residents of Goliad County (along with some from outside the community) have wrongly painted today's uranium mining methods, technology, and its effects on the community. What are the facts? The recent study performed by Daniel B. Stephens and Associates at the request of the Goliad groundwater district does not demonstrate "that uranium mining cannot be done safely in Goliad" as certain individuals and local groups have represented. Stephens and Associates did not make that statement, and their report certainly does not reach that conclusion. The report actually concludes that "capture of injected fluids within the mined zone . . . is feasible . . . ." (Report at p. 20.) In fact, the study was extremely basic, and with the level of information they currently have, Stephens and Associates could not responsibly make a judgment about safety even if they wanted to do so. Ask them - get the facts. There is no reliable data to support the claim that in situ uranium mining hurts property values. In reality, there is data to the contrary, and if anyone is truly interested, we have it. Ask us - get the facts. There is no reliable data to support the claim that in situ uranium mining injures livestock. In fact, there are decades worth of data that prove the contrary, and we have it. Ask us - get the facts. And finally, some individuals have made claims that the exploration process has influenced their wells. They are wrong, and to be honest, it is difficult to see how some of these claims could be made with a straight face by representatives of the Groundwater District. In order for some of these wells to be influenced, groundwater would have to flow uphill. Gravity, of course, prevents this from happening. You don't have to ask anybody on this one - it's a fact. Regardless of what you think now or come to believe in the future, we are here to recover uranium safely because America needs it. Uranium Energy is committed to preserving the environment, water, health, and safety of Goliad County while providing an economic engine to create jobs, a tax base for the school district and county. Furthermore, Uranium Energy's operation will provide opportunity for local businesses to provide the services and provision that this industry will require. Harry L. Anthony is the Chief Operations Officerof Uranium Energy Corporation. As I said, this has me and mrs fritz on different sides. I claim the local opposition to this mining company amounts to a vigilante committee. If you have uranium under your land, it will show up (in small amounts) in your water wells. These people who complain about bad water from their wells have had bad water way before the uranium company started drilling a few test holes (about 150' deep, the same depth as the water table). And maybe it came from the numerous oil wells in the area. The Texas Railroad Commission has the final word on this anyway, much to the dismay of the local vigilantes. fritz

Yes, I have to agree that the ethanol program (as well as the other alternative fuel programs) are really only feel-good measures, promoted by politicians that see the votes they might gain by hopping on the "green" wagon. And by, of course, those "Green Party" fools that know all about how to change the world. It does not take a degree from some big university to realize that the reduction of our dependence on foreign fossil fuel will only come about by using less fuel. Someday, maybe 50 years from now, there will be vehicles that will do this. But as long as the American people have the money to keep blowing it out their tailpipes, the demand for energy will increase. Alternative fuels will not help your bottomline. Just listen to what the last posters (Tanglewood, Kenak, and Horesfly) said. We will pay in the end. God bless those politicians that are using this ethanol program to gain votes! They have the most amazing foresight I have ever seen! fritz

"I was in the grocery store a few days ago with my wife and she commented on how expensive beef had gotten. " True, but just like the ones that are benefiting from the government sponsored subsidies (the ethanol refiners) the rest of rural America is left out. But the Bush administration mandated more alternative fuels. I am not against alternative fuels, but I am against alternative fools! Jerry, yes ethanol can be made from other than corn, but so many people in this country believe (falsely) that there is enough corn for everything. Obviously those fools have never been a corn producer as I was for over 30 years, and my father for 40 years before that! You can pay now, or pay later! fritz

Finally got the pic into my album. This is what it looked like after being found on the roadside (that's a Ful-O-Pep feed bag torn open that it's laying on)---- http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/fri...d_affiliate.jpg fritz

This article says farmers will benefit, but I think they should have been more specific--only corn farmers will benefit, the rest of us will pay more for feed>>> Repeal the ethanol program August 01, 2007 - Posted at 12:00 a.m. Editor, the Advocate: Sharp rises in bread, milk and corn prices this year are related. Federal subsidies for production of corn and the federal requirement that a percentage of gasoline be ethanol produced from corn are the causes. Farmers now can profit much more from growing corn than from other food crops, especially wheat and soybeans, because Congress artificially increased demand for (the price of) corn. With the production of food crops declining, prices for basic foods are rising. Since corn, wheat and soybeans are scarcer, their cost as ingredients of prepared food increases. Because corn is used to feed cattle, its reduced supply drives up the price of beef, cheese, ice cream, etc. Ethanol production requires nearly as much energy as ethanol produces. Moving ethanol to refineries where it is mixed with gasoline requires diesel, or gas-burning trucks, since ethanol corrodes pipelines. The ethanol program will greatly increase our dependence on foreign foods due to diversion of our farmland to corn production, while only marginally increasing our energy supply and utilizing more fossil fuels to process and transport the ethanol. The only one to benefit from it are farmers and ethanol processors. The losers: All of us who eat. What can we do? Urge our two senators to push for repeal of the program. Locally, we can inform the county judge and commissioners that they should not have granted a tax abatement to the prospective ethanol processor. Their rash action, apparently in ignorance of the growing food price inflation caused by this ethanol mania, is regrettable, but thoroughly inexcusable and reprehensible is the failure of VEDC to urge denial of the abatement. This omission speaks volumes about the tunnel vision of that parasitic organization which perennially has elevated the gain of a few local moneygrubbers over the welfare of the general populace. submitted by fritz

The photo in the paper (that I could not get to load) showed a black, hairless carcass but was still intact. No zopilotes had eaten on it before it was found on the road. Now, I can see how a dog or other haired animal could decay to the point of losing the hair in a few days in the Texas heat, but the zopilotes would find it before that happened. Those buzzards are pretty sharp. They are on the scent within minutes of a kill. Something about a smell coming from the colon of the deceased. So it must have been a hairless creature before it died. The latest wacky theory is that it was a cross between a Mexican Hairless and a Greyhound! Who am I to dispute that? But it could be a Chupacabra! fritz

There was a post a week or so ago about some guns being sold on an auction site, that used a very interesting way of describing them---completely leaving out the word "gun". I wonder if someone will try this on eBay. Anyway, I have found that in the last year or so gun items (especially Mauser) have been going for such ridiculous high prices, that I don't bother to eBay anymore. I guess that eBay will continue to rake it in on shoes, shirts, and other schitt. But not from me. fritz

I was in Walmart buying a large bag of Purina for my dog and was in line to check out. A woman behind me asked me if I had a dog...DUHHHH I was feeling a bit crabby so on impulse, I told her NO and that I was starting The Purina Diet again, although I probably shouldn't because I ended up in the hospital the last time. BUT, I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care unit with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IV's in both arms. Her eyes about bugged out of her head. I went on and on with the bogus diet story and she was totally buying it. I told her that it was an easy, inexpensive diet and that the way it works is to load your pockets or purse with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The package said the food is nutritionally complete so I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in the line was by now enthralled with my story, particularly a tall guy behind her.) Horrified, she asked if something in the dog food had poisoned me and was that why I ended up in the hospital. I said, Oh NO!, I'd been sitting in the street licking my ass when a car hit me. I thought the tall guy in back of the line was going to have to be carried out. fritz

BEST DRUNK STORY OF THE MONTH... A drunken man walks into a biker bar, sits down at the bar and orders a drink. Looking around, he sees three men sitting at a corner table. He gets up, staggers to the table, leans over, looks the biggest, meanest, biker in the face and says: "I went by your grandma's house today and I saw her in the hallway buck naked. Man, she is one fine looking woman!" The biker looks at him and doesn't say a word. His buddies are confused, because he is one bad biker and would fight at the drop of a hat. The drunk leans on the table again and says: "I got it on with your grandma and she is good, the best I ever had!" The biker's buddies are starting to get really mad but the biker still says nothing . The drunk leans on the table one more time and says, "I'll tell you something else, boy, your grandma liked it!" At this point the biker stands up, takes the drunk by the shoulders looks him square in the eyes and says................. "Grandpa,....... Go home, you're drunk fritz

"have they gotten anymore proof yet? Dave " Not that I've heard. They sent some remains to A&M and the National Geographic Society. That one sighting a few years ago near Fannin is only 5 miles from here. Cuero is 25 miles north of me. What I would like to see someone do is send in the remains of one of the victims, and determine how it died. Without seeing the actual kill, I could speculate that it is the work of a Great Horned owl. We lost a lot of chickens to one of those many years ago. I finally put a chicken in a live trap and caught the owl. Maybe someone can do the same with the Chupacabra. fritz

Others have the Yeti, the Sasquatch, and the Loch Ness Monster--we have the chapucabra. Yes, it is supposed to be a mythical creature, created in Hispanic culture (thus the name is derived from spanish for "goat sucker") as it sucks the blood from its victims. There have been several sightings, and one dead carcass run over by a car, but nobody can identify it. I wish the photo in the paper would have uploaded to my PhotoBucket album, but it must be copyrighted or something. Let me just say this--it is a scary looking thing. Here's a story in today's paper--- Cuero creature continues to draw speculation Interest in the hideous beast comes from near and far away July 28, 2007 - Posted at 12:00 a.m. BY SONNY LONG - VICTORIA ADVOCATE CUERO - The hairless carcass of an unidentified creature discovered in DeWitt County prompted a flurry of telephone calls and e-mails from others who have had similar sightings or had farm animals attacked. Some speculate the animal is the mythical Chupacabra - a creature of Mexican lore that drains the blood of livestock. Others think it is a mange-ravaged coyote or dog. Phylis Canion found the body of the beast on her property and took a sample on Tuesday to the biology department at Texas State University for DNA testing. A television crew from San Antonio filmed her. "I can't tell you how many phone calls I have had from people since the story came out who have seen the same thing," Canion said. "A lot of them were near here, too." Interest in the mystery animal came from close to home and from as far away as New York. Roxy Steen, of Victoria, was driving in rural DeWitt County about 11:30 p.m. last Saturday when she saw eyes shining on the side of the road ahead of her. The animal was gray with short front legs and had small horns near the ears. "It didn't run away like most of animals do. It stood there and stared as I got closer," Steen said. It was knee-high and looked like a goat, monkey and cat all mixed together, she said. "I was scared. As soon as I got a signal on my cell phone, I called my mother. I was upset and crying." Other sightings were reported in the DeWitt County area off U.S. Highway 183, not far from Canion's property. "I killed an animal exactly like this two years ago in Gonzales while deer hunting," Jodie Koonce of Yoakum wrote in an e-mail. "The only hair was a very thin strip on the top of his head like a spike haircut. The skin was gray and wrinkled just like the one in your story. "It is truly an ugly creature that caused me many uneasy moments walking to my deer stand in the dark." Others told stories of farm animals attacked. Mario Martinez of Victoria said that two years ago something was attacking chickens at his parent's place in Fannin. Day after day, lifeless chickens were found. Not a feather was ruffled, but they were totally drained of blood. Israel Vasquez, who lives on Upper Mission Valley Road in Victoria County, tells a similar tale. "I bought a goat, and it didn't even make it through the night," he said. "The next morning there was a hole in his skull and his brain had been picked out. There was no blood left in his body. There wasn't a sign of a struggle or anything." Another e-mail came from New York, complete with a photograph of a possible match to the mystery animal. "I think what you have there is a South American maned wolf, possibly with mange. With the destruction of areas of their natural habitat, many animals from the region are moving farther north," wrote John Culligan of Hamden, N.Y. The South American maned wolf is also known as a red fox on stilts, according to the Web site wildones.org. But that theory was refuted by wildlife expert Jan Bussey , web editor for Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose. Dr. Robin Falkov, of New Mexico, thinks that rigor mortis, decay and a possible hypothyroid condition account for the gray creature's horrifying grimace. But one e-mail related a darker and more sinister theory. It is a Frankenstein-like science experiment gone wrong, speculates Thomas Metcalf of New Mexico. "This is not the first time a story like this has surfaced in Texas regarding this kind of freak of nature." fritz

Where's the link? We want the link. Does it have the facts? fritz

Jason, I have listened to various solutions to this problem, anywhere from pissing on the dug-up spots to pepper spray. Here is what I have come down to--and it works, http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/fritz/digging-1.jpg But it depends on your area (do you have prickly pear handy?) fritz

14 Reasons to Deport Illegal Aliens.. 1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year. http://tinyurl.com/zob77 2. $2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens. http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html 3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens. http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html 4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of English! http://transcripts.cnncom/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.0.html 5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html 6. $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html 7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html 8. $90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare & social services by the American taxpayers. http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.html 9. $200 Billion Dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html 10. The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that's two and a half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In particular, their children, are going to make a huge additional crime problem in the United States http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0606/12/ldt.01.html 11. During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroine and marijuana, crossed into the U. S. from the Southern border. Homeland Security Report: http://tinyurl.com/t9sht 12. The National Policy Institute, "estimated that the total cost of mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period." http://www.nationalpolicyinstituteorg/pdf/deportation.pdf 13. In 2006 illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances back to their countries of origin. http://www.rense.com/general75/niht.htm 14. "The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One Million Sex Crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants In The United States ". http://www.drdsk.com/articleshtml So using the LOWEST estimates, the annual cost OF ILLEGAL ALIENS are $338.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR! So if deporting them costs between $206 and $230 BILLION DOLLARS -- Hell! get rid of em'. We'll be ahead after the 1st year!!! fritz

ORANGE COUNTY (CALIFORNIA) NEWSPAPER This is a very good letter to the editor. This woman made some good points. For some reason, people have difficulty structuring their arguments when arguing against supporting the currently proposed immigration revisions. This lady made the argument pretty simple. NOT printed in the Orange County Paper................... Newspapers simply won't publish letters to the editor which they either deem politically incorrect (read below) or which does not agree with the philosophy they're pushing on the public. This woman wrote a great letter to the editor that should have been published; but, with your help it will get published via cyberspace! New Immigrants From: "David LaBonte" My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of the OC Register which, of course, was not printed. So, I decided to "print" it myself by sending it out on the Internet. Pass it along if you feel so inclined. Dave LaBonte (signed) Written in response to a series of letters to the editor in the Orange County Register: Dear Editor: So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home. They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity. Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany , Italy , France and Japan None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan . They were defending the United States of America as one people. When we liberated France , no one in those villages were looking for the French-American or the German American or the Irish American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl. And here we are in 2007 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags. And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty , it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet. (signed) Rosemary LaBonte submitted by fritz

I guess it was because of all the flooding in Texas lately, but tonight I had the desire to dig out the old movie "The River" with Mel Gibson and Sissy Spacek as the farm family on a flooding river, and Scot Glenn as the bad guy who wanted to flood the valley by building a dam so he could have water for his huge holdings distant from the river. I remembered, in the movie, the farmers eventually prevailed and some saved their farms (to the dismay of the rich big-shot who tried to sweat them out). I wanted to remember that, even when things look real bad, hard work and perseverance can bring good things. So those things happen in the movies, but what about real life? Fast forward to today and substitute Rick Perry for Scot Glenn. Substitute a big highway for the dam that floods the valley. The big highway will put a lot of farmers out of business, as was the movie bad guy's intention. Strange how the two are similar, but the highway ain't no movie. It's a real thing. But maybe, just maybe, it can be stopped just as the farmers stopped the flooding. The first thing we need to do is get the big-shots out of power. Traveling up US 183 toward Austin today, the roads were flooded in several spots. What should have been a two hour trip to Lockhart took almost four hours with all the detours. But it didn't rain today. A brief pause before it is supposed to start again on thursday, due to a tropical disturbance heading this way. When will it end---the flooding and the greed of power-hungry politicians? fritz

"What exactly do you see as good in all this?" Who said it was good? I said it was inevitable, even if that is a hard pill to swallow. "More federal judges who support "diversity" and open borders.." How the hell could the borders be more open than they are now? fritz

"I teach in Pvt. School " OK, that explains it. Sorry I confused you with a public school teacher. fritz

"Demonstrating the objectivity and academic quality of your sources. Since you were in the Air Force and I was not, I ask you again, does the Air Force let dumb or stupid people fly their fighters?" On the first---likewise, I am sure! On the second---I was not a fighter pilot, I was in the Strategic Air Command, but I can tell you this--SAC would never let a fellow who was dumb or stupid fly a B-52. What the Texas Air National Guard did, I have no idea. BTW, how long did Bush fly those fighters? Karl, Taking your advise to read more before posting, I present this (taken off the web as you suggested)--- The unit in which Bush served was known as a "Champagne unit," where the scions of the Texas aristocracy could avoid combat duty with relatively few demands on their time. Serving in that unit with Bush were the sons of three prominent men: Democratic Governor John Connally, Democratic Senator and future Vice-Presidential nominee Lloyd Bentsen, and Republican Senator John Tower, as well as seven members of the Dallas Cowboys professional football club, and a man named James R. Bath, who would become a longtime friend of Bush's. fritz