Tracker's Last Hurrah!

TRACKER’S LAST HURRAH!     October 31,2012

                                                       

This has been a very sad week.  We had to put Tracker, my very old mixed Blue Healer hound, to sleep.  I said “we” but actually it was my wife who turned Tracker over to a very kind veterinarian who sent him to Doggie Heaven to join Peaches, Tinkerbell, Katy, Zorro, Drummond, Sarge, Heidi, Ditto, Toughie, and about 20 other pets that we have had during our 70 years of married life.  I just stayed in our car and cried.

         Fortunately, we still have Duke, a 100-pound Gordon Setter, and Goldie, an Australian Healer.

 Tracker’s puppy days were spent on the grounds of the Hidden Pines Country Club where he had been unceremoniously dumped.   I met him on a cold and rainy day in the Fall of 1996.   Shirley and Loy Richards, who were operating the Clubhouse at that time, were feeding him table scraps, but I wanted to know where he slept.  “Over in that pile of leaves,” said Loy.  “Be careful.  He has a broken leg.”

          As I was leaving the Club, I checked on Tracker who was staring at me with his two big brown eyes. 

“Hey, little fella, I already have two dogs, but if you follow me to my car, I’ll take you home.”  I walked through the parking lot to my car, and when I got there, Tracker was waiting for me.   We then made a short stop to have him checked by a veterinarian who said that the leg should heal without splints.  The vet also cleaned out his ears, gave him his shots, and neutered him.

          Soon after settling into his new home, Tracker got his name.  Every morning -- after eating his breakfast --  he would, with nose to the ground, walk the fence line of our back yard.  His job?  To determine what varmints had dared enter his domain.  That’s why we named him “Tracker.”

        He was the smartest dog we had ever adopted.  He knew how to roll over and play dead, he could go out and get the paper, he could sit and stay and come on command.   However, he flatly refused to do any of those things.  Usually when I called him, his first reaction was to simply turn around and walk away.  On the plus side, he was a great communicator.  When he laid his head in your lap and stared at you with those big brown eyes, you knew exactly what he wanted.  Food.

          When Tracker rode with me in the car, he took his position in the passenger seat, staring straight ahead.  He loved to go with me because I would often visit the bank or the pharmacy.   Not that he had any banking to do or needed to pick  up any prescriptions but to feast on the doggie treats provided by the young ladies manning the drive-thru windows.

          One of Tracker’s more exciting experiences came in a car wash.  Big mistake to take him.  Once that rotating spray started around the car, he went wild.  He stayed right with it, barking and snarling, and climbing all over me in the process.  For weeks afterwards he would bark if I drove anywhere near that car wash,

          I really miss Tracker.  In time we will revisit our well-run Warrensburg Animal Shelter and select another doggie who would like a good home.  But, there will never, ever be another Tracker.

 

                                                  

                                                            

                                                                

 

 

 

 

 

 

LET'S HONOR FAMOUS MISSOURI WOMEN

          Isn’t it great to have a Missouri Hall of Fame where we can honor those individuals who have contributed so much wisdom and leadership and have even greatly influenced the culture of our State?  Such men as Harry Truman, Mark Twain, and Walt Disney.  And, now, the latest, Rush Limbaugh.

          But wait.  These are all men who are being honored.  How about selecting a few women?  There must be a number of women who have made both cultural and economic contributions to our State.  Of course, we would be hard put to come up with a nominee the stature and magnanomosity(sic) of a Rush Limbaugh.  But, surely there must be some women who have served our State well who would warrant such an honor.

          One lady in particular comes to mind.  Helen Gould Beck.  According to Missouri Life magazine, this lady was born in Elkton in Hickory County in 1904.  She became famous at the Chicago World’s Fair as a featured dancer.  Seems she invented a titilating dance using two large ostrich plumes to cover her naked body.  Her stage name was Sally Rand.

          We could erect a life-size statue of Sally and display it alongside the enormous bust of Limbaugh (he has a BIG head, remember) in the Rotunda.  People from all over the world could gaze on the tremendous range of honorees who grace the halls of our Capitol.  And, it would recognize the tremendous contribution that women have made in our State.

          I can see Sally and Rush, side by side.  What a message that would bring.  Think about it.

                                                                     

SOMETHING OF VALUE

     These last few days have been terrible.  I have had nightmares almost every night.

     Two nights ago I dreamt that I was the Director of Public Relations for Penn State University.  I was drafting a speech to defend an indefensible position.

     Then last night I dreamt that Mitt Romney had repealed the Affordable Care Act.  It’s no wonder I am stressed out.   I am at the age where health is a major concern.

      If Romney is elected and if he is successful in his plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, would this mean:

·       We would no longer be able to keep our young adult kids on the family health policy,

·       Insurance companies could cap the amount of care we receive and cancel our policy if we get sick,

·       The requirement for insurance companies to cover preventive services like mammograms would be eliminated,

·       Insurance companies could refuse coverage for pre-existing conditions,

·       The plan to build and improve hundreds of community health centers would be scrapped, and

·       Tax credits to small business owners to help them afford to offer quality health care for employees would also be cancelled?

     What worries me most is that if the Republicans are successful in torpedoing this constitutionally approved health care plan, we don’t have a clue as to what they would do to replace it.   As far as I can tell, their “plan” is doing whatever it takes to beat President Obama and take over both houses of Congress.

     Many years ago I read Robert Ruark’s novel  “Something of Value.”  The social philosophy of this novel was the warning, “If you do away with the traditions of the past, then you must first replace them with ‘Something of Value.’”

      It is time that Romney and his Republican cohorts provide us with “Something of Value” if they persist in destroying our nation’s first major health plan.

                                                           

                                                                                                                                        

                                                                     

     

WARRENSBURG CENSUS OFF BY TWO 3/10/10

     When the census numbers are finally announced, I am alerting everyone that the population reported for Warrensburg will be two people less than it should.  Unless something really exciting happens, neither my wife nor I will be counted.

     Here is why.  After discovering that all of my coffee buddies, neighbors and lots of people I don’t even know have already received their census forms I wondered why we had not received ours.  So I called the local post office and got a toll free number to call – 1-866-872-6868.

          So, I called that number.  I got what I think was a “census office” recording which gave me a number of options.   After finally selecting “English” as my preferred language, I was asked what I wanted – the standard English form, the different language form, the special form that explains how to fill out the form -- in the language of your choice, or how many census takers did it take to turn on a light bulb.

          Obviously, I selected “Standard English form.”

          Next question.  “Please give me the number right above the bar code and address on the form sent to you.  We must have this number before we can send you a new form.”

          Since I did not receive the census form (in an envelope with a number on it) to begin with, I couldn’t come up with the number.  I seriously considered making up a number but realized that I would probably upset the entire census operation if I did.

          So, I’ll just continue my role as a senior citizen without a care in the world.  But when the population of Warrensburg is reported please add two more long-time residents to the reported number.

          Sure hope this doesn’t ruin Warrensburg’s chances for a new restaurant.

                                                                     

AK47 ASSAULT RIFLE IS UNPATRIOTIC

            The other morning I went on the internet to find a source for live hand grenades.  What I found out was that they were not only illegal to buy or sell, but it was against the law to even possess one.  How about that!  Our government telling me what I can do and what I can’t do.

            When I tried to buy a tank, I found the same response.  Apparently weapons that are specifically designed – and used – to kill people are off limits for us average citizens.  Grenades and tanks are classified as “weapons of mass destruction.”   Incidentally, the cost of a tank was slightly out of my price range anyway, so that query was simply an academic exercise.

            I then tried to buy dynamite but the paperwork clearance was so daunting that I gave up trying.

            Guess what.  I then searched and found a multitude of sources for the AK47 assault rifle --  all available well within my price range.   The AK47, as you know, combines the firepower of a sub-machine gun with the accuracy and range of a rifle.  This type of rifle was first developed by the Germans in World War II and later copied by the Russians.  In fact, it was designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov and is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova – or AK47 for short.

            I personally was especially appalled to discover that the National Rifle Association was defending our rights to own and shoot a RUSSION DESIGNED weapon.  Golly, how unpatriotic is that?

            When I found the many sources for purchasing assault rifles, I also discovered that there apparently are no limits on the number of rounds of ammunition I can purchase.  The man who murdered and wounded so many people in Colorado recently used a slight variation of the AK47.  It had a clip that could hold up to 100 rounds of ammo and it could fire 50-60 rounds a minute!  It was a true weapon of mass destruction.  

            But isn’t that why grenades and tanks in the hands of citizens are illegal?  Weapons with the sole intent of doing bodily harm to large numbers have in the past been effectively outlawed.  This has absolutely nothing to do with the fear that the government will take away our hunting rifles or shotguns.  As I recall the one time I went pheasant hunting, my shotgun had a block that prevented me from loading more than three shells at a time.  That’s the law.  And in my opinion, why would anyone need a clip of ammunition exceeding 10 rounds?  Why do we need guns that can fire 100 rounds before reloading?

            There is no big clamor to ban guns.  It is a part of the culture of our nation to own guns -- shotguns, hunting rifles, and even hand guns.  But there should be some restrictions on the kind of gun and, especially, its specific purpose or function.

            The federal ban on assault rifles should be reinstated.  

                                                                                     

DON’T BURY VETERANS WITH SEX ABUSERS

    U.S. Representative Vicky Hartzler’s June newsletter arrived this morning, and I was pleased to learn that she is concentrating on the really big issues of the day. 

          Congresswoman Hartzler provided us with updates on three important issues.  The first update covered her support for the shoreline residents of the Lake of the Ozarks.  Another paragraph blasted President Obama for whatever. The remaining major section of her newsletter was devoted to a progress report on her co-sponsored H.R. 2355 – The Hallowed Ground Act which, if passed by Congress, would prohibit sex abusers from being buried in graveyards allocated for U.S. veterans.  One of Hartzler’s constituents had complained to her that her husband, a veteran, was going to be buried in a cemetery reserved for veterans.  She claimed that her husband did not deserve to be buried with military honors in that cemetery because he had sexually abused her.  Thus, the birth of the Hallowed Ground Act.  

          Through the years this has been a major concern of mine.  When I die, I would be horrified to be buried in the same ground as some sex abuser.  While I have a great deal of confidence in Vicky Hartzler’s bill, I have decided not to take any chances.  I am, therefore, directing that when I die, my body is to be cremated and my ashes are to be tossed into the sky.

          Unless Hartzler’s bill provides for a judge and jury to determine the validity of a sexual abuse case, it would seem to me that an honorable discharge from the military would be the only requirement for burial in a national/veteran’s cemetery.

          I hope Hartzler’s bill gets rapid passage.  Perhaps then she can begin concentrating on other important issues of the day.

                                                                   Carl B. Foster

                                                                   Warrensburg, MO 64093

                                                                   660-747-3569

     

MANY OF US NEED A HEAD START

            I was in the fifth grade in LaPorte, IN, when I got my first taste of being left behind.  My teacher announced that our school was going to have a basketball team and any boy wanting to try out for the team should report to the gym right after school.  The school bell rang, and I dashed to the gym where I was first in line.

          The coach was standing there with a basketball in his hands. I had just moved to LaPorte from Chicago and had never even seen a basketball, let alone feel one.    He threw the ball at me and said, “Dribble to the end of the gym, pivot, and dribble back.”   Although I had a vague idea of what “dribble” meant, I didn’t have a clue what he meant by “pivot.”

          When the list of  boys who made the team was posted, I wasn’t on it.  At first I was devastated.  But I figured that next year would be different.  But it never was.  The boys who made the team became the stars in high school, and some went on to play at the college level.  I never got beyond being a sub on the Presbyterian Church team.

          In looking back on that experience, I now realize that as a short, chubby kid with no visable athletic skills, I needed some extra help 

          My boyhood experience of  not making the team came flashing back to me when I learned that the U.S. House of Representatives, under the power of its Republican members, is proposing some drastic cuts in education.  The Head Start program was specifically included.  It is estimated that nearly one-quarter million poor children would be affected.

          What the members of Congress don’t realize, or worse yet, don’t care about, is that once you fall behind, it is extremely hard to ever catch up.  What we accomplish by cutting Head Start is to eventually increase the number of citizens who are members of a lower economic class.  The gap between the “haves” and the “have nots” just gets wider.

          So please, members of Congress, don’t cut education programs that bring long term benefits to our nation.

          Incidentally, although I never made it as a basketball player at any level, I did play a lot of golf.  I wasn’t much good at that either, but at least I had a lot of fun.  And I continue to be an avid Mules and Jennies basketball fan.

                                               

                                                                   Carl B. Foster

                                                                   660-747-3569

IT WAS A STUPID MISTAKE

            People keep asking me when I am sending in another “Letter to the Editor.”  My standard response has been, “When someone does something stupid!”

            BINGO!  Someone did.  The only problem is, that someone was me.

            Yesterday, a friend sent me an email that is a classic “male golfing buddy” type -- sexy, sexist and really, really funny   It was a story about a lady on an airliner who was headed for a nymphomaniac conference where she was to give the keynote address.  It was really a funny story..

            So, I proceeded to forward it to some of my coffee drinking friends, one in particular named “John.”  I must have hit the wrong key to call up his name on my email contact list and included the name of a local, well known lady.  I automatically hit “send” and then panicked when I saw this lady’s name included with my friend John.

            Sad thing about sent emails.  They go fast and it is impossible to retrieve them.

            I, of course, shared my concern with my wife whose only comment was, “Sure hope she has a sense of humor.”  No sign of support there at all.

            An apology has been sent by email and let us hope that I am never the stupid one again.  Incidentally, that email really was funny.

            KEEP GOVERNMENT OUT OF OUR SEXUAL LIVES

          There is a highly disturbing news item in the March 26 issue of Newsweek magazine involving the sexual activities of men.  A group of female state legislators in Ohio are introducing a bill to control the use of Viagra.  Seems that these good ladies are concerned about the health of older men who seek continued sexual activity.  The bill would limit the use of Viagra until certain medical tests are conducted.

          Men would need a medical doctor’s approval following a series of highly invasive physical examinations including heart stress tests, electrocardiograms, echograms, and cat scans.  The male patients would then be counseled by a psychiatrist who would review the test results with them.  Special counseling would also be provided for those men who would want to ignore the tests.  

           The news article did not mention the role of religion in the bill.    However, my intuition tells me that religion is at the heart of this intrusion into the sex lives of males.  The big question is, will health insurance cover the costs of these expensive tests?  And, can the government force the insurance companies to provide coverage even though it violates basic religious principles of many of those involved?

          Have we reached the point of accepting the sexual concept prescribed by at least one of the Republican presidential candidates?  He insists that sexual activity be limited to purposes of procreation.  According to this guy, sex shouldn’t be for fun!

          Why a bunch of women think they know more about male sexual organs than we do is beyond me.  Obviously, those female legislators were not interested in the male viewpoint.  They claim to be acting on behalf of the health of men – their husbands,  their sons, or their “other partners.”

          None of this applies to those of us who are well beyond the “procreation stage,” and I do not plan to use that little blue pill anytime soon.  But, we men demand the right to be in charge of our own bodies.  I don’t want anyone – government – and particularly women – to attempt to invade my PRIVATE world.

          Hopefully the good lady legislators in Missouri will not emulate their cohorts from Ohio. 

                                               

                                                Carl B. Foster

                                                660-747-3569

A DOUBLE WHAMMY

          It has been a while since my last “Letter to the Editor,” and a number of  my friends often ask me, “When can we see another letter?”  My standard response has been, “When some idiot does something stupid.”

          Today my ship came home.  Not ONE but TWO stupid actions – both worthy of comment and both reported in the Star Journal.

          The first one nearly made me cry when I think of all the good that could have been done with the $21 million wasted on a meaningless primary.  But, our illustrious Star Journal editor covered that subject very well, so I won’t dwell on it. 

          The second stupid event was also instigated by our elected representatives in Jefferson City, and it really did make me cry.  There apparently is a Hall of Famous Missourians in the State Capitol, and it is the prerogative of the Speaker of the House, Steven Tilley, to select the inductees.  Honoring outstanding Missourians is certainly a worthy project.  But guess who Speaker Tilley is selecting?

          Unbelievable, but true.  He selected Rush Limbaugh who must be every woman’s nightmare.  Limbaugh, as most of you must have heard, reached a new low when he called a graduate law student at Georgetown University a prostitute and demanded that she video-tape her sexual activity so he could see her “doing it.”   This was in response to this young lady stating her views on contraception and the health of women in testimony before a Congressional Committee.

          Speaker Tilley said that the Hall honors “famous Missourians” – not “universally loved Missourians.”  So, why isn’t Jesse James among those so honored?  All I know is if Limbaugh is “enshrined” in the Hall of Famous Missourians, I’m going to quit claiming Missouri as my state.

          I’m sure glad we have an excess of stupidity among our state’s legislators.  Gives me something to write about.   

                                                         

 LET’S GET GUNS ON CAMPUS

          There are many of us who are looking forward with great anticipation to the efforts of the Missouri legislature to enact a bill permitting  concealed weapons on college campuses.   We are thankful for the support of the NRA and its fine support of our legislators in this patriotic endeavor.  If this measure passes, we can look forward to a rapid decline in rapes, robberies and murders on our local university campus.

          Basically, I liken the implementation of concealed weapons to a baseball game.  If a batter thinks the pitcher is throwing a curve ball, it doesn’t really matter whether the ball actually curves or not.  It is the batter’s perception that counts.

          Same with concealed weapons.  If we think that everyone may be carrying a concealed weapon, it has exactly the same effect.

          However, just passing legislation allowing students to carry guns on campus is really not enough.  Following are some suggestions on what would greatly enhance this legislation:

     a) Because of the current economic recession, many students cannot afford to purchase a gun – or the ammunition that goes with it.  Only the richer students can take advantage of such a program.  Therefore, I would propose that the University bookstore sell guns and ammunition (with student discounts) to help level the playing field.  Which brings our athletic programs into play.  I recall that last year the university bookstore offered a percentage discount on everything based on the number of touchdowns made by the football team.  If we have a winning football season, the cost of these guns and ammunition would be drastically reduced.

          b) Female students should be particularly pleased over the program.  They would feel much safer if they assumed that their date was carrying a concealed weapon.  When I was a college student (many years ago) I dated a girl who wore a leather jacket, boots, and a helmet and rode a motorcycle.  I felt real safe when I was with her.

          c) Think of the huge savings by eliminating the need for a campus security force.  With students armed with guns the number of violent actions on campus should be reduced to almost nothing.   Even the

Pine Street

problems would be greatly reduced.

          d) The only added cost of a concealed weapons program that I can see would be the need to purchase bullet proof vests for faculty and administrators, especially during the weeks of mid-term tests and finals. Actually, students should see a dramatic improvement in their overall grades since most faculty would be reluctant to fail a gun toting student.

          I understand that one of our sister universities provides laptop computers to all incoming freshmen.  How dumb is that?  Guns can provide a lot more security than computers, especially when you read about all the sex that is being solicited via the internet.

     It goes without saying that both the NRA and the Missouri legislature should be highly commended for their deep concerns over our well being. 

                                     

                                                                           

WAR IS HELL

          The airwaves and newspapers have been filled for the past few days with the self-righteous, sanctimonious proclamations of representatives from the Pentagon, Congress, the State Department and on and on.  They were all shocked to learn that some young members of the United States Marine Corps had desecrated the bodies of a number of Taliban terrorists by urinating on them.

          The complaints generally came down to two assumptions.  First, such crass acts were certainly against the “rules of war,” and even worse, all they did was make the Taliban mad and that would negate our plans for a negotiated peace.  Personally, I think the Taliban are already mad since we are killing so many of them.

          And who came up with the idea that there were “rules of war?”  The only rule I know of is “kill or be killed.”  And wasn’t there a famous person who once said, “War is Hell”?

          Let’s review for a moment.  First, the Pentagon recruits these young men, puts them through a really tough training period where a Marine sergeant gives them a rifle and tells them that they are now a “killing machine.”

         Isn’t that what wars are all about?  Admiral Halsey had it right at the beginning of the war in the Pacific when he had a huge billboard erected at the entrance to Tulagi harbor which read “Kill the Yellow Bastards.”  It was seen by all who passed that way.

          So, following their training to become “killing machines,” these Marines are shipped to Afghanistan to engage in some terrifying firefights with Taliban terrorists.  Marines have been killed and wounded in these fights and this one was particularly fierce.  At the end of this most recent firefight, these Marines were at an emotional peak.  If they relieved some of their tension by relieving themselves on dead Taliban terrorists, so be it.  Whatever it takes.

\     There is even talk about punishing these Marines for their lack of social graces.  That would be an abomination!  We need to give them medals for their bravery and willingness to wage a very dangerous war against our enemies.

          We should not, we cannot, judge these Marines for their actions until we have personally experienced some of the fighting they have been through.  To those sanctimonious politicians, “Put a cork in it!”  (That’s an old Navy expression for “Please shut up and go away.”)

                                                          Carl B. Foster

                                                          Warrensburg, MO