January 2024 Concerns

Several items that I addressed on My Facebook and/or E-Mails to many individuals!!! 10 January - Accountability in our U. S. Government! "Quarters for Muster and Inspection" or "Muster on Station" where commands we in the U. S. Navy heard on a daily basis when we were on a Ship. Even on Shore duty we had to check in with our designated leader, which could be a Senior Petty Officer or Chief. This happened at 0800 each day. By 0805 we all knew who was not present. In fact the usual requirement to go to "Sick Bay" was to inform your Leading Petty Officer or Chief that you would be in the Sick Bay line instead of being at Quarters or Muster on Station location. When I was Non-Rated I had to check in however once I advanced I was the Sailor that subordinates had to check in with. By following these procedures the Skipper of a Shore Duty Station and/or a Ship knew in a timely manner the names of those Sailors who were not present that day. I can only speak for the Navy however I suspect that My Fellow Comrades in Arms had procedures much like the Navy to insure that All Were Present or Accounted for on a Daily Basis. I realize that I have been retired from the U. S. Navy since 1991, however I suspect that the accountability procedures are about the same as I have discussed above. Of course the purpose of these procedures was to insure that our Unit was ready to respond to any and all situations, be it an onboard Fire, etc. or when ashore to perform our mission in any situation. I cannot comprehend how our U. S. Government can function in the manner that I have heard about in recent days. This, from my point of view is especially critical for the "Department of Defense - DOD!" 15 January - The Impact of Cold Weather on the Iowa Caucuses! Iowa People have lived with cold weather a long time. I will be 84 in February and I retired from the Navy in 1981 and now live in Georgia. True Story. In 1953 or 54 when I was 13 or 14 one cold Iowa morning after chores were done we were having breakfast. The radio announcer on WMT told us no school today because the buses could not be started because of the cold. (Note there were no bus barns back then and the buses were out in the cold). Our tractor was stored in the Machine Shed and could be started. Dad looked at Me and My brother two years younger and told us it would be a great day to go to the timber and cut firewood for next winter. I recall that we were not happy, but we got dressed in our layers of clothes, wool socks wrapped with newspaper and put on our boots (rubber boots with several buckles) and went outside to begin our trip to the woods. The tractor had a heat houser so the engine heat traveled back to us as Dad drove and we stood on the drawbar for the trip to the timber. Once we got to the timber woods) we build a fire. Then we fell some trees with a cross cut saw. At lunch time we opened our lunch boxes and found frozen sandwiches and frozen angel food cake. We toasted this at the fire and enjoyed a meal with warm water from the thermos jug Mom had packed. We cut wood the whole day. Returned home satisfied that we accomplished our task. I do not recall if the minus 35 degrees announced that morning was the actual temperature or the wind chill number. I do it was minus 35 degrees. Summary – Iowa people know cold and can still perform! I am saying that they will turn out tonight!