Jul 022013
 

Listen to this!—-> Frampton

If you didn’t bother listening to the audio clip above you missed out on some great Peter Frampton.  Today, I get to bring up the rear on this whole “feelings” theme.

First of all, did you like the themed edition of the Coots?  We are thinking that the first week of every month will be a theme week and you, the loyal readers of the Coots (i.e. Heather, Hansi and Dave) will be responsible for choosing that theme.  Go ahead and cast your vote right over there in the sidebar for March’s theme.  And if you have a suggestion for a theme by all means hit us with it via the contact form or in the comments.

Now onto the Cantankerousness.  We spend a lot of time here at the coots talking about basically feelings.  What feelings to have, what feelings to discard, and whose feelings to stomp into a mudhole when the time is right.  Ralph has reintroduced the Cantankerous Old Coots University to our growing audience and, hopefully, has started more and more people on the path to true Cantankerousness.

In a lot of ways, Cantankerousness equals freedom.  To be truly cantankerous, you will be embracing all of the core values that are wrapped up in the First Amendment.  Coots say what they think.  We say what needs to be said without regard for the sissy feelbads of this generation.

Sometimes, you just need to hear the hard stuff.  Like Denis Leary says, “Life sucks, get a helmet.”  Your feelings shouldn’t get in the way of the truth.  The history of America is filled with insensitivity and lack of regard for feelings.  We are stubborn and, well, cantankerous.  Do you think that the Revolutionary War would have been won or even fought if the colonists worried about the “feelings” of King George?  He sure didn’t care about us and we gave him the collective finger.

Think of the government policies regarding Indians.  (Yes I said Indians.  That is what they always were Native American is a whole other rant.  And my Great Grandmother was full blooded Arapaho so don’t give me any crap about it.)  The Indians that basically ruled what would become the United States were slaughtered and pushed to little tiny plots of undesirable land.  More than once.  And the ones who had the balls to resist (see Geronimo, ass kicker extraordinaire) were eventually snuffed out by the Government.

Cantankerousness is not just bitching about the world.  It is taking a stand and forcing your position down the throats of all the namby pamby do gooders who just don’t get what it means to be assertive.  Feelings are an invention of those who need something to explain their lack of intestinal fortitude.

This is the main mission of the Coots.  To try and jump start that intestinal fortitude that is lying dormant in so many people these days.  To show people that it is ok to put your feelings in a dark place in your heart and let them fester until they just can’t be contained anymore and you make someone cry telling them the truth and not holding back because of their “feelings”.

Now, watch this video, it sums up much of my personal philosophy very nicely.

Now tell me what you think about your feelings, the comments are open and waiting for your cantankerousness to flow.

Don’t forget to vote for next month’s theme.   Semper Fi.

-Justin

Justin

Justin is the young Coot with a Cantankerous Soul who continues to be educated by older, more cootish Ralph and Bob. His Cantankerosity is his own.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook

Jul 022013
 
English: The earliest known draft of the Unite...

English: The earliest known draft of the United States Declaration of Independence, a fragment in the handwriting of Thomas Jefferson. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Hey folks, if you haven’t noticed, this post is simulcast both here on Catharsis of the Bogue and Cantankerous Old Coots.  It is almost the 4th of July here in the United States, one of my favorite holidays.

 

This image was selected as a picture of the we...

This image was selected as a picture of the week on the Malay Wikipedia for the 26th week, 2010. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

If you didn’t know, July 4th celebrates the day when a group of British citizens here in the American Colonies decided to give the finger to King George and make their own country.  July 4th is the day when those men we now call Patriots, signed one of the most important documents in the history of the world, the Declaration of Independence.

 

This is not just another day.  This is our Independence Day.  This is the day John Adams wrote to his wife about, saying,

 

“The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.

 

Those brave men who wrote, and then ratified that Declaration were so far from the milquetoast government that we have now.  They knowingly put their names to a document that labeled each and every one of them traitors to the most powerful country on the Earth at that time.  And they knew what they could make out of this country.  They knew that King George was not the way.  They knew that we had to have our own laws, our own officials, our own taxes.

 

And now, this country, with all of the problems that we do have, still shines as a beacon to the world, a democracy, a republic that has lasted for over 200 years.  This Thursday is July 4th, when we should be with our families.  We should raise a flag at dawn and salute whilst saying the Pledge of Allegiance.  We should read that Declaration of Independence and understand what they were fighting for.  We should read the Constitution and know what our country is built on.  There is no better time to be a patriot.

 

Tonight, Tuesday the 2nd, I took it upon myself to teach my Cub Scouts about the Declaration of Independence.  They range in ages from 8 to 10.  Most of them had only heard of the Declaration (and no, Abraham Lincoln did not have anything to do with the Declaration, despite the insistence of one 8 year old).  I gave each of them a copy that they could read with their families.  We read it together and discussed what it meant.  The other leaders and I tried not to realize that We, as Citizens of the USA, need to send a slightly edited copy of this document to Washington.  But I digress.  I know it is important to teach the Declaration and it’s meaning.  And to debunk the map on the back.  It exists only in Hollywood.

 

The Fourth of July, Independence Day, should not just be the day we watch fireworks.  It shouldn’t be the day we finish cleaning the car, or mowing the lawn.  We should be thankful for this country.  We should give thanks to whatever God we worship that we are here, and are free of tyranny.  We should thank our Service Men and Women for defending that freedom that we began fighting for back in 1775.

 

I love going to community festivals on Independence Day.  I really like to be with others, celebrating this country and the fact that we are Americans.  I love the “Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations” that John Adams predicted.  I love to stand and remove my hat as the flag passes by during the parade, even when most people don’t bother.  I love to sing that National Anthem with a field full of people, all of like mind.

 

Many people say “Happy Birthday America.”  I do to.  But more importantly, I say , “Happy Independence Day.”   May you all have a great Independence Day, go out and celebrate, don’t let it be just another day.

 

-Justin

 

 

 

 

 

Enhanced by Zemanta

Justin

Justin is the young Coot with a Cantankerous Soul who continues to be educated by older, more cootish Ralph and Bob. His Cantankerosity is his own.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook

Mar 072013
 
The Morgan silver dollar

Image via Wikipedia

I never thought I would see the day when there were places right here in these United States where they didn’t like cash.  Cash is no longer king, and sometimes the green is not good.

First some small history.  If you have read my blogs over this summer you will have some small inkling of the size of the pile of crap that has fallen on us.  Long story short, (side note at this thought, zemanta just brought up some pics to put on the page, I am hoping a manure pile is one of them) anyway, long story short, we have decided to nearly forego the banking industry and go back to a mostly cash system for our budget.

Seems like a good idea right?  Get the direct deposit, go withdraw it, be hyper accurate with records and it should work out fine.  Biggest problem, some places give you dirty looks when you pull out cash.  Some look on in puzzlement as former presidents look out from their assigned currencies.

Some say “Oh, we don’t get much cash.”  or some don’t even take it.  I tried to pay my rent with cash and they said no.  I had to go get a cashiers check or pay over the net with a credit card.  Hmmm.  Imagine that, here is perfectly good money, issued by the Government for the people by the people and protected under miles of codes and laws, and they don’t want it.  All they want is the numbers in the bank account.

It is not like I am paying in chickens or anything.  Back in my grandparents day, they had cash.  You got paid in cash or a check that you cashed at the bank.  You paid cash for groceries.  You paid cash for gas.  If you didn’t have cash, you didn’t buy that extra candy bar.  Debit cards are way too easy to use and they get you in trouble.

I could have called this article “Down with Debit Cards.”  We got nailed with the timing of debit cards to the tune of about $1400 in the past 6 months.  May not be catastrophic but that is rent and groceries for a month.  The issue is timing.  and the fact that the banks need to make up some revenue that they are not getting from loans and other government restrictions.

So I am working hard to keep my bank accounts at a minimum and use that debit card as little as possible.  I have had to plan on getting gas during the times when a person is actually in the place to take my cash.  I have had to really keep track because I know that when the cash is gone, there is no more.  It brings a whole new level of frugality that debit cards and easy credit have taken away.

Plus you can have fun with it.  I sold some fitness equipment earlier this week and took the check to the bank to cash.  They asked how I wanted it back and I told him a sack of dollar coins.  He looked nervous before I chuckled and told him what bills I wanted.  I would still like to have $1000 in dollar coins.  Walmart would have an apoplexy when we got groceries.

Anyway, have a great weekend, Remember Talk Like A pirate Day is on Monday, I hope you have all decorated and have been watching your pirate movies and singing your sea chanteys around the grog pot.  There will be a special edition of the podcast on Monday, the reason there was not one yesterday.   It is taking a lot to put together, but it should be entertaining.  I have had not interest in joining in on the podcast, so **like deleted to preserve family content**

I will be having some special guests that will remain unnamed until the naming during the podcast.  I would say you don’t want to miss it, but then again you might.  In that case I will email it to everyone who visits this site and  clog their servers and email systems so that I can take over.  Cyber hijacking.  Anyway, have a fun weekend.

ONE MORE THING!  Happy Birthday to Ralph earlier this week, he got older and probably more cantankerous.  Wish him a happy belated birthday.

Later – Justin

Justin

Justin is the young Coot with a Cantankerous Soul who continues to be educated by older, more cootish Ralph and Bob. His Cantankerosity is his own.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook

Jan 242013
 

Starting this morning, the Coots went live! A new show…The Political Coot…will be streamed live every Monday at 10am eastern time on uStream on the channel The Political Coot.

The show will be recorded and put up as a recorded podcast here on CantankerousOldCoots.com by ABOUT noon, eastern time…and here is today’s show:

Show length: 14:16

[powerpress]

Show notes:

0:35 introducton
0:50 CantankerousOldCoots.com collaboration
1:30 Show focus
2:00 The WWWWHW (Who, What, When, Where, How, Why) of the show
3:00 Explanation of interactivity
3:20 Viewpoint
4:30 Topic focus
8:00 Illegal veggies are a national security risk!
14:15 WDWFY. YWFU. (Watch the show…fid out)

Bob@HayleStorm Interactive

Bob comes to us with a skeptical attitude and a full cup of Cantankerousness. He also writes about homesteading and yurts over at JuicyMaters.com and rants about politics at Common-Sense-Conversation.com Most of the time, though, you'll find him at HayleStorm.net, cranking out great websites for clients OR writing tutorials teaching them to build their own sites.

More Posts - Website - Twitter

America has lost it!

 Posted by at 04:55  Uncategorized
Dec 032012
 

Maybe it’s contagious!

Now that Bob is back in the saddle even if it means watching his ugly puss on video, it’s hard not to be infected by his attitude. He’s always fussing about something but his negativity got me thinking about what’s wrong with this country. How did all the American frontier virtues of independence and self-sufficiency get quashed and replaced with dependency and insecurity. I sure don’t know. I guess I was complicit along the way but I sure never dreamed that we would ever get to the wimpy state of affairs we’ve got now. Looking back I should have seen it coming but I didn’t recognize the warning signs and I certainly didn’t fuss and complain at the time when it might have made a difference. I rolled my eyes and resisted but I never dreamed how it would destroy our country’s spirit.

So what was this warning sign, you ask?

What should have waked me up to the threat and roused me to sound the warning. It seemed harmless at the time. It was only a silly issue that only an old women would care about. I couldn’t realize that this small issue would sap the independence of the American spirit and give power to the growing nanny state. And I failed to understand the siren call of dependency and cowardice.

For Gosh sakes, I hear you saying, what in the world are you rambling about? What could have been so destructive to the American spirit that you can’t stoop your bellyaching? It seemed like a small thing. It seemed innocuous enough. Only now is it obvious. Only now can we see the terrible damage to the American spirit created when we started making our kids wear helmets.

Yes those silly, totally unnecessary,  bicycle helmets.

 

When I was a kid, it would never have crossed my mother’s mind to make me wear a helmet. I was blissfully unaware of the potential risk from riding my tricycle or later my bicycle. The thought of falling on my head never crossed my mind. I had any number of risky experiences in my youth and even into adulthood riding bicycles. Not once, however, did I come even close to falling on my head. This morning, driving to an appointment , I saw a mother and child crossing an intersection near my house. The kid was maybe three and riding on a tricycle, probably as safe a kiddy vehicle as you can create and on this kid’s head was a helmet that would protect him from colliding with a freight train. What a damning message for that poor kid not to mention what is says about his mom but it sure tells all you need to know about how far American has fallen.

Conditioned for dependency. 

A kid, conditioned from earliest memory to safety equipment in virtually risk-free situations is likely to avoid risks as an adult. I cringe seeing such over-protective behavior but it is so much worse than just overprotective parents smothering their children’s initiative and sprint. We’ve gone and institutionalized this madness. These days the police will arrest you for child endangerment if you let your children ride bikes unprotected. Parental judgment has been overridden by police state nannyism.

And it’s all unnecessary.

I don’t see much hope for our country’s future these days. Nobody is willing to tolerate risk of any kind. And if you somehow missed the memo and take a chance, the police will step in to get you in line. What used to be the American spirit of adventure, taking risks and being responsible for your actions has been replaced with conformity, insecurity and risk-aversion more akin to life in the old Soviet Union. And to think it all started with a harmless little helmet. We’ve lost it.

Ralph

Ralph is the inspiration for Cantankerous Old Coots and is our Grand Duke of Cantankerousness

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook