Cactus Jack Calder

Timing: Not in the military, shortly after my hitch, where I learned the skill. I was co-opted to attend a “Continuing Education Session”. My co-workers tell me that I appeared to have fallen asleep when the instructor made a misstatement of fact. Without raising my head or opening my eyes I raised my hand. When acknowledged by name I pointed out the error, gave the correct facts and there after remained in repose. At the end of the session several friends asked me, ‘how’d you do that?’ I asked them “Do what?” That was the joke of the office for the rest of the week. I never admitted that I was “completely awake” all the time. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. CJ

This reminded me of an incident in my life from a long time ago. Miami Seaquarium In the summer of 1968 my new wife (only one ever, honest) and I visited the state of Florida. We had flow into Miami and decided to visit the Seaquarium before traveling on to see relatives. At that time they had a tank with Orcas that performed with human trainers. The tank had viewing windows below the waterline so that you could see the whales swim. As we were looking at the whales swim by, we were joined by a young father with two sons. One youngster was riding Dad’s shoulders while his slightly old brother walked in front. Just as we reached one of the windows a whale swam by the window with its’ belly against the glass. As the white underside slid past a fairly long appendage slipped out of an opening in the skin. Both boys immediately noticed this object. The younger son exclaimed while pointing at the appendage, “Daddy, Daddy what’s that?” As the father tried to mumble a reply and marshal the boys quickly along, the older brother replied at the top of his voice, “I think I.. know what that is!” The rest of the exchange between father and children was lost in the sound of laughter from my wife and myself. Good memories of long ago times. CJ

In PA it’s: ” Too soon oldt, too late Shmardt”. My wife’s family was from Eastern PA, Carbon County. They had many sayings like this. I loved visiting Grammy and Pappy. I still use, “Outen the light” with my Grandkids. CJ

I have an original. It was my Dad’s. I also have mine from the 50’s. Now I need to find them. I know they are safely stored somewhere. What I really need to do is make sure my children and grandchildren don’t throw them away when I’m gone. CJ

Wal them Nau’Lins folks is some Frenchy. CJ

That’s sort of similar to the “unhoused” discussion. We don’t want to offend anyone. WHO COULD BE OFFENDED BY WRITING “Coffee tree or Tea tree”? Maybe the people who grow Chicory. I’ve read it was sometimes used as a substitute or extender for coffee. After looking it up Chicory appears to be a leafy plant whose roots can be roasted and used to make a caffeine free coffee substitute, and you can buy it on the big ‘A’. Seems to be a French thing. Nuf said! CJ

I don't normally speak that way. I was just quoting from one of my favorite movies, "My Cousin Vinny". Though I have used 'Hinky' long before NCIS had Abi using it. CJ

Well, my misspent yout began in the 50's and continued into the early 60's. I won't admit how old I am, but I'm sure I'm not alone in that demographic. Fancy word, huh? CJ

I’ve known that word since my early misspent yout. Hinky is indeed a situation or object that is not “right” as in suspect or just plain hinky! CJ

This picture made me “Alpo” wonder, when we’re caterpillar tracks invented. Looked it up on Wiki. The stiff mechanism was first given a physical form by Hornsby & Sons in 1904 and then made popular by Caterpillar Tractor Company, with tanks emerging during World War I. Today, they are commonly used on a variety of vehicles, including snowmobiles, tractors, bulldozers, excavators and tanks. Interesting! CJ

Ditto CJ

True, but it seems to me a young person would be able to see the difference on an analog clock, where all they would see on a digital would be the current reading. If the person is not educated enough to know it is one hour difference the digital clock shows no relationship to alternate times zones. An analog clock gives them the opportunity to view the alternate time zone reading. I’m not saying they would understand it, just that it might be easier to visualize. It is true that education seems to be lacking in this instance. I’m just having fun busting the younger generations. CJ

That may be true. I’m an EE so I do not claim to know that much about Mechanical Engineering. It seemed logical at the time. However, what I wrote is in fact what I was told by at least two parties. One each from either side of the incident. Also, the cable was being replaced as I saw it stretched out across the first floor lobby in all it’s greasy splendor. As I said, “That’s the truth said I know it.” Incidentally, no offense was taken nor intended in my reply. It’s just a recounting of an incident that occurred during my younger years. CJ

Maybe they just need to be taught how an analog clock works. It seems to me that many young people can only read a digital clock display. I know I had to teach my Grandchildren how to read an analog clock and what half past, quarter til, 5 of, etc. mean. This was when they were just beginning to learn to tell time at public school. They are teenagers now. They can read analog clocks, understand and speak 24 hour time nomenclature, even from a 12 hour clock face. I was surprised to find that their school had digital display clocks in the classroom. I thought at the time the school system was too underfunded to replace all the analog clocks in each classroom. It just seemed logical to keep the analog clocks so that the children could be multi clock lingual. But what do I know about modern things. I still have a Windows 7 Computer I use for word processing, even though it cannot be updated or see the internet without a cable. CJ

In 1962 I began attending college at an (unnamed here) Engineering School along the palisade heights across the Hudson River from NYC. I commuted to school rather than living on campus. One Monday morning I arrived at the 21(#?) story Student Center to find one of the elevators cables being unstrung across the first floor lobby. I asked around and was told this story of what had caused this condition. It seems that the local jock fraternity (Delta Tau Delta, no Greek symbols are available on my tablet) had decided to try an Engineering experiment. The door to the elevator had a small window in it. Through this window, one could see a number painted on the shaft wall corresponding to the floor you were approaching. The frat brothers loaded the elevator to maximum capacity. Understand this was not the “safe load capacity” posted in the inspection notice. It was as many as they could squeeze into the box. Taking the elevator to the top floor, with other brothers posted on each floor to ensure that no one stopped the elevator before it reached the first floor, they began their decent. As the elevator approached the first floor stop all the men in the elevator jumped up, timed to land just as the brakes were applied. When the elevator door opened the floor of the elevator was 1 foot below the first floor surface. As the cable was a multi wrap layup (# of wraps unknown) it appears that the managed to stretch the cable several feet. This is what I was told by one of the elevator mechanics with some fill in information provided by one unnamed culprit of my acquaintance. I was not, nor have I ever been, a Delta Tau Delta brother. That’s the truth as I know it! CJ

If there’s too much liquid in the relish use a fork. I haven’t used a spoon since forever. My mother taught me to use a fork for relish when I was just a little Bairn. UP THE BRUCE! CJ

72.44308……… You’re welcome! CJ

Used to be a roadside coffee and bun truck in West Boca Raton, Fl. That had a bikini clad attendant who stood outside along the road. They did a good business for a while. Since I only visited in the area I don’t know how long that lasted. That was years ago and the original young lady would be significantly older. Maybe if you are in the area you could ask around and find out if they are still in operation. Or, Alpo may be willing to check, at least he’s in the state. CJ

Locally we have a store named Durovyn. Also a farm named Duwerkin. CJ

Ditto. Hey, I’m a 1%ter. Does that make me special? I know, I know, we here at SASS are all “SPECIAL”! CJ

Here the police have a mailbox type bin that you can anonymously drop drugs in to be disposed of by them. 1. Must be in a bottle, not a baggy. 2. Remove label to maintain anonymity. 3. No questions asked by PD. CJ

Neau Broome He’ll clean up the town. CJ

When we moved here to ## Xxx Lane I would get calls from delivery drivers. “I’m at ## Xxx Lane and there is no house here. I’d tell them they were on ## Xxx Drive, across the lake from our house. Then I would explain how to drive around the lake to our house. Even GPS systems sometimes had trouble differentiating our street from the one across the lake. After a while I investigated why the village had decided to name two streets Xxx Lane and Xxx Drive on either side of a lake. It turns out that the streets were originally named Xxx Lake North and Xxx Lake South. To eliminate future confusion they were renamed Xxx Lane and Xxx Drive. To further complicate maters four years ago they built a house at ## Xxx Drive. Now I get their mail often and sometimes packages from the “private “ carriers. So neither the Federal Government, nor major industrial contractors can reliably find me. I lost all my gun in a boating accident and I’m not worried about the A##F finding me as GPS systems are on my side. That’s the Truth and I’m sticking too it. CJ

Crayon? Studio lights would make it soft, so they would have had to shoot the scene quickly! CJ