What Would Jimmy Do?

Today, September 10, 2023, is Grandparent’s Day. Both the readers of this blog know that Grandparent’s Day has it’s roots here in West Virginia. Grandparents Day is observed on the first Sunday after Labor Day in both the United States and Canada. 

A day celebrating grandparents was a fairly new idea when West Virginia native Marian McQuade pressed the U.S. Senate to proclaim a special day for grandparents in 1978. That same year, President Jimmy Carter signed the bill into law proclaiming special recognition for grandparents throughout the land.

In the UK, grandparent’s day is the first Sunday in October. In Germany, Grandmother’s Day is observed on the second Sunday in October. Grandparents Day (Dia del Abuelo) is celebrated in Mexico every year on August 28.
In Latin America and Spain, grandparents are called abuela and abuelo, in Italy, it’s nonna and nonno, in Germany, oma and opa and in the US we call them grandma and grandpa.

A lot of famous people have been raised by their grandparents, including President Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Jack Nicholson, Carol Burnett and Willie Nelson.

The median age of grandparents today is 48 and about 10% of them have tattoos.
The official flower of Grandparent’s Day is the forget-me-not.
Of those asked, 72% think being a grandparent is the single most important role in their lives. If you are one, you probably agree with that.
Grandparents Day is a great excuse for family get-togethers — of course, so is every other day!!!
— 30 —

Practice does not make perfect — it was never intended to.
Rather, it increases our repertoire of ways to recover from our mistakes.
And — provides lessons learned of what not to do again.
— 30 —

So last night officially kicked off this year’s NFL season. The NFL has now expanded beyond our borders, with games to be played in England and Germany this year. 

The NFL got its start in a car dealership — in 1920, representatives from several professional American football franchises met at Ralph Hay’s Hupmobile auto showroom in Canton, Ohio, to form what would eventually become the NFL. At the start, it was known as the American Professional Football association (APFA) before being changed to the NFL a couple of years later. 
The Green Bay Packers are the only publicly-owned franchise in the NFL. The team’s bylaws stipulate that profits are to be reinvested in the team or donated to charity.
The first live televised NFL game was played on October 22, 1939 between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Only about 500 TV sets in New York received the broadcast.
The longest game in NFL history took place on Christmas Day in 1971 between the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs. The Dolphins won, after 82 minutes and 40 seconds, including two overtime periods.
Lamar Hunt, the founder of the American Football League (AFL) coined the term “Super Bowl” after watching his children play with a Super Ball — a popular toy in the 1960s. The name stuck and has been used since the third championship game.

So we’re off and running in the new football season. Good to have it back, because football is the most important of the less important things in the world.
— 30 —

When I was a kid, my granddad always hauled stuff around in a “toe sack” — at least that’s what he called it and I grew up thinking the proper name for a burlap bag was a toe sack. I think everybody around Maysville used the term “toe sack.” 

I looked the term up and dictionaries say that it basically a US regional term that means a kind of burlap sack or a gunny sack. I found one example of the term being used in Lightning Bug by Donald Harington — it includes the following sentence: “You do not think it until he comes through the door, carrying the empty toe-sack in one hand and the revolver in the other.”

My extensive research kind of concluded that maybe what I heard as “toe sack” was really “tow sack.”
Tow is the leftovers from flax when the linen fibers are removed. It is very rough and doesn’t spin well, but can be spun to make a coarse fiber that makes a burlap type fabric, and it’s sometimes used to make ropes. Tow is usually a pale yellowish color. That may be why I remember that kids with blond hair were referred to as tow heads when I was growing up.

From what I can tell, a large sack made from loosely woven, coarse material is called by various names in different parts of the country. The most general term seems to be burlap bag, used pretty much everywhere, but especially in the Northeast. The preferred term in the Midwest and West appears to be gunnysack. The word gunny in gunnysack means “coarse heavy fabric made of jute or hemp.” In the South, a burlap bag is often called a tow sack, and for some reason, in eastern North Carolina, the term is a tow bag. In South Carolina, and parts of Georgia, a burlap bag is known as a crocus sack and in the Gulf States, you’ll hear croker sack. Crocus is a coarse, loosely woven material once worn by slaves and laborers — it was common in colonial New England.

So I haven’t seen a burlap bag, or “toe sack” like they had when I was a kid for a long time. Those bags, or sacks didn’t have a handle and were large — usually to hold and transport potatoes, or grain or other agricultural products. 
I guess I can now add toe sacks, or whatever you call them to something else that dates me — sigh….
— 30 —

A few days ago (September 2) was the anniversary of the death of Ho Chi Minh.  The Vietnamese Communist revolutionary leader died on September 2, 1969 due to a heart attack. He was 79.
Even though this month marks the 24th year he’s been dead, the mention of his name brings back memories for all of us that lived through the “Vietnam era.”

Over the years he had lots of names — at birth, he was given the name Nguyēn Sinh Cung. Following Confucian tradition, it was changed at the age of 10 and throughout the years he wrote under pseudonyms, and during his life, while he engaged in all kinds of clandestine activities, it’s estimated he used anywhere between 50 and 200 aliases. He eventually settled on the name Ho Chi Minh — “he who has been enlightened.” He was often referred to by his admirers as “Uncle Ho.”

The French began their conquest of Vietnam in 1858 and consolidated their hold over the nation in 1885. Supposedly their purpose for being in Vietnam was to “civilize” the country, but they did little more than plunder it. Civil liberties were virtually non-existent, and protests were often met with merciless violence. It was this regime that Ho Chi Minh fought to overthrow and his effort made him famous, or notorious. 

Even though he had strong opposition to French imperialism, Ho Chi Minh had a lot of respect for the French people and for Western democratic values. He once stunned Western listeners when he opened an important speech by quoting America’s Declaration of Independence and the French Declaration of Rights of Man.

When he was young, Ho Chi Minh spent four years in France — it was during that period that he officially became a communist. He wrote articles criticizing the capitalist West and participated in several international organizations established by the Soviet Union. By 1923, he was a “committed Stalinist.” However — Josef Stalin had little respect for his Vietnamese “comrade.” Ho went to Moscow on a diplomatic mission in 1950 and while there he asked Stalin to autograph a Soviet magazine for him. Stalin did, only to regret his decision later and ordered his bodyguards to discretely steal it back.

Of course he was most well known for his effort to unite and “free” Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh hoped to strike a deal with the French in which Vietnam wold be granted autonomy. He promised the French would be welcomed back as friends but not as conquerors. Unfortunately, a peaceful resolution wasn’t in the cards and Vietnam had to achieve independence through wars that would see hundreds of thousands killed. 

So today, there is a united Vietnam — in large part due to Ho Chi Minh. It didn’t happen the way he had hoped for, but he certainly made an impact on history. His choice to use the name Ho Chi Minh — “one who enlightens” probably says a lot about him — too bad things had to work out like they did.
— 30 —

I know I’ve mentioned a few times lately that we made a visit to Cleveland a couple of weeks ago. We had a really good time and it was nice to see most of the family after a prolonged absence due to the pandemic. 
Well, during the get-together, a couple of the family members asked me for advice. There were no serious subjects involved and the “advice” they asked for was more along the lines of something that just came up during the conversation. 

But anyhow, I got to thinking about advice — people give and get advice all the time. Often times the advice is unwanted and many times it’s not only unappreciated, but sometimes the recipient gets upset at whoever is giving it. 

So really the best advice about giving advice is — don’t give advice. First off, you probably never have all the information about whatever the situation is to be able to give good advice. And — just think about it… who are you to be giving advice to anybody? Most of our lives are pretty messed up — think about all the decisions you’ve made that maybe didn’t turn out for the best. On top of all that, people really don’t want your advice. They maybe want someone to listen to them, but really most people want to solve their own problems. They’re not looking for advice, they’re looking for an “ear.”
So — my advice on giving advice is don’t give advice. 

But — since this blog is about giving advice, I figure I should give some. Remember, even though all this stuff is good advice, you’re under no obligation to take it….
Don’t keep your watch five minutes fast.
You’re almost always better off keeping your mouth shut, but don’t let that stop you from popping off.
Don’t save string — if you need string, buy it.
Never call in sick except when you’re sick.
There’s seldom a good reason for blowing the horn on your car.
Don’t keep saying, “I don’t know where the time goes.” It goes the same place it’s alway gone —and no one has ever known where that is. 

The good advice above is free — you can use it or pass it along as you see fit, but trust me, you might want to think twice before the next time you’re tempted to give advice.
— 30 —

Today is Labor Day — to some people, this is kind of the official end of summer. In some ways, I guess that’s kind of true, because Labor Day has become all about BBQs, beaches, ballgames, shopping and things like that. It’s also a big weekend for travel — I just read that almost 60% of Americans planned to “get out of town” for Labor Day weekend. There a lot of college football games scheduled and many/most people will participate in some kind of a cookout.

But Labor Day didn’t start out to be a relaxing, late-summer weekend. 
The holiday grew out of the organized labor movement in the late 19th century — in September, 1882, the unions of New York City decided to have a parade to celebrate their members being in unions, and to show support for all unions. From what I’ve read, the event attracted at least 20,000 people and the workers had to give up a day’s pay to attend. It seems like there was also a lot of beer involved with the event. 
Well, this inspired other unions in other regions to have parades, and by 1887, Oregon, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Colorado made Labor Day a state holiday. 

No one’s exactly sure who should get credit for that first “Labor Day Parade” in New York City. Depending on who you talk to, two people get credit for that event. Matthew Maguire, a machinist, and Peer McGuire, a carpenter — both are sometimes listed at the organizer. The two men were from rival unions, and in 2011, Linda Stinson, a former U.S. Department of Labor historian said she didn’t know which man should be credited — partially because people over the years confused them because of their similar-sounding names.

In 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed an act establishing Labor Day as a federal holiday — by then, most states had already passed laws establishing a Labor Day. But Senator James Henderson Kyle of South Dakota introduced  S.730 to make Labor Day a federal legal holiday on the first Monday of September. It was approved on June 28, 1894.

Today, there are fewer parades on Labor Day and the day is set aside to honor organized labor — and — it marks the perceived end of the summer season.
So today we celebrate labor and those that work to make our country great. Some say that “work” is a four-letter word — and that’s true, but Confucius said, “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
Happy Labor Day.
— 30 —

On this date last year, I wrote that it was a very special day for Emily — it was her 12th birthday — the last year before becoming a teenager.

Today she’s no longer a pre-teen — she’s now a full fledged teenager! And — Kelly and Chris are now officially the parents of a teenager. Congratulations or condolences, or maybe both, to them.
Anyhow, it’s hard to believe our granddaughter is 13 years old. Seems like just a few days ago I wrote about her being born….

As Emily is about to find out, being a teenager is an amazing time — and a hard time. I know the one thing that she doesn’t need is advice from a grandparent — of course that’s never stopped me before, so here goes….
Being a teen can be tough, Emily. Just try to surround yourself with really good friends that have your back, and be a really good friend. If you’re not sure about something, talk to your friends that you trust , and your parents.

Thirteen years ago today, I wrote that you were no ordinary baby — obviously, I got that right. 
I’m looking forward to your teenage years and all your accomplishments to come.
Someone said that with confidence, you have won before you have started.
Go get ‘em, my favorite teenager!!
Happy Birthday!
Love you bunches!!!
Poppi
— 30 —

This past weekend, I almost got involved in a discussion that had the potential to go very bad, very quickly. Luckily, I was in a position to quickly and quietly walk away. The discussion, as you might have guessed, involved politics. One MAGA guy was very loud and a little aggressive and his “opponent” was getting a little ticked. 

Just before I made my escape, someone said that MAGA is a cult. Thankfully, I didn’t hear the response….. but a few days later, I got to thinking about that remark. You don’t hear the term cult too much anymore, but I’m pretty sure cults are just as prevalent as they ever were — maybe more so. 
Anyhow, a bit of extensive research on my part uncovered some interesting information. 

Although I haven’t read it, someone by the name of Steven Hassan wrote a book titled, “The Cult of Trump” back in 2019. Hassan describes a “BITE” model of cult mind control —behavior, information, thought, and emotional control. He says that the MAGA movement checks all the boxes of the model. Hassan argues that Trump restricts the information his followers are allowed to accept. He also demands purity of belief (beliefs that can change from moment to moment, as per his whims and needs.) Additionally, he appeals to his followers through the conjuring of primal emotions — not just fear, but also joy. I hadn’t thought about it before, but maybe cult isn’t a  particularly bad description for that group of followers. Cult members feel empowered and special — they consider themselves one of the elite and close to the person who has all the answers. Cult members enjoy knowing that they, and their  friends, are the ones that are right about everything. A lot of this sounds familiar to me from my younger days when cults like Jonestown were making the news.

My extensive research found that followers of Trump had one source of information they trusted — not the (conservative) media, the clergy or family members — only Donald J. Trump. From what I can tell, no-one can be reasoned, or argued out of Trumpism.

I found one article that was interesting about cult rules…
The first rule of cults is: you’re never in a cult
The second rule of cults is: the cult will forgive any sin, except the sin of leaving
The third rule of cults is: even if he did it, that doesn’t mean he’s guilty

It appears that cults today don’t end by everyone drinking the kool-aid — they probably die out when they can’t continue to recruit members. 

I ran across an article that listed phrases that cult leaders almost always use. The list is fairly long, but here’s a few examples…
“Don’t question my authority…”
“This is okay for me to do because…”
“Don’t talk to those people because…
”You need to give me your money because…”
“Outsiders hate me because…”
“If you leave, you are turning your back on me and horrible things will happen to you…”
And the list goes on — I’ll leave it up to you to decide if any of these sound familiar.

I’ve heard it said  that almost any cult will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. 
I guess there always has been, and always will be, cults. When one dies out, another seems to take its place — so whatever is next, we might as well get ready for it…..
— 30 —

Continuing this year’s tradition of talking about each upcoming month when it arrives, today is September 1, and the topic is September….

September is one of those transition months — summer is kind of in the rear view mirror, the leaves are starting to change colors (and fall off the trees) and the days are getting shorter. But September is one of the better months — lots of history, holidays and activities…. and, of course, football!!

September comes from the Latin word “septum” — meaning seven. It’s the only month not named after a Roman deity. It’s also the only month with the same number of letters in its name as the number of the month — 9. And if that’s not enough, the autumnal equinox occurs in September, marking the start of fall.
Maybe it alway has been, but recently September has become a month of remembrance. It’s become a time to honor and remember those who have made sacrifices for their country, community or loved ones. Some observances during September include Labor Day, Patriot Day, POW/MIA Day and Gold Star Mother’s Day.
On a lighter note, fans of McDonald’s may celebrate the fact that in September, 1960, the famous “Golden Arches“ logo was introduced — and — the first McDonald’s restaurant in Europe opened in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

September is also National Chicken Month — that’s good, I suppose, if you’re not a chicken. I don’t think a month long celebration recognizing all the ways to prepare and enjoy chicken probably appeals to many chickens
I know I’ve mentioned this before, but September is the month with the most songs with its name in their titles. One of the most famous, if maybe not the most famous is “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire. Earth, Wind & Fire was the group we saw on our first date, so I guess that makes September a little special for us. 
Although June is considered the “wedding month,” September seems to be catching up in popularity. Some say the weather is better in September and some believe it’a a time of new beginnings and fresh starts and that makes it a meaningful time for couples to start their lives together.
September marks the start of the Judaism High Holy Days. It begins with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and ends with Yom Kippur, the Dy of Atonement. These are some of the most important holidays in the Jewish calendar.

September ranks as the second most common birth month — behind August. Some believed that’s because September falls nine months after the holiday season and colder winter months, and some believe that being born with the Zodiac signs of September (Virgo and Libra) will ensure success in life. 
The early medieval societies in England, the Anglo-Saxons, referred to September as Gerst Monath, that translates to barley month. The name signifies the integral role of agriculture in their life, especially the harvesting of barley. During this month, barley was ripe and ready to be harvested and processed into a variety of goods, including bread and beer — essential staples in the Anglo=Saxon diet. 

So September is an interesting month and has lots of things to celebrate, like National Grandparents Day, Talk Like a Parrot Day, Labor Day, the autumnal equinox and more. — off we go…..
— 30 —