The Link of Eternal Brotherhood

Lenny and me, Wyoming Cowboys first and last.

I was fortunate enough to have a very good friend from Wyoming visit me this weekend in Astoria. I’ve known Lenny Martin since 1986 which was when I first joined the Worland Wyoming Jaycees. One of the gifts I’m most grateful for in this life has been the many outstanding individuals I’ve met in the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce during my tenure in the organization from 1986 until 2001.

I’ve made friends all over the great State of Wyoming and the U.S. but there are only a handful of friends that I can call very close and intimate. Lenny would be at the top of that male list.

In 1991 when I moved to Laramie, WY to take a Manager’s job for a trucking company our relationship as friends quickly bonded into a lifelong one that has been and will continue to be one of the best and most important in my life.

Lenny and Jeff 1993

Lenny and I have similar life experiences not only from our humble and sometimes very difficult childhood but also into early adulthood and middle age. Both of us early in our lives were rough around the edges but in time with the polish of age, experience and self improvement the shine would rise to the top. The personal relationship between us and the success and failures we’ve shared together have forever linked us to eternal brotherhood.

Lenny IS Wyoming. He was chiseled out of the hardest stone of the Rocky Mountains. He’s an excellent example of the rugged bootstraps individualism and conservatism that is the staple of many of great people from Wyoming. He formed his own real estate company in Laramie and has a B.S. from the University of Wyoming. His success in the real estate business help support the 3 children he raised. Lenny has many great attributes but his role as an involved and dedicated Father has to be his own best personal achievement in life. 2 of his kids have college degrees and one of his sons serves in U.S. Naval submarine fleet.

This isn’t to say Lenny is perfect none of us are but he’s spent a lifetime striving for personal improvement and knowledge. Lenny isn’t just book smart and educated; he has the better quality of a strong foothold in good sound common sense and plain hard work. Lenny has been a great listener and supportive in the best and worse times of my life. Although the years and miles may have separated us in the flesh it never has in the spirit.

Lenny is one of those dear friends that you could not hear from for a year but as soon as the phone call or the personal visit began it’s like you had never been apart.

When I stand next to Lenny I want to believe that in many respects I’m looking into a mirror. With very few exceptions we’re identical. We’ve had similar upbringing and adult life experiences; we’re non-apologetic Christians and Conservatives, hard working, honest and intelligent. But perhaps the best part is the belief that a loyal and solid friendship through thick and thin is the most important virtue outside of thy self.

Thanks for going out of your way just to come and see me Lenny. I can’t begin to thank you enough for what your friendship has meant to me. Until we meet or talk again I’ll always love ya Man!

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard: Book Review

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Great book if you love history. Garfield was a very interesting bootstraps man and would have been an amazing President if he hadn't been gunned down by an insane lunatic early in his Presidency.

His medical care after the shooting is what led to his death. Had the American Doctors in his care used John Lister's method of antiseptic surgery the terrible infection Garfield suffered from may have been avoided and he may have survived.

For 79 agonizing days Garfield hung onto life and until he succumbed to a tragic and painful death.

I didn't know much about Garfield prior to this book. It's a shame his life was cut short because he was one the best of what America could offer in those times. I highly recommend this book, it's a fascinating story.

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The Natural by Bernard Malamud: Book Review

The Natural: A Novel by Bernard Malamud

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


90% percent of the time the book is always superior to the movie. Not in this case. The screenplay is a better story than the book will ever be. Hollywood loves a happy ending and in the movie version they give us that. The Hero in his final at bat gives his team a National league Pennant with a lights out home run and all ends well.

In the book Roy Hobbs is not a humble guy, nor a real hero to be admired, in fact the opposite. In real life we see men fail more times than they succeed on and off the field in professional sports today.

Personally I don’t like a story that always ends with rainbows, puppy dogs and happily ever after but in this case since I love the movie so much I wish now I hadn’t picked up the book.

The Hobbs from the movie was a much more likable guy and one you could sympathize with and root for but not in the book.

My image of Roy Hobbs is now forever tainted and he falls into the category of the ordinary instead of the extraordinary. Hobbs story is one we read about almost daily and dismiss as just another dumb jock that only cares about his self interest instead of the team and the game. Skip the book watch the movie.   

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The Reader by Bernhard Schlink: Book Review

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Sad and tragic love story to be sure. It’s a good example how some never can forget pass hurts or past loves. The ending of the book did make me shed a tear. The words unspoken can haunt a person for the rest of their lives.

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2014 Election is a great opportunity for change Oregonians

The opportunity to make big changes in our government on the State and Federal level is this year. John Kitzhaber, Jeff Merkley, Suzanne Bonamici and Deborah Boone need to be sent packing. The only way change will come is for people to vote. In the last gubernatorial election total voter participation was only 41.62%. Less than half of the registered voters actually cast a ballot in the 2010 primary. 

This election cycle we have way better candidates to chose for Governor, US Senator, the US House and for the Oregon House. Below are my personal endorsements.  

Gordon Challstrom will make a fantastic Governor and he's far more articulate and Conservative than the goofy RINO and former NBA basketball player who nearly defeated Kitzhaber in the last election cycle.

Jo Rae Perkins really impressed me at the Northwest Conservatives Dinner. She's a non-apologetic Conservative and maybe the best candidate running for any of the contested seats.

Jason Yates has insisted that he’ll be a staunch Fiscal Conservative if elected and Rick Rose will certainly be a better choice than Boone.

If we want change and we certainly need it, we need to vote and turn right before the liberal left finally destroys us socially and economically. So Oregonians get your ballots turned in before the May 20 deadline and let’s clean house.

Gordon Challstrom (Republican)

Oregon Governor

https://www.challstrom4governor.com/

Jo Rae Perkins (Republican)

US Senate

http://perkinsforussenate.com/

Jason Yates (Republican)

US House

http://www.yatesforcongress.com/

Rick Rose (Republican)

Oregon House 32^nd  District

http://ballotpedia.org/Rick_Rose

Never Enough by Joe McGinniss: Book Review

Never Enough by Joe McGinniss

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


After I listen to audiobooks I like going to the web afterwards to read about the book and the Author especially if it’s a non-fiction crime book.

Here's a crazy coincidence, I just finished the book, “Never Enough” by Joe McGuinniss this morning and I decided to do a Google search on Nancy Kissel the Milkshake Murderer. It turns out that TODAY she is in a court room in Hong Kong for her 3rd and final appeal for the murder of her late husband Robert Kissel which happened in 2003.

She most certainly will lose her appeal because she’s as guilty as sin and maybe one of the most sick and twisted individuals I’ve come across in all the murder mysteries I’ve read or watched on TV or at the movies.

If you like true crime it’s a good book and the story is so incredible and fantastic you won’t believe how strange this case really was. It’s just so weird that today of all the days I picked the one to search her out and she’s in court as we speak. She needs to be behind bars for the rest of her life and you can bet the court will rule as such.

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No leadership on the Local, State or National Level

Last Thursday Night I decided I’d wanted to attend the Clatsop County Republicans meeting in Astoria. I knew the meeting was on Thursday and that it was at the Port but wasn’t sure if it started at 7 or 7:30 pm. I did a search on the internet to find the right time and couldn’t find it. I did find the Oregon Republicans website however but no meeting time or place was listed.

I called the contact person that was on that site and he said he wasn’t the party Chair anymore because of some health problems. He said he wasn’t sure what time the meeting started. I asked him if he could give me a contact name and a phone number. He said he didn’t have it near him, I said could you get it and again he said it wasn’t near him. I never got the number so I didn’t attend the meeting.

Later that night I was reading about the Dorchester Republican Conference (Oregon Republicans Annual State Meeting) that’s being held in Seaside starting this Friday. I noticed that 2 topics are on the agenda for discussion. One is on gay marriage and another is removing troops from Afghanistan.

I’ve got mixed feelings on both issues but frankly these are not the kinds of issues Conservatives like me care to move forward. It is a mid-term election so the only reason they’re advancing these topics for discussion is to increase their chances in this election cycle. It isn’t because they really agree with touting these causes. They’re simply attempting to get more votes from left leaning Republicans and moderate Democrats which are few and far between in this State.

Instead of sticking to the economy, jobs, taxation, spending and the terrible public union funding problems we have in this state they’re throwing the traditional Republican agenda out the window attempting to pander to people who won’t vote for Republicans anyway. It’s a futile exercise and a symptom of the leadership void we have in the Oregon Republican Party and on national level as well so I won’t be attending the conference either.

I want to believe the only way I as an individual can change the status quo is to be on the inside but my State and National Party are only interested in winning elections instead of sticking to a foundation of Conservative issues and principles. It’s frustrating that as a party we have the Democrats right where we want them on laundry list of issues. The GOP should be able to clean house in this election cycle in Oregon and the next Presidential election but no real leader on a State or National level has emerged that will receive wide spread support from the party nor does unity exist on the issues that really matter.

 

I’m a registered Republican but not a Republican by the definition of the National or State GOP which are under the control of RINO’s. I’m not a Libertarian, nor a member of the Tea Party I’m a Conservative. In today’s GOP they don’t want to hear Conservative voices. I feel completely powerless and frustrated because there doesn’t seem to be anything I can do as individual except to vote for the most Conservative candidates in the primary and pray they don’t surrender more of my freedom or financial security.

Today my feeling is we’re in for more the same with the far left controlling the narrative and continuing to take our once great country down the path to total destruction. Am I the only Conservative in Oregon with this angst?