Saturday, January 16, 2016

CLYDE "SMITTY" SMITH, 1919-2016

When I graduated from college in 1969, I wasn’t sure what profession I should pursue.  I had spent a four year hitch in the Air Force during the 60’s and with my college years added to that,  I was thrust into a competitive job market at age 28.  Since I had worked in some grocery stores as a kid, I decided to take advantage of an offer from Lever Brothers Company to be a salesman calling on the grocery trade at the headquarters and retail level.

My interview with Smitty, December, 2010.
That probably doesn’t sound too exciting but that early job in the grocery business served a couple of good purposes:  It gave me an opportunity to gain valuable experience plus a good living as a peddler and more important,  it gave me a chance to meet Clyde Smith, one of the most savvy , intelligent, and nice guys I ever met.  By the time I met Mr. Smith in 2010, I was retired from selling but was writing stories on various subjects for the Arizona and Scottsdale Republic newspapers.  However, any tips I would receive from readers that pertained to grocery stores always gained my attention first.

The grocery trade is one that stays in one’s system even after they leave the business.  Although Mr. Smith’s “Smitty’s” markets were long gone from the Phoenix scene by 2010, he was making, at age 91, a tour to promote his recently published book about his life in the business.  I bought the book and quickly discovered that Smitty was not just another guy who happened to have some accidental success selling groceries; Smitty was a genius and a pioneering one at that.

From Mr. Smith’s example and my own experience calling on the grocery trade, it was easy to understand how the business gets into one’s blood.  If Horatio Alger, the 19th century author of many “rags to riches” stories, had been alive during Clyde Smith’s lifetime, he would have had a perfect example of one of his heroes. 

Born poor in Iowa in 1919, Smith worked in coal mines and other low level jobs before, at age 17, he made his way to Ames, Iowa in 1936.  Times were understandably tough as the Great Depression was in its eighth year.  However, Clyde was still able to land a position at Rushing’s Market, a small grocery store in the Ames area.  That job was the break of a lifetime and a distinct turning point in his life.  He caught on quickly and learned all the basic aspects of the retail grocery trade.  That experience combined with logic and a “go for it” attitude served him well.  By 
1957, he was operating six Smitty’s stores in Iowa.

Smitty passing savings on coffee to customers
 Sensing an opportunity Smitty eventually opened 20 stores in the Phoenix area between 1961 and 1980 and in the 1970’s those stores controlled 35% of the Phoenix grocery business. His formula was pretty simple:  He used the concept of mass merchandising by buying large quantities from suppliers and passing the savings on to his customers.  29 cent chicken dinners and 29 cent gallons of milk were hard to pass up!

Smitty died recently on January 3, 2016 at age 96.  He was a fine businessman, proudly served his country during World War II in the 1940’s, and will be sorely missed by anyone fortunate enough to have met him.

(Google “Smitty’s Big Town” for former employee comments through Facebook  regarding  Mr. Smith)

71 comments:

Jim McAllister said...

Thanks for reading.

Clyde Smith was a giant in the grocery business in Phoenix and Iowa and is still well remembered. Please leave any comments you may have regarding Smitty. JM

Mike Slater said...

Jim, I loved Smitty's stores. I bought my fist guns there back in the early 70's. They had good restaurants where the food was good and fairly cheap. We used to do all our shopping there and were sad to see them close.

Arizona Dave said...

Clyde Smith and I first met back in the late 80s when we were placed on a golf team together in a tournament at Camelback Golf Club...he really enjoyed life on and off the golf course and had a very successful business life....oh for the old 'Smitty' days where his creative retail merchandising ideas always made tomorrow better than today.

RIP Smitty...we'll tee it up again.

Unknown said...

Good read. Thank you

duxoup said...

Nice comment. I got my SSN when working as a bagger/shelf-stocker/deliverer/cleaner-upper and all-around slave for John Capone at Johnny's Market on North Ave. in Chicago (early '40s).
Yes, John was a relative of Al, but made light of it, and a great boss.
In college (Northern Illinois U. in DeKalb) I also stocked shelves and cleaned in a local A&P from 9 PM to P AM on Saturday nights. When I and my co-worker got through early we slept on the check-out counter until the manager came, unlocked the place and let us out on Sunday morning.
Long time ago, but I've dealt with consumables.
Larry

LEONARD J Marcisz said...

A fitting tribute to a gentleman who represented the best values of entrepreneurial free enterprise and community service.

Jim McAllister said...

Thanks, Len.

I was very fortunate to meet Mr. Smith back in 2010 when at age 91 he was touring with his book about the grocery business. His son in law had seen some of my stuff from the Republic and set up a time for me to meet Smitty at the Fry's store at Tatum and Shea. It was a great opportunity for me as I had heard of Smitty's all the years I was in the business in the Missouri-Kansas area. He was every peddler's dream of a great customer to call on. There wasn't a phony bone in his body.

Always good to hear from you.

Take care,

Jim

Jim McAllister said...

Jim Johnson
9:35 AM (1 hour ago)

I never met him but sure spent a ton of money at McClintock and Southern during the 17 years I lived in the Peoples Republic of Tempe. Loved his stores, food, sporting goods, guns, clothes patio furniture. If you needed it, likely he had it and at a decent price too. I like Fry’s but Kroger is not the same as Smitty’s Big Town.

Good story Jim, keep them coming.

Jim Johnson

Unknown said...

Jimmy, I used to write for various trade magazines and there are grocery publications that pay really well. You'd be well suited for such things, Jimmy.

The grocery store in Waynesville Mo. is called "Smitty's" no matter what name is on the outside, since it's owned by Albertson's.

Jim McAllister said...

Mike,

Breakfast was my favorite at Smitty's They were really good at preparing it. He was smart putting in dry goods and non foods too. A good one stop shop and the prices were reasonable.

Jim McAllister said...

Dave,

Smitty was big in the golf tournaments; they were quite popular. My first meeting with him was an interview when he came through town in December 2010 promoting his book. It was a great read and he was a fun guy to interview in the Fry;s Store at Shea and Tatum. He was sharp as a tack at 91 at that time. He had a great family too. His daughter invited us down to their house today for a special tribute. Everyone was there including Dave Trottier, a guy who I remember working for him in Springfield, Mo. It was a nice get together.

Jim McAllister said...

Thanks, Alan

Jim McAllister said...

Ray Wiseman
7:02 PM (27 minutes ago)

to me
Jim, I so enjoy reading this kind of history. I did go to a Smitty's store once while visiting our daughter here in Scottsdale.

Our daughter's husband, our son-in-law, recently died - just turned 67. Smitty lived a very long life!

Yours,
Joy

Jim McAllister said...

Joy,

I am sorry to hear about your son in law passing. At 67 he was a young man; happened much too soon. My sympathy to you, your daughter, Duv and the rest of your family.

Jim McAllister said...

Rick,

Anyone who buys a former Smitty's store has to live with it being called "Smitty's" no matter what they rename it. Mr. Smith had an unmatched popularity in the grocery trade that people don't forget. If the new owners are smart they will continue the programs that made Smitty's great. In the retail business it is called "goodwill" and comes from the acts of service and quality towards one's customers; something that Smitty knew all about.

Unknown said...

I'm watching and mostly listening to SN at Red Rocks in 1987. I used to live in Colorado and I don't see what the big deal is about a bunch of red rocks.

Might have a friend who may want to go to Smitty's diner on Friday's. All you can eat seafood day, you know. Jen doesn't like to be seen with me in public like that, because like SN, she is concerned about what people will say. But to her credit, she gets all prettied up to keep the gorgeous image and I still wear blue jean clothing and work boots.

Doing a video for a friend to try to generate income for him in rebuilding toy drones to make them more controllable and powerful inexpensively. One of these days, we'll make some money off this farm somehow. We need $6,000 a month for the four others to have legitimate jobs, health care and to pay into Social Security. They tell me that's impossible and I say, NO IT ISN'T. It just narrows down what WON'T make money. Mr. Smith would have thought the same way.

Jim McAllister said...

Rick,

I've seen a lot of concerts from Red Rocks too on TV and I don't see where it is anything special either. Maybe if one is there it has more of an allure in the setting.

I wonder how many businesses there are named "Smitty's"? I guess with all the guys named "Smith" in this world it figures. Barb and I went to Smity's daughter's home last Sunday in Ahwatukee for a celebration of his life. It was pretty touching to listen to a lot of people from his past tell stories about him. I spent 20 years in the grocery business and like most people was used to hearing about Smitty and his genius at selling groceries. His success was like most who are successful: Treat your customers fairly.

God luck with the videos; be sure to pass them along to me. They seem to be getting better each time.

Unknown said...

Jimmy, that quadcopter came from China! Woo hoo! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4bD3zqJwRI Jen's brother will be the primary drone pilot since the controllers look like Xbox, but with an attached video screen.

Jen and I went out for lunch yesterday and we discussed ideas that would be best for a home business. She would rather stay in Missouri on the farm for the low expenses and we'll occasionally go to Colorado and Arizona for visits. We need to get the garden plowed up with a better garden tiller so I can preserve food and save money for us.

That's pretty cool that you went to Smitty's daughter's home for a memorial. That was very nice and respectful. You should talk to Jen about sales stuff. She's wanting to buy auctioned stuff and she's had luck in the past making money from it. I'll bet she'd love hearing your stories too!

Jim McAllister said...

Rick

It seems like these drones are really the thing now. They remind me of the old model gas airplanes except those were on a wire and only went in a circle. It's the latest toy I guess.

Jen may have a good point about going to Colorado and Az for visits and staying put in Missouri. It would be a change in lifestyle to move.

Smitty's was a nice tribute to him. A lot of people got up to speak about him which was nice. He was only a week short of being 97 and was still sharp to the end. Bless him wherever he is; he leaves behind quite a legacy in the grocery business.

Unknown said...

Everyone's passing, Jimmy. Heck, I can't take as little as a high blood pressure pill or I get severely sick. It's weird. I went for a long hike in the woods today looking for a lost drone of my friend's. My working pulse was strong, I paused for breaks and feel great! Never found the drone. I'm supposed to get out and enjoy the woods for my health.

Dannie O'Reilly used to play with Dell Mack and he came over and jammed with me the other day. He's not doing well either. There's no word on Dell. Sorry for all the losses down your way.

Have you heard from Don? The last time we corresponded, he wasn't doing well either. Dang Jimmy, Hope Barb is doing well.

Jim McAllister said...

Rick,

Yeah, no doubt about it, the years take their toll. I'll be 75 on March 30; doesn't seem possible the years have flown by that fast. I still have my hair though and run about four times a week. I still have Barb too; she is a young whippersnapper at 71.

I feel pretty good though. I lost 40 pounds last year and am in pretty good shape at 225. Not too bad compared to soime guys I know.

It's been about 8 years since we started the Republic blogs. Too bad they got too nasty and were discontinued.

Mike Slater said...

Jim, I'm going to be 65 in September. I'm starting to feel it. Working outside in the Valley for 35 years takes a toll. I have high blood pressure and take meds for that and 3 kinds of eye drops for my eyes. It's tuff getting old.

The Republic blogs aren't worth the trouble anymore. You can't even leave comments on the letter to the editor pieces. About the only ones on there are liberals.

Do you watch the Cardinal game Sunday? I'm not a Cardinal fan so I enjoyed it. They sure didn't look like an elite team.

Unknown said...

Hey Jimmy. I never went to the neurologist. It's the same outfit from 2008 where they did a stress test, stopped there, and said that I was nuts for believing SN was a friend. The neurologist from another medical company in 2016 said that's probably when the first mini stroke happened, but strokes aren't dated, so no way of proving that. Well, I'm living in a barn and I could use some help from an old friend, but I'll just use a shovel and dig up the garden in the spring and maintain. Figure to get new blades on the mini tiller and that might help. Don't figure I'll have help, so I'll hire someone next summer. Can up some vegetables.

The camcorder is recharged, so I reckon I'll head back out to the forest and do some more filming. Days of filming to get minutes of good stuff. Jimmy, you write good blogs.

Unknown said...

The Tucson blogs were much worse than the azcentral blogs. It was like that throughout the nation at the time. The political pundits back then used metaphors of easily attainable violent tools. Everyone was aggressive back then.

Yep, I'll be 59 this year and sometimes I feel older than you, Jimmy. Never got rich or real famous, but I have a lot of gray for trying. I'm pushing 300 again, but I'm getting out in the woods and filming. Getting fit again. Usually erase the nothing I get.

I tell Jen that I used to have a tractor and a loader with lots of implements, life was good, before Azcentral. The house burned since then. ICU. There's no rebuilding my life since it's too late.

Jim McAllister said...

Mike,

I know what you mean although since I'll be 75 on March 30, I kind of envy you. LOL Those years really fly by once high school is over. Last September 10th marked 50 years since I got out of the USAF!

I can see how the outdoor work could be taxing especially in summer. The only times I worked steadily outdoors was during the summers of 1965 and 1966 when I was on a home construction crew in Cincinnati during college. It paid a whopping $2.25 an hour to be in the humid Cincinnati heat but I was in my mid 20s and didn't mind since I left a $1.50 an hr. job to do it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Cardinal game. I am sick of all the rooting and building up of them as a great team. I was pretty sure they would lose. Carson Palmer had no chance against Newton. He can throw line drives 60 yards. I was hoping they would go for two on their last score to make it to 50.

I agree on the Republic. Strictly a bunch of liberals although I do agree with Laurie about the Desert Vista thing. Way too much press on that but whenever that asshole Maupin is around, we know he will always be making something out to be a bigger deal than it is.

Jim McAllister said...

Rick,

Thanks for the nice words on the blogs. Send any film you do.

Jim McAllister said...

Rick,

Last March I had a physical which showed my sugar getting close to the danger zone. I hadn't been exercising much and my weight had ballooned to 265. I went on a more low carb diet and started running again. By October I was down to 225 which was right for my height of 6-5. It wasn't very hard to eat the right foods and I didn't have any problem with being hungry all the time.

Check out a low carb program; it may be the thing for you.

Good luck!

Unknown said...

I don't even check my blood pressure levels anymore. My blood work turned back to normal. Still no prescription medication, no alcohol and I try to get out in the woods every day! I feel more energetic than I've felt in years! I'm going to try to do gardening, fishing and hunting to stock the freezer.

I can't afford a new garden tractor so I guess I'll get new tines for the little bitty garden tiller. Jen said I don't need a tractor like I used to own. Hey Jen, can I buy ... NO! Her dog got attacked so the Humane Society put the dog in the vet and I'm paying them back. I'm paying for the spaying ....

You'd like Jen, Jimmy. This is her in the first half of this film operating the skidster and industrial firewood splitter. Music by Dannie O'Reilly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWOsgGef8uw

Jim McAllister said...

Rick,

Great tape! I never knew sophisticated equipment like that existed. Great music by Dannie too. Those tapes keep getting better.

Unknown said...

Jimmy, the feds won't do anything about Ferguson or Baltimore, but they pull over old men in Oregon and shoot them dead? Never burned any police cars. Never looted any stores. What does the government think is going to happen from that arrest and murder? If it was a stunt to try to inspire the militias to action, I'd say it worked just fine.

If you were President and you wanted to piss off the armed Christian military veterans, you would probably do everything that BO is doing right now. The only thing is, the military will probably stage a coup before that happens.

Unknown said...

Thanks, Jimmy! That film was made by Lana and edited by yours truly. That's an old video.

I'm kind of stuck on making a video now. I can't publish that one of myself in a comedy. The test audience was okay with it, but they wanted changes. I think I'll go another direction. The mystery of who is sneaking around the properties and psychologically, it will draw the viewer in. People love that stuff. BIGFOOT! The test audience loves the rough draft of the edits! You might see a little of me in those while I'm tracking. Is there really Bigfoot in my woods? It wouldn't be a mystery if the guy just walked up and had tea with Jen. There's a lot that I can do with the backwoods thing.

Jim McAllister said...

Good points, Rick. I agree. BO wants to go out with a flourish. He is the mistake of this century and is proof of of how far the US has fallen. He despises the military and has never served a day. A worthless loser.

Jim McAllister said...

Just keep plugging away at what you are doing Rick. The videos are looking better every time.

Unknown said...

Got court again on Wednesday, Jimmy. The lawyer just told me. The law changed this year on that infraction, but the lawyer told me they have to punish me on the old rules and the happy parts of the new rules only apply to me.

I believe they are trying to take my drivers license, because I'm known as a troublemaking writer. I never brought in the marijuana folks to Dixon this Saturday and suddenly, my court case is rescheduled. The Dixon crowd probably thinks that I did this, but I didn't. This is probably a covert probe to get a violent reaction. I figure that God wants me sitting this war out.

I'm working on a mystery series of video episodes.

Unknown said...

If you want to piss off all the wrong people who will turn on the government, then you send up a drone and let the other federal agents think they won't be released to the media.

http://mo8th.com/the-murder-of-lavoy-finicum/

Unknown said...

The Bigfoot series is gold. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S-Ph8CAgRU

Unknown said...

I definitely know too much information.

Unknown said...

I worked on the Green Screen lights today. With LED, I can add more lights to the tracks.

There's a person on Facebook claiming to be SN and says WMG is going bankrupt in a few days and she wanted to send 47,000 dollars to me in a briefcase and she would put event tickets in there too! Sadly, I couldn't afford the shipping costs. Gee.

I may have missed a doctor's appointment. It was in concern of my memory problems. I keep forgetting to call them back. Court date tomorrow. I figure the prosecutor wants names of who smokes weed in the county. I don't mind having all the employers busted if he doesn't. Where's Dell Mack get his weed? Allegedly, it's a source in the sheriff's office that gets only the very best for cancer victims from the evidence room. An honest prosecutor is never going to get reelected.

Jim McAllister said...

Sounds like a full schedule, Rick! Take the $47,000!

Mike Slater said...

Jim, Cruz wins Iowa which is a good thing. Trump 2nd and Rubio 3rd. I could vote for any of them. Being an Independent I can't vote in the Arizona Primary unless I go back to the Republican Party and then switch back to Independent. I wished they would change that rule.

Jim McAllister said...

Mike,

As much as I dislike that commie Sanders I hate Hillary even more. I wish he could have beaten her just to slow down her momentum. What a POS she is. She looked like a crazy person when she spoke to her audience.

I see where Iowa uses a coin flip to determine a winner if there is a tie in a district. There were six ties between her and Sanders and she won every coin flip. Sounds fishy to me; no one is that lucky.

Don't you just love politics?

Unknown said...

I'm not paying a delivery fee for $47,000. And to just hang onto it as a favor? No. It's a scam and I'm sick of con artists and false hope. It completely turned me off of SN. I'm sure it did her other fans too.

On the lighter side, the Green Screen looks like it might work.

Unknown said...

Jen's gonna drive me to town today. A rare privilege. We're probably going to go to Smitty's because they have a "five for $25" meat sale. Sometimes you can find some good deals.

I'm ahead of schedule on the studio changes. Got rid of the great big fridge in front of the Green Screen wall and bought a small freezer and a 4.5 cubic foot fridge for the control room.

I'm planning to get the next episode of "Ozarks Trackers" done by Friday. Maybe one of these days, I will convince someone in entertainment that I can produce a product for them. Make some money.

Jim McAllister said...

Rick,

Be sure to send those tapes you have been making.

Jim McAllister said...

Mike,

Yeah, she looked crazed with her acceptance speech. I thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head. Bill really looked in a daze. I think he was checking out the young stuff in the crowd and trying to grab a few phone numbers.

I'm wondering if she even won. 6 coin flips won out of 6 attempts? That sounds kind of suspicious. I think the Dems want to be sure she gets the nomination and maybe had her call "heads" 6 times on a two headed coin. Regardless, she has to be disappointed that she just scraped by a clown like Sanders.

Next week they are in New Hampshire which is Sanders territory. He is way ahead of her in the polls there so if she wins, there has to be some cheating.

I wasn't too thrilled with Cruz and his speech. Way too long and he is letting religion play a big part. He probably will lose to Trump next week.

This is getting interesting.

Unknown said...

BTW, Jimmy. The trial for my allegedly passing a stopped school bus is in March. Nope, no cameras. Just got the ticket in the mail. The prosecutor told me that he was going to do it, when I asked him in his office about Dell Mack, the man older than you, getting busted for using marijuana for his leukemia.

On the next Ozark Trackers! Cataracts, Jimmy. I'll keep walking around the woods, filming until I can't anymore. Then I'll just be blind for a while and play guitar. Hey, then I'll be off the Internet! Woo hoo, right?

And here's the thing ... everyone knows I don't drive. Guess what? No one will testify as a witness because they fear retaliation from the prosecutor.

Jim McAllister said...

Just one adventure after another, huh Rick. Cataracts aren't fun, I've been there

Mike Slater said...

Jim, if I was married to Hillary I'd be checking out the young stuff too. She is hard to look at and that laugh would drive anyone up the wall. She sure doesn't come across as a likable person.

Jim McAllister said...

Mike,

I agree; poor Bill really looks gaunt these days. It must be from all the strange stuff he is getting. He may look like shit but what a great pickup line it must be when he walks into a bar and tells some babe that he was a two term president of the United States.

Poor Chelsea, she has inherited her mother's looks; not a desirable thing. I remember when she was in college in London years ago one of those tabloids there had a photo of her drunk and face down in her own puke on the sidewalk. I've looked for it on line but can't find it.

Unknown said...

I read that a famous blind psychic said that Obama would be the last American President. That does not necessarily mean a bad thing, because Ted Cruz is Canadian! In theory, a Saudi prince could live here for 14 years, meet the age qualification and also be President. Last American President. Think about it.

Remember how Bill Clinton won in 92? Ross Perot split the vote and George Bush lost. Didn't Donald Trump say that Hillary Clinton was a friend and then crawfished? If he runs indie, Hillary will take the election ... maybe. But what if it backfires on her and Cruz wins? Last American President ...

Jim McAllister said...

Good comment, Rick.

I've never thought of Obama as an American. Somehow he has been able to dupe this country for a long time about that. Everything about him has been too secretive and it has always made me wonder why he wasn't vetted more seriously. He never had to prove a damn thing; they just let him take over. It shows the mentality this country has in recent years.

I well remember the Ross Perot run. Clinton was lucky on that one; I think Bush would have beat him one on one. It's hard to know what Trump will do after Iowa. He shouldn't worry too much though; he still had a strong second in spite of Cruz supposedly pulling some behind the scenes trickery about Carson dropping out That may have or may not have happened. Nothing surprises me anymore in politics. The 6 wins in 6 tries on the coin flips for Hillary look really shady. I don';t put anything past her. Trump is about 20 points ahead in NH so he should recover there.

To me it's a tossup. I think Cruz is too much with the religion the other night plus who knows if he blindsided Trump. Hillary looked crazy in her speech plus she still has Benghazi hanging over her head.; I don't see how anyone could vote fore her.

Doncha just love this crazy shit?

Unknown said...

Thanks. Cruz and the religious right. Only approved plants were created by God. We might even see Social Darwinism come back in style! The tide comes in and the tide goes out. The American political system is bi-polar for which there is no cure.

I found hardwood flooring for the control room today for ten dollars a bundle. Sadly, I only had twenty bucks. It should do most of the kitchen/control room. I also found a Sears manual typewriter, a newer version with cover for just ten bucks and it works perfectly!

I slept horribly last night. Woke up at 4:20 this morning. No clue why. Just stayed up. So the next video will be a little late getting out.

Jim McAllister said...

Rick,

I know what you mean about waking up early. I wake up every couple hours at night. Just getting old.

I want to like Cruz but his acceptance speech in Iowa was way too long and too much toward religion. At the moment, I still like Trump.

I see they chiseled another vote away from Hillary in Iowa. Her winning was a joke. No one wins 6 of 6 coin tosses. Don't you just love politics?

Unknown said...

Obama put Asperger's on a list of mental illnesses?

http://www.azfamily.com/story/31152666/mesa-pd-officers-not-aware-of-victims-mental-illness-in-police-shooting?autostart=true

They're trying to take my drivers license because they don't want me driving to somewhere and brandishing a pen and shooting video, because now I'm more dangerous now than with just a still camera. I'm doing the Bigfoot thing, because I'm trying to keep out of that crazy President's line of fire against Americans this year.

The first thing before Islam takes over is to get rid of the smart people. Luckily there's Ted Cruz. Islam's one side of the coin and Cruz is the other. Remember that they tried using a Mormon before. Jimmy, it's the weirdest war that I've ever seen.

Jim McAllister said...

Rick,

I'm surprised some Lee Harvey Oswald type character hasn't made an appearance.

It's sad that in a country as great as this one used to be, a guy like Obama can win not only once but twice. I guess it is the downside of human nature he appeals to: Those who would rather not work and live on government assistance.

I guess he will try to hide in Hawaii luxury when he is replaced. Good riddance; the sooner the better.

Mike Slater said...

Jim, If you listen to Sanders and Hillary it's all about free stuff. That's why Sanders is doing so well with young people. They want every thing free. Lowering the voting age to 18 was a big mistake. Kids that young don't know shit.

Obama's hope and change was a failure. The country is worse off now. We need a Republican as president to try and turn it around.

Jim McAllister said...

Mike,

It amazes me that these so called brilliant young people don't realize that nothing is really free in this country. They are raised on the idea that big business is a bad thing and that only the rich do well. If they get the free education and all the other free shit that guys like Sanders offers they will find out the hard way that there is a payday for everyone on that stuff; especially them once they graduate and get jobs with withholding taxes.

You're right on the voting age; much too low, should still be 21. Not they are too much smarter at 21 but at least they should know a little more about the world to know that nothing is ever really free.

Hillary scares the hell out of me. What a f---ing witch she is both physically and mentally. I hope Trump can pull it off.

Unknown said...

Episode 2, Ozarks Trackers. The mystery deepens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmRWoMogQDA

Jim McAllister said...

Nice job, Rick. A god look at the Ozarks in winter. Love Malachi the cat and the Cardinal in the snow.

Keep 'em coming.

Unknown said...

I'm hoping one of these days to actually make money from making videos for someone.

Thanks for the encouragement! Now if only I had a budget. That's pretty much why I do everything alone these days. Nobody believes that I ever knew a rock star or anyone else. So I work alone.

Caleb, in the next video, is Jen's younger brother.

I've been watching the professional Sony digital video camera prices drop on Amazon.com and I could improve the picture quality with one of those things. No money now and there are many other necessary things before that. I figure one day to get a kit with all the filters, etc. for less than $4K

Mike Slater said...

Jim, I think the voting age should be at least 25. This 18 year old kids don't know shit which is proven by FOX's Watter's World which shows how dumb they really are. It's estimated that Sanders plan would add $18 trillion to the debt, that on top of the $18 trillion already owed.

I see where Hillary isn't polling well with young women. Maybe she will be brought up on charges by the FBI but I have no faith in Obama's DOJ.

Jim McAllister said...

Keep plugging away, Rick. Say Hi to Malachi for me. Tell him my "
Tinker" says "Hello."

Jim McAllister said...

Mike,

I love Jesse Watters' show. He is an expert at putting people down and they don't even know he is doing it. He always has that shit eating grin and they can't quite figure him out. Some of the comments he has gotten from people over the years show how stupid people really are.

Correct about a lot of young people. Totally immature and unrealistic which brands them immediately as typical liberals. I remember a lot of them when I went to college after I got out of the Air Force in 1965. They have no idea how the real world functions. They should never have abolished the draft in 1973. A hitch in the military usually teaches them a lot about real life.

Mike Slater said...

Jim, did you see Watters' last night at Oregon? What a bunch of freaks. I can't believe their parents are paying to send them to college.

I sent Laurie Roberts an e-mail yesterday about her article on Kelli Ward raffling off an AR-15 rifle. I always figured Roberts as anti gun and anti Republican but she told me she's a moderate Republican which I consider Democrat lite. She doesn't like the fact that Arizona is very conservative.

Jim McAllister said...

Mike,

I didn't see Watters last night but am a big fan of his. He has a great subtle way of making liberals look like the idiots they are without them really even knowing it. Jay Leno was also good at that when he did his Jaywalking segments on the late show on NBC.

I don't read Laurie Roberts' column anymore about anything. She, Montini, Valdez, Benson and out of towners like Froma Harrop, Milbank, and Cohen are all the same crappola.

Phil Boas still has me on the list for comments on the editorial page and actually uses me now and then including last Sunday on a question about Trump. I'll give him credit for that since I always differ from their opinion.

Oregon doesn't surprise me. It's just like California; solid liberal kids who have no idea about how the world works. They love all the free shit but don't realize that it isn't really free. They have to learn the hard way.

Unknown said...

Wow. You know, recently having lived relative seclusion on an Ozark mountain and reading the stuff you guys write; the world has become a very strange place.

My new garden tiller blades came in for the small rototiller. That's my excitement. Oh, and I found a Bigfoot track and filmed it. It's customary to use plaster of Paris to make a mold, but all we had was drywall. That wouldn't work. So I just filmed it.

I've long since figured out that for survival situations, that the gun you got is the best one. Incidentally, the Israelis use a modified, Arizona made, Ruger 10/22 and their enemies hate it, because of the accuracy in urban combat.

Unknown said...

I recorded the voice of a ghost in a cave! My friend, Caleb, and I were editing the video (he's in Episode 3) and well, there it was! It was a low frequency moan of a kind. Initially on crude volume increase, you can hear something. But when it is isolated, there it is.

Sometimes I get the creeps editing that video, because I never know what I'll find. I've got a photograph of a genuine fairy and it's on my Facebook page. Lots of weird stuff in the forests of the Ozarks.

Unknown said...

Here ya go, Jimmy. Bigfoot sign and a ghost talking ... not at the same time, of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m03Caz3GP80

Unknown said...

Here ya go, Jimmy. Bigfoot sign and a ghost talking ... not at the same time, of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m03Caz3GP80

I watch a lot of TV shows on Netflix and movies too. I've seen reality shows. The Green Screen lighting still needs a tad bit of work, but the LED system does work.

Jim McAllister said...

Rick,

That countryside brings back memories of my days stationed in Missouri. Love the cat!

Unknown said...

You had Bigfoot and ghosts too then. Is it true that Bigfoot favors warm Stag beer? I think the ghosts just miss pleasant conversation.

I think Jen would love a call from SN. Her number is under my name too. And she hates Valentine's Day. Michelle, a career Army NCO veteran has a brother dying of cancer tonight. She's in the next episode and we could dedicate it to him.

Jen said I can't have a Harley, because I have seizures. SN said the same thing.

Didn't have a good night last night, Jimmy. Worst night in a long time. Didn't figure I needed any herbal medication before bed. Skipped it. Paid for it too. Jen said, no Harley. No driving. I get to make films.