REMEMBERING GENERAL McDOWELL ON VETERAN'S DAY

If you have lived in the Scottsdale area very long, you are probably familiar with how many items carry the name “McDowell.” You can observe the McDowell Mountains, gamble at Fort McDowell, visit McDowell Mountain Park or buy a car on McDowell Road. One would think this guy McDowell must have been quite a guy. In his own way, he was.

General Irvin McDowell (1818-1885) 

(National Archives)

In his early career beginning in the late 1830’s, Irvin McDowell held his own with guys like Ulysses Grant and Robert E. Lee. He graduated from West Point in 1838 at age 20 where he received his commission as a second lieutenant.  By 1856, he had fought in the Mexican War and had been promoted to the rank of major.

After his promotion to brigadier general during the Civil War in 1861, he fell into the trap of the Peter Principle as he was routed by Southern troops in the first and second battles of Bull Run in Virginia. After those embarrassments, he was considered an ineffective field general and was assigned to the lesser duty of being commander of the Department of the Pacific. Supposedly, during this duty he became familiar with the West and Arizona.  However, some historians claim that he never set foot in Arizona.

Regardless, in 1872 McDowell was promoted to major general in spite of his war record. He had served his country faithfully such as during his service in the West which included building a railroad bridge for the Southern Pacific over the Colorado River at Yuma in 1877. That bridge was important to western expansion.

In 1882, McDowell retired from the Army at age 64 having served for 44 years. He became a park commissioner for San Francisco and remained in that position until he died on May 4, 1885.

There will never be a movement to list General McDowell with guys like Eisenhower, Patton, Grant, and MacArthur as one of our greatest generals but his 44 years of military service are an accomplishment that should be noted. It would be a fitting gesture if some year on November's Veteran's Day, if you live in Arizona and are watching the sun shine on the McDowell Mountains, to give a nod, and maybe even a salute, and say, “Happy Birthday, Irvin and thanks for your 44 years of service to your country.”

TEN ADVANTAGES OF WINTERING IN ARIZONA

It is now the first week in October, 2016 in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area.  In most parts of the country October means thoughts of chilly nights and preparation for the onset of winter which is just around the corner.  

Ah, winter; I remember it well during my days in Cincinnati and Missouri.  Once it arrived with its ice, snow, and cold it was as though it would never leave.  In Arizona we love the winters with the sunny 70 degree days especially when we play golf on a January day while the northerners are shoveling snow.

Like practically everything in life, however, there is a bit of a payback for the northerners as we Arizonans have to endure 100 plus degree days practically every day from June into September and sometimes beyond.  Neither situation is perfect but since I have lived in Arizona since 1987, I obviously prefer the situation here.  There is something about ice cold car seats and heaters that don’t really work well in the extreme cold that makes me glad I have to search for a parking space with shade in the summer in Arizona.

So, while those living in the northern climes are piling on the firewood and warming up the car for fifteen minutes in the morning hoping the heater works, here are a few advantages for Arizonans as they prepare for winter as listed by Scott Craven of AZCENTRAL.COM.

1.  You can now launder the smelly shirt you have kept in the back seat of your car all summer for sweat emergencies.

2.  You can now fire up the stove and enjoy food that doesn’t have to fit in a toaster oven.

3.  You can walk the dog without having to set the alarm clock at 3:00 a.m.

4.  Prepare smug Facebook weather posts for comparisons with your East Coast friends.

5.  You can now enjoy the post-dryer warmth of bed sheets straight out of the dryer.

6.  You can now open the blinds and allow sunlight to shine on areas not illuminated since May!

7.  Two words:  Patio dining. 

8.  Prepare your cold weather gear as temperatures could plummet into the 60’s before you know it!

9.  Answer the usual “What do you want to do this weekend?” question without starting, “We’ll head north….

10.  Breathe deep the rich scent of manure as your neighbors prep their lawns for winter seeding.

Would you prefer to be the guy below or play golf in Arizona like pro champion Kirk Triplett?  DUH!

BRRRRRRRRR!

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

 

EVERY GUY REMEMBERS HIS FIRST CAR

A friend and I were reminiscing the other day about the first cars we ever owned.  I doubt if there is any guy who can’t fondly recall in detail his first “heap” and I am no exception.

Mine was a 1954 Ford “Mainline” two door business coupe.  I loved that car; it was a “stick shift” with a 6 cylinder engine and because it was a business coupe, it had no bells and whistles.  It was designed to get salesmen from A to B with no frills. 

I was 16 and the thought of luxuries like whitewall tires, a radio, or an automatic transmission were unheard of on the Mainline model.  The driver was the only one who got an armrest, an outside rear view mirror, and a sun visor.  As far as a radio, I had to get a cheap AM from Sears after I saved the few bucks to afford it. Those were the days before cars had FM radio so it was only AM and didn’t even have push buttons to find the stations.  I had to dial them in.  As far as air conditioning, Cadillacs were about the only cars that had it then.  I used the 260 form:  2 windows open and going 60 miles an hour. 

Electric windshield wipers were unheard of then also.  They were vacuum operated which meant that every time you pressed on the gas pedal, they would stop!  If nothing else they forced you to drive VERY carefully when it was raining!

My heap looked like this only without the side chrome strip

There were 50,000 miles on that Ford in an era when cars were pretty much used up if they made it to 80 or 90 thousand miles.  But, with only $600 saved up and borrowed from my parents, I wasn’t expecting the world.  Besides, I now had wheels, which was a lot nicer than hitch hiking or walking.

My parents made it clear that they wanted their loan paid back ASAP.  It was the 1950’s and the term “work ethic” meant something.  If you borrowed money under the terms of an agreement you were expected to pay off that loan per the agreement.  There were no special dispensations for family members in most cases as integrity meant something then.  Hence, I got a summer job doing delivery work throughout my hometown Cincinnati area.  It paid $60 a week and gave me the opportunity to learn my way around the metro area.  When school resumed, I worked part time in a grocery store.  I still remember my last payment on that Ford and my receiving the title free and clear.  I felt like a big shot!

The 1950’s seem like a million years ago now.  In most homes, dad was the bread winner and mom ran the house.  When kids came home from school mom was there to greet them while dad usually rode the bus to and from his job.  Many vacations involved family trips to the seashore or the mountains in the family car for a brief respite from the typical workdays. 

The mandatory military draft was also in effect so when boys tuned 18 they had to get a “draft card” which meant that they eventually would have to serve in the military.  They could wait until they were called or voluntarily join but either way, there was usually no way to avoid serving.  The military did a lot of guys a lot of good whether it offered them a career or taught them some valuable lessons about life which with many cases I see today, are sadly lacking.

LIVING THE ARIZONA LIFESTYLE

(Arizona joke:  It was so hot I saw a coyote chasing a jackrabbit and they were both walking!)

Those of us who have lived in Arizona for a reasonable amount of time understand what the place is all about with regards to lifestyle and the effect that weather has on it.

My wife and I have been permanent residents of Scottsdale and Phoenix for the last 27 years.  Before that we were mid-westerners having grown up in Cincinnati and later living in the Kansas City area for 20 years.  We knew all about seasonal changes like ice and snow, humid summers, and raking leaves.  Corn fields were a common sight as were lush green lawns plus we had daylight savings time.

Living in Arizona is a whole new ball game.  As described by local writer S. E. Schlosser in a hilarious recent column about the differences between Arizona and the more northern climes, we always carry our own water with us.  Most of the time, especially in the summer, almost everyone will be holding a bottle of water, usually the large economy size.  It’s what one does when the temperatures start going up around March to a steady diet of 100+ degree days.  The record for March is 102 degrees set in 1988.  As I write this in June, I still remember June of 1990 when it hit 122 degrees.  Carrying your own H2O makes a lot of sense under those conditions.

Winter in Scottsdale (usually)

Here are a few more observations from Ms Schlosser concerning the summer Arizona lifestyle:  1. Do not expect cold water to come out of the cold water tap (see above listed temperatures as why that is so).  2.  Arizonans consider 90 degree weather as representing a cooling trend.  People take certain jobs because covered parking is a perk.  (Caution: do not touch a dashboard that has been exposed to the sun for a long period!) 3. Outdoor activities start at about 5:00 a.m. and end about 8:00 a.m.4. You run INTO the rain instead of out of it (That is assuming that there IS any rain!). 5.Umbrellas are used on sunny days, not rainy ones.  6. You are happy to see a lizard in your yard because it proves that something is alive.  7. The local weather report is a looped tape.  8. You would rather get a letter from the IRS than have to open your utility bill. 9. You’re an expert on ceiling fans because you have one in every room constantly in use.  10. You buy sunscreen in quart size containers.

So, why would anyone want to live in such a place?  A lot of residents flee in the summer to the northern climes because of the above mentioned items.  In the winter there is the opposite:  People flood back to their winter homes in Arizona because of the nice sunny days and temperatures in the 70 to 80 degree range.  The golf courses are reseeded so they are green during the winter.  Of course green fees rise also but if one can afford to live in Arizona in the winter, so what.  In short, it is a nice lifestyle that I wouldn’t trade for anywhere else.

A MEMORIAL DAY SALUTE TO THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED

With the conclusion of the month of May, we have Memorial Day.  It was originally called Decoration Day as it was a time when surviving members of the families of fallen Union soldiers from the Civil War decorated the graves of their relatives who died in that war.   Later on, the meaning and the name was changed to Memorial Day to include all soldiers who had fallen in various other wars.

As a veteran of the United States Air Force (1961-1965), Memorial Day is special.  I was fortunate enough to serve during peace time but the end of May was still a time when my buddies and I took time to show special respect to the guys who preceded us and had physically fought to keep America great.

As an Airman 2nd Class, 1964

I must admit that when I was a kid, I looked at Memorial Day as a day off from school and that is about it. When I turned 18 and got my draft card, I began to have a different outlook.  With that card in my pocket I suddenly faced the fact that I was going to have to serve my country in the Armed Forces whether I liked it or not.  By age 20 I had not been called but knowing it was inevitable, I joined the United States Air Force and was sent to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas for basic training.

It was a case of getting a “baptism of fire” as I was quickly transformed from a kid living at home eating Mom’s cooking to living in a barracks with 70 other guys from 70 different towns and eating in “chow halls.”  Along with that, I had two sergeants constantly telling me and the other guys what a bunch of losers we were and that we better “Shape up!”

It was a classic case of the military using their methods to transform boys into men.  For most of us, it worked as we settled into the program and became troopers.  For about ten guys who couldn’t adjust, they were sent home with the chore ahead of them of explaining to their friends how they couldn’t “cut it.”

After five weeks of basic training, some of us were sent to various tech schools to learn specific jobs.  In my case I was sent to Amarillo Air Force Base in Texas to attend Supply School.   After three months I was assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri where I spent the rest of my four years except for temporary duty in Germany from June to October of 1963. On September 10, 1965, I was discharged.

In retrospect, it was a great four years.  I did a lot of growing up and met a lot of people from both ends of the spectrum.  In 1973, the government discontinued the draft which I think was a gigantic mistake.  A lot of guys did some serious growing up by serving their country.  It’s a quality sadly missing from many today.

TV AND POLITICS: THE NIXON-KENNEDY DEBATES OF 1960

The  Presidential election of 2016 will be interesting.  It will probably be between Hillary and The Donald.  Will a woman win? Will Obama's  record affect her chances?  Will America vote for a successful businessman with no political experience? A similar situation occurred in 1960 when the question was whether a Catholic could get elected.  We shall see.....

 The presidential election of 1960       had some interesting “firsts.”  It was the first election that involved all 50 states as Hawaii and Alaska had joined the list in 1959. It also was first to have two sitting senators on the same ticket (Democrats John Kennedy-Lyndon Johnson) while Kennedy became the first Catholic to be elected to the presidency.

Another “first” that had an influence on the election was the four Nixon-Kennedy televised debates.

Pre-election debates had not been that big a deal other than the Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858 in Illinois which drew large crowds even though the election was not even decided by popular vote.  Later, FDR turned down an invitation to debate with Wendell Wilkie in 1940 dismissing it as a “media stunt”.

However, by 1960 there were over 52 million television sets in the United States making TV an obvious and important outlet for political debates.  Republicans and Democrats recognized this so four debates were arranged for the fall of 1960 between Senator Kennedy and Republican Vice President/candidate Richard Nixon.

The first debate was about domestic issues and drew 70 million viewers along with a smaller audience that listened on the radio.

Radio listeners picked Nixon as the winner but the much larger TV audience picked Kennedy.  As far as substance, the candidates were considered about even.   However, this was an example of how much television counted as a cosmetic business even 50 years ago when most viewers were watching black and white sets with poor reception and smaller screens.  The TV audience got to hear AND see the candidates which gave Kennedy a large advantage.

Nixon either let his ego get in the way of common sense or else he dismissed the debate as meaningless.  He had injured his knee a month earlier and had spent a couple weeks in the hospital for treatment.  When he arrived for the debate he was emaciated looking, had ill fitting clothes, and refused makeup for his ever present five o’clock shadow.

Conversely, Kennedy, who was five years younger than Nixon, showed up tanned, healthy, rested, and ready for action.  When the debate began, Kennedy exhibited charisma, confidence, and a smooth delivery while Nixon appeared sickly and intimidated.  Needless to say, Kennedy won the night on TV where it counted the most and that carried over to the other debates.

There are those who think that Kennedy would have won the presidency anyway although 6% of voters said the debates were a factor in their candidate choice.  As it turned out the election was a squeaker with Kennedy winning 303 electoral votes to Nixon’s 219.  Kennedy won the popular vote by only 112,827 votes but lost 26 states.

Perhaps Nixon should have reconsidered using makeup for that first debate after all.

(Thanks to Erika Tyner Allen)

LET'S DO IT; (LET'S FALL IN LOVE!)

Music is fun and entertaining to most of us whether it is from our own memories of pop tunes recorded during our lifetimes or before.

I love the old songs because the tunes are so great and supply us with a vision of their times and plus some of the lyrics infuriate the holier than thou liberals of today who don’t understand the era that produced the songs.

A favorite is “Let’s Do It" (Let’s fall in love)” written in 1928 by the prolific Cole Porter.  The irony in this song is in the opening chorus where it states that “Chinks do it, Japs do it, up in Lapland little Laps do it...” 

Porter wrote it for the show Paris which was his first Broadway success.  With the politically correct world that evolved, the lyrics were later changed to “Birds do it, bees do it”.  I think that is a cop out; I think Porter was just having fun with the first lyrics and meant nothing harmful with “Chinks do it, Japs do it” but as we know, tastes change and skin gets thinner .

I’ve been a music freak forever and still carry a harmonica around much to the disdain of some but, hey, that’s just me.  I’ve been following pop music since I was 6 or 7 and have never tired of it although some of the stuff today makes me glad I like what are now the radio oldies. 

One favorite from the late 40’s was a regular on the hit parade from WCKY in Cincinnati:  Peggy Lee and her then husband Dave Barbour doing “Manana.”  Peggy was great with any tune.  As she sang so well:  "Manana is soon enough for me."

The 60s were nice.  I spent 4 years in the Air Force; plenty of time to learn things I would never had learned by staying in Cincy.   Also a time to meet girls and dance and love in clubs from Texas and Missouri to Germany only to come home in 1965 and find my true love a month later.  I have been with her for 49 years!  Isn’t fate great?  The young guys today don’t know what they missed by not having to serve in the military..

Meanwhile, tunes like “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”, “The Twist”, “The Duke of Earl”, “Surf City”, “Sugar Shack”, all the great British invasion songs including “Downtown” by Pet Clark; "Monday, Monday,” “Crimson and Clover”, and many other great tunes came along.

Even today, I still like to occasionally turn up the volume all the way and break off the knob as I am doing while I write this paean to pop music.  So far while writing I have played The Smithereens, Donnie Iris, “Puttin’ on the Ritz”, Norman Greenbaum, "West End Girls," Jefferson Starship,  "One Night in Bangkok," Greg Kihn Band, and Yes. 

Great stuff.

(Comments?, Questions? Please post below.)

DOG COLLARS AND EVENING IN PARIS: DATING IN THE 50'S

I remember as a kid in the 1950's how teenage girls had a style of wearing a dog collar around their ankle.  Apparently, when a girl wore the collar on her LEFT ankle, it indicated she was going steady. If it was on her RIGHT ankle, it meant she wasn’t going steady. Sound strange? Remember, it was an era of petticoats, sock hops, padded bras, girdles, and girls washing their hair with bath soap.  Let's not forget Evening in Paris perfume that was available at most drugstores.  Cheap stuff for sure but every guy dreamed of going home after a date with the smell of it lingering on him courtesy of some lovely 17 year old babe.

At this moment, if you are young enough, many of you are probably asking, "What the hell is ‘going steady?’" Going steady happened when a boy and girl THOUGHT they were in love as teenagers and made a pact that they wouldn’t date anyone else. Of course, the fickle nature of youth would eventually kick in and the couple would break up but it was a pretty good deal for a while as it guaranteed both members a date on a Saturday night. Unfortunately, occasionally the couple would become a bit too serious and another baby boomer would enter the world courtesy of a hot night in the back seat of a ‘51 Ford.

Having never had kids of my own (I think), I’m not sure what teenagers do now other than what I see from a distance. For example, it doesn’t look like going steady or dating is a big deal anymore. In the ‘50s, a boy would nervously call a girl in the hopes of obtaining a precious date for a Saturday night. That few moments between asking the big question and waiting for the answer was agony! What if she said "No!"? Even worse, what if she said, "Gee, I really like ya a lot but Ralph already asked me out." I think "I like ya a lot" was more devastating to hear than "No." It meant "Not in your wildest dreams are you ever going to touch me."

I’ve noticed in recent years that teenage boys and girls run in groups. I’ve seen mobs of them at places like Paradise Valley Mall in Phoenix and have noticed that several malls in recent years have imposed restrictions on having kids "hangin’ out." The girls dress sloppy like the boys and receive the same minimal respect from their peers. That’s a lot different from my teenage days when we put girls on a pedestal. Well, some girls anyway!

It’s more proof of how the world has changed. Today kids have iPhones which never leave their ears. We had 45 rpm records. We had gas stations with attendants and "ding-ding" bells and restrooms that had a purple neon light under the toilet seat to give the illusion it was sanitizing. Today you pump your own at Circle K. We had girls with dog collars on their ankles, today they actually put collars on dogs. Imagine that!

1945: K. T. PALMER AND THE PHOENIX HANDGUN ORDINANCE

K. T. Palmer  (1899-1976), and a fellow named Tom Darlington were the founders of Carefree, Arizona in the mid 1950’s.

Real estate wasn’t Palmer’s only vocation as explained in his book “For Land’s Sake” (1971).  He also was a homesteader, a lawyer, and during World War II was a successful secondhand store operator.  He sold a lot of war surplus items including secondhand guns.

K. T Palmer (right) looking over plans for 
Carefree, Arizona.

He was not an expert on guns but he found that he was selling more handguns than dealers who were more knowledgeable than he was.  The reason was that Phoenix at that time had a city ordinance concerning handguns that was a frustration to other dealers.

Phoenix required a police permit to be issued before a handgun sale could be made with the idea being to keep guns away from crooks.  Unfortunately, the cops looked at the permit as a way to stop gun sales to everyone. 

Palmer related that a typical situation may go like this:  A lady whose husband was out of town a lot could buy a pistol for protection at a place like a hardware store where she would be told of the necessary police permit.  After filling out the forms, she would go to the police station for her permit.

After arriving she would typically get a retort from an officer asking:  “Who do you want to shoot?”  After nervously replying “N-n-nobdy” she would be asked “Then why do you need a gun!?”  After mentioning that her husband was out at night a lot” she would hear something like “We are here to protect you, you don’t need a gun!”  In other words, “Beat it!” Men were treated in similar fashion.

In actuality, the law stated that refusal of a permit was only a factor if the applicant had a record of drunkenness, was insane, or was a criminal.  Since Palmer was probably the only secondhand store owner in Phoenix with a Harvard law degree, he knew how to avoid the attitude of the cops by going to the Chief of Police about it.  His gun sales jumped by 33% and he never had another rejection.  In fact, because of his persistence, the permit law was eventually repealed for legitimate gun buyers.

Today, if you are 21, buying a pistol and carrying it concealed is within the law in Phoenix and in Arizona.  Those who disagree with that and believe in restricting or collecting guns so they can be destroyed, are fooling themselves.  In his era, Palmer stated that he would “no more deprive the private citizen of his right to possess firearms to defend himself and his home than he would to deprive him the right to own and operate that far more lethal weapon, the automobile.”

He also stated that it frightened him to think of the day when a representative of a government hostile to our way of life, would knock on his door and demand his guns.

Palmer was a bright guy.

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 19^th 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)

MISCELLANEOUS RAMBLINGS: THIS, THAT, AND SOME OTHER STUFF

 It was announced this week:   Pete Rose’s lifetime banishment from baseball in 1989 for betting on games while manager of the Cincinnati Reds will not be lifted.  The pros and cons of this decision have been argued back and forth but I hold the same opinion I had in 1989:  The ban is appropriate regardless of how times and attitudes have changed.  He knew better but made the bets anyway.  Time does not heal such a wound.  He betrayed the game that made him rich and famous………..

Are the number of college football bowl games getting out of control?  One look at the schedule should answer that instantly:  YES!  I understand the greed factor; it’s a way for schools to make a few extra bucks by being selected but do the fans of schools with 5-7 or 6-6 records really get excited over these games?  For example, if I lived in Minnesota I would not be thrilled to go to a garden spot like Detroit during the winter to see my 5-7 alma mater play Central Michigan, 7-5. There are 40 bowl games this year; that’s too many...…….. 

"Tinker" says "Merry Christmas"

Paul Messinger of Scottsdale recently mentioned how Levis were the overwhelming choice of blue jeans when he attended high school in the 1940’s.  It was wartime and acquiring a pair of those precious jeans was not easy but at Paul’s high school in Scottsdale, they were still a must if a guy wanted to be considered “cool.”   Some might say, “What about Wranglers?” Although they were a fine product, kids of the 1940’s were very brand conscious as they are today and nothing, including the otherwise fine Wranglers, would be accepted but Levis.   As a high school kid in the 1950’s, I can identify with that mentality.  Levis were still a ‘must” during that era………. 

I like this quote from writer Jonah Goldberg of the National Review.  He is referring to some of the college kids of today who think they need to change the scholastic attitudes to reflect a more liberal tone:  “You kids think it is somehow rebellious to be liberal. So, let me see if I get this right. The administrators at this school are liberal.  The professors are liberal. Your textbooks are, for the most part, liberal. Hollywood is liberal. The music industry is liberal. The fashion industry is liberal. The mainstream media are liberal, Silicon Valley is liberal. Believe it or not, most corporations and the overwhelming majority of charitable organizations are liberal.  And yet, you think you are sticking it to the man by agreeing with them?”  Goldberg’s comment reminds me of some of the 18 year old classmates I met after I returned to college after serving a hitch in the Air Force from 1961-1965. They felt a need to change the world even though it had already been changed to their liking; they just didn’t know it………..

Whether one likes or dislikes Donald Trump or hard rocker Ted Nugent, I think this is pretty funny if you have a sense of humor.  It was sent o me recently by one of my readers:   Ted Nugent walks into a Muslim bookstore in Chicago and asks the clerk if he has a copy of Trump’s book about the U. S. immigration policy regarding illegal Mexicans and Muslims.  The clerk angrily responds:  “GET OUT, GET OUT AND STAY OUT.”  Nugent replies, “Yes, that’s the one.  Do you have it in paperback?”……….

Have a wonderful Christmas holiday and New Year's. 

JUST WONDERING…….

Is it just me or does anyone else think Obama has his priorities mixed up?  ISIS is a serious threat to the U. S.  They have already wreaked havoc in other parts of the world and recently were responsible for the carnage in Paris.  Is Obama concerned? Apparently not enough since he is willing to let 10,000 Syrians into the U. S. with only minimal screening. Two of the participants in 9-11 actually trained in Scottsdale, Arizona. Wouldn’t that indicate how easy it is to enter this country with bad intent?

It looks like Obama is more concerned over whether the ocean will raise a couple of inches in the next million years than he is in destroying ISIS.  Dana Milbank is normally a left leaning columnist who writes for the Washington Post.  However, in his column of 11-29 he is not very complimentary to Obama; a guy he normally places on a pedestal.

Speaking of a recent East Room meeting between French President Francois Hollande and Obama, Milbank stated that Hollande and Obama were “united in their goal of defeating the Islamic State but separated by a stylistic gulf as wide as the Atlantic.” 

Milbank continues:  “On the left, facing the cameras, was Francois Hollande, war President. He spoke of ‘cowardly murderers’ who ‘dishonor humanity,’ of a ‘relentless determination to fight terrorism everywhere and anywhere,’ of ‘an implacable joint response’ of ‘hunting down their leaders’ and ‘taking back the land.”

“On the right stood Barack Obama, President Oh-Bummer.” (After reading that definition, I almost fell out of my chair as it was uncharacteristic of Milbank to mock the president.)

Milbank continued:  As far as defeating the Islamic State, Obama replied:  “That’s going to be a process that involves hard, methodical work. It’s not going to be something that happens just because we take a few more airstrikes.”

When questioned about a political settlement in Syria Obama replied: “It’s going to be hard and we should not be under any illusions.”

When asked if the Paris attacks could have been avoided, Obama replied that “it’s hard; that’s a hard thing to track…That’s a tough job.”  (Really?  Was Charlie Hebdo any indication of what was to come?)

Obama continued with “Some of them think that if I were just more bellicose in expressing what we’re doing, that it would make a difference.”

In reply to the above, Milbank made a great reply: “Well, yes.”

The result of this meeting showed no surprises:  The normally unpopular Hollande saw his support numbers increase while Obama’s poll numbers decreased.  Hollande was “upbeat and can-do” while Obama was “discouraging and lawyerly.”

Maybe Obama was more concerned about the glaciers.                                                                        

GROCERY FUN: PLASTIC SACKS AND PURPLE KETCHUP

When I graduated from college in 1969 I felt pretty good.  I was still in my 20’s and I had served four years in the Air Force to get my military obligation out of the way (that’s right, “obligation” since we all had to serve in those times but that’s a story for another day).  I had a beautiful wife (still do!) who taught school plus a new job with Lever Brothers Company as a salesman selling household products to the grocery and drug trade.  I made $7,200 a year and had the free use of a ’68 Ford company car.  That was a good deal in those days of $1 six packs of Budweiser and Schlitz!

By 1976, I had left Lever to work for a grocery store supply distributor.  It was great; I received a commission on my sales and didn’t have to sell consumer products anymore.  

 In 1978 we introduced plastic grocery sacks with handles to the grocery trade.  They were called “Marketotes” and although they were plastic instead of paper, they eventually overtook paper in popularity and are considered the norm today in most retail establishments.  That isn’t to say they were readily accepted as a substitute for paper sacks.  A good example of that is an unfortunate presentation I made to an IGA supermarket manager in Mexico, Missouri on a 100 plus degree day in 1978.

The main part of my pitch was to demonstrate the strength of the sack.  To do that I had bought four six packs of a cheap Midwest beer called “Goetz.”  I would put the four six packs in a plastic sack and swing it around to show the strength of the plastic vs. paper.  Then I would punch holes in the sack with a ballpoint pen to further illustrate its strength.  Unfortunately, the beer had been in the hot car too long and when the pen touched one of the cans, it caused a pinhole which then sprayed hot cheap beer all over the store manager.  Needless to say the guy wasn’t happy as he frowned through the beer dripping off his glasses.  Fortunately, at a later date he did let me install them mentioning that another demonstration was not needed. 

In those days we had a saying: “Selling is fun.”  In most cases that is still true but as I look at some of the items that have been presented to grocery stores over the years it makes me wonder what some companies are thinking.  Phil Hawkes of the Arizona Food Industry Journal points to some real head scratchers in that publication’s October edition.  

YUM! PURPLE KETCHUP!

For example, somebody at Heinz once decided it might be a good idea to sell Heinz Ketchup in an EZ Squirt bottle.  That’s not a bad idea in itself but they decided that it would be neat to present ketchup in colors of green, blue, and purple. Now I ask you, how ridiculous was that?  Did they actually expect the most particular eaters in the world (kids) to eat colored ketchup?  Of course the product was a flop; everyone wants red ketchup.

Do you remember Wow potato chips?  For whatever reason the number one maker of snack foods, Frito-Lay, came out with a line of products containing “Olestra” which was a fat free substitute for making potato and tortilla chips.  It was later discovered that there were several unpleasant side effects caused by Olestra and the products with them were discontinued.

Phil points out that probably the most prominent member of the failed product Hall of Fame would have to be New Coke. He mentions that it was the “Edsel of the food industry.”  I agree and at the time it appeared on April 23, 1985 I was still a member of the food business.  My first thought was, why would they change a successful 99 year formula; especially since Coke was by far a number one selling brand?

Coke quickly returned the original coke recipe a couple of months later and called it Coca Cola Classic.  It was a lesson well learned proving that success isn’t something to be tampered with.

(You can also check me out on Twitter at JimMcAl97307903)

CHEAP GAS AND CADDYING: A LOOK BACK

30 CENT GAS? YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING!

Unless you are a certain age, you probably don’t remember when buying a tank of gasoline for your car was quite a different experience from what one would get today.  It’s easy to describe today’s experience as it consists of you getting out of your car, turning on the pump, and filling the tank yourself with gas that costs well over $2 a gallon most of the time. You may even clean your windshield if you wish provided cleaning materials are provided for you to do it yourself.

For many younger drivers, that has been the only experience they have known for their entire driving days.  For those of us who have been driving for a long time we remember when gasoline was sold at “service stations.”  The word “service” describes exactly what they were:  Places where your car was not only filled with gas by an attendant  but the engine oil level was checked, the windshield washed, tire air pressure checked, battery water checked, along with the brake fluid. If the attendant was really thorough, you may have even had your floor brushed out. In those days “service” meant what it said.

These days we celebrate when gas prices drop into the low $2 range.  When I was stationed in Missouri with the Air Force in the early 1960’s, I can’t remember ever paying more than about thirty cents a gallon.  I used to fill up my 1961 Chevy for about $4; a sweet deal by today’s standards. Did I mention that a lot of stations used to also give trading stamps like S & H Green Stamps?  Yeah, that too.

CADDYING AT THE LOCAL COUNTRY CLUB

With the introduction of electric and gasoline golf carts years ago, I doubt if any public golf courses or private country clubs today offer the services of caddies anymore but when I got out of high school in the late 1950’s, caddying was still going strong and although it was pretty hard work, it paid more than jobs like sacking groceries or making deliveries for the local grocery store.

1967 Masters Champion Gay Brewer 

played in my foursome at Cincy 

Country Club in 1958.

I caddied at the Cincinnati Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio.  It was fairly close to my home but more importantly, it‘s membership consisted of the cream of Cincinnati society which hopefully meant some decent tips.  I would arrive early in the morning at the caddy shack so I would be one of the first called out, hopefully to carry “doubles” or two bags for eighteen holes.  If my players were fast enough, I usually had time left before dark to get another group for the afternoon.  At $3 per bag plus a hopeful tip, I usually could make about $15 on Saturday or Sunday; not bad dough for a teenager in those days even though it meant carrying two heavy bags through eighteen holes of golf twice in one day.

Besides most of the players walking the courses, another difference in those days was at the practice range. Players would warm up the same as now except there weren’t vehicles that drove across the range to pick up the balls. It 

was the caddy’s job to take a sack out on the range to shag 

his player’s golf balls and take them back to the pro shop. 

Needless to say, we gave our members plenty of room to hit the balls although I did see a fellow caddy get conked once!

In retrospect, caddying was a worthwhile experience.  It taught me the value of a dollar and the importance of going to college to better myself in life after serving Uncle Sam in the USAF.  It also taught me to enjoy golf, a game which I still play regularly today.

Comments? Questions? You can leave them below. You will receive a reply.

SEXY VEGETARIANS AND FREEWAY ART: WELCOME TO SCOTTSDALE

We hear “Only in Scottsdale” comments a lot from those suffering from “Scottsdale Envy.” If you read between the lines you know that what they are really saying is “Gosh,  I sure wish I lived in Scottsdale!”

Who can blame them? Where else can you find a city that preserves its classy individuality along with the ability to laugh at itself?

For example, a woman from Scottsdale once made it to the finals of a contest to determine PETA’S “sexiest vegetarian next door.” Even better, she had gone vegetarian 16 years earlier as a tribute to her dog! Unfortunately for her, she didn’t win the contest but it wasn’t because her dog didn’t vote for her.

Even funnier was the “Tuesday Night Book Club,” a CBS reality show that ran for two episodes in June, 2006. To say this show was “reality” would be stretching the truth a bit.

The premise was for a group of typical Scottsdale housewives to get together once a week to discuss recent books they had read. Unfortunately, there was very little book talk but plenty said about sex and gossip. Besides that, only a couple of the women were even from Scottsdale and while the meeting place was supposed to be the home of one of the ladies, it was actually a rental used only for the show. I think they did well getting through two episodes before the inevitable cancellation.

In February of 2010, Scottsdale decided that with the population explosion in the northern part of town it would make sense to widen Pima Road north of Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard. It was a great idea as two lane Pima was becoming a bit of a bottleneck south of Pinnacle Peak Road.

Today, north Pima runs smoothly with its extra lanes all the way to and from Pinnacle Peak Road. However, that doesn’t mean that the final result was obtained without the usual construction difficulties that are typical with extensive roadwork.

The construction with its many barricades became reminiscent of riding the roller coaster at an amusement park. To make it even more fun, the barricades were changed regularly to accommodate the construction.  Every day was a new adventure especially for cell phone users as they had to actually pay attention to their driving. Fortunately, it ultimately was worth the hassle.

North Pima Road construction, 2010 (Mark Henle, AZ Republic)

Speaking of classy individuality, can anyone name another city with public art displayed on its freeway walls? Scottsdale has it plus when they built original sections of the 101 freeway through the north part of town, there were some complaints from homeowners living near the road that the surface that was used created a bothersome noise from the friction of the car tires. A special rubberized coating was applied to the road in that area and the complaints ceased. I doubt if many other places would have been so accommodating.

Can you name which city was the first to use the mechanized, one armed, garbage collection trucks we see today? If you said “Scottsdale” you may go to the head of the class. When compared with art covered freeway walls, garbage collection doesn't seem very romantic but having the “Godzilla” truck come by weekly to empty one large container on wheels sure beats dragging several cans to the curb on garbage day.

Unfortunately into every life some rain must fall. With the economy foundering a few years ago, Scottsdale had to announce some cutbacks in city services. The City Council at that time was looking for some viable method to increase revenue and one suggestion was to sell advertising space on city owned property. They may have actually done that somewhere in town that I don’t know about but the first thing I thought of was the possibility of a large billboard on the edge of town reading “Welcome to Scottsdale, brought to you by Walmart!” If that would have actually happened, one can only wonder what McDonald’s restaurants would have dreamed up for McDonald Drive.

As far as rain actually falling rather than metaphorically, one of the fun pastimes in Scottsdale before a bridge was built, was to visit the Indian Bend Wash between Hayden and Scottsdale Roads during a heavy rainfall to watch some foolish people try to navigate their cars through the rushing water only to be disappointed when the car stalled and they had to be rescued. It was an expensive proposition for them to pay the towing charge plus a fine from the city for acting a few levels below what most would consider normal intelligence.

I remember one guy in particular who had a new Lexus practically destroyed by attempting the crossing. He was an older, distinguished looking guy who looked like he was successful at making money but not intelligent in the area of water since he said that the next time it rained he would try again. For him, “Only in Scottsdale” seemed appropriate. 

MISCELLANEOUS RAMBLINGS.......

This 30 second commercial from BMW is one of the best I have seen.  It's cute, different, and easily gets the point across in two words without the usual mind numbing oratory of most car commercials.  It's a nice example of how less is more.

Have you been to McDonald's lately? Either have I but there was a time when they were a dependable place to eat for a small amount of money.  In my case I refer to my years in the USAF in the early 1960's when my buddies and I were looking to spend more on partying than on food.  My standard order cost 60 cents.  (2 burgers, fries, shake.) Try getting by on that today.

(Tim Boyle, Getty Images) 1962 McDonald's
Although the name "James Harrison" may evoke some bitter memories in Phoenix because because of his 100 yard touchdown interception of a Kurt Warner pass in Super Bowl XLIII, I admire the guy for his outlook on kids receiving trophies for simply participating in various sporting events.  Harrison believes trophies should be earned, not just handed out for showing up.

We live in a "feel good" society where a lot of parents think there should be rewards for doing nothing and that eliminating such awards may cause a lack of self esteem. Perhaps, but to me it is a good example of how life really is; they will hopefully get over it. Coincidentally, former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner agrees with Harrison and he is the guy who threw the pass that Harrison returned for the Super Bowl touchdown.

Who would have thought?  Columnist Froma Harrop reports that the so called "Millenials" (those who are 14 to 31 years of age) are not drawn to the allure of  the automobile!  Does that mean that they have no idea what a GTO or a Little Deuce Coupe are?  I'm not surprised as the ones in that age group seem more interested in iPhones, texting, and living in cramped downtown apartments than they are in tooling to the drive-in with the top down on a warm summer night. I think the times will change as the young tend to be fickle and are always antsy to try the next fad.  After all, a guy can only send messages on an iPhone while taking a girl to a drive-in (if you can find a drive in!) can be a much more enjoyable experience; especially if you insert a Jan and Dean CD into the player!

My most important jobs.  I don't believe I could list in this space ALL the jobs I have ever had. However, I have been fortunate to have had jobs that taught lessons in life and others that paid well. The best example of the former is the four year hitch I did in the United States Air Force.  I grew up in the era where guys had to serve a minimum of two years in the military service of the U. S.  Very few were exempt; even Elvis and Willie Mays had to serve and they did. Unfortunately, the draft was discontinued after 1973 thus ending a life altering experience that did a lot of guys a lot of good; me included.

As far as jobs that paid well, I have been lucky enough to have been born with the ability to speak decently and convince people that they should buy stuff from me. I was paid commissions on what I sold so I did well in that career.  I advise any wannabe salesmen to never take a salaried sales job. If you do it's like saying you have no confidence in your sales ability and you will never make as much money as you could on commission.

Will Rogers quote of the day:  "Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment."

("Comments" can be left below.)

FIVE AND DIME STORES OF YESTERYEAR

If there is anyone reading this who remembers “Five and Dime stores” please raise your hand.  That’s what I thought; not too many.  Don’t feel bad, the old Five and Dime stores (or variety stores as some refer to them) have basically disappeared from the American landscape but in their days of popularity during most of the 1900’s they were very popular outlets for household goods and other “notions.” Many also had booming lunch counters where one could purchase a nice meal for a reasonable price.

One of the most popular of these stores was Newberry’s.  It was founded in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania by J. J. Newberry in the early 1900’s and by 1919 consisted of 17 stores.  If you wanted anything from bed sheets to goldfish, small appliances, to spools of thread or a pair of blue jeans, Newberry’s was the place for you.

Typical small town Newberry store.

By 1965, Newberry’s had 565 stores across the country doing yearly sales of $291 million.  By 1972, they still had 439 units as they were sold to McCrory Stores.

With changing times bankruptcy was declared in 1992 and 300 stores were closed by 1997.  As late as 2001, the last store was closed in Portland, Oregon.  Other Five and Dime stores like Kresge’s and Woolworth’s were similar to Newberry’s but they also faded with the changing times.  Those companies went on to survive with large discount department stores and food centers carrying the names Woolco and K-Mart.

It was easy to spot a Newberry’s store during their boom times.  The signs usually were the width of the store and contained a red background with gold lettering.  As a kid growing up in Cincinnati during the 1940’s and 1950’s I spent a lot of time in those stores.  My mother bought lots of dry goods from them and occasionally I would get toys, yoyos, or maybe a turtle or a goldfish if I behaved myself! (Some of above acquired courtesy of “Wikipedia”.)

The Newberry's store in downtown Phoenix (c.1955)

Lunch counter at Newberry's c.1950's. Sliced ham sandwich 10 cents?

MY 700th GOOGLE PLUS BLOG

( Left:  Me with a fave book: "Two O'Clock, Eastern Wartime" by John Dunning) photo: 2006

From November, 2005:

“Thanks for checking out the new blog. It will be a continuation of the old blog which was an expanded version of my newspaper column in the "INDEPENDENT" papers of Phoenix/Scottsdale. I hope you continue to check it out; updates are usually on Wednesday each week and for you regulars you know the stuff I write about (radio, TV, movies, music, books, sports, or whatever).”

“Thanks again for tuning in and tell your friends where I am at http://jmcallister.blogspot.com.”

That statement from 2005 was the beginning of the current blog I write through Google+. Today’s blog is a sort of celebration since it is number 700 written since that November day.  

Besides my personal blog, starting in 2006, I used to do a blog for the Arizona Republic, along with a few other writers, which was eventually discontinued in 2011 when the newspaper decided that a lot of the political comments received were not suitable for publication. An attempt by the paper to publish them through Facebook was a failure.

A couple years after that I, along with several other writers, was asked by the Republic to do another blog that leaned toward politics specifically.  It ran for a while but was eventually discontinued during one of the paper’s austerity moves.

During those busy times, I still managed to do something with my personal blog and as you can see, it survives today mainly because I am running the show and enjoy writing enough to keep the thing going. I also enjoy the feedback from readers which shows me the success or failure of blogging.

Here are a few statistics.  These are the kind of numbers that keep me doing this:  Total published comments: 14,297. All time number of page views: 283,757. Most page views for one blog: 242, “The Stoneman Military Road” (published October 1, 2008.)

Thanks to everyone who reads, and I hope enjoys, my stuff. I have a list of people I automatically send new blogs to. If you are not on my list but would like to be, please let me know your email address and I will add it.

TO COMMENT CLICK 

"POST A COMMENT"

THE GHOST ARMY OF WORLD WAR II

 By Jim McAllister

Note:  I wrote this story originally on April 27, 2005 for the NORTH SCOTTSDALE INDEPENDENT newspaper. I was fascinated by the ghost army and the bravery of those guys in World War II. With D-Day, June 6 upon us I feel a tribute to them and our current fighting forces is once again appropriate with a reprint of that column....JM, Scottsdale, AZ, 6-5-2015.

You may be wondering, "What in the world was the ghost army of World War II?" It’s an interesting and fascinating story which is not well known.

Ever since warfare has existed, armies have relied on some type of deception to gain an advantage on their opponents. Some ancient armies used plaster dummies, others used fake smoke signals and spies, and we all know about the famous Trojan horse. These ancient examples of deception were carried into modern warfare during World War II with the exploits of the ghost army or their actual title which was the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops.

The ghost army was a unique and little known group of American soldiers who played a big part in the Allied victory over Germany through their abilities in the art of deception. Even though information on this unit became available about thirty years ago, not much has been written about them. As World War II faded into history, so did the 23rd Special Troops.

The ghost army was organized by Lieutenant Colonel Merrick Truly. He was the executive officer in charge of these deception experts. Although Truly’s men reported to the American ground commander in Europe, General Omar Bradley, most of the American soldiers did not know of the existence of the Special Troops. They operated at night under strictly special orders and were not even required to give their identity to superior officers.

The ghost army consisted of 82 officers and 1,023 enlisted men. With their eclectic mixture of talents, they were strictly in the deception business. The Special Troops were made up of four units: a sonic deception company, a special radio company, a company of combat engineers, and a battalion of camoufleurs. They served with four armies in five European countries in five major campaigns from D-Day (June 6, 1944) until the end of the war in 1945.

The most unique part of this already unique group was the composition of its members. Many of these men were already famous as artists, sculptors, architects, literary figures, and others from the world of the arts and humanities. Actor Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. was perhaps the most well known for his Hollywood successes, but there was also renowned fashion designer Bill Blass, Olin Dows: a prominent artist, George Diestal: a Hollywood set designer, Art Kane: a fashion photographer, and Harold Laynor, whose artistic works depicting World War II and other subjects, are shown in galleries throughout the country.

The Special Troops used six major methods of deception: camouflaging troops and tanks, placing dummy tanks and artillery, firing pyrotechnics to simulate actual artillery fire, the use of artificial sound effects, using artificial radio communication, and using fake special effects. This created an atmosphere of great danger as they needed to be in close to front line battles.

Although these brave men were involved in at least twenty other confrontations with the enemy, their biggest contribution was probably at the battle between Allied Forces and Germany at the Rhine River on March 23, 1945. Their contributions were essential in weakening the German assault and forcing Germany to surrender two months later in May of 1945.

Although records and information concerning the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops are sketchy, the aforementioned artist Harold Laynor (1922-1991) made a series of fifty paintings covering two years of participating in World War II. His works include paintings of army buddies, aspects of training and, as the series progresses, he relates the brutality and horror of war.

Like the above mentioned celebrities participating in the 23rd, Dr. Laynor was highly distinguished in his field. Although he used primarily watercolors for his World War II work, he was also a pioneer in the use of lacquer as a medium of painting and the use of 3D paintings for the blind.

Optical illusions, bluffs, sleight of hand, misinformation, disappearing acts: all part of the ghost army of World War II; a brave and cunning bunch of guys who were instrumental in giving us the lifestyle we enjoy today.
                                                      Scottsdale's Harold Laynor

 Fake rubber tanks were good distractions                                

For more on the ghost army, check out Rick Beyer's Twitter page at https://twitter.com/@ghostarmy23

Have a comment?

Click "Comment" below to get to the comment box..