Monday 30 April 2012

A wee babies humour




A little girl had just finished her first week at school.

"I'm wasting my time here Mum! she said , I can't read, I can't write!" and I'm not aloud to talk !"

Agman.

Lest We Forget








Lt.E.B.Impey

Australian Air Force

My God this night I have to fly and ere I leave the ground; I come with reverence to thy throne where perfect peace is found.

I thank thee Lord for the life I've had, for home and all all it's love, I thank thee for the faith I have; which cometh from above.

Come with me now into the air be with me when I fly, guide thou each move I make way up there in the sky and should it be my time to die, be with me at the end, help me die a Christians death. On thee God I depend.

Then as I leave this mortal frame from human ties set free.

Receive my soul O God of love, I humble come to thee.

Written by :  Lt E.B. Impey  Pilot killed in action August  1944.

Remembered.

Agman.

Sunday 29 April 2012

Harry Truman part Two

                                                                                                              



home.


The greatest democracy of this century, the USA! Their politicians and Congress, talk a good fight but do little?
Honesty and fair play to all their fellow country men? I doubt It!

Today many of these people have found ways to become wealthy, while enjoying the fruits of their offices.Political offices are now for sale? ( cf. Illinois)

When Congress in May 1971 where preparing to
award Harry Truman on his 87th birthday the medal of honour, he refused to accept it,
Writing,"I don't consider that I have done anything which should be reason for any reward, be it Congressional or otherwise".
Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, " My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference.

When our ancestors  wrote the laws of our lands they did it in a spirit of fairness and to protect us all? Politicians seem to have forgotten this fundamental spirit of the law, they consider it part of their job entitlement! to use tax payers funds to enhance their life styles, they are crafty and unscrupulous and use subterfuge to hide their true actions.
For what they do for our society they are just parasites without shame.

A good example of this is the UK politicians when they were caught fiddling their expenses, they also believed it was their entitlement ? and were appalled at even being questioned about the matter they made up a plethora of excuses? they blamed the system? and anybody else they could! Some of them quickly paid back sums of money, the tip of the ice berg ? and after sacrificing a few of their colleges,they pulled out their trump card? their get out of jail card! They apologised! without admitting their guilt? and they considered that the end of the matter, and they would just carry on?

Do you think you would still have your job? if you had fiddled the company expenses in such a way? the bottom line is, its stealing? your a thief? and a thief should not hold any public office?

Politicians today are at the top of our society and set a disgraceful example for those who follow them and those people struggling to pay towards their life styles.

Politicians who receives gifts? sell their liberty, and truth is the spectre that scares them all.

I would like to think I could say No! to any award that has no basis for honesty and respect.

Agman.

Wednesday 25 April 2012

Harry Truman a different kind of President (One)


home



He probably made as many, or more important decisions for his nations history?  as any of the other 42 Presidents before him. However, a measure of his greatness may be found in what he did after he left the White House.

He retired from the White House to his one inherited home, (on his wife's side) and a U.S. Army pension, reported to be $13,507.72 a year.

As President he paid for all his own travel expenses and food and his postage stamps and when Congress discovered this they increased his pension to $25,000

After President Eisenhower was inaugurated! Mr and Mrs Harry and Bess Truman ,drove home to their home together? there was no $150,000 secret service following them?

Later when offered  corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating "You don't want me. you want the office of the President, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American People and its not for sale."

Modern Politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on their positions, resulting in untold wealth for them ?

To all you young people out there! who were born into this world of crooked politicians and think its  normal?  you won't believe this happened, but it did.

Agman.




Tuesday 24 April 2012

Mortality









Last Sunday. My mate and I decided.

The weather and tide were good, so we moved
our yacht down to the harbour to place it on its mooring.


I let the yacht down the slip via a long rope and a vehicle and with my mate on board,
who started the engine as it entered the water and made his way out to the mooring after tying up and locking up the cabin, he waited for me to pick him up in our rubber dinghy, the sea state was calm.

I approached the aft step ladders to pick Peter up,and as I arrived, I passed him the pendant and moved to the rear to allow him to climb aboard , Suddenly the dinghy up-ended pouring me out over the back, I rolled straight in the water and was shocked by the cold, which tightened my chest, winding me and also debilitating me, I half expected this to happen! but was completely shocked by the weight increase as my clothes absorbed water, I was unable to swim.

For that moment I came face to face with my own mortality and I felt completely debilitated, some how! I made a grab for the step ladder, and got it, but I was unable or strong enough to do anything else.
My mate Peter leaned over and grabbed me , pulling me up the ladder ( thank the Lord he's as strong as a donkey)
I just stood on the steps with the water draining off of me? I still had my hat and glasses on.

It was so crazy! we usually always wear our life jackets on the water and are very aware of the danger! But can't give a reason for getting caught like this?
This was a wake-up call! that I heard loud and clear.

So my advice to all you reading this? is " Be careful out there" your mortality! walks with you everywhere and always.

Agman.










Monday 23 April 2012

Red Baron update



The Red Baron    








Early in February this year I wrote a Blogg about the

Red Baron.








Well I just received a further bit of information, via an e-mail from the "Forces War Records" which I was unaware of.

As we all know? there has always been some argument over who fired the fatal shot.

Arthur Roy Brown a Canadian honorary captain was officially credited with the kill.

Flying with the Royal Navy Air Service.

No 9 Squadron, later the 209 squadron R.A.F.

He was awarded the         DSC.

Gazette entry date.           21/6/1918. Page 7304, for operations in the air.

Date of birth.                    23/12/1893.

Date of death.                   9/3/1944.


I'd like to take this opportunity to thank  sophie@forces-war-records.co.uk, for their information and recommend them to any body seeking information on their own families war records.

Agman.

Friday 20 April 2012

Imagine

Honda









2012.





I know it comes to us all ?  But can you imagine being old.

You look in the mirror and hardly recognise the fellow looking back at you ?
I still feel 17 years of age on my side of the mirror.

I have a good family and grandchildren, whom I love dearly and visit them often.

But outside this circle I am desperately lonely, I seemed to have slowed down so much and become weak, unable to do things I found so easy in my youth. I have developed arthritis, which stops me from opening doors,turning on taps,opening bottles, I am at times unable to cleans myself properly ?
Which makes it particularly difficult to face my decline in life.

I am old! but I still have feelings and memories and I miss my life.
The bottom line for all of this is.
I am unable to share my feelings with someone special, to gently kiss that special person goodnight.
I just wish I had someone, I'm weary of being alone.

Today is the worst day since yesterday.

Agman.

Tuesday 17 April 2012

Rand Airport (part two)

Cessna Agwagon




Rand Airport

South Africa




What to do?
I got one of the farm men to get a bucket of water and go and put the Zulu girls hand's in it and tell her to keep them in the water and bring me what was left of the acid and bottle, without burning himself !
I poured what was left of it into my thermos and sealed it.
I then went to the Mother; who had given up ? she was singing the cleansing song, softly to her baby in Afrikaans, as she gently poured water over her, (it's a pre-burial song).

I told the Mother to get a damp sheet and wrap her wee baby in it ? tightly, so she can't move?
All of a sudden the Mother came good! she asked me ! what was I going to do ?" I said "I was going to fly her baby to Rand Hospital ? where they will save her life" (a bit of a white lie ? what could I say?) "so hurry please ?" after that she was great! still crying? but great, I made her re-tighten the sheet even though the baby started to cry out loud again.  I couldn't risk her being able to move? there's not a lot of spare room in the cockpit of the Agwagon! I was going to strap her to my chest harness and hope she doesn't move about to much, at the wrong time!

I told the Mother to bring the baby to the aircraft and get one of the men to bring a bucket of water along with her, Climbing into the cockpit I strapped myself in and whilst the Mother held her baby, I strapped her to my chest harness, the wee girl was quite now, but I could feel her laboured breathing,
I covered the babies head and got the Mother to pour water gently all over her, which made her howl !  for me a good sign?
I told the Mother to "get the Zulu girl and your husband and bring them to the hospital", I started my engine, and the crowd that had gathered from the farm moved back, completing my pre-take off checks, I waited for the engine gauges to move towards the green, I went for full power! the noise without the protection of my helmet was murder, I was airborne in seconds and reduced the power to climb power, I climbed up to 700 feet and had a quick look at Rand Airport, getting myself a direct heading to the runway , the circuit was full, at least 10 training aircraft ?  like bees around a honey pot!

Thursday 12 April 2012

I was thinking











Faith




I have always wondered about the hereafter?"Heaven" could it be true?

Over the years I have many friends who were firm in their faith, even in the face of the horrors of war, dying with the name of their God on their lips, believing that after living a good life!
When they die? they would be reunited with their loved ones.

Over the years I have laid to rest many of my friends and I was pleased for them, for they had departed this ole world, firm within their beliefs? you could say I'm a wee bit jealous?

For I have no such apathy towards religious faith; I am fearful, that when I will die! I will lose all my memories of my friends and loved ones, I fear this more than dying?

Bearing witness to the medieval pain and cruelty inflicted by some religions on their own people, in the name of faith! and the hateful and murderous rhetoric also offered by some religions leaders, and sanctioned by other leaders within their circles?
Their ability to convince their follows to act out this mindless rhetoric! is nothing short of miraculous and a gross misuse of their power,

The blind obedience of their followers in their quest to enter their "Heaven"  destroying anybody who is not a believer in their faith at the same time, its just unbelievable!
It's even rumoured that they are offered (in some faiths) sexual favours in the after-life.
Is it offered as a bonus for this murderous act of faith?

Could this be true? and is it another nail in the coffin of faith.

We must be strong and carry on! you know what they say? keep the faith!

Agman.









Tuesday 10 April 2012

Two Nuns in Africa

Thrush Turbine



The Sudan
Nth Africa
Khartoum.

Spraying cotton




At the end of the UK spraying season.
I departed South-end airport,flying a thrush single engine turbine for the Sudan.
I flew over France and down into Italy and across to Greece, spent one night on a Greek island, then I flew directly up the middle of the Med and into Egypt and landed into Cairo." Hallo pyramids."

I then suffered for two days, getting my paperwork cleared from the immigration police, they did this every year, they never let you leave until they had delayed you as much as  they possible could! then they just gave you your paper work and let you leave,( bastards!)

I flew south, staying west of the Nile, passing over lake Nasser and into Merowe in the Sudan, the next day I flew on to Khartoum, a shower! meal! and a beer. Heaven!
There must have been over 30 crop spraying aircraft parked on the parking bay, most of them from Europe.

I parked up and headed for the Custom office. Which only took 4 hours? to get through.( it drives me crazy"!) then off to the hotel, I met up with a few guys I knew, who by the way, me included, Said "This is the last time I will come back to this place!"

Of course you may have gathered this wasn't my most favourite place on the planet, but I missed the night spraying in the Windward Islands due to my commitments. So here I am.

I was sent South to the furthest spaying area from Khartoum.
The spraying cycle usually took around 10 days to complete, then we had a few days off, with nowhere to go! so it was read, read, read?

Friday 6 April 2012

Summer Riots



The riots of last summer are not the best way to remember last year in London.
Gangs roaming the streets threatening fellow citizens, wrecking fellow Londoners properties, by burning their cars and their homes! breaking into and stealing from shops, plus handing out the occasional beating to any body who disagreed with them.
Then there was the much published face off with the police, an unruly gang throwing anything they could at the police, a thin blue line with their name tags and faces on display, to a gang of masks and hoodies, if these people were genuine, they should have shown them selves and been willing to have their day in court and explain themselves.
The fact that a vast majority wore hoodies and mask, shows criminal intent. A fair few of the people convicted after the event were not unemployed? they had good jobs! but they seem to like a good old riot with a bit of larceny!

The hoodie is a perfectly good and practical piece of clothing and the right to wear it? go's without saying! But it is associated with gangs, thieves and drug dealers.
One of the hoods great failings is the that it hides the wearers face, which creates fear and we shouldn't have to live in fear! I'm sure there would be an outcry, if the police wore masks and no name tags.  Human beings set great score on seeing the face in front of us, its part of the way we civilised people communicate with each other.
There is a misuse of the right to wear, what we like, when you like, and how we like, by the rioters, a right by the way, won for us by our service men.
Its no wonder the police are on edge, when they have stop a hoodie?
Their higher command seems to be bent on looking for scape goats to blame and appease the rioter! So under that sort of pressure! they make mistakes? They are like you and me, they are only men!

I may be naive? but I always thought that the law  was a way of educating us into a more responsible way of living together, giving the Police prosecution targets! is against the spirit of the law, and self defeating.
So what do we do about this? firstly let me say I have no idea? But there must be a way!
I know we need to change, and we need  honour! Integrity! and honesty! back in our lives.
If you look at the track record of our politicians? there is not a lot of it about,
There does seem to be a doctrine of machiavelliz'm (to their shame!) entrenched in our government. The majority still seem to believe we are a world power, its a joke but they have no idea!
We need a new breed of politician ones with Honour, integrity and honesty and a conscience
One who can stand and tell our allies and the rest of the world, that we are going to stop our overseas aid programs and immigration and not get involved in policing the rest of the world,
Because we cannot afford it, we never could afford it, it was always on borrowed money, and now with the recession its vital to our economy, to withdraw until we recover.
I know this just a dream, and there a a few politicians out there giving us the finger as they fiddle their expenses,( hey let me have my dreams?)

In the US Senate last week a  Mr Bobby Rush, pulled on a hood! As he was making a statement,
Saying" when one wears a hoodie, it doesn't mean they're a hoodlum" he used his position in the senate to  exploit an emotional and sensitive  tragedy for his own selfish gratification, when he pulled the sunglasses on, for me! it said it all!  just another black panther power hoodlum.!
so you see we are not alone.

Agman.







Wednesday 4 April 2012

Rand Airport (part one)

Cessna Agwagon Cockpit



Rand airport.

South Africa.

Weed Spraying Season.





I was on finals to land on to an Afrikaners farmers strip, for a days spraying of the weeds in his crops.
As his farm was just about within the suburbs of Jo-burg, I had to notify the police and obtain a clearance from air traffic control at Rand airport to operate within their zone. No worries! they gave me!  "not above 250 feet! making no turns towards the airport."
The Afrikaans  farm strip, was really one of the farm roads, and I had to be careful! as some of the workers didn't look where they were going ! (Bless their little hearts ?)
After touch down I taxied up to the loading area, where strangely enough ! there was no ground crew? We usually started spraying straight away!
This farmer has always used his own men to save on labour cost ! He is one of the many farmer who were made poor due to the continuous drought.
As I couldn't see anybody about, I climbed out of my aircraft to look around, the farm seemed deserted? which set my alarm bells ringing!
I returned to my plane and got my hand gun, I cocked it and carried it a manner showing anybody watching? I had it ready for use, ( as warning)!