Catching Wild Pigs

"Today's financial institutions are so interwoven that a bad bank anywhere is a threat to good banks everywhere."
-as heard on the radio by British Prime Minister
Gordon Brown

PHOTO: Sand Sculpture
by Hanne Reid,
Aldergrove, B.C. Canada

My dear photographer friend (and avid blog follower), Hanne Reid, in British Columbia, CANADA shared this "Catching Wild Pigs" story with me recently. It is so a 'sign of the times' that I felt a need to share the story.

"Catching Wild Pigs"

A chemistry professor in a large college had some exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab the Professor noticed one young man (exchange student) who kept rubbing his back, and stretching as if his back hurt.

The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist government.

In the midst of his story he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked, 'Do you know how to catch wild pigs?'

The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke. 'You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in The last side. The pigs, who are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat, you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd.

Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.

The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America . The government keeps pushing us toward socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc.. While we continually lose our freedoms -- just a little at a time.

One should always remember: There is no such thing as a free lunch! Also, a politician will never provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it yourself.

Also, if you see that all of this wonderful government 'help' is a problem confronting the future of democracy in America , you might want to send this on to your friends. If you think the free ride is essential to your way of life then you will probably delete this email, but God help you when the gate slams shut!

Keep your eyes on the newly elected politicians who are about to slam the gate on America .

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have"
--Thomas Jefferson

Twenty-five years ago today:

March 4, 1984

I hopped on my bicycle for a quick breakfast at Mom's house. Helen called just before I stepped out.
"Would you like to go to the Alameda Flea Market, today?" Helen asked.
"That sounds great but I have lunch plans with Nadine," I explained.

Wouldn't you know it. After my breakfast and bike ride I tried Nadine between Noon and one o'clock as instructed and she wasn't even at home!
"I dunno," I thought to myself, "I should've gone to the flea market after all."

I found myself busy anyway. I washed my car and mom's car. Mom even helped out, so it was our fun productive project for the day.

My reward was a bicycle excursion visit to the Alameda South Shore beach. I laid out, taking in some rays for about half an hour (wearing my skimpy, silver Speedo bikini). I got a few sly double-take looks (but I didn't even bother to see who was looking). I just felt someone watching over me. I didn't lay around long. I took a walk for an Orange Julius lunch. As I was eating a girl who looked half black and half Iranian whistled at me. I smiled. She was only about fifteen years old.
"Is that whistle for me?" I asked.
"Yes," she said with a smile.
"Thanks," I replied as I returned the smile and continued with my lunch.

I returned home on my bike to find Mom at my pad.
"You missed a visit from Debbie Honcik," mom said as she succeeded in mispronouncing her surname. My mom thought she was so nice. She was one of my first Pacific Telephone employee friends that I met back in April 1977 when we started as 411 operators. I wish I hadn't missed her visit. She is so cool and carefree. I miss Deb. We are in very different departments now. I must call her one night this week. All I can do is 'try again'.

Debbie left a yellow 'While You Were Out' post-it note:

To: Mike
Date: 3-4-84
3348 Solomon Lane of Left Fir, Right Holly

Hi! Just dropped by to see you on my way for a bike ride on this gorgeous day.
I miss my old friend. See ya another time. -Debbie Honcik


I continued bike riding again later that day and bumped into Suzy and Ron. I rode with them for a short time. I was people watching and relaxing on the beach by myself a little later.
"Why do you put your bike upside down?" asked an unknown chubby girl.
"Oh, it's to keep the sand away from my spokes and tires," I explained
Some blue-eyed, brown haired guy started talking to me a bit and left. He was nice. I was enamored with his eyes (especially).

I ate dinner at mom's (homemade burgers). Marty called to borrow my "Breaking Away" movie. He better bring it back. I'm only looking forward to Ann-Margret's movie tonight. I'm thrilled that Joan Rivers is co-hosting on The Tonight Show all of this week, too. I called 'John & Sherri' to see if they were coming to watch "A Streetcar Named Desire" with me.
"We probably will," said John.

Elisa Berney-Brown called (thanks to call-waiting) for an update of my address. She wants to send me an invitation in honor of her daughter, Stephanie. It's her Birthday Party on Sunday, March 18, 1984 at two o'clock. She will be one year old.

Another call waiting interruption came through. This time it was Chris Cordellos.
"Let me call you right back," I abruptly told Chris.

Another call came in and it was Helen.
"I just wanted to tell you about the Ann-Margret movie tonight. I didn't want you to forget," Helen said.
She went on to tell me that she went to the flea market after all. She said Al accompanied her.
"I should've gone with you because Nadine wasn't even home and I didn't even go to lunch with her," I confessed.
"Oh, I hate those 'jerkomatics'," Helen shouted.
"So do I!" I exclaimed. I laughed at that word. I guess a 'jerkomatic' is a jerk who is always on automatic pilot.

When I returned the phone call to Chris I learned that he was going bar-hopping with his brother, Nick, to some neighborhood Sonoma bars. He promised to come over tomorrow night. We may go to Berkeley to see the double-feature 'Puberty Blues'
www.imdb.com/title/tt0082956/
and 'Gregory's Girl'.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0082477/

I broke down and called on Nadine to get the scoop. It turns out she spent the night in San Jose with a girlfriend. I hope she's not a 'long hair-type' as Chris would call it (someone who loves smokin' pot all day and has no purpose in life).
Nadine and I confirmed a date for Wednesday evening. I, of course, forgot about my appointment at 'The Sperm Bank'. Oh well, I'm sure I can cancel one of those visits.