Review Coming:The "Old Codger" Has Much to Say in Whimsy and Wry by Guy Graybill!

The Four Tank Commanders


The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are now four tank commanders. The four current curses of mankind, War, Slavery, Greed and Lust. These four curses are not thrust upon mankind from without. They are generated by a twisted segment of humanity, the members of which would subject their fellow humans to the four beasts of viciousness that they represent. All four curses could be omitted from History if the human race ever matured.

The evidence is clear. Civilization is not a work in progress. Civilization is a study in stagnation.

~~~

Knowing One's Age

We must orient ourselves twice: Once in Space and again, in Time.

Today, there are many tools for finding our place in Space, from simple paper maps to computer models and GPS systems. However, orienting one's self in time remains tied to our awareness of history. For this, I feel that the place to begin that process is to think broadly. Thus I suggest that we look at the cultural ages of humankind, as I have done. For this, simply go back to the Old Stone Age. then work through the New Stone Age, the Bronze, the Iron, and so on, until you rech the present age, the Cleave. Now you should feel properly oriented.

~~~

Mafiosi Are Not Italian

Any group, in any nation, that shows disrespect, of criminal proportions, for others within their own nation or elsewhere, cannot claim to be members of the national populace. Therefore, the Mafiosi are not true Italians--or, in America, they are not true Italian-Americans.

Similarly, the Klansmen of America are not true Americans; the fascists of Germany were not true Germans; the Hutu of Rwanda are not true Rwandans; the Stalinists of the Soviet Union were not true Russians; the Khmer Rouge were not true Cambodians neither the Nationalists nor the Maoists were true Chinese; the Taliban members are not true       Afghans; the drug cartel members are not true Mexicans, etc. Huge and hapless numbers of the world's population still live in nations where murder and other acts of barbarism indicate organized thuggery that cannot be considered to be national.

The Tuscan peasants are Italian. The opera stars of Milan are Italian. The pasta cooks of a thousands eateries are Italian, as are the Neapolitan street singers, along with the writers, sculptors and painters of the Italian Renaissance. The heroic Italian-Americans of the American military are among the true Italian-Americans as well as some great Italian-American songwriters and singers, jurists and legislators, lawmen, and housewives, educators and inventors, actors and sports stars...and so many more.
Sad thought it is, the Mafiosi and the Klansmen, as well as the Taliban, the Stalinists, the Assad supporters, the Hutus, the Khmer Rouge, the Chinese Nationalists and Maoists, the Mikado's imperialist troops the Mexican cartel members, etc. are all part of that immense international "jackassery" that keeps civility and freedom from flourishing. Damn the lot!

                                                                                            ~~~


As you can see, Wry and Whimsy has many different formats of presentations, one of which is essays provided by the old codger. I chose to picture him as different men, because there are many of us who feel the same way about the issues. Graybill has perhaps used this book to provide his own ideas--some might call them humorous...Myself, I  preferred to end each of these with,

Hallelujah! Guy Graybill! Keep Telling it like It Is!