Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[August 6, 2023] I’ll make a few comments about David Garrow’s recent book, Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama (2017), as pointed out by Scott Johnson in PowerLineBlog (link here). Garrow’s biography is the best-researched, most comprehensive study of past President Barack Obama and covers more than a thousand pages of text. What I find most interesting… Read More »
[August 5, 2023] In the summer of 1966, just before High School, I helped a local potato farmer with his crops. I don’t remember if I ever had a dirtier job, yet I both enjoyed and hated working the fields because it was a cross between picking cotton and cleaning pigpens; it was smelly, sweltering, filthy, humid, and… Read More »
[August 4, 2023] U.S. Army General George S. Patton is known as one of America’s greatest leaders. Fortunately, he led much of the WW2 European Theatre effort against the Nazi military machine. What I learned most from reading his speeches and anecdotes from his Soldiers was that the way to be the greatest person you can be is… Read More »
[August 2, 2023] I grew up in Louisiana, just across the river from Mississippi and while both competed for the lowest position in America for education, social services, income, and a variety of measures of quality of life. Today, Mississippi is back in the news for hiring Britain’s leading advocate for Brexit, Mr. Douglas Carswell, now the Mississippi… Read More »
[August 1, 2023] This will sound weird and maybe unbelievable to those who have never been in the military, but I love concertina wire. Concertina wire comes in a circular coil like a slinky toy and is made up of small barbs that will snag anything soft. Our armed forces use it to keep people and small vehicles… Read More »
[July 31, 2023] Recent revelations from the U.S. House of Representatives have turned up Facebook documents that show the Biden Administration has been pushing social media companies into censoring content that the U.S. government does not like. Under threat of contempt by Congress, Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook founder) produced the files requested by Rep. Jim Jordan. These files show… Read More »
[July 30, 2023] Wyatt Earp is known in Western lore as a lawman, gambler, and outlaw, yet his legacy as an accurate shooter has endured. I saw an interesting take on “gunfighting advice” by Tom Grieve (link here) that caught my attention. Like many of my readers, to hear how to win in a dangerous situation grabs our… Read More »
[July 29, 2023] My first fistfight, the first of many, began with my best friend. He lived next door, was my age and in the same grade, looked a lot like me, yet we were always at odds, often angry at each other. Yet, looking back, I cannot recall a single reason for being angry or any reason… Read More »
[July 28, 2023] As a young man, I had no plans to join the Army. Oh, there were plenty of opportunities to join up. Folks in my family circle encouraged me to join. Enticements to join also came from my teachers, coaches, storeowners in my town, and my friends’ parents; this was common. Despite no plans, I did… Read More »
[July 27, 2023] If you have an argument with a family member, and you “win” (by any measure of your choice), you have not won. Period. As an early teenager, I had a nasty argument with my mom over money. My logic in arguing with her was flawless. I won easily. It was a slam dunk, and everyone… Read More »