Monday was my birthday. Columbus Day! Sunday I went to Walmart to buy myself a birthday present. I found a neat 22 caliber stainless steel rifle. The clerk said I had to fill out a form for the government. Which I did. The clerk phoned in the information and spent about ten minutes on the phone. Then she told me that I had to check back in five days to see if I was qualified to buy the rifle. I told the clerk to forward some choice words I had for the gummint man if he happened to call back. I just turned 80 years old. I'll be singing "Happy Birthday to me" and a requiem to the former U.S.A.

Ah Yes. If Columbus could see us now he would have kept right on sailing.