The 'Audio-Visual-Club' Story

 So....there in the late 1960s...at Bitburg Air Base (Germany).....someone noted that it was nearly impossible to get color TVs at the BX (AAFES).  To be honest, there were a lot of electronic gear that simply wasn't sold by the BX.

So....someone approached the Wing Commander and suggested that he allow the base recreational folks run a 'club'....audio-visual in design....to sell new gadgets.  He signed off, and in a matter of weeks....they had a demo-area set up and a couple of civilian spouses were sales-people.

Based on who is telling the story....in a matter of a couple of months....the BX  'boss' felt it was unfair competition (the base recreational fund was getting the profits....not the BX).  The wing commander didn't care....folks were happy, and consumers were getting what they wanted. 

The BX empire in Europe then went to the Air Force Headquarters and the four-star.   Again....it was unfair competition.  The general.....as the story goes....asked the BX why they couldn't sell the same gear....at  the same competitive price.  

By this point....most all air bases in Europe had a audio-visual club going on.

The BX  folks?  Well....they went into competition and tried to match wits.  It was almost like you had a bunch of 50-year old guys in management who could not recognize the era developing.   

So by mid-1970s....if you walked into a Ramstein, or Rhein Main....audio-visual  shop....you noted that they had a real LP section....a camera section....tons of stereo gear.  The BX folks....always 3 or 4 steps behind.

In 1978, as I arrived....I found the audio-visual shop at Rhein Main to be an interesting place.  Over a two-year period....I probably bought fifty albums. 

By the mid-1990s....the BX finally reached a point where they had the right people and the trend was in their favor.  The audio-visual clubs began to fade.

It reached a point in the mid-90s....in the vault I worked....that we engaged for about an hour about the competition fall-out, basic economics, and how the BX lagged so badly.

As long as you exist as a sole-source 'player'.....you don't care about competition, or developing new trends.  In the 30 years that the audio-visual clubs  existed....I don't think they had a real 'big-guy' strategy on trends....whatever came next, was simply accepted (they moved on).  The BX folks?  They couldn't maneuver that way.  If they did see a trend....it took a full-year to re-think the strategy....get orders in, and reach a new stage of competition.

As the BX maturity level evolved, and they erased the competition situation with audio-visual....another new era evolved....internet purchasing (Wal-Mart, Pennys, Amazon, etc).  

Around the 2008 era....you could guess that 50-percent of Germany-bound GI's were ordering and picking up via the post-office.  The BX had lost another competition battle.  

Retread TV Show Chatter

 I read today....Netflix intends to do 'remakes' of 3 1960s shows: 'Time Tunnel', 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea', and 'Land of the Giants'.

By early 2026....all three will start to show up.

So....from 'TT'....I've seen all thirty episodes.....one time only....from 1966, and I was addicted.  

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea....of the 110 episodes....I've probably watched forty of them.

Land of the Giants?  Of the 51 episodes....I've probably seen half of them.

Why bring these back?  I suspect they are running short of ideas.

My thoughts?  Well....I could see all three brought back....maybe eight episodes each, and maybe even lasting a 2nd season.  If you asked on my hokey-index....Land of the Giants never made  sense.

But I'd like to see Dark Shadows, and Planet of the Apes (the TV show) brought back.  

The 'Show'

 As a kid...I grew up in a time when local pro-wrestling on the TV every Saturday afternoon, and I tended to watch.  

In my later years (the Air Force era of 1981-1984)....I got cable TV in the barracks, and would watch Texas/Louisiana-based wrestling.  

It was always a simple theme....good guys versus bad guys.  

You needed a theatrical show....as realistic as possible.  The weirder the character (like the Great Kubaki, Andre the Giant, or Junk Yard Dog)......the more charged-up you got.

I look at the Trump era....as bringing in all these weird elements,  and  turning it into a evening show.....where you walk in....get through supper....open a beer, and turn on the TV to find out what Rubio has done today, or what Vance dumped on some poor CNN journalist, or what Kash said to the dimwitted MSNBC moderator.   Trump?   He's got a white board in the back of the 'stage' and  writing a whole week's worth of attention-items.....to keep you thrilled.

The Democrats?  Well....they've never encountered something like this.  There was the eight years of Obama, but they were mostly attempting this at one-quarter speed....throwing two or three highlights out each week.  Trump's crew?  They have probably sixteen highlights a day going on.

Appealing to black voters?  I can guarantee you....each evening....they are curious about what Elon has done....if Trump bashed Senator 'Pocahontas'.....if Vance has whooped Ukraine's Zelensky once again,  or if that Kash-guy has laid out the JFK-killing.

Democrats trying to get another theme or message?  It might take five years to figure out a strategy and counter this mess.  

Humble View of Trump's State Of The Union Speech

Five observations:

1.   If you were a media 'unit' (a news guy, a podcaster, a newspaper)....the speech wasn't for you.

2.  The content/theme?  It was for the farmer who'd lost respect Washington DC politics.  It was for the lumber sales guy who needed some dose optimism.  It was for the nurse who'd pulled a 16-hour shift and heavily disgruntled about bureaucracy in America.   It was for the hotel clerk who needed some morale-booster.  

3.  For the Democratic machine.....you need to find a theme/message/brand to deliver into the public that has nothing to do with anti-Trump-chatter.  You need to clear your agenda of present-day, and start preparing for a massive vote-problem in November of 2026.

4. At this point....no one remembers Joe Biden....he's ancient history.

5.  Social Security needs to confirm the dead people problem, and if 100,000 non-existent people are getting a check from them. Hint, there's a national ID card coming in six months....via Social Security, and you will have to present some real evidence of your ID.

My Snacko Era

 In my final couple of years in the Air Force....I volunteered to be the vault 'snacko'...meaning a duty to stock a refrigerator and sell sodas/snacks.  This was a group of 40 folks who were my 'customers'.

I developed this tactic of knowing the commissary system...where discounted items (sometimes one-third off) were offered. By the sixth month of operation....I was easily making $180 to $200 in profit on a monthly basis. At the end of each month...I'd run a free burger grill operation..

So one day at the base quickie-mart....at Ramstein...I turned the corner and here was a pallet of 'Michael Jackson Mystery Drink'.  

Basically....a heavy caffeine tea 'juice' was the wording on the BX card.

They were offering a case for 32-cents a can. I figured....what the hell, and bought a case for the snacko operation.

 Thirty days into the mystery drink episode....zero had been bought.

I decided one day to open a can...taste....and walk around with the can in my hand.  Taste? Just a crappy ultra-sweet tea.

The case sat there for most of a year.   I sold a total of two cans out of that experience.  

The end came....expiration date on the cans.  I popped the top of the remaining cans and dumped all of them....for a loss. 

Humble View of the Zelensky 'Visit'/Screw-Up

 Five observations:

1.  All of this  was talked over back on Monday (Rubio comment).  It was clear then....you arrive....friendly chat....sign the rare minerals understanding...no US participation in the ground situation or peace force....no entry into NATO.  

Zelensky flies in....has breakfast with some Senators,  and seems pepped-up to get a  alternate deal at the White House.  Takes about 15 minutes for Rubio to realize  the guy has a totally different plan.

2.  I don't think Trump will meet face-to-face with the guy again.

3.  Lot of chatter in Ukraine....impeachment chatter.  I kinda doubt that Zelensky is President by the end of March.

4.  Europe worried?  Well....they have no cards to play anymore.

5.  The war is over....it may require a month to clear out the fronts....but it's got no more possible thrills.

Three Things That Don't Make Sense To Me

 1.  I was sitting and reading on car purchases this week, and the 96-month car loan came up.

Yeah, a car loan arranged to cover eight years.

You are basically talking about a guy buying a $80,000 car....probably with no more than $2,000 as a down-payment.

In my mind, I'd ask....what car would last eight years? Along about the fifth year....I'd have trust issues.   Along about the sixth year....I'd probably be spending $4k to $6k on repairs each year. 

It makes no sense.

2.  Lets imagine that 1,500 guys went off to Epstein's isle, and 500 of them were drugged-up at some point....knocked-out.....with photos taken  of them with some 13-year old girl....in a compromising situation.

So you (Epstein) later show the guy the pictures and say....you know x-amount of information on 'something', and my 'people' (the Mossad folks) want that information.  You will provide it.

So in the end....Mossad knew something of value that they used to trade or use for themselves.

If this is the end-story of the Epstein stuff....who exactly is the real 'bad-guy' here, and what exactly are you going do about it?

3.  The more that this Epstein discussion continues....it makes me think that the FBI 'wandered' into this mess at some  point....brought Epstein around to their 'side'....making him a double-agent.

Who they cared about?  Not Hollywood folks, or scientists.....they wanted political figures.

So there might be two 'Doctor-Evils' in this scripted situation.