GO GIANTS

I am beating around the City. (San Francisco) Everybody is talking Giants. What a win; favorite player. Key play of the game, Bumgartner for president or sainthood. 

Then there were these folks demonstrating in front of City Hall as I was passing by. At first I thought they could be a left over group from the night before, celebrating the Giant's victory; not so, they were pretty much railing against most things, loud crinkling of paper, whatever. A very nice lady who could have easily been a stand-in for a hippy of the Sixties gave me a flower.  God bless "Merica."

GLEN CAMPBELL

It is a curious feeling, difficult and poignant, when you reach that tipping point in the relationship where a person no longer recognizes you. I think that is very difficult. I really wish I could go over and see him and play some songs. 
Jimmy Webb, who wrote, "By The Time I get to Phoenix" and "Wichita Lineman," for Glenn Campbell, now suffering with Alzheimer's. 

SHARON

GO GIANTS. The Sharon Series marches on. HooAhhhhhh. Above all they have "Sharon" in the dugout.

Roger that. What a great way to keep her memory alive: "Sharon's Series". To her, baseball was America's game. Wish you and Sharon could be at all of Sharon's Series. . She is watching, along with Walt, I have no doubt. 



That's Sharon's little Giant she has sitting in a little white rocker for years.
Yes, the "Sharon Series."

DO WE HAVE REGRETS

Absolutely, I have regrets. I often discuss with my GFs (old guys I hang out with that are affectionally called Girlfriends) such esoteric questions. They lie. I expect them too. Who wants to talk about their "fuck ups." Most people will say they don't have any regrets. 

Do you have any regrets? 

No. 

Not a one? 

No. 

You would live your life just as you have? 

Yes. Wouldn't change a thing. 

Damn. F..k. LIARS! (Good natureley. This is how we are. We could care less about feelings. All of us love to be brutally frank. One of the few places in our cultures where we can lay it all out).  I have so many regrets that I want to say, "How much time do you have?" 

The flip side of the coin is that when we look at things retrospectively, what we may have thought at the time was disastrous may actually have been good. Here's my example: since America is crazed about football, I will use my brief football career. I was on a partial scholarship at my college and was really struggling with academics while trying to make the team. I was about 10th string. At one football practice, I got in a fight with one of the star players. It really was not my fault I don't think. We were just lightly hitting and this guy knocked me on my posterior about three times. The coaches and most of the team were enjoying it until I really socked him and almost knocked him out. 

The coach threw me off the team. By school rules, they couldn't take my scholarship unless I voluntarily gave it up. I wouldn't do it but the Coaches really bullied me and finally I gave in. It is one of my regrets. I think. I should have stuck it out. Shortly, thereafter, I failed out of school and was drafted into the Army. Almost all of the football team avoided Vietnam. In hindsight, maybe it was the best thing that could have happened to me. 

TOUR IN THE MARINES

The Newshours did a piece about Silicon Valley (start-ups, APPs). Looking at these "would be" millionaires who weren't even old enough to shave, I couldn't help but think, these kids would do well with a tour in the Marines. 

MYERS BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR

I really am jaded at defending the president. In practical terms, it is a waste of time. I admire the guy just because he can stand upright. I can't feel too sorry for him because this is his choice. But. I get charged when I hear these f..king "know nothings" talk about his being indicisive, etc. it is politics and it is racism. I am a white boy from the South and I can recognize it when I see it. That is another topic. 

The President is an ENTJ on the Myers Briggs. The MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator) is the most popular personality instrument in the country. Developed by two women who were trying to figure our people. Google it. The president personality is basically who he is, like all of us--how he acts and reacts. He is an E (extrovert) likes people, moves toward them easily. Has a good sense of humor. An N (iNtuitive) Notice the way it is written, capital N. The president is iNtuitive: innovative and creative, gathers facts. He is not indecisive, he merely is looking at his options MFers. The prez is a "T" (Thinking) in his head. Comes across in very ethereal ways. Logical, college professor. And lastly, he is a J (judgement) not judgmental but a term that Katherine Myers and Isabel Briggs came up with, designed to convey a "lifestyle." Judging as opposed to Perceptive which is on occasion flaky whereas "judging" types are organized. The president always looks sharp, crisp. He is a leader. OK, got it: ENTJ. Know why I am pretty sure. My wife has the same personality. She could easily run the world. OK, there you have it. For us Democrats, let's simply say to these party of "NO" types, get real and understand the personality of the president, asshole. 

EBOLA

Ebola. Sad and scary. Should we prohibit movement to West Africa. I think yes. Good military concept: "When you are up to your arsh in alligators, kind of hard to remember that your mission was draining the swamp." This meaning, do what we can to help the people. F..k, we have already sent the 101st Airborne to help. General Lee, my hero was first commander. 

RIGHT TO DIE

RIGHT TO DIE. I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE that California does not have a "right to die" law. California, a state that is almost buried under the weight of its citizens who are on "life support" (IVs, feeding tubes, oxygen) with no chance of recovery or getting better. 

"Sixty Minutes" profiled a nurse/daughter who was accused of helping her father do what he wanted, DIE. Her case is a typical example of what can happen. Amazing is that it is California who prides itself in "leading the way." What the f..k! We treat our animals better than our loved ones. 

In the case of the PA woman, a State Court Judge did the right thing: dismissed the charges. But, it is a perfect example. We can have "Medical Directives," which we think that the wishes of our loved ones will be honored when, in fact, only two states make Medical Directives binding. West Virginia is one. What the hell? I am going to quit putting the bad mouth on West Virginia. 

THE GENERALS

Sir, Understand your thoughts. I worked for General J A when I was with 2dBn/4th Marines. He is happy to be back in what he would consider a combat/humanitarian joint force assignment. I've briefed him numerous times...he will never rock the boat...

What this means is that even now from the generals we continue to hear these rosy reports from Iraq. Our stupidity is beyond thinkable. 

JOE

JOE is one of those sleeper movies that you see, expecting one thing but getting another in drastic form. It is about an ex-con who has these violent episodes which he seemingly cannot control. Joe played by Nicholas Cage, one of the best actors around I think.

Joe runs a crew of workers who kills trees so the forest can be replanted with healthy seedlings. It sounds like something illegal but not. This is a character driven movie. Everybody in it is somewhat damaged, maybe not the all black crew of workers. There's a mentality of survival which is dark in every way. It is alcohol, smoking, lowlife mentality. Abuse, sex, the base existence to life. 

Joe meets a kid, fifteen, Gary. He begins some redemption. The stark surroundings, the lowlife characters, the bare existence of people who survive makes quite the movie. I don't know why a movie like "Joe" doesn't get more notice. This is a people, an environment that exists in this country. They are the have nots, the survivors, uneducated and unsophisticated but remarkable in a weird way. Joe, especially. 

I originally saw this on a plane but could not quite grasp it. I
immediately watched it again. It is worth your time. 

Best Statement On Politics I've Seen Lately

Here's something (of a stretch, perhaps) to make you feel better about a potential change in control of the senate:  
1. No matter who controls the senate, gridlock will continue for the remainder of Obama's term. 
2. If the Republicans take control now they will be forced to propose legislation, rather than just oppose any and everything.
3. Because the GOP is so at war with itself it will be difficult for them to find enough common ground amongst themselves to propose anything without a major and publicly reported fight. Obama retains a veto to block anything asinine.  
4. Losing the camouflage of "opposition", enough sane and sensible middle-of-the-road American people see the GOP for what it truly represents, and vote accordingly in 2016.    RL

GET REAL

The President is following the path of George W.,  listening to the generals and others who don't know s..t, so to speak. Even though he is the president, the commander in chief, he looks at all those uniforms, those ribbons and tends

To get bamboozled. Generals want to go to war. They are Custis LeMay: let's bomb Hanoi and all the problems will be solved. Stupid. We need to cut this bullshit out. We have so many problems. You have those like John McCain who is beyond hawk to stupid. We can't solve the Mideast. Our efforts are beyond idiocy. Millions and millions of bucks to train an Army who ends up fleeing in the face pf ISIS, in running suits, no less. Now, we are back again. It is like some f..king resurrection or nightmare. Help? And Putin and his oligarchy buddies are not going to stand by and allow western armies to be on the border. Any first year political science student knows this. This is the Cold War REVISITED. What the f..k.