SNOWDEN

What is this BS. Last night all over the news is "Russia granting asylum to Snowden". Good for them, not going to be bullied by the U. S. What hypocrites we often are in this arena. We give around 5000 asylum prr year and we raise hell at Russia's action. To me, Snowden is someone who made a decision of conscience. And, we are singing a song of treason. Do any of us think that the NSA would ever admit that they are spying on us--yeah and I can fly. What is it with the president and all these politicians embracing the NSA for their spying on us. And, worse still, since we didn't get our way, we are not going to play, i.e., meet Putin when they have the G8 summit in Russia. Bullshit. 

MORE BRADLEY

Listening to the Bradley Manning guilty verdict, I was thinking first of all that the military and justice is an oxymoron to say the least. The catchword always is "bring the guilty bastard in." Then, we can listen to a bunch of old white men tell us how this PFC (Private First Class) who should never in a thousand years be allowed to have assess to anything beyond yesterday's newspaper has injured the country. 

Maybe a bit of a conspiracy theory. Why did he want just a judge to try him? She let him slide on one charge to make it appear like it was some sort of justice. Give me a break, conspiracy theory is closer to the truth than most would admit. Plus, think of the irony. You have a guy like John Kerry that I like and wanted to be President, came back after Vietnam, demonstrated, bad mouthed the country, really treasonist if you look at it in those terms. Jane Fonda, the heroine of every Vietnam vet goes to Hanoi at a time when it appears that the North, because of the bombing, might be ready to give up. Here comes this famous movie star and North Vietnam, not knowing our system think that most of America is against the war. They decide to hang on. Then of course, we have Daniel Ellsburg smart enough to go to the NY Times. But, of course this was Vietnam, everybody's war to hate.  

BRADLEY MANNING

Yes, we were so surprised that Manning was found guilty. (Major tongue in cheek). Well, "not guilty" on aiding the enemy. The idea that Manning would get a fair hearing is about as stupid as one could imagine. Doesn't mean that justice as defined by the law, wasn't done. But, like so much of life, just because something is legal doesn't mean it is ethical. 

Anybody who has adult children know how stupid they can be. Manning was stupid and never should have had assess to anything, remotely resembling important. For God's sake he is a f..king PFC, In the Army, a PFC is hardly authorized

Death and dying

The "NY Times Magazine" had an amazing article about a college professor who had a bicycle accident and is now a quadriplegic. The wife is a nationally known "right to die" advocate. Now that it is her husband, all changes. He has round the clock care, 8 caregivers, physical therapists,  respiratory therapists; a wheel chair that cost $45,000.  Paying for all of this is a combination, insurance from their University, Medicare, and private funds. 

This appears to be unusual in a couple of ways. Who could afford this for one thing? Without the funding, would he have already died? Probably. He often says he wants to die but changes his mind. Whoa! An amazing story and one in which I am trying to form an opinion. Who would want to live in this state of total dependence. The flip side of the coin is that it is easy to talk when you are not in his condition. But, still the question appears to be consent. This is interpretive based on the actions of the wife. He gets an infection, he immediately is rushed to the hospital and pumped full of antibiotics. A tough question. If I could project a bit, let me "go." If I say I don't want to go, ignore me. 

PRESIDENT!S REMARKS

As one who thinks George Zimmerman should have gone to jail, I don't think the President's remarks today helped us. I really don't know what he was about. Race is pretty much an insoluble issue. What he seemed to imply was that the rule of law in a jury trial got it wrong. Maybe, but I doubt the President's remarks are going to make the discussion any better. The recalcitrant Republicans, the racists, Americans who care--not sure. 

THE PRESIDENT AND THE MYERS BRIGGS INDICATOR AND THE PRESIDENT

Listening to David Gergen on Forum (local NPR show) is an example of these prognosticators who don't know s..t about most anything but especially personality. They apply typical conventional wisdom to the President. There are two things from my perspective to know: the first one is that it is a "personality" issue. If one knows the "Myers Briggs Type Indicator," this is the secret of who the President is. On the MBTI, he is an ENTJ. He is an (E) extrovert, likes people; an iNtuitive, very creative; (T), very ethereal in his head mostly and (J) Judging (not judgmental, a lifestyle), very organized, "give someone a job and get out of the way and let them do it." The SECOND thing is the elephant in the room, "racism." Not racism in a classic sense but more of what I would call "philosophical racism." Gergen mentioned LBJ and the civil rights bill. When it was enacted, LBJ said something like, "the Democtats have lost the South for ten years." He was off by 40 years. Shamefully it is the way it is. It is in our genes I am sorry to say. But, the President has done a fantastic job in living with a recalcitrant and partisan bunch of Republicans who by their own admission have had one goal, get rid of the president. Tell me that's not racism. 

FRUITVALE STATION

WOW. What a movie. It was extremely well done and if it doesn't win an Academy Award, I will be disappointed. The movie had several tentacles, not the least of which is how we view race in America. The movie is based on the last day in the life of Oscar Grant who was shot in the "back" on New Year's Day, 2009, by one of the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) policeman who later was convicted of manslaughter. The policeman's Defense was that he meant to "taser" Oscar but accidentally shot him with his gun. 

As a San Franciscan, I lived through the incident and have no objective data but it just seems that the incident changed policing throughout the Bay area. As I have watched various protests (Demonstrations are a way of life here), the police seem to be more culturally aware and gentler when crisis happen. 

The movie didn't make Oscar Grant, the protagonist, a hero but a good natured hustler and dedicated dad. Oscar lived in a culture and climate that brought him/it into conflict with a  police that simply went overboard with Oscar and fellow revelers who were returning to Oakland from San Francisco and a night of partying on NY's eve. 

The heavy handed police turned a simple incident into a major conflict. The "bad guys" appear to be the police--this one looked a lot like a Nazi, a reincarnation from the past and Buchenwald Concentration Camp. 

WHAT IS A LIFE WORTH? I surely don't know but if there is any sort of "take away" from this tragedy, (not depicted in the movie), it is the settlement that Oscar's daughter received, payments until

she is thirty. This is something Oscar would like. God bless her. 

Will this movie improve race relations in America. I doubt it but it surely should impact those of us who care. 

DOING WHAT WE CAN

I am often moved by the sheer generosity of some people. Also, the great need that we often confront can be overwhelming too. The informal motto of the UCSF Infusion Center could well be from Saint Augustine "Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by accidents of time, or place, or circumstance, are brought into closer connection with you."

VIETNAM

It is their country, their future at stake, not ours. To ignore that reality will be immensely costly in terms
of American lives and resources

Senator Mike Mansfield
Talking about Vietnam in 1968. At that time, a few thousand Americans had died in the war. By the time it ended, the number of American lives lost was 58,000 plus.

DEMENTIA

DEMENTIA. Very sad with my brother. What can I say? There's been so much written about one's slide into Dementia/Alzheimers, whatever we choose to call it, not sure there's anything left to say. I don't know how to express it. We kind of know what happens, we just don't know exactly what to do about it. My brother had been a very successful businessman to now be reduced to total dependence. In many ways, the sadness is left for his children who have to clean up the mess he left behind, the result of very bad decisions. For him, he is enjoying himself basically in who he is presently. He has a full time caregiver and responds to very simple things. He is fine. His family's dealing with the real world, of course.

One way to look at it in a sense is to be angry at his f..k ups that bring us to this point. Let's tell his story with just one FU. My brother had been a bachelor for years, having escaped a "controlling witch". He had retired, bought a nice little cottage on a golf course, did a little work with our older brother on his peach farm. He met a woman and married her, against our unsolicited advice after we met her. To say we failed To connect would be quite the understatement. We had gone to visit. The brothers were very close. She resented our questions by telling us that it was none of our business. To be honest we were more or less joking, certainly not serious. This incensed our older brother who said, "I don't think you understand but we will knock our brother in the head, throw him in the trunk of the car and you'll never see him again." We weren't exactly kidding. My brother married her. She wasn't all that bad, we allowed. They were traveling, bought a new house. Things seemed to be proving us wrong. Eight months into the marriage, she had a massive brain aneurism. In the process of her near death, a baffling practical discovery surfaced. She had lied about her age. She was ten years older that she had led my brother to believe. Immediately, the ramifications surfaced. When you are 65 or seventy, in our medical world, age means one thing but when you are 80, it is something else entirely. As my brother dealt with the discovery, she had another aneurism. She survives but becomes an invalid. As a joke but maybe an example, my older brother says, "You couldn't kill her with an ax." And, in general, we take our Dad's mantra: you might as well laugh as cry. 10-15 years down the road, here we are. She is in a nursing home. My brother lives now, thankfully, with another brother. Is there something to take out of this tale of woe? A couple of things: (1) Get your act together while you can. Don't leave a mess for your relatives to clean up. (2) figure out, assuming the above is taken care of, how you'd like to live out the last few years of your life.

Afghanistan

Stupidity seems to take over when you get to high levels of the government or the military, which is usually one and the same. These high level generals are politicians themselves, they give rosy reports about Afghanistan which is mainly BS, laced with a healthy amount of stupidity.

We ar p..sing in the wind, Afghanistan is simply out of here. Come on, millions and millions of dollars and in a sense all we have to show for it are the lost lives of some of America's finest. As soon as we leave, here comes the Taliban. Wake up and smell the roses. Think Vietnam. We worked out a peace agreement with North Vietnam and they owned the country before we could whistle Dixie. (this is an aside. I love NPR but sometimes wonder where the f..k they get some of these people: some government weenie or "think tank" imbecile thinking he knows s..t.) What about this don't we get. F..kkkkkk

WOMEN IN COMBAT

General Dempsey says "let's get women into combat positions to help with sexual harassment/assault." Men are sorry MFers let's face it but combat and death is no respecter of persons. Facing an enemy who could could give a s..t less about gender, we want the best soldier. And, 'political correctness' needs to take a backseat to potential death in combat. Combat is no 'day at the beach' and the military is not a 'social experiment.' Dempsey is merely another politician who wears general stars and a chess full of 'atta boys.'

LEARNING FROM HISTORY

SYRIA. Why the hell should any person who thinks, trust the government's view of why to go to war. Vietnam. Gulf of Tonkin. Bullshit. Iraq. Weapons of mass destruction. Out and out lie. Now Syria. Using chemical weapon. The flimsiest of evidence. 900,000 thousand Syrians dead. 150 (while any death is unacceptable) killed supposedly by "sarin" gas.

I know history, especially Vietnam and how we saw our involvement expand through dictators, inept military policy, and a host of other stupid mistakes. Syria is worse. The Mideast is a f..king mess anyway you look at it. Sad as it is, we will only get deeper into a morass we can't affect. And, nothing we see indicates that any country in that volatile part of the world can be democratic as we know it. We only make it worse I think. Stay the hell out of Syria.

SYRIA

Supplying the rebels with arms. I just don’t know. I know history, especially how we saw it expand, expand through f..king dictators, inept military policy, and a host of other stupid mistakes, in Vietnam. Syria is worse. The Mideast is a f..king mess anyway you look at it. Sad as it is, we will only get deeper into a morass we can't affect. And, nothing we see indicates that any country in that volatile part of the world can be democratic as we know it is. We only make it worse I think. I’ve convinced myself. Stay the hell out of Syria.

SPYING ON "Mericans."

This whole thing about gathering info from citizens is ticking us off! WHO? Well, for one thing, a group of 8 Vietnam vets (the ultimate in patriotism, right wing Republicans even). We took a poll. Eight guys. Seven said this spying with emails, texts, phone calls is a "noway Jose." Give me a break! This is not the American way. The main thing, here is a guy, only working for them three months, a contractor, blows the whistle. First of all, who the f..k gave this guy permission to spy on American citizens. This whole thing is way out of control. Nobody gets their arsh kicked for letting him have assess to gathering private citizen's telephone data. Same thing with Wikileaks hero, Bradley Manning. Nobody owns up for letting a "Private" have assess to all this supposedly classified material. A private! What the f..k? In military parlance, a "private" is, symbolically, lower than whale manure; in the military, a "Private" has to get permission to even breathe. It really is a classic example of shooting the clumsy messenger. What if they are checking out texts of me telling NSA to f..k off. As I've said before, they can just kiss my arsh.

NSA

If you haven't done anything or have nothing to hide, who gives a f..k about the invasion of privacy with the NSA looking at everything. The flip side of the coin is that I don't like it. The NSA and all these Intell agencies justify their existence constantly and go for the overkill. Consequently, you f..kers tapping into my blog post, kiss my ass. When I was in the Army, the Intell people investigated me for having an out of date, by several years, troop list (where they were). It was my job to keep up with them. What a waste of time. Then when I was in Korea, the Intell types got all excited when I mentioned this spy plane flying over us. Everybody knew it and yet I had the audacity to mention it. And, the Intell types dilute their effectiveness by classifying things that don't need to be classified. We need a real look at all this Intell bullshit. Let's get real here.

NSA

If you haven't done anything or have nothing to hide, who gives a f..k about the invasion of privacy with the NSA looking at everything. The flip side of the coin is that I don't like it. The NSA and all these Intell agencies justify their existence constantly and go for the overkill. Consequently, you f..kers tapping into my blog post, kiss my ass. When I was in the Army, the Intell people investigated me for having an out of date, by several years, troop list (where they were). It was my job to keep up with them. What a waste of time. Then when I was in Korea, the Intell types got all excited when I mentioned this spy plane flying over us. Everybody knew it and yet I had the audacity to mention it. And, the Intell types dilute their effectiveness by classifying things that don't need to be classified. We need a real look at all this Intell bullshit. Let's get real here.

HE LIED

I tried to answer them, sitting on the beach, halfway around the world, at the edge of the South China Sea. "Let me tell you something...America has a resurgence of old fashioned patriotism that we have not seen since WWll. You are not fighting in an out of town ball game in a dark stadium on a rainy night with empty grandstands. We are with you. Your country is solidly with you."

When he comes home, he will find out I lied to him. But, by then, perhaps it won't hurt so much.
Gordon Baxter
1967

PROSTATE AWARENESS DAY

Today, I heard Michael Milken promoting Prostate Awareness Day. He was the junk bond king with insider trading thrown in on the side. $600 million fine. 10 years in prison.

Got prostate cancer and was given the standard 6-18 months to live and that was 15 years ago. His rehab has been the prostate cancer cause. Good for him.

THE SCIENCE OF AGING

I keep thinking about your question about a plan for aging. I think some of it involves a plan for staying involved in the modern hworld...I have too many friends who seem to me to be embracing old age as an excuse to no longer make an effort. Which is their choice but not mine. My goal is to stay interested and involved forever. How exactly to do that I'm not sure...but I am working on it.
Great to see you. Have not yet seen Carolyn for a run-down on the reunion...tomorrow...

Sent from my iPhone
Sylvia Attkisson

They May Have Died In Vain But They Lived In Honor

Thanks for the remembrance. Memorial Day is always a sad time to me. The NY Times had this really moving story showing how meticulous the bodies of deceased soldiers at the morgue at Dover were dressed in their uniform for the final goodbye from family. These young soldiers often unrecognizable, yet their uniforms were prepared with the most arduous care. So sad and yet inspiring. War is such a terrible thing. We have made grivious errors, at least to me--The mistakes of Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

When I was a young soldier in Vietnam, I had to go to Dover, DE. as I was escorting a soldier in my unit for burial in his hometown. I will say this for the military: they spare no effort to honor our dead in war and they rightly should. At Dover, I was overwhelmed by it all.

My thoughts in our history of not making the best decisions, there should be a "Dover" test. Caring Americans (and not all Americans care) need to feel that our soldiers who end up at Dover--killed in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan did not die in vain. I am not sure we can do that but what we can assert: THEY MAY HAVE DIED IN VAIN BUT THEY LIVED IN HONOR. Sergeant Phil Woodall, in his book of poetry, Rhymer In The Sunset.

TEN VIETNAMESE

"10 Vietnamese," is an old book from the library of a journalist in Vietnam and the Phillipines for the better part of 30 years, Jim Belden. The book was written by Susan Sheehan, wife of a "NY Times" Reporter and author of "A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam," about the common Vietnamese: peasants , North/South Vietnamese, soldiers, Vietnamese merchants, etc.

On the one hand, a realization of how awful our involvement in that sorry war, meaning our asses should have stayed out of it. However, we have to deal with the long arm of history. Had we stayed out, many Vietnamese who are arguable the most successful emigrant group in America could not have been a fraction as successful in Vietnam, or at all, i.e, tending a rice paddy as opposed to owning a nail salon. So...

HOW DID HE DIE?

When a group of old warriors gather, it's hard to know what will come out of it. Have we heard all the war stories? No, never, even if the same ones are told with a different slant. Here's one that 3d Platoon, Delta Company, 1/501st Airborne Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, told with a new purpose. At the latest gathering, we had a special visitor, Jimmy Stevens, the brother of one of our guys, killed in one of the longest battles of the Vietnam war.

The brother has, for the last several years, made it somewhat of an obsession, in the best sense of the word, to contact members of his brother's unit--Those who knew him, those who might have known him, even those who didn't know him. Over the course of several years, he's made great friends with most of his brother's fellow soldiers. And, now of course, here he was face to face with those who had been with his brother when he died. A warm atmosphere as various ones recounted the story of the battle, from their perspective. The brother, Danny, had joined up at 18. Simple, said by Jimmy, "My brother, Danny, ran toward being the best he could be, regardless of the difficulty and sacrifice and not away from it."

When Danny was killed, a prolonged battle had already taken place, several hours in fact. In a cemetery. (Americans often sought refuge in a cemetery because the VC and NVA shied away from them as spooky).

In late afternoon, the battle started. Horrendous and raged on through the night. At the north end of the cemetary, the NVA had established an extremely effective firing line. In regular fashion, the NVA soldiers would pop up and fire, mostly concealed by the mound of built-up dirt, indicating a grave. It was one of these, on the far left, behind one of the graves, that an NVA soldier shot Danny Stevens through the heart. Norm Campbell, the best shot by truth and reputation viewed the scene. With a mounted bipod (A bipod is used to steady a weapon and make it more accurate, usually fired from a pronged position. Often used by snipers) on his M16, he waited. The NVA popped up again. Norm sent a round right between his eyes.

Danny's brother, most assuredly, could now know how his brother died and if it was comforting, how he was avenged.

MEMORIAL DAY

Hey there friends and fellow citizens.
Adam (patriotic and home sick!)
Hope you have a lovely Memorial Day.
God Bless America.With very best wishes to everyone, and with grateful remembrance of all the brave men and women who have died defending our great country, which despite all it's faults, remains a nation founded on the greatest ideals and highest principles ever articulated in a written constitution, penned by the most noble and inspiring brotherhood of men I know of.

Looking forward to coming back some day. Adam (A Brit, who was a regular with these old guys called the "Girlfriends." He was in the youth Dept.) married a fellow Brit and moved back home. We still miss him.


Adam, thank you. We still
miss you and often say, "wonder how Adam is doing?" Thanks for the comments about "Merica" as we call it. As we say in the South, we are between a "rock and a hard place." A dysfuncinal congress that needs to be fired but we have a system which doesn't give us the chance to do it--Too controlled by self interests. But, I am convinced that the Americans who care are determined to fight through the utter paralysis of Washington. God bless you. My best to Bet and big hug for "Liberty Bell" (daughter).

STORIES WE TELL

STORIES WE TELL. I read about this documentary in the NY Times, then heard the film maker interviewed by Terry Gross (my favorite Interviewer) on Fresh Air (NPR). I saw the film and then read the reviews. I immediately wondered if we'd seen the same movie. First of all, it was very boring. The story: the Mom has an affair, daughter and family basically discover this way down the road, although a couple of the family members say they suspected. The "secret" is that the film maker's dad who raised her and biological father are not one and the same.

And, to be honest, the duped dad and the biological father are equally dull. I know scores of families that have greater secrets and are much more attractive. One comes immediately to mind: a High School girlfriend. The subject of the movie and my girlfriend even look alike. My friend Becky was so "alive" as was the Mom of the documentary. Becky as a teenager was innovative and creative, energetic to a fault--always at the center of activity. I was way too "slow" to keep up with her. As I trip down memory lane, I think, "What a shame," in a sense, as we "play the hand we're dealt." Her parents were wonderful folks but were "survivors" themselves and didn't know how to nourish the creativity of this incredible daughter they had. Now, as I look back with the long lens of our history, I can see this.

Consequently, I am revising my view of STORIES WE TELL. See it. If a movie causes a stir in your memory bank i.e., this wonderful person who crossed my path at a significant time in life, I have to say, thanks for the memories.

SEXUAL ASSAULTS

Rarely do I empathize with the generals. I used to think, "what the hell is it with all these generals with a chest full of lettuce (medals)." But, I will have to say that watching them on TV recently being battered, I felt sorry for 'em.

I don't know what the f..k it is with these sexual assaults. The perpetrators need to be strung up by their heels and their gonads cut off. That being said, those of us who want to "step back" a bit are accused of being part of the problem. Bullshit. An example, a lawyer friend of mine and me were attempting to dialogue. I was trying to present an idea, the military is not a social service organization. It has one purpose: "to fight and win wars." He got his drawers all in a bunch. "Well, you think rape is OK." F..k No! Rape or sexual assault is never all right.

An aside: All fields of service, to include combat, have to be opened up to females, plain and simple; but, let's get real here. Men and women will reflect their society, they always do. They get together. (hook up). Let's don't lose sight of the mission. FIGHT AND WIN WARS. Men are stupid. Their brains, more than likely are in the wrong, "head."

I have faith in the system that those in authority who abuse their position will be punished but just because they are men doesn't make them all guilty. If every time someone tries to defend the system, they are accused of pandering to the guilty, they will shut up and that hurts us all.

A last thing: do we think that the "Special Operations Troops" that overthrew the Taliban and killed Bin Laden are in reality, Sunday school teachers in their off time. I don't think so. We have some "bad actors" as soldiers and this is said with respect to these exceptional and highly trained and wound tight troops. They can do a hundred push-ups with either hand and leap tall buildings with a single bound. Get the idea? In combat, we don't have time to debate the role of gender, we are closing with and killing the enemy. THIS IS WAR and let's keep all this in perspective.

IRS

What do u think of all these Obama scandals? Benghazi, IRS targeting of conservatives, monitoring reporter phone calls. Are u going to write about it? I think my republican house members forming all these committees to investigate, it will just make them look bad... I am sure there is bias targeting in Obama administration. Not saying that the Obama administration should do any thing illegal but republicans need to get over it and deal with this guy for the next 3 years

I have several thoughts. First of all, how can the IRS be this stupid but they are. In the age of Twitter, FB, please!!! I haven't really heard how it came out. The IG for one thing. It is a mess. Somebody along the way f..ked up and it could be a few midgets, meaning "low on the totem pole" types but who had a philosophical view of how f..king disastrous the budget cutting like the Republicans wanted to do. Things like this probably go on much more than we think. Most of the time, it is detectable. And, the thing that is overlooked is that these people were opting for a tax break. It is not like individual income tax returns were targeted. I am not defending the culprits and their stupidity. But, things happen, people are stupid, they even make mistakes. Sometimes they are criminal. And, now, what is worst is that we have to put up with this self righteous bullshit. I have little patience with Congress in general. They are mostly a self serving collection of charlatans. We ought to be investigating them. When they were recently inconvenienced with plane delays, their sorry ass jumped right on it. Why doesn't somebody make a campaign out of their salaries and benefits. 2 quick opinions. Most of this "tea party" types and these other conservative groups are a f..king bunch of zeolots and they are guided by, "don't confuse me with facts, I have my mind made up. (2) The IG has a job to find some problem. Just that simple. That is his job, good or bad, find a problem. Having talked to many IGs (Inspector General) over the years, the IG can be the problem themselves. They are a type of zealot. They often are simply not objective but are shielded as if they were.

I hate bullshit like this because it takes away from tackling the real problems in the country. Am I biased? f..king

DEATH

Grieving is a lifelong process and becomes a part of our living life more than we care to admit. Unfortunately, nothing we can do about it. Death is a pervasive part of life, in one way or another. In our country, we have not had to confront the reality as others have. Syria, for instance, where death is daily assured to be a part of a tragic existence. And, of course, we are shocked at tragedies like Boston and West, Texas.

Regardless, the philosophical views of death do not minimize a single one. And, all death is not equal. Here's an example. I recently received a call from a daughter telling me about her Mom, 85, who is very sick. A wonderful person and basically has lived her life to the fullest, some of which I witnessed up close. I was immediately struck by a contrast of a tragedy in the same community. A high school youngster and her father were killed in an auto accident. A community wide memorial is schedule for tomorrow (Monday, May 13). This youngster, who goes by the name of KI, has not had a chance to live her life yet. No, all death is not equal. For KI, No graduations, college, marriage, career, children. GRIEF. So sad.

MOTHER'S DAY

MOTHER'S DAY. My wife said about
Mother's day, "tell the kids that the greatest gift is their family." Plus, flowers for Rose's mom, in honor of Rose. This has become a bit of a ritual: I go to my favorite flower shop in North Beach, looking for a flower called, Lilly of the Valley. They don't have it. I go to Trader Joe's--they have great flowers. Some knowledgeable woman tells me that Lilly of the Valley is a specialized flower that we don't have in America. What! It is not that I don't believe her but go to Safeway where they seem to have a variety of flowers, also. A young Asian lady offers to help. It is hard to convince her that I am not talking about "Lillies." I finally give up and pick out a beautiful mixed bouquet and literally run up Taylor Street to Rose's house. It is a pretty tough climb. In my mind's eye, I can see Rose smiling.

I ring the bell at Rose's house. I hear the phone ringing. Just as Rose's mom opens the door, the answering machine comes on. It is Rose's voice on the answering machine message. Her Mom has never changed it. I am deeply touched in hearing Rose's voice. It is like Rose is making her presence felt. I am so glad that I followed my instincts and got flowers. I definitely know it was Rose.

SC, As A State of Nuts

To me, the election of Mark Sanfort back to Congress in South Carilina has nothing to do with the fact he lied but mainly that the MFer has had his chance. He was a Congressman in this same district and was governor when he went on his infamous hiking trip chasing the "love of his life." Get the f..k out of the way and give somebody else a chance is what could have happened. Forget that! Are we dreaming? His election proves a very sad fact: we have a broken system and we can't fix it. The people of SC would elect an "orangutan" if he/she was a Republican. They don't think and could give a s..t less. And it is not going to change. CONGRESS IS NOT GOING TO REFORM ITSELF. We all know what the problem is. It is not the Mark Sanfords of the world. It is the f..king stupid electorate that votes him in. Good luck.

The Electorate

To me, the election of Mark Sanfort back to Congress in South Carilina has nothing to do with the fact he lied but mainly that the MFer has had his chance. He was a Congressman in this same district and was governor when he went on his infamous hiking trip chasing the "love of his life." Get the f..k out of the way and give somebody else a chance is what could have happened. Forget that! Are we dreaming? His election proves a very sad fact: we have a broken system and we can't fix it. The people of SC would elect an "orangutan" if he/she was a Republican. They don't think and could give a s..t less. And it is not going to change. CONGRESS IS NOT GOING TO REFORM ITSELF. We all know what the problem is. It is not the Mark Sanfords of the world. It is the f..king stupid electorate that votes him in. Good luck.

KARZAI'S SLUSH FUND

PRESIDENTIAL SLUSH FUND. We can't be this stupid but I think we are. President Karzai of Afghanistan says he has been assured that piles of dollars will continue to be delivered to him in wheel barrels. He is absolutely correct. We have given the CIA a blank check. WE ARE IN FACT THIS STUPID.

NRA

In my mind, there is absolutely no difference in the NRA and radical Islamists. Guys like LaPierre are the radical Imans inciding the ignorant and uneducated to violence.

VIETNAM and BOSTON

This month is the commemoration of when 22 American soldiers were killed at one time, in the same Unit in the Vietnam war. At that time in May of 68, it was the single most Americans killed in one action, Charley Company, 1/501 Airborne Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. Each year platoon survivors and a few straphangers (paratrooper term, roughly meaning, in this instance, extras who just showed up) gather to honor fellow soldiers from that action. I will never forget it. When we got word at the TOC (tactical operations center), I was one of the first one to arrive, along with Alpha Company for security purposes. The platoon had gone through this little ville (hamlet) and had swept it but then made the mistake of coming back without sweeping it again. The very cunning VC (Vietcong) had come in behind the platoon and planted booby traps and had positioned a sniper to force them to take cover. The carnage cannot fully be described.

Think of the Boston Marathon bombing and multiply it by six or seven. This is just a thought. Every year forever, this terrible act in Boston will be commemorated as it has been burned into our psyche. For our comrades with this dubious distinction, most soldiers lost in war, in one action, only a few of us will gather to remember and honor them.

THE PROM

All over America, teenagers are beginning to wrestle with thoughts of the prom. In the day, we called it the "Junior/Senior." The "Juniors" did the heavy lifting. In our little town we had this National Guard Armory that we decorated for the big dance. It was something. Thank the Lord for memories. They can be like a gentle ocean breeze, like the old home place that feels good to revisit. The memories are there, at times strong, at times weak--the perfect combination of old and new. The smiles and the occasional stress. Prom is pure happiness. It's the prom date. It's the prom dress.

And sometimes, there's sadness: a friend recently told me this story. A patient was in chemo. The final stages of a dreaded cancer. A daughter is preparing for the prom. They shop for the dress. The patient is so happy as they find the perfect one. She will never make it to shop for that future wedding dress but she made it for the prom dress. The patient died just before the prom.

ONE AMERICAN'S VIEW

I came to America when I was a teenager. It was hard at first but we came from unbelievable deprivation to the land of plenty. We could not believe how generous Americans were This is my opinion for all the immigrants that have a complaint about living here in AMERICA. Get the Fuck out of here. Go back were you came from.

THE COMPANY WE KEEP

This is one of those movies that you pretty much know where its heading. A pretty thin story line: sixties radicalized anti-Vietnam war types who took the peaceful demonstrations violent (Weathermen) and now are left over hippies who have blended into normalcy. Part of the issue with older actor; maybe they should let us remember them in "The Sting or Sundance Kid," and in their twilight years dedicate themselves to their Grandkids.

He is 76 years old. What do you expect?

76, his eyes. Should wear glasses all the time. Don't know if he has had work. I think maybe an eye job.

I still think Robert Redford is holding pretty well. Nick Nolte looks terrible though. Fat and scratchy voice.

MISSING A CHANCE

A few months ago, I saw the baseball movie with Clint Eastwood. He is a scout. Not much of a lvie. Plot as thin as a piece of NC country ha

Here's a war story that is only slightly related to Ball State. When I was in College trying to be a football player, the Coach talked to us about going back to our High School trying to recruit friends, etc. We had this guy, son of one of my teachers--I talked him into coming to my college. They literally ignored him. I did what I could but it was obvious that the coach's interest was zero. The guy goes to UNC becomes an All American. I wanted somebody from Ball State to recognize him, who had it all: good grades, handsome, great athlete. How lucky they would be. They could put the rush on. They did nothing. The officials had their heads up their posterior. "Ball State who?"

STUCK IN GRIEF

Recently a family member told me that the president called her cousin's Mom after her son was killed in Afghanistan-- one of the five soldiers, killed along with the young female diplomat. I thought to myself that it could hardly make up for the tragedy. Even with my cynicism (so think that our decisions about Iraq and Afghanistan have been so stupid) it was a nice gesture, the least the Commander could do--"sorry for your loss." There is no sugar coating it. Young Delfin Santos, Jr. cannot be brought back. In this case, the loss is compounded as he is the only son, Dad dead. The scene is sad, more than sad anyway you cut it. And, the military process doesn't help in my estimation.

Grief, sadly, has its own personality, more than I could ever innumerate: "shock at the news, questions like when is the body arriving?" To the military's detriment and sometimes credit, they often give out too much information as they don't really know some details but want to be helpful. And, when young Santos actually does arrive, it is a new round of grief. There ought to be a better way. Or, maybe this is merely one way. Maybe it is better to grieve to the point that one is numb with it. There really is no formula. A buddy of mine told me that when his brother was killed in Vietnam, his mom went into the house and did not come out for seven years.

And, now we have the tragedy of the Boston Marathon bombing. The grief is almost palpable. God bless us all.

EVERYBODY HAS A STORY

This is fascinating to me. Most of us are glued to the radio for news of the Boston Marathon bombing. One dead and we hope closing in on the other. The one youngster on the lam is a teenager. One person interviewed, actually an NPR broadcaster, who knew the teenager. Can't believe it. Unbelievable. Questions, Questions, Questions.

Then comes a program on NPR, "Story Corp." Unbelievably inspirational. An amputee spends his time talking to patients at the hospital where his leg was amputated and who has many amputees. He goes to some bureaucrat at the hospital and tells them that he wants to volunteer to talk to amputees. They tell him to get "out of town." He isn't trained, etc. On the way out of hospital, he runs into the chaplain. The chaplain asks him what he is about. He explains to the Chaplain. The Chaplain ask, "Can he come back on Saturday? He doesn't know anything or why the Chaplain wants him to show up. But, dutifully he shows up on Saturday. It is training on how to talk to people. The Chaplain gives him a Chaplain's badge and tells him, "Now, you can visit as much and all you want." Amazing! Now, this is a Chaplain! Airborne! HooAhhhhhhh. An aside, what a nice story in light of the tragedy in Boston.

A WASTE

GIs and a young female diplomat trying to help the most vulnerable and dying for it. F..k. Delivering textbooks. So sad and personally I say "f..k, MFer" I am angry and realize what a waste the loss of these young lives are.

SICH A WASTE

GIs trying to help the most vulnerable and dying for it. F..k. Delivering textbooks. So sad and personally I say "f..k, MFer" I am angry and realize what a fuckin waste.
GdA

MOSTLY USELESS REMARKS

RUTGERS. I had originally written these remarks. "What the F..k? I get so tired of issues like the Rutgers incident. I went to college on a football scholarship and it was par for the course for the coach to abuse us or rather to say anything. What the hell, you sorry MFers, you are not worth s..t, anything. You are not worthy to even breathe the same air as a real athlete. All the while, he is pushing, cursing.

I TAKE IT BACK. Watching the video makes me realize I am wrong. This guy at RUTGERS is out of control. He had to go. Goes to show you, get the whole picture before passing judgment.

The President's remarks that California has an "attractive attorney general" is sexist. Come on! Give me a break!

Fat people are mad at Target because TARGET labels a dress, Manatee. The rather large people say manatee is insulting because it means a rather fat animal. Hmmmmmm Then the Samoans are ticked off because their airline wants to charge by the pound. Dang. And, on two different programs: The Jews were saying they were discriminated against: one in college admissions, another in music, heard this program on NPR and then read about a play on Broadway where this is a lot of the theme. We can't minimize this and always have to be aware. I am a "white boy" from NC. In NY where I lived for a time in Brooklyn, the deli folks would laugh at my accent. Then, my daughter and I were skiing in Switzerland once and at night sitting in the hot tub with a bunch of Brits. Afterwards my daughter said, "Dad, these people were making fun of you constantly and you didn't even know it." So, that is it. I never get pinged because I don't "get it." we'll, I have to be more aware. Today is Holocoast Remembrance Day. I am definitely going to REMEMBER!!!!

LEAVE AFGHANISTAN

LEAVE AFGHANISTAN. This doesn't seem so hard. A country whose leadership is mired in corruption, a whole segment of the people ready to go over to the Taliban. Only a small fraction of Americans even know we're in Afghanistan. Leaving 8-14 thou is a fast train to nowhere and opens us to immense problems. We sure as hell can't listen to the generals. Their mantra is more troops. Nothing we are doing in Afghanistan is working. We have done our best. Next case.

North Korea

KIM Jong UN has the emotional maturity of a tree, with apologies to the tree. The difficulty which none of the prognosticators have zeroed in on-- Korea, like most Asian countries, subscribe to the Confucian Ethic. This isn't a religion, rather a philosophy. Not casual if taken to the extreme. In North Korea, the Confucian Ethic is past the extreme: "worship of the leader," Kim Jung UN is drunk on power. In practical terms, it means that an emotionally challenged neophyte like UN could care less about the lives of people anywhere, to include his own. He is dangerous. If he does what I predict, take the country to war or some provocative act, he could be in Seoul in milliseconds. Consequently, South Korea, not America, The ROK (South Korea) Army is as good as any in the galaxy. They have conscription with no loopholes, everybody serves. Their training conditions are incredibly hard and borders on torturous. They have to be super ready, expecting war to happen!

What I am hearing is that most everybody seems to think it is more North Korean bluster. NO, I DON'T THINK SO. The dictator is too inexperienced and honestly believes he is infallible.

The ROK (Republic of Korea) needs to be ready to go in fast and hard, backed by US air. And, bombing them into the stone age should be a "given." No long protracted engagement. What is a little different this time in my estimation is that we can't afford to buy them off. In the past to get them to quit their nuclear program, we have thrown them a few million here and there. The bank is closed, can't afford it or simply our system has now slammed shut this avenue: sequestration.

Sadly, this is really the only way. I am sorry for the people as they have been brainwashed for years but there is no negotiating with a madman. God bless us in this critical time.

Grover Norquist

Grover Norquist is a f..king zeolot anyway you look at it. He is an example of a smart guy who has an answer for everything. Anybody who signs the "tax pledge" of this MFer's "no taxes" is as dumb as he is. I wish this f..ker would move to another country. Am I biased? F..king "A" in spades. The difference is I honestly think that my mind could be changed, in particular if something were presented that would help the country. This f..ker, Norquist, is a zeolot: "Do nor confuse me with facts, I have my mind made up."

WELCOME TO AMERICA

To my knowledge, I don't think that I've personally seen up close someone who was simply racist. The setting: Starbucks, waiting in line when a person, several feet away, said to my friend who is Asian, "you are freaking me out by being this close." My friend and I are "freaked" out ourselves by her comments. We laugh and move on to getting our coffee. (I will have to say that it was one weird experience and think that we ran into a crazy). Really, we weren't even that close, other than to each other and I do think that was what she didn't like. We may have been hugging. My friend is a nurse at the Cancer Infusion Center. All day long, she deals with people fighting for their lives. She is great. And hugging is a part of her life. We start out the door and this same woman says to my friend, "Welcome to America" which obviously is racist. Amazing. I honestly didn't know people like this existed. F..king weird. This is San Francisco, the bastion of tolerance, do your own thing, be whoever you are or want to be. Stand on any corner in San Francisco and hear five different language. An interesting thing about this racist: well dressed, attractive female. What the hell. Weird! You want to say to this person: "What in the f..k is your problem?"

PROP 8

The debate over "Prop 8" in CA and the "Defense of Marriage Act" has about saturated the airways. I think we need more love and so I support "gay marriage." In some ways, that is about the extent of my interest. I am not overwhelmed one way or the other. I have to admit that I hate to see men "French" kissing but that is just me.

Throughout this debate, there have been a couple of surprises: the Catholic Archbishop of San Fran for one gave an impassioned comment for marriage being between a man and woman. It is a little surprising as San Francisco is so "gay," with political clout that I am surprised the archbishop is not a little more circumspect.

And, this started me thinking about the Catholics on the Supreme Court. They are a majority. A couple of them go to "Mass" everyday. Does being a Catholic influence them? I am sure they would say "no" but not sure that I accept that. I have been somewhat alarmed in general that for the first time in history, we have no Protestant on the Supreme Court. Nobody seems excited but me. Oh well, what the hay😳!!!!

WE ALL DIE

Recently, I ran into someone that I'd once met when Rose and I were coming to the Infusion Center. She mentioned a mutual friend with ovarian cancer. I asked how she was doing? He said "OK" and then he followed it with this statement. "You know people routinely live ten years with cancer, once diagnosed." I thought to myself, "I don't think so." My experience is that cancer is such an insidious disease and incredibly unpredictable. Someone can seemingly be going along OK and suddenly they die. This was confirmed just yesterday. By chance, I ran into my favorite doc, an oncologist and she related a conversation she had with the husband of one of her patients who expressed some dismay, among other emotions, that his wife died so quickly once she reached a point. The doc said "no, not really once the patient is at a certain point." Yes, an insidious disease!😞

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

SILVER Linings Playbook is one of those movies you've got to see because everybody else has. It doesn't disappoint and it isn't because of the hype because there really isn't much. It is just a delightful movie. FJennifer Lawrence was absolute wonderful. I didn't think I knew her but had watched her in Hunger Games with my grand daughter and before in Winter's Bone, a terrific movie. This inn't just a feel good movie as it takes some difficult subjects and trys to deal with them with realism and some "tongue in cheek." Robert De Niro was great and the Mom (Jackie Weaver) was great. I love the movie and I've met lots of those types of people in it. Bipolar is kind of the condition of the month.The movie defines it well with its erratic mood swings. A type of craziness that we all have seen. And, even a little genuine grief thrown in. Well done movie and it does what movies can do: make whatever they want to happen, happen. In this case everybody ends up happy.

ZERO DARK THIRTY

When I was in the 82d Airborne, the expression, "Oh Dark Thirty," was a familiar one. What it meant was that we went to what was called, "Green Ramp," the kicking off place for airborne jumps. Based on the time of the year, the misery varied. It was a strange thing. I was always happy mostly that the paratroopers were young, part of life. And, now, of course,
in a way, because of that experience, it is a little easier to grasp the movie, Zero Dark Thirty. I can't say I liked the movie. The torture scenes were pretty bad and I think unnecessary. And, yet maybe so. I would like to think that if Americans saw the torture, they would realize that this is not the way we want to do things. Torture is a terrible thing and acts like "water-boarding" are just beyond the pale. Overall, I liked the movie. The way they played the real heroine was good. I doubt in real life that she was as bold as the movie made her. I thought the killing of Ben Ladin could have been done with a little more Hollywood: compassion for kids and wives. No big bad Americans dressed like in space outfits, with too much use of the "F" word. But, that's just me.

COMRADERIE

Most of the “troops” who are participating in war have a Love/Hate relationship with it. They hate it because of the surroundings of death, the wounding of their buddies, the evil, and the tough circumstances in which they are required to exist, etc. At the same time, they love:

1) The indescribable relationships they develop. Very few, if any, environments, mold meaningful relationships as the environment of war. I still have friends from my V-N experience that seem somewhat sacred when we see each other or when we communicate. A few months ago I spoke at a Prayer Breakfast at Fort Lee in Virginia. One of my friends from the 1-1st. Cav. (Americal Division) was there (He has a son stationed at Ft. Lee) I didn’t know he was there until after the program was finished. When he came up to the podium I felt like he was my brother…I felt somewhat emotional as he did. In fact, for a short while we could hardly speak, but just hugged each other. Bottom Line: A friend forever… Nearly all troops develop those type of relationships with a significant number of their colleagues. The 1-1st. Cav Is having a reunion this Fall…Nov..in El Paso. I have received a few e-mails from several encouraging me to attend (I am planning on it) One particular individual that started communicating with me is a surprise because during the time we in the unit, although we were friends, we weren’t “bosom-buddies.” In his e-mail he recalled an incident /ministry for which he wanted to thank me and he went on to express much appreciation. At the time I had no idea it meant anything to him. One never knows!
2) Even though the carnage of war is traumatic and difficult to experience, most troops recognize that they are involved in a very meaningful mission and that they are part of something that is much bigger than self. Although there are a minor number that can’t deal with it, most can, and, in fact, are ultimately strengthen as a result….perhaps, not immediately, but ultimately.
3) Almost, without exception, the troop talks and acts like he/she is living for their DEROS (date expected to rotate from overseas)--troops keep short timers calendars, etc. In the process they build and imagine an ideal situation and environment when they return to their homeland. In most cases, when they return, within a couple of months they are disappointed, disillusioned and would rather be back with their buddies. I think this is more true of male service members than female service members. It is also less true of those that go back to a good marriage. However, quite often, even the meaningful and strong marriage is challenged because of the disappointments of coming back to a society that doesn’t live up to what was imagined when they were in the war zone.

COMRATERIE

Most of the “troops” who are participating in war have a Love/Hate relationship with it. They hate it because of the surroundings of death, the wounding of their buddies, the evil, and the tough circumstances in which they are required to exist, etc. At the same time, they love:

1) The indescribable relationships they develop. Very few, if any, environments, mold meaningful relationships as the environment of war. I still have friends from my V-N experience that seem somewhat sacred when we see each other or when we communicate. A few months ago I spoke at a Prayer Breakfast at Fort Lee in Virginia. One of my friends from the 1-1st. Cav. (Americal Division) was there (He has a son stationed at Ft. Lee) I didn’t know he was there until after the program was finished. When he came up to the podium I felt like he was my brother…I felt somewhat emotional as he did. In fact, for a short while we could hardly speak, but just hugged each other. Bottom Line: A friend forever… Nearly all troops develop those type of relationships with a significant number of their colleagues. The 1-1st. Cav Is having a reunion this Fall…Nov..in El Paso. I have received a few e-mails from several encouraging me to attend (I am planning on it) One particular individual that started communicating with me is a surprise because during the time we in the unit, although we were friends, we weren’t “bosom-buddies.” In his e-mail he recalled an incident /ministry for which he wanted to thank me and he went on to express much appreciation. At the time I had no idea it meant anything to him. One never knows!
2) Even though the carnage of war is traumatic and difficult to experience, most troops recognize that they are involved in a very meaningful mission and that they are part of something that is much bigger than self. Although there are a minor number that can’t deal with it, most can, and, in fact, are ultimately strengthen as a result….perhaps, not immediately, but ultimately.
3) Almost, without exception, the troop talks and acts like he/she is living for their DEROS (date expected to rotate from overseas)--troops keep short timers calendars, etc. In the process they build and imagine an ideal situation and environment when they return to their homeland. In most cases, when they return, within a couple of months they are disappointed, disillusioned and would rather be back with their buddies. I think this is more true of male service members than female service members. It is also less true of those that go back to a good marriage. However, quite often, even the meaningful and strong marriage is challenged because of the disappointments of coming back to a society that doesn’t live up to what was imagined when they were in the war zone.

SEXUAL ASSAULT

Sexual issues involving crimes or potential crimes are so difficult to even discuss. For someone like myself, I must be a nut for even trying since I am a man. The very attempt makes me suspect and rightly so. But, I'm going to venture it, mainly because I have a need to explain the military, right or wrong. Sexual assault is a very complicated issue in the military when it is not "clear." How can it not be clear?Rape is rape and stop is always stop. The case of the LTC, Air Force pilot, is one of those that takes on the confusing scenario. He was convicted of sexual assault, then it was overturned by a General, his commander. The situation was very murky: A woman staying in his home, under the same roof as his wife. During the night he assaults her. He is convicted. The jury believed the woman's account. The General believed the wife's account who said he never left the bed and so the General, his commander, threw out the conviction. I personally believe the Pilot was guilty. Why would the victim lie? Although a jury can be wrong, they heard the evidence. While a General being able to do this may seem strange to civilians, not so to the military. The military is not a Democracy. Soldiers's don't get to vote on whether they take the "hill" or not. The commander decides.


A sadder case to me are the young teenagers in Steubenville, Ohio where these teenagers rape a girl, drunk, etc.; their lives ruined, to include the victim. No winners here. And, any of us who know teenagers know they get up every morning and take a stupid pill.

{{{{{{{Jerry}}}}}}

MY BROTHER RAZ

YOUR BROTHER RAZ. My conversations with him only a short time leaves me to believe he wouldn't want anymore fanfare for this life's closure. Speaking for myself, I look forward to seeing him again. He was so gracious to me.

Linda C.(Army Nurse)
Colonel, USA, Ret

10th ANNIVERSARY of the BEGINNING of the IRAQI WAR

Today is 10th Anniversary of beginning of Iraq war. Such a waste. F..king politicians. Over 450 Californians killed and more than 5000 overall. Such a waste. What I often think: if we could figure out a way to make politicians pay when they send Americans into harm's way for no reason. The politicians should pay. MFers

BIGOTS

CPAC. I don't know what the acronym stands for: THey just had a convention. They should have called themselves, A CONVENTION OF BIGOTS.

Catholics Have It Wrong

I am about getting tired of all this Catholic BS. I have been accused even when I was in the military of being anti-Catholics. It was not true but I objected to their sense of exclusivity.

And, if you ever had a hardcore Catholic commander, it could be tough. When I was in the 82d last, I would go into the commander and when I tried to tell him something, it would be, "I've already talked to Father about that:" CG, Chief of Staff went to Mass every day. All the above is mostly just a gripe but listening to how the media is approaching all of this, is very irritating to me. And, people say, Church" like they are speaking for us." I have always viewed Catholics as Christians. I now see them as simply another religion, i. e., Buddhism, Islam, Hindu, etc.; their whole system is outside the Bible. Consequently, why do we call them Christians. The Pope as Jesus on earth, Priest forgiving sins, on and on. Let's have some thinking here.

THE CATHOLICS

Dave, good and well thought out comments. However the thing that is most upsetting, we are not touching. The Catholic theology. They absolutely have it wrong as related to the Bible and we need to point it out. Most Catholics, like about a 100%, don't have a clue what the Bible says, rather what the Priest says. They have cannon law and a made up theology and nobody confronts it, i.e., the new Pope is infallible, descended from Peter, speaks in excathedra, Priests can forgive sins, canon law, etc.

{{{{{{{Jerry}}}}}}}

WHO IS MOST CRAZY

If we ever had any doubt, Karzai is a f..king nut: us and the Taliban? How do we get ourselves so f..ked with these imbeciles. Here is how stupid he is--All he needed to do was sidled up to us and express his need for support. We would give him millions and probably figure out how to keep thousands of troops in Afghanistan. So, I guess a relevant question: who is the more stupid? Let's use this latest statement by Kaizai to get the hell out of Afghanistan ASAP.

HAGEL

Hagel's first trip out to visit the troops has not been too smooth.

IN YOUR FACE. This is what Republican Lindsay Graham and Mitch McConnell have accused the president of; an "In Your Face" strategy for the coming months. Accusing the president of telling them to "kiss off" sounds like a winner to me. I would have used, go f..k yourself but read where Boehner used that line to Harry Reed. LOL. Although Reid comes across as pretty weak, still for Boehner to say it--pretty unseemly. OK, for me, hell, I am an opinionated blogger.

And, Graham is opposing Chuck Hagel? Give me a break. The next few years are going to be tough times for "Defense." We need an enlisted guy in there. We've tried officer leadership/politicians. Look where that's gotten us? Rumsfelt and Bush gave us Petraeus and Allen and a host of other ethically challenged generals. And, before them, Chaney who could not go to Vietnam because he had "other priorities." Come on!

This is one that gets me. Some f..king columnist calls Hagel anti Jew and people get all shook up. I am a big time supporter of Israel but they constantly f..k up. It is almost like they sit around some table and say, "What can we do to piss our neighbors off?" Oh we know, we'll just build some houses in the Palestinian area. So what that Hagel shoots from the hip. About time. Most in Washington wouldn't know plain talking if it ran over them. They stick their finger in the air to determine the direction of the prevailing political bullshit. Hagel has been accused of being a maverick. Good for him. Presently at almost all levels, what I see is "group think." The generals in particular need their asses kicked. Most of them love to hear their own voices and are working on their memoirs on "Company" time. Think Petraeus, spending all that time with a biographer that he was f..king. And, he was suppose to be overseeing the troops.

Hagel will have his hands full. There's a kind of military mafia: (I just know the Army) West Point graduates who look after each other. They are "ring knockers" and help each get promoted and get choice assignments. They talk about looking after the troops but don't overall do "s..t." Their mantra is mostly, "Nothing is too good for the troops and that is what the troops get, nothing." Hagel has been an enlisted guy, he gets it.

Like Downton Abbey? There's an example: the Aristocracy (Officers) are upstairs, the Servants (enlisted) are downstairs.

Biggest challenge I think for Hagel will be the military itself. We do what we always do after wars. We downsize the military. Shrink it to where it is questionable about its effectiveness. Not to mention the fact that we get rid of some of our best men and women. In to many cases, we absolutely treat them awful. We have used them up and throw them out. The Army is already way to small. The All Voluntary Force is a bust in my estimation. Those in now are good, quality soldiers but we have deployed them over and over. They are spent. Deployed over and over. Unlike Vietnam, if we needed more "cannon fodder, we drafted more. Now, we merely sent them to war over and over.

This is an aside but so fits into the present equation. We let Melvin Laird and economist icon Milt Freeman sell us a bill of goods when we ended the draft. We could have easily turned the draft into a community service, requiring our young people to serve. After 9-11, we discovered this vast amount of patriotism across the board, the children of the "have" and the "have nots" lined up to serve and we squandered the opportunity. And, now, of course, it is too late. We don't have the political will to bring back a Community Service, giving Amerrica's youth choices. Many would have chosen the military.

Hagel is a good choice for SecDef. Those who don't think so, "F..K you very much."

CHAVEZ

CHAVEZ. Big party for his funeral. Sounds good, what any funeral ought to be. A party, a celebration. Where it all breaks down is that the f..ker is dead. Know what that means? He is gone, Sayanara (So Long). To try to preserve him is almost humorous, like he could come back to life. I believe in some idea of eternal life and doubt Chavez is dialed in. Not judging here, just don't see Chavez making it through the "pearly gates." He is out of here and sure as hell nothing can bring him back. I do like the "party" idea though.

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Most of the old retirees I know are getting more selfish, more self-centered, more mean spirited, and more closed-minded. They end up being curmudgens. Dont know why but its sad.

Brother, I totally agree with you about most old men. If you want to find that reinforced, read the "NY Times" interview with Bobby Knight. I am sure he has many supporters but he came across as an old man who is all the things you mentioned and I'd add one: arrogant asshole.

MOST DANGEROUS NATIO ON THE PLANET

I do know this. North Korea is the scariest nation on the planet. The ROK (South Korea) needs to make serious plans on facing the threat. I hate war but based on the Confucious Ethic, "worship of the leader" who probably has the mental maturity of a 7th grader at best, i. e., loves Dennis Rodman. With decades of brain washing, the idea that they would not drop the bomb is absolutely absurd.

CASTRATION

Recently, I was trying to make sense of the mess we're in with these deep budget cuts, the so called sequester. I also tried to explain why the President's campaigning for pressure on Republicans was like "pissing in the wind." Over 200 plus Republicans are in safe Republican districts and they don't give a flying f..k what the President wants or what is good for the country. We have a broken system and we cannot fix it. Many of those, make that the majority of Americans, are involved in some way with the federal government. They are on Medicare, get their health coverage at VA, on Social Security, have government backed mortgages. The list is endless. However, these people bad mouth the government and rail against government spending. The list of their grievances is endless. They vote for a rep who mouths the things they want to hear. They don't make the connection that the sequester cuts will touch them.
Consequently, with attitudes like this, when they vote, they vote against their own interests. And, in my book, it makes them stupid.

PREZ MEETS WITH REPUBS

A comment by a reader. What I would say if I were President: "I personally think that the Republicans are a collective bunch of colossal assholes. However, I don't want to cause pain to people and so whatever these self serving, non thinking, good for nothing, sorry MFers want, I'll give them.

AFFIRMATION

Recently a friend was telling me an experience: "So I took my children and their little friend from gymnastics out to dinner. I recognized our waiter. He was the barista at a Starbucks that we frequented. Turns out he is a student at the Seminary. He has two small boys.He then proceeds to tell me how thankful he is for Jesus. 😁😁He was a crystal meth addict and lived on the streets for 10 years. He said one day he begged Jesus to help him. He now lives on Campus at the Seminary. Maintains a 4.0 average and can't wait to have his masters so he can minister to people on the streets.

When the friend first told me she had encountered this person, I was about to comment on his relatively simplistic view of his restoration but then, thankfully, thought better of it. We have to affirm the fact that he believes his faith has saved him.

THE POPE

The First Pope, Saint Peter, was chosen by Jesus says Time Mag. Bullshit. Jesus said, "You are Peter and upon you will I build my church." Jesus was probably speaking to a larger assembly and not to Peter personally. After this, Peter goes out and denies Jesus three times. What the f..k! Think Jesus is going to entrust a future to someone as undependable as Peter. Noway! please! From this purely innocuous statement by Jesus, the Roman Catholic Church has built up all these myths. Such bullshit.