THE CAPTAIN AHSO DEFENSE

The GFs ((Girlfriends--old guys I have breakfast with three times a week) gave me hell this week. The rollout of the President's health care package has been a disaster. The website could have been put together by two seventh graders. I apologize to the 7th graders, as tech savvy as most of these kids are, they could have done a better job. 

There really is no way to defend the president. He is the leader and has to take the hit. He should have put the NSA in charge, at least they could have listened to a few thousand calls and pretended it was "National Security" and the website was "top secret." Such bullshit.  

The Myers Briggs Type Indicator personality instrument pegs the prez, as an ENTJ (Extrovert, iNtuitive, Thinker, Judging). Same as my wife who could run the world. The President, based on his personality, has been a little too reticent to fire people. His management style, "give them a job and expect them to do it." Hasn't worked. 

We have to give the Affordable Care Act some time. There are problems with the "law" that are outside the mere website. The website is mechanics. It will get fixed but there are other problems--I heard this young girl with Kaiser who now had to give up insurance that she liked and go to another something, more expensive. Bullshit. These problems have got to get fixed. 

And sure as shit, we can't allow drug companies and pharmaceuticals in general to have anything to say. Their middle name is gouge the consumer. There are examples everywhere of how f..k up our system of healthcare is and it doesn't have anything to do with "Obamacare." Over the last couple of years, we have seen investigative report after report that shows how out of control, $3000 a night for a hospital room, etc--bullshit to the max. But, they are still gouging. Why? Because they can. They will exploit any loophole to sabotage reform. MFers.  

In terms of placating the Republicans. Forget it. Can't be done. The president is the smartest president I've known but when you have to deal with basic racism, he could be "Jesus walking on water" and he could't please these MFers. So, what to do? Forget pleasing, translated, politics. But, Mr. President, it is time for another strategy. The AHSO defense. Here it is. 

Captain Ahso was the pilot of a Japanese Airliner who landed his plane in the San Francisco Bay. His landing was so smooth that the passengers didn't even realize it until they saw sailboats. When all the furor died down, the FAA had a hearing and Captain Ahso was the first witness. The interrogator said something like, "Captain Ahso tell us what happened. With all the sophisticated navigation equipment available to you, plus a clear beautiful day, and you managed still to land five miles out in the San Francisco Bay? What happened?" The courtroom was quiet, all eyes were on Captain Ahso. Finally he said, "CAPTAIN AHSO FUCK UP!" There you have it. Let's quit justifying, blaming, let's take the AHSO Defense and move on. 

THE PROBLEM WITH LIVING IN TEXAS IS YOU HAVE TO LIVE IN TEXAS

The latest "Time Magazine" had on its cover, the lead story, the United States of Texas--Why the Lone Star Is America's Future. My first thought was "Time" has gone to Weedville. The article has a viewpoint: get lots for less, available jobs--a lifestyle. The problem with Texas is that you have to live in Texas. Worse High School dropout rate in America and a political system that has produced Rick Perry and Ted Cruz. And, really you want to live in Texas? Please. 

SAFE DISTRICT

SAFE DISTRICT. What the f..k does that mean? Politically what it means, I guess, is that some Republican Congressman has a district of non thinking, ignorant people who blindly vote for some sorry MFer who will sell them down the road in a millisecond for his own purposes. Instead of his constituents getting angry when they start to realize that no SS, other government safety net issues, etc. are happening, they fall over in their stupidity, "yes sir, yes sir, three bags full." 

ROBERT REICH

Robert Reich for President. He is a little guy but bigtime thinker. I have never heard him utter a word that I haven't liked. I think in the present political climate, he is like a superhero. The problem with Reich and even the documentary about "inequality" (features Reich) now in theaters is that he is preaching to the choir. The difficulty is that Republican bigoted, right wing zealots have taken us hostage. 

The one thing that Reich says that sticks out above all is that the President has the authority under the 14th Amendment to raise the debt ceiling. If Reich says it, I believe it, plain and simple. If the president doesn't follow Reich's advice, I am going to be damn pissed at him. 

TERM LIMITS

A friend of mine says term limits are the secret. We can't bring that about. His idea is a little novel, however. He says that when we go to the election, you look at who is the incumbent and you vote against them. It might work but our system doesn't lend it that way. For instance my representative is Nancy Pelosi. I candidate emerges. Why? Money maybe which brings up another issue. Why does money rule politics. If you see an ad, you have to know that somebody is paying for it. Why should you believe it. Why should billboards, TV, radio, whatever influence you if you are a thinker. Well, our Republic has beve complicated, vast population. Where do we go from here. F..k if I know. 

BROKEN SYSTEM

The absolute height of political failure/hypocrisy is experienced in the government shutdown. The extreme example is a soldier's family not receiving a promised death benefit. This is inexcusable. This crisis will pass but this incident will not. 

This is a heart tugging example of why we are a broken system. For a weird reason, to me at least, is why would
normal/average/regular people not connect the dots. Until they do, it will remain broken. And, I am not sure that connecting the dots will even do it. Simply, zeolots choose ideology over the good of the country and they are cheered on by those who have the most to lose. Maybe this will do it: When average people begin to miss their social security checks, medicare protection, government pensions, to include disable vet checks, the Zeolot supporters might suddenly come out of the ether.

DISINGENUOUS

A MYSTERY. I am listening to Bob Scheffer interview some Republican Senator on "Face The Nation." Scheffer asked him a direct question. Something like this: "how is it that you have let a freshman Senator, somebody who has been in the senate less than a year, set the political agenda for the entire Republican Party?" 

Here is how he answered: "The President needs to come to the negotiating table and talk to us." The MFer did not even attempt to answer Scheffer's question. We all know the Congressional mantra: When talking to the media, "never answer the question asked, answer the question you wished they had asked." Congressmen/women actually go to a type of "charm" school to learn this technique. Here's the mystery to me: why does someone like Scheffer let them off the hook? Scheffer, more than most, has nothing to prove He is a veteran Newsman and an old guy, why can't he come back and say, "Senator, you didnot answer the question: repeat the question if necessary (Why would you let some asshole like Ted Cruz set your agenda). Granted, he doesn't have to be as crude as me (although it would be more honest) but any way you cut it, it is disingenuous to the listening public not to get a straight answer.  

Cecil Currey

Vo Nguyen Giap. The tenacious North Vietnam leader who would not die-- finally hits the road, 102. Vo Nguyen Giap and the victory at Dien Bien Phu essentially drove France out of Vietnam   and, of course, in our stupidity, we replaced the French. Giap did not drive us out, rather waited us out. 

The definitive book about Giap was written by my good friend, Cecil Currey. When I read of Giap's death, I immediately thought of Cecil. He had sent me his book, "Victory at Any Cost." I am not so much interested in Giap as I am in my good friend Cecil. The last time I talked with him, he was on the way to Vietnam to visit Giap as they had developed a close relationship. Cecil was a hero in Vietnam. And, I will have to say that Cecil was one of my heroes. 

We beat around the Army together for a long time. Without a doubt, he should have made general but he refused to be politically correct if it sacrificed the truth. Cecil is a perfect example in our modern volunteer military, the best leaders rarely get to the top. In my own faith, I take comfort that Giap and my good friend are somewhere philosophizing.  

God Bless "merica" (NASCAR pronunciation)

As I've totally run out of things to say about the idiotsville Congress and the governmental shutdown; and in seeing no progress, here's a good story. America is such a unique country that as we wrestle with what seems like  impossible differences, it is good to remind ourselves of the occasional unique difference in us and other countries. 

I am listening to a man in Pakistan being interviewed. He is a Christian and is talking about the targeting of the Chritian community by Muslims. Here he says, "All someone has to do is accuse you of insulting the Prophet. The first thing you know, a crowd has gathered and your life is in danger. No proof, nothing. It happens all the time. People are falsely accused: someone  starts screaming, wanting the person stoned, hanged. All on nothing more than accusation."

The difference in America. Someone accuses, starts making noises, anything out of the ordinary. Some bystander calls the police and says, "there's a nut out here screaming and hollering about something." The police come and check it out. Everybody goes about their business. WELCOME TO "Merica."

A moral Issue

What we have in America today is a f..king moral lapse. Most of it has to do with politics. 26 states don't offer the expansion of Medicaid. We are talking health insurance denied to poor Americans. And why, a Republican Governor who is morally corrupt. Paint it any way you want. MFers are without scruples. 

WE ELECT IDIOTS

“Novelist, Tom Clancey who just died said it best. Why does Washington rarely make good decisions? 
Answer: We elect idiots. 

What I think he should have added: the people who elect these idiots are just as much idiots.”

GdA

THE FINAL OUT

The last day of Baseball. I was watching the ballgame, the last game for the Giants this season. Boche, the Manager, put in Barry Zito for his last time in a Giants Uniform. He struck the final batter of the Inning out. Sharon loved Zito when he was in Oakland and then the Giants. I figured he pitched the only and last out in honor of Sharon.  

WHAT IS REALLY BEHIND SHUTTING DOWN THE GOVERNMENT. IN A WORD, racism. 63% of Tea Party is from the South. HELLO!!!!!  HELLO!!!

BASEBALL⚾

⚾ I performed her first wedding. It lasted a couple of years. She was married to this asshole doctor who was abusive. A few years later she met this great guy, Nick. And married him. I performed that wedding. She died of breast cancer lady year. 

Here is my blog post. 

Baseball is a metaphor on life. It is a game of great strategy. I just bet I'm not the first to echo that. Recently I watched Mariana Rivera, play his last game. He is loved, honored and respected by everybody. Pretty impressive. He said something that really resonated when asked why all fans love him--"they do" he said,  "because I respect the game." 

For my team, the San Francisco Giants, I always think of my friend Sharon who loved baseball. All teams. She knew the names, standings. She could talk baseball. Her Dad and Sharon started going to games early. In those days it was the Orioles, I think, as they lived in PA. 

But, it was all of baseball she loved, the strategy, the comings and goings. In later years, she embraced the Giants and to a slightly less degree the Oakland Athletics. I would love to talk with her about what happened to the Giants this year. She would probably say, "What worked last year didn't work this year. But, it's baseball. Wait to next year." Sharon, like Mariano Riviera, "respected the game."   

⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾

TERROISM

THE KENYA TRAGEDY. Terrorist Gunmen run into a shopping mall and randomly kill innocents and take hostages--many of which, die. They hole up for days, expecting to die. 

Who are they? Terrorists. They have an idiocy ideology which make no sense. When the siege is over, the terrorists have left immeasurable pain. They are sorry ignorant MFers and that is pretty mild. 

These particular terrorists are really stupid, not just stupid but dumb. We are talking that in a twelve story building their elevator goes to about floor three. Simple, they can be told something so out of reason: virgins in heaven waiting for them. They believe. Some times, rare exceptions, some brainwashed idealist may join up. Reportedly some Americans, a female Brit. Nobody knows. 

The bigger question is how do you deal with fanatics. In a sense, impossible. We have to protect ourselves the best we can and go on about our lives. If it were up to me personally, I would figure out a way to apply what I called the "Unforgiven" philosophy. In the movie by the same name, starring Clint Eastwood and I think won an Academy Award for "Best Picture." The story is pretty involved and I can't possibly recount it accurately here but I am out to make a point. Clint comes to town, along with his good friend played by Morgan Freeman, to claim a bounty put up by the town prostitutes because one of the patrons maimed one of the girls. Clint needs the money for his farm. The mission is accomplished. They kill the bad guys and they claim the reward but decide to split up but it goes to hell as the Morgan Freeman character, Ned, is caught and brutally tortured. Clint can't live with it. He goes into town where he confronts the corrupt Sheriff and his henchmen and ends up killing everybody but the director. When he is finished, he gets on his horse and stops in front of Ned's coffin that the bad guys displayed publicly and he says to the townspeople, something like, "You better give Ned  (his friend) a proper burial or I am coming back and kill all of you, then I am going to kill your families and then I am going to hunt down anybody who knows you and kill them." 

Now, this is a little extreme but the philosophy is there. Terrorist have to know up front that an act like the Mall Massacre will cost them more than their lives. 

Mexican Stand-Off

I have heard this term. Not sure what it means and I mean no disrespect to our Hispanic brethren. But, this is what I envision it to be: a standoff between "right wing fundamentalist" (don't confuse me facts, I have my mind made up) on one side and the President on the other. Now that I am thinking about it: zealots is a better concept. The Republicans are a bunch of zealots/bigots--right wing zealots, the worst kind. Add in heartless and selfish who don't "f..kin" care about the country, only their ideology. 

I cannot believe that "Americans who care" (And, I say again, not all Americans do) elect these sorry ass reps. Denying the poor a safety net like food stamps is downright heartless. For once, I would think that there might be one Republican to say something--just ONE, who would say, "I am always going to do what is right. If the voters back home don't want me, so be it but I'll never be a party to something that I believe to be fundamentally wrong." NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN 

Listening to some of these heartless assholes on TV is embarrassing, statements like, "all these people need to do is get a job." The imbecile, most, in fact the vast majority who get food stamps, are the working poor. 

Am I biased? Absolutely, In this instance, I come down on what I believe to be the American Way. Will anybody be influenced by me: f..k NO. At best, I am preaching to the choir. God bless us. 

Mental Problems

The News Media have said that the DC shooter appears to have mental problems. Hello! Hello! The guys shoots some construction workers' tires out. He shoots through the floor ceiling and almost kills a woman. Mental problems? HELLO!!!!!!!😳

SYRIA

SYRIA IS NO WIN. I have personally been disappointed in the president with the idea that somehow we can punish the Syrian tyrants simply because we can. Who knows what the Russian motive is here but they have the "better hand," I believe. It really appears that we are trying to sabotage a compromise. Two things are very baffling to me. Why don't the President and Sec of State and all the others directly involved, "Shut the f..k up!" Nobody wants transparency more than me but this incessant insisting that we must have all these guarantees about chemical weapons or we are going to kick ass, is not moving us toward anything positive and talking about it to any microphone that happens by is bullshit. Come on!!! It is not helpful, this running off at the mouth. 

My good friend said it this way, "I think Putin makes the president look inept. 
Putin is a thug. It is a shame that he will be considered the peacemaker in this  situation."

9-11

On the morning of 9-11, my daughter called and said, "Dad, are you watching TV?" And, like most Americans, my world changed and thus began a marathon, glued to the TV. 

My view  then and now are that 9-11 changed all "Mericans"--and anybody who had anything to do with us. Since then, I think we've gone way overboard in just about everything. 9-11 became the excuse for outfits like the NSA, FBI, etc. to be where we are today. The flip side of the coin is that we are doing about as well as we can. We are not going to stop terrorism. Think Boston Marathon. And, in a sense, we have to say, "what the hell" and do the best we can. God bless "Merica." ( this is the NASCAR pronunciation). Is anything in "Merica more Merica than NASCAR. I don't think so. 

I also salute my older friend, Victoria, who took a final PCS (permanent change of station) about three years ago. Tomorrow is her birthday, 9-11. Victoria was a WAC (Woman's Army Corp) in WW ll, her dad was in WW l, her brother Fred was a pilot and killed in the War. Victoria was the personification of patriotism. God bless Victoria's Memory and God bless "Merica."

JD SALINGER

When I was a young writer, a friend encouraged me to send my Vietnam novel to a friend of his at WW Norton publishers. They rejected it almost by return mail. Some in-house reader had written on it, "I expected something like War and Peace and all I got was a war story." I laughed out loud. Guess I should have been like JD Salinger that I strongly suspect lied about his heroic military service or at least somebody lied for him. 

I've always stood in awe of JD Salinger. I think most writers or even us "would be," have. I remember reading "Catcher in the Rye" in High School. My teacher Ms Dixon said, "this book will change your life." She mostly thought that about everything, but it did make an impact. And, over the years I've kind of made Salinger a hero. 

Well, a recent book, Salinger, just plied away sainthood. Before ordering, I read a review in "Time Mag." They were way too kind. Salinger is a realization that God gave all this talent to an "asshole," kind of like Steve Jobs. I don't get it. Why He wouldn't throw a little talent my way is a mystery. 

Here is another angle on Salinger. When it comes to sex, we are like in the dark ages and in my opinion even the great, JD Salinger (From the book). The patron saint of literature meets this young girl when she is fourteen. For years he writes to her. Obviously with great feeling. Several years later he f..ks her. The next day, he hardly acknowledges she is alive. What happened? He had an orgasm, got off, couldn't get it up, what! 

What kind of a person would do this? In his writing, Salinger can be who he wants, even the good person. Maybe the "real" person just couldn't measure up in real life. 

WE JUST FELL OFF THE TURNIP TRUCK

On "Face The Nation," Bob Schieffer had, as his guest, the Republican Chair of some committee. He says that it isn't about the President. Bullshit!

  The Republicans will support or do anything as long as it opposes the President or they think will hurt him. Mostly racism. It is like these people think that those Americans who care just fell off the turnip truck.   

That being said. I oppose anything with Syria. Those who want to "go" have their own stuff. It sounds almost like a facsimile of Iraq, regardless of how you paint it. I have always thought: since 9-11, we have to give up the bullshit of regime change by staying the fuck out of other countries' business. If they come after us, we will annilate them. 

SYRIA. A Plan

If this was't so tragic, it would be funny. Let's have a war and telegraph to the enemy exactly what we are going to do. The element of surprise is a key component in war. Forget that, we are debating it. 

That aside, there are all kind of issues  with this: f..k/damn! Sorry but there are no aspects of the English language that spell out my sense of outrage and helplessness like cursing. Sorry Mom. 
What good will supposedly punishing Syria do?  What can we do? 

What about old sins? Remember Iraq. Have we forgotten-- this is pretty much the same crew that made George W  infamous. Colin Powell pretty much did his rep in with their faulty Intell---essentially nobody who thinks believes him now that he says he was misled. He lied and Iraq turned the Neocons into a household word. The MFers! 

What amazes mean in this whole exercise is that the last time I looked, this was a democracy. Although I don't like polls, it is a tool. The latest one says somethning like 43% to 23% of Americans say, "stay the f..k out of Syria." 

Remember LBJ saying something like "We ain't going to take anything off this little pipsqueak country called, Vietnam." Well, that little pipsqueak  
country drove him from office and we inherited that sorry ass Nixon who lied from the beginning--going to get us out of Vietnam. At that point we had about 7000 or so dead Americans. By the time we made it out, it was 58,000 plus. 

What is a democracy if their elected officials are not going to pay attention to their constituents. Moral issue: bullshit, name the greatest moral issue? Take your pick, the entire Middle East is clothed in moral ambiguity. 

And, a final thing thing, how in the f..k can we not say that the greater issue is the refugee problem. With what we are going to spend to "punish" a tyrant, we could handle the entire refugee population: feed, house, educate and above all, protect them. We will spend billions of dollars showing off our moral outrage that is more politics in my view than anything--keeping one F16 in the air could just about solve the entire refugee issue. Yet, we are going to be stupid about Syria, no doubt. I am personally disappointed and saddened. 

SYRIA

To Americans who care and not all do; and, to use the president's oft repeated phrase, "let's make this perfectly clear." We are conflicted but not confused. Life is full of ambiguities and let's fully understand them. However, as bad as it is and we deplore what has happened, the only box we will put ourselves in is making a military strike at the tyrant. Did Iraq teach us nothing? We were first hailed and then the very people who praised us turned against our good intentions. And what will happen with Assad: he will line all the bodies up and say, innocent civilians--killed by the Americans. There is no right or wrong answer. There is, in fact, "no answer" and we have to realize that we cannot win, not even a draw, only blame for everything. 

JIM KARANAS

A friend of mine hold me recently about a friend who had bypass surgery and literally when the surgeons got in, they found a "hole in his heart." Jim Karanas recently died and left a hole in the heart of an entire community.My wife, Jackie,  was one. Her sadness over the last few days has been palpable as has scores of others--a HOLE IN THE HEART. 

I didn't know Jim Karanas, only through my wife. He taught and introduced "spinning" as an exercise program to San Francisco. I am going to give him the title, "Father of Spinning." Jim was this bigger than life person to Jackie. He ignited in her a desire to be physically fit and to develop a lifestyle that would produce it.  What price can you put on such motivation? The thing that always impressed me about Jim is that my wife could call him anytime--here is a guy with all kinds of things going, seemingly dozens but he always took time to respond back. No small thing to me. 

What to do about "a hole in the heart?" A surgeon can repair. Not so easy to those who loved Jim. Keeping his memory alive is one way to venture repair. The poet, Angelo Patri, gives a hint, "In one sense there is no death.  The life of a soul on earth lasts beyond their departure.  You will always feel that life touching yours, that voice speaking to you, that spirit looking out of other eyes, talking to you in the familiar things they touched, worked with, loved as familiar friends.  They live on in your life and in the lives of others that knew them."

GOD BLESS JIM ON HIS JOURNEY 

82d Airborne Division

When I was last in the 82d Airborne, in the dark ages of 1982, we always were preparing ourselves for war. It was what we did. The 82d Airborne has always been a volunteer force and consequently is different from any other unit in the Army. You must volunteer to be in it. The one thing that we can pretty much know: the 82 has not changed. They are a bunch of wild hearted soldiers who are fearless. A good example: The main street through the 82d Airborne is Ardennes, named after that famous forest in WW ll. The 82d had a joke. "Put us on Ardennes and we will run to the war." 

The 82d Airborne has trained for the last several months to parachute into Syria. This is nothing new for the famed Airborne Division. They train for the latest crisis in the world. Wheels up, meaning that in 72 hours once they have been given the green light, they are ready to go and they are on the way. 

FAST TRAIN TO NOWHERE

I am listening to these prognosticators and honestly it is a crazy situation. What I can't get is "why"' in the f..k would Assad be that stupid. I think we are going to do something; I have mixed emotions. If it was my decision, what would I do. I DON'T THINK SO; I remember how euphoric I was when we went into Iraq. And, so chancy. Sadly so. I hope the president has enough experience now to be smart. He is not going to please McCain who can't be mollified. He is still angry about losing to Obama. Get over it John. And, I doubt that the President has a mandate for doing the Syria thing, regardless of what it is. Americans who care are war weary. We have seen war too much. Iraq where our reward for young dead Americans is nothing. Afghanistan, a parcel of corruption and the Taliban waiting in the wings. 

The situation is so iffy--so much confusion; sadly civilians have been gassed. There  are no clear cut answers on anything. Getting bogged down in another war is a fast train to nowhere and is unthinkable. If we have to do it, go in with a punishing attack on Assad's headquarters and air dense sites. Make it fierce with the idea that,  "do this again and your ass is grass." 

Jayne Mansfield's Car

This is one weird movie. Robert Duvall, Kevin Bacon and my favorite, Billy Bob Thornton, always an under rated actor. A weird movie with weird characters. A good story or maybe best to say, "a study on the effects of war." Character studies. Every southern stereotype but what the hay, Southerners are easy to make fun of. It is good for us I think.  All true. Midway through the movie, my wife said, "Are there famiIies like this?" Absolutely. 

Billy Bob's character is permanently scarred by war, both physically and emotionally. The other brother equally scarred but in a different way: smokes dope and plays hippy. Then one who never left stateside but always felt guilty of not being in combat. A deep sense of patriotism, even in light of the "draft." The whole family still supports the government and the war. Not unlike the  "Red States" today, "don't confuse me with facts, I have my mind made up." 

The event that the movie is based on is a mother who escaped the South to flee to England where she met someone, married, and created a different life and another family. Her pull to the South, however, is that the insidious cancer has taken her, she be buried in the South. Her other family brings her home. The other family, the Brits, have their own issues (weirdness)

A couple of funny scenes with some, maybe I should say, idiosyncrasies, only to, in the end, turn out better than anyone would have suspected. 

A last thing, how did they come up with the title, Jayne Mansfield's Car ( the one she supposedly died in)? Possibly because Duval, who will always be Gus, from Lonesome Dove, was obsessed with automotive wrecks. But, then again with such a weird movie, what the hell difference does it make what the title is. . 

CLOSURE

GRIEF/CLOSURE. I have never particularly liked the word, "closure," because it implies that this is it, nothing else to be done, finished, next case. We know, of course, that grief works in different ways, for different ones. However, recently, I experienced a type of closure that was "right on." It was a celebration of our good friend's  life. She died a year ago. At that time, we had a wonderful celebration of who she was. In this case the husband had a ceremony of placing the ashes in this "see through" case. Hard to describe but it really was sweet. The unscripted casual way that we watched and celebrated who she was. When I think of ashes, I think of spreading them somewhere. This was different and I think for those present, a celebration as we've done what we can. A closure. 

PFC Bradley Manning

Surprise. Surprise on the Bradley Manning sentencing. The same thing on conviction. He had no chance. 

What fascinates me as ex military is how "little" civilians understand about their military. (Yes, it is a military that belongs to the people). Concerning Manning, there is a chorus of lawyers, journalists, adinfinitum who want to make sense of a system they f..king don't have a clue about.  

Those who don't "get it," want to look at a courts martial like they would a civilian trial. Bullshit. Military justice (and that is a misnomer) is no military justice in the sense that most think of justice in court. There is a bullshit trial but rarely and I mean rarely is anyone found innocent. I would love to see the stats. There are three levels of courts martial: (1) General, (2) Special, and (3) Summary. I haven't even heard these different types mentioned. Manning's trial was a "general." A "special" is for lessor crimes and a summery is usually smaller offences, before a judge. 

In Manning's case, his lawyer has been about worthless: made stupid decisions. In front of only a judge, for one. She is a military lawyer for God's sake. In a military courts martial, you have a prosecutor but the judge is like having two prosecutors. F..k, what kind of justice is that? The judge is subject to the same system as the rest of the military for her promotions, assignments, etc. There is an automatic conflict of interest. Why in the hell is this not pointed out? Answer, civilians don't understand the system. 

Courts Martial have a system of investigation called an article 32 which results in "bring the guilty bastard in." It is a procedure that is stacked against the Bradley Manning's of the military and civilians are clueless about it. THE MILITARY COURT SYSTEM NEEDS REFORM. 

Brits Just As Stupid

I thought the American Intel types were the only ones that excelled at stupid. But, apparently the Brits are not far behind: Holding the partner of Glenn Greenwald, at the Heathrow Airport for nine hours. Why? Payback to Greenwald for attempting to bring a modicum of transparency to America's (and Britain) vast public snooping network. 

HOW WE ARE CHANGED

When 9-11 happened, I, like most Americans, could hardly believe it--from that day forward, everything changed for us and for anybody who has anything to do with us. 

Think about it: to a useless and ill conceived war to now wholesale spying on American citizens. And all done in the name of preventing terrorism. This is, as my mom would say, scandalous. The intelligence community has, in a sense, bit by bit taken chunks out of our  government. It is why someone like Snowden and to a slight degree Bradley Manning are whistleblowers and not traitors or treasonous, whatever term the government wants to put on it. Do any of us think that had they not done leaked, the NSA would have fessed up. If you believe that, you have been on the "weed" way to long.   Instead of seeking to blame the leakers for forcing us to own up, we should be hanging our heads as we have become complicit in things that totally go against the value system of us Americans who think and care. 

AGING WELL

The examples of people living into old age and doing it well is legion, at least as I see it in San Francisco. The "City" is constantly winning, "healthiest big city in'Merica.' " Recently I went to dinner with a 90 year old. She was great. Other than she is vain, LOL, and will not get a hearing aid, she doesn't appear to have missed a step. 

In last week's "Vow's" Section of the NY Times, an 89 year old was marrying an 80 year old. According to her story, they are having sex (well the term used was "make love"). From the bride, "And, yes they make love. Romance doesn't stop with age and that is something that has rather amazed me. It makes me realize that there's hope for everybody". 

 

His story: married five times, including this one. Outlived three wives, one divorce. The divorce was while he was a soldier in France, fresh from the D-Day invasion where he drove a munitions truck onto Omaha Beach, he saw a crying French girl. Her house had been destroyed, family was destitute. He helped, eventually married her. They had a son. She later ran off with a French chef. One of his marriages lasted 44 years. Her last years were marred by cancer and faithfully he nursed her till she died. His son of French chef fame eventually found him. The best line came from the bride, "this is so much better than a funeral." 

PFC Bradley Manning

To be honest, I do not know anyone at the present that I feel more sorry for than Bradley Manning. Here is a young, confused soldier who has f..ked up and been convicted of his "f..k up" and is awaiting sentence. He and all the various talking heads, pro and con, are speculating about his sentence. 

HELLO! Let me clue you in: the judge is a military judge. She follows rules and regulations. (She is an ESTJ on the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, you can take that to the bank). The guilty verdict was assured, "Bring The Guilty Bastard In." A big mistake by his lawyers to allow him just a judge. Manning might have gotten an empathetic ear with a jury of his peers. I doubt it but it was at least a shot. He committed a crime but in a sense has already been punished: harsh treatment and solitary confinement. All along I have felt it was immoral. An aside, I often wonder, what do other soldiers think about Manning. The guards at Leavenworth prison are young Military Policemen. I doubt they go along with his treatment. I surely hope not. 

Anybody who has adult children and thinks seriously about Manning "get it." Kids make stupid decisions, do stupid things and often get up every morning and take a stupid pill. 

What will the judge give Manning? Probably 20 years plus. What should he get, a "dishonorable discharge and time served." I am f..king dreaming.

VOTER ID

ONE ELECTION CYCLE. This is what a good friend of mine said about NC joining the other right wing Republican states when they passed their voter ID law. One election cycle is what it took. NC has traditionally stuck to doing its own thing, often apart from the rest of the South. Now, with "one election cycle," it has aligned with the bigots and right wing Republicans. My home state (NC) can't produce any  credible evidence that there is voter fraud. How about Racism? My friend who had recently moved to NC says that he loves the State, beauty, etc. but based on what the intolerable, right wing has done, he would never move to NC. F..kkkkkk