John Kerry confirmed as Sec of State. Good for him. Talk about a guy who, if he is anything, is resilient. A Vietnam vet, the "leader of the band" in Vets Against the War; politics, marries well. Runs for Prez. Sabotaged by the "Swift Boat Vets" who were sold a bill of goods by a sorry bunch of draft dodging Republican lying MFers. I always hated it that the Vets sabotaged Kerry. I really believed that when all was said and done, the Vets would come to their senses and stand up for a fellow vet. They f..king caved.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
INSPIRING
Listening to the president's inauguration speech was very inspiring. He challenged us with America's values and what could be better than that. As a white boy from NC, I am happy to embrace a "land of the free and home of the brave." That being said, let's get real here: What we face in the country is a great divergence of views in any area. An example: NPR interviewed several (I'm sure they try to mix it up). One in particular had travelled from my home state to celebrate. When the Interviewer asked her whether the President should talk about race. Her answer (she was African American) was NO. "No need," she said. There were other comments, one said that his speech indicated that he was committed to the most vulnerable in our society. I liked all of that, fits my views. Then, they moved to some guy in Texas which in my estimation represents what we face in the country, obviously a dyed in the wool Republican. His view was that the President's speech was totally "left wing, could not believe that a president would be so partisan." Do we think we are going to change his mind. F..k NO! Period.
With all the talk about partisanship, working together, it is very simply bullshit. This is one of those things that we talk about but ain't going to happen. The President may have gotten elected for a second term but the roadblocks remain the same. The majority voices of the people that he invoked doesn't really make any difference. Many congressman came to Washington with a mandate as they see it: roll back spending, anti social issues--that and a host of other views are not going to change. The issue is not what is good for the country but what will get them reelected. It is what we call politics. Our system is broken and we have no way to fix it. F..K!!!!!!!
With all the talk about partisanship, working together, it is very simply bullshit. This is one of those things that we talk about but ain't going to happen. The President may have gotten elected for a second term but the roadblocks remain the same. The majority voices of the people that he invoked doesn't really make any difference. Many congressman came to Washington with a mandate as they see it: roll back spending, anti social issues--that and a host of other views are not going to change. The issue is not what is good for the country but what will get them reelected. It is what we call politics. Our system is broken and we have no way to fix it. F..K!!!!!!!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
CONFESSION
The great mystery of many a day to me is Lance Armstrong's confession to Oprah Winfrey. Not that I am losing sleep over it. (I have never even listened to Oprah Winfrey). Why he confessed and to Winfrey, damn weird. Does he think for a moment that by confessing, people are going to forgive? What is he smoking? (Hold it there, maybe he is smoking something). I can tell you that confession won't hack it--Is he that stupid, an ego maniac, what the hell! Personally, I don't give a f..k one way or another. I have thought all along that he had probably doped but no telling how many more.
The confession has made me think. What about Barry Bonds or say, Roger Clemens. We think of course they doped and were looking for an edge. So what! But, they didn't confess. The only one Armstrong's confession is probably going to help is Oprah. She is lucky. Damn. Amazing.
The confession has made me think. What about Barry Bonds or say, Roger Clemens. We think of course they doped and were looking for an edge. So what! But, they didn't confess. The only one Armstrong's confession is probably going to help is Oprah. She is lucky. Damn. Amazing.
McCHRYSTAL
Listening to Margaret Warner interview retired General Stanley McChrystal was pretty pathetic, really. Throwing him these softball questions didn't do much. There's a side that has to admire the general. Guy runs miles a day, eats one meal, sleeps four hours, an animal. The flip side of the coin is that he represents what is wrong with our recent wars. The generals give these rosy reports and we buy into them. More Americans die and we are further behind.
Some of it has to be with the lack of understanding by the civilian/political community in what has happened to us. They don't get it because they don't know, "military speak." An example:The civilian community talks about the "surge" in Iraq. All the surge did was separate the warring factions. It did nothing to stem the overall level of violence but the military presented it as somehow a magic formula. Bullshit. Then someone like McChrystal moves to Afghanistan and he, along with his fellow general, Petraeus, when Petraeus could separate himself from his paramour, touted counter insurgency. The Prez, to his credit, bought into it until he came to realize that we were talking 10-20 years. What!!! New strategy, let's turn it all over to the Afghans. McChrystal did say one telling thing in the interview: the Afghan people are scared; their government is weak and allies are leaving. I feel really badly but the alternative is worst, staying in Afghanistan forever.
McChrystal is teaching leadership at Yale and touting his book, "My Share of the Task." I hope the Yalie's are smarter than the rest of us. I blame the generals for much of our misadventures over the last 25 or so years. In Vietnam, Westmoreland said send us more troops and we'll be home by Christmas. He neglected to tell us what Christmas. When he made that statement, we had about 7000 dead GIs. A half dozen years later, it was 58,000 plus dead. My question to the General: what kind of, "leadership" is he talking about.
Some of it has to be with the lack of understanding by the civilian/political community in what has happened to us. They don't get it because they don't know, "military speak." An example:The civilian community talks about the "surge" in Iraq. All the surge did was separate the warring factions. It did nothing to stem the overall level of violence but the military presented it as somehow a magic formula. Bullshit. Then someone like McChrystal moves to Afghanistan and he, along with his fellow general, Petraeus, when Petraeus could separate himself from his paramour, touted counter insurgency. The Prez, to his credit, bought into it until he came to realize that we were talking 10-20 years. What!!! New strategy, let's turn it all over to the Afghans. McChrystal did say one telling thing in the interview: the Afghan people are scared; their government is weak and allies are leaving. I feel really badly but the alternative is worst, staying in Afghanistan forever.
McChrystal is teaching leadership at Yale and touting his book, "My Share of the Task." I hope the Yalie's are smarter than the rest of us. I blame the generals for much of our misadventures over the last 25 or so years. In Vietnam, Westmoreland said send us more troops and we'll be home by Christmas. He neglected to tell us what Christmas. When he made that statement, we had about 7000 dead GIs. A half dozen years later, it was 58,000 plus dead. My question to the General: what kind of, "leadership" is he talking about.
ALAN AND AARON
I personally think us bloggers are about the last remaining vestiges of truth on the digital planet. For instance I have been following the comments about Aaron Swartz. I especially thought the comments from "Wired" were very moving.
Aaron is the second Swartz I've known. The first one was a great character also. Alan Swartz. He had been a newspaper man, tried many things, gone into advertising. I lived a couple of houses down from him. He rode his bike and when he caught me in the yard would stop and talk. Full of stories. Early in my career, I was forced to get one of these "super secret clearances" to do my job. Alan didn't even know I was in the military. We laughed at the absurdity of it all. The government sent out these young guys with a list of questions: mostly benigh but Alan thought a little intrusive. We laughed. He was great family man. His son, as I remember, was into swmming and had Olympic potential. Alan hit me up for a donation to help out with training or something. Later on he discovered that the Olympics frowned upon it and he faithfully came around to give back the money. Great guy.
The funniest story Alan ever told me; according to him, our greatest sense of enlightenment came when we were sitting on the "john" and the moment of elimination came. Given that scenario, Alan developed an entire advertising campaign to go on the back of the stalls--for that special moment when we are contemplating our navel.
So, naturally, it was gratifying to discover another Swartz. Alan, like Aaron left us with some drama. Alan goes off on his bike one morning and has a heart attack and dies. What a loss! I am saddened by both their deaths. Aaron apparently made this statement at some time about his depression, "Someone will say, 'Go outside and get some fresh air or cuddle with a loved one.' You do it and you don't feel any better, only more upset at being unable to feel the joy that everyone else seems to feel. Everything gets colored by the sadness."
Suicide is a terrible thing and it robs us of many things, not the least of all, the great presence and potential of a great mind like Aaron. I don't have a clue how someone like Aaron chooses his causes. If we failed him and I don't know that we did (I didn't know him), maybe it was in our failure to protect and cherish what he brought to the table. I am reminded of Al Pacino's speech in the movie, "Scent Of A Woman." Col. Slade (Pachino's character) says about Charley who is up against enormous odds: money, old school and is about to be disciplined for not "ratting" on his spoiled classmates at an elite prep school. Charley is a scholarship student. The school is assembled and the Colonel is speaking up for Charley and says something like, "I don't know if Charley's behavior here today is right or wrong, I am no judge or jury but you can know this, 'Charley won't sell anybody out to buy his future'...we must protect him, cherish him ...one day he'll make us proud." We have these big "minds" like Aaron who come up against "little" mind's and we need to be more aware of cherishing and protecting those like Aaron Swartz. God bless Him on his journey.
Aaron is the second Swartz I've known. The first one was a great character also. Alan Swartz. He had been a newspaper man, tried many things, gone into advertising. I lived a couple of houses down from him. He rode his bike and when he caught me in the yard would stop and talk. Full of stories. Early in my career, I was forced to get one of these "super secret clearances" to do my job. Alan didn't even know I was in the military. We laughed at the absurdity of it all. The government sent out these young guys with a list of questions: mostly benigh but Alan thought a little intrusive. We laughed. He was great family man. His son, as I remember, was into swmming and had Olympic potential. Alan hit me up for a donation to help out with training or something. Later on he discovered that the Olympics frowned upon it and he faithfully came around to give back the money. Great guy.
The funniest story Alan ever told me; according to him, our greatest sense of enlightenment came when we were sitting on the "john" and the moment of elimination came. Given that scenario, Alan developed an entire advertising campaign to go on the back of the stalls--for that special moment when we are contemplating our navel.
So, naturally, it was gratifying to discover another Swartz. Alan, like Aaron left us with some drama. Alan goes off on his bike one morning and has a heart attack and dies. What a loss! I am saddened by both their deaths. Aaron apparently made this statement at some time about his depression, "Someone will say, 'Go outside and get some fresh air or cuddle with a loved one.' You do it and you don't feel any better, only more upset at being unable to feel the joy that everyone else seems to feel. Everything gets colored by the sadness."
Suicide is a terrible thing and it robs us of many things, not the least of all, the great presence and potential of a great mind like Aaron. I don't have a clue how someone like Aaron chooses his causes. If we failed him and I don't know that we did (I didn't know him), maybe it was in our failure to protect and cherish what he brought to the table. I am reminded of Al Pacino's speech in the movie, "Scent Of A Woman." Col. Slade (Pachino's character) says about Charley who is up against enormous odds: money, old school and is about to be disciplined for not "ratting" on his spoiled classmates at an elite prep school. Charley is a scholarship student. The school is assembled and the Colonel is speaking up for Charley and says something like, "I don't know if Charley's behavior here today is right or wrong, I am no judge or jury but you can know this, 'Charley won't sell anybody out to buy his future'...we must protect him, cherish him ...one day he'll make us proud." We have these big "minds" like Aaron who come up against "little" mind's and we need to be more aware of cherishing and protecting those like Aaron Swartz. God bless Him on his journey.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
MY SHARE OF THE TASK
Listening to Margaret Warner interview retired General Stanley McChrystal was pretty pathetic, really. Throwing him these softball questions didn't do much. There's a side that has to admire the general. Guy runs miles a day, eats one meal, sleeps four hours, an animal. The flip side of the coin is that he represents what is wrong with our recent wars. The generals give these rosy reports and we buy into them. More Americans die and we are further behind.
Some of it has to be with the lack of understanding by the civilian/political community in what has happened to us. They don't get it because they don't know, "military speak." An example:The civilian community talks about the "surge" in Iraq. All the surge did was separate the warring factions. It did nothing to stem the overall level of violence but the military presented it as somehow a magic formula. Bullshit. Then someone like McChrystal moves to Afghanistan and he, along with his fellow general, Petraeus, when Petraeus could separate himself from his paramour, touted counter insurgency. The Prez, to his credit, bought into it until he came to realize that we were talking 10-20 years. What!!! New strategy, let's turn it all over to the Afghans. McChrystal did say one telling thing in the interview: the Afghan people are scared; their government is weak and allies are leaving. I feel really badly but the alternative is worst, staying in Afghanistan forever.
McChrystal is teaching leadership at Yale and touting his book, "My Share of the Task." I hope the Yalie's are smarter than the rest of us. I blame the generals for much of our misadventures over the last 25 or so years. In Vietnam, Westmoreland said send us more troops and we'll be home by Christmas. He neglected to tell us what Christmas. When he made that statement, we had about 7000 dead GIs. A half dozen years later, it was 58,000 plus dead. My question to the General: what kind of, "leadership" is he talking about.
Some of it has to be with the lack of understanding by the civilian/political community in what has happened to us. They don't get it because they don't know, "military speak." An example:The civilian community talks about the "surge" in Iraq. All the surge did was separate the warring factions. It did nothing to stem the overall level of violence but the military presented it as somehow a magic formula. Bullshit. Then someone like McChrystal moves to Afghanistan and he, along with his fellow general, Petraeus, when Petraeus could separate himself from his paramour, touted counter insurgency. The Prez, to his credit, bought into it until he came to realize that we were talking 10-20 years. What!!! New strategy, let's turn it all over to the Afghans. McChrystal did say one telling thing in the interview: the Afghan people are scared; their government is weak and allies are leaving. I feel really badly but the alternative is worst, staying in Afghanistan forever.
McChrystal is teaching leadership at Yale and touting his book, "My Share of the Task." I hope the Yalie's are smarter than the rest of us. I blame the generals for much of our misadventures over the last 25 or so years. In Vietnam, Westmoreland said send us more troops and we'll be home by Christmas. He neglected to tell us what Christmas. When he made that statement, we had about 7000 dead GIs. A half dozen years later, it was 58,000 plus dead. My question to the General: what kind of, "leadership" is he talking about.
GUNS
The gun debate is f..king stupid. We are gun crazy but most of it is fairly benign as we have guns. However, nobody needs assault or military weapons. And for an organization like the NRA to see everything as an attack is f..king stupid. The leadership is a bunch of zealots and there is no reasoning with these people. And, if you are a member, there is only one question. WHY?
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Myers Briggs Type Indicator
I have always liked the President. Here's a guy who can be making a speech, somebody hollers, "I love you" without dropping a word, he calls, "I love you back." He moves easily toward people. Sometimes criticized for aloofness? It is a management style, give somebody a job? Let them do it. Good father. Tackles crisis. This doesn't mean to say that he's not a politician but overall it is his personality, ENTJ. He has learned how to be a good president and deserves another term.
But, my point is that he is what he is because of personality. How do we know what he is? We can only guess because of our understanding of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, the most popular personality instrument in the U.S.
My first exposure to the Myers Briggs Type Indicator was in 1977, way back in the dark ages when I was in the military. Otto Kroeger, who is probably the foremost present day guru of the theory came to do a workshop at Fort McPherson, Georgia. I was a young Major and truly didn't know my posterior from anything. And, reluctantly showed up at the seminar. As happened, it was a turning point in my life's outlook to say the least. In the military, I was always on the outside of the mainstream. I (ENTP) would be in a meeting and it was constantly "group think" but I was not there--never seemed to see it like everybody else. The military is cooperate and graduate personified. I was a good combat soldier but get me in the confines of peacetime and it was a struggle. By this time in my career, I had already been fired twice and miraculously escaped being pitched out of the military. So, here was a theory that was mostly built around the idea that all of us are born with different personalities, plain and simple, not much we can do about it. This was revolutionary. Simplistically, it seemed that to get to know our personality and others and to be able to make it useful in an organization like the military would be perfect.
According to the Myers Briggs, you actually can be one of sixteen personalities and all of them have various characteristics and attributes. Here is MBTI, 101.
Extroverts/Introverts. Extrovert move toward people easily and find a certain amount of energy being around people. Introverts usually have lots of conversations but many of the conversations are usually with themselves. One attribute is not good or bad, they just are. Sensing/INtuitives: Sensing types are "hands on" types. They love to reach out and touch. They can do things, fix things. INtuitives are creative and innovative. They always have time for one more thing. Thinking/Feeling. Thinkers are in their heads, they reason, try to figure things out. Feeling Types are in their guts, can be emotional. Finally on the Myers Briggs, we can be a Judging (all these terms are mostly Jungian ones. I would have chosen different ones) type or a Perceptive Type. These two, J and P really means how we live out our lives. Our live styles. This is all a capsule, out of my head. I am an ENTP.
Once we take a stab at our figuring out our personalities, we are better at knowing ourselves, and most important, making good decisions.
The Myers Briggs is based on the creditable theory of Carl Jung, the Swiss born Psychiatrist and somewhat rival of Freud. It was designed after years of research by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers. The Myers Briggs could measure the conscious (as opposed to the unconscious)aspect of the personality. I actually wrote a book, The Personality Factor, read by only two others beside myself. Below are the 16 different types. The President:
E-extrovert, moves toward people easily.
N-iNtuitive-Innovative, creative; lots of legislation, creative appointments.
T-Thinking. He is very much on his head. Figuring things out, practical.
J-judging. Not judgmental. This is a lifestyle issue. It is how we love out our lives. The J/P is very importent as it conveys the idea of being organized as to being "open" about things. The President, ENTJ.
The 16 Personalities:
[ENFP] [INFP] [ENFJ] [INFJ] [ESTJ] [ISTJ] [ESFJ] [ISFJ] [ENTP] [INTP] [ENTJ] [INTJ] [ESTP] [ISTP] [ESFP] [ISFP]
But, my point is that he is what he is because of personality. How do we know what he is? We can only guess because of our understanding of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, the most popular personality instrument in the U.S.
My first exposure to the Myers Briggs Type Indicator was in 1977, way back in the dark ages when I was in the military. Otto Kroeger, who is probably the foremost present day guru of the theory came to do a workshop at Fort McPherson, Georgia. I was a young Major and truly didn't know my posterior from anything. And, reluctantly showed up at the seminar. As happened, it was a turning point in my life's outlook to say the least. In the military, I was always on the outside of the mainstream. I (ENTP) would be in a meeting and it was constantly "group think" but I was not there--never seemed to see it like everybody else. The military is cooperate and graduate personified. I was a good combat soldier but get me in the confines of peacetime and it was a struggle. By this time in my career, I had already been fired twice and miraculously escaped being pitched out of the military. So, here was a theory that was mostly built around the idea that all of us are born with different personalities, plain and simple, not much we can do about it. This was revolutionary. Simplistically, it seemed that to get to know our personality and others and to be able to make it useful in an organization like the military would be perfect.
According to the Myers Briggs, you actually can be one of sixteen personalities and all of them have various characteristics and attributes. Here is MBTI, 101.
Extroverts/Introverts. Extrovert move toward people easily and find a certain amount of energy being around people. Introverts usually have lots of conversations but many of the conversations are usually with themselves. One attribute is not good or bad, they just are. Sensing/INtuitives: Sensing types are "hands on" types. They love to reach out and touch. They can do things, fix things. INtuitives are creative and innovative. They always have time for one more thing. Thinking/Feeling. Thinkers are in their heads, they reason, try to figure things out. Feeling Types are in their guts, can be emotional. Finally on the Myers Briggs, we can be a Judging (all these terms are mostly Jungian ones. I would have chosen different ones) type or a Perceptive Type. These two, J and P really means how we live out our lives. Our live styles. This is all a capsule, out of my head. I am an ENTP.
Once we take a stab at our figuring out our personalities, we are better at knowing ourselves, and most important, making good decisions.
The Myers Briggs is based on the creditable theory of Carl Jung, the Swiss born Psychiatrist and somewhat rival of Freud. It was designed after years of research by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers. The Myers Briggs could measure the conscious (as opposed to the unconscious)aspect of the personality. I actually wrote a book, The Personality Factor, read by only two others beside myself. Below are the 16 different types. The President:
E-extrovert, moves toward people easily.
N-iNtuitive-Innovative, creative; lots of legislation, creative appointments.
T-Thinking. He is very much on his head. Figuring things out, practical.
J-judging. Not judgmental. This is a lifestyle issue. It is how we love out our lives. The J/P is very importent as it conveys the idea of being organized as to being "open" about things. The President, ENTJ.
The 16 Personalities:
[ENFP] [INFP] [ENFJ] [INFJ] [ESTJ] [ISTJ] [ESFJ] [ISFJ] [ENTP] [INTP] [ENTJ] [INTJ] [ESTP] [ISTP] [ESFP] [ISFP]
My Brother Raz and Nixon
My brother Raz has the same birthday as Nixon (Yesterday, Jan 9) What a contrast: Nixon was a self serving, lying, petty sorry MFer. My brother started off as a 7th grade Enflish teacher, 45 years later, he retired as a school superintendent. He sent hundreds of youngsters into "Service" of humanity. Nixon also sent young men into Service but it was to Vietnam. He was elected to get us out of that sorry war. He lied. When he began his term, we had something like 9000 dead. By the time his lie played out, we had lost close to 59,000 young Americans. I don't know how the afterlife works, even though I believe in it. Maybe Nixon resigning the presidency in disgrace was enough punishment. My last thought. We need people like my brother in leadership, not the Nixons of the world. Who to choose? A Nixon who had no scruples. My brother where honesty and service marked his entire life.
Staying in Afghanistan
The debate is on about how many troops we keep in Afghanistan. How about none/zilch/zero. Karzai is visiting the Prez. Corruption, bad mouthing America by the President of Kabul and there you have it. Some General, Bing West was on The News Hour. He has written a book, The Wrong War, that I don't plan to read but he was still talking that BS of winning, etc. how stupid. It can't be done. There's no winning. For Americans in Afghanistan, there is only dying.
Sunday, January 06, 2013
HUNTING FOR HOMELESS VETS
VET HUNTERS PROJECT
Monica 22, was an Army parachute rigger who served from 2009 to 2011, spending time in Germany, performing test jumps out of planes. She has a 17-month-old son...couldn’t hold a job and couldn’t find a home for herself or her son...had to leave her son with mother — there was no room for anyone else where they were living. So I stayed in a car that my dad owned.
George, thank you for forwarding this to me. Do you have any way I could send a donation to this really worthy cause. As I have been relatively involved in attempting to reach the "homeless" here in various ways: too lengthy to recount. I think in San Fran, we are doing about the best we can. (City offers enormous services and one very important unacknowleged thing: police amazingly tolerant) What I've discovered which is simply fact, most of the homeless fit in three views: those who love the lifestyle, living on the streets, dope usually involved. Pretty savvy. Then, (2) those who are the chronic ones, mentally ill and should be institutionazed to evaluate and get help. Sometimes dangerous. (3) And then there is a small group that we stand some chance with: families, usually with children and those willing to go to rehab, with some family support somewhere.
I would never discount any of them. The one that jumped out at me was the female rigger, (I know lots about the airborne, obviously) child/husband. Even living in a car owned by her dad. What is there with that? An example of a "back" story probably that we don't know nor even have to know. God bless you for your ministry.
Monica 22, was an Army parachute rigger who served from 2009 to 2011, spending time in Germany, performing test jumps out of planes. She has a 17-month-old son...couldn’t hold a job and couldn’t find a home for herself or her son...had to leave her son with mother — there was no room for anyone else where they were living. So I stayed in a car that my dad owned.
George, thank you for forwarding this to me. Do you have any way I could send a donation to this really worthy cause. As I have been relatively involved in attempting to reach the "homeless" here in various ways: too lengthy to recount. I think in San Fran, we are doing about the best we can. (City offers enormous services and one very important unacknowleged thing: police amazingly tolerant) What I've discovered which is simply fact, most of the homeless fit in three views: those who love the lifestyle, living on the streets, dope usually involved. Pretty savvy. Then, (2) those who are the chronic ones, mentally ill and should be institutionazed to evaluate and get help. Sometimes dangerous. (3) And then there is a small group that we stand some chance with: families, usually with children and those willing to go to rehab, with some family support somewhere.
I would never discount any of them. The one that jumped out at me was the female rigger, (I know lots about the airborne, obviously) child/husband. Even living in a car owned by her dad. What is there with that? An example of a "back" story probably that we don't know nor even have to know. God bless you for your ministry.
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
Happy New Year
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS. Here are some facts, loosely garnered from NPR: (National Public Radio) most people make resolutions, most try to keep them and about a third are successful One of my all time favorite persons (my niece) sent me hers. 1) get fit 2) write her book 3) work harder at her job 4) be more frugal 5)make more friends. Will she keep them? Maybe, some of them, possibly, hopefully, adinfinitum. The important thing to me is that she keeps at it. Why did she sent them to me? A kind of insurance. She knows that I'll keep bugging her about, "whether she is keeping her Resplutions or not!
A little ritual in our family is that we all get together and we review last years "Resolutions". How did we do? What are the ones for the coming year? Are they realistic?
There is a view that if you say, "I'm going to try" to keep the Resolutions, then I probably don't think I'll do it. Consequently take, "try" out of your vocabulary. "I am going to keep them. I am not even going to deal with what if I fail? There is no failure." Good luck.
A little ritual in our family is that we all get together and we review last years "Resolutions". How did we do? What are the ones for the coming year? Are they realistic?
There is a view that if you say, "I'm going to try" to keep the Resolutions, then I probably don't think I'll do it. Consequently take, "try" out of your vocabulary. "I am going to keep them. I am not even going to deal with what if I fail? There is no failure." Good luck.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
STORMIN NORMAN
Stormin General Norman Schwartzkopf stormed into? He served two tours in Vietnam (earning three Silver Stars, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and three Distinguished Service Medals) To any Vietnam combat vet, the first thing we say, no disrespect intended, how the f..k can a Lieutenant Colonel be awarded three silver stars. He was a battalion commander, not a grunt who should have been awarded medals and who usually got s..t. Know why? Nobody was looking after the grunt. Somebody was looking after Stormin Norman.
The first time I had ever heard of him was when he was contacted by the mother of one of his troops in Vietnam. The mother was someway like Pat Tillman's mom (Remember, he was an NFL player who gave up a promising career to become an Army Ranger and go to Afghanistan) whose son was killed by friendly fire probably but reported as hostile fire. I hate to be the military's advocate, as I am better suited in an adversarial role; but often the military at war tries to do the right thing. Most casualties are reported as hostile fire. Their thinking: (nobody admits this. In Vietnam we always said, hostile fire! )Parents and loved ones surely will feel better about their incalculable loss knowing they were killed in the line of battle. What parent or sweetheart would want to know their soldier died at the hands of fellow soldier. Negligence, dereliction of duty at war is a different thing but an accident is an accident. Hostile fire! Apparently the mother as related to Schwartzkopf was not satisfied. A reporter, I think, wrote a book about the soldier, Friendly Fire. I first read the article I think at the Command and General staff College. The article was not favorable to the military and shouted, "cover-up." An apocrypha story which I'm not sure is true but the mother took the money from her insurance and had tiny crosses placed all around the City Hall of Davenport, Iowa. (not sure) This single act is credited with lighting a fire under the anti war movement.
All that aside and as we say in NC, never speak ill of the dead. If so, Stormin Norman, sorry and God bless you on your journey..
The first time I had ever heard of him was when he was contacted by the mother of one of his troops in Vietnam. The mother was someway like Pat Tillman's mom (Remember, he was an NFL player who gave up a promising career to become an Army Ranger and go to Afghanistan) whose son was killed by friendly fire probably but reported as hostile fire. I hate to be the military's advocate, as I am better suited in an adversarial role; but often the military at war tries to do the right thing. Most casualties are reported as hostile fire. Their thinking: (nobody admits this. In Vietnam we always said, hostile fire! )Parents and loved ones surely will feel better about their incalculable loss knowing they were killed in the line of battle. What parent or sweetheart would want to know their soldier died at the hands of fellow soldier. Negligence, dereliction of duty at war is a different thing but an accident is an accident. Hostile fire! Apparently the mother as related to Schwartzkopf was not satisfied. A reporter, I think, wrote a book about the soldier, Friendly Fire. I first read the article I think at the Command and General staff College. The article was not favorable to the military and shouted, "cover-up." An apocrypha story which I'm not sure is true but the mother took the money from her insurance and had tiny crosses placed all around the City Hall of Davenport, Iowa. (not sure) This single act is credited with lighting a fire under the anti war movement.
All that aside and as we say in NC, never speak ill of the dead. If so, Stormin Norman, sorry and God bless you on your journey..
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Movie Reviews
ARGO Suspenseful and based on a somewhat implausible story. So improbable that it was true. Ben Afflick playing the part of an CIA agent heading up a rescue attempt of six Americans who managed to escape Iran--remember the hostage crisis. The Six were hiled up in the Canadian Embassy. One of the few times my brother and I saw things differently. Could have been that Vietnam was pretty close to me. My brother, Raz, a big Jimmy Carter fan, felt that we should have forcefully gone after them. I think Carter did the best thing. I heard an interview with him recently talking about it when he said that he told Iran, "if you harm any of the hostages, I am sending in the 82d Airborne.
LINCOLN. I didn't care much for the movie. Daniel Day-Lewis looked like him for sure. I've read lots of Lincoln and I didn't think this movie cast him in a good light. Sure, those who see a dysfunctional Congress as we now have would say we need a Lincoln. Who can dispute that? But, I have always thought of Lincoln as bigger than life, making right decisions way above petty politics. This movie cut him down to human and I didn't like it.
Jango. Typical Terantino movie. Blood and guts everywhere. A kind of Western in the format of No Country For Old Men. Everybody killed but the Director. What made the movie worth it for me was to see how awful we treated slaves. I have to assume that it was historically accurate. It made me ashamed to be a Southerner. We should be paying "reparations" to African Americans. Watching the movie, I wanted to hide under a rock. There was one scene where some stereotypical Southern begot, fat, beaded is whipping a slave while carrying one of these old fashioned dog eared Bible, quoting the Old Testament.
Terantino is apparently taking a page from Hitchcock where he put himself in the movie. What the movie did for me and maybe the Director had this in mind: make us feel so bad that our whole attitude changes , if need be, toward our fellow AA Brothers.
LINCOLN. I didn't care much for the movie. Daniel Day-Lewis looked like him for sure. I've read lots of Lincoln and I didn't think this movie cast him in a good light. Sure, those who see a dysfunctional Congress as we now have would say we need a Lincoln. Who can dispute that? But, I have always thought of Lincoln as bigger than life, making right decisions way above petty politics. This movie cut him down to human and I didn't like it.
Jango. Typical Terantino movie. Blood and guts everywhere. A kind of Western in the format of No Country For Old Men. Everybody killed but the Director. What made the movie worth it for me was to see how awful we treated slaves. I have to assume that it was historically accurate. It made me ashamed to be a Southerner. We should be paying "reparations" to African Americans. Watching the movie, I wanted to hide under a rock. There was one scene where some stereotypical Southern begot, fat, beaded is whipping a slave while carrying one of these old fashioned dog eared Bible, quoting the Old Testament.
Terantino is apparently taking a page from Hitchcock where he put himself in the movie. What the movie did for me and maybe the Director had this in mind: make us feel so bad that our whole attitude changes , if need be, toward our fellow AA Brothers.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
The Generals
Time Magazine recently did an article which basically said, what is going on with the generals. I wrote a letter to the Editor. I do this all the time and they are rarely published. It is why I love blogging. Always published and for me personally, I don't give a f..k if it is read or not. Here it is. Oh, another thing. I like most Americans who care (and not all do) am in a day of mourning. My heart is broken over this senseless shooting in Conneticut. There are idiots like Huckabie who are f..king stupid MFers who will say anything to get some attention. What in the f..k does prayer in the classroom have to do with this national hurt (I love to cuss but seem to be worse today because I am angry). Anyway,
TO TIME MAGAZINE. Thank you for the excellent article about the Generals. It was good but didnot go nearly far enough. The blame for our debacles in Iraq and Afghanisyan can be directly laid at the feet of these assholes, I think. They gave these rosy reports and invented terms like the "surge" which the American people who care (and not all do) swallowed hook, line, and sinker because they didn't know any better. The surge worked, not because of more soldiers but because we separated the warring factions and paid off those that had been fighting us and let them join our side. It worked for awhile but over the long haul, I doubt it, based on the violence that still racks Iraq.
The President and most of Congress have no real military experience and can be led around by the nose which the generals have done. The first time I noticed this was when they had a Pat Tillman hearing before Congress (Part of a documentary about Tillman. Very good and I recommend). The Generals showed up with all their salad. That is what we call the decorations adorning their uniform. We know the Army loves badges and patches, Petraeus is a good example (Time showed his uniform, should have tipped us off early on as to his character, modesty surely on a holiday). A general can decide what patches and badges to wear or none. For instance, Petraeus (not from this hearing but other times) uniform has it all--at the hearing, the generals looked like preening peacocks. The Congressional hearing spent most of the time bowing and scraping. I have never felt so badly for a family.
We need serious military reform and I don't see it on the horizon. What a lame excuse that someone like Gates gave: didn't want to take them on. There are many things that we need to do and the first place to start is by culling the numbers of generals we have. Here are a few more reform ideas: provide more Inspector Generals to investigate questionable actions of any form. And, they need to be free of military influence. Get real about honest care of the soldier. There is a saying, "nothing is too good for the soldier and that is what he gets, nothing. The military talks a hell of a lot more about doing than they actually do for the soldier. Civilians don't really know anything about soldiers lives. Soldiers and families live on posts, often have their own schools for kids and in many ways are a sub culture. And, assholes like Rumsfelt makes major changes in the lives of soldiers and nobody even questions, much less notices. He consolidated several posts and took out of the communities any identification with the military as the communities never see a military uniform. This is the unintended consequences. There are some things where consolidation would be a good idea. Do we really need all three military academies: Air Force, Army, Navy. We would save billions by consolidating. Think that will ever happen? LOL! This is the last one: stay the hell out of wars. We cannot continue to do this. I am not talking isolation. We will continue to engage with the world but we need major retrenchment. For once in our lives, let's let experience teach us. The Arab Spring has done fine without us. Iraq is over and most Iraqis would prefer to have Saddam back. We got nothing but loss of young Andrican lives. We didn't even get a break on oil. Afghanistan. If we stay there a hundred years, we could not materially bring about change, much less democracy. We have poured in billions and seen those dollars disappear into the black holes of the country. God bless us.
TO TIME MAGAZINE. Thank you for the excellent article about the Generals. It was good but didnot go nearly far enough. The blame for our debacles in Iraq and Afghanisyan can be directly laid at the feet of these assholes, I think. They gave these rosy reports and invented terms like the "surge" which the American people who care (and not all do) swallowed hook, line, and sinker because they didn't know any better. The surge worked, not because of more soldiers but because we separated the warring factions and paid off those that had been fighting us and let them join our side. It worked for awhile but over the long haul, I doubt it, based on the violence that still racks Iraq.
The President and most of Congress have no real military experience and can be led around by the nose which the generals have done. The first time I noticed this was when they had a Pat Tillman hearing before Congress (Part of a documentary about Tillman. Very good and I recommend). The Generals showed up with all their salad. That is what we call the decorations adorning their uniform. We know the Army loves badges and patches, Petraeus is a good example (Time showed his uniform, should have tipped us off early on as to his character, modesty surely on a holiday). A general can decide what patches and badges to wear or none. For instance, Petraeus (not from this hearing but other times) uniform has it all--at the hearing, the generals looked like preening peacocks. The Congressional hearing spent most of the time bowing and scraping. I have never felt so badly for a family.
We need serious military reform and I don't see it on the horizon. What a lame excuse that someone like Gates gave: didn't want to take them on. There are many things that we need to do and the first place to start is by culling the numbers of generals we have. Here are a few more reform ideas: provide more Inspector Generals to investigate questionable actions of any form. And, they need to be free of military influence. Get real about honest care of the soldier. There is a saying, "nothing is too good for the soldier and that is what he gets, nothing. The military talks a hell of a lot more about doing than they actually do for the soldier. Civilians don't really know anything about soldiers lives. Soldiers and families live on posts, often have their own schools for kids and in many ways are a sub culture. And, assholes like Rumsfelt makes major changes in the lives of soldiers and nobody even questions, much less notices. He consolidated several posts and took out of the communities any identification with the military as the communities never see a military uniform. This is the unintended consequences. There are some things where consolidation would be a good idea. Do we really need all three military academies: Air Force, Army, Navy. We would save billions by consolidating. Think that will ever happen? LOL! This is the last one: stay the hell out of wars. We cannot continue to do this. I am not talking isolation. We will continue to engage with the world but we need major retrenchment. For once in our lives, let's let experience teach us. The Arab Spring has done fine without us. Iraq is over and most Iraqis would prefer to have Saddam back. We got nothing but loss of young Andrican lives. We didn't even get a break on oil. Afghanistan. If we stay there a hundred years, we could not materially bring about change, much less democracy. We have poured in billions and seen those dollars disappear into the black holes of the country. God bless us.
GRIEF
Recently at the Kim Girls Barber Shop in North Beach, (San Francisco) to a person, the patrons sincerely lamented the National Tragedy of the school shooting. We all were grieving about the kids. Unspeakable.
How can parents handle grief. They can't. All they can do is get through it. And all, will handle their grief in different ways. And, the national media attention is a "given" for which I have mixed emotions. For some, it is OK, they will talk about their kids. The President speaks. But, maybe for some, the attention will be intrusive? If it were me, I could not stand the barrage of questions, the trying to make sense of the happenings. Some reporter, doing their job but still intrusive, asking, probing. I want to go off by myself, scream, curse and be left alone until I am ready which may be never. I can only relate the feeling to losing my best friend in Vietnam. I had gone on R&R (rest and relaxation. It was a seven day leave). When I left on the chow helicopter from the field to the Fire Support Base, then to the rear area and on to Hawaii, the last person I saw was Rollie who screamed an obscenity at me. It is what your best friend does and "bring me back a bottle of Jim Beam." I gave him the finger--it was what you did to your best friend. I had a great R&R. The helicopter landed me back at the Fire Support Base. Where the f..k was the reception. I laughed. Rollie, my best bud was going to meet me and we were going to drink the bottle of Jim Beam that I brought. "Sorry, Captain, Rollie was killed." I was not sure I was hearing it. I cannot relate at this point in my life, my exact emotions but they were so intense that to this day, I tear up. That day I wanted to scream, to be left alone, to suffer in silence. I did not want anybody trying to comfort me. I could not be comforted.
And, I would have to think that in this great tragedy, there are some with those emotions I felt long ago in Vietnam: Leave Me Alone! God bless them in their grief and God bless all of us in ours.
How can parents handle grief. They can't. All they can do is get through it. And all, will handle their grief in different ways. And, the national media attention is a "given" for which I have mixed emotions. For some, it is OK, they will talk about their kids. The President speaks. But, maybe for some, the attention will be intrusive? If it were me, I could not stand the barrage of questions, the trying to make sense of the happenings. Some reporter, doing their job but still intrusive, asking, probing. I want to go off by myself, scream, curse and be left alone until I am ready which may be never. I can only relate the feeling to losing my best friend in Vietnam. I had gone on R&R (rest and relaxation. It was a seven day leave). When I left on the chow helicopter from the field to the Fire Support Base, then to the rear area and on to Hawaii, the last person I saw was Rollie who screamed an obscenity at me. It is what your best friend does and "bring me back a bottle of Jim Beam." I gave him the finger--it was what you did to your best friend. I had a great R&R. The helicopter landed me back at the Fire Support Base. Where the f..k was the reception. I laughed. Rollie, my best bud was going to meet me and we were going to drink the bottle of Jim Beam that I brought. "Sorry, Captain, Rollie was killed." I was not sure I was hearing it. I cannot relate at this point in my life, my exact emotions but they were so intense that to this day, I tear up. That day I wanted to scream, to be left alone, to suffer in silence. I did not want anybody trying to comfort me. I could not be comforted.
And, I would have to think that in this great tragedy, there are some with those emotions I felt long ago in Vietnam: Leave Me Alone! God bless them in their grief and God bless all of us in ours.
Uganda
Like most people in America, I have been heartbroken over the tragedy in Conneticut. On trying to think about it, my Mom gave me a new view. She is a doctor who delivers babies. Two times a year, she and several other doctors go to Uganda to teach doctors the best techniques and to help in saving lives. "Youngsters die every day, she said and told me about Sarah. She was married at the age of thirteen. By fourteen, she was pregnant and had AIDs. She went into labor with her baby and when she didn't deliver her baby in three days, her family walked her to the hospital ten hours away. When she got to the hospital, her baby was dead and three hours later Sarah died. This happens every day. It does not diminish the deaths of the 20 children who died in this senseless act. It makes me realize, however, the sadness known all around the world.
FLJ
FLJ
GUNS
We need Gun control. Let's face it and it is going to happen. It should. F..k the NRA. Let's use common sense. What person in America needs an assault weapon? Nobody. And, we have these idiots out buying up weapons after 20 kids are slaughtered by an an "insane evil presence," using weapons that no American needs. Give me a break!
Are we a violent society. Yes we are. Do video games and TV and movie violence contribute to our cultural violence. Damn if I know but I do know that no American needs an assault rifle, Glocks, that sort of bullshit.
As Americans, witnessing a heinous act, we want to do something and we should and we will. Gun Laws. Will everybody be happy F..k NO. What we have a hard time accepting is that there is a percentage of Americans who don't give a flying fig as my Dad would say, about what is right or anything that trumps their idiocy. They are out for themselves and their own desires/ wants. They are stupid MFers and let's accept it--let the majority of Americans rule. We need gun control legislation as a tribute to those slain kids who will never get to live out their lives. We would like to say to the right wing nonthinking zealots: f..k you very much and get a life.
Are we a violent society. Yes we are. Do video games and TV and movie violence contribute to our cultural violence. Damn if I know but I do know that no American needs an assault rifle, Glocks, that sort of bullshit.
As Americans, witnessing a heinous act, we want to do something and we should and we will. Gun Laws. Will everybody be happy F..k NO. What we have a hard time accepting is that there is a percentage of Americans who don't give a flying fig as my Dad would say, about what is right or anything that trumps their idiocy. They are out for themselves and their own desires/ wants. They are stupid MFers and let's accept it--let the majority of Americans rule. We need gun control legislation as a tribute to those slain kids who will never get to live out their lives. We would like to say to the right wing nonthinking zealots: f..k you very much and get a life.
Just Interesting
Sometimes I go to Brooklyn to visit my sister. I have a 91 year old sister who is in a nursing home. She had a stroke like, fourteen years ago. She does not have the use of her right side. She's in a good frame of mind. And sometimes she would like Chinese food or rice and beans. There is a restaurant nearby and so I go and get it, and share it with her. Sometimes she wants ice cream or coffee. I take the train--I got to get the bus and two trains to get there. A lot of times I din't get a seat on the train because it is too crowded. Sometimes it is really exhausting but my sister would have done the same thing in my position. Out of nine kids, we are the only two left.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Christmas Sadness
In Vietnam, the saddest time of all were the holidays, being away from families, thinking about all the holiday activities back home. When we were back home, we might have thought the holiday season and all that comes with it was an enormous hassle; but in Vietnam, we would never admit such blasphemy.
40 plus years later, those Vietnam memories are cherished ones. I remember one very traumatic Christmas in Nam which made all of us sad and mad. The helicopter bringing the Christmas mail in a sling--a type of contraption that literally was swinging under the helicopter--hit some turbulence and the the mail was dropped. Help! Before the soldiers could get to the mail, the Vietnamese had gotten it and were nowhere to be found. Could have been the enemy, but more than likely, the friendlies, local villagers. Regardless, it was very tough to have our mail stolen at Christmas and had the troops been able to get to the ville another MyLai insanity would have been in the offing. More likely than not, the villagers innocently took our mail because it was a target of opportunity, goodies to sell on the black market.
Usually in Nam, there was a stand down, meaning that suddenly the fighting stopped. This always sounded a little crazy to me to stop the war for Christmas. If you can stop a war for Christmas, why don't you just stop
I also remember one very sad casualty during a Christmas stand down. Our FO, forward observer, stepped on a booby trap and was killed. Very sad. He was such a great guy and had a super sense of humor. Tall and handsome, 22, a graduate of St. Bonaventure University. Talk about a wasted life. As poet, Phil Woodall, says, "He may have died in vain, but he lived in honor."
This is such a difficult time for soldiers and their families. Soldiers are still in harm's way in Afghanistan. They, like in Vietnam, are in a misbegotten war.
We now celebrate the One who is the Prince of Peace, a difficult thing to think about during this time; we might use Jesus' words of peace--"peace, peace but there is no peace."
We have to see the bigger picture of Christmas, I believe: the realization that God can and does break through all the turmoil of our world. There is an enormous sadness that envelops those of us who care because of the unthinkable tragedy at Sandy Hook School in New Town, Connecticut. We can't put it down. The loss is too great. The grief is overpowering.
American soldiers who had their lives taken and the Sandy Hook youngsters and adults who had their lives "taken" are alike in this, "they may have died in vain but they lived in honor." And, for me, soldiers who died and the Sandy Hook victims will continue to live in my heart forever.
40 plus years later, those Vietnam memories are cherished ones. I remember one very traumatic Christmas in Nam which made all of us sad and mad. The helicopter bringing the Christmas mail in a sling--a type of contraption that literally was swinging under the helicopter--hit some turbulence and the the mail was dropped. Help! Before the soldiers could get to the mail, the Vietnamese had gotten it and were nowhere to be found. Could have been the enemy, but more than likely, the friendlies, local villagers. Regardless, it was very tough to have our mail stolen at Christmas and had the troops been able to get to the ville another MyLai insanity would have been in the offing. More likely than not, the villagers innocently took our mail because it was a target of opportunity, goodies to sell on the black market.
Usually in Nam, there was a stand down, meaning that suddenly the fighting stopped. This always sounded a little crazy to me to stop the war for Christmas. If you can stop a war for Christmas, why don't you just stop
I also remember one very sad casualty during a Christmas stand down. Our FO, forward observer, stepped on a booby trap and was killed. Very sad. He was such a great guy and had a super sense of humor. Tall and handsome, 22, a graduate of St. Bonaventure University. Talk about a wasted life. As poet, Phil Woodall, says, "He may have died in vain, but he lived in honor."
This is such a difficult time for soldiers and their families. Soldiers are still in harm's way in Afghanistan. They, like in Vietnam, are in a misbegotten war.
We now celebrate the One who is the Prince of Peace, a difficult thing to think about during this time; we might use Jesus' words of peace--"peace, peace but there is no peace."
We have to see the bigger picture of Christmas, I believe: the realization that God can and does break through all the turmoil of our world. There is an enormous sadness that envelops those of us who care because of the unthinkable tragedy at Sandy Hook School in New Town, Connecticut. We can't put it down. The loss is too great. The grief is overpowering.
American soldiers who had their lives taken and the Sandy Hook youngsters and adults who had their lives "taken" are alike in this, "they may have died in vain but they lived in honor." And, for me, soldiers who died and the Sandy Hook victims will continue to live in my heart forever.
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