Take a few minutes to visit. Either click on the title of this blog or here: http://thewall-usa.com
Everyone was touched in some way by Vietnam. Those of us who are in our 60's and alive, whether you served or not, owe our very existence to those who gave their lives.
You don't have to agree with the war. Hell, I marched and protested against it and then spent four years in the Air Force! I got out unscathed. I had three wonderful sons and, to date, four wonderful granddaughters. None of that would have been possible if my name were etched on the wall. I wonder what our world would be like if those 59,000 had not perished. Better, I bet. Some of them never had the chance to be a father or mother (Yes - some women died over there, too.) Some had children before they went over and never got to see them again. No ball games. Or dance recitals. Or school plays. Or Christmas mornings. Back yard football. Building a fairy princess castle. Going on family vacation. Watching a high school or college graduation. Or the birth of a grandchild.
Think about them. Search the wall. It's very easy. You can search by surname or hometown. Find the name of a relative. Check out their dates of service and find out how they left this earth. Then go to their site and leave them a message. Let them know you're thinking about them. And that you appreciate all that they gave. Tell them about your life. They'll still hate that they missed it, but at least they'll know what has been going on since they left.
If you're over 20 years old, then you're older than thousands of those whose names are on the wall. Think about that. They were just kids. They were our kids.
All gave some; some gave all.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
The Human Mind
Again, kudos to Numba2Son for inspiration on this one. He will know exactly what I mean.
Not the brain; the mind. I know the brain fires bunches of electrodes and capillaries from synapse to syncope, but what does that mean? The previous sentence is an example of what I mean. How does a mind come up with such disjointed minutiae?
Have you ever walked down Main St. or around the town square or down Michigan Ave. or Peachtree St. and observed people? Better yet, find a good place to sit where you can be unobserved. What is that guy thinking? How will he tell his wife that he is having an affair with her brother? Should he sell that GyroGearGoose stock? Why do his armpits itch?
And the young woman walking behind him. Who the hell gave me the STD? That damned Raul, I bet. Or Blacksnake. I knew that wasn't his cousin!
Or just tune in on your own gray matter and let it run. Does anyone in LaLaLand own a pair of leather gloves? If so, have they ever become wet. If yes, don't they remember how much smaller they were when they dried?
How can the lyrics of a great song bring tears to my eyes when I can see a dead person on the news and remain totally unaffected?
What the hell are athletes thinking when they juice up?
Who is the idiot that first used the word "re-invent"?
That patch of earth on which you are currently sitting or standing - what did it look like 500 years ago? Swampland? Inland sea? Conifer forest?
Who was the first guy to eat an oyster? A tomato? A mushroom?
What was it like living on the street on which Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Glenn Frey, Don Henley and David Crosby lived? How would you like to be a fly on the wall during some of their jam sessions?
What is that guy's deepest darkest secret? Something he has never even told his wife or family. Something he would take any length to hide. Everyone has something in the dark recesses of their mind.
Whatever happened to that one-night-stand I picked up at CS's around Christmas in 1969? What about Kathy? I know she married her fiancee when he got out of the Air Force. Wonder if she ever thinks of our 1966 short-lived affair? Wonder if she ever told him?
Why can some people wish themselves to that other plain? Is mind travel possible?
What kind of cohones did the early sailors have? Just take off sailing into the unknown.
Are there parallel universes? Why is the plural of "universe" not "universae"?
The mind is wonderful. And dark. And open and airy. And capable of so much.
I always wanted to sit and observe a day room in a psychiatric facility. What is going through their minds? They exist with us, but on a different plane. Why them? Chemical imbalance. Physical deterioration of the brain. Childhood trauma.
Aren't sociopaths fascinating? I mean, absolutely no conscience. No conception of right and wrong. Nothing to guide them except their primal drive.
Narcissists. Some people really think that everything that happens in the world is related to them? And they're not just politicians and surgeons. Some are just plain people. Some start religions and cults. In that vein...how can anyone take David Koresh, Jim Jones, Maharesh Yogi or these TV preachers seriously? And how are they any different than Martin Luther, Joseph Smith, John Wesley, etc.?
What would compel a seemingly sane human being to be sitting at his computer at 9:08 on a Sunday morning, listening to "Tunes Till Two" on Z106 and typing a blog entry just because the thought entered his mind about an hour ago?
Not the brain; the mind. I know the brain fires bunches of electrodes and capillaries from synapse to syncope, but what does that mean? The previous sentence is an example of what I mean. How does a mind come up with such disjointed minutiae?
Have you ever walked down Main St. or around the town square or down Michigan Ave. or Peachtree St. and observed people? Better yet, find a good place to sit where you can be unobserved. What is that guy thinking? How will he tell his wife that he is having an affair with her brother? Should he sell that GyroGearGoose stock? Why do his armpits itch?
And the young woman walking behind him. Who the hell gave me the STD? That damned Raul, I bet. Or Blacksnake. I knew that wasn't his cousin!
Or just tune in on your own gray matter and let it run. Does anyone in LaLaLand own a pair of leather gloves? If so, have they ever become wet. If yes, don't they remember how much smaller they were when they dried?
How can the lyrics of a great song bring tears to my eyes when I can see a dead person on the news and remain totally unaffected?
What the hell are athletes thinking when they juice up?
Who is the idiot that first used the word "re-invent"?
That patch of earth on which you are currently sitting or standing - what did it look like 500 years ago? Swampland? Inland sea? Conifer forest?
Who was the first guy to eat an oyster? A tomato? A mushroom?
What was it like living on the street on which Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Glenn Frey, Don Henley and David Crosby lived? How would you like to be a fly on the wall during some of their jam sessions?
What is that guy's deepest darkest secret? Something he has never even told his wife or family. Something he would take any length to hide. Everyone has something in the dark recesses of their mind.
Whatever happened to that one-night-stand I picked up at CS's around Christmas in 1969? What about Kathy? I know she married her fiancee when he got out of the Air Force. Wonder if she ever thinks of our 1966 short-lived affair? Wonder if she ever told him?
Why can some people wish themselves to that other plain? Is mind travel possible?
What kind of cohones did the early sailors have? Just take off sailing into the unknown.
Are there parallel universes? Why is the plural of "universe" not "universae"?
The mind is wonderful. And dark. And open and airy. And capable of so much.
I always wanted to sit and observe a day room in a psychiatric facility. What is going through their minds? They exist with us, but on a different plane. Why them? Chemical imbalance. Physical deterioration of the brain. Childhood trauma.
Aren't sociopaths fascinating? I mean, absolutely no conscience. No conception of right and wrong. Nothing to guide them except their primal drive.
Narcissists. Some people really think that everything that happens in the world is related to them? And they're not just politicians and surgeons. Some are just plain people. Some start religions and cults. In that vein...how can anyone take David Koresh, Jim Jones, Maharesh Yogi or these TV preachers seriously? And how are they any different than Martin Luther, Joseph Smith, John Wesley, etc.?
What would compel a seemingly sane human being to be sitting at his computer at 9:08 on a Sunday morning, listening to "Tunes Till Two" on Z106 and typing a blog entry just because the thought entered his mind about an hour ago?
Friday, December 26, 2008
Hillar(ious) Clinton
One Question Test
This test only has one question, but it's a very important one.By giving an honest answer, you will discover where you stand morally. The test features an unlikely, completely fictional situation in which you will have to make a decision. Remember your answer needs to be honest, yet spontaneous.
THE SITUATION: You are in Miami, Florida. There is chaos all around you caused by a hurricane with severe flooding. This is a flood of biblical proportions.You are a photo-journalist working for a major newspaper, caught in the middle of this epic disaster. The situation is nearly hopeless.You're trying to shoot career-making photos. There are houses and people swirling around you, some disappearing under the water. This test only has one question, but it's a very important one.By giving an honest answer, you will discover where you stand morally. The test features an unlikely, completely fictional situation in which you will have to make a decision. Remember your answer needs to be honest, yet spontaneous.
THE TEST: Suddenly you see a woman in the water. She is fighting for her life, trying not to be taken down with the debris. You move closer and she looks familiar. You suddenly realize it's Hillary Clinton! At the same time you notice that the raging waters are about to take her under forever.You have two options: You can save the life of Hillary Clinton, or you can shoot a dramatic Pulitzer Prize winning photo, documenting the death of one of the world's most powerful women.
THE QUESTION: Here's the question, and please give an honest answer. "Would you select high contrast color film, or would you go with the classic simplicity of black and white ?"
Thursday, December 25, 2008
The Mercy Bowl
The Mercy Bowl
Most folks my age remember it, or the reason for it. The reason was the first major sports team related air catastrophe in history. 1960. I was 12 years old. Even at that age, I loved to follow the news and sports. In about a year or so, the US figure skating team would be lost in a similar manner. In another 10 years, it would be Marshall.
No ESPN in 1960. Sports coverage of west coast teams was minimal. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo was just another school playing in a bowl game. John Madden's alma mater. They got stomped by Bowling Green. 50 - 6. Bernie Casey played for BG. Ted Tollner was the Cal Poly QB. He is now the QBs coach for the 49ers. But only because he switched seats with his teammate, Curtis Hill, who had become sick on the plane ride east. Fate intervened.
I was never a big Bob Hope fan. Not of his comedy, that is. I respected his philanthropic endeavors. He was instrumental in setting up the game. So was President John Kennedy. I remember thinking it was cool for the president to get involved in something sports-related. The game would be played on Thanksgiving day. Bowling Green would play the winner of the California Collegiate Athletic Association. That was Fresno State. I still relate the game to Thanksgiving every year. Sports TV was not what it is now. The game was carried only on radio. Even radio was still in its formative years. No national radio. In other words, those of us east of the Mississippi could not get the game.
LA Times sports correspondent Jim Murray wrote in his column:
"On Thanksgiving morning this year in the Coliseum, a 'Mercy Bowl' benefit game will be played to help San Luis Obispo write off its obligations to the tragedy victims, the children they left behind them, and the survivors.
"My feeling is, it is not only their obligation. It is the obligation of all of us interested in athletics. I can think of no better way to give thanks on that day that we are here and healthy, than to contribute to those who are alone with only memories on that day."
It was the first bowl game that was held for a cause. According to John Madden, it would be a good idea to hold another bowl game for a cause.
If you're interested, check out the article in the link. It provides a more in-depth story. http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/28380542/
Most folks my age remember it, or the reason for it. The reason was the first major sports team related air catastrophe in history. 1960. I was 12 years old. Even at that age, I loved to follow the news and sports. In about a year or so, the US figure skating team would be lost in a similar manner. In another 10 years, it would be Marshall.
No ESPN in 1960. Sports coverage of west coast teams was minimal. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo was just another school playing in a bowl game. John Madden's alma mater. They got stomped by Bowling Green. 50 - 6. Bernie Casey played for BG. Ted Tollner was the Cal Poly QB. He is now the QBs coach for the 49ers. But only because he switched seats with his teammate, Curtis Hill, who had become sick on the plane ride east. Fate intervened.
I was never a big Bob Hope fan. Not of his comedy, that is. I respected his philanthropic endeavors. He was instrumental in setting up the game. So was President John Kennedy. I remember thinking it was cool for the president to get involved in something sports-related. The game would be played on Thanksgiving day. Bowling Green would play the winner of the California Collegiate Athletic Association. That was Fresno State. I still relate the game to Thanksgiving every year. Sports TV was not what it is now. The game was carried only on radio. Even radio was still in its formative years. No national radio. In other words, those of us east of the Mississippi could not get the game.
LA Times sports correspondent Jim Murray wrote in his column:
"On Thanksgiving morning this year in the Coliseum, a 'Mercy Bowl' benefit game will be played to help San Luis Obispo write off its obligations to the tragedy victims, the children they left behind them, and the survivors.
"My feeling is, it is not only their obligation. It is the obligation of all of us interested in athletics. I can think of no better way to give thanks on that day that we are here and healthy, than to contribute to those who are alone with only memories on that day."
It was the first bowl game that was held for a cause. According to John Madden, it would be a good idea to hold another bowl game for a cause.
If you're interested, check out the article in the link. It provides a more in-depth story. http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/28380542/
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Idiot Announcers
"You don't make that call at that point in the" game, match, etc. Bullshit!! This lament is most often heard from the lips of some washed-up athlete (NOT ath-a-lete, but that's another rant).
If an action is a foul, penalty, ball/strike or other infraction two or three minutes into the game, match, etc. it is the same with two or three minutes or seconds or pitches left in the contest!! Officials, for the most part, are unconcerned with the outcome of the contest. You cannot blame an official for making a call. The player is the one who committed the transgression; not the official. If an act is NOT an infraction after a certain point in the contest, then that fact should be specified in the rules of the sport.
The seemingly offended announcers get their knickers all in a twist because they think that the official is affecting the outcome of the contest. In reality, if the official had NOT made the offending call, the participant would have gained an unfair advantage and unfairly affected the outcome. In most cases, when a call is made, half of the spectators agree and half disagree. The old "damned if you do" conundrum for the men in stripes.
Yes, I am a former official. Baseball. Soccer. Basketball. Football. Softball. Volleyball. Swimming. If you get the reputation of NOT making calls at certain points in the contests, participants will take advantage of you. I never lost any sleep over any call I made. I made the call based on the actions of the participant. Had they not performed a certain action, the call would not have been made. It is pure and basic cause and effect.
As Thelodius Frack Sensomire once said "I assure you that I am NOT the source of the moisture trickling down your lower extremity; It really IS raining!
If an action is a foul, penalty, ball/strike or other infraction two or three minutes into the game, match, etc. it is the same with two or three minutes or seconds or pitches left in the contest!! Officials, for the most part, are unconcerned with the outcome of the contest. You cannot blame an official for making a call. The player is the one who committed the transgression; not the official. If an act is NOT an infraction after a certain point in the contest, then that fact should be specified in the rules of the sport.
The seemingly offended announcers get their knickers all in a twist because they think that the official is affecting the outcome of the contest. In reality, if the official had NOT made the offending call, the participant would have gained an unfair advantage and unfairly affected the outcome. In most cases, when a call is made, half of the spectators agree and half disagree. The old "damned if you do" conundrum for the men in stripes.
Yes, I am a former official. Baseball. Soccer. Basketball. Football. Softball. Volleyball. Swimming. If you get the reputation of NOT making calls at certain points in the contests, participants will take advantage of you. I never lost any sleep over any call I made. I made the call based on the actions of the participant. Had they not performed a certain action, the call would not have been made. It is pure and basic cause and effect.
As Thelodius Frack Sensomire once said "I assure you that I am NOT the source of the moisture trickling down your lower extremity; It really IS raining!
Reverse Discrimination
I acknowledge that the idea for this entry came from my "numba too" son. I had never given the term much thought, other than to dismiss it as an inflammatory term used by race-baiters. A definition and discussion of the term is found in the Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_discrimination I realize Wikipedia for what it is. There are few, if any, controls over the content. However, the article has interesting points and examples. Also interesting is the assertion that the very neutrality of the term is in dispute. Interesting reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Reverse_discrimination
Reverse discrimination: the practice of favouring a historically disadvantaged group at the expense of members of a historically advantaged group.
If we accept this definition, then members of the "historically advantaged group" are also victims of discrimination. In the case of racial discrimination, the advantaged ones are perceived as receivers of advantages based solely on their birth. If we allow this practice, we need to bring back the practice of "sin eating". http://www.logoi.com/notes/sin-eaters.html If not, then we are all guilty of the sins of our fathers. Nothing could be more ridiculous!
Discrimination, in and of itself, is not bad. We all do it on a daily basis. Do we eat a fresh or a day-old doughnut? Do we buy this or that head of lettuce. We observe and discern and make decisions based on distinctions.
How can something be reverse discrimination? Discrimination is discrimination. It matters not whether it is a member of the advantaged or disadvantaged group doing the discriminating.
If you are as the vast majority of people of whom I have asked this question, your answer will be "white". When you mentally picture a "racist", what is the race of the person you see in your mind? See. So very wrong. Racists know no ethnic, racial or national boundaries. All colors. All nationalities. All idiots.
The very fact that person A sees person B as a member of a "historically advantaged group" is discriminatory on the part of person A. They assign specific characteristics to someone because the resemble the members of a group. ALL members of the group do not share ONLY distinct characteristics. All members of the group are not advantaged based solely on their inclusion in the group. Some are; some are not.
A close Air Force buddy of mine laughed at some of my stories of Southern "discrimination". He was from Philadelphia, PA and, prior to enlisting in the Air Force, had never been in the south. On one occasion, we ate Sunday lunch with my grandparents. My grandparents were cordial and friendly. When we prepared to return from Jackson to Biloxi, my grandmother called me aside. She told me that she liked my friend and that he seemed like a nice man and a good friend. But she asked that I not bring him back to eat because he was black. I relayed the story as we drove back to Keesler. He laughed uncontrollably. His feelings were not hurt. He completely understood. He told me that he never would dare to bring me to his parents' house because his father was the biggest racist he had ever seen. The father hated all white people. My buddy had asked his father about the hatred, but the father would not discuss it. All white people were devils who needed to be destroyed. I would have given my life to protect him and he to protect me. Such was our friendship in the service.
Race-baiters can only exist if they keep the pot stirred. No national, state or local movement will result in improved race relations. That is a myth. Relations will only improve as people deal with each other in a one-on-one setting.
As Monfrondo Feirnrein Sapperstoot opined: "I assure you that I am NOT the source of the moisture trickling down your lower extremity; It really IS raining!"
Reverse discrimination: the practice of favouring a historically disadvantaged group at the expense of members of a historically advantaged group.
If we accept this definition, then members of the "historically advantaged group" are also victims of discrimination. In the case of racial discrimination, the advantaged ones are perceived as receivers of advantages based solely on their birth. If we allow this practice, we need to bring back the practice of "sin eating". http://www.logoi.com/notes/sin-eaters.html If not, then we are all guilty of the sins of our fathers. Nothing could be more ridiculous!
Discrimination, in and of itself, is not bad. We all do it on a daily basis. Do we eat a fresh or a day-old doughnut? Do we buy this or that head of lettuce. We observe and discern and make decisions based on distinctions.
How can something be reverse discrimination? Discrimination is discrimination. It matters not whether it is a member of the advantaged or disadvantaged group doing the discriminating.
If you are as the vast majority of people of whom I have asked this question, your answer will be "white". When you mentally picture a "racist", what is the race of the person you see in your mind? See. So very wrong. Racists know no ethnic, racial or national boundaries. All colors. All nationalities. All idiots.
The very fact that person A sees person B as a member of a "historically advantaged group" is discriminatory on the part of person A. They assign specific characteristics to someone because the resemble the members of a group. ALL members of the group do not share ONLY distinct characteristics. All members of the group are not advantaged based solely on their inclusion in the group. Some are; some are not.
A close Air Force buddy of mine laughed at some of my stories of Southern "discrimination". He was from Philadelphia, PA and, prior to enlisting in the Air Force, had never been in the south. On one occasion, we ate Sunday lunch with my grandparents. My grandparents were cordial and friendly. When we prepared to return from Jackson to Biloxi, my grandmother called me aside. She told me that she liked my friend and that he seemed like a nice man and a good friend. But she asked that I not bring him back to eat because he was black. I relayed the story as we drove back to Keesler. He laughed uncontrollably. His feelings were not hurt. He completely understood. He told me that he never would dare to bring me to his parents' house because his father was the biggest racist he had ever seen. The father hated all white people. My buddy had asked his father about the hatred, but the father would not discuss it. All white people were devils who needed to be destroyed. I would have given my life to protect him and he to protect me. Such was our friendship in the service.
Race-baiters can only exist if they keep the pot stirred. No national, state or local movement will result in improved race relations. That is a myth. Relations will only improve as people deal with each other in a one-on-one setting.
As Monfrondo Feirnrein Sapperstoot opined: "I assure you that I am NOT the source of the moisture trickling down your lower extremity; It really IS raining!"
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Don't Mess with Little Old Church Ladies
This has been making the rounds for a while, but it never seems to lose its ability to make one laugh. Some jerk runs into a car full of little old church ladies and then cops an attitude with them. Then...all hell breaks loose!! Check it out: http://www.chumfm.com/MorningShow/bits/march24.swf
Teddy the Terror
Am I the only one who feels as if this guy should die a slow and painful death? The American public is amazing. Chappaquiddick in 1969 seems to mean nothing to them. An intelligent and promising young woman was left to drown while a gutless senator from Massachusetts scurried to cover his tracks.
He also may have been involved in an attempt to cover up a 1991 rape in Florida: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CEFD8103CF934A3575AC0A967958260
"Palm Beach police asserted that Kennedy had obstructed justice by misleading police early in their investigation. When police arrived to investigate, they were told Kennedy and Smith had already left the area. Later investigation of travel records indicated Kennedy probably was still in the mansion at the time." http://www.answers.com/topic/edward-m-ted-kennedy
He also may have been involved in an attempt to cover up a 1991 rape in Florida: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CEFD8103CF934A3575AC0A967958260
"Palm Beach police asserted that Kennedy had obstructed justice by misleading police early in their investigation. When police arrived to investigate, they were told Kennedy and Smith had already left the area. Later investigation of travel records indicated Kennedy probably was still in the mansion at the time." http://www.answers.com/topic/edward-m-ted-kennedy
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