Oorah!

Alright you people, there is a birthday/anniversary tomorrow you should know about:
On 10 November 1775 the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution to raise 2 divisions of Continental Marines to act as a landing force for the fleet in the War for Independance. A couple of weeks later"a few good men" got together at Tun Tavern and signed on for the job. And, with the exception of a VERY brief period after the War, the Marine Corps has been kicking ass and taking names ever since.

Tomorrow marks the 231st birthday of the USMC, and I'm sure there'll be plenty more as the are one of the last organizations that produce hard people in a soft age, always willing to fight and defend their God, their country and their Corps no matter the cost. Concepts like "quitting", "retreat", "giving up", and "weakness" aren't even in their vocabulary.

I think Eleanor Roosevelt put it best in 1945: "The Marines I've seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marines Corps!"

So everyone raise a glass & sleep well knowing you are protected by the finest fighting force in the world. Now that I've wasted 90 seconds of your lives, CARRY ON! And for those out there in the esteemed readership who have ever worn & served under the EGA: Semper Fidelis, Devil Dogs!

Wave goodbye to our technical prowess

Hello all. It’s been far too long since I’ve dropped by to say hello and ramble incessantly. Err, I mean contribute.
Since there are plenty of mainstream topics to read about on the Net (i.e. who’s having babies where, whose team is doing well in a certain soccer tournament, whose widdle feewings got hurt by a columnist, etc.), I’ll insert a small alternative (and way less newsworthy) topic, mainly to go on the record for predicting something I hope never happens.
Every day there are stories in the news that involve technology. Not as the subject, just a part of the story. Take the recent activities of our pals in Iran. It’s newsworthy because of the ramifications to our world if they do indeed achieve nuclear capabilities (and rightfully so). But what is at the source of this controversy? Technology. As in who has it and who is doing what to advance it for their own gains or for humanity in general.
The world has always been “led” (for lack of a better word) by those who had technical ability on their side. Look at any battle or war before the Industrial Revolution. There were many components to a successful military (lots of troops, smart leaders), but what gave people the edge? Yup. Whether it was a Trojan horse or gunpowder or communications, that’s it. And technology tends to spread. Ancient Rome had more engineering marvels than is easy to comprehend, which made living there seem indeed like Heaven on Earth. And where did many of their advances come from? Do a little reading and you’ll find the impetus to move armies across water did more for bridge technology than just wanting to cross a river to get across town.
So lets fast forward to the 20th century. On the whole, the US was easily the world leader in technological advances. We had the first airplanes, computers, the list goes on. We raced the Soviets to the moon mainly to establish our pre-eminence as THE technological superpower. The Space Race, one could argue, was the biggest physical battleground of the Cold War. So we were doing alright.
Now, present day. There is a very big misconception that we are still the world leader in technology. Enlightened people know that we aren’t, that we compete on a global stage, and lately we’re not very successful. One of the biggest historical areas of hi-tech is aerospace and aeronautics. Advances here have (and probably will continue) to rapidly spread across other technical disciplines. The computer you are reading this on would (in all likelihood) not exist were it not for trying to make computers smaller and reliable for airplanes/spacecraft. Sure it would’ve come along eventually, but certainly not have had the financial resources to get started/advance as quickly as it did.
Where am I going with this? A myriad of reports have been hitting the market that basically say the US is no longer the world leader in this field and has very little hope of even staying in the game. Read this and this and this (an opinion piece but on the right track) and see what the future could hold. I hope we make a rebound; I don’t see it soon.
Consider this: you remember the big port “scandal” a couple of months ago, with having foreign interests control our ports? That story greatly overshadowed a deal that was signed with UAE to fund and build a commercial spaceport. These events happened literally within days of each other. Please note that one of the big supporters is Space Adventures Ltd, which is an AMERICAN company based in Va. The American spirit of building a business is alive and well; what will happen when it is alive and well overseas, being funded by aggressive American businesses? It won’t be tomorrow and I sincerely hope I’m wrong; I think that we are going to have to get used to being mediocre in an arena we can’t afford to slack in.
So maybe it is appropriate I’ve chosen to write this after we showed how plain we can be in the World Cup. Air and space technologies will start to be led by other cultures and people. Things like missiles. And spaceships (China seems to be on the right track). Let’s pray some other folks don’t choose to put things on the tips of those missiles (that they bought in a free market) that make pretty mushroom clouds. I’m trying not to sound like an alarmist, but is it possible that we are at the precipice of a tech downfall?
Sarge

Chocolate baby!

Here we go again. It’s Monday and I’m beat from a weekend of chain-gang style labor in my yard, but it’s a tired with a great sense of satisfaction. There is so much more to do, but it will have to wait.

So I have to say a bit about the New Orleans Mayoral race. Much like the rest of the country, I was shocked that Ray Nagin not only won, but by a fair amount over his opponent. I say shocked because for a while I was placing faith in a place I had no business placing it, in the ability of people to open their eyes and recognize truth. Even with his ‘constituency’ largely still sponging off of other people in other cities, Nagin was able to pull himself up and maintain his grip on the lives of those trying to rebuild the Big Easy.

Just so we’re clear on this: I don’t hate Ray Nagin. I don’t think he’s an evil man. But I do recognize that he’s largely inept when it comes to leading a city; and by that I mean he’s got the blood of thousands on his hands. His mistakes during Katrina put him in the hot seat on the national stage, and allowed him to show his true colors. When pushed, the once successful cable television executive drew himself up and delivered a diatribe that would have cost any white man his political career.

Still unapologetic, he smirks and banters with reporters, the veritable cat that ate the canary. But now he’s had a taste of fame, national fame, and that’s a drug not easily kicked. In other words I expect we’ll all be hearing much more from the newly re-elected mayor of New Orleans.

I also wanted to highlight for you a bit of his outlook on those he chooses to lead. When asked what he would do if the business owners in New Orleans who threatened to move away if he was re-elected made good on their promise, he said this:

"Business people are predators. If the economic opportunities are here, they're going to stay. If not, they're going to leave," he said. "God bless 'em,

Now, isn’t that a great start to another term as mayor? Your city is in rags, few have returned to rebuild, and you begin your term by calling those who’s taxes pay for your private car ‘predators’ and say that you don’t care if businesses leave your city. If this is, in fact, his true outlook, I predict dire times for not just the 9th ward, but the whole of the Crescent City.

I’m just glad I had a chance to see it before he began destroying it.

Tune in and listen...

Today I’m going to keep it light since it should be “Good Life Friday”. This weekend shows promise as I get to do another full day in the yard, clipping, cutting, burning and catching time in my new hammock when I can. Sunday I get to participate in what is arguably the strangest yet most addictive wastes of time invented…golf.

I’m no golfer, but I do enjoy swinging clubs and crushing golf balls off the tee, no matter which direction they go. Whit’s company is having their spring picnic and they do a golf outing before hand, so I’ll be sucking up a blue streak in front of all her piers. What could be better on a Sunday afternoon than embarrassing yourself in front of all your wife’s co-workers.

Ok, back to the good stuff. Today I want to talk classical music. As a child I was exposed by my parents to two types of music that have shaped my life in more ways than I can count. Classical and Jazz. My father is the culprit here, having seen many of the legends of jazz live in concert in Atlanta in the 40’s, he began plying my ears with Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, George Gershwin, Monk, Goodman, Ellington, Coltrane, Herman and so many more that it would be pointless to list them, but you get the point.

In much the same way he exposed me to the great classical (and modern) composers. Bach, Brahms, Mozart, Handel, etc. I always listened to classical while I did my homework because it calmed my ever racing brain and relaxed me into a state of well being that I still find while listening. In time I began looking for more music, expanding my own horizons into more modern orchestral areas. This brought Grofe’, Prokofiev, Copeland, Dvorak, Shostakovich and other hard to spell names….But seriously, by the time I was 11 and choosing an instrument to play in band, these two types of music had shaped me to such an extent that the choice was already made. I began playing the saxophone in 5th grade and play it to this day (though not as much jazz as I’d like). I also picked up the drums, the clarinet, piano, and to this day I fail miserably at the guitar. But I love to play, no matter how bad I am, it always brings me peace.

I can honestly say that music is responsible for my life’s direction, and much of the happiness I’ve known. Being a part of a musical group has allowed me to see places and be a part of events that I otherwise would never have been able to even see on TV.

So today’s Good Life is dedicated to music. I hope that you all are able to find the peace and happiness in music that I find. Below I’m listing a few of my all time favorites, the songs that really take hold of me and don’t let go until the last note fades into ether…

My all time favorite:
Appalachian Spring, by Aaron Copeland. (I like the Leonard Bernstein recording best) This song puts me into a trance like state from which its nearly impossible to wake, but I listen to it constantly and have since my teens. The last three minutes are the most beautiful requiem to a piece of music I’ve ever heard… worthy of tears.

The Planets by Gustav Holst. I love this music because it’s raw, powerful, and narrative. In writing this suite, Holst made movie music before movies really had music. The powerful use of the low brass and strings is a punch in the chin that makes me (nerd I know) crank the volume every time Mars comes up.

Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copeland. I know, I’m stuck on Copeland, but he is my favorite after all. Fanfare is one of those pieces that puts very distinct images into my head. It reminds me of the first time I saw the monument to Iwo Jima in Washington D.C. I was 13 years old, and appropriately in D.C. on a band trip. We were visiting Arlington that day and seeing the Vietnam Wall and other war monuments. I walked off by myself (because that’s what I do) and wandered up upon the statue of those men raising the flag on Mt. Suribachi. I had a mix tape in my walkman that just so happened to have Fanfare on it. Well, it was like something out of a movie. It was dark, the spotlights were shining on the monument, I’m all by me onesee listening to Fanfare for the Common Man, staring at this statue of soldiers hoisting the American Flag together. I think I must have just stared at the thing for over an hour. Up to that point I wasn’t very patriotic, never thought about politics, the military, and precious little about our country’s history. That began to change that night. To this day whenever I hear that piece of music I picture soldiers, doing what they do. If that’s all the song makes me think about, then that’s enough.

Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin. This guy played rock and roll piano before it was invented. This piece is bright lights – big city combined with classical orchestration that reels like a roller coaster. Short, quiet hills followed by big, roaring down-hills with piano and horn runs that leave you dizzy (especially if you play and know how difficult some of them are at speed)

Ode to Joy by Beethoven. This piece is just classic. Pure sound, big and full. We played this at our wedding as we were walking out…it just fit.

Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber. This piece is one of those that stops you in your tracks if you’re moving, and hypnotizes you if you aren’t. I love this piece because it illustrates the power of the human voice to create music unlike any instrument man can create. I had the pleasure of hearing this piece played by a large orchestra (about 67 pieces) many of whom are in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. A church we attended had a musical program in their main sanctuary and had many of its members who played orchestral instruments provide the music. They also had their full choir on hand (about 120 people) For a little background, this is the single largest Presbyterian congregation in the country. The Sanctuary is huge, and acoustically wonderful. We were lucky enough to get seats about 7 rows back from the stage. I was excited to hear this piece live but I had no idea what I was in for. For those of you who are familiar with the work you’ll understand my description. The lights were slightly dimmed and the air was thick and quiet. The conductor raised his baton and ever so slightly nudged it forward and down, so slowly that it probably wasn’t perceptible from more than 15 rows back. With this began what is my favorite thing about live classical music: The violins slowly pulling the first notes of the piece from the strings. For those of you who have never heard this live and close up, it almost sounds like breath. Soft and airy, pure in tone and shuddering just a bit so that it really does resemble a whisper. Multiply that by about 25 and you have the strings playing these first notes. I can’t even describe what the sound did in that church, but it was ethereal. By the end of the piece even the small children in the crowd were dead silent and still. Knowing what his group had accomplished, the conductor held the last note until it simply drained away into silence, and held his baton up for another 10 or 15 seconds after, just to keep the crowd in thrall. It took him lowering his arms, turning towards the crowd and nodding his head for anyone to dare clap and break that silence. After that there was about a 5 minute standing ovation…and that was just the first song.

Ok, well, I’ve written a small novel and haven’t even scratched the surface of the jazz side of my picks, so I’ll leave that for tomorrow. Until then I wish you all happy listening.

Capt.

Burnin' down the house...

Ok, so I found something to comment on in the news today. It’s a local thing but it’s far reaching as far as U.S. politics go, so I’m sure you’ll all know the key players in this one.

From this article in the AJC:

Former Democratic State Representative Wyc Orr (no that’s not an abbreviation, that’s his name) is recommending that Zell Miller be kicked out of the Democratic party on account of his ‘shilling’ for Republicans at present and for the last few years. While I understand his position and truly feel for his pain (can’t you see the tears?) I think he’s missing a great big fat hairy point here, and he’s not alone.

For years now the denizens of the Democratic party have been leaning hard on the helm, steering their party ever left of center, ever farther away from the will and want of hard working Americans. Much like his party, Mr. Orr is sitting at his desk with his hands over his ears, yelling “la la la la la I CAN’T HEAR YOU” with his eyes firmly shut, hoping the voices of reason will just cease altogether…voices like Zell Miller’s.

Having grown up in Georgia I was in what you might call my formative years when Zell was the governor of our fine state, and an ardent Democrat to boot. He was adept at the game, moving here and there on issues, getting the ones he really wanted pushed through whether they were in the people’s best interest or not. He was so good at this he even garnered himself a nick-name: Zig-Zag-Zell. I remember my father listening to him on the news and rolling his eyes, telling me that I needed to go to school and read as much as I could every day so that people like him couldn’t fool me with their lies. Well, I’ve tried to take that message to heart, and apparently so has Zell.

Ever since 911 the country has polarized as never before. While it was fashionable and politically necessary, even the hardest leftists raised their hands and joined in the battle cry to put down this new threat. And then, as expected, they began to peal off a few at a time, looking for ways to further their own agendas by undermining the efforts of those who fought and fight for our freedom and protection. Much to his credit, Zell Miller recognized this and took umbrage…publicly. In 2004 he gave his own party members a tongue lashing at the Republican National Convention that raised the eyebrows of many on both sides. Suddenly in the media at large Zell was no longer the respected elder statesman of the Democratic Party, he was a crotchety old fart, spewing bitter rage and senility.

This surprised no one who understands the left’s tactics when it comes to media manipulation. When you are of use you’re held up on a pillar and showered with praise…when you aren’t of use or *gasp* even dare to speak against them you’re dragged through the mud by any means available. For the last 6 years the Democratic party has made an art out of discrediting its detractors. Any party that can blast a sitting President for liberating a tortured people from a mass murdering dictator while simultaneously white washing their last President’s debouched double term should stick with show biz and leave out the politics, they’d go further.

What Mr. Orr and millions like him might want to try is listening for a while. When one of your own stands in front of your house and tells you its on fire, even if you don’t smell the smoke, you should probably check to make sure before you call him an idiot. If you’re right, then no harm done, but if you’re wrong, and you failed to listen, then you burn…


Burn baby burn….

Well looky here...

Well it’s about time. I can’t remember the last time any arm of the main stream media reported on good news on the front page (well, the headline on the internet page anyway). This morning’s happy surprise was brought to us by none other than the good ‘ole staple of southern liberal living: the AJC (That’s Atlanta Journal and Constitution for those not in Ga.)

This story is close to my heart for many reasons, one of which is that I live just a few miles from the high school that these boys attend. Since the AJC online requires a registration, I’ll copy the important parts…

It was nearly dusk on Florida's San Destin Beach, with red flags warning of rip currents, when a woman approached three Centennial High School seniors and asked them to help her boys get back to shore.

The young men, Kyle DeLapp, Steven Gartner and Hooman Nourparvar, all 17, were playing Frisbee on the beach on the first Saturday in April as part of a spring break trip. They looked out beyond the breaking waves and saw four kids, three boys and a girl ages 9 to 12, according to interviews.
Although they had not planned to swim that day because of the warning flags, the Centennial classmates stepped into the water without a thought to the danger they were walking into. Two of them, DeLapp and Nourparvar, had training in water safety.

As the three teens walked toward the kids in the cold, choppy water, they discovered a steep drop-off just as they reached them. The younger children had begun to scream for help. The older boys realized the rip current was quickly sweeping them all out to sea.

Doesn’t it do your hearts good to know that there is still courage and self sacrifice in teenagers these days? Let’s put the scene together so you can see what I’m seeing:

This is dusk on a beach where people (except three brilliant little kids) are not swimming because of rip tide warnings. I’ve been to Sandestin many times and I know the currents there are nasty. And when the currents are nasty the wind usually is too. So you’ve got a beach with not a lot of people, sketchy lighting and weather, and three high school kids playing frisbee. Why am I pointing this out? Because it illustrates just what happened on that beach. The three boys were asked to help, to put themselves in a very dangerous situation, and did so without thought. There were no bikini clad hotties looking on to pump up their need to perform stupid and dangerous stunts, there were no cameras to record their deeds and make them famous for 15 minutes, it was just one scared mother, asking for help.

Anyone living on this end of the country (and I’m sure in other places as well) who goes to the beach is familiar with the concept of a ‘rip tide’ or current. They get particularly nasty with spring and fall tides in the Gulf and have the ability to sweep hundreds of people five miles out to sea in a matter of minutes. So these boys probably knew what waited for them in that water, but they went anyway.

Sheesh, doesn’t it sound like I’m sycophantically waving my arms here? Maybe I am, but I’ve been in these situations before, several times actually, and I’m just impressed that there are still some kids left in this generation who have the stones to act when called upon.

Maybe there is hope for America’s future yet.

Off we go...

Well, I'm weighing anchor and heading south for the week to attend the hitchin' of some dear friends in Key West.

Pictures and descriptions to follow...


As you were.


Captain.

Listen!....do you smell something?

So today was today, and today was good. Woke up and worked outside, made the back yard a bit more like a yard and a bit less like half an acre of Borneo. Working outside brings me out of my head for a while, lets me smell and see and hear and touch without analyzing everything, and that’s good. Growing up on land with animals, yard work, and quiet woods put a good sense of calm into me that I rely on from time to time when I’m surrounded by cars, people, cell phones, people, computers, oh and people. Sometimes I forget how nice it can be to just shape nature around you. Luckily our yard has quite the mind of its own and has prodigiously found its way into places it shouldn’t be, thus providing me with days and days of communal pruning, chopping and digging.

But not for a while, for there is travel ahead and I must make ready to live my days as a beach bum.

There, all done, I’m ready. Now I just have to pack and I’m off.

Brain not functioning, must sleep. Write more tomorrow.

But, like any good Captain I’ll leave you all with some lovely words to enjoy, some of you may even recognize them.

Take my love, take my land
Take me where I cannot stand
I don't care, I'm still free
You can't take the sky from me
Take me out to the black
Tell them I ain't comin' back
Burn the land and boil the sea
You can't take the sky from me
There's no place I can be
Since I found Serenity
But you can't take the sky from me...

Saturday Night feverless...

Sitting on the couch, being the wild individual I’m want to be whenever Saturday rolls around. Wife is out gallivanting with friends downtown and I’m left to my devices for a few hours. This, unfortunately, is not the clanging sound of an opening jail cell as it is for so many other married men. Nay, tis but the call of the dodo bird, the Tasmanian wolf, and the carrier pigeon. What’s that you say? None of these animals exist anymore on this earth? Quite right. And therefore their collective call is nothing but silence. Pure, sweet, unfettered quiet. Not that Whit brings about chaos and noise when she’s here, but she’s far more active than I and while conscious requires either a stereo or a TV be on at all times. I, on the other hand, tend to seek a quiet corner in which to think when the opportunity presents itself, and tonight is rife with opportunity.

Thus, I’ve been thinking about many things. Surprisingly enough none of them are the newsworthy items one would expect to see me commenting on, so if you’re in my neighborhood of the web looking for topicality, turn back now and save yourself some neurons. I’ve been cleaning out my mental closets in preparation for Key West next week. You see, whenever I take a trip to what I like to call “Home” (not just the Keys, really any place where land meets ocean in a tropical or sub-tropical climate) I like to do so with as little baggage as possible – mentally speaking. I’m of the opinion that our world doesn’t afford us the quiet time necessary to properly process the amount of information we’re bombarded with each day. As such I find it nice to purge my brain of the detritus as often as possible. Anyone who finds themselves unable to cope with things around them should try this from time to time. If it sounds too sketchy to say you sit around in a low lit room with no noise except your own breathing, just do what Asian martial arts masters have been doing since 4000 B.C.: Call it meditation.

Items of interest:

Let’s see, what do I have to tell that anyone would care about.

Nope, sorry, I got nothin’.

Oh, I did see an interesting movie last night on recommendation from one of Whit’s friends. It’s called “Ginger Snaps”. A cute little tail about two sisters, one 15 one 16 in Ontario who are obsessed with death and suicide until the older one is attacked and bitten by a werewolf and begins to change into one herself. Much of the movie is campy, not surprisingly, in the way you would expect a teen aged horror flick would be. But there are things about this movie I found wonderful. While the cast was limited as far as the Hollywood ‘A’ list is concerned (the only actor I recognized was Mimi Rogers, who convincingly played the girls’ clueless mother), the actors did an admirable job of pulling off some scenes that, in many movies, can prove impossible to do convincingly.

One particular example is the high school scene. Unlike most of the films we see these days where everyone in the school is a ‘type’ and each stereotype is duly represented in some sick homage to diversity, this movie shows kids as they are: Awkward, unsophisticated and driven by simple ideas and urges. (If it sounds like I’m insulting high school aged children I’m not, I’m not that far out of high school and I still remember myself at that age.) High school aged kids work on a much different level as adults and as such aren’t given to the well thought out soliloquies delivered by the cast of Dawson’s Creek on a weekly basis. I appreciate it when a writer and director have the forethought to write a 15 year old like a 15 year old. Simple, I know, but rare in most movies.

Another thing I appreciate are the horror scenes. Though the effects budget for this movie probably rivaled the daily sales figures at an all you can eat steak house in Bombay, they made the most of the actor’s ability to be scared by something I could have made in camp when I was ten. Call it trite, but when an actor can suspend their own reality enough to convincingly convey not only terror but the confusion that comes with seeing something like a werewolf for the first time enough to suspend my belief that the paper mache ‘monster’ is actually real, I’m impressed.

All in all, the movie was fun. The ending was a bit weak, but you can’t have everything.

Well, my buddy Ron White is on the television (which is no longer muted) and I feel the urge to eat popcorn and laugh at some really funny stuff, so I bid you all good night.



Capt.

Those ten things...

1. Solitude. Being away from everything human, everything created by humans, no noises that don’t come from nature, no words, just pure blessed silence.

2. Water – Long wide expanses of water. Oceans, lakes, rivers. The sound of water, rushing, waving, lapping at the hull of my boat. The crashing of waves putting me to sleep and waking me in the morning. The gentle swishing sound when I swim. Water goes with solitude…people can’t talk underwater… this is a good thing.

3. Eyes. People sometimes underestimate the power of eye contact. The human eye can say more than words could ever hope to say in one millionth the time. Eyes convey thoughts, feelings, and truth. They are the only single source of two way communication we as humans are afforded.

4. Imagination. The power of the human mind to rise up beyond reality and convention, to surpass what we know in favor of what could be. In imagining we give birth to characters in books, lands and creatures we’ll never see here on earth, and lives we will never live, but may still be a part of if we so choose.

5. Promises kept. From the simplest to the eternal, a promise kept is a sure footing in every situation.

6. Music. I’m of the opinion that music is the original means by which all sentient life on this planet could be controlled. If you ever question the power of music simply take it out of any situation where emotion, especially high emotion is involved. Would movies be half of what they are with no score? Would Jaws have been so terrifying without his requisite two note calling card? Would we all have shed a single tear for ET upon his departure had John Williams not been so skilled in writing for French horn? Never underestimate the power of music, for good or evil. Lucifer himself was the angel of music after-all.

7. Truth. Veritas, 真相,Waarheid, Vérité, Wahrheit, Αλήθεια, Verità, Правда, Verdad.
Whatever word you use, truth is that which cannot be denied, cannot be destroyed, and will always come forth, even over millennia. Truth is the ultimate reality. There is not existence without truth, because truth is fact, truth is what IS. We know that gravity IS because we don’t float away from the planet. Gravity is truth on Earth. Truth is painful, but only as painful as the band-aid being removed. Truth brings healing, forgiveness, and happiness to those who seek peace. Truth also allows us to know evil when we see it, because evil will never tell the truth when it can lie instead.

Here are some examples of truth shedding light on lie:

Al Gore DID NOT invent the internet

Ted Kennedy IS responsible for the death of a young woman

Diversity for the sake of diversity is foolish, and only leads to weakness

I could go on, but this is just not the time or place.

8. Books –The written word is responsible for who we are as humans. Were we all to disappear tomorrow and another life form visit the Earth, were they to understand our written languages they would know us. Our beliefs, our hopes, our dreams, our knowledge. In this time more than any other the power to read and write surpasses the power to kill and heal. In the information age the quick and the dead differentiated by the mind, not the sword.

9. Pets. The idea that we can communicate to other creatures without words and receive ten times the love we give, in many cases without disserving it, should be a lesson to us all.

10. Freedom. I don’t think many of us know what it is to live without freedom, in any way. But I’m fairly sure that were any of us to lose it overnight we’d notice. I love that I can get in my car and drive as far as I wish in any direction I wish without notifying anyone. I love that I can quit my job and sell fruit by the roadside if I so desire, and no one can stop me.


There you have it. I’m punchy today so I’m sure this isn’t as whimsical as it could be, but such is life.

I hereby tag:

Whit
Sarge
Russ
and
Dave D.

Friday...

Hello kiddies, and happy Friday. For the last few days I have been all that is busy and have neglected my beloved readers… Unlike Ted Kennedy, I apologize.

Much has happened and is happening in our world. Let’s all take the time to breath deep the free air and let go of the stress from Monday through Thursday…


There, that’s better.

I really don’t feel like muck-raking today so I’ll just supply you with a few treasured song lyrics and quotes that make me smile. If you have any you like please comment them on over, I love new ones.

“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep
But I have promises to keep
And Miles to Go Before I sleep
And Miles to Go Before I sleep” -Robert Frost

“But the road was long and home was far
So I stopped off at this little cowboy-looking bar
I walked on through the door and she just smiled
In a long pony tail and a pretty white dress
She said hi bull riders do it best
I said oh my God what's your name
My name's Lyle” Lyle Lovett – Give Back My Heart

“Save a baby seal...Club a liberal”


“Save the Wales…for last, they’re great for dessert.”

“We must hang together, or surely we shall hang separately” - Ben Franklin.

“It’s ok to kiss a fool, it’s ok to let a fool kiss you, but never let a kiss fool you”

(This next one explains most liberal academians)

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence, determination and hard work make the difference.” -- Calvin Coolidge


"Knowledge talks, wisdom listens"

And with that I leave you to your weekend. I hope it’s a good one.

As for me, I’ll be attending a friend’s bachelor party tomorrow… I promise to post the mug shots if there are any….


As you were.


Captain.

Landfall again...

Top ‘o’ the morning to one and all, yer Captain has returned. I bring tales of sunshine, salt air, and crustaceans to temp the senses…and pictures to back it all up. If you hear me softly weeping as I recount my adventures this Easter weekend it’s because I’m sitting here at my desk, 300 miles land locked once more.

Friday was fast, I worked half a day and ran home to pack and escape with all speed, trying to avoid the Friday Atlanta rush hour (which I forgot lasts from 7 am to 8 pm on most roads). We were packed and out the door by 2, Millie the pirate dog in tow, ready for a nice weekend with the fam. It took us an hour to get outside Atlanta metro, but once out we averaged about 88 miles an hour straight through. Once in Mt. Pleasant we stopped off at the cigar store by Whit’s dad’s house to acquire the requisite smokables and offerings to the father in law. Many good sticks were purchased.

Then it was on to the homestead to pick up Whit’s father and make for the Isle of Palms with all speed. We met some friends who have recently moved to James Island (lucky buggers) and found a cozy, if not overly touristed eatery called the Banana Cabana. The name was hokey, the atmosphere was part grungy townie, part flabby tourist, but the Yuengling was cold on tap and the food was delicious. For my part I had a fried oyster po’ boy and fries, and of course a couple of ice cold Yuenglings to help wash it down. We sacked out a bit early for our age, but the long day on the road had taken its toll.

Saturday we woke early and showered, then took Millie the pirate dog out to the canal for a morning swim. In the past she would be in the water before we could catch her to put her life jacket on her, but this time she’s got much shorter hair, and the sun wasn’t yet scorching the land, so she was hesitant to jump until she saw a leaf float by. Something in her wily dog brain cannot allow any leaf to float in water unmolested, she’s obliged to dive in and snap it up like a furry little shark. After a few dives and retrievals we dried her off and went inside to greet the parents.
We all agreed that an early lunch would be better than a late breakfast so we headed forthwith to our first destination of the morning, Charlestown Landing. For those who aren’t familiar with the area, Charleston is in fact the second such settlement of that name (minus the American slanging of the word Charlestown). The first is now inside a national park and protected from development. This is probably for the best since they still haven’t found it all. The site is still an active archeological dig, which I find fascinating. Too bad I don’t have an archeology degree and time to waste. The weather was beautiful so we spend just under 2 hours roaming the grounds, looking at the recreated battlements and buildings. There’s even a model of the first ship that brought the first Charles-townies to the area. Built in the early 1970’s it’s now in dry dock, spending its last few months and years rotting away in the weather. They’re building a new model, however, right beside the old one and should be done by year’s end. They’re sticking with the traditional building methods as much as possible, which is great (especially for purists like meself).



After we left the landing we headed for Folly beach, hoping to cash in on some tasty crab legs and surf shop browsing. It became apparent very quickly though that the floodgates had been opened and every yokel from Wilmington to Jacksonville was lined up past the bridge, feet hanging out the window, Dale Earnhardt tank tops billowing in the breeze, creating a 3+ mile traffic jam. We quickly hove to and headed for downtown Charleston, landing at the King Street Grill. I continued my po’boying activities with a shrimp sandwich and waffle fries. Again, good crustacean and cold beer. I was two for two. We walked about after lunch, visiting some old haunts, Half Moon Outfitters, Margaritaville, and the like. We skipped back home to pick up Millie and take her to the beach for some further swimming activates. She wasn’t quite as gung ho as she is with still water, but I think she enjoyed the surf a bit. The sun was heading off west and the wind was cooling so we short shifted our beaching activities in favor of dinner. Our destination for the evening feeding was a small place on the edge of Shem Creek (way back in the middle of nowhere) called The Wreck. We waited a little less than an hour, sitting on the dock, watching the sky go from blue to pink to purple and finally starry black. The sand gnats were already out and feasting, so we slathered all of our exposed skin with the fisherman’s magical liquid of life, otherwise known as Avon Skin So Soft. With the no-see-ums in check we had a lively time just people watching and enjoying the evening by the sea. Dinner came in the form of she crab soup and a combo platter of crustaceans; multiple, fried and domestic. Great shrimp, big plump oysters and sweet scallops lulled me into the friendliest of food comas and set the stage for the rest of the evening spent on the back porch back at the house, enjoying a nice Fuente Fuente Opus X.

Sunday morning we were up and dressed and off to Easter Service at the in-law’s church called Seacoast Church (a non denominational). It was much fun and even had a bit of unexpected excitement. We were sitting in the middle about four rows back, about 20 feet from the stage when over to stage left we saw a commotion. It looked like someone was falling down, and at a closer glance reaching down and I heard a noise that sounded like electricity popping, so I figured a chord had grounded out and was popping and the usher was disconnecting it. How wrong I was. A snake had gotten into the room and was trucking along in front of the lilies that lined the stage. The usher had seen it and quickly grabbed it and removed it. People gasped and oohed and ahhhed and even laughed. The preacher, a good natured and quick witted man, quickly began laughing and shook his head saying “Well, we don’t usually handle those in this church, but at least our ushers are well trained”. This fit the mood perfectly and everyone laughed and refocused on the service. All in all it was wonderful and cheery. After church we again headed downtown to an Easter Brunch at the Magnolia, a fantastic restaurant specializing in Southern Cuisine. Lunch consisted of some of the best blue crab bisque I’ve ever tasted, some braised chicken livers in a caramelized onion and pancetta sauce, and then the coup de gras, a fried softshell crab BLT. Everything was fresh and as tasty as could be. After filling up on all the wonders of the Magnolia I popped over to the Smoker’s Lamp to pick up a couple more sticks for the road. We walked around the pier and enjoyed the day a bit more before heading back to the house to pack and say our goodbyes. We were on the road by 4:30 and back home by 10. I’m still confused about what to eat for lunch as I don’t have any seafood readily available to me and I’ve eaten nothing but crustacean for three days….but I’ll survive.

This little vacation has been a while coming and was all too short, but still much appreciated. For now I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my clumsy synopsis of a beautiful weekend, by mid-week I should be back to my ranting form. For now I’m just going to sit back, close my eyes, and pretend the shrill voices of my co-workers are seagulls, and the air conditioner is the ocean wind.

Here’s to better days, and other days spend dreaming about them…


Captain.

Katie Bar the Door...

So after looking at my previous post I realized that I’ve probably been unhealthily internalizing things for a while now with work being so busy and no respite except sleep, and very little of that.

So tonight I won’t rant. Heck, I won’t even mention anything inflammatory.

Instead I’ll share my good fortune. Tomorrow I leave for a lazy weekend in Charleston. Whit’s dad lives in Mt. Pleasant about 2 miles from the Isle of Palms and I can’t think of a nicer way to spend Easter than waking up, driving down the street to the beach and sitting until I crave beer. That takes care of 9 to 9:15 am.

I’ll just wing it for the rest of the day.

So in lieu of me not being computer handy this weekend (yes I’ll take the laptop, no I probably won’t blog) I’ll just get the weekend post down now and hope my fervently addicted readers don’t go into withdrawal too bad while I’m gone. Both of them.

I’ll let this edition of THE GOOD LIFE center around all things Charlestonian in order to further share my blessing.

Let’s start with Music. Tomorrow night we’ll be meeting some friends (who recently moved to James Island from Boston - good move there) at the Windjammer on Isle of Palms to have some tasty beverages and watch Tishamingo. I’m not too familiar with the band, they have a road-house kind of feel, but that doesn’t even matter. Given the opportunity to go to Folly and listen to live music by the ocean I’d listen to Zamfir fart into his pan flute all night, just no Streisand, a man’s got to have his standards you know.

Now that music is taken care of we can discuss the important things, like food and beer. Since I’ll be feet wet for the majority of my stay I’ll be eating crustaceans, multiple, cold, and domestic. I don’t discriminate either, if it lives in a shell under salt water, boil it, broil it or shuck it, plaster some Tabasco and butter on it and move out of the way…

As for beer, well, one of the nice treats I get for leaving the great state of Georgia is one of my all time fav’s in a green bottle: Yuengling. For some reason ( I think it probably has something to do with me torturing animals when I was very young) Georgia doesn’t sell Yuengling beer. This isn’t special in and of itself except for the fact that every state that borders Ga. sells Yuengling, and cheap too. If you have the means of picking some up I highly recommend it. I have introduced many people to this beer (you have to spread this kind of love) and never have I given one to anyone who didn’t give a double take and end up drinking the stuff all night long (which includes my entire band who managed to rack up an almost $400 bar tab drinking Yuengling at $2.50 a bottle - do the math)

And of course now there’s the obligatory cigar. I have several I’ve been saving for just such an occasion, though I can’t think of one in particular I’d like to smoke. Luckily there is a fantastic tobacconist right down the street from the house down there who is always more than willing to purvey some lovely stogies at fare market value. Heck, if I make it to Charleston (downtown) I can visit an old haunt, the Smoking Lamp, which just happens to be one of the oldest Tobacconists in America. It opened in 1897 and still carries the charm of the old city. Either way, for a few hours of my trip, I will bask in a warm cloud of Nicaraguan or Honduran or Dominican smoke.

Of course I’ll be shooting (pictures) like mad while I’m there, I’ve finally devoted myself to this book thing and if I start now I might be able to get it to a publisher by the time my kids hit puberty. I’ll try to bring some good shots and great memories back to share. In the mean time, find a shady spot, throw on the Buffett, crank up your blenders, and wax beach bum for a spell.

Until I make landfall once more,


Drink like it’s cheap, drive it like you stole it, and eat like it’s free.


Argh.


Captain.

Happy Birthday

Greetz everyone.
Wow, in looking through the news today there was very little "good" news to report. Actually, none on the major news sources. Well, in my usual drifting against the tide i'll share something a bit more "positive": the Space Shuttle program turned 25 today, with the the boldest, balls-iest, gutsiest test flight in history. To have gotten into that thing with it never having been test flown before (the first time a rocket hadn't been flown unmanned first), well, if there were ever 2 guys with a set of brass ones...

Anyway, something non-depressing to share. Interestingly enough, today is also the 45th anniversary of the first human space flight.

Warning...

Conclusions beware: people will be jumping to you soon and often, especially those in politics. For the last week or so I’ve been doing my normal reading, listening, and talking where news and politics are concerned, but mostly reading and listening. In doing so I’ve noticed something that I find increasingly annoying. It’s one of those things that has always been there, just under the surface, unnamed but ever pervasive and malignant.



Some call it ‘jumping to conclusions’ others call it the ‘slippery slope’ argument type. I don’t really call it anything, but I have a few choice words to describe it: Ignorant, fruitless, childish, cowardly.



It’s the latest greatest form of American witch hunt, this phenomenon. Just point something out (fact or fiction, it really doesn’t matter) and scream loud enough and you’ll get the desired reaction, at least for a while. John Stossal wrote a nice column about one form of this witch hunt in today’s Townhall. Let’s explore this and other types:



Junk Science: Ah the new American drug of choice…panic. As Stossal points out, it’s easier to get a government grant if you “discover” some evil doomsday plot that will end us all in a matter of months than if you just find out that ground up tube worm guts make paint stick to walls better. Science in this country, especially medical science, has donned it’s fishnet stockings, layered on the lipstick, and made its way to the corner, selling its findings to the highest (or latest) bidder. It’s no longer enough to make a real contribution to the world by actually making breakthroughs (however big or small) that lead to the truth. Now it’s all about the money, getting published, and becoming famous. Scientists and researchers are content to skip several steps in the method to come to a conclusion that suits the hypothesis as long as the data “points that way”. I can hold a golf club correctly and am strong enough to hit a golf ball 250 yards off the tee. Those two bits of information point to me being a decent golfer…but I’m not. I’ve played golf twice in my life, and let’s just say I’m glad I can ride a bike and run.



And let me offer this up as a side bar. I work with many research scientists in the medical field and they are, for the most part, delightful people. That being said, many of them, the majority of them in fact, are also spoiled brats. They stamp their feet and pout like five year olds when the government doesn’t give them as much money as they think they disserve to do their research. Never mind that there are no currently usable applications for their work. Never mind that they have yet to turn out any usable data. They want their money and they don’t care where it comes from, (i.e. our taxes) they just want it. While I understand the dynamics of the whole research thing, I can’t help but curl my lip when I talk about it, no doubt because of my affection for capitalism. It just rubs me the wrong way when people who don’t necessarily create or provide anything for the economy (except of course the next big scare) whine and pout when someone doesn’t want to hand them free money.



Next time you have a few days to kill, take the time and research where the majority of technological and medical advancement comes from. I’m willing to bet Sarge’s right leg you’ll find that it will come from companies who have research labs, and not government funded, academian farms.



Social Schism: This is where the witch hunts get really sad. In my daily ingestion of worldly information I do a lot of listening, mostly to Neil Boortz, Shawn Hannity, and the news from the radio station where they’re played, as it doesn’t lean left, and therefore doesn’t paint the news a lovely shade of communist red. What I hear quite often are people who love to debate their views, feverishly at times, each trying to win the other over to their viewpoint.



Pardon my jading, but I find this debate technique completely fruitless. More often than not I find that each side is so focused on bending the other’s will that they ignore truth and validity, opting for the most effective words, but not the right ones. This is where the slippery slope argument takes hold and brings along its friends, fallacy, and inductive syllogism. The words are nerdish and Spock like, but what they do to an otherwise cogent argument is devastating.



Sadly enough, it isn’t ignorance of topic or lack of debate skills that lead people to use these broken tools to build their argument, it’s ego. To quote a writer who captured this idea in a set of novels (strangely enough they were science fiction, but with several political and philosophical underpinnings, Jefferson and Hamilton would have loved them), "People are stupid. They will believe anything that they want to be true or fear to be true." So long as ANY evidence exists to support this belief. Think about it for a minute. I’ll bet you can come up with at least three examples of this in a few seconds…



Here’s a good example:



I tell you that the world is warming up. I’ll dub it “Global Warming”. Then I’ll look around me and see who I can blame for this that will help my agenda. Hmmm, I bet I could get more votes from the environmental crowd if I really stick it to the ‘evil’ corporations around the world and make it seem like a PURELY NATURAL PHENOMENON is their fault. I’ll just offer some government funding to a few laboratories and point them in the right direction.



If you did such a thing people would call you a lot of names. The one that would fit best is Al Gore.



Sadder still is the fact that in any given argument, the truth will always win. It might not make the most noise, wear the brightest bowtie, or appeal to the most people, but it will win. Truth is eternal. If you keep telling someone the truth it will eventually break down all the scaffolding upon which their illusions rest, leaving them a barren and empty landscape to gaze at. But standing in the middle of landscape, with nothing to draw their eyes away, they will have no choice but to see the truth.



Well, I think I’ve harped enough on the generalities of the idea, but just so my point doesn’t go foundering in the wake of these steaming piles of pseudo-revelation, here it is:



The moment you feel like you should panic because of something on the news, be it a new disease that will wipe us all out, comet heading for earth, or the evil agenda of the obviously shady political party in control of EVERYTHING except of course the even MORE evil corporations, is the moment you should stop, look around, take a deep breath, and exhale the bullshit.



Too many people in this country scurry around, accomplishing nothing, just waiting for the next explosion.





After a while, it just gets annoying.





That’s all.



As you were.





Captain.

Come pick me up, I've landed...

Well I’m back from the great west having spent a total of 17 hours in another state to capture exactly 24 minutes of film footage. I love business.

COLOSAL TRAVELING POWER

Itty bitty meeting time.

The good was that San Antonio is a lovely city, nice airport, light traffic, got a free upgrade to a gas guzzling SUV at the rental car place. Didn’t see anything touristy, ate at the airport. Nice, uneventful flights (I generally feel better when I’m in control of the airplane, so uneventful is a good thing when I or Sarge aren’t doing the flying)

So now I sit on my couch once more, watching football in my PJ’s (not the vulgar American type football I watch in fall, but the nice English Premier League type I watch in summer. For anyone who gives a crap Liverpool is beating Bolton 1 – nil.

Having become bored with the news I find myself lacking oomph. I’m in need of a muse.

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quite amphetamines.

Until then, whenever then is,


ARGH.

Captain.

Far from here

Well it's another wild Saturday night and I'm here on my couch wondering where the day went, though that in itself is another waste of time. Work has kept me from spouting off about the most recent string of bad decisions made by those whose decisions make the news. Do you ever get the feeling that people who exist in the public eye do their best to put out a great, likeable image, smiling for the cameras and rendering warm and fuzzy soundbites to fill the spoons of the media hungry masses. Then they mess up. They say something stupid, smack someone who pisses them off, run from a cop, wear something that Joan Rivers finds objectionable to one of the many fine awards ceremonies or just simply don't smile and dance for the papparazzi.

Their stock goes south. The feeding frenzy ensues and soon they're no longer the darling they once were, they're walking targets. This is not a bad thing. I personally find it just as gratifying as the next person to see the mighty fall, especially when the mighty are spoiled trust fund babies or vapid, racist politicians. Here's my question:

Do you ever get the feeling that some of these poor, unfortunate souls get addicted to the bad press? Is it that far of a cognitive leap to surmise that once bitten, a celebrity or public figure will then take the bad publicity like a drug and seek to follow the dark path to the 'worst dressed' list or even Oprah's blacklist?

I defer to the psychobabbling brainpans who figured out that attention is attention, good or bad. I don't want to make generalizations, but if you just look at the decision making processes of several of our most revered personalities, it's really hard to believe that ANYONE could be so moronic.

Just thinking. My apologies, won't happen again. Much.

So here I am once again, no real thoughts in my head, sitting on the couch, wondering where the day went.

Oh, wait, thought of something to say.

I like Joss Whedon's writing. I've been watching episodes of the sadly cancelled show "Firefly" lately, as I enjoyed the movie "Serenity" very much.

Joss can be taken as campy and even cheesy sometimes, but man is his dialog great. If I could come up with conversation like that found in any of his shows or movies, I'd either be a writer or really really good with the ladies. As I'm neither I'll just say that I appreciate that there is still someone in Hollywood who knows how to write a great story and I hope he is both successful and eternally unaffected by the poisonous thought processes of the Hollywod elite.

Oop, well now I've done it, that was my last coherent thought.

Palm Sunday is tomorrow and I hope to think better thoughts and be a better person.


I know, never stop dreaming.

Be good people, even if you don't believe in God, it doesn't mean he's not watching.


Captain.

Darwin

For those that don't think Darwin isn't still with us in some capacity...
Read this story & shake your head.

Poor Teddy...

I read a more in-depth article on Ted Turner’s babblings at the award ceremony earlier this week and found a few things I would like to bring to light.



Let me just say that I know he’s known for shooting his mouth off in public while drunk, sober, and every other way he could be, but I honestly think he believes what he says. This is why I feel the need to analyze it a bit today.



Speaking wistfully of the past, Turner said CNN was able to overcome initial fears that it would spread American propaganda around the world. It worked hard not to push a pro-American position "like Fox News does."

I understand that the media is supposed to report the news without bias, no matter what. I get that. The problem I have with the idea that not standing against America is taking a ‘pro-American position” is that without news outlets like Fox News out there, no one will stand up and speak for America and Americans. CNN constantly calls America’s actions and motives into question when it should be stating them. Rather than painting our intentions in a negative light they should be trying to find the truth, not report their version of it. Of course these days that’s asking a lot of the media.



"If you are looking to make friends, they're everywhere," Turner said. "In fact, I can't think of one enemy but [Fox News founder] Rupert Murdoch. One out of 6.5 billion is not too bad." In contrast, Turner said Bush has made enemies around the world. "The damage is going to take years to repair," he said.

Well there you have it. Turner thinks that being President of the United States is about making friends. Bravo. Jimmy Carter thought so too. In order to make ‘friends’ with the other countries of the world he gave away fun things like the Panama Canal, fighter jets, oh, and the lives of several American hostages.

Don’t count me a fan of everything George Bush has done, I follow no man blindly.

That being said, Bush has got the national defense part right. He’s not in that chair to make friends, he’s there to protect America, Americans, and American interests both at home and abroad. The ‘damage’ he speaks of should be repaired on the world’s part, not ours. If we as a country are your enemy it is for one of two reasons. One: you declared it so, or Two: You’ve jumped into bed with murdering religious zealots bent on genocide, mayhem and a world-wide Muslim theocracy. It’s that simple.



All things considered I think it’s probably for the best that Turner has no control over any media outlet. From what I hear he’s still hitting the sauce pretty heavily and given the power he could actually do some damage. At least the people over at CNN might keep their jobs longer for his absence.

Ah well, Ted shouldn’t cry in his scotch for too long, he’s still a billionaire. He could always get his own cable access show…



TED’S WORLD! TED’S WORLD! COMMIE TIME! EXCELLENT!



Cheers folks,



Captian.

Bit 'o' News...

A few things of note worth mentioning today.

The always entertaining Ted Turner used an awards ceremony to shoot his mouth off again, though this time he may have actually been sober for the occasion.

Read the whole article here.

To highlight Ted’s rant; he basically sounded like a bitter old man lamenting the world around him and the mistakes of his youth.

"We can't afford the war in Iraq," Turner said. "This is a big waste of time. "I wish we would say, 'We won and we are going home.' We shouldn't be there. Bombing isn't a way of changing people's minds. You do that with education."

Yes Ted, we should stop shooting at the nice terrorist people and offer to teach them the ways of the western world.

Oh, wait, THAT’S WHY THEY’RE TRYING TO KILL US ALL!

He also took the requisite swipe at Bush, pointing out that he’s got his finger on the nuclear button and he’s an ex-alcoholic. I’d say this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black except ol’ Teddy is still a drunk. It’s no mystery why Time Warner was able to take over CNN and edge the old sot out of the captain’s chair.

I guess I just find it a bit sad when the people who are their own clichés or caricatures become pathetic, wasted shadows of themselves. It’s just not as much fun to laugh at them.


Canada grew some balls today when it refused to have any contact with the new Hamas-run Palistinian government. It would seem that having a right wing government in place is doing Canada some good. The funny thing about this whole Hamas in power thing is that the dweebs in Hamas can’t understand why countries are turning their backs on them. Check out this quote:

"I think the Canadian position is hasty and shows obvious bias," newly installed Palestinian Information Minister Youssef Rizka told The Associated Press in Gaza City. "What we need from the Canadian government is that it ask the Israeli authorities to admit that they are occupying Palestinian land."

Do you see the amazingly one sided thinking involved here? The Hamas and those who follow them (Muslims in general) don’t understand the idea that people are different, they have different beliefs, and don’t expect or tolerate being forced into a backwards way of thinking just because your religion says so. He starts the sentence “What we need from the Canadian government…” Really? Is that what this is all about, what YOU need from Canada and other governments of the world? Well then, why didn’t you just say so. While you’re at it just tell us to wear towels on our heads and make our wives quit their jobs, stay at home, and wear burkhas.

What these douchbags need is a good swift kick in the ass. And from the looks of it it’s on the horizon. I’m glad several governments are standing against them and hope others follow suit. The sooner Hamas is eradicated the better for the people of this planet.

And to wrap up the news blurbs for today we go regional to my neck of the woods and look at one of Georgia’s own making an ass of herself….again. Congressional Crack-Head Cynthia McKinney (Democrat) made news again for hitting a Capitol Police officer today. Apparently she has a nasty habit of not wearing her congressional lapel pin to work and was stopped (again) at the security checkpoint because (go figure) the guard didn’t know she was a congresswoman.

See the whole thing here.

This is the same Cynthia McKinney who came forward with allegations that 911 was planned and carried out by George Bush only days after it happened. She has constant altercations with authorities and has generally been a disgrace to Georgia and every office she’s held. She is an A1 first rate moonbat. She has accepted contributions from known Islamic terrorist front groups and seeks to actively undo this countries defenses at every turn.

Seriously, if you have nothing better to do one day and want to exercise a good, rueful headshake, just google this wacko and read away.

Well kids, that’s all for today, it’s pool day and I’m already late.

Miles to swim before I sleep…

Captain.

Knock knock....who's here?

With all the talk about the illegal immigration bills running through congress I thought I would sidestep the normal rant (it’s been done by everyone and their brother) and propose a solution. Now, I understand that I can be a bit arcane in my thought processes sometimes, but on this one I’m serious. No Thomas Payne style humor here. The solution itself would take a great amount of balls on the part of our government with regards to certain other nations, but at this point the rest of the world already has us on its shit list, so why not go for broke and fix a huge problem while we’re at it.

Here’s the solution: Round up illegal aliens in a somewhat slow but methodical manner (not gestapo style). Interview each one and find their country of origin.

For the sake of argument here we’ll just use Mexico as an example. Mexico has been historically lazy and even a bit casual about guarding its borders. But then again, why keep the people in when letting them leave makes more room and jobs for an already overcrowded and largely impoverished society.

So, for every illegal Mexican alien we find in America we charge Mexico $5000 US dollars as a maintenance fee. This fee will go towards several ends. First we’ll use it to erect a border network of defensible fences and trenches along the U.S. – Mexico border. It will also be a deposit on lawful naturalization of that alien should he or she wish to become a legal citizen.

Should he or she become a citizen we introduce the following:

One: They will pay one year’s back taxes for any time over one day spent working in this country illegally.

Two: They will not be ineligible for welfare, Medicare, or any other government based, tax-payer funded service until those taxes are paid.

Three: Should they ever be convicted of one felony or two misdemeanors under U.S. law they will be stripped of their citizenship and summarily deported back to their country of origin. This deportation shall be paid for using the newly alienized person’s assets.

Four: If you are female and caught in this country illegally you will not be allowed to bear any children until you are legally naturalized. If you have a child (or are already pregnant with one) while you are illegally here you will be deported along with the child (born or not). The child will have to go through the same naturalization process as you in order to become a legal citizen. The one year tax back-payment will be pro-rated to the child’s age. No more automatic citizenship for illegal aliens born on American soil.

Does this sound cruel? Unduly harsh? That’s fine. I would like to know how many of my tax dollars and the tax dollars of every other American citizen have gone to paying for someone who’s not even a citizen of this country to live. I’m fairly sure that the good citizens of Mexico wouldn’t give me one red cent if I were to crash their country and need a doctor or food stamps.

And even if Mexico had a problem with the new way of doing things, it might just get them to pay attention to the illegal immigration issue.

Think about it. With all the illegals from all the countries we are currently harboring; even if none of the countries paid one red cent, we could just delete it from the national debt.

See, it’s a good solution.

Think about it.


Cheers,


Captain.

Wi-Fi crybabies...

Just a short note on something I heard on Boortz this afternoon. They were discussion the act of ‘piggybacking’ someone’s Wi-Fi signal on a computer. Neal felt that it was right that the Illinois government has outlawed it as it is an invasion of privacy.

While I understand his sentiment, I cannot fully agree and here’s why:

A wireless internet signal is a broadcast signal just like radio, television, and anything else with a transmitter that puts out waves that are receivable with the proper equipment. If I’m sitting on my couch, in my house that I’m paying for, that sits on the property I own, and a signal intrudes into my home and is unprotected by encryption or coding, it becomes mine to use. Every wireless transmitter you can buy on the market allows the owner to encrypt the signal so that those without a password cannot access the signal for use. If a person knowingly broadcasts a signal into my home with no way of controlling it (except for locking it) then he or she should have no control of the signal once it is within the borders of my yard.

The FCC regulates signals of every sort and does so because many signals will effect electronic equipment in unforeseen ways.

For instance: I have a wireless computer on my road bike. It transmits a signal from the piece mounted on the front fork to the computer base which is attached to my handlebars. Total space: about a foot and a quarter. Its total broadcast range is only a bit over 2 feet because the FCC says that wireless cycle computers cannot even be able to broadcast over 3 feet. Why? I have no idea except that the signal might interfere with other electronic equipment.

It’s the same thing with air travel. Talk to any pilot and they’ll tell you, the biggest reason for not allowing the electronic devices to be used below 10,000 feet is because the plane is using several forms of navigation and communication instrumentation during that time. And the funny part is that even the FAA doesn’t know what your Ipod or CD player can do to the radar, radio, GPS, and other instruments of that plane, but they know there’s a chance, and that’s all the reason they need to disallow you from using them.

On the Wi-Fi issue my point is this: Instead of letting our government pass yet another series of laws and spend time talking about it (when they might actually be getting some work done), why don’t we the public take a little personal responsibility on ourselves and either encrypt our networks or shut up about your next door neighbor piggybacking your signal.

This is just another example of the whiny few making it easy for the government to step in and assert its influence and authority where it is not needed.

Two lies, no wating...

Patriot: from Late Latin patriota, from Greek patriOtEs,
from patria lineage, from patr-, patEr father

:one who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests


Fascism: from Latin fascis; to bundle

a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition


Ok, since I’ve cleared up the confusion over those two terms, the ‘terms du jour’ for lefties and commies everywhere for our current leadership, let’s take a pointed look at how these two terms are misused by the bleating masses of protesting sheep.

Since I’ve found that a good shot of logic will destroy any leftist argument I’m faced with I just thought I’d take aim at this particular batch of misnomers being spread about lately.

Misnomer #1) The people who stand outside with signs and banners, protesting the war in Iraq, the President, America, Capitalism, etc. call themselves “Patriots” and say that they are the ones acting in the interest of this nation and it’s people.

Why this is wrong: to be a patriot is to support your country, its authority and its interests. By protesting the President, you are standing AGAINST its authority. By protesting the war in Iraq, you are standing AGAINST its interests. Some would say that they stand for a different America; one of pacifist nature and different values. This too is a fallacy. You cannot stand against America as it is while standing for an America that never was and call it patriotism.

However, if you take this stand violently, you can call it sedition.

So, we know now that Democrats, Liberals, Lefties, and commies alike are giving themselves a false name in order to lie to the people of this country. Does it make what they’re doing ok? No. It makes it no more OK than a thief telling the police he stole out of love for the victim.

Misnomer #2) We have a fascist government: Even as a young boy I was always entertained by the incorrect use of this word by the politically disaffected. In the late 70’s it was the punk scene that first slurred the term over crashing drum tracks and power chords, preaching anarchy as a cure all for society. Then we have the alternatrolls of the 90’s, wearing plaid, mumbling over acoustic guitars in coffee houses, spouting similar rhetoric. Now it’s the battle cry of the ultra-liberal, socialist pupa.

Why they’re wrong: This is one of the more glaring inaccuracies in the robotic anti-Bush, anti-America speech we hear day in and day out. First and foremost, let us look at the first tenet of Fascism: that exalts nation and often race above the individual. The last time I checked the republican and libertarian parties were the parties of the individual. They stress individual liberty, responsibility, and freedom. The Dems want more government control, more government programs, less responsibility (ask the ACLU how many home invading thieves, rapists and would be murderers they’ve helped sue the victim because of injury incurred during a crime) and less freedom due to increased government control over every aspect of our lives. As far as exalting one race over another, it’s a weak argument indeed that says that a Presidential cabinet that is the most diverse EVER (republican or democrat) stands by a President or government that exalts any race over any other. The sad truth of the matter is that it’s people like Kanye West and Fiddy Cent who hate black people, not George W. Bush. If you love a people you wish to see them flourish and do better with each successive generation. Listening to albums from West and Cent you’ll quickly get an idea of the future they have in mind for their people. Somewhere in the last forty years or so the American dream has gone from Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness to “Get rich or die trying”.

Next let’s look at “a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation”

This one is easy. Since the election of 2000 the left has sought to undo President Bush in every legal (and I’m sure several illegal) way possible. In the main stream media he’s referred to as “Mr. Bush” instead of the President. Democrats take pot shots at him from every venue possible, the Oscars, movies, TV, you name it, they’re doing it. They have tried their best to make him out as a despotic, all powerful ruler sitting on a lofty perch, drinking oil and actively hating black people. Well, even if he was this evil tyrant bent on destruction and mayhem, he could never be a dictator or autocrat, the foil for any who sought that kind of power in our government was built into our constitution. As for severe economic and social regimentation, we’re out of a recession that came from Bill Clinton’s reign of terror, the markets are up, jobs are up, jobless rates are lower than at any time in history, and any personal freedom that is taken from us by the government is done on the local and state levels by large groups of men and women we are all responsible for electing.

And finally there is “forcible suppression of opposition”. Hmmm, this one should speak for itself, but then again, I guess you’d have to be listening to hear it.

If the United States Government forcibly put down it’s opposition, half of Hollywood’s elite would be behind bars, the streets of several west coast towns would be littered with the bodies of hippies, and Cindy Sheehan would have vanished about two days into her moonbat camping trip, never to be heard from again. The United States puts up with more opposition than any country in the world, allowing it’s own citizens to publicly bad mouth it’s President, it’s officials, it’s policies, and anything else they find grievance with without ANY threat of rebuke. If you want to see forcible suppression of opposition, take a look at the video tapes of over 9000 Kurds being gassed and buried in mass graves in Iraq because they opposed Saddam Hussein.

So there you have it folks, two of the biggest lies the left is using to create the illusion that they give a damn about this nation. Calling leftists “Patriots” is a disservice to the word. Calling our government “Fascist” is a disservice to America.

I’m not saying what we have here is perfect, but it’s better than anywhere else and we should guard it with our lives to make sure it stays that way.

Here endeth the rant.

Capt.

Someone else usually says it better...

After reading The Captain's post about the Frenchies tearing themselves apart, I felt inspired to post the pic below. It's one of the many wonderful Demotivational products available here. I'm a big fan of their work. Enjoy!

Le frogs are in Le touble…

Oh the humanity, the frogs are at it again. Well, this time it’s mostly the tadpoles.

When faced with the thought of actually having to work for a living at a job where, if they don’t perform for whatever reason, they can actually be fired, the youth of France takes action.

What’s that, you say? They unite under a common voice to debate the government leadership about the law and stage peaceful sit ins and non-violent protests? Oui?

No.

They riot. They break. They destroy their own country from the inside out. They show their leaders and the world around them what they’re made of. This new united generation of French youth are making a statement to any who would oppose their will: “We will not tolerate anyone who takes away our free meal ticket”.

For the full effect read this.

The saddest part of this whole thing is that the French government is, well, being French about the whole conflict. They’ve already folded. In this the French government is making another in a long line of statements to the world about what they’re made of. They not only get in bed with any third world despot who will funnel money and goods to them (no matter who gets murdered for it) but they’ll run and hide from any threat, no matter the origin. It makes me wonder what kind of oath if any the French President takes upon entering office. American Presidents take an oath to defend their country. But hey, who am I to compare apples to oranges?

If you have any doubt about the outlook of these young people and whether or not they realize what they’re doing, check out these quotes:

"We're sick of being treated like idiots," said Emilie Spituel, 18, among thousands at the Paris march.

"This is our big chance as a generation, because we're all united. Me alone, I can't do anything, but all of us together are going to achieve our goal," said Ivan Dion, a 17-year-old high-school students at the Paris march.

So let me get this straight: You are being treated like idiots because the employers you work for don’t want to have to put up with your sorry ass if you don’t work for what they pay you? And therefore you riot and destroy your own cities and towns?

Brilliant.

There you have it folks. Look at the wonderful effect unions have on society. We live in a time of unprecedented comfort both in our jobs and home lives. Over the past 100 years governments around the world have adopted laws which protect workers and allow for redress of conflict when needed. But there are those (in this country and others) who think that unions are still a necessary thing, that without them “evil corporations” would surely take advantage of them and turn them all into 19th century bobbin boys.

Like everything else in this world, it comes down to power. The unions and their members know that they can pull strings they shouldn’t even be pulling because of the collective bargaining power unions provide. In short, unions can be bullies and so they are, there is no disconnect, the ideas are not mutually exclusive anymore.

If you ever need a real world lesson on how ‘great’ unions are, just look at the airline industry in America, or the entire country of France. Even more frightening than the unions themselves is what they represent, an idea that most don’t even recognize…mob rule. There’s another word for mob rule:

Democracy.

Pure democracy is NOTHING more than mob rule, mob law. When asked what kind of government the United States operates under you’ll hear one great misconception; that we are a Democracy, not a Republic. So many people don’t even know the difference. Well, if you still need to know then look at what unions do to companies. Want to drive down production and drive up costs? Allow your workers to unionize. Want to plow a well oiled corporation into the ground in 5 years? Let the unions in.

I mean, why not? France did it on a national scale and look at all their success…

Pardon me while I leave my non-union job to go home and laugh my ass off. France disserved this one big time.

Captain.

Attention.

I have to admit I’ve been relatively uninspired to write anything lately and luckily I have AeroSarge to back me up when that happens. This morning, however, I saw a few pictures that started one of those stirrings deep down that eventually makes it’s way up to the brain and becomes a full blown blog piece. It started when I clicked on this link from Bornagainredneck’s site. If you don’t choose to click it right now I’ll just tell you it’s a slideshow of a Native American Marine’s wake. You should follow the link and let the images burn into your brain because this post will mean more if you do.

There, all finished? Good.

Seeing these images reminded me of watching the Extreme Makeover Home Edition where they build a house on a reservation for a family (A Native American man and woman who’s daughter died in Iraq, and their daughter’s little boy and girl). On that particular episode they also built a veteran’s center for the “Code Talkers” and other veterans who fought for this country in past wars. Needless to say it was a very moving bit of television.

With these two examples in mind I feel I have to take issue with a large part of our populous. My issue stems from our treatment of those who fight for us. Until the Korean war we as a country always spoke highly of our soldiers and swelled with pride whenever someone mentioned American military might. Most importantly we as a country mourned the deaths of our warriors with reverence and solemnity befitting the loss. Lately our media (and therefore a large part of the sheep who eat what they offer) use the deaths of soldiers in the field as nothing more than a political tool. To be sure the families mourn and grieve their sons and daughters and hope that no more have to die to complete the mission, but outside of familiar circles there are others with designs on death.

Even though this war has fewer American casualties than any war in history (and let’s face it folks, we’re not even CLOSE to amassing the casualties of other wars) there are many who lick their lips when the body count rises, seeing an opportunity to deepen the divide between the anti war crowd and the rest of America. I won’t rant on this fact, I’ll just call it disgusting and move on.

I would have to call this way of thinking the “Can’t see the trees for the forest” syndrome. People like the Hildabeast, Ted Kennedy, Michael Moore, Susan Sarandon, and Alec Baldwin are probably not happy about death on a personal level. As much as the feuding political parties in this country want to make each other out as demons, heartless and cruel with nothing but evil in mind for all, I imagine that any one of the major players on each side would cry their eyes out when a loved one parishes. In short, they’re human (and that’s me stretching big time calling Ted Kennedy, Michael Moore, and Hildabeast human). It’s easy for them to cry about one person dying. Death is most often a sad thing. Dying young is most certainly always sad. Where these people lose their humanity is when the big picture takes over and the lives become numbers.

I know, you’ve spotted the flaw in my logic: “What about Bush and his warmongers? They are sending these boys and girls over there to die”.

Wrong.

The mission of this war is not for any American soldier to die or even to be wounded in their service. The mission is freedom. Forget the semantic arguments going on day in and day out about WMD’s, Oil, Revenge, whatever. Even if these were the reasons for us being there the by-product would be freedom for the Iraqi people. We send troops to fight for people who can’t fight for themselves. We don’t get money for it, we just do it. We do it knowing that our men and women can and will die while fighting, but we are and have been since our conception a country who will pay the price for freedom. We taught England that lesson twice in 1776 and 1812. We taught Germany in 1917 and 1944. We taught Russia that for the 50 years following WWII. Now that our freedom is more secure than in any time before, we seek to bring that freedom to others.
How dare we. Apparently we’re damned if we do and damned if we don’t.
Politics and semantics aside, I see a larger problem with our attitudes towards those who chose a life of service. We allow things in the name of the first amendment that demean people who die defending us and then turn around and deny others the same free speech by labeling their opinions “Hate Speech”. We ignore the nobility and sacrifice of our soldiers and focus on the politics of the conflict they’re fighting in. We label them “baby killer” and “fascist” without a single thought about them as a person. We take half truth and lies from the media and pass them to others as gospel. We doubt the goodness inherent in the American spirit of freedom, justice, and liberty, instead focusing on the few here and there who pervert it. We’re so hell bent on pushing the limits of every freedom we have that we don’t even stop to think about whether what we’re doing is right. But of course with our new sense of relative morality it doesn’t matter what you do, because you can just change the rules to make it right.

Seeing those Native Americans give honor to a warrior, one who was brave and chose to serve others instead of himself makes me think we should take it all back to zero. We need to focus on goodness, weed out the destructive behaviors we see through social change not government legislation and move forward towards better things.

We’re 230 years old and we still have so much to learn.

SWAT according to Sarge...

Since I haven’t seen any movies lately & spent most of Sunday looking for a leak in my water heater, I’ve been a little devoid of blog material. Okay not really, though I wanted to add my observations and experiences as another angle to Whit’s post regarding SWAT over usage.
To lead off, please remember a central thought, which is my outlook on this issue: SWAT teams ARE being used inappropriately and entirely too often. Plus there are far too many SWAT teams lurking around, waiting for anything to happen.
I wanted to get that out in the open, since I will try and maintain a dissociated, neutral tone throughout most of this, which might lead one to believe I support this nonsense and think a tactical assault to bust some teenagers drinking beer while the parents are away is justified. Nothing is further from the truth. But I do want to offer some explanations as to why I think this has become the problem it has. Not excuses, just the factors that contribute to the current problems with these teams.
If one looks at the history of SWAT, or at least the concept, one can understand why a paramilitary division would be justified in a large city. You cannot train every police officer to effectively handle the rare, dynamic events like a riot, hostage situation, terrorist operation, etc. People who handle those types of things need special training and constant practice to maintain a competitive edge. It should not be a surprise this type of unit was forged in the battleground of LA during the 60's. Where things went wrong, I think, was when even SWAT-type outfits were further subdivided and the powers that be took the approach of “if 60 SWAT cops are good, then 300 should be great”!
My father was a member of one such offshoot. He was one of the first members of ATL’s Tactical Response Team when it was created in the mid 1990’s. Think of it as a SWAT team without the special benefits, no fancy weapons and nowhere near the attitude. Atlanta’s “Red Dog” squad is (sort of) another example (easiest way to explain them is that they are the main anti-drug group). These subgroups fill a large gap, the one between the regular policeman and the elite SWAT. So they have more specialized training (the Red Dogs are good at busting into crack houses, the TAC Team was for riots & widespread civil unrest), but not as much freedom/leeway/whatever. In fact, Dad wore his spiffy TAC uniform to work every night for the years he was on the team and I can count on one hand the number of times they were activated, and they never handled anything of note. But they were there, doing their regular job and only called IF NEEDED. What a concept. Other than riot gear, Dad never was trained on or even saw an assault weapon. And, without the perception of do-what-you-want, there was never a single incident from his Team.
So what makes a cop want to be a SWAT member? If you look at their makeup, you will find a lot of people who have some degree of military service. In fact, I’d be willing to bet you could find a lot of people who wanted to be part of “elite” military units (i.e. SEALs, Rangers) but couldn’t make the cut. They get out, join a police force and the SWAT idea appeals to them. If they are actions junkies, look out: we have another seed for problems.
I think one of the biggest reasons, though, is both sheer number and cool toys. Another anecdote: several years ago I did an intro Scuba class for a group of SWAT police. What blew my mind is that they weren’t even with the City-o-Huntsville; they were from one of the little “suburbs”!!! (may not be the best word since HSV is only 300,000….kind of hard to have ‘burbs at that size). But sure enough, there they were. Drove their tricked out cars LOADED with special equipment and all the trimmings. After talking to them, I got some great insight: starting a SWAT Team got their little city substantial extra money for law enforcement work. They get those funds every year and HAVE TO SPEND THEM. So they buy lots of expensive gear, specialized training, blah blah blah. AND, here the best part: since they can be trained for anti-terror operations and response, they are ALSO eligible for money from Dept. of Homeland Security!!! These days, all you have to do is say something is for terror preparedness and a town basically gets a blank check from Uncle. Maybe I’m exaggerating a little, but not much. Lots of money means lots of other ways for city officials to skim off some cash, get more funds for their projects, so why not get a massive, well-armed team of adrenaline junkies to support YOUR agenda?!?!?!
Here’s why: they have to DO something. The numbers of SWAT officers they have cannot just sit around all day lifting weights (else they couldn’t justify the numbers to watchdogs and auditors and hence couldn’t get as much money), so they have to do something. Can you begin to see why SWAT guys are writing tickets and serving papers? You couple that, with the “we’re untouchable” mentality and you can see why these bullshit incidents are happening. You take some young, masculine aggressive Type-A guy, train him extensively for bad things, equip the hell out of him, and then what? Tell him to go cite some schmuck for jaywalking? This poor dude is primed and just looking for an excuse to put his testosterone and training to use. Unfortunately his superiors give him enough leeway to go overboard and we see things happen.
There isn’t a reason in the world for the increased numbers of bullshit SWAT assaults (and that’s what they are). With the amount of surveillance technology at their fingertips I can’t think of a single reason the wrong house should be stormed or they should bust in and literally scare an old woman to death. If they aren’t disciplined enough as individuals then they have no business wearing a badge. That’s probably why they aren’t doing this in the Military in the first place, since they are very good at screening people out who are there for the wrong reasons. And if some mid-level commander OK’s an OP on a flaky tip from a junkie, then his ass should be canned without wasting time. If these cops can’t control themselves and can justify in their own minds beating down some pot-head who was sitting at home watching TV… then I think they should be busted back down to the bottom of the chain and Patrol on foot, armed with nothing more than a whistle and a can of Mace. They mess up again? Jail time buddy. I’ll leave these thoughts for you folks to digest; a bit long again, and I really hope this crap stops before it gets any further out of hand (the SWAT thing, not you good people reading my ramblings). For that to happen, though, the higher ups would have to admit mistakes and take a stand, and we can’t have that now, can we? How on Earth with they keep getting promoted if they rock the boat?