Funny, I write a lot, But…

 

Veteran waiting

A lot of what I write doesn’t make it to these pages.

You can thank your lucky stars about that.

I see stuff on the TV news or read something in a paper, and I think what the hell?

There’s stuff that pisses me off because it’s just wrong, and offends my sense of decency and morality.

Then there’s stuff that is simply factually wrong, mis-worded, misspelled, or spun, in such a convoluted way that I know it’s misleading a large percentage of the population.

First Ammendment

I read about our Veterans begging for medical care and about Illegal immigrants complaining because they don’t get enough free medical care.

I read of people making cases for “rights” that aren’t “rights” but are privileges, then read of those same people claiming “Rights” enumerated in the constitution, aren’t “Rights” at all.

To be clear;

Having a drivers license is a privilege.

Freedom of Speech is a Right.

Being fed because you’re poor or hungry is a humanitarian act, being performed for you by the people who are feeding you because you can’t feed yourself. But you don’t have a “Right” which legally compels someone to feed you.  Worse yet, demanding better cuisine and expecting it of your generous hosts isn’t your “right,” it’s just plain rude.

Israeli leaflets

Your “Right” to practice your religion is exactly that, YOUR RIGHT. My choice NOT to practice your religion or any religion for that matter is just as much my “Right”.

My exercise of my “Right” to free speech in denouncing your practice of your religion, based on your behavior is not hate speech, it’s simply a matter of calling it as I see it.

I think Israel is right and I hope they burn all of Hamas down.  No, not because I particularly agree with all of Israel’s policies. I happen to think that Israel is fighting a stand up fight while Hamas isn’t. Look at this simplistically, Israel tells Hamas when they’re going to bomb or move into an area.

Crying Palesteinan

In the history of warfare has there ever been an Army that says, “We’ll be bombing this area at 15:00, and moving our troops into the area at 16:30.”

Nope, and Hamas sure as hell doesn’t give any warning. So I can’t perceive of Israel as a bully.

I see Israel behaving as honorably as possible, given that they’re fighting a war. I see Hamas as a bunch of childish schoolyard bullies tossing rocks at the athletes from behind bleachers filled with kindergarteners.

Eventually even the best, fair minded, and most honorable athletes get pissed off and go on the hunt.

That’s when Hamas runs to the UN crying and saying Israel is mean. Twintowers

Hey, Israel is just exercising their “Right” to kick some ass.

Contrary to what the Obamas think, Muslims didn’t have a lot to do with building this country. They did apparently have a lot to do with a nasty bit of urban renewal in Manhattan.

Lunchtime

The Puritans, and Irish, English, Italians, Germans, Swedes, Spanish, French, Chinese, Japanese, Africans, Native Americans, (and a whole lot of other determined folks who dreamt of freedom) built this country with blood, sweat, tears, and a fuckload of hard work.

There’s an impact crater in Pennsylvania that bears testament to the gumption, determination, and grit of the descendants of those people. The passengers on flight 93 believed that protecting their fellow citizens was more important than their lives being lost in vain by allowing a plane to be used as a weapon. They did honor to their ancestors and to God only knows how many innocent citizens on the ground.

Flight93memorial

I think about that every single time I hear about the so called “Religion of Peace.” Or hear some assholes like CAIR saying that Muslims are being oppressed because they’re offended by a Christmas decoration.

I grind my teeth every single time I see our sitting President ignore a salute from his Marine escorts.

These kinds of things go through my head all the time and sometimes I wonder if I’ve stepped onto the “CRAZY TRAIN” because so much now days, makes so little sense.

Offtherails

It’s because I wonder if I’m nuts, that I often let blog entries sit and simmer for days or weeks. Sometimes I reread them and think, “Yeah I was wound up when I wrote that.” Then press delete.

Other times I press Publish letting the chips fall as they will.

And sometimes, as I’m doing tonight, I condense the hell out of several posts and what you get is something that’s more akin to stream of consciousness.

No salute

Mind you, this is far more edited than the normally chaotic stream running through my head. I doubt even my computer could keep up with that. I certainly don’t expect you to.

Let me just say this, I’m here even if I’m not writing or tweeting out loud. I’m observing, and thinking, and writing things that maybe, you’ll never read.

I do appreciate the occasional comment or email, because often, I hear from someone that says, “Yeah, I get you. You’re not alone brother.”

Marine

Other times I get a comment or email that tells me I’m off the rails and need to have a drink, and take a deep breath. Rarely, I’ll get a really pissed off email or comment that tells me I’ve hit a nerve, so keep those cards & letters coming.

Good Night,

Sleep well everyone, and remember what Eleanor Roosevelt said;

Marines not sleeping

“The Marines I have 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 Marine Corps!”

 ― Eleanor Roosevelt

I sleep well, embraced by Marines around the world, who are not sleeping.

Wait for the next ride

I’ve been privileged to watch over a few Marines through the night, so they could sleep soundly.

Yeah, I think about stuff like that too…

Night Rain

Maninrain

You don’t appreciate something until it’s gone.

Its been that way around here. I’ve had enough of the endless dry dusty days. This drought is like the party guest that just won’t leave.

There have been some really evil teasers over the past few months, cloudy days, huge thunderheads building against the mountain, lots of noise but not a lot of action.

All we’ve gotten out of it has been humidity followed by more steaminess than we had before.

I can take heat, with low humidity. I can take high humidity like you get in the South, at least you know that rain is coming.

I can’t take the nasty humidity followed by sun followed by more humidity with no breeze. That’s brutal and what the early evenings have been like for the past few days. 

Oppressive heat and humidity permeating what should be a comfortable time of the day. Not quite hot enough to run the air conditioning, but sticky like a Florida summer day without the afternoon thunderstorm.

Maninrain3

Being naked doesn’t help, because you can’t get enough sweat to evaporate to cool. You lay there sweating, wondering if the $$$ you’d spend on the A/C is worth it.

I was sleeping fitfully on the couch. Then about an hour ago I woke to the smell of rain on hot asphalt. It’s not raining a lot, more of a drizzle but it’s being fairly consistent and the temperature has dropped about 10 degrees. 

The rain isn’t hitting on the roof hard enough to make much of a sound, but I can hear it on the leaves and if I listen real hard, I can hear drops hitting the decks.

Maninrain2

I wasn’t naked when I fell asleep on the couch, I’m naked now.

Standing at the sliding door listening  to the rain through the screen I had an overwhelming urge to be naked, feeling the rain on my skin.

Thank goodness the decks are more or less private at this time of night!

For however long this gentle shower lasts, I’m grateful.

I can see myself wrapping up in a sheet then falling asleep listening to the crickets and gentle shower hitting the parched ground.

It’s worth losing a little sleep to enjoy the rain.

Got nothing to say…

LoonyToons

I’ve written and discarded about 4 different blogs today.

It’s one of those days so I’m giving it up.

Lunch!

Then I’m going to watch Loony Toons…

Not CSPAN, the Warner Brothers cartoon.

CSPAN is just flat depressing!

Dang it!

NewImage

You know the best laid plans often go awry.

I’m trying to run my iPad down so I figured I’d run a “crap” movie on netflix. You know something that is on a par with a one check movie. 

Great in theory….

However, the movie is interesting, and distracting! 

So I’m going to run the iPad down, then watch the movie over lunch.

So much for my productivity for the day!

On the other hand at least I’ve gotten laundry, trash, poo patrol, and other chores done.