BRUSHFIRES OF FREEDOM

Viet-Raq

A new "flap du jour" pits Democrats in Congress against President Bush because Bush has been comparing Vietnam to Iraq. Bush has been partially correct, while Congress has been fully incorrect. For example, Senate Buffoon Kerry denied any bloodshed after we pulled out of Iraq, and he thought the "re-education camps" were examples of sound pedagogy. Comparing Iraq to Vietnam, at least in part, is indeed valid, but for reasons not usually stated.

Not "Saving Grace"

This summer, the crime drama Saving Grace has been hyped ceaselessly. The ads suggest that this new program is greater than superb, is beyond excellence, and just might displace all previous great film and television dramas. Part of the hype advertises its star, the Academy Award winning Holly Hunter.

[Continued on Nous American.]

Michael Vick and Abu Ghraib

Michael Vick, big time quarterback in the National Football League, has plea-bargained himself into minor punishment by confessing to interstate trafficking in dog fighting. The evidence suggests much, much more that Vick did, but the prosecutors settled for this plea.

[Continued on The New Enlightenment.]

Thank You

Thank you to those who have called, written, and commented while we have been "off line" tending to illnesses.  Every comment will be responded to soon as will every email.  We have thrown the switch to start the generators, but they will take time to get back up to full speed.  We will get there, however.

We Just Might Be on the Way Back

Cubed and I have not been blogging or updating the website since early in July 2007, except to provide terse health status reports. During all of this time, we have been tangling with the Great Unforeseen, a seldom talked about force in the universe. Cubed has been ill with one surgical and two medical maladies, meriting two hospitalizations. The Great Unforseen took her summer, and--in concert--mine, on quite a ride, quite far away from what we planned and expected. Bobbie Burns nailed it: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft agley."

Cubed is convalescing at last without further setbacks, but she wears out easily and may not get back to writing until more strength and stamina return. She will be getting to the jillions of emails sooner.

We observed a few things over the past few weeks. In one of the follow-up clinic visits, a very ancient lady taking herself by walker to her appointment told Cubed, "I don't mind getting old. I just hate all the things you lose along the way." Amen, brother. The lady turned to a young male, replete with body piercings and the grunge look and told him, "You have no idea what we are talking about. But, you will." The young male looked very taken aback. It is really agonizing to recall just how intolerant we could be when we were so young, so vigorous, and so healthful—and so naïve and ignorant.

A friend of mine had a prostate biopsy session with his urologist. If you are old enough to know how this is done, you will appreciate my friend's remarks: "Not a kiss. Not even a bottle of wine. He didn't even lower the lights." After a similar event this summer, another "Amen, brother."

Anyway, we will be getting back to work, little by little. The aggravations of life have not diminished over the summer. The Great Unforeseen did nothing about them. For example, we asked a health horn tooting, vegetarian mayonnaise food product manufacturer about the Vitamin K content of his grape seed oil based mayo, and his minion responded with the attitude of the Post Office + Motor Vehicles Department, along the line of "look it up for yourself." I sensed real "liability fright" in the non-answer. I did look it up. It took hours and extrapolating, but it makes a difference for someone now living on anticoagulants, along with millions of others. I am contemplating my telling the company my findings, editorialized, of course.

I pulled out an old revolver I inherited from my father, made by Colt. I began looking for ammunition since it is not on the current hit parade of common pistols. I asked several big companies, and all responded with "liability frights." They fearfully declined to answer. Now I have to drive up I-5 for a good piece to a gunsmith and buy his answer after he calibrates. The funny thing is, I think I know the answer, and I think the proper ammunition is easily available, if not commonly carried. What a bother to go through because so many have litigation fears.

We have allowed ourselves to become the Culture of the Intimidated. The god-dammed Muslims intimidate us. The lawyers intimidate us. And the nihilists running around destroying anything good in our culture are intimidating us. We are living defensively instead of living as Americans.

Damn!

Back to the wars!

Still on Stand-By

Family illness continues to occupy our full concerns.  We have thought a lot of articles, but, alas, not a single thought has gotten itself published by itself.  Hopefully, normal convalescence will resume for our loved one shortly.  Until then, she gets all of our attention.