Reflectiong On The Past- 1965

Most of us can remember the mid to late 60's and later, the Vietnam War, anti-war protests, daily body counts, news reports and all the rest. I joined the military in 1965, proud to serve. It didn't take long before I heard people say they wouldn't be caught dead in uniform, spit on, given the finger. I was never at an anti-war rally or protest so I never seen signs of "baby killer", "killer" or the like. But I did see them on the news. It seemed the people were not just against the war, but against the men serving also. And I can tell you I hated it!
I had family serve in WWII and Korea, I knew war was a nasty business, but when called to serve you went, patriotism was what it was.
I wasn't drafted, I volunteered, even that was looked down on. needless to say I didn't like that either!
But I do remember talking to my buddies, with them, discussing the protests, the war, Americans and all that was going on. To a man, I don't recall anyone feeling that the protesters gave a rats butt about us servicemen, but wanted the war stopped to stop killing the Vietnamese. I remember girls breaking up with guys because they were in the service and on and on.
So I can only say I know how I felt seeing this, and most of the people I served with. Yes I said then, and I say now, war is bad. Yet as far as I can see into the future some nut some place will cause them. My point is this: I know how I felt, and I get a severe pucker factor when I see protests, because no matter how it is done, it affects the men and women serving, and I just can't do anything that will give them a feeling of hopelessness of what they are doing, and the feelings of families in all wars past and present who have lost loved ones.
Yes I talk on blogs, even write political reps to end it. But I just can't do anything to hurt our troops.
I believe we all must do what we have to, I thought so then and I believe it now, just as at this point, most of our troops serving have volunteered to serve, and have several times. So I pray for them, and hope they all come home.

The Heavens

This month, the comet McNaught has been seen with the naked eye. Try as I might I didn't get a look at it because of sky conditions and time of day. It can be seen yet from the southern hemisphere. This would be about three I have missed in the last couple of years. I have been known to stop on a deserted stretch of highway, away from lights to scan the heavens. This would be on the way to work. Co-workers have stopped to ask if I had car trouble, and my answer is nope, just looking through binoculars at the heavens. They think I am nuts!
Daily I look at the NASA APOD site for the picture of the day. When I have time I go back and follow the related sites. I guess it is a good break from everyday life that is very nice. Also I like to learn what the brains are discovering all the time, they seem to answer one question and find even more questions. There is so much they have discovered, and so much that needs to be answered yet.
Most people don't realize how much that we use daily that has been improved, new products, energy, medical, you name it, that has come to be because of discoveries in the universe and labs studying the universe. It is long and complicated, but believe me that's the way it is.
I remember as a kid reading "Buck Rogers", space travel, aliens, and other planets. It was like a dream, even to grown-ups. Now we do it! Or at least some of it. The thing of it is, what I know about physics and astronomy could fit on a head of a pin, but what I can speculate about what may be out there and how things work, may turn out to be true in the future, that's how much they don't know and understand. Some of what they know has come from discoveries of amateurs.
Thanks for listening to this, now One final message!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS- END THE WAR

Iraq and Dubbya

Lets sort some things out at the start. Dubbya is a spoiled brat, always has been and always will be. If anyone disagrees with him he pouts, and does dumb shit. You know like riding a bike in front of mothers car slowly, not getting along with his dad, things like that.
Now you have the little twit as prez, and we disagree with him, so he is going to do it his way anyway, phone taps, mail, signings, more troops, you name it!
If he really wanted to make us safer he would have a national initiative to become energy independent and that would dry up funding for the bad guys.
Now we have al-Maliki running Iraq and telling us there are targets off limits, people off limits like al-Sadr, when the boarders with Iran and Syria haven't been sealed to stop the flow of people, arms, ammunition, supplies and money from coming into Iraq. What's up with that?
Now we have the nimrod al-Maliki and the prez saying it will all be better by November of this year. Bull crap! The supposed goal has been to stop the violence and have a democracy, not allow some to do what they want. If the prez thinks al-Maliki has the nuts to do it he had better guess again. He is part of the sectarian problem!
How much do you really hear about alqaeda causing problems there? They try to spin it as such, but has little to do with anything, including world terrorism.
So Georgy, tell us how this is all going to work!

Today

On Monday, I after my usual 65 mile drive, I got inside my place of employment and found out that I was on indefinite layoff, along with a whole list of others. I was telling a fellow that rides with me a short time before, on the ride down that it was coming. Little did I know it would be so soon. I was pissed off because they didn't call Friday and tell me not to report to work on Monday. I don't like getting up at 3:30am and make this drive just because it is fun. But I did expect the place would lay off people so that fact didn't upset me. For those of you who don't know, I make doors, or I should say we. And we all know what the new housing market is like right now.
A friend called last night that works there also and told me that they may be reconsidering the lay off because the orders were not as bad as suspected. That fact just reinforces my belief that these morons are the worst managers I have ever worked under, for more reasons than I can even list here. I just got called back in to work as I write this bye for now!

A Little More on Iraq

I think Al-Maliki may be getting the picture, he wants no sectarianism, and equal punishment for offenders of their laws. I hope he follows through on that thought!
Iraq doesn't belong to the US or Sunnis, Shiia, or Kurds, it is the country of all the people. The people should be standing up to the violence also, not playing the tit-for-tat game. The Mullahs or religious leaders use a malignant view of their religion for political gain. Until the people see that, and get rid of the religious also, they will keep the strife going. The religious leaders have no more control over their followers than the US does over there. They are armed dangerous thugs, with no moral values, and the fact they kill and torture there own people prove that.
Throwing another 9,000 troops into Baghdad won't accomplish anything, just as sending in 12,000 didn't, other than make more targets for the bad guys.
Dubbya wanted Saddam out and now he is, mission accomplished, now get out, the people and rulers can take care of their own problems and rule how they want. To say we are going to put a democratic government in how we want it to be is insane. The people took freedom and look what has happened! Only the thugs are free! The people need to take back their country from all the bad guys including us!

Daughter's New Profession

The following are pics of my daughter's art work. Pottery and paintings.
She has been in 2 art shows and will have her own gallery at school. She plans on teaching art in this area and having an art business on the side.
Proud dad also! Proud of all my kids and their lives.