Hey Trump...Трахни свою мать.

I come from a service family. My great uncle on my Da's side, was army in WWII. My Moms cousin was MSG Roy Benavidez...MoH in Vietnam. My father was WIA in Vietnam at Dak To. My former BIL did Desert Storm and technically 2nd gen 101st (my Da was 101st), my brother was a Marine in Bosnia, my nephew did 2 tours in Iraq this go round. My uncles served in the Air Force, Air Force, and Marines. We just pay back for what our family has been given to us by our country.

Unlike a certain family who think they are american royalty.

I dare any of his followers to call me or mine "losers" or "suckers" in person, to my face. Go ahead, it'll be fun.

I might not win the fight. But you will know you were in one. We will both go to the ER.

If you are a veteran friend of mine and you still after this, still defend the current occupant of the white house...get the fuck off my page. I don't need or want you in my life.

My oath was to the Constitution, not to a flag, not to a song and certainly not to an occupant of the white house.

Some of you might want to remember that.

The current occupant of the white house is a fecking embarrassment, he denigrates those who have died for this country, have served this country and still actively serve this country. What the fuck is wrong with you if you still support him.

The non english opening, yeah go look that up. It's one of my favorite non english phrases I learned in the FRG. That would be the Federal Republic of Germany. Where I served in the Army of my own choice since I come from a service family. I put my ass on the line for nine years. If not for Don't Ask, Don't Tell, I would still be serving my country in my Beloved Army. I'd do it again if I was allowed. And not this fecking old.

Bag Your Own Fucking Groceries

Today Allison and I had to go to the grocery store. We were amazed at some of the stupid and entitled behavior of some people.

Listen up, if my mom could make 4 children behave in the store by herself, then some of y'all can unfuck your selfish behavior.

Standing half in the aisle intersection while chatting with your friend, blocking both the aisle and the traffic lane is fucking selfish.

Squatting down in the middle of the aisle to read the cans and not paying attention to those who are trying to get around you without running over you, is fucking selfish.

Cutting in front of people to get to the red meat like you are the only one who matters, regardless of the fact you seriously cut off an older woman who was there before you even turned your head towards the meat and cutting off Allison who was already in motion is fucking selfish.

And then there's the woman who stuffed two carts worth of stuff into one cart. I ended up calling her the entitled prepper princess. At least she didn't have more than 2 packages of tp. Oh, that's right, the store has a 2 package limit. She had the look. You know the look I'm talking about, you've seen it. You've even pointed the look out to others.

Lines are long, people are worried, stressed and tempers are short. Let's face it, shopping is a pain in the ass on a good day. But...

If you are going to huff and sigh, then maybe, entitled prepper princess, maybe you should help bag your own fucking groceries. Each time the cashier had to look at the little sticker on produce and enter the code on the sticker, epp just had to make a comment or clear her throat and I kid you not, roll her eyes as soon as the cashier looked away from epp. The cashier then bagged several items. Epp would take the bag, walk to the end of the cashier station, you know, where the bagger normally stands and puts the one bag in her cart.

At one point the man in front of us, who has scooted his cart up to his person as he could so that we could put items on the belt, was trying to put the watermelon on the belt, but couldn't quite get it. I asked him if he wanted help, but he looked like he didn't understand. So, I tried in Spanish. He understood and said "yes, thank you."

Epp, who up to this point was ignoring the world around her, suddenly cannot stop staring/glaring at us. I didn't say a word, I just glared back. Each time she came back from what I call the "bag journey" she just had to glare. I had to glare back. I was almost certain that she would say something. I was waiting for it. She settled for glaring. I settled for glaring back. At a certain point I came to feel sorry for her but only because her brain probably can't work in two languages.

She finally left. Her thank you to the cashier was incredibly bored and insincere.

The gentleman in front of us thanked me in for my help.

Do you know what is not selfish?

The lady behind us had left her teenage daughter in the car, and locked the doors. Daughter opened the car door which set off the car alarm. Instead of just rushing off, the lady explained what happened and asked if we minded if she left her cart and things to run out to fob off the car alarm. We said yes, and we kept her place in the line. She returned in less than three minutes. This time her daughter was with her. Her daughter was disappointed that the eggs were sold out. We told her which store might have eggs (the store in question is owned by our neighbors) and where said store is located.

We gave the cashier time to breathe before she got to us.

Allison gave the cashier the heads up that we would help bag the groceries. And we did. We sincerely thanked our cashier and the sad part is that she looked surprised to have someone else help bag and that the thank you was sincere.

We didn't huff or sigh at her. We didn't bitch about her having to look at the sticker to ring up our produce.

Don't be an epp.

When do you say enough?

At what point do you say enough?

At what point do you admit that the person you voted for is not what is best for this country?

At what point do you admit that you made a mistake?

That is what I want to know from my friends. Hell, even from my not so friends.

At what point?

Is it when an electoral college hands the highest office in the US to an absolute idiot who has a history of lining his own pockets at the expense of others, despite the fact that his opponent won the popular vote by 3 million voters?

Question throw out to those "electoral voters". What is the price of your soul? Thirty pieces of silver? What exactly did you receive for your votes, especially for those in the states that were not won by the current occupant of the white house? I'm seriously curious.

I get it, you didn't like her because "she's not likable".  Fuck that excuse. Anyone who pisses off Putin just because she says "NO" to him makes me smile. I trained to kill people like Putin. By the way, just a reminder, we don't bow down to Russian leaders. We bow to no one.

Some of my friends are truck drivers. How's that vote working out for you? I'm laughing at you now because your wallet is suffering. Yes, you knew back then I could be a fucking jerk. I'm still a fucking jerk because you have always said "I'll own my mistakes." Own scoring your goal now.

Some of my friends are farmer families. They voted for a certain someone because "I don't like her". How's that vote going for you? Own scoring your own goal.

Some of my army friends who have gone to war for the last, what 30 years? How the fuck is that vote working out for you? I didn't always like the last guy, but at least he tripled the VA budget so that maybe when you got hit, you might get what is owed to you, but no, you voted for the other guy because "she wasn't nice to us". Scored your own goal, your kids are going next, tell 'em to stay civi street. This guy, well, hope you don't need your government to help you out. Because this guy, it's not going to happen.

The current guy is cuddling up to our enemies, pissing off our allies, making sure that your great grandchildren are going to have to pay off his tax cuts to the uber-rich and generally causing fuckery everywhere and oh by the way insulting those who actually served in uniform and went to war when this country asked. And yet, some of you are still set in your "he's my guy".

Well, at what point, when do you say enough? I really want to know.

Y'all are fodder to him. He will use you, and he will toss you to the side when you are no longer convenient. And y'all think he loves you.

Even worse, your children's blood, when he gets them killed for his money, and the money that benefits HIS children, well too bad. We'll just call that scoring your kid's goal. Hope you can live with that.

When do you say enough? When to you put country over party? When do you believe in the Constitution over convenient lies?

When do recognize that you have been lied to?

I really want to know.

Three years in, it's a Mongolian fucking goatscrew and I'd like to know when you fuckers have had enough.

I've fucking had enough.

How Many Lies?

This is the lie.

Really, some of you actually believe this?

How fucking sad are you? I've never known any mother to be who would "conspire" with a doctor who delivered her child to "execute" the child.

I have never really wanted to be a mom. I'm too terrified that my kid would be just like me. Let's face it, that would be a scary child. Those of you who know me, know what I'm talking about. I'm the kind that would tell my child to let the other kid throw the first punch, and then finish the fucker. I would also teach my child how to finish the fucker. I would also be the kind of parent who teaches her young how to lay down a really good ambush and double tap the enemy. You don't want me being a parent.

That being said, I am sick to death of some of you giving the current occupant of the white house a pass. For every fucking lie, you give him a pass for whatever fucking reason that makes you sleep better at night.

Keep this in mind, if he gets his complete way, at some point you enablers are going to come into his cross hairs. And then, just then you will care. It's fine to you if he and his administration fuck people over, as long as it's not YOU.

Guess what cupcake, at some point you are going to be in his cross hairs. When that happens, if I'm not in prison, I am going to laugh my arse off at you. Do you know why?

Because I'm not a hypocrite. I'm an asshole, but not a hypocrite. You will have earned what you receive. At some point he and his policy is going to touch you, in a bad way, I'm not going to hold your hand, I'm not going to whisper words of sympathy or platitude. I am going to full on laugh and ask you if you've learned anything.

I've had friends who've been pregnant and lost their child in the last week. It's heart wrenching, it's unspeakable pain, it cannot be described. And for this sorry excuse for an oxygen waster to lie about mothers and doctors deciding to "execute" a child I can't even begin to describe my absolute disgust and hatred.  Not just for him, but for those of you in his "party" who would either agree with or if you don't agree with it, but those who 'give him a pass' for it, for those of you who would call it 'party politics'.

God is watching. And some of you who are complicit in his lies by doing nothing, saying nothing...you are going to be so surprised when you try to enter God's Gate.

https://www.facebook.com/JasonGouldMusic/photos/a.1245333735531466/2285677428163753/?type=3&theater

Today I'm not going to be an asshole

I'm not.

I'm going to tell you a story.

And it's remains a life defining moment for me. It's also why I will never look at a Muslim person with suspicion in my heart first.

Imagine it...1991. Saudi Arabia, The Gulf War... with my US Army Reserve unit at a Forward Operating Base off Tap Line Road. My unit was a Civil Affairs unit. Basically this is one of the few units in the military that has multiple mission capability that generally does not involve blowing shit up or actively hunting the enemy. I was on the EPW team. As in Enemy Prisoner of War team aka the bad guys. We were assigned a Muslim Kuwaiti interpreter. I'm sorry it's been years and I don't recall his name. I wish I did.

Now up until then all I really knew about Muslims is that they were from the Middle East and were still really pissed off about the crusades. I was still a marginal Catholic at the time, go figure. I did not trust him. I did not trust anyone who looked like the enemy. (As a side note, I still do not trust Russians who grew up or were adults during the communist regime)

My EPW team was attached to some Ft. Hood MP's so when it was time we moved up (as we later found out it was the night before the morning the ground war kicked off) to an EPW collection point. Let me tell you it was a freaking long drive. We are talking hours. The CP was less than two klicks (kilometers for you non military types) from the Iraqi border. After arrival we set up tents, cots and personal gear. My half of the team lost the coin toss and had to stay up while the other half of the team got to rack out and get some rest. We took in somewhere around 250 prisoners for processing during that time. Part of the team questioned, then sent them to us for holding.

My squad got to sit guard outside of the holding tent. It was a huge fecking tent. The MPs with us were inside. For hours. Until they got word that they had to move out to go outside the wire to collect some of their other MPs who were in a bit of a bind.

That means one of my teammates has to go in the tent and stand over watch. I'm outside with my squad leader, and our interpreter. The Muslim guy. Who I don't trust. Who has been nothing but cooperative and beyond helpful according to everyone who has worked with him. To me, he was a potential enemy.

Then in the middle of night, in a sideways driving rainstorm it hits me in the side of the head, much like that needle like rain beating my ear to death, that we are one team member short. And quite honestly if I ever meet one each Beach, John I will be going to jail for assault. Me using his actual name is a rarity, normally I just call him sleeping beauty. Keep in mind we both continued in the unit for several more years. We never said more than 20 maybe words between us after that night. Mine were always sleeping beauty. He learned to walk away from me.

I pointed out to my squad leader that we were short so he went off to look for said missing team member.

I don't remember how long it took, standing guard outside in blowing wind, sideways driving winter rain with not a word spoken between me and the only other person left. The Muslim. Who I did not trust.

A while later part of the other half of the team filed out from sleeping tents because transports arrived. It was time to move the enemy captured to the rear. My squad leader has still not returned. My missing team mate (I use that term loosely) has not arrived. We have approximately 250 enemy who want to get the fuck out of the tent and back to somewhere warm. Only there are two enemy in the tent who are Republican Guard. I get the shouted order to send ten prisoners down. Our interpreter waits until I give him the head nod. He relays the order for 10 to come out of the tent. Then I hear shouting from inside the tent from my team mate who is being attacked by two RG's who are trying to take his M16. Now I give SGT. Rene Segundo all the credit in the world for following my many weeks earlier instructions as to what to do if an enemy tries to take your weapon if you are guarding him. I advised to step into your sling, tug the weapon to your body, hold on for dear life and shout like a motherfucker. He did.

The EPWs rushed the door of the tent, created a bottleneck and kept me from getting to my team mate. I started shouting instructions at our interpreter who despite my absolute distrust did so (trust me, I remembered how some of the words sounded and checked it out with a couple of other interps at the FOB through some MPs who also did not always trust theirs) and after several tense moments, including pulling an M1911 .45 pistol which really got them moving backwards and clearing the way to SGT Segundo and helping get him out.

This man, this Muslim did not have to do that. He did not have to assist me, asshole that I was in my silence and distrust of him and yet he did. Even though I'm a woman. Even though I could have been considered an infidel, even though I didn't trust him at all. He relayed my words, even as I taunted them with the fact that if a woman were to kill them they would not reach heaven and Allah's reward. Words that to his faith were without a doubt heresy and sacrilege. To this day I remember the expression on his face when I said "tell them I'm a woman Irish devil and I will send them to hell". He told them.

SGT Segundo was removed safely from the tent, the RG's were properly subdued and segregated and I learned a lesson in life. That lesson was a Muslim isn't always who you've been told he or she is.

His only concern after it was over was that SGT Segundo was safe and in good health.

A few weeks later I volunteered to take his family in Kuwait some supplies. We took water, food, basics to them. They didn't even know we were coming. When we arrived they insisted on using the last of what water they thought they had to make us tea and a sweet almond desert.

I also learned that they had lost family to the Iraqi's in the form of execution, torture and 'disappearance'. The expression on his face when he learned who had been murdered, tortured and disappeared made me understand how little I knew.

Because of him, my friend is still alive. I could not have done that alone. Because of him I read the Quran (twice actually). Because of him I asked questions to understand it. And then re read the Bible again (repeatedly).

Because of him and his actions I do understand that no, not every Muslim is a 'terrorist'. Because I spent the day with his family who had next to nothing when they opened the door to us and immediately offered us the last of their water in the tea they insisted on giving us, who did not mind that we were dust covered and smelled pretty bad into their home, I understand what their good book means when it says "welcome strangers as your family".

So, quite honestly if you hate Muslims, even if you've never met one, I feel fucking sorry for you. You are missing out on an extraordinary people.

And tonight I will say an extra prayer for those 49 souls who were massacred while practicing their faith, in their church who had done harm to none.

And for those of you who will ignore the everyday Muslim and only use the extremist Muslim as your example to defend your ignorance, your bias and your bigotry, I used to be you. I grew a fucking brain.  And truly if you can only point out Muslim extremists, without owning Christian extremists, you are a fucking liar and hypocrite. There is no light without dark and no dark without light.

And your excuse for white extremist murderers being "mentally ill" doesn't work if you stand behind "Muslims are killers and terrorists because they worship the wrong god". If you damn one, then you must damn all for their "religious" murders.

If you don't like what I've said, that's on you. I suggest you take a good long look in the fucking mirror and own your hypocrisy. One radicalized Muslim kills y'all lose your fucking minds. A white 'Christian' kills, 'lonewolf insane man'. That's hypocrisy.

لترتاح أرواحكم مع الله

So, for those who obviously don't know how Facebook works.

Your page is your page. You post things you want to post or share on your page. Those posts go into the "news feed" that your friends can see. You can chose to respond or you can keep on scrolling.

I go in to this because today a person who exists on my friends list (don't ask why this person is on my list, suffice to say it's a long story and has to do with respect for others) FB IM'd me yet again with another one of their memes. Now keep in mind that I have asked politely repeatedly that this person not do this. We have polar opposite ideas. Also keep in mind that I do not IM this person except to respond to IMs or for birthday/holiday wishes. I don't go to this person's page and peruse what is going on in life.

Said person has used the 1st Amendment argument when I ask politely (I use the word please) that their meme not be IM'd to me. I don't care what you share with others, just don't include me on your list. I will relay again that the 1st Amendment states that the government will not come get you when you disagree at any level with what they are or are not doing. That's pretty much it.

Said person states that I use a "double standard". Well, actually no I don't. I'm an asshole a lot of time. But, I'm an asshole on MY FB page. I don't post on this person's FB page and have not been an asshole on this person's page. That would be a double standard.

I try very hard not to go playing in someone else's sandbox. I don't always succeed, but I try. I used to be very bad about that, but then about three years ago I put a friend on FB in the uncomfortable position of having to defend themselves because of my words (which truly were poorly chosen and completely wrong). I try very hard not to do that again. I don't always succeed.

If I disagree with someone, I usually tend to shake my head or roll my eyes, then I scroll right along. I don't need to agree with you. I don't need to publicly disagree with you.

If I truly, truly disagree with you I'll put you on block, or unfriend you. Simple. I will also block or unfriend if you enter the "zero talking room" or "holier than thou" zones. Which means if you call others out for things that I know you have done or still do, yep gone and I'll let you know why you are gone.

And then there's the passive/aggressive thing...don't poke the bear and then get all pissy when I get mad at you or call you on it.

If I hurt someone's feeling or piss you off accidentally I'll apologize and mean it. If I poke the bear on purpose I have no business apologizing. I own it when I purposely piss someone off.

And just for the record, to this person, if you say you are going to block or unfriend me, please go right ahead and unass my area of operation. It will not hurt my feelings.


 

*me running around, waving my hands around my head to the sound of the sky falling*

NATIONAL EMERGENCY!!!! NATIONAL EMERGENCY!!!

I say let him have his little national emergency. And take those billions from the defense budget. And when those projects he's taking the money from get killed, y'all can go cry to him and those who enable him. Oh yeah, if you are of the military or military contractor ilk and you support him, you're about the get fecked again. But hey, you've got those thoughts and prayers to keep you warm at night. How's that 10% raise he boasted about going for you? And when it costs money and jobs, I'm going to laugh my arse off. LOUDLY.

Oddly, there is an effective bit of technology that works even better than a wall. And it was suggested by *gasp* a Republican. It can do things that a wall can't tell you.

Look here, look here...

https://www.businessinsider.com/will-hurd-border-security-idea-fiber-optic-cable-instead-of-wall-2019-1

Also, this is something that has been bugging me for quite a while. The current occupant of the white house talking about "our southern culture and heritage".

He's a fucking yankee. He's not even a carpetbagger. He's a fucking yankee. And none of his people fought for the South either.

That's right up there with yankee's flying a confederate flag.

Dear normal everyday Republicans...take back your party. Please. By the way, how are those tax refunds going for you?

Have a wonderful day.

It's been a long time. I've had issues. For the longest time I couldn't get into Blogspot. User error apparently.

So a lot has happened.

And now I'm going to piss a lot of you off. Again. As usual.

Look I'm normally a good person,

I walk my 86 year old's neighbor's dog for her. My neighbor is a *gasp* immigrant. She was a kid during WWII, she recalls living in a train tunnel during the last days of Nazi occupation of Sicily. She also makes the most mouth watering biscotti in the world. She has some interesting stories of WWII. If I can do something for you I will.

At the same time I AM and WILL Be an Asshole when I have to be.

Example of me not being an asshole:
I have neighbors who love to put out their conservative signs. Kewl. I have no issue with that. You know why? Freedom of speech. I have liberal neighbors who put out their liberal signs. Kewl. I have no issue with that. You know why? Freedom of speech. I don't care who you are, what your politics are, you have freedom of speech, but you do not have freedom of consequences of freedom of speech. You say it, you fucking own it. Don't cry when you get busted for it. That last part was a kind of PSA.

Stepping in to pay for a woman's pain meds when she's a couple of dollars short at Walgreen's. She had more important things to think about. I paid because her pain hurt my heart. She was having a serious bad day and did not have one bad word to say to anyone. She smiled at a couple of kids who were in the area while I was waiting on my own meds. I paid for her so that she could get her meds faster. When she offered me the money she had on hand I said in a hard tone that I am sorry for: No, Ma'am. And refused her money, I did however take her two hugs. It was an even trade.


Example of me being an Asshole:
If you happen to post a fake photo and it reaches my page...yeah, I'm going to bust you for it and be an asshole about it, because if I can look it up so can you. Don't try the false narrative with me. It pisses me off. I will call you out. I don't care if you are my dearly departed Da's nephew. You post shite, I will call out your shite. Mainly because my Da did not put up with shite like that. He would have kicked your arse for that shite.

If you are on my friend list and you post a photo of your gas price while extolling the "false narrative" of a tight economy being a made up thing, you might not want to have that Kroger brand in the photo, because I will ask you if the price was before or after your Kroger points. And yeah I will pretend that's a wonderful thing, and also I will notice that everyone who agreed with you got a huge word reply. I got a one word reply. You know what that tells me.

Don't get all holier than thou when a duly elected representative doesn't stand for the current occupant of the white house during the SOTU speech. Some of you of the conservative ilk had no issue with this sort of shite when the former occupant of the white house was given the same treatment by two speakers of house. Basically, shut the fuck up, you have zero fucking talking room. By the way, she has no responsibility to coddle your golden calf or make you feel better about voting for him.

Allison and I went to a concert one night while in Dallas, the Corral Creek Coral was having a concert with the Army Choral and Laura Bush was there as the 'guest'. When everyone else stood up in ovation, we did not. And when the lady in front of us tried to shame us, I asked her, "where was Laura Bush during the AIDs epidemic? Sure she she's doing this now and after her husband lost the white house, but where was SHE when it actually mattered?" I got no answer. I finished with the statement "I exercise my right to not stand." I went to 25 funerals during the AID's epidemic and I didn't ever see Laura Bush at one fucking funeral.The look on the woman's face when I did stand for the Army Choral's call to service melody. That's the part where each service song is played and veterans stand for their song. I just looked at this woman. I think maybe she got it.

To the current occupant of the white house, if you are going to make an argument for "The Wall" and you name a city in Texas, where I grew up and FUCKING live in...you should probably not pick San Antonio to name, which by the way is nofuckingwhere near the fucking border you knob. I mean Jesus, at least pick somewhere closer to sort of make your clueless, fictional movie based case. Does a former VP named Quale not mean anything to you? Is there no one on your staff who has a half a fecking brain? Seriously? And some of you dumb shites believe it? Orps. ..sorry yes some of you dumb shites believe it...sadly some of them are in my family. I gotta own what I gotta own.

I also grew up in El Paso, Where we do have portions of a wall. and tunnels, And ladders owned by coyotes and an airport where people who overstay their visa's fly in. Oh, gee. Whoops.'

Another example of me being an Asshole...my dear conservative friends....Obama vacations...where the fuck is your outrage now? 'cause I'm hearing fucking crickets from you...so now you're okay with wasteful vacation spending? Feck you, I have your names. Just don't.

I am an asshole and I will call out your hypocritical shite just as I call out my own party hypocritical shite. Newsflash about me...I hate people..I'm better with dogs.

and if your tax return is less than...ummmmm we tried to tell you about that.

and about Putin...some of my former army friends now love him...we trained to kill him and those like him..so honestly fuck you. You have embraced the man who we, cold war veteran's practiced to put our arms around his neck and squeeze until he took his last breath. And now some of you love him. If you do love him, take your arse off my page. And out of my life.

Yes, I'm an asshole, but I've earned it. And I don't pretend to be anything else.

So, aren't you glad I'm back?

It's That Easy

I spent two years and three months living in Germany. To be fair, it was technically two years and five months but I did take leave time.

I arrived in Germany in 1985. Forty years after the end of WWII.

Once I became comfortable with my new surroundings, and the closeness of living with my company of MP’s got to be too much for me, I would take a day here and there to go out in the two different towns I lived in (Kitzingen and Bad Kissingen). Sometimes it was in the day time, sometimes it was at night. Just me. Walking around.

Some of the places were okay but didn’t feel like ‘me’, so I’d move on. Some places I liked and I would go back again and again. It’s amazing to make new friends after they see you a few times. Especially the older Germans. The younger Germans didn’t seem to like American soldiers much. I understood it back then, I still understand it.

The older Germans, at least in my experience, as I didn’t walk around like I owned the place, didn’t walk around like I was the one who won WWII, and most importantly didn’t judge them, would actually talk to you, get to know you. And even though I was curious I didn’t ask too many questions.

Funny thing that. When you don’t demand answers with questions sometimes you get answers any way.

One woman in Kitzingen at my favorite café/bakery (I don’t recall the name but it was in the Marketplatz) served serious ass expresso, mean brochen ham and Swiss sandwiches and was the daughter of a Nazi party official. She was fifteen when Hitler came into power. She once told me “we listened because he said what we wanted to hear, what we thought we saw after Versailles”. I asked her why she thought that.

“He said things that were in our hearts and we admired him for it. We did not know, did not want to know after a long time, that he truly meant to do what he did. He promised to make Germans and Germany great, like we once were”. I wrote her words down in my journal after I got back to my barracks.

I remember having to think about her words. I had no idea what she meant by that.

I made friends with the old guy in the toy store. Wooden toys. I did a double take. Little shop about two blocks from the Chinese restaurant and to the left I think if you were facing the restaurant. I used to buy wood Christmas ornaments and send them home. He also made Prussian soldiers for a nice profit, hand painted. He used to talk to them. He was pretty blunt about Hitler. Again from my journal.

“He was not much to look at. You would see him, slight, that ridiculous mustache, but then he would speak. We Germans, we like a man who can speak plainly. He did. He promised us things we wanted. We were angry, we were poor and hungry. Did you know that your soul can get hungry”?

I had no clue what he meant by that last sentence. I was nineteen and twenty when I was in Kitzingen. I was doing good to sort of understand Shakespeare.

When I got to Bad Kissingen I again became a barracks rat until I got comfortable. Sometime after I got comfortable I would take a book and go walking around, or my note book journal. I found a bar (go figure, me finding a bar) that seemed a little higher class than where I normally hung out. I was thirsty and a beer or five sounded good. So I went in.

I found a frosty reception. I was dressed like an American. Older gentlemen (I was twenty and a smidge everyone was older to me) eyeballed me. The conversations stopped or dropped in to low tones. I sat at the bar. The bar maid was thirty fiveish, blonde hair, tired eyes. I remember her telling me that they (said older German men) didn’t like me. I asked why. She said “old Nazi bastards”. Okay, that was an eye opener. She also said something to the effect of “they wear suits now, but not back then”. Even with that reception I went back time and time again. Yes, sometimes I’m an asshole.

The most interesting man I met was a taxi driver. He said (depending on the day/night) that he was fifty-six or fifty-eight. His left hand was missing fingers. And when he moved the little note pad he had fixed to his dash board you could see his runes. He’d driven them into his dashboard. Illegal as hell as I understand it. Waffen SS. Eastern Front. He used to say he was a lucky one. He got frostbite bad enough to lose fingers and get his ass out of Russia.

He was also blunt as hell. I once told him that his runes were illegal. He laughed and asked me “what can they do to me?” Okay, he had me on that one. I mean hell, if he was telling the truth then cops wouldn’t scare a man who survived the Eastern Front.

When he drove during the day I would sometimes find him taking his dinner at the train station. I wasn’t going anywhere but they served Guinness and I was really liking it at that point in my life. He’d drink a few German beers and we’d talk. It must have taken four or five months before he really talked to me. Again my habit of not asking obvious pain in the ass questions allowed him to make his decision to talk to me.

I did ask him one early evening why he joined the Waffen SS. I was expecting a lot of answers but not the one I got. “My brother was one of Rohm’s boys. I had to erase that stain from my family”.

He used to look up to his brother, loved hearing the stories of him beating up “those stupid communists, those unionists, those Jews”.

I rarely asked the hard questions, I wasn’t sure he would answer. Once I did. I asked why did you follow Hitler?

Again a blunt answer. “The bastard said what I wanted to hear. Did I hate Jews? Yes. Did I hate communists? Yes. He made it so that you could say you hated someone. You could go to a rally and say you hated someone. He could stir the hate in you, you let it and when the party came to power you could do what you wanted to someone you hated”.

For a long time after I came back from Germany I wanted to put away what I’d heard from some of these people. It sounds odd, but the people I remember the most aren’t the ones who said ‘we didn’t know’ or ‘we were told what to think’; the one’s I remember the most are these people. Because they were as honest as they allowed themselves. They didn’t really apologize for it and I didn’t ask them too. It wasn’t and still isn’t my place. I wasn’t there.

I am however here. Now.

Watching a man who claims to be presidential material. And I see the same thing in his crowd of supporters that I saw glimpses of 31 years ago.

I see people standing up to this man and his supporters this time. Not enough. But more this time than did in the 1930s and 1940s.

A man who uses the First Amendment to say what he has to say, a man who incites violence on protestors who are also using the First Amendment (even if it’s just a sign or t shirts or silence), a man who professes to make a country “great again”, a man who can wrap a crowd into a frenzy using nationalism, a man who scapegoats anyone he doesn’t like or who questions him. A man who asks those in the crowd to take an oath to him with a raised right hand. A man who makes statements then says he does not recall the statement (even though it’s on video).

A man who says what a segment of the population wants to hear.

During basic training back in 1985 we had a class on brainwashing. It began with my training company entering our class room. We were told that a female Soviet soldier was going to be giving us a class. There was the usual “you will show her respect” statement. Then we were told we were better than Soviet soldiers and when she entered we were to stand up and chant USA. She entered. We chanted.

She spoke. We chanted USA.

She spoke again. In a Midwestern accent and said “It’s that easy”. She then introduced herself as an officer in the US Army.

Think totalitarianism, fascism, a dictatorship can’t happen here? Think again.

I’ve heard for the last 8 years’ people call the President a “socialist dictator”. If he was, y’all would be in jail. Oddly you people are not.

Oddly, for the last 8 years, people have protested the current President without being escorted out, pushed, spit upon, and beaten by the crowd.

One man currently running for President has used his 1^st Amendment right to incite and invite his “followers” to use violence against protesters. Going so far as say he’d like to punch a protester in the face.

Okay, call off your security, call off your Secret Service detail and go ahead and try. Just you and a protester.

I’m sure he appears to be the type of man who “speaks his mind” and that “he says what I’m thinking”.

Yeah, people in 1930’s and 1940’s Germany thought the same thing.

A Most Interesting Day

So, SCOTUS did it. Hmmm. So this is what it feels like to be equal. Kind of a nice feeling.


Now I can legally marry the woman I love. We will have the same protections under the law as everyone else in this country who is married. For those who've had the protection all along, I'm hugely glad you've never had to wonder "what if". What if they don't let me see her. What if they don't acknowledge the power of attorney (some states will tell you it is just a piece of paper and you aren't family). There are a million ifs. It's a relief that we won't have to face those ifs any longer.


What really pisses me off in the last few days is how certain "Christians" are reacting. These so called Christians are giving the real Christians a bad name. SCOTUS did not vote the way THEY wanted and now a few "Christians" are calling for SCOTUS  to be "voted out". Umm, excuse me *raising my hand*. I know I'm not the brightest bulb in the batch, but you can't vote them out and good luck trying to impeach them. Some of these "Christians" can't sing the SCOTUS praises loud or fast enough when the vote goes their way.


And honestly if I hear one more "Allen West 'says this or that'" I'm probably going to throw something. Those of you who just love him should realize that this man while an officer in the Army allegedly allowed and watched his men mistreat (read beat the shit out of) an alleged "insurgent". The "insurgent" was turned in by a confidential informant. When West and his men did not get the answer(s) they wanted from said "insurgent" West pointed his sidearm at the "insurgent" and fired. Apparently it was a "mock" execution. Now, as far as insurgents go, I'm not too concerned about how they get treated as long as there is actually something close to evidence that points to the individual actually BEING an insurgent. In this case, after the "insurgent" reported the incident it turned out that the CI was an area neighbor who had a beef with the "insurgent". Apparently no one thought it was a good idea to vet the CI, hell, no one thought it might be a good idea to put eyeballs on the "insurgent". West was allowed to retire in lieu of prosecution. Yeah, I'm thinking he has zero talking room to judge others. He tends not to say much about that little incident. Find another hero.


I can recall a time in my life that while not being crazy about Republican politicians, at least I could respect them. Sadly, I haven't had cause to respect too many of them lately. Which makes me feel for my conservative and Republican friends. Seriously, take back your party y'all. Don't get me started on Cruz (you know, not in possession of a birth certificate that says born in the USA).


Moving onward to the "persecution of Christians in the United States". Please show me where you are persecuted. You still have your churches and tax exempt status despite seriously blurring the "separation of Church and State" lines. You still get to exercise your freedom of speech even when calling for those different from you to burn in hell, to be stoned to death and to be killed as a matter of course. Being sued for discrimination is not persecution. If you live in a state that includes gay people in anti discrimination laws and you refuse them service because of who they are (your "religion" is not an excuse) you are discriminating and breaking the law. Don't like the law? Contact your local politician. How do you think anti discrimination laws came into effect anyway? Someone got fed up with the bs and contacted a politician and lawyers.


And by the way if you don't want my money, that's fine, I'll find someone else who does want my money. Also, don't whine about it when I publicly tell people. Again it's not persecution. If you get crappy service someplace I bet you tell.


To my Christian friends, please take back your faith from politicians and "religious leaders" who claim to speak for you. I have a lot of Christian friends who might not agree with what a majority of SCOTUS voted for, but they have not been hateful, and for that I am hugely grateful. I can respect and love my friends even when we disagree. I've had to defriend some folks when the "kill the gays" statements come up, but otherwise...


As I've said before, I don't want to destroy the sanctity of marriage. I just want to be able to marry (legally) the woman I love. And being preached to by men who are working on their third marriage after having cheated on wife number 1 with the woman who became number 2, then cheated on 2 with the woman who became wife number 3 kind of makes me wonder at their version of the word sanctity. And really kills any credibility.


In 1967 SCOTUS ruled in Loving vs Virginia for Loving. If you don't know what it said, basically it ruled that persons black and white could legally marry each other. Think about that. And please don't try to tell me "oh that's different". In both cases people who love each other were not allowed to legally marry each other. Certain politicians and "religious" leaders nearly had kittens then as well.


So, lesbians and gay men got married. The world didn't end, God didn't smite man or earth, and that Texas pastor didn't light himself on fire. Oh and for those of you who said if SCOTUS voted in favor of legalizing "gay" marriage you would move to Canada...about that. Canada legalized "gay" marriage years ago. Ireland is in the process of the same. You might want to look up the list and adjust your moving plans accordingly.

Arrogance

Today is 9/11. It should be a day for remembering. And I find, sadly, it is turning into something else.


Patriot Day. Someone please explain to me what murder has to do with patriotism? These people were not patriotic in their deaths. Some of them were not Americans. Some of them were from other countries living and working in this county. They were murdered. The first responders were not being patriotic. They were doing their jobs. Scores of them died doing their jobs.


It bothers me that this day, which should be a day of remembrance is in the process of being hijacked. And yes, I did mean to use that word.


And it is arrogant to use this day to promote something else.


The aftermath of 9/11/2001 did increase "patriotism" in this country. But let's face it, revenge and justice were in there somewhere.


It is arrogance that some people and politicians use this day to further their own ideas of what Christianity is supposed to be and look like. News flash to those who would use this date as an excuse to denigrate and or persecute any other religion...Christians weren't the only ones who died that day. Christians weren't the only ones who entered service in the military (or as contractors) who went and fought and died in the aftermath.


It is arrogance to believe that the attack on this country on that day was any more important than any other terrorist attack in the history of mankind. Don't believe me? Try asking those who lived through thirty years of the 'troubles' in Northern Ireland; a lifetime in Israel or Gaza; in Yemen; in Somalia; pick one.


Do you have any idea how easy it is to brainwash someone? Patriotism in ones country is one of the first and easiest hot buttons to push. Know where I learned that tidbit? The US Army, so no, I'm not talking out of my ass.


Patriot Day.  Let's be honest with it and just call it Self Righteousness Day.

This and That, Things on my Mind.

This and That, things on my mind.
I hate writers block.
I wonder why some moths that I see are pure white, except for the dark eyes thing.
Adults should not be discharging fireworks in an apartment complex in a drought (boy was his wife giving him an earful).
I'm sick of politicians for sale to the highest bidder.
Why exactly do "for profit" corporations get tax payer subsidies? I mean, GM was a loan and they've paid that back. That makes more sense to me.
Is it hockey season yet?
When the "bad guys" say they're going to kick my ass, it only makes me chuckle. I always answer "you can try".
I love watching Allison sleep at nap time.
I've realized that I'm getting older and I'm not sure I like it.
Clowns still creep me out.
If while at work I catch you smoking weed and "it's legal in Colorado" comes out of your mouth I'm really going to be sarcastic. It amuses me and kinda pisses off the "bad guy".
Seeing one of my resident's who is battling cancer walking around the complex to that she can try to stay active warms my heart. She's fighting it hard.
People who claim to be "Christians" but don't act like it, be advised, you are giving real Christians a bad name. Find a real Christian and take notes. Adjust accordingly.
The pitching staff for the Texas Rangers owe the in the seat fans a huge refund.
When driving alone on dark stretch of unfamiliar road don't pick up anyone. Just saying.
I don't actually hate conservatives or Republicans. I do think your party has been hijacked however. It has happened to Democrats too. Life has some funny cycles to it sometimes.
My kingdom such as it is for a nice long vacation.
Wish some stranger a good day on occasion, and mean it. It's contagious.
The new Big Tex is creepy. Seriously creepy.
Is it hockey season yet?
Yes it's hot. Yes it's hot under my ballistic vest. No, I'm not going to complain too much about being hot. I did a walking patrol last winter in -3 degrees f. I'd rather be hot than freeze my butt off.
Making little kids at work smile by acting like a goof is fun.
Getting high fives from the kids at work is cool.
Some folks on assistance are there due to no fault of their own. It's a bitch to get out of. Some people choose to make it a lifestyle, I don't have much respect for them.
I love cloud watching with Allison.




I think that's it for this go 'round. Be safe and good to each other.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is upon us again. Take a moment to consider what this means. It doesn't mean an extra day off, it doesn't mean bbq, it doesn't mean get drunk and act stupid. That is what generally happens, but there is a deeper purpose.

It is meant to pay homage. Homage to those who have died for this country. To respect the memory of those who were killed in uniform.

These are the men and women who gave their lives while in service to this country.

This weekend I will repeat these names. Cpl R. "Ordinary" Smith - 981st MP Co. PFC Corey Winkle - 24th Mech Inf. Desert Storm. Dario Lorenzeti - US Army, Ranger, State Dept. Afghanistan.

These are not just names, nor do they deserve to be forgotten in lieu of a bbq, a beer bash, a free day off.

I think of other names, mostly MP's (since well I'm kinda biased that way) who have died for this country. My last count of MP's killed in the Middle East was 162...but then I stopped counting. It got too hard. I'll take up the count again when my heart doesn't hurt quite as much.

I will work on Memorial Day as I usually have, and say just a prayer for the fallen, because I'm lucky, I went to war and came home. A lot of uniformed men and women have come home in a box, or were buried on foreign land. "there but for the Grace of God, go I".

*Snap to attention. Rendering Final Honors*

 

Some Days I Just Have to Wonder

So, I've had a couple of days to stew on this one. The Speaker of the House said words to the effect of "The President has gotten all he's going to get" in reference to tax revenue increase.

Well, ain't that nice of you to say, Sir. And quite honestly, the Sir is habit, no respect meant at all.

In the first four years in office the President (and please understand that he wasn't my real first choice go to guy, Hillary had my vote, I even considered McCain until he chose Palin and even then I thought he was joking) caved to Republican leadership in reference to taxes, medicare, budget and other social programs (now Republicans say he won't "talk to them", huh, seems enough talking *cough, cough* caving was already done).

Now with the "Sequester" in place certain persons of certain parties (read idiotic 5 year old acting persons, but mostly tea party owned persons) are pointing fingers at the President.

I'm officially calling bullshit. I know *gasp* Roselle used the word bullshit. Get over it.

I'm tired of having certain things I and every working person in this country have worked for and fecking PAID for be held hostage. I'm tired of the fecking boogieman sticking his head out (or rather be forced out by certain politicians). I'm tired of taking table scraps while the so called 1% gets the benefit. I work just as hard or harder than the guy or lady (have to be fair here) who have the MBA, (probably harder since I don't see them walking in the crap weather like I do, I'll get back to that choice in a minute or ten) and honestly I'm tired of fecks who make around 170K a year in DC argue round and round so that things DON'T Goddamn well get done. (Please excuse my language, mom will send me to my room if she ever reads this).

First off, we put two wars over ten years on the country credit card. That bill has come due, children. Because of those two wars (one I have no beef with, we had the evidence. The second we had no evidence so the guy in charge fabricated the evidence just cause someone threatened daddy and quite honestly "cuz he could") the VA budget had to increase by twofold (HOW DARE THEM MILITARY TYPES GET HURT), the Defense Budget went through the fecking roof and I don't know (and apparently neither does the the accounting budget office) how much was actually handed over to the "winning bid contractors", a majority of whom oddly enough had ties to the "War Administration". Apparently "Conflict of interest" had no meaning for those in the cabinet of the then-sitting administration.

Raise your hands if you know one of the first acts of the Obama administration was to actually publish the war budget. During the Bush administration the war budget was hidden behind "National Security". Hell people, if I were President and my dog took a shit on the White House lawn it could be hidden under "National Security".  From that point, pen to paper, ink to fabric the budget skyrocketed. The technical term of what the President did is called transparency.

And then came the bank fiasco, and the auto fiasco, bailouts were handed to banks, while the auto industry had to fight for it. In my humble non-MBA opinion I like Iceland's approach:  jail the fecking cheater bankers who KNEW it was idiotic at best and criminal at worst. But no...again if I were President it would be "How long can I put him/her in solitary for? Really? Only that long?"

Then we have the infamous meeting of the conservative tea party owned Republicans who vowed to make President Obama a "one term President". Not my words boys and girls but an accurate thing; they even apparently put out a memo for those who could not attend.

If you as an elected official do obstruct the due political process of the interests of the American people there should be a serious penalty (both parties honestly). I'm thinking knee capping, but I'm told that's not really productive and kinda illegal.

So back to that whole 1% thing. I guess about 45% of the 1 percent actually work for their money. Them I have no problem with. I'd give them a pass. 2/3 of the remaining 1% have inherited their money and have actually never worked a fecking day in their life. You I have a problem with, as I have a problem with the remaining percentage who have been given a company, driven it into the ground, tossed out "Executive bonuses" while your rank and file are on food stamps (see boogieman generalities..I can do it too just like tea party republicans...wow this is kinda fun, I'll have to find more) and then later to find out the pension fund has been raided but wow you line workers are shit outta luck.

And now 40 minutes later not ten sorry, sometimes I do have to think and not cuss as much, I walk around in the weather as I do my job, just as some people with an MBA choose to sit behind a desk and not get their hair wet, that's all cool. I love what I do as they probably love what they do,  but Mr. Speaker...

If you think we are getting out of this financial boondoggle that yes, you Mr Speaker, no don't turn around and look at the Democrat from Missouri, that YOU helped build, without raising taxes, you are a bigger idiot than I was when I signed my enlistment papers. 'Course I was 18 -- I'm not sure what your excuse for fucking over the country is, except pure selfish cussedness.

Oh and one more thing...gun owners..and yes I am one...NO ONE IS COMING FOR YOUR FUCKING WEAPONS. Jesus, God get a freaking grip. Since the age of 10 I've been hearing about gun control, gun bans and ammo bans...raise your hand if the government ever came for and took your damn "toys". I'm 46 now. I have yet to have Mr Policeman, FBI, ATF, and what ever else alphabet soup weenie come for my gun or yours...hell I was hearing that back when President Carter was running for reelection. I know off topic but it was a burr under my butt.

Darn, I was hoping one more boogieman would come to me and try to scare me...oh wait I remember one....no sorry it was just a possum. dang.




 

Well it's that time again

It's that time where things have gone on and I've heard and read some very interesting comments.

First off, I am heart broken over the Sandy Hook killings.

And now I give you fair warning. I'm probably gonna piss many of you off, some of you will agree with some of what I say, and some of you will probably want to unfriend me. So be it.

People with a will and a desire to kill others will find a way to do so, car, tank, bomb, knife (several of these in gun restrictive Asian countries), poison, take your pick.

I don't know why Ms. Lanza had to have two semi automatic pistols and a Bushmaster Semi Automatic rifle, I didn't know her. She obtained these weapons LEGALLY. I doubt it ever crossed her mind that she needed to defend herself against her son. For those who say she didn't secure her weapons well enough...he lived with her, if they were locked up, how hard would it have been for him to steal the key or find out the combination of a safe, room, locker? How many of you during your growing up years figured out things you weren't "supposed" to know?

The Bushmaster is not an "Assault Rifle", it is a semi automatic rifle patterned after the M-16 Assault Rifle. To qualify as an assualt rifle it would have to be capable of semi AND automatic fire among other things. You might think it's a minor distinction, you would be wrong. If the Bushmaster truly were an "Assault Rifle" the death toll could have been three times as high depending on how much ammunition the shooter carried.

I've said this before, would I, if I had the money legally purchase a semi automatic rifle and ammunition, yes I would, but I would not pretend like so many others do that it is for hunting (Bambi and company do not own or wear kevlar), nor would I buy one because I want a new 'toy'. And yes I've heard these weapons referred to as such by idiots at the gun range. I would buy one because I have no idea what the future holds. It would be for defense only. At least I'm honest about it.

I believe in RESPONSIBLE gun ownership. I do believe that weapons have to be registered, back ground checks should be done even more so than they are now. Is that invasive, maybe but I'd rather you check my back ground than take a chance that I'm unstable. You want to own guns, you should have to pay for safety and shooting classes, you should have to pay for liability insurance, you should have to do both for any family member living in your household who have access to your guns. You should have to have annual background checks and you should have to report any changes in familial status and your ownership status should be accessible to law enforcement.

In Norway (which has highly restrictive gun laws) 69 people were killed. The killer (I refuse to use his name) obtained his weapon legally after trying to obtain one illegally in Prague. He planned for close to 8 years, that's how long it took him to obtain the firearms. Those who want to kill will find a way to kill and some will wait a very long time to do it.

Cops are killed quite often by people who have obtained weapons illegally, I haven't heard much outcry about gun bans when that happens. I hear "oh that's sad".

The number of school districts who still do not have security or their own district police force astounds me. In the wake of Columbine security companies offered their services (yes for a price) to school districts, a majority of the school districts said no. NO ONE wants armed security/police in their schools at any level, unfortunately we live in a society where people who want to do harm will find a way to do harm. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have a trained and licensed professional with a weapon protecting my family when I cannot.

We live in a society where it is easier to scream "ban the guns" than it is to tackle the problem of mental health issues. A majority of the mass shootings have involved probable mental health issues of the shooters.

I've heard and read comments to the effect of "why are they letting crazy people have guns", ok for those who don't know it, mental health issues are not always readily obvious. You can't look at the general person and instantly know that they have a problem.

This country has an absolutely dismal record when dealing with mental health issues. From medical types who would rather over medicate than actually take the time to diagnose, insurance companies who don't even want to cover these issues and or restrict the level of care, the shutting down of services that might actually be able to help and the shuffling off of these people into the hands of the legal entities. Take a look an any prison system in this country and guess how many of those beind bars have mental health issues prior to incarceration.

We don't want to deal with it, why? Oh, it's not society's problem, why do I have to pay to fix someone else's efed up kid? It's the parent's fault. It's all those tv programs. Bull shit. Let's face ugly facts some people are born mentally broken (no matter what the reason) and yes as a society we do have a responsibility to help because at some point in time there will probably be someone in your family who has a mental health issue.

I am going to say this and probably piss some people off. Until the law of the land changes get your mitts away from my right to my LEGALLY obtained firearms. I do understand your stance, please believe me, and I respect it. But respect my right as a highly RESPONSIBLE gun owner. And yes I'm about to piss off the idiot gun owners. Get your shit right, firearms are not toys and quit acting like they are. You don't need fifteen hundred rounds for a weekend in the woods, you don't need a silencer for your Uzi.

Onward. Those crying out that Sandy Hook and any other shooting is the WILL of GOD for what ever SIN you think has been committed by society. I hope that when you get to God's Gate, you find a serious wake up call and the express elevator to hell. Somehow I doubt God is rejoicing at the sight of 26 innocent souls arriving at His gate. Take your self serving opinions somewhere else. How would you feel if it was your family member? Somehow I doubt you'd be saying what you are saying now. Last I checked Judgement was God's job, not yours.

Benghazi...still? Those of you screaming for "the truth, for justice" where were you during the first ten years of the war when 53 (I posted 43 on a fb post earlier and I was wrong) embassy and state department personnel were killed in attacks? Where were you when the State department last year asked for a larger budget for security of embassies, consulates and safe houses? Oh, yeah a Republican controlled congress (I'd call out the Democrats if they'd controlled the congress on that vote too so don't get your shorts in a wad) basically said, "Nope, you've got what you got".

So you believe the CIA when they testified that what they told Rice was not what she stated. Uh huh, this is the same organization who first denied involvement in the Bay of Pigs, who first denied that Iran/Contra existed, didn't believe the mainstream Afghan rebels fighting the Soviets when they said "you might not want to give bin Laden weapons and money", who allegedly gave intel supporting the existence of WMDs, didn't pay attention when bin Laden's people were in the US at flying schools despite international red flags, tried to quash one CIA agent's hunt for bin Laden, you probably don't believe the CIA would ever lie to cover their asses either.

Was I there? Do I know what was said at the beginning of the attack? No I don't, but then again most of those doing the current screaming weren't there either. If you are going to call out one  administration call em all out. Believe me I do a lot of calling bs on the current administration, not nearly as much as the last one, but hey, at least I'm paying attention and not playing favorites.

Ok, I think I've pissed off enough people before going to bed. I could piss off more, but I'm tired now.



 

I have a new job

I have a new job. Armed security. Basically I've gone back to my roots.

I left my last job (I transferred from security to another department) as my boss and I had what I call cultural differences - his attitude is that American workers are lazy unless ridden herd on - and after dealing with what I call his pissing me off constantly (I did what he told me to, then he would ask why I did it). I quit with no notice. Not my usual style, but hey I would go home at the end of my day thinking about Claymore Mines and where I could hide what was left of him. Not a good thing on my part.

So with Allison's go ahead I quit. We spent the money on my commisioning classes (so that I could do armed security) and actually found a job all in about 4 months.

My new job is in Mesquite, TX and I work at an apartment complex that deals mainly with section 8 housing. It's an interesting place and the people definately keep me amused and on my toes.

We have the local drug dealer who used to like hanging on the corner - he's not there much anymore, seems that he's alergic to being arrested every other week. He's also not hanging out with the apartment on the dark back end of the complex since the management put lights on the porches. He doesn't like the exposure. I'm told teenages used to like coming through to cause trouble, break windows on cars, buy drugs and scare people. When I started 3 weeks ago there were loads of these 'kids' cutting through. Not so much any more.

My first few days/nights I was on the receiving end of the usal stares and standoffish curiosity. I let it lay, let them get used to seeing me and definately let them see me patroling, writing things down in my little book of everything and eyeballing the corners where the bad guys like to hang out. One of my first nights three guys were hanging out in the playground section thought they were going to try to initmidate me "what you staring at?" over and over again. I just grinned at them and continued staring. They left very soon after that.

Now three weeks in I get waves from most of the residents, I'm called Rose by most of the grandmothers who live there...I had one grandma brace her visiting 'thug' looking grandson for giving me the evil eyeball (he's actually a very intelligent kid who really needs to get a better class of friends), one of the ladies who lives here calls out a 'Hi, Rose' when she drives by.

How'd this happen? I talk to the people I see, I explain who I am and why I am there. You'd be amazed at how many times I hear 'aren't you scared?', I answer honestly - sometimes yes, sometimes no - and seeing the look in their eyes when I say 'I'm here to protect you and the complex'. One man asked me why. My answer was honest 'because you deserve it'.

See, I don't care that they are section 8. I know from talking to them that most would love to be elsewhere. One lady after a year and a half of searching for a good job, just finished her training to drive the handibus for the rapid transit system. Three weeks ago I watched her walk to and from wherever she was going and she had that defeated stance, two nights ago I watched her walk with her head held high. I took a report from a woman whose husband died less than a year ago and now she's here. She works 10 hours a day then comes home to her two children and takes care of them. She's tired most of the time. I also don't buy into the scarey stories and stereotypes you hear about the people in section 8 housing. Not all of them are scamimg the system, drug dealers or takers (yes I know they're out there, and yes I've eyeballed a few of them here) and not all of them are lazy. I have one apartment shared by four men from a Latin American country, which one I haven't figured out yet, who get up at 4 am, are out the door by 445 with all their construction gear (right now they work road projects) and are gone by 5. They live here because they send their money home for their families. I laughed when they all showed me their green cards. I told them I was not ICE.

There's a corner store just around the fence and I watch the kids walk to and from the store even when the parents walk with them. That's just part of who I am. I also know from talking to other residents that sometimes the bad guys like to mess with the residents and follow them back on to the apartment property (I guess even bad guys need a hobby). I've had parents thank me on the Sunday's and over nights they've seen me do this.

When I work somewhere as a security officer the property becomes Mine and the people there become Mine. What can I say? I'm selfish that way.

It hasn't all been serious. I have one lady who loves the Dallas Cowboys and Sunday's with her are fun depending on what the boys are doing or not doing. I know it's bad when she brings two beers back from the store. I've had little kids ask me to play tag and are disappointed when I've been busy (not sure how my boss would react seeing me be 'it'), and then there are the critters. My first night scare was the opossum who scared the bejaysus outta me. First off I didn't know we had them around here and second who the hell knew they hiss. I knew they climbed trees. But hissing? When it's dark out, you're patrolling and a hiss comes down at you, you'd have jumped up two feet and back three just like I did. I've since been told that after the hissing comes the attacking. I'll keep that in mind.

The second was the stray cat in the dumpster. Let's just say my asp baton was suddenly extended and the cat ran away. I had to make sure I hadn't wet myself. Hey I can laugh at myself.

Most of the kids at this complex are pretty young and there are a few teenagers. The teenagers at first had to do the eyeballing and chest swelling, now not so much. I guess hearing me laugh kinda took out the ego. The younger kids are usually polite even when parents aren't around. The teenagers are okay one on one. Since I work on Holloween I'll be taking candy with me and carrying it around in my cargo pockets (my uniform pants are ripstop bdu's, I love the cargo pockets) so that I can hand it out when I see the kids. I've told a few parents this and they were kind of surprised. I did not tell them that I'll also be eating the candy.

I've made more money at other jobs in my life, but I like the feeling I get doing what I'm doing now. I go home to Allison (I had to promise to wear a ballistic vest and yes I have a good one) and tell her my work stories (even the ones where I look like an idiot) with a smile on my face. With some luck I'll never think Claymore Mine and my boss again in the same sentence.

My new boss is a Military Police officer when he's not the Security Manager. We seem to get along and I get the idea that he likes my productivity. My co-worker (he works the nights I don't) is retired Air Force and has a fantastic sense of humor.

All in all, things are good. And yes I've warned my boss that if the opossum attacks I will be using my sidearm.

This and That

So, wow it's been a interstingly odd week.

This will be my only response to Chik-fil-a. I like their chicken sandwich and the waffle fries. I spent ten years in uniform so that the owner can exercise his Freedom of Speech, and yes to donate his money to whomever he wants to.

No one I know is saying that he doesn't have this right. They like me are not boycotting his right to say what he wishes, or donate his money, we are saying however, that we will not participate in our own demise.

I am not allowed to legally marry Allison. We have been friends since 2001 and a couple for four and a half years. In that four and a half years we have been through the following:

Hurricane Ike: Oddly, Allison had picked that weekend to move her stuff out of the house she was renting and move in with me. She evacuated and we watched the Galveston we both love devistated. Then she saw it when she went back to complete the move. She was lucky, her block was one of the few left intact.

Two major illnesses on my part. One for ten days and one for seven.

Two surgeries: One minor and one left acl replacement.

Helping her mom recover from 2 knee replacements each a year apart.

Me losing my job due to outsourcing while recovering from the acl, and the year long job search.

My mom being diagnosed with CLL, which is a lukemia that strikes the elderly. My mom moving to and then from Dallas.

We have met each challenge and have not once waivered in our commitment to each other.

The owner of Chick-fil-a gives money to organizations who actively lobby to deny gay people the same "rights" everyone else takes for granted. If it was up to them, should anything happen to this wonderful woman in my life, I would not be legally allowed access to her in the hospital or make medical decisions that we've both agreed on despite a power of attorney. We are lucky, our families recogize our commitment to each other. Others are not so lucky.

I'm not going to address the "Religious" aspect to this argument because let's face it, your faith is your business and my faith is my business.

Onward to the next thing that's bugging me. Immigration.

As my old army buddies used to say..."You don't say much, but when you do...."

For the last couple of years I've listened to friends both in person and on fb talk about immigration as in "damned illegals taking up benefits and raising my taxes, my insurance premiums are too damn high...it's all the illegals getting medical help that I'm paying for now..." etc. So now that the President is offering immunity those same people are now saying "well those people are taking jobs away from Americans".

Ok, here's a thought...if those who are in this country illegally 'stealing your tax dollars' fill out the paper work and become non illegal, any job they get they will pay taxes on. In the year I was looking for a job, I can't tell you the number of times I heard someone say "wow, I can't take this job, it only pays x." Well in my opinion x is a lot more than zero. A couple of those people were coming to the end of their unemployment benefits. Sometimes immigrants will take that low paying job that citizens don't want due to 'low wages' since it's more money than those immigrants have ever made in their lives. Just about every family in this country has an immigrant or two in the bloodline, some of them were illegal.

Here's a historical note, during the mid 80's to early 90's the largest percentage of illegals in this country were not of hispanic origin, they were Irish.

Onward. People still harping on entitlements. Ok here it is again....Social Security and Unemployment benefits are NOT entitlements. If you have ever worked in your lifetime, every paycheck you ever got had taxes taken out, including taxes for those two items. You worked for them, you paid into them, so did all the working types who are now not working types EARNED them. Quit your bitching and be thankful you still have a job and quit begruding others who aren't as lucky.

Drug testing for those on welfare. I'm actually for it as long as politicians are drug tested as well. I've had friends in the Secret Service, you'd be surprised what they see. Here's another note, some people on welfare and food stamps aren't who you might expect. There are soldiers on food stamps, there are the elderly on food stamps. At one point growing up my mother had a decent job, but was newly divorced, with four kids...she made enough to make the house/insurance payment, the car/insurance payment, keep us in clothes and shoes, but feeding the four of us was expensive. We did not spend frivolously we were very careful. She still needed help, I used to watch her eat as little as possible so that we could have enough, it was either food stamps or hurt her family. Think on that one for a while.

Taxes. Heads up...instead of bitching about what you think the current administration is or is not doing in reference to taxes...go look it up. How many of you actually know what happened after this President took office. If you figure it out, get back to me.

The deficit, job market, economy...instead of parroting your party of choice again go look it up. Because quite honestly when you parrot something that is blantantly wrong (read written down somewhere in the record) it's really not attractive.

Basically a lot of people in this country (of all political parties) got greedy and the people (again of all political parties) who were supposed to be in charge let it happen.

Politicians lie, it's part of the job description.

Gun control. Why is it everytime some wingnut shoots some place up there's a cry over gun control. Do I think people need assualt rifles in the house? Maybe one or two, you never know what the future holds, but in general no I don't. Does a so called hunter need an AK? Since I've never seen wildlife wearing balistic gear I'm going to say no. Do I belive in gun ownership? Yes. I have one. I'm eyeballing a couple more. How about this...we try as hard as possible to promote RESPONSIBLE gun ownership?  I've seen idiots with one weekend of training get a concealed license...I try to remember their faces...I don't want to be anywhere around them if the shit hits the fan.

I have more than twenty years of firearms experience. I know what my sidearm can do and what I can do with it. If there are children coming to our house my sidearm is locked away. When my sister Elaine's kids (they were younger back then) wanted to play with my sidearm, I instead showed them firearm operation and rules. They lost interest in my sidearm when it was no longer a 'taboo' and when I explained and demonstrated how to clean said sidearm.

There are always going to be those who get a weapon and use it for bad purposes. That is the sad truth of the human condition.

So there's the this and that in my mind lately.

Wishing you all a great weekend. Slainte.

Easter Uprising 1916

I know, it's been a while. Life, what can I say. Today's topic is the 1916 Easter Uprising. Without this uprising the Ireland you and I know know would not exist.

In 1916 the Irish took a page from the United States. They read a declaration of independence and took over parts of Dublin on Easter Sunday. For a full week they fought the occupation forces of the British Empire. They lost horribly. Even the Irish public had no love for the uprising until the English government started to execute to leaders. One of the leaders, Pearce had to be propped up in a chair in order to be executed. His ankle had been shattered by a bullet.

Armed insurrection in Ireland to this point was not something new, but it was different in that both Catholics and Protestants joined together in large numbers in an attempt to remove from Irish soil a government that never truly had a right to Irish lives.

Rest in Peace and Thank you to those who rose up on an Easter Sunday in a tiny country.

Veteran's Day 2011

Friday is Veteran's Day. Today out of the blue I recieved a gift I can never properly thank Allison or my friends Janet and Joyce for. I recieved a shadow box reflecting my career in the US Army. My name, my sergeant stipes, my MP insiginia and patch, 3rd ID (Rock of the Marne) Patch, my fruit salad and medals. These things reflect my service, but most importantly each one reminds me of someone I served with, something stupid or sarcastic (cause what are the chances that would come out of my mouth) I said at one time, a situation, an alert, and yes even war.

The 3rd ID patch and 18th MP Brigade patch remind me of my 981st family and all the things we did, suffered through and learned. I can still see my former road partner Tim Bryant sleeping on my balcony because he was certain someone was stealing his car when he was snoozing. I can hear Jan Arbter-Anderson laughing her way up the stairwell after a night of drinking. She's the only human being I know who can laugh with a Wisconsin accent. Hearing LT. Spanton say that she liked PFC Graskey because "she does her job and she doesn't complain."

The Kuwait Liberation Medal, and Desert Storm Medal, remind me of my war. I didn't go for oil, I went because it was my job and it was more than worth it. I think my buddy Rene might agree that me not playing the gay card was a good thing. I was given many chances to either run to Canada (my dad's request, but don't bust on him too badly, he was a Vietnam Vet and got hit on Hamburger Hill and agent orange killed him way too young), or play the gay card. It never crossed my mind. Service to Country is a family thing. I don't think what I did is all that special. I had wanted to be a soldier since I was eight years old. I made that happen, I loved doing what I did and I'd like to think I was good at it.

With the exception of the Purple Heart and jump wings I matched my father's record, ten years, one war, lots of fruit salad and bunches of good stories that revolve around rain and mud soaked boots, lots of beer, and stuff that no one would believe is true unless you were there.

My favorite time in the Army was when I was an MP. Once an MP always an MP.

Happy Veteran's Day my fellow brothers and sisters. It was my pleasure to serve with you, drink with you and learn from you.