The Ass Family... you gotta love this.

I was never a soldier... but I was young once.

I've just started reading this book. I've already cried twice. Vietnam tears my soul apart.

I remember in 1969 at the age of 16 going to the San Diego Airport with my sister to say goodbye and good luck to her boyfriend - a 26 year-old returned Mormon missionary - now Army Officer. Fresh from OCS, he was wearing his dress greens with a 1st Cavalry Division insignia on his shoulder. He had a smile on his face, sparkling blue eyes and orders in his briefcase - Destination; Vietnam.

It turned out to be more than a "goodbye". The next time I saw him was in a coffin. Same dress greens. No smile. No sparkling blue eyes. A landmine had taken his legs and his life. His name along with 50,000 others are engraved on the The Wall.
http://thewall-usa.com/info.asp?recid=44469 (click on "Personal Comments or Pictures" link from this page to see more)

Every time I see Marian's brother Mike I want to give him a bear hug and thank him. He was an Army river-rat, front-line infantry radioman. In his early twenties his Delta House days were traded for the Mekong Delta. Vietnam didn't take his legs nor his life but it took part of his light for many years. As good a guy as Mike is Vietnam took something forever away from Uncle Mike.

War is Evil. War comes from evil. War is darkness not light. There is only one person that smiles when good, young men and women on opposing sides kill each other.

February in Cancun

Sometimes you work hard and you don't make anything... Sometimes you work hard and you are rewarded. Moral... Always work hard! This year for all my hard work I get a trip to Cancun. I'll take it! February 2010 right around my birthday. Three months to carve Adonis... OK, realistically, I'll do my best. I'll at least visit the tanning salon before going. I don't want to blend in with the white sand and have a tractor try and smooth me out. Pictures will follow.

Liar Liar?

All fishermen are liars but not all liars are fishermen.
-Anonymous fisherman
I don’t agree with Rep. Jim Wilson shouting out in Congress at the President of the United States, “you lie”. Bad Form! Bad Manners! But I also don’t agree with former President Jimmy Carter, for whom I have the utmost personal respect, calling Jim Wilson’s comments racially motivated. Where does that segue come from?

I, along with most intelligent Americans haven’t read the entire content of the President’s Health plan proposal. What brought the comment out of Jim Wilson was when President Obama said, “illegal aliens will be ineligible for federal subsidies to buy health insurance”. Maybe Jim Wilson has read the Presidents plan and doesn’t agree with the wording and the interpretation of the President. I agree with President Obama if he really means that illegal aliens will not be entitled to these benefits. In fact the bill should specifically state, “No person in the U.S. illegally has any claim or right to benefits under this law…EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE!” If it were written that way in H.R. 3200 then I figure Jim Wilson wouldn’t have grounds to call the President a liar. But again, I haven’t read it. If it says something other than that and with the way the Supreme Court interprets things these days we better be damn clear on our intent and meaning, and maybe Jim Wilson has a point (But still bad form)

I am of the opinion that everyone should have the right to health care, those that work full or part time, the elderly, children and even those that can’t afford it. I am not for giving free health care to people that break the law and are here illegally with their hands out. This doesn’t make me a racist either.

The US Taxpayer recently spent $700 billion on a bank bailout, and $130 billion on an automaker bailout, both of which I disagreed. Under the Capitalism that I subscribe to; those that run a good ship survive. Those that don’t nor heed the warning of the lighthouse crash on the rocks, as well they should. Who knows what the cost of Universal Health will be. But we need healthcare reform more than we need inefficient automakers and poorly run banks.

Has anyone documented what the cost has been to Joe Taxpayer who currently funds healthcare for millions of illegal aliens? Here’s a quote from an article posted 9/11/09 in the Contra Costa Times. (East San Francisco Bay Area, California)

“The state Department of Health Care Services estimates 768,400 undocumented immigrants will receive coverage this fiscal year through Medi-Cal, the health program funded by state and federal tax money. The cost: $1.2 billion.”

I think Jimmy Carter should stick to the wonderful job of sponsoring Habitat for Humanity and not assume he understands the underlying intent of a rash comment. I think Joe Wilson should sincerely apologize to the President and control his emotions. I think President Obama should be clear, no, make that crystal clear to the taxpayers of America, who does and does not get money under this plan. Because if Universal Healthcare becomes a reality and I find out that illegal aliens are getting benefits, then I will call the President a name worse than a liar.

Thermopylae

Brutal read. Brutal battle. Defending your country, your farms and your family brings out an unheard of courage and commitment. I scratch my head in unbelief at the Spartiate warrior culture. Samurai's to Seal's have nothing on these guys! I bet the Spartan in every fight. At least one of these 300.

Rick's Garage

If all else fails I can open a garage and get a bunch of shirts with my name on them.

I went to the storage unit with the old beater truck Saturday morning. Great intentions of hauling out a few loads. I shut the tailgate on the first load, moved my black lab Pele out of the drivers seat and turned the key. Nothing! … Well not really nothing. I did get some white smoke coming out of the right corner pocket of the hood. That’s never a good sign. It’s actually an Indian signal for, “We’re screwed now Martha!” I lifted the hood and could readily see that the battery cable was loose and the resultant arcing had melted the clamp in half that attached the cable to the terminal on the battery post. WTF? Fortunately I have a rusty tool-box in the truck with enough tools for MacGyver to rig something up. I cleaned off the melted lead as best as possible and wired the cable to the terminal post at least to be able to start the car and get home. Viola! It worked.

I went right to the parts store to get a new clamp and fixed the problem on the spot. Well… maybe not the whole problem. My starter had been whining for a couple of weeks and I knew it was not long for the world. You guessed it. It started up fine in the driveway back to the storage unit but as soon as I began to enter the gates the #*@#% stalled. I turned the key and got this sick whirring sound that basically tells you the starter is toast. OH CRAP! Unbelievably our neighbors were coming out of the storage facility at that very moment and gave Marian, Cecily, Pele and I a ride home. God loves me! Well, he loves Marian, Cecily and Pele.

Long story short. An hour later I replaced the starter in the street outside the storage unit. Actually, Bryan my capable son did with my help. I got the truck back home and blew off any more trips to storage. I am just glad I am mechanically inclined.

New cable clamp - $2.99.
New starter - $54.99.
Tow truck charge to a mechanic for diagnostic of white smoke and whirring sound and having them do the same repair - $350 or more!

Qualifying for a job with my name on my shirt - Priceless!

I am hoping my next post isn’t about cars!

New Car

Well we found a suitable replacement for Grandpa's Taurus. Upgrade in car and upgrade in age perception. An '06 Nissan Altima that someone babied for 2 years. Low mileage, good MPG and not a scratch. Not quite the X5 BMW Marian had in mind but it will do for a year or so till that becomes a reality. I can still buy a beater Jeep in the meantime unless Keegan trumps me with a '68 VW Van. He's already bored with the '76 Bug we restored this summer. Cars.... What an American Cultural oddity.