March 2003, Week 5
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March 2003, Week 5
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Monday March 24 , 2003 It just boggles me how fast time passes 1/4 of the year is almost gone, seems like just yesterday I was watching the ball drop in Times Square... Christy was home today but I went out. I had to take Mike to Probation and I wanted to try out my new camera on the wild flowers out in the Antelope Valley. I took Calie with me and we drove all over the west side, it was all spectacular but the hillsides on Johnson Rd over to Lake Elizabeth Rd made my jaw drop, the pictures below were taken in about a 10 Square foot area. I took over 80 pictures, they all came out pretty nice, the ones above are resized and the resolution has been diminished but they are still pretty. The Valley floor was carpeted with flowers, even the Joshua Trees were blooming. That was my day, I hid myself from the BWII today... I was getting too angry. Tuesday March 25 , 2003 Nothing is impossible for the person who doesn't have to do it. There was a picture of a nine year old girl, she was alert but on life support, the caption said she was unaware of the fact that the same bomb that injured her killed her mother. Another article showed a young man dazed, sitting on the floor he is quoted as saying "There are no soldiers in my house, no guns in my house why!" His house took a direct hit... his wife was killed. Smart bombs... my aching ass... They interviewed a Captain describing a gun battle... He said "One guy, there was just one guy, he was surrounded and out numbered but he kept on shooting, I don't understand why didn't he didn't just surrender." One of the girls in the Dixie Chicks was lambasted but someone professing to be Lieutenant Layne McDowell of the United States Air Force... The e-mail was sent to me by a friend (You can read it here) Aside from some mild sense of idle curiosity I can't actually say I give a damn what someone with nothing better to do than wrap himself in the Stars and Stripes to wave an accusing finger at some entertainer thinks or, for that matter, what the Dixie Chicks think ... The last time I checked, the Bill of Rights was still in effect. People ought to be able to say whatever they want to say without being subjected publicly to sanctimonious diatribes, ridiculed, sermonized or accused of being cowardly, and unpatriotic. Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. This is quickly ceasing to be the America I grew up in and fought for, it is getting to the point where I am afraid to voice my opinions anywhere but behind closed doors with people I trust implicitly, and the scary part is that nobody really gives a shit what I have to say. I feel I have to preface every discussion with:
Here is my view anyway: Since when has unquestioning obedience to authority been the measure of patriotism in this country? Has everyone forgotten that disobedience and dissent are what gave birth to this country? Since when has it been unpatriotic to have no respect for the President? It was OK 4 years ago, why is it unpatriotic now? The War? This is Bush’s War, he fought for it and he got what he asked for. I am against the war, I am reasonably certain that that is not illegal in this country. I think it is possible to love America and be proud of our fighting forces and to pray for their safe return and at the same time I also think it’s OK to believe that the SOB that sent them into harms way needs to be horse whipped and thrown out of office. As far as I am concerned every death, every innocent person who is killed or injured on either side is on his head. This war makes no sense to me, it didn’t have to happen, the folks who ask “Well, what are we supposed to do, wait forever for Iraq to give up their weapons!?” My answer is “Sure, if it saves lives, why not” Bush is invading a sovereign country that has not attacked or even threatened us. It has no Navy, no Air Force, an ill-equipped defeated demoralized army. It has no Atomic Weapons, (even GW acknowledges that now). The only chemical and biological weapons he has are the ones we and the Britt’s gave him in 1989, none has been found to contradict the assertion that he has destroyed all of it. Bush has sent soldiers into battle against desperate men fighting for their Country, their God and their homes… I have no doubt that they will fight as hard for their country as we would fight for ours… We will eventually defeat Iraq but this will not be a cake-walk, many more will die on both sides and it didn’t have to happen. Seems to me 50 years of inspections is better than one life lost. Saddam does not support Osama, he did not send out human bombs. There were no Iraqi’s on those planes, and if George really gave a damn about anyone’s human rights why were we not fighting to save the Africans in the Congo and Nigeria, the poor in Calcutta and Pakistan the starving people on Korea?.. I believe he is killing people for control, power, and Oil. Mokie just brought me flowers... makes my day. Our patriotism, our commitment to America and the world, will be severely tested in the days ahead by those who falsely equate patriotism with unquestioning obedience to authority. The true America patriot stands steadfast in defense of the American ideals of truth, liberty, justice, democracy, and the rule of law. ADDRESS TO THE DAY AFTER IRAQ INVASION PEACE VIGIL March 21, 2003 – Federal Building, Seattle David C. Korten Wednesday March 26 , 2003
I saw this cartoon last week , it took me a while to find it again. It's an old old joke I have read a hundred times but seeing it drawn out cracked me up for some reason. Hectic day, complicated rush to get the kids to school, I had to pay for lunches at Meadowlark and at Acton School, they won't let you pay at one place even though the money goes to the same food service company. I had to deposit checks and do some shopping, I checked on my bike again... Maybe Friday... I spent the evening listening to BW3. I feel so helpless, there ought to be a way to make Bush listen to reason... the whole world has tried, nobody wants this war except Bush and his little cabal Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Rowe, Powell, Ridge & Ashcroft. They have used fear, passion and repetition to convince the ditto brains that Iraq is Evil, Saddam is a terrorist, Iraq finances terrorism, Saddam blew up the WTC, Iraq has WMD's, on and on... all this to work up a fury and passion in the public's mind. WHERE ARE THE DAMN democrats It is making me crazy. Bush is most likely a lunatic, he is at least acting like one... but there is no one protecting us from him... why isn't someone in his face? Are they all afraid of the brain dead lock-step loonies who equate blind unquestioning obedience to Patriotism, and believe everything they are told by G. W. Bush and his seven apostles of greed and revenge. Sorry folks, Bush lies, he lied about the Atomic Weapons, he lied about where Iraq's Chemical and biological weapons came from, look here, I am tired of typing... http://www.house.gov/appropriations_democrats/caughtonfilm.htm Thursday March 27 , 2003 Not much going on today... Christy taught at AV College this morning. Calie, Christian and I took some video's back. One of the video's we rented didn't play and when I went to take it out of the VCR it wouldn't come out, the tape had gotten tangled in the mechanism and I had to break the tape to get it out... I was prepared to pay for it but the lady said, "Did you get to watch it? I said "No." She said "Do you want a credit or do you want to get another copy." I said "I'll just get another copy, thanks." That is very cool... I like Albertson's. I took the kids to Arby's for lunch... I picked up the kids from school and that's about it. I also called to see if my bike was fixed and... maybe late Friday. I said a while back I was prepared to have a dispassionate discussion about the BWII, well, I tried... I can't. I called to talk to my sister about what's going on up in Maine so I could talk intelligently to my cousin Carolyn about some legal matters and after we got that cleared up the subject turned slowly toward Iraq and I remained mature and dispassionate for about three minutes... I will call her and apologize tomorrow. I am a little startled at how quickly I became impassioned... I really am not a very good representative for my view, verbally I am about as articulate as Elmer Fudd. Given time and a pencil and paper or a PC I can write well thought out and coherent arguments, on the phone or in person I am a tongue-tied idiot. I really thought I could have a high level conversation but ... I couldn't. MY sister was very gracious, she didn't lose her cool or giggle or laugh uncontrollably once. I suspect that when she put the phone on the hook she did shake her head in wonderment that she could actually share DNA with such a specimen as I. Why can't I remember facts? Why can't I string five words together in a coherent thought... for months I have been writing impassioned tracts on my views on Bush, World opinion, Iraq etc and then I had my big chance to present my views intellectually and I blew it. Oh well....
Now for a truly embarrassing moment. I got this e-mail from a cousin (We haven't exactly determined how we're related but that's just a formality) named Dan M- he wrote:
I went back to my web page to check and see where I used the word, absolute worst case scenerio: [From my web-page] "I got an e-mail from a <read "P" -word here> named Dan- M-. He is a member of the M- State Historical Society and has managed to solve one of the mysteries in my family tree." Sometimes my 'well thought out and coherent' alter ego gets the real Elmer Fudd me into stupid situations. I wrote back:
Friday March 28 , 2003 By Garrison Keillor Years ago, manhood was an opportunity for achievement, and now it is a problem to be overcome. Plato, St. Francis, Michelangelo, Mozart, Leonardo da Vinci, Vince Lombardi, Van Gogh – you don’t find guys of that caliber today, and if there are any, they are not painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel or composing Don Giovanni. They are trying to be Mr. O.K. All-Rite, the man who can bake a cherry pie, go play basketball, come home, make melon balls and whip up a great soufflé, converse easily about intimate matters, participate in recreational weeping, laugh, hug, be vulnerable, be passionate in a skillful way, and the next day go off and lift them bales into that barge and tote it. A guy who women consider Acceptable. Being all-rite is a dismal way to spend your life, and guys are not equipped for it anyway. We are lovers and artists and adventurers, meant to be noble, free-ranging, and foolish, like dogs, not competing for a stamp of approval, Friend of Womanhood. from “The Book of Guys”
I heard from Dan this morning, I am off the hook. Wheeew... He seems to be a pretty nice guy... It is difficult to really know an awful lot about the folks you meet on the Internet. Then, again, there are things you can know about a person that you can't learn anywhere else. Our Mayor, Jim Hahn signed a petition denouncing the war the other day, it was drawn up by some 4th graders. Today he mad a big deal about rescinding his signature, Hahn is a sleaze ball. I can't believe he did that, the entire Board of Supervisors signed a document asking Bush to wait... could be trouble down the line... hope so. I took Calie and Christian bowling, I think I have been bowling exactly once since my 14th birthday... and my first game was worthy of Klutz of the Year... I beat the kids with a score of about 85... the second game was one of the best I have ever bowled... a 169... I amazed myself. Lumpy said; "I love bowling because I like the way the ball goes down and comes back, and I really like the shoes." Saturday March 29 , 2003 Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it. André GIDE French author (1869-1951) I have a full day today, Mike to Community Service at 06:30, MC Race from St. Louis, drive to Newhall for the Cowboy Music and Poetry Festival... I have three shifts... from Noon to Midnight, I doubt I will last that long. I will do the exact same thing on Sunday without the MC Race. Sunday March 30 , 2003 Hobbes: How come we play war and not peace? Calvin: Too few role models. Same thing today, Mike to Community Service at 07:00. I had a great time at the Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival... I worked the Parking Lot from 09:00 till 12:00, It was sure interesting, I was told one thing; "When a car comes down the road, point at the guy in the yellow vest." It is simply amazing how stupid you feel when you can't perform a simple chore like that. People come up and ask: "Where to the Vendors Park", "My daughter is a volunteer and I need to pick her up , where can I wait for her?" "I need to drop off my mother." "Where is handicapped parking?" It was fun but exasperating when all you know is how to point at The Man In The Yellow Vest. Some people are rude, insensitive, apathetic, assholes too. I enjoyed watching the people file in, the costumes were amazing, some were totally authentic the "Townsfolk" and the Jay Hawkers, the New Mexican and Arizona Cowboys were all totally authentic down to the coins in their pockets. If you talk to them they stay in character and know nothing about cameras or anything that occurred after about 1880. It really is a kick. and some folks emulated the old time Movie Cowboys like Roy & Hoppy and Some were just outrageous in hairy chaps and 10 gallon hats. I saw lots of people I have seen before but know one I knew personally. Last year I saw lots of folks from Acton and from work. One thing that has always boggled my tiny mind and that is people who sit in their cars all safe an autonomous, otherwise intelligent people who will pick their noses as though they are invisible behind their windshields. Lots of fun. I didn't get as many pictures as I wanted , I took a lot of them but I am very disappointed by the quality, I need to get more practice with my new camera. I took a couple good pictures though, one was of a fella (stranger) leaving the the facility carrying his baby girl... wish I could post it here, It came out so well I would like to get it to him somehow. Hell with it... love this picture... I posted more pictures of the festival on the CPMF link at the top of the page. Monday March 31 , 2003 Mike was at Marks, Christy picked him up at about 1500... Christy had just called Kaiser this morning and made an appointment for Monica, she has has Asthma for three days. As soon as she had hung up "B"'s Social Worker called and said he would be up for a visit at 10:00 Calie and I cleaned the house... I tried to get "B" to do something but he wouldn't, he would do any thing I asked like take out that trash can or pick up that cup but unless I stood over him and told him what to do the would sit on his ass... Calie worked hers off. When Christy got home she took Calie out shopping. Bush just came on the radio spewing his lame rhetoric, he was telling the Iraqi's that he was coming with a mighty army to liberate them... He liberated a van full of frightened Iraqi women and children today. I heard an interesting statistic yesterday, there are more unmarried women between the age of 30 and 45 than married ones... all the eligible young men were killed during BWI. Saddam's Regular Army is made up of guys in their teens and over the age of 40...
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