Memorial Day: Omaha Beach on D-Day

In honor of this day, I am doing something I rarely do. I am placing a video on this blog. I used to do it every Wednesday instead of Nature Wednesday (which seems much more popular strangely enough). But, it seems videos just slow down blogs. This is the opening scene of "Saving Private Ryan." It is U.S. soldiers landing at Omaha Beach on D-Day. Among many other battles of other wars, this day was critical toward defeating Nazi Germany. Today as you set out for the typical Memorial Day activities, remember the men who fought and died at Normandy. Remember all the men and women who have fought and lost their lives in all wars defending freedom for this country.

Warning: This video has graphic footage.

Memorial Day: The True Meaning - Repost

Note: This is a repost from last year. The sentiment still holds true today.

Today and/or tomorrow there will be many people on the highway to the beaches, various parks around the nation. Some will just grill to their heart’s content in the backyard. This is the way Memorial Day is celebrated in this nation. And that’s as it should be. It should be a celebration for the freedom to do these things as we wish.

But, we should not forget what the true meaning of Memorial Day is all about. It is the farmers and merchants charging up Bunker Hill to fight the greatest army in the world all in the name of freedom. Think of Teddy Roosevelt charging up San Juan Hill facing withering fire as you sit back in your lawn chair today. Or the first wave of men at Omaha Beach at Normandy. As you pop the tab on another Bud and woof down that pork chop, think about those men facing overwhelming odds at Pork Chop Hill. Or Hamburger Hill. When you are just sitting back relaxing and thinking about having Monday off to further the weekend, think about the men and women at Fallujah in November of 2003.


As has been often stated, freedom is not free. There is a cost and America’s cemeteries are littered with the remains of soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice. From the Revolutionary War to the Iraq War, in one form or another, for one reason or another, men and women are making the ultimate sacrifice. It doesn’t matter what you may or may not think of our reasons for going to war. I was spit on and called a baby killer upon returning home at LAX in 1971 from injuries received for riverboat (or swift boat) patrol in Danang Province. But, that doesn’t matter. None of the protests, flag burning matters. What matters are these troops who have and are presently serving our country. They matter. They deserve our support, regardless of the reasons they fight.


I intend to sit back and eat the steak grilled on my BBQ grill today. I might even drink a couple of glasses of wine. Ralph will get a workout in the backyard today when I throw him the Frisbee (hoping he will return it to me). I’m going to enjoy today and tomorrow also. But, as I sit back and watch people eat, drink and be merry, I’m going to remember why they can do all these things. We can celebrate in this manner because it was paid for by men and women from Bunker Hill to Hamburger Hill to Fallujah. Let’s not forget those people who we should be memorializing on this day. That’s my point. I hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend. I know I am.

Obama Not Having A Good Week

A fragile economy, 10% unemployment and sinking approval numbers are enough to make any U.S. President a little on the "antsy" side. But, with a raucous luncheon with Republicans on Wednesday, it was understandable that President Obama unleashed on a heckler at a fund raiser [article link] for Mrs. Barbara "Call Me Senator" Boxer. The President told the heckler he needed to get a ticket to someone who doesn't support his point of view on "Don't ask, don't tell" that is slated for a proposed repeal Thursday. The President has been notably testy since his healthcare reform package passed and was signed into law. You'd think he would be in good spirits. However, latest polls (speaking of repeals) indicate as many as 63% of Americans want the HCR repealed.

President Obama has always been a bit on the thin-skinned side. Republicans know this. Many are using it to their advantage as was the case in the Wednesday luncheon. My opinion is the more that the President responds to attacks, the more unpresidential he becomes. It was bad enough that he was quoted as saying Rush Limbaugh could go play with himself when asked if he would consider playing a round of golf with the conservative radio star. That came off as being vulgar no matter how you spin it, twist it or gloss over it. I guess I have come to expect more from the alleged leader of the free world. Maybe that day has come and gone. Anyway, I am sure the President will be glad to get this week behind him. The BP Oil Spill is starting to spin out of control. Anger is mounting and there is one person in government that anger is usually passed along to; the President of the United States.

Nature Wednesday

This week, for Nature Wednesday, some snow covered mountains at sunset!

Tax Credits/Low Mortgage Rates Boost Home Sales

Reports yesterday [article link] that April brought about the biggest boost in home sales in five months. Low mortgage rates and tax credits were considered to be the main reasons for this surge. Unfortunately for home buyers, the tax credits have now expired. The true rebound (or lack thereof) of the housing market will be foretold in the coming months. With only possible low interest rates luring people, how well will sales go in the next few months?

Truth be told, no one really knows what is going to happen in this volatile housing market. Home sales have been down for so long, even a slight increase over the next couple of months will be cheered. However, according to the linked article, many economists are skeptical the low interest rates alone will push sales in the new homes marketplace. We will see just how strong this "recovering economy," that we hear so much about, truly is this summer. The tax credits are like rebates on new car sales. They are there simply to get the customer into the store. Once they expire, the car dealers struggle once again. I suspect we will see the same thing with the expiration of the tax credits.

Hope and Change Billboard

I got to admit, this billboard I got off Twitter is rather amusing to me. There have been a lot of billboards about our beloved President Obama. But, this one is tops in my opinion. It is a checklist (or laundry list) of the things President Obama has "accomplished" during his first (and hopefully last) term. Among the list, one-trillion dollar bailout, takeover of auto and banking industries and socialized medicine. It leaves open the suggestion that amnesty for illegals and cap and trade are next on the Obama agenda. Both will be in the same category as Healthcare Reform as far as getting them passed. With fifteen million unemployed Americans searching for work, Obama would have to be completely out of his mind to attempt amnesty. Of course, this probably means he will at least try it this election year. Cap and Trade is going to increase taxes across the board during a "recovering economy." Good luck with that, Mr. President.

The Escape Artist

I've often mentioned my beagle, Ralph, on this blog. What I have not mentioned before is what an escape artist he has become. Beagles are known to find any weakness in a fence. If they find one, out they go! He has escaped twice from the backyard. Once, he pulled on a loose plank until it broke. I found him laying under a shade tree at a local park as if he does it every day. That was amazing. The second time he escaped, he actually pushed back the fence door to get out. That was my mistake. I forgot to close the handle so he couldn't push it open.

He escaped for the third time yesterday. Fortunately, I caught him in the act. Unbelievably, he has now figured out how to pull on the door handle to open it. I saw him do it. I ran out the open fence door (courtesy of Ralph) yelling at him. He turned, looked back at me and thought I was wanting to play (thankfully). So, he ran toward me. I was glad he did. I simply couldn't run after him in this heat and humidity of May, here on the gulf coast.

That fence door now has a lock on it. I don't think even Ralph the Houdini Dog can open it now. Just to be sure, I have added a foot of wire mesh all around the bottom of my wood fence. It's better to be safe than sorry with this escape artist. Can he escape again? I doubt it now. But, at the same time, I wouldn't bet the house on it.

The Crisis That Will Not Go Away

In a report yesterday [article link], mortgage delinquencies continue to hurt this "recovering economy" we are told is underway. More than 10% of homeowners have missed at least one payment since the January-March period. In fact, homeowners who have missed at least three payments has helped spike the jump. The only good news is that the number of homeowners who are starting to have trouble with their mortgage has dropped. Right now, about 8.3% of homeowners are in danger of losing their homes.

It's obvious despite all the rosy prognostications by the Obama administration, the economy is still in big trouble. When you have almost 10% of homeowners in danger of losing their homes, that is a pretty good indicator things have not turned around as much as you would like or imply. People like to point how things are picking up on Wall St. as evidence the economy is improving. For the most part, middle America doesn't have a direct tie in to Wall St. Sure, there are people who invest in the market, who make a living that way. Most Americans depend on jobs to pay their mortgage. Jobs are just nowhere to be found. Until the jobs market improves, I'm not sure how Obama can say the "economy is improving" with a straight face.

Nature Wednesday

This week for Nature Wednesday, some calming rivers. Enjoy!

President Obama and the Busy Bees

A swarm of bees attempted to prevent President Obama from leaving the White House yesterday [article link]. It appears that the President was on his way to play basketball at Ft. McNair. The bees, sensing that the President was leaving with over 15 million Americans out of work, decided to try and make him stay and work for his money. Alas, the best laid plans of bees and men went awry. When our beloved President returned from his basketball game, full of enthusiasm and renewed strength to help our country through this "recovering economy," the bees decided it was all a waste of time. The bees were all gone. Just like millions of jobs in this country, they were gone with the wind.

Ok, a little tongue in cheek. Very little. It's strange that a swarm of bees had more sense than certain human beings. Some of the comments in this article are absolutely priceless. Be sure to click on the article link above to read them.

Electronic Gadgets Cause Sleep Problems?

Last year, I had one of my periodic episodes when I was unable to sleep. These episodes usually last no more than about 2-3 nights. Even with my CPAP, I still have these times when I'm unable to sleep for reasons unknown. I do have sleep apnea which can be deadly. But, as long as you use your CPAP, you are ok. A friend asked me if I have a lot of power lights around me in my room. I have cable modem lights, computer indicator lights, router lights, light from my DVR, and so on. He told me to turn them all off for one night to see if that would help. I thought he was crazy. I felt I had nothing to lose. So, I did just that; turned off every indicator light in my room. It turns out this guy was on to something. I slept a very solid eight hours that night. There is an article [article link] that discusses this very same thing.

In the article it describes a man who did the same thing I did last year. He turned off all the electronic gadgets in his room. No indicator lights whatsoever. It worked for him. It seems there is an "internal clock" we have that reads light as being sunrise and time to get up. According to the article, these indicator lights interrupt our sleep by fooling our brains into thinking it's daytime. I never considered such little amounts of light would have that kind of effect. I'm not completely sold on the idea. I have turned off all the indicator lights from electronics in my room since that very first time, and I still couldn't get to sleep. But, I find by turning them all off, it does cut down my time in falling to sleep. That is something I firmly believe. If you have problems sleeping, you might want to give this idea a try. Maybe it will work for you.

Abbreviated Post Today Due to Illness

Got a bad case of either the flu or just a bad common cold. I'm not sure which. I feel weak and a bit of pressure in the old chest. First flu/cold I've had in quite some time. So, I guess it's my time. I thought I had escaped the winter flu season. It appears to have just waited a while on me. When you feel bad, you feel like you are the only person on earth that is sick. I usually take my beagle, Ralph, for a walk in the afternoon. He keeps looking up at me wondering what I'm waiting on since he is ready to go. But, I suspect he thinks I feel bad. He won't leave my side right now. So, maybe pets can sense their owners are not feeling well.

I think I'll end things right there. I hope I get over this really soon. At my age, it becomes more and more difficult to fight off an illness. The good thing for me is that I exercise frequently. So, maybe my old body can fight this off very quickly. That is it for today and for this week.

Police Cite Hundreds for Cursing

In maybe one of the biggest waste of time for law enforcement, hundreds of people in Pennsylvania were cited for cursing. According to the article [article link] 770 people were cited for cussing. Most of the citations were due to cussing police officers. I don't see any reason for that. I hate getting tickets also. But, it is probably due to people being pulled over for speeding. They then compound the problem by cussing the officer. You are going to lose in that situation. Well, usually you lose. It appears the ACLU is getting involved now. They, of course, are going to view it as a freedom of speech issue. That is difficult to argue also. I just tend to believe that an officer would just overlook these idiots and tell them to have a nice day as he hands them the ticket. I am not sure if these will all be appealed by the ACLU. Each person cited will have different circumstances. It will be very interesting to see how this turns out.

Nature Wednesday

This week on Nature Wednesday, we continue the predator theme. This week...SHARKS!

The Internet Cowboy Syndrome

Doctors have characterized some people as suffering from "The Internet Cowboy Syndrome." The internet cowboy basically is a combination of John Wayne and Chuck Norris all rolled into one. If you dare post something they disagree with, they call you dirty names, threaten you and so forth. I've been active on the internet since 1990. I'm pretty familiar with it.

We see this on the internet all the time. Someone disagrees with you vociferously. It gets out of hand and the person threatens you with harm. In a lot of cases, I am the "victim." I quite frequently make my opinions without worrying what the consequence may be. Then you have a person who wants to find you and beat hell out of you. That is rare. But, it does happen. Most times they just call you names behind the safe confines of the computer monitor. You know the names, racist, bigot, SOB, etc. I've been called them all. But, rarely have I been called them to my face. I am of the opinion, that most people who threaten or call you names on the internet don't have the guts to do it in person. I'm sure there are exceptions to that. Most internet cowboys are harmless.

Yesterday I made a very controversial post about illegal aliens. You can see that post down below this post. I was called every name in the book. The person did not address my points or my concerns. He or she was unable to do that. That's ok. Because I know an internet cowboy when I see one. This guy or gal was one of those wild and crazy internet cowboys that give the human race a bad name. I'm sure everyone that is reading this blog has encountered that type. I just wanted to make mention of it in case this person gets to view this post. Giddy up, bud.

Illegal Alien Gets $145K from NYC

I'm not sure what to say about an illegal alien [article link] getting $145K because he didn't get a fair and speedy trial. As it turns out, he was held at Riker's Island too long. So, to set matters straight, economically ailing New York City give the illegal $145K as a parting gift as he was deported out of the country. It's astounding to me they came up with $145K. Some people are wrongfully imprisoned in this country. When they get out, they are lucky to get a nice suit and a ride to their home. How can an illegal alien be accorded more rights than the ordinary American citizen? You know, the people that pay for all the illegals free education, free social services and free medical care. It's disgusting.

America continues to coddle the illegal aliens that are here. How can someone that is in the country illegally be given this much money when there are Americans losing jobs and their homes? I would like to be able to blame all this on the Anointed One. But, George W. Bush was as bad or worse than Obama when it comes to protecting illegals. Now, we have American students suspended in CA for wearing patriotic American apparel to school. Hispanic kids from that same school just suddenly walk out of class (waving Mexican flags, of course). Nothing is done to them. They cry they want respect. No, they are marching because they think they are entitled to everything that people worked so hard to achieve in this country. The grotesque act of giving one illegal $145K of taxpayer money is just one more reason something must be done about illegal immigration into this country. Amnesty is completely out of the question.

Two Stories: Perseverance and Heartbreak

In South Korea, a woman finally got her driver's license [article link] after taking the test after 960 tries. That's not a misprint. It took 69-year-old Cha Sa-soon 960 tries, testing almost daily since April of 2005. Fortunately, it took her only ten times to pass the driving portion of the test. I've heard of people never giving up. I've heard of people toughing it out to gain whatever goal they have set forth in life. But, I'm not sure I've ever heard of anyone trying as hard as this little lady in South Korea. It is easy to laugh at her trying and failing as many times as she did. But, you can not laugh at her continued perseverance. She never gave up.

A man in Syracuse, NY [article link] got on a lucky streak at a casino. Facing numerous bills, Kenneth Lamoree decided to try his luck at the casino. Wouldn't you know it? He wins $3200! Mr. Lamoree came home about 3:30AM, went to bed thinking his luck had changed. But, it was not to be. His two-story home caught on fire. He was able to get his fiancee and three children out of his home unscathed. But, the real heartbreak of this story...that $3200 went up in smoke as Mr. Lamoree left his wallet in the house. The important thing, and I'm sure he is thinking it, is that the heartbreak could have been far worse if someone had not made it out of that house fire.

Encounter with an Obama Cult Member!

Earlier this week, I had to go to the doctor for some extreme pain I was feeling in my right big toe. Turns out it may well be gout. Doctor won't know until he gets results from blood work. But, that is not the point of this blog entry. I was listening to someone espousing the virtues of Obamacare to this elderly couple seated directly in front of me. He was telling them it was all lies and right-wing dogma to try and scare seniors from supporting "our president." Well, I couldn't restrain myself any longer.

I asked this android-like (kept thinking of the song "Another Brick in the Wall" while looking at him) person if he was saying that Medicare won't be affected at all. He stated categorically it would not. I asked this person if it would affect his finances, his ability to support his family if someone started taking anywhere from 10-25% of his paycheck from him. He stated, "Of course it would. What does this have to do with Medicare?" I asked the cultist if he knew how the esteemed President Obama was going to pay for this montrosity known as Obamacare? I got a blank look. That was not unexpected. I told him a half-trillion dollars will be cut from Medicare to help pay for this so-called "health care reform" that Obama shoved down our throats. Yet, he said just losing 10% of his paycheck would affect him. The analogy was not lost on the senior couple. They both just smiled at me. At this point, they ignored the now irate Obama drone.

I wasn't trying to make the guy look bad. But, if anyone who is presently on Medicare doesn't think losing $500 billion dollars isn't going to affect their Medicare, I have some senior residential community homes to sell you in a Florida swampland...cheap.

Nature Wednesday

This week, for Nature Wednesday, three pics of one of nature's most fierce predators; the wolf!

New York: Times Square Bomb

Pakistani Taliban is claiming responsibility [article link] of the Times Square bomb that was set inside an SUV. The bomb did not completely detonate. But, the SUV did catch on fire. al-Qaida is closely allied with the Pakistani Taliban. New York law enforcement stated the bomb mechanism was "amateurish" in nature. Some cast doubt if the bomb was set by the Taliban which is known for its sophisticated bombs in Iraq against U.S. troops. The FBI is investigating video that saw individuals exiting the SUV with the bomb. No arrests have been made as yet. However, the FBI is pursuing several leads at this time. The FBI did speak with the registered owner of the SUV. However, they are not revealing any further details of that interview.

I'm curious if we will ever find out if this was, indeed, a bomb planted by the Taliban. On Christmas Day, we were told the underwear bomber on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 was a rogue operative of al-Qaida. We were told the Ft. Hood massacre was a disturbed Muslim U.S. Army officer who was simply upset about going to Iraq. None of these were considered terrorist threats. As for the Ft. Hood killings, the Obama Administration is still stonewalling efforts to reveal documents concerning this to the press. These are three incidents within a six month frame. George W. Bush, who I couldn't stand, had the 911 attacks nine months into his first term. That was the last terrorist attack on his watch. Inasmuch as I couldn't stand him, I dont' put all the blame of the 911 attacks on a president who had been in office for nine months. Careful planning of these 911 attacks had been ongoing for two years. Bill Clinton must share blame on this. As for Obama, he had best worry about the terrorist threats and less about attacking Americans in Arizona.

BP Oil Explosion/Oil Slick Head to Gulf Coast

The huge oil slick that is a result of the BP oil rig explosion [article link] in the gulf, is headed toward the gulf coast. Wildlife, fishing, tourism, are all going to be affected. Lawsuits from shrimpers and other commercial fishermen have already been filed. This may be hyperbole, but the talk is that this oil spill may be worse than the Exxon Valdez that hit Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef and spilled an estimated minimum 10.8 million US gallons of crude oil in Alaska. Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida are preparing for the worst oil spill disaster in gulf coast history. The oil is still spewing from the giant oil rig that blew up. No word as to how or why the oil rig exploded (please spare me the truther BS).

There are many seafood restaurants, both local and chain, that rely on local fishermen for their product. Sadly, many "Mom and Pop" seafood restaurants are going to go out of business as a result of this disaster. Many were already on the edge of bankruptcy due to the "recovering economy." All this means is more trouble for BP. The lawsuits are going to be in the hundreds or thousands. The seafood industry is important to many other businesses that operate as s result of the abundant gulf coast seafood. It's not just restaurants. I'm not sure what is going to happen. There are so many people unemployed here already. This is going to be just another economic blow to the gulf coast.