Just looking at the morning news.... rain... here?

Oh, yeah, the weather for November may be a bit late but it is coming in today, the National Weather map has washed us out with floods and rain. So I drive the Caravan, and walk to the dock directly. As I walk I find a doe about fifteen feet from me, looking at me like I am crazy - she is in the middle of a condo apartment complex and she thinks I am crazy. Well, I do start talking to her, she doesn't know I have my hunting license, but she is kind of stringy, not much on the thighs at all - must be on one of those strange American model diets. But, like real females in my life, as soon as I start talking she turns her head away and starts strutting off to find a finer male... I really ought to take time off and go hunt - the barber in Steilacoom had his shop closed up for deer one weekend and elk another. Well, the walk was good, the work fine. The rains and the wind started beating on Washington and about 11:00 AM the announcement was made that the Still Harbor schedule was in effect.

Still Harbor is on the North side of McNeil Island, a nice harbor, and the seals love it. So because of the fear of getting stuck on an island with terrible weather -- a lot of people left. After lunch the announcements of what was closed, classes canceled, and there was only the State Library (ME!) open for business. Two very packed periods, but the last one was light, but until Recall I was there. The weather did let up a bit, and the ferry came back to normal operations by the time I was leaving, still for only a minute or the afternoon I was still there helping the inmates prepare for re-entry to the community.

I did notify the entire State Library that if they were coming to visit me that the ferry schedule was changed and I attached a copy of it. But no one ever comes, I am always reminded of that famous short story about an outpost, watching the frontier for the enemy, and because the commanders don't come out to visit, inspect nor reward the guards --- the guards feel more friendly to the constantly advancing enemy that at least know he is alive... it will be Veteran's Day soon, don't forget all those that you have sent out to those frontiers to watch and war on our enemies.

I was going to write about the war...

but I couldn't even sign into Blogger this morning without hitting an extra i in hotmail.com and getting refused. Well, I found it and corrected it and I am under two ten this morning and I have a mug of coffee so I will ramble on...

The United States is not at war, our Commander in Chief has received the Noble Nobel Peace Prize, I suspect he kept the same Secretary of Defense as the last Commander-in-Chief since he wasn't serious about continuing the war and could use the cover until he could get back to it. It really is still Bush's War, and President Bush will tell you that he is our last Wartime President, not that he was doing it any better than the current One of Wonder.

The reason I even mention it was a post from Frank James, about the M-4 (M-16) failures again ..., he wrote well about the problem and I just had to point out what I saw looking at the same problem. He knows his weapons, hunting and farming and I learn every time I read about his corner of perception. Having had my own personal experience with trying to get the system to improve the current pistol I know that the system just doesn't care, one voice, ten bodies, two thousand dead because of a mess in the Pentagon, or any other headquarters will be swept under the blanket of History. To be read and commented on by people that do care but aren't in control nor on a battlefront.

The reason we aren't going to win a war in the Middle East is that we aren't going to go to fight a war in the Middle East. Israel survives because Jerusalem and Tel Aviv aren't in California nor New York - they may get lots of bond buyers from there, but the leadership of the country, the people of the country and the reason for surviving are all inside Israel. So they pay close attention, and even when offering peace to stupid folks that think the problem could just be gone when the Jews are, they certainly are passionate and serious about trying. They are also serious about fighting wars to win them, not sustain their armament industry, Boeing and GM.

There was passion and concern from the citizens in the American Revolutionary War, the War between the States, World War II and just cheering and flag waving patriotism on all the others. If we would just move the Commander in Chief and Congress in session to the center of our international conflicts, and allow them to drag their lobbyists with them, we would have such better results, really. And if for whatever reason we still couldn't win, like Alexander the Great in Afghanistan of his era, make it look like he had and leave to conquer something easier.

Nice thing about rambling is that I expend all the heat and mind mumbling that raced through my head in the darkness. What was my point? Oh, yeah, that old Vietnam thing that is still unresolved in my heart. I personally remember my life then, and I didn't like what we were about to do with our professional army in Bush's War (do you remember all the reasons we are fighting it, still?). Yes, I like a professional military - keep the MBAs away from our officer corps and it could really be great.

I do want the best military to perform the Defense of America, and I don't want it expended (they are willing to fight to the death for the best of reasons and it isn't money) in stupid political paybacks and favors for friends in odd places. It just won't be there when America really needs its pointy end. Thank you for looking for meaning in all this, I am on the second mug of coffee, sure the current President is totally wrong on Iraq and Afghanistan and so much else, sure that those going back to the Middle East for the third, fourth or fifth time are wondering what is the point and they are the ones that have to tell the first timers what to do to survive, do well and win battles --- and it really isn't exactly like it was before, the new Commander in Chief has other things on his table to work on and look good about. Yes, you will be getting Turkey on Thanksgiving, read a copy of a book about the Marines in North Korea, they knew that only the Marines cared.

In addition: I am so glad my wife is off for her doctor's checkup, if I had to go my blood pressure would make him change my medication or admit me to the hospital, foolish waste of good money, best be about better stuff than worrying at what I couldn't fix no matter.

I am just a bit stunned...

My grandfather, Rev. Earl Martin Smith, worked very hard on World Peace. He is gone now, but I having spent a large portion of my life in the World at or preparing for War, understood it isn't easy standing up for Peace. So imagine my shock at the latest Nobel Peace Prize - I can only think that someone thinks of it as a reward in consolation for his not getting the Olympics in Chicago. Really there are people out there working hard on Peace right now, not just talking about it, really working on it.

Flipped one calendar five more to go...

Yes, it is November, time to change the calendar to reflect reality - some months it is two weeks before I get to the last calendar - time is relative? I had to check blogs after my measuring, and leave a note or two - don't give up on Halloween - for all the little ones especially.

I know very little about music, I like it, I support it, and it isn't on my list of talents nor goals - but I am singing in the choir until the younger men take up the slack... and that could be a bit. Anyway I was recommended to listen to a beautiful woman. Younger, really beautiful, lady... and being me I was happy to go chasing after her - don't ever want to catch one, it is the prancing after the thought that thrills me. Well I found her and listened and was happy - sometimes waiting on the loading is worth the wait and then I noticed another song by the same fine voice and it called to me, being who I am and where I've been and what I know about the world.

Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep every so often there are wonders in the world worth sharing.

You know, it isn't the Economy that will kill me...

No, I will be fine, no matter who becomes President. What is going to kill me is the America that isn't at war. The America that thinks someone else is going to protect us, heal us and be our heroes. I have a story to tell in November, and it is about a time and a country when people took responsibility and acted. No, I went to the Sandbox and saw what Clara had written and remembered that I wasn't at war, I wasn't following, I wasn't leading and I wasn't doing more than wearing a magnetic We Support the Troops ribbon on my Caravan. You and I aren't paying attention to the cost, too comfortable, but listen. Not enough turmoil in your vision of harmony? Well, this is another way of looking all around you.

Tough talk about shooting last weekend, how hard it is without Internet connections at work, the cable guy that comes late and makes me miss work for a day. I am the absent American, too busy to make sure the right people get into government - elected and hired for that dream that became so selfish. How did I forget? Patriot Guard Riders are out honoring fallen Veterans, current service personnel and past ones. I have been too busy to ride? I am surrounded by serving soldiers and I should talk more with them - don't want them to end up as broken as a young sergeant I remember once was. Well, close the day with a prayer to help all those wounded fighting on out there - especially the ones that really care and need to share their burden and their pain. Good night and sleep well, for your brightest and best are off at their country's behest, and you have diss'd them too much, too often and too long.

No it isn't a National Holiday, but it is important...

6 June 1944, after a twenty-four hour weather delay the invasion of France is on, from the air, from the sea, far from the hearts of the women that loved them - thousands of American, British and Canadians would assault the wall that Rommel built, and he was off to buy some fine shoes for his wife, funny how life works out. Lots, and more than lots of men would leave their lives in the sea, in the trees and on the ground they fell upon, you can still visit the cemetery and look upon the markers, there were so many acts of true heroism performed that day - most unreported, that the Allied Force won a hold on the beach, up on the cliffs and into the interior - then slowed down to catch their breath and reorganize, rearm and wonder 'why me Lord?' It would take Patton to break free of inertia, but he didn't pay attention to physics just martial courage. Still, this is the day, D-Day, and in Europe they understand its importance more than we ever will. But we should Never Forget, so remind everyone what day it is - I don't need Congress to make it a holiday, I just remember it.

pistols at twenty paces...

Well, the plate is full today and I go out to buy stuff and do things. I take a little time to stop at the Range on Ft. Lewis and fire my Micro Compact 45 ACP, by Springfield Armory. I haven't fired it in a long time but it was small enough to sneak out of the house without setting off my wife's alarms. I pick up the target and two hundred rounds only expecting to use fifty.

I like to use the twenty yard line, anything beyond that I would want to have a rifle or I would turn and run away to hide better. They say that bringing back dueling would promote better manners, I don't think so but then only once would you have to put up with bad form from that fool. I blazed away on the first five magazines and was low and all over, all on the paper but random and not really effective.
I wander looking at other targets, most other pistoleros are using the seven yard line, and some have a large hole in the center of their target, lots of bullets and well done in 9 mm. I talk to one of the riflemen, he is shooting two rifles, one a heavily modified Garand, 338 Winchester Mag, shooting that semi, in that load? I have to believe him, it is right in front of my eyes - he offers to allow me to shoot but I pass - temptation is a terrible thing but like most one has to test and taste it to become addicted, and I pass. Still an awesome weapon and sight. One of my old inmate clerks would have loved to have seen that fired, and fire it himself, but he won't get the chance unless he finds full pardon somewhere in his future. He lost so much, permanently, that the rest of us take for granted or foolishly try to prohibit for safety reasons on others. Bill of Rights, anyone?
I finish firing another twenty-five rounds on the Shoot-n-C targets, ten on top, ten on the bottom, then my rear sight slid off during reload and I used only the front sight post and have no evidence that the target was touched, NONE, so I will have to fix that so it never happens again. Use both sights, just wishing death and destruction doesn't work as well as a correctly operating weapons systems and the skills needed. But then I work in a real gun free zone, only the Irish prisoners get weapons into jails for killing their brethren, and my only targets of choice are paper, or far away and about to die without my assistance. Now back to that list of things to fill my weekend's work.