Still Alive

OAFS Photo

So I'm still reveling in my sloth, my desire to do absolutely not much, my need (if you will) to be completely unproductive.

And, of course, enjoying every minute of it.

If you look at the photo above, to the right, you will notice the 12 foot tall skeleton advancing from the bushes towards the street in front of Chez Nuke et Tuttle. I didn't notice it when I arrived on Sunday. Good thing too, it would have freaked me out.

But grandson Roberto briefed me on that scary individual before I stumbled upon him on my own. It's pretty impressive, even has eyes that will track your movements.

Weird, and scary. Just the thing a six year old boy would find fascinating.

As for me?

Started watching a series on Netflix, The Diplomat. Not bad, rather entertaining.

Life goes on, The Missus Herself is in the air as I write this, returning to the continental US from Korea. She'll spend some more time with her Stateside sisters then come back to me next week.

Damn, I miss her.

The knee is better, not great, but healing. Such are the perils of aging. Things which would heal in days now take months. Oh well, better'n being dead I suppose.

Carry on.

Chilling with the Grands ...

OAFS Photo

After a weekend of cool temperatures (and lots of rain) the first few days of my stay here in Maryland have been nothing short of spectacular. We even had very warm temps (80s) on Tuesday and Wednesday. Rather pleasant though after the very cool nights up north.

The boys, Roberto and Finnegan are both rather excited to have Grandpa on board. They had to show me all of the Halloween decorations but were disappointed that Grandma and I wouldn't be coming down for the event itself.

Nope, I've got a procedure scheduled on my left eye right after Halloween. I'm getting a glaucoma drainage implant as the eye drops I've been taking aren't enough to get the pressure in my left eye down within reasonable limits. (For the record, right eye is fine.) That's going to take place shortly after The Missus Herself returns from her sojourn in the Land of the Morning Calm. Early November, Election Day as it were. I didn't know that when I agreed to the date.

Not to worry, I'll be voting by mail this year. I don't like to, but there is no alternative this year. Gotta do the civic duty thing, dontcha know?

Until then I'll be chilling with the grands then back up north to get Mama from the aeroporto. It'll be nice having her home.

Miss her, I do.

Now I need to explain to a six year old and a three year old what I'm getting done to my eye. Such things fascinate them.

Me too, if I wasn't the subject.

Oh well, better than being blind.

Be (ahem) seeing you.

Sergeant Major Matt Williams US Army Medal of Honor

OK, Campers, I'm back on the Medal of Honor track.  I thought you might be getting tired of seeing pictures of our new house being framed.  Progress is being made, but slowly.  So I'm going to post a subject I find interesting and electrifying.  I've always wondered if I...

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Anyhow, today's posting is about Master Sergeant Matthew Williams US Army.  After retirement from the Army, he attended Texas A&M and earned a Master's Degree in Business Administration, which also put him on the Texas A&M list of Medal of Honor Recipients.  Another interesting tidbit is when he was awarded the Medal he was one of only 4 recipients still on active duty. He has since retired and is on the advisory group for a veteran nonprofit group which is a cancer prevention group for veterans.

 

 I think you'll find the following Citation very interesting and a tad scary.  But he did his duty and survived.  Well Done, Sir!

The President of the United States

In the Name of the Congress

Takes Pleasure in Presenting The Medal of Honor To

Sergeant Matthew O. Williams

United States Army

For Services as Set Forth in the Following Citation: Sergeant Williams distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on 6 April 2008, while serving as a Weapons Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3336, Special Operations Task Force-33, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Sergeant Williams was part of an assault element inserted by helicopter into a location in Afghanistan. As the assault element was moving up a mountain toward its objective, it was engaged by intense enemy machine gun, sniper, and rocket-propelled grenade fire. The lead portion of the assault element, which included the ground commander, sustained several casualties and became pinned down on the sheer mountainside. Sergeant Williams, upon hearing that the lead element had sustained casualties and was in danger of being overrun, braved intense enemy fire to lead a counter-attack across a valley of ice-covered boulders and a fast-moving, ice cold, and waist-deep river. Under withering fire, Sergeant Williams and his local national commandos fought up the terraced mountainside to the besieged element. Arriving at the lead element's position, Sergeant Williams arrayed his Afghan commandos to provide suppressive fire, which kept the insurgent fighters from overrunning the position. When the Team Sergeant was wounded, Sergeant Williams braved enemy fire once again to provide buddy-aid and to move the Team Sergeant down the sheer mountainside to the casualty collection point. Sergeant Williams then fought and climbed his way back up the mountainside to help defend the lead assault element that still had several serious casualties in need of evacuation. Sergeant Williams directed suppressive fire and exposed himself to enemy fire in order to reestablish the team's critical satellite radio communications. He then assisted with moving the wounded down the near-vertical mountainside to the casualty collection point. Noting that the collection point was about to be overrun by enemy fighters, Sergeant Williams led the Afghan commandos in a counter-attack that lasted for several hours. When helicopters arrived to evacuate the wounded, Sergeant Williams again exposed himself to enemy fire, carrying and loading casualties onto the helicopters while continuing to direct commando firepower to suppress numerous insurgent positions. His actions enabled the patrol to evacuate wounded and dead comrades without further casualties. Sergeant Williams' complete disregard for his own safety and his concern for the safety of his teammates ensured the survival of four critically wounded soldiers and prevented the lead element of the assault force from being overrun by the enemy. Sergeant Williams' actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan, Special Operations Command Central, and the United States Army.

 

 I highly recommend reading this article about his post military activities.  Truly an outstanding citizen.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_O._Williams 

https://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/williams/ 

https://stories.tamu.edu/stories/medal-of-honor-recipient-embodies-texas-ams-core-values-and-the-aggie-spirit/ 

 

 

A Tale of the Road

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So on Sunday last I drove down to the Old Line State, the storm yclept Isaias was in the process of making its way up the Eastern seaboard of these here United States and I would, by necessity, have to drive right through it.

Yay ...

The day began with temperatures in the 50s, overcast, but dry. It was not to stay that way. Two hours in, roughly 1100 local, somewhere in Connecticut, the first drops of rain splatted upon my windshield as I sat in the parking lot of one of the multiple service areas along I-95. I remember thinking, "This does not bode well."

It did not.

Before setting off I checked the radar picture, both via Weather Underground and the Weather Channel. Yup, things were going to get sloppy.

I'd love to talk about all the lovely fall foliage I saw, which I did see along I-195 between Providence and Fall River, but what I saw mostly is what you see in that opening photo.

Yeah, moving clouds on the interstate, somewhere encased within each cloud was a motor vehicle. The really big clouds concealed 18-wheelers. To say that extra caution was warranted would be something of an understatement.

Something indeed ...

Only saw standing water in one place, and that was south of Wilmington, DE. Well, truth be told I didn't see the massive puddle (not quite the size of Lake Superior, but ...) until Blue was in its grip.

Fortunately I was not traveling at a high rate of speed but fast enough where the sudden slowdown and sheet of water engulfing my vehicle were startling to say the least. I think I went from 35 mph down to 10 mph in less time than it takes to say that.

I was surprised and somewhat pissed at myself for not paying attention. A momentary lapse which could have proven deadly had it been on the interstate and going faster.

One thing I will say for the latest instantiation of Google Maps is that the user community (via Waze, now owned by Google) reports various things like low visibility, flooded roads, and members of the local constabulary stalking the starship captains.

Guess they missed that one.

At any rate I arrived alive and somewhat the worse for wear at Chez Nuke et Tuttle only an hour or so later than normal. Fortunately traffic wasn't that heavy, lot of "brake tappers" out there though, you know the type, guy hits the brakes a half mile ahead and the "brake tapper" will follow suit.

"Dude, just take your foot off the gas!" I would bellow each time it happened. Still and all, can't be too cautious I suppose.

Better than the asshats who ride someone's bumper and have to be on the brakes constantly.

"Dude, just pass him!" I would bellow in those instances.

Good thing The Missus Herself wasn't aboard, then I'd have to "suffer" in silence.

I do get carried away with "commenting" on the skills (or lack thereof) of the other folks on the road. But my word, why are so many incompetents on the road?

I know, I know, I spent seven plus years driving with the very best motor vehicle operators in the world, so I'm spoiled a bit.

Still and all, I got to where I wanted to go. And that my friends, is all that matters. 

Busy, busy, busy!

 Ok, Campers, don't have much story to tell today.  We just got back from a soiree' in Dripping Springs (Western Suburb of Austin).  The widow of my Winemaker friend (and a Winemaker herself) had invited a lot of the people we had met and toured wine regions around the world with.  It was great to see them all again.

 

One of the guests and a friend of mine showed me his woodworking skills when he was told he needed a cane.  I think it's pretty cool

 About 30 folks showed up, lots of good stories told and retold as well as the almost guaranteed "Remember when juvat..." or other guys stories of foibles were told.

Dinner was catered and the main course was chicken or beef fajitas.  Most excellent.

And....

Having sold the winery they had stashed away a decent amount of wine before inventory was counted for the sale. 

All excellent!  Whites and Rose's were available, but their best wines have always been reds.  I had a glass of cold Sauvignon Blanc first to quench my thirst then switched to Reds.

Excellent as always.  

 

 

There was a bit of music that was quite enjoyable.  The couple were long time clients at the winery, so were invited to play (and have some wine).  A very nice touch to a very nice evening. 

The party went on for quite a while, and most of the wives had the chauffeur role in getting home.  Mrs J and I had been invited to spend the night at our host's house which we took advantage of.

The following morning we had a souffle for breakfast and departed for home.

A truly excellent event all round.

Cheers! 

  

And You're Here, Because?

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Bruh, I'm on the road, heading for the Mason-Dixon Line. Go read those folks on the sidebar.

No, really ...

Is this what hiatus looks like?

Hell, I don't know.

Be seeing you.

Gotta maintain "the streak" dontcha know?

Ramblings to the Rescue

Image generated via AI.

Sarge sent out the subtle Bat-Signal with his "Nothing to Say" and rerun post, so I have come to the rescue. This reminds me of the line from The Dark Knight when Commissioner Gordon laments the vigilante. I will use it with extreme literary license: “This may be the blog post The Chant deserves, but not the one it needs right now.”

In a recent post, Sarge lamented how politics is very much "in your face," which is so true. Election season, which seems to be at a full boil as we near each November, is only turned down to a high simmer the rest of the year. I think that's because there's so much money in politics, and the fact that the current administration is trying to cut off that money. I'm not necessarily talking about just campaign money, but the fraud that seemingly funds all the protests, the left-wing media, the siphoning off of aid to Ukraine, and the financing of "Learning Centers," hospice clinics, Medicare fraud, and so on.

Sarge's exact line was: “The world has gone insane, everyone wants to howl in my face about politics.”

It's on full volume right now and stays at a relatively high pitch all the time because the left has severe Trump Derangement Syndrome.   They are fighting for their life—or at least their lifeblood: our tax dollars.  Therefore, nearly every media story is slanted to slander, which keeps politics on the front burner all the time.  It keeps people upset and voting for a side that has nothing going for it except that hate for their opponent.

I see the real-world consequences of this constant media fear-mongering right in my own home.   I've previously mentioned how my apolitical daughter went off to college and came back as a textbook "woke" liberal, completely hating my political views.  But reality has a funny way of breaking through that viewpoint, especially here in California.  We live in a state burdened with massive taxes and exploding local problems.  Lately, I think she’s finally starting to turn.  Our current ballot is packed with weak candidates and propositions that will raise our taxes even higher, and she is starting to feel the actual weight of the policies she was taught to cheer for. Is her heart and mind changing ever so slowly?  I think so, but nothing accelerates that shift like watching her hard-earned dollars get siphoned away to fund the very insanity she is trying to survive.

By the end of the movie The Dark Knight, Harvey Dent has gone insane, become the villain Two-Face, and died. If the public found out that their "White Knight" District Attorney had become a murderous criminal, Gotham's citizens would lose all hope, and the criminals Harvey locked up would be released back onto the streets.  Knowing that Gotham is a deeply corrupt, gritty city that regularly falls into chaos, Batman tells Gordon to place the blame for Dent's crimes on him.  With that, Batman becomes a hunted criminal in the eyes of the public. He isn't interested in praise or fame, and his reputation suffers because of it.  Yet, he disappears back into the shadows to continue keeping Gotham safe.

A violent, law-bending vigilante like Batman is exactly the kind of gritty hero a city like that "deserves."  However, Batman was not the hero it needed right then.  What Gotham needed at that specific moment was hope and faith in the official legal system.  It needed a symbol of pure, uncorrupted justice who worked within the law—and that symbol was the DA Harvey Dent.

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Bear with me now, but I'm going to loosely equate Batman to Trump.

Trump doesn't play nice. He deals with the stark, ugly realities of the world, and those on the other side of the aisle.  For years, we were led to believe that geopolitical threats like Iran were entirely contained by conventional diplomacy.  During the Obama and Biden administrations, we were told the situation was under control, pointing to international monitoring that legally capped Iran's uranium enrichment at a harmless 3.67% purity.  But this soft diplomacy was either ignorant, or subtly and intentionally hiding how fast things were actually moving beneath the literal surface of Iran.  Inaction on our part had led to 5% purity, with some stockpiles reaching 20%.   That led to the 2015 Iran Nuclear "Deal" which lifted sanctions capping them at the previous 3.67% enrichment.

Once Iran's fiscal constraints were off though, reality caught up with us quickly.  We now know that Iran managed to quietly blow past those old diplomatic baselines, pushing its uranium enrichment all the way up to 60% purity—a hair’s breadth away from weapons-grade material—and amassing hundreds of kilos of fissile stock capable of nuclear armament.  Meanwhile, they shattered their own self-imposed 2,000-kilometer missile range moratorium by launching intermediate-range ballistic missiles thousands of kilometers out toward the base at Diego Garcia.

The media and the political establishment - from Bush to Biden, tried to downplay just how close our adversaries were to a nuclear capability, using the illusion of past agreements to justify our inaction.  Trump recognizes the danger of the real world though and acts accordingly, regardless of the outcry and recent media leaps that claim he wants Iran to bomb San Diego as a small price to pay.

Trump is not the slick, good-looking, smooth-talking politician we think we want.  He is not perfect by any means, but his policies are strengthening our country, protecting the border, making us safer, putting more people to work, making us less reliant on foreign countries, and Making America Great Again.  Trump takes the slings and arrows of the media, fueling the cacophony from the left, and he simply doesn't care.  He doesn't step back from his policies. He doesn't chase the polls.  And he's equally good at choosing the right Lieutenants who are just as skilled, if not more, at pushing back at the media's attempts to hijack the narrative and slander his agenda.

Like Batman taking the fall for the peace of Gotham, Trump absorbs the endless hatred, the investigations, and the media vitriol because he can take it.  He isn't the polished, comforting, and passive symbol the media wants for us in Washington.  But because he stands as a shield between us and a chaotic world, pushing his policies without caring about his own elite reputation, he might just be the exact hero we need.  

And years from now, history might credit him as such.

For the rest of the month at least, the howling from the left will probably remain in Sarge's face.  But as long as the shield holds, the rest of us can continue to enjoy the fruits of Trump's labor.  Will it hold?  I'm voting with Juvat's rubric* to keep it in place.  If things shift a little more left, his agenda may stall, but the public, like my daughter, is slowly waking up.  As it does, maybe we'll start voting in our best interests, and the the politicians we deserve won't be so different from the ones we need. 

* And I'll add one more- no tax increases ever.  

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