Embedded Files
"Opinion is the medium between Knowledge and Ignorance." ~ Plato
Blown by Every Wind of Doctrine
My Inspiration for this page is Pat's Desk on Pat Conroy's site, though I am certain mine will be nothing like his.
This is for my small observations, thoughts, likes, dislikes, recommendations, blinding flashes of the obvious, and full-on shots across the bow. It will probably be filled with my tongue-in-cheek nonsense, unsupportable opinions, incorrect conclusions, and frivolous reflections. Steel Yourself!
Here we go— Listen In!
Healing
We're on Tybee Island, The family converged here.to celebrate my granddaughter's birthday.
This morning, I got up eaqrly and took photos of the Lighthouse and North Beach Boardwalk at sunrise. It was beautiful out there. Peaceful. Serene.
The Beach is exactly what I need.
I'll find some beach, somewhere, to heal after this is all over.
Back to Back Bay? I think so.
Friday, 2 May 2025
Shrimp and Grits— Revisited
You wouldn't think you'd find Shrimp and Grits in Southern Pines, NC, but there it was.
We stopped by an old favorite, The Sly Fox, for dinner last night. We're on our way to Savannah. In the middle of their menu was "Low Country Shrimp and Grits." I couldn't resist ordering, but my expectations were low.
I got a delicious soup of shrimp, grits, and country ham, in a spicy broth. Yes, Soup.
I think the Grits were cooked well. It was hard to tell.
The Shrimp were large and plentiful, and grilled to perfection. The chef removed the tails, so I put them on my chop plate to cut them into bite-sized pieces.
The Ham was savory and very salty.
The Chef should have stopped there. Instead, he drowned the Shrimp, Grits, and Ham in a broth. I couldn't see the ham, grits, or shrimp without digging to the bottom with my Fork. They should have given me a spoon
Admittedly, it was yummy, very salty, and spicy. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't Shrimp and Grits.
I think that Shrimp and Grits are perfect together. Cook your grits until firm, like oatmeal. Grill your shrimp and season to taste; this is where you make it savory. Add a little Andouille Sausage or Tasso Ham if you want. I don't. Then, throw in some green onion and, maybe (not for me), some diced tomatoes. Leave the tails ON! S&G is partly a finger food.
That's it. The dish doesn't need anything else. S&G is not a fancy dish; stop trying to make it one.
Trust me. I'm a Southerner; I've eaten shrimp and grits all over the South. The Best? Charleston and New Orleans. The absolute worst? Birmingham.
Thursday, 1 May 2025
Homeless or Hobo
Kady and I went for Turkish and then to the Walking Mall to drop off my pocket watch for repair and to find SGM a birthday present. Inside this two-block area, I counted ten people camped on benches, beside buildings, and in front of business and residential entrances. Some had their stuff in carts or buggies. Some piled their belongings near their chosen sleeping area.
The City Council won't do anything about it. They consider this a city-wide problem. They are "exploring options like working with The Salvation Army and building shelters, but keep demanding that they be "Low Barrier." Low barrier is a term for no rules, like Proof of ID, Drug Testing, and Background Checks. All they promise is enhanced police presence.
I didn't see one officer while I was there.
The city's businesses are understandably pissed off. They are calling for the ouster of these people for breaking the law. I agree, put them in jail. At least they'll have a safe place to sleep and get three meals a day.
In all fairness, some of these people need another option. Though I firmly believe that most of these people are panhandlers, drug users, and vagrants, some may be good people down on their luck. No matter their story, they're trespassing.
Here's a simple and easy plan for you, Council..
Convince all your liberal cronies to stop giving these people money. That will probably reduce the "homeless " population by half. Have all of your bleeding heart churches sponsor one or two people, give them a place to stay, a bed to sleep in, and three meals a day. Give them work and pay them. Don't refer, but take them to counselling and medical/dental care. Convince a few of the rich doctors in town to volunteer their time and resources. Clean them up, give them job counselling, and set them on a quick course for self-sufficiency.
Get off of your ass, City Council. Clear the Mall, our parks, and the middle of every intersection. It's unsightly and unsafe. The community deserves better.
Monday, 28 April 2025
Like, Like, Like
I was, like, it's really late and, like, I'm so tired, and , like, I'm going to bed and like, get some sleep.
You've heard it: a person using the word "like" multiple times in a sentence. Overuse of the word makes otherwise brilliant people sound lazy, uneducated, and frivolous.
To me, it's annoying!
Like, when did this, like, begin? I blame it on, like, the popular movie Valley Girl from, like, 1983. Like, Wow! Was it, like, that long ago? Like, every girl in America who, like, saw that movie, like, wanted to be Julie Richmond (played by Deborah Foreman). They wanted to, like, act, like, dress, and, like, wear their hair like her. Like, they wanted their own Nicholas Cage boyfriend. Like, they wanted to, like, TALK like her.
Understandable. Deborah Foreman was and still is Adorable. I don't blame her; I blame Hollywood. Later, they gave us Clueless and Mean Girls, and other teen movies to warp young minds.
Speaking like Julie Richmond became a phenomenon known as Valleyspeak, and, forty years on, the overuse of the word like is epidemic.
OK, maybe not. Somehow this crap became common practice.
Look. I get it. Using "like" in a sentence can be used for emphasis, as a pause, or to let your brain catch up with your mouth (I refuse to do it), but using it every few words is just a bad habit. You may not even be aware that you're doing it.
Stop it!
It will take a lot of hard work. You will have to retrain your brain to form sentences without it. Or, ask your friends to scream Stop every time you say the word.
Sunday, 27n April 2025
Cleaning up the War Room
In an effort to make my room more appealing to the eye, I have asked for Kady's help. She began by taking down the things on my walls. Down came placques, away went guidons, and gone are all the prints. Next, she patched the bazillion holes in the walls while I got rid of a LOT of the ash and trash.
She'll dust the walls, paint the bad places, and clean the marks on the ceiling with a Magic Eraser. I'm staying out of her way.
It already looks better than it did.
Right now, all I want to go back up is my Deitz 505 Print, The Beginning, and my Para Reg print, The Paras are Landing. Lee and his Generals will continue to hang over my bookshelf. The Hand-sewn 2-505 Crest from Panama needs to go somewhere.
Who wants my West Point Saber?
Friday, 25 April 2025
"Jesus Wept." ~ John 11:35
On Catholicism
Lately, a lot of the news is about the death of some guy in Rome. I don't know anything about this person nor could I give two shits about him. What I do know is that his organization is the most pervasive evil ever perpetrated on mankind.
And
Let's go back in history and have a look, shall we?
Suppression of other religions, ancient texts, and scientific discovery
The Inquisition
The Crusades
The Doctrine of Discovery - justification for the colonization and exploitation of non-Christian lands and peoples
Wars of Religion (Thirty Years Wars, French Religious Wars, England’s War of Three Kingdoms, . . . )
Support of Evil Regimes
Forced Assimilation of Native Americans
Handling of child abuse cases and protection of priests
Subjugation of women, beginning with the defamation of Mary Magdalene as a Prostitute
This organization has always been about Money, Finery, Power, and World Domination. It is so far outside the teachings of Jesus that it should never be called a Christian organization.
Sadly, Frank's "church" didn't die with him.
Thursday, 24 April 2025
505 Coffee Bar Opening Soon
This is the High-505, based on Grit Coffee's High-Five. I made it this morning by pulling Espresso over a pinch of raw sugar, pouring in a little steamed Half-and-Half, and sprinkling a pinch of sea salt over the foam.
It smelled amazing, looked delicious, and tasted fantastic.
Now that I have perfected the taste of Espresso, Cappuccino, and this, I'll start learning to do Latte Art.
Visit. Have a coffee with me.
Monday, 21 April 2025
"A celebrity isn't an envoy of humankind - they go into space for their own reasons . . . These flights are significant and exciting, but I think maybe they .can also be a source of frustration for space scientists . . . We see space flight as being for science, knowledge and the interests of humanity . . . Celebrities do it for amusement but get a lot more attention than the regular astronauts." Dr Kai-Uwe Schrogl, special advisor for political affairs at the European Space Agency, via BBC News.
Twits in Space!
Yesterday, rich people paid an exorbitant price (estimated at $28M) to ride a rocket on an eleven-minute ride to slightly above the Kármán Line into outer space and then free-fell back to earth, until the chutes deployed. They didn't touch one control.
They did launch with a token scientist, Aisha Bowe, whose credentials are impressive enough to set her apart.
It wasn't lost on me that the group included two whites, one black, one asian, and one Hispanic.
Now they want to call themselves The All-Woman "Crew" and "Astronauts." They babbled about how this 11-minute joyride changed their lives and increased their love for Mother Earth.
Thankfully, they survived to experience the ridicule and backlash waiting for them back on Earth. Had they not, songs of lamentation would have been sung for years.
Let's be clear, they were passengers or tourists. They were not a crew, and they are not astronauts! That's like saying I'm a Pilot if I ride in an airplane.
Wednesday, 16 April 2025
A Lost Trail
I have no time or energy to be mad about this; I was not surprised.
For months, I have dreaded the loss of my old friend, a 1930s Ford dump truck, as developers build new housing in these woods. Now, I've lost the woods.
The land inside these signs leads to the construction, but isn't owned by the housing developers. Perhaps it is about safety, or another homeless person has pitched a tent.
I have other trails. I'll just be sad.
"Gone are the pathways a child followed home . . . " ~ Dan Fogelberg
Tuesday, 15 April 2025
Tuesday, 15 April 2025
This Certificate
I have proudly displayed this on the wall of The War Room or my Office for years. Now, in my last days, I have an issue with it.
In this document, I am called an "Honorary Member of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment."
Honorary: given as an honour, without the person having to have the usual qualifications ~ Oxford.The Secretary of the Army was Togo West, who only served in the Army for eight years, mostly as a JAG Captain.
COL Newman served as the 505th Commander from June 95 to July 97 - two years. I remember him as a good commander and as a Ranger Regiment guy. He jumped into Grenada with B-1-75.
I served in the 2nd Battalion 505PIR from 1996 - 1980, 1981-1984, 1985-1990 (88-90, I was in the Parachute Regiment, still assigned to the 505), and 1992-1995. I was COL Newman's Brigade First Sergeant (1SG) from 1995 to 1996. That's fifteen years, rising in rank from PV1 (E-1) to 1SG (E-8), until the Army selected me for Sergeant Major. I count that as sixteen years, twice as long as Togo was in the Army and eight times longer than Clyde was in the 505.. Who the fuck are these twp guys to designate Me as an "honorary" Anything?
No, I am A Member of the 505th!
Friday, 11 April 2025
Correcting Language
This morning, I read this in the AP: "The Education Department said in March that an investigation concluded the Maine Department of Education violated the federal Title IX law by allowing transgender girls to participate on girls’ teams."
Do you see the problem?
Here is a big lie— The term Transgender assumes that switching from one sex to another is possible. It is NOT! The AP should have written, "by allowing boys to compete on girls' teams." The White House rightly uses the term "Men in Women's Sports."
Since the Associated Press Style Book is the Standard for Journalism, the AP needs to fix this.
Let me speak the self-evident Truth.
Don't try to tell me that it's possible to become the opposite sex. You know that is a lie. If you want to wear your sister's or brother's clothes, believing you are a different sex/gender, that's your business, but keep your delusional nonsense out of the locker room and bathroom.
Note: If you want to take issue with this post, you better come loaded for bear. I don't do lies.
Friday, 11 April 2025
1923
I loved this show and wished it would never end. Taylor Sheridan finished Strong. I loved the ending; tragic but moving. I may have cried.
Who didn't love Spencer the Badass and Alexandra the Duchess of Sussex? It's too bad the Duttons in Yellowstone don't share their bloodline.
I wish he would finish the 1883 story.
I'm left with questions:
Was Jack's real name John?
How did Jack's child with Elizabeth, John's Father, return to inherit the ranch?
What's the story about Spencer, the Widow, and her boy?
Who in the Wide World of Sports are Ned and Chance (S1/E2)
Taylor, speak to me.
Monday, 7 April 2025
Tuesday: OK. I'm no longer behind the power curve. The next, and logical, prequel will be "1944", already Neel505 Approved.
Yes. I have too much time on my hands.
Great Season
I haven't said shit all season. I was afraid that if I did, I'd jinx the team. I believe in Jinxes.
Coach Pearl and the Team had a great run. They played their hearts out and asses off every game. That's hard to do. Am I disappointed? Of course. Every Auburn Fan believed we would win.
Great Season, Tigers! You made us PROUD! I believe in Auburn and Love It. War damn Eagle!
Saturday Night, 5 April 2025
More Photoshop Fun
I figured out two new (and useful) things in Photoshop Elements:
The easiest way to correct a "marginal" photo.
The fastest way to add your metadata to an image.
To illustrate, I chose an old photo from 1985 of Army Photographer Bob Ducette. It was one of my first attempts at Available Light People Photos. I love the shot, but it was never a great photo.
I discovered that you can open any image as a RAW photo and adjust it using the RAW Window in Photoshop. (File - Open in Camera RAW - choose your file - PS loads your image in the RAW Adjustment Window).
You have to try this. It will convince you that you are a Wizard and should Always Shoot in RAW.
Next, protect your photo. Add your Personal and Camera info to the metadata (File - File Info). That's easy enough... but why do it every time? Why not build a Template you can load to every photo? Easier (File - File Info - IPTC Extensions - type in your repeating information - Template at the bottom - Export - PS puts it in a special folder for importing to your next image).
For this image, I watermarked, framed, shadowed, and saved it for the web to reduce the size and speed of browser loading.
Saturday, 5 April 2025
Making A Watermark in Photoshop Elements
Making a watermark in PS is super easy:
Open your Brand Image (white background)
Using the Horizontal Type Tool (T), choose your font in Black (000000), Type I
In Layers (Windows, check Layers), choose the image layer and adjust the opacity (top Slider) to show lots of contrast between the image and letters.
Save as PSD File
Create a Brush (Edit - Define Brush), then name and save it. It'll show up at the bottom of your brush list.
Now, with the Brush Tool, you can paint this anywhere on your photo, in any color, with a mouse click.
Protect Your Photos!
Friday, 4 April 2025
Poloroids
We all loved Polaroids, Right? Yeah, the quality wasn't as good as our 35mm film prints, and the film was expensive, but we got instant feedback and gratification. We could write in the margins and share with our friends. Then came digital photography.
Kady and I had a Spectra, a fun point-and-shoot system with some cool filters that closed up into a package that was easily thrown in a bag for travel. We used it a lot. I sold it or gave it away.
We still have one. Uncle Ed, the professional videographer, gave us an SX-70, a top-of-the-line Polaroid produced in 1973. Kim has tried it out but prefers her iPhone. I need to have a go.
What do I miss most? The Borders. I loved the offset borders we got with the Spectra.
Once again, digital comes to the rescue. As with everything, there is a Photoshop technique for every problem; I only had to learn how. This photo is an example of what I figured out this morning. It ain't hard or magic.
I adjusted the canvas three times (Edit - Resize - Canvas Size). First, I used white by 3/4 (.75) of an inch and centered. Next, I used white and added an inch to the height, oriented with the top arrow. Lastly, I added .10 in grey to both sides, oriented with the top right arrow, using the erase tool in the top left and bottom right corners to create a "shadow."
I may use the shadow all the time.
Thursday, 3 April 2025
I'm Listening To
You need to give David Nail a try. He's fantastic. His music is not really "country." I'd call it Americana. This lad is a singer-songwriter. You probably know his version of Red Light by Jonathan Singleton, released in 2009.
Listen to every song; there are great treasures here - Mississippi, St. Louis, Missouri, Sound of a Thousand Dreams . . . Hell, they're all good.
Start with his first album, I'm About to Come Alive.
You're Welcome.
Wednesday, 2 April 2025
My "art" from a Brett Niles PhotographReast Easy, 2IC
Sketch Guru, I Miss U
When I got my first Android phone (Samsung S10), I loaded Sketch Guru from the Google Play Store. It was a great app that let me turn photos into sketches. I used it a lot during my first experiments with Instagram.
I once used it to turn a Brett Niles photo of me doing my Jump Master thing into a sketch. This photo had been stolen from my website, turned into "Art," that the "Artist" was selling at his online Military Art Store.
Brett, an amazing Photographer, had recently taken his own life, another victim of the plague decimating our particular species, so I took a real exception to this property infringement. I contacted this asshole but never heard back.
It was time to fight.
I took Brett's photo, turned it black and white, adjusted it to look better than this guy's version, and used Sketch Guru to make it look like a sketch.
I posted my "art" on his website and Facebook, telling his friends and customers the story of the theft and adding that I had made a better drawing from the original photo, which only took me 20 minutes and that I would send it to anyone who wanted it, free of charge, postage paid, and signed by the Jumpmaster.
He removed it from his site, and I've watermarked my stuff since.
Sketch Guru is no longer available. I did this from another Brett Niles Photograph with Photoshop Elements. I loaded the image, cropped it, adjusted the brightness and contrast, layered it, crosshatched it, blended with opacity, and flattened the layers. Tada! Art!
Tuesday, 1 April 2035
'Tis but a Scratch
505 Up-date
I am reluctant to post this. I'm not looking for sympathy or prayers, though good and positive conversations are welcome. This post is to let you know what's up with me.
Bottom Line: I've got some medical shit going on.
In November, we found that I needed a bypass. My doctors tried a stint, but the blockage was in a place where they couldn't. I was lucky.
In the preoperative work for surgery, they found a mass in my upper left lung. They also noted some nodules on my Thyroid Glands.
One thing at a time, lads!
The bypass was damn tough. I was in the Cardiac ICU for a week. I recovered through Christmas.
Now, it was time for more tests. We did another CT Scan, a PET Scan, and three Byopsis. The biopsy on my thyroid glands came back normal. My PET Scan and robotic biopsy came back inconclusive. The direct biopsy showed a highly-aggressive but treatable form of cancer.
Sooooo . . . I'm doing Chemo. Chemo sucks. I have done two infusions and will do two more after another CT Scan.
Hey! If little kids have to suffer Chemo, I can.
Next will be surgery. The type will be determined by how well the Chemo works. They'll either remove the tumor or do an upper lobectomy.
Whatever. Let's Go!
I am confident that I will be on my way to full recovery in June. I have fantastic doctors and confidence that they'll fix this and set me up for a few more years to hang out here on Planet Earth. I have family things to do, beaches to visit, stars to watch, photos to take, and trails to walk.
As Robert Frost wrote - I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep.
Monday, 32 March 2025
The Electric State
If you haven't watched this movie on Netflix, get to it. Watch it with your kids. It stars Chris Pratt, Millie Bobby Brown, and Stanley Tucci. It's a fun and comical movie about the fight between good and evil.
The cast playing the robots is unbelievable.
Highly Recommend.
Wednesday,
My Last Photo of VMI . . . There Stood Jackson
When I Wax Nostalgic
Yesterday, I thought, I'll go to VMI's New Market Parade this May. I recovered quickly.
I miss the Cadets and the great Southern Military College it once aspired to be, but I don't miss the politics, the entitled alumni, the professors, or some of the staff.
The school pissed me off when they buckled under the whines of a few alumni and liberals to remove the Statue of Jackson in front of Jackson Arch, agreeing by doing so to the rewriting of history that labels Stonewall a traitor.
I thought this school was a bastion of Southern Conservatism and truth. I was wrong.
Will it recover in this time of backlash? Nah. Probably not. "Higher" education is all about the money.
Monday, 24 March 2025
From the NY Times
Another Antietam/Gettysburg
Exactly what I said was going to happen in Russia's Kursk Region is happening.
In my 11 August 2024 Note, I compared the Ukrainian incursion in the area to Lee's Invasion of the North. It was not a good idea or political gamble and was likely to fail.
Well, it is failing exactly how I said it would. Russia isolated the over-extended Ukranian force and attacked from three sides.
They have already begun bombing the single supply route and are close to surrounding two main pockets of resistance.
They'll go into Sumy next, on a direct route to Kyiv, with very few Ukrainian forces to stop them. Think Jubal Early's campaign on Washinton.
They could turn south and roll up the flank of the Ukrainian force in the southeast. I'd go with this option. This is a Little Roundtop moment. Whoever wins Sumy may win this war.
Monday, 17 March 2025
Collaborations
A while back, I got an email from a former cadet asking about a memory of a Fake Colonel coming to VMI and messing with Cadets. I confirmed and gave him all the details I remembered. Yesterday, he sent me a story he wrote from the Rat perspective of the incident. It was good.
Today, my daughter-in-law came over for coffee. She wanted to show me what she had found about her people on Family Search. I set up a Family Group so she could see and edit my tree. She's already working like a little beaver, building on my strawman for her side of the family. Finally, a member of my family is interested.
I miss teaching and working with young people. I need a budding photographer to mentor.
Sunday, 16 March 2025
Neely Sayes So
Mirra Andreeva! She's going to be a big thing and will be My Favorite Player once she turns 18; I don't want to be "creepy."
Saturday, 15 March 2025Update: She just came back from losing the first set, to win Indian Wells against Sabalinka! Hokie Smokes, it was amazing.
Sunday, 16 March 2025
Miriam Konks Out
My Dell XPS8930 finally died right in the middle of watching Reacher. She won't turn back on.
Miriam was a hell of a girl. For seven years, old age in computer years, she was a beast - i5 processor, 32GB of RAM, two mirrored 500GB SSDs, running Windows 11 Pro.
I was prepared. I hooked up my new laptop to my big monitor and that's all it took to do things like always.
Farewell, Good and Faithful Friend.
Thursday, 13 March 2025
Update: I ordered a new Dell. When will I ever give up on the Chrome OS Idea? It just doesn't work for my hobbies.
Friday, 28 March 2025
The Silent Places
Catherin' was coming to town for a visit this weekend. I planned to show her my favorite places of silence, calm and serenity. She needed them. I had to cancel our plans. Chemo.
When and if she does visit, I have a short list of things to do from which to choose. I plan to shut up, let her decompress, reflect, and commune with the Sirens and Muses of Charlottesville. I could use that too.
Thursday, 13 March 2025
Forest Lakes
Barborville
Highlands
Ivy Creek
Dark Winds
Dark Winds, Season 3, just started on AMC. If you liked Longmire, you'll like this.
Zahn McClarnon plays a tough Navaho cop, very much like his character in Longmire. It took me a while to get into Season 1, but I'm hooked now.
Great series!
Alie Ward and Ologies
The best SciCom Podcast out there is Ologies by Alie Ward. I've said that before, I know.
No walk is complete without my Alie Time. She's clever, funny, knowledgeable, sometimes "colorful," and unafraid of asking dumb questions. She interviews top experts in each field, choosing a new 'ology, each week.
She covers serious subjects and hard science, but fun enough to cover witches for Halloween. Even the beat of her theme song is the exact cadence of my walking pace.
Listen! Pick a subject that interests you. You will not be bored. You will learn something you didn't know before. Guaranteed.
Thursday, 6 September 2025
Michael Wood
Oh. To Return
a story within a story within a storyWhen I returned home from my 1985 assignment to Türkiye, the 1985 BBC series In Search of The Trojan War by Michael Wood, was released on American TV. You can still watch it Here.
I return it to it often. I'm not sure what it is about this series but it brings on an emotional response in me, every time. Perhaps it is the music or Michael's wonderful ability to tell a story. Is it my love of history and archaeology, or that I have stood in many of the places he visits?
Most likely it is my way of returning to my beloved second home, Türkiye.
Troy was the first place I visited during my second and third NATO tours of duty.
During those tours, I took my soldiers to Troy, telling them the story on the bus and walking them around the site. I had our UH-1 Pilots make a detour over Hissarlik as we returned to Izmir from a NATO Exercise in Keşan.
Patrick Shaw-Stewart
An Untitled Poem
During the series, Michael Wood quotes a portion of a World War I poem, referencing the Trojan War. The poem was discovered in the margin of a copy of A Shropshire Lad owned by Patrick Shaw-Stewart. He wrote it on the Turk island of Gökçeada (Imbros) just before the battle of Gallipoli.
I promised myself, I would return to Troy and recite his poem over the ruins. That promise took me back to Turkiye for two more tours.
I saw a man this morningWho did not wish to dieI ask, and cannot answer, If otherwise wish I.
Fair broke the day this morningAgainst the Dardanelles;The breeze blew soft, the morn's cheeksWere cold as cold sea-shells. But other shells are waitingAcross the Aegean sea,Shrapnel and high explosive,Shells and hells for me.
O hell of ships and cities,Hell of men like me,Fatal second Helen,Why must I follow thee?
Achilles came to TroylandAnd I to Chersonese:He turned from wrath to battle,And I from three days' peace.
Achilles came to TroylandAnd I to Chersonese:He turned from wrath to battle,And I from three days' peace.
Was it so hard, Achilles,So very hard to die?Thou knewest and I know not—So much the happier I.
I will go back this morningFrom Imbros over the sea;Stand in the trench, Achilles, Flame-capped, and shout for me.
I will go back this morningFrom Imbros over the sea;Stand in the trench, Achilles, Flame-capped, and shout for me.
Lady Diana Manners
My search for Patrick took me down a rabbit hole, into his life before the war. He was part of the Corrupt Coterie, a group of young, affluent intellectuals held together by The Viscountess of Norfolk, Lady Dianna Manners.
Almost every man in The Coterie died in World War I.
Lady Diana was considered the most beautiful woman in British Society. I found her fascinating and picked up Autobiography: The Rainbow Comes and Goes. It is a good book that depicts her struggles for independence from her parents, her life during the war, the loss of her friends, and her life married to Duff Cooper.
Like all the boys in The Coterie, I fell a little in love with her.
Wednesday, 5 March 2025
What I'm Reading
I bought this book a while ago but never picked it up. I took it with me on a trip to Maryland and I'm completely caught up in the story; I can't put it down.
HBO is making a series to be released on 15 June. I'm for it, even if there are no dragons.
Highly recommended!
Sunday, 2 March 2025
Hording Cameras
I displayed the cameras from my youth in The War Room for years. After retirement, I gave most of them away or sold them. I kept my Canon A-1 and Uncle Ed's Mamiya-6. I have Dad's 35mm Rangefinder.
The guy in the Stanton Camera Museum is cut from a different cloth.
I went there yesterday. This is not a museum but a huge collection of film cameras and equipment. There were so many cameras that the place was cluttered, resembling the inside of a hoarder's house. It was hard to navigate.
This collection, though amazing, would be better served with fewer cameras, displayed chronologically, by type, or by make, rotated often to keep it fresh and clean. It needs a much larger, more open space and professional informational graphics. The proprietor should stop his pedantic hovering and remove the mountain of old camera bags on the floor.
If you're a camera fan, this place is still worth visiting. There are treasures here.
When I asked if he had a Rolleiflex "like the one that Elizabeth Taylor used," he showed me a little camera, shoved back on a center shelf, relegated in this "museum" to a place of no importance. It wasn't the same model. I believe hers was a Rolleiflex Automat 6x6 - Model K4A, made from 1951 - 1954.
When I told him I was looking for photos she had taken, he dismissed the notion, telling me "She never took photos," claiming that it was all Hollywood hype. Pffft. She was well-known for carrying a camera and making photographs everywhere she went. This is not the only dogmatic fallacious tale he spun during our visit; he's a bit of a huckster.
If I ran this place, an example of her Rollei, like he carried in her 20s, a Canon P, an Olympus Pen EE half frame 35mm, and a Canon AF35ML, would be prominently displayed beside photos of Liz with her cameras.
Friday, 28 February 2025
Premium Office Space For Rent in New York City - Cheap!
405 E 45th St, New York, NY 10017
Oh, how I hope this happens in my lifetime.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, introduced bills in the Senate and the House called DEFUND (Disengaging Entirely from the United Nations Debacle) to get us the hell OUT of this evil international organization.
If this happens, we can stop propping it up with American dollars, remove the largest purveyor of foreign intelligence inside our country, and free up a large office building in downtown NYC, right on the East River.
I'm for it. I've always been for it! Do it NOW! Expel all of the UN Ambassadors and their lackeys.
You Go, Lee Roy!
Monday, 24 February 2025
From The Web
Mirra Andreeva - Better and Better
That's right, I said it.
Last August, in my 2024 Notes, I said this little girl would be special.
Mirra Andreeva (#12) just beat three Grand Slam winners, Rybakina (#7), Vondrousova, and five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek (#2) to get to the Dubai Final. She defeated injured Tauson 7 - 6, 6 - 1 in the final.
At 17, she is the youngest to win the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and championship in a WTA 1000 event. She'll probably be in the Top Ten next week.
I may have found my new player.
Saturday, 22 February 2025
In a New Metaphycical World
"Microsoft’s new “topological qubit” is not based on a solid, liquid, or gas. It is another phase of matter that many experts did not think was possible. " ~ NYT Article, 19 February 2025
My son sent me this with an exploding head emoji. "I'm Smart," I thought. I read the article.
Huh?
I read a few articles.
Uh?
I sent back -"This is so beyond my ability to understand it's crazy. I'm going to file it under Magic."
I remain convinced that we humans are unfocused. What if we took the same amount of time, effort, brain-power, and money spent on new and better cell phones, faster gaming computers, going to Mars, and killing each other, on more important shit like saving the only home we have? What if Microsoft streamlined its OS, dumped Edge, and stopped breaking File Explorer?
Huh?
Come on, Neely! What nonsense!
Monday, 21 February 2025
I Turn Off The Water in My Shower
And Kady Texts Me
Would you go to Bojangles if I asked nice?
Your Daughter is hungry and doesn’t know what she wants and I suggested that and it may be the winner.
And also you destroyed Your Granddaughter’s castle and she wants you to rebuild it lol
It may be a lunch thing.
And not a breakfast thing.
I think Your Son-In-Law is going.
Maybe.
It’s confusing down here.
Hahaha
As per normal.
Do you want something
Helloooo.
I Finish Drying Off
Saturday, 15 February 2025
Life's Winter
". . . no kindly thaw shall melt the snows of age." ~ Robert Burns, The Winter of Life
It's snowing again today. So far, it's not a lot and isn't sticking to the roads, but it's supposed to accumulate an inch an hour till the wee hours.
I'm ready to get past this crap. I'm ready for Spring.
Tuesday, 11 February 2025
Monday, 10 February 2025
Fort Bragg is Back
All You Hippies Can Kiss Our Collective Airborne Asses.
And, oh by the way, Thanks Google! Keep it Fun!
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
A Night to Forget
Yawn.
It was over in the first quarter and all downhill from there. This year's "Super" Bowl was anything but. M'Homie couldn't get anything going until the second half. By then, it was too late. The problem was his protection; The Eagles Defense was all over his ass and the Chiefs didn't adjust.
Conversely, Jalen and Barkley were solid, and their team wanted the Title and the Big Ring. They smoked the Chiefs.
As bad as the Chiefs' performance was, the halftime show was worse.
A 1970s high school football player (I forget his name) marched around a stage, mumbling unintelligible words, amidst formations of people marching and bobbing their heads. I was bored.
This is How it's Done, you little Wanker
Supposedly, a retired tennis player danced for a few seconds. I missed that, and I couldn't care less. Even the commercials were forgettable.
I must admit that the synchronization of the marching head bobbing was spot on. I wish I had been able to get that kind of precision out of the Corps of Keydets.
In the Second Half, the Chiefs outscored the Eagles 22 - 16. It didn't matter.
Sunday, 9 February 2025
From her Instagram Account
Farewell, Simona of my Own-a
My Player, Simona Halep, retired from professional tennis yesterday. I am not happy about it.
The way I see it, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) screwed her over, blowing a trace amount of a drug in her system way out of proportion, suspending her for four years.
About a year and a half later, the Court of Arbitration in Sports reduced Simona's suspension and fined the ITIA 20,000 Swiss Francs. The suspension was wrong and everyone knows it.
She never recovered from the time away from competing. She trained hard, but no amount of practice could replace competition to keep up your game.
Simona retired from pto tennis after losing 6-1, 6-1 to Lucia Bronzetti in the Transylvania Open.
Though I am sure we'll see more of her, It's a sad day.
Thursday, 6 February 2025
From The Web
Daniel and The Boss
Late nights in Fayetteville/Fort Bragg, from 1978 until I left the army in early 1980, I listened to WQDR out of Raleigh. WQDR was our preferred Rock radio station and one of the first Album stations in the nation. My car radio was permanently set on 94.7 FM.
When I rejoined the Army in 1981, I went right back to WQDR.
The DJs for the station were super. They introduced their listeners to the Real Rock Stars, refusing to play hard rock or heavy metal. We never had to listen to the repetitious "Top 10 Hits" played on other stations.
The night DJ, Daniel Brunty, played great music, introduced by his smooth-as-silk voice. He turned WQDR's listeners on to Bruce Springsteen. Daniel was a self-professed Springsteen Fanatic. Many nights, he'd play nothing but The Boss.
I became a fan of Springsteen's old music while listening to Daniel's show. Some of those songs are still included in my favorite tunes.
It all ended in September 1984 when WQDR went to a Country format. I stopped listening to the radio when I returned from overseas in 1986.
Tuesday, 5 February 2025
Photo from the Web.
I Should'a Been a Myrmecologist
I missed my calling!
I love listening to podcasts while walking. Two of my favorites are Radiolab and Ologies. I liked the old Radiolab episodes before they turned the show over to young people. Once I could listen to balanced science shows there. Not so much anymore. I see the problem as Laziness.
Radiolab did an episode called The Argentine Invasion. That episode was my first and what got me hooked on the old Radiolab. It was about Argentine Ants taking over the world.
Ologies just re-released an old episode called Myrmecology - The Study of Ants. I listened to it yesterday on my walk. It is a great episode and pairs well with The Argentine Invasion
I highly recommend both, found wherever you listen to podcasts.
Friday, 31 January 2025
Photo from the web - Yahoo Entertaiment
Betty
OK, Betty Gilpin! I just finished American Primeval. I loved it. The lead actress looked familiar and, BOY!, was she good. I Googled her.
Ah! Ha! This is the lady who played in Mrs. Davis on Peacock. It was a wacky show, but as a Nun, Betty was Hot!
Let's watch more Betty.
I watched The Hunt on Prime. That was fun. Now I'm starting GLOW on Netflix.
Yowza.
Monday, 27 January 2025$20,000,000
Nah. NIL and the Transfer Portal won't change college sports. I've heard that. Yeah, nothing says School Spirit like a 23-year-old kid purchasing a $300K Lamborghini and then transferring to another school the next year.
You can also buy a national championship with enough NIL money. Ohio State did. They built themselves a mercenary army, the best money could buy. Surprise, they won. They had better enjoy this title. The Texas Schools have a LOT more money; they are coming.
Let the spending begin!
Tuesday, 21 January 2025
47
I watched almost all of the Inauguration Events today. I'll have to say, The Donald earned a little of my respect. He didn't pull any punches with the Clinton-Obama-Biden-Harris Coterie. He called them out on all their ridiculous policies and detrimental actions, and they had to sit there and take it.
The best part was watching them squirm in their seats.
He has plans for immigration, energy, the economy, military strength, the evils of DEI and CRT, and government corruption, which I agree with. How he implements them will be a shit-show, I'm sure.
I hope he can take back our Canal( Jimmy fucked up) and reinstate the American Canal Zone. I hope he pardons the 6 January folks just to watch the Left melt down. I hope he renames the Gulf and Mount McKinley.
I hope he can return this country to common-sense thinking but he has none.
This is going to be fun! Make some popcorn.
Monday, 20 January 2025
Waiting
I do not like waiting. I never have. I like getting things done. I'm aggressive about it.
Sitting around waiting for other people is particularly painful. I want to know what's next, and I want to know NOW!
Whatever I need to do, I want to do. I will handle it. I want to get shit done so I can live my life on my terms.
Well. This is cryptic.
Thursday, 16 January 2025
Title Game
Notre Dame and Ohio State. Now, there are two boring teams. Yawn.
I'm guessing that I'll go to bed at Halftime.
Way to go, Texas and Georgia; you couldn't do it, could you? Says the Auburn Fan whose team didn't get to a bowl game.
Saturday, 11 January 2025
Dune Prophecy
I dutifully began the first season of Dune Prophecy on the first day of release. I watched the second episode the next Sunday, two days before surgery. While in the ICU, which was a long and terrible week, I tried to watch the third episode.
I was not in the mood.
Through the pain, drugs, and extreme discomfort, I lost interest. "This is not for me," I thought. I returned to it last week and love it. I'm almost finished.
Highly Recommend.
The same thing happened between me and Silo. I need to revisit.
Friday, 10 January 2025
Headed Our Way
Just when I had accepted that I had to do another MRI, a Pulmonary Function Test, and a Thyroid Biopsy, Weather! We're getting hit with a significant snowstorm tonight and tomorrow. UVA began rescheduling my appointments. Smart Business. I'm certainly not going out in this shit.
I'm such a Poor Little Old Man these days.
Sunday, 5 January 2025
Then there were Four
So. Georgia lost. That leaves Texas as the SEC's only hope. I don't see them getting past Ohio State.
Being a Conference Champion is detrimental to your Playoff performance. Getting a "Bye" in the first round means you won't play a game for almost a month.
Easy Fix: Make it a 16-team Playoff. Forget about conference champions. Take an average between the AP, Coaches, and BCS Rankings. 1-4 play 13-16. 5-8 play 9-12. That's 15 Bowl Games. I'm voting for the Snoop Dogg Bowl as the Championship game.
Friday, 3 January 2025
The New Year Is Already Weird
This year is going to be . . . uh . . . exciting.
The Playoff games have been hit or miss.
Texas! What the hell? I do not see you getting past Ohio State.
Oregon! Did you not know this was a single-elimination playoff bracket? Embarrassing!
Boise State! You're like the Cinderella team that never makes it to the Ball.
What happened in New Orleans was Horrible. What kind of a coward runs happy drunks down with a truck? Props to the cops who ran to the sound of gunfire and killed the son-of-a-bitch.. The videos on X were terrifying.
That they rescheduled the game was both respectful and prudent. We're going back to Bourbon Street, the Sugar Bowl will go on, and you're dead, Asshole. Didn't you learn from 9-11? Attacking us doesn't terify us, it only pisses us off; it doesn't change a thing.
Georgia! Please beat Notre Dame. You are the best hope for the SEC.
Wednesday, 1 January 2025
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