I wasn't a "peacenik" in the 60's and the 70's when it was the in thing to do to protest against the war...only after seeing and being involved in the Vietnam war and getting older and seeing the affects it has on the people who were the unfortunate combatants did I realize the far reaching and ongoing damage... 45 years after my service in Vietnam I can still see its affects by walking a block to the VA Hospital... the disenchanted ones who blame everything that has gone wrong in their lives on "the war", the disenfranchised who are homeless and have been underemployed or UNemployed for most of their postwar life. The "disassembled"... who have lost a limb or limbs defending "their" country and the discouraged, like me, who worry that these sights will continue to be paraded before generation after generation as proof of our might and patriotism. I don't know anymore if I am a" patriot". I love my country. I would do what I did 45 years ago again if it were required of me. What I don't understand are the pitiful guys who are still crying( and some literally) over their treatment when they came home in the 60's an 70's. Mistreatment may be closer to the truth. Yes, it was a sad time. The country wanted to forget the war but it couldn't do it if it celebrated the warriors as it had always done in the past. So the first '"crack epedimic" was actually when the Vietnam vets fell through the crack ...the one in our history. The one when we decided that we had to leave a generation of our soldiers behind for a couple decades while we tried to heal some very deep wounds. We just fell through the crack.
Belatedly, in the Mid(?) 80's the Viet vets were getting some recognition and appreciation. Some welcomed it. Some begrudgingly accepted it but continued to complain that we didn't get "our parades". Others, including me, made our own sort of peace. Maybe not perfect or even healthy. When the belated gratitude came we answered, "Thanks but no thanks. I am fine now. When I needed you I couldn't find you anywhere so find someone else who still needs you because I don't. It turns out I never did." At least, I didn't think I did. But I still wonder about how things worked out. I accept responsibility for everything I have done wrong since then. I own those things. I do, sometimes... not often, wonder if I had not gone away and not been involved in the war... would I be different? I don't know and I am too old to worry about it now. So when people say thank you for your service... EVERYONE who walks past at the VA says it...I just say no problem. It isn't a problem for me when someone whose age tells me they are not even sure what Vietnam was about because it seems sincere. A lot of guys feel like no one should "not know" about us. I am not sure if I understand that but I try to. I try to because I am less likely to say," No problem," to someone nearer my own age when they thank me for my service because( and I know this may be a circular argument) I am not sure they aren't just salving their own guilt.
I don't know. I try not to think about it very often. Smarter people than I have been unable to figure it out. Besides, with the fast moving society in which we now live, it won't be long until it is completely forgotten by everyone... even me. By the looks of what is going on all over the world it will fall through the crack of all the other conflicts, skirmishes, revolutions
and wars that go on everyday .....and for what?

The "Give Peace a Chance" exhibit is here at the Center through May 26. Visitors can complete a scavenger hunt to become eligible to win 2 Platinum Ultimate Tickets to Ride to Abbey Road on the River! http://alicenter.org/press-release/156

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When you speak do it softly. When you speak softly your audience has to pay more attention in order to hear you. When you yell, people will automatically stop listening.....

Whatever the cost... harsh diplomatic and economic sanctions for Russia...

Don't let this bluff that Putin is now running fool you. It is a near last gasp effort by an "elected" dictator to save the "failed State" he is ruling. Russia cannot long support any military action  if it's foreign holdings are frozen, it's trade partners stop trading with them , visas are no longer issued and ambassadors are expelled. Putin has been living on his reputation as a bully for years and no one has dared to call his bluff. THIS is the time. THIS is the way to properly, in a non-violent fashion, put an ultimatum to Putin. He should be told, unconditionally, to remove all military personnel from Ukraine, engage in negotiations to cease all repressive human rights violations in Russia and release any political prisoners. Many say that the price of such an action is too high. I do not agree. Is the price high? Yes but, then, the price of freedom is never cheap.

There is more at stake here than just the future of Ukraine. If Russia's economic fragility is exploited NOW what happens to Iran? Who will be their sponsor? How will they be able to support Hezbollah? Who will aid the Russian/Iranian puppet in Syria. If there is a better place and time for the world to call for everyone to turn over their cards I have never seen it. If we allow Russia and Putin to follow through with this European threat we will be welcoming the first step in the reestablishment of  the U.S.S.R. 

The President needs to block out the whines for military intervention from the familiar 'Right Wing'voices. Properly applied non-military sanctions will quickly bring Putin either sooner to his senses or, later, to his knees. The U.S. and its European 'Allies' have an opportunity TODAY to not repeat the errors that followed  WWII and allowed Russia to arrive here in the first place. It would be economically difficult for the U.S. to pull off this 'coup' alone. It would be much more palatable to Americans if they knew our partners in Europe were behind us( and not as far behind as usual). If worse comes to worse and Europe hasn't the taste for such bold action, so be it. It is high time that the U.S. acted in ITS OWN interest and at ITS OWN pace. This is not a call for isolation. Rather, it is a call to action from our allies and a safer action than they have either answered or criticized over the past twenty years. 

Even if the U.S. fails to find support in Europe, this action is what I would call Self Preservation rather than Isolation. The only question left to be answered is whether or not the United States and, most importantly, its citizens have the 'stuff ' to face down this latest threat in a difficult economic time. Have we  become so self protective that we will  continue to hide our heads in the sand and do nothing? Will we send our soldiers, mercenaries actually, again to take care of it for us and thank them, " for their service" when they return home maimed and confused? Or...

Where DO we go from here...

We Seem To Be Going Backwards.....

Two articles published yesterday by NBC News caught my eye. One on the Supreme Court's decision to further weaken prohibitions on non-consensual search and seizure without a warrant and another on tracking terrorists trained in Syria.

In a 2006 case the Court had decided by 6-3 vote that a search was permissible without a warrant even if an occupant declined to consent as long as another occupant agreed to the search. Today's decision went a step further and allowed the search if the dissenting occupant was not present at the time that the search was initiated. This is allowed even if the dissenting occupant has been removed by the authorities in a legal manner, such as arrest. That was exactly the situation  yesterday as the 2009 case involved searching the apartment of a prior offender who refused such permission. When police noticed the occupant's girlfriend, who was also an occupant, was bruised and bleeding they arrested the boyfriend on suspicion of domestic abuse. By virtue of today's decision his absence trumped his dissent.
One can only assume that the authorities are required to prove the occupancy of the person granting permission by seeking the  address on a driver's license or other acceptable form of  identification. I have found no mention of that in the article, which was by Pete Williams and Erik Ortiz. Hopefully it is not assumed by the Court that this will take place.

The second article, by Robert Windrem has to do with increased efforts by MI5 and MI6 (Britain's equivalent of our CIA and FBI) in the UK to identify and detain dissidents returning from training in Syria to Europe via flights from Turkey. There apparently is a large training operation being conducted in Syria by al Quaeda in which they train dissidents from the West( and elsewhere) and return them to their homes to cause problems. I had read a few weeks ago that the new Director of Homeland Security here was speaking on this subject but didn't realize it was this widespread.
A senior U.S. counter-terrorism official credits the British with being the most aggressive in tracking such movements. So far, this year, they have detained 20 persons versus 24 in all of 2013. This includes 16 in January 4 last Tuesday. 

An interesting point in this article is that MI5 has "admitted" that they had previously been lax in tracking such movements in Northern Ireland where "splinter groups" have been found to be responsible for the deaths of law enforcement personnel. These methods have been being used to track movements in Northern Ireland for the past two years.  While I agree terrorism is horrible and just about any means to track such activities in their infancy can be justified, I hope that this isn't going to become an excuse for a renewal of tensions between these neighbors. It took centuries for Britain to settle the " Irish problem" and then only with the efforts of George Mitchell aiding in the process. To revert to the same problems that plagued these neighboring countries throughout their history would be a long step backwards.

A "Grimm" Tale...

Just a brief note on the idea that The State of the Union Address may be becoming more of a stage for Republicans to give pointless rebuttals serving only to advance the speaker's personal agenda.

After the unremarkable address by President Obama last night 'NY1' correspondent  Mike Scotto was interviewing Rep. Michael Grimm( 11th District New York) and made the apparently monumental mistake of asking an "off topic" question.

Granted, no one wants to be questioned about being investigated for campaign finance violations but if the shoe fits...

Grimm abruptly broke off the interview and was heard on camera telling Scotto that he would , " ...break him in half ...". It was also widely circulated that after leaving and then returning to further entertain the crowd he threatened to throw Scotto over the balcony if he ever repeated his earlier performance of his job.

Now coming from a former U.S. Marine, U.S. Marshall and undercover F.B.I. agent that would seem to be a threat to take seriously. This morning, however, Grimm apologized, Scotto accepted and Grimm is hopeful that the new "best buds" can do lunch together.

Given his history of violent threats and other colorful events I have to ask myself if perhaps Grimm's threat, after he contemplated it, was more dangerous to Scotto or himself? And is this further evidence of a double( triple or quadruple) standard that is at work in our country everyday?

I  don't know WHERE we go from here....

How can anyone LIKE cold weather?

     I have never enjoyed being cold. It is uncomfortable. I have more trouble getting warm than cooling off. Cold weather demands special preparations...

furnace inspections, getting out the winter clothes, winterizing the car( if you still insist on having one). Consider some of the unpleasant connotations of the word.

"cold" shoulder... ignoring or pretending to ignore someone; "cold" fish...someone who has a personality that is not welcoming or warm; "cold" turkey...stopping something abruptly with unpleasant results; "cold" feet( I have them right now, literally AND figuratively)... afraid to act or timid; "{cold" sore...

Do you follow me?

     Right now just east of Downtown Louisville the temperature is less than 10 degrees Fahrenheit ( minus 12.2 Celsius). I do not consider that a comfortable temperature. It is too uncomfortable ( and can be too  dangerous) to go outdoors.

It requires using your heat which dries out your skin, your nasal passages and your throat. Unless you find something pleasant to take your mind off of the temperature it can be depressing.

    Cold weather makes me less likely to go outside and amble around interesting neighborhoods in Louisville. That is one activity ( two , if you count the walk to get there) that I enjoy that I ABSOLUTELY do not partake of in cold weather. I used to say that "cold" was anything below 50 F. I have recently, for some unknown reason, modified that to anything below 40 F.

Are there things that I do indoors that can warm me up a little? Sure there are... cleaning the apartment, working out and a few other things. I will be working out shortly for about 45 minutes. I may do my laundry later if I can screw up the courage to brave the 100 yard walk to the laundromat. Tomorrow, I will clean the apartment. I also have to cook something for supper yet today, as well.

Oh I hope it is Springtime tomorrow.....

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  Today13°F

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  Tomorrow24.5°F

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