Thanks, Veterans!

Thank you, Veterans, for serving our country and preserving our freedoms!

Sure most of you know Wednesday, November 11 is Veteran's Day here in the USA. The holiday was originally known as Armistice Day to commemorate the end of World War I, the War to End All Wars. Well, since it wasn't, we now use the day to honor all veterans, whether they served during war time or peace time. Think most people would agree every day should be Veteran's Day, but it is great to have one day which is specifically set aside for just for our veterans.

We should thank them generally for voluntarily (now, anyway) serving our country. However, there are some things we should specifically thank them for. So, thanks, Veterans, for the following (this is only a partial list):

• The right to speak freely without worrying about going to jail (or worse)
• The right to vote without fear of repercussions such as getting fingers chopped off, going to jail, etc
• The right to criticize our government
• The ability to criticize our way of life
• The ability to have a new government without military coups, bloodshed, etc
• The freedom to read this blog (and lots of others) without having to hide in the basement or closet
• The freedom to write a blog
• The freedom to practice your chosen religion
• The freedom not to practice any religion (though personally not sure why you would want to do that)
• The ability to sleep at night without worrying about our enemies attacking
• The ability to live in a country people literally risk their lives everyday trying to get here
• The hope that you can become a millionaire regardless of where you start in life
• The right to a free press (whether you like them or not)
• The ability to travel anywhere in the country you want anytime you want
• The freedom to read and write
• The ability to live a life where your biggest obsession can be if your team wins or not
• The right to protest (or sue) your government to protect your rights
• The freedom for Jimi Hendrix (a veteran) and others to put their own spin on our national anthem

These are but a few things we can (and should) thank veterans for. Please feel free to add anything you would like to thank them for in the comments below. Know there are several veterans who read this blog so some of them will see it.

These heroes walk among us every day. Many of our heroes are buried around the world because they were fighting for us (and our allies). Please take the time to thank our veterans on their special day. Also encourage you to lift up special prayers for them (and their families) whether they are currently serving (domestically or abroad) or are no longer on active duty.

So, again, thank you, Veterans, for all you have done for me and our country! May God bless you and may God bless the United States of America!

Ruminating on Ft. Hood

John Lennon had a song called "Nobody Told Me," which talks about "strange days indeed." Thursday, November 5 was certainly one of them. By now everyone has probably heard about what happened at Ft. Hood, Texas. Just in case you haven't, an Army major, who is also a doctor, opened fire in the fort, killing 13 and wounding 30. Truly a sad day for our armed forces in general and the Army in specific, not to mention the victims and their families.

First heard about it in a post on Facebook. Went to cnn.com to see what the post was about and was shocked to read what had happened. My first inclination was it had to be terrorists who had gotten into the fort somehow. The article mentioned the suspect was in military fatigues and had been killed. Want to say it even mentioned there were three suspects. Sort of fits the "suicide bomber" mentality of the terrorists we generally read and hear about. Of course, later it came out there was only one guilty party, a major in the Army who was being prepared for deployment overseas. He was even a doctor who specializes in treating soldiers with post traumatic syndrome. He was also still alive.

There are several things which have really bothered me about this whole incident. In no particular order, they are:

• This was done by a man who has taken an oath to do all he can to save lives. Most articles I've read said he is a pretty good doctor, too;
• Not only that, he's taken an oath to be loyal to and serve the USA. By most accounts, he did this up until Thursday. If he feels this strongly, why didn't he just go AWOL rather than start pulling a trigger?;
• Wondered if any of the victims had already survived a tour (or tours) in Iraq or Afghanistan only to be killed or wounded in a place where they should be safest by someone they should implicitly trust?;
• Why was my first inclination this was the act of terrorists, more specifically Muslim terrorists? Is this a byproduct of 9/11, our times in general, or wanting to believe there was no way one of our citizens, much less a fellow soldier, would do this to our own troops?;
• Will there now be a backlash against Muslims in our country? Hope not. Was glad to see Muslim organizations came out immediately to condemn what happened. Islam is no more responsible for terrorism than Christianity is whenever a doctor is killed for performing abortions. It's the individuals, not the religion;
• The first article I read had a one-sentence paragraph to say President Obama had been notified of what happened. First instinct, "No joke. He's the commander in chief. Would certainly hope so." Second instinct, "Why is there a need to put that in the article?" Somehow doubt anyone felt better just because the president (and I mean any president in general) knew what was going on;

Will be interesting to see what comes out before all is said and done. Have already read articles saying he felt this was is a war against Islam and how people treated him unfairly because of his religion. Also read his family has come out to condemn his actions and say there's no excuse for what happened. Since he survived, we may get to hear his reasons for doing this straight from him. Maybe not. Will just have to wait and see. Haven't even heard how serious his wounds are.

Obviously, my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. An extra prayer goes out to Kimberly Munley. She's the police officer who ended the carnage by shooting the assailant. Shot him four times and ended up getting wounded herself in the process. Hope it's nothing serious and she recuperates soon. No telling how many people were saved by her heroism.

May it be God's will that our soldiers are protected no matter where they are, and may God bless the United States of America!

Gapses in the Synapses

Hope everyone had a happy Halloween over the weekend. Ours was pretty nice in spite of the cold weather. Well, it was cold for the South, anyway. At least the rain quit around lunchtime. Could have been very miserable.

Anyway, have a few things to comment on this week. And away we go:

• Watched a little of the Vikings/Packers game yesterday. The Favre worship wasn't quite as bad this time, but it was a little much at times. Yes, it's great that a 40 year-old-man is playing his position well in the NFL. But, there are two things that have bothered me about both of his comebacks. First, the media acts like it's the Second Coming every time. As much as it may pain some people to hear this, he's only playing football. He ain't coming back to solve world hunger, solve the Middle East crisis, etc. There are much more important things to talk about in the world. Second, don't think he understands why people outside of Green Bay aren't really fans of him, anymore. It's not because he's not playing for the Packers and it's not because they are tired of the media oogling over him, although imagine that's got something to do with it. It's because it appears he drags these decisions out to get all the media attention he can out of it. Hopefully, the third time will be the charm, and, when he announces his retirement again, he will really mean it this time. Now that he's beaten the Packers twice, maybe he will finally ride off into the sunset and retire for good while he's still at the top of his game;
• Saw a story asking whether there's room for moderates in the Republican party. Made me a little angry cuz don't think there is room for moderates in either party. The reason for the story is there's a special election for a Congressional seat in New York. One of the Republican candidates withdrew from the race over the weekend cuz the other Republican candidate was ahead of her in the polls and in raising money. She was hand-picked by the committee cuz they thought her moderate views would appeal to more people. Maybe, maybe not. If people don't think she's likable, her stances probably don't matter a whole lot. So, now there are articles questioning whether there is room for moderates in the party. My answer is there's no room for moderates in either party. Read another story where Harry Reid added a public option to a Senate healthcare reform plan. Had to do it cuz the liberal constituency in his district was up in arms. So, he added something that will further drag out the process and probably has no chance of passing just to satisfy the less-moderate side of his party, which most likely shows him the most money. Think that is one thing wrong with America these days: there's no room for moderation in either party. Won't even get into the money part of it. Wish a viable third party would arise, or, at least a viable independent candidate. Not ashamed to say I voted for Ross Perot in '92 (before he wigged out). He had a pretty strong showing and got the attention of a lot of knuckleheads in DC. Unfortunately, he went crazy in '96 so both parties went back to their usual business. Sad to see;
• See where President Obama's poll numbers have come back to earth. Shouldn't be a surprise. Most politicians seem more appealing when they are candidates as opposed to actually serving. Wish they would delve a little deeper in those polls and ask why. If I had to guess, half of those who don't like him think he's taking things too far and the other half thinks he hasn't gone far enough. For those in the latter, he's only been in office for a year. Surely you weren't expecting everything to be solved in a year. Most of our problems have been bubbling for 15-20 years (and even longer). Don't care who you are. They ain't gonna be fixed in a year. If you are a regular reader, you probably already know where I stand on this so won't chew that bubblegum again;
• In case you were wondering, the blood pressure went down enough that won't have to take any pills for now. Have lost 33 pounds since the end of June in my Battle of the Bulge. Still hope to lose about 7 more before all is said and done. The Mrs has done even better than that. (Way to go, Honey!) Most of mine has been from running 4-6 times a week and using the Lose It! app on my iPhone to count my calories. My wife has done the same along with going to Curves three times a week. The hardest part has been finding the money for all the new clothes. (By the way, that's no excuse not to diet and exercise);
• A friend reminded me that you don't have to be alone when times are rough. You can always reach out to your friends for support. True friends will be there for you through good times and bad. They will also never complain about you reaching out to them. More importantly, you can always reach out to Jesus. He reminds us in Matthew 11:28-30 that He wants to help carry our burdens in life. All we have to do is ask. Just as a reminder, if you have anything you would like me or anyone else to pray about, please feel free to leave a comment or send me an e-mail. There is a link in my profile.

That's all I got for now. Just wanted to point out the left-hand side of the page in case you've never noticed. Have some quotes over there. Also have links to other blogs that I encourage you to check out. Feel free to become a follower if you'd like. Appreciate those of you who already are. Gives me encouragement to keep it up.

Peace out!

Childhood Memories

Axl Rose has a song about childhood memories and have had a few of those today. Went to help clean out my parents' house this morning. No, nothing happened to them. They have decided to move out after almost 30 years so my father won't have to navigate the stairs anymore.

Went out on the back deck and a flood of memories came to me while I was looking at the woods and the creek. Have talked before about how great memories can be and how one person's memories can trigger yours. Thought I would share a few I had today. More for the cathartic effect if nothing else. Anyway, here we go:

• My sister and I wearing roller skates the first time we went there. Was a little difficult going up and down the steps but we made it somehow without breaking our necks;
• Trying to restore the tree house with my friend Roger. We were going to use it as the proverbial club house. Ended up using the storage space/cellar under the house instead;
• The various business ventures he and I came up with. Never made the first dime off any of them. But, wasn't surprised when I found out he has his own business now;
• Many days playing football, basketball, and riding bikes with my various friends;
• Many long conversations with good friends;
• Listening to Pink Floyd alone in the dark;
• Playing Atari at my friend Michael's house;
• His sister taking us to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show for the first time. Can still remember seeing women in bustiers for the first time;
• Watching M*A*S*H on my little black and white TV after the late news;
• Being grateful Michael had a VCR to tape the final episode. We had a Jr. Achievement meeting that night and couldn't watch it as it aired;
• Having Christmas at home a couple of days before Christmas every year cuz we spent Christmas Day at my grandparents;
• Hearing the PA from the 13-14 little league field during baseball season. That old man had a true cigarette and whiskey voice. Not even sure he took the cigarette out of his mouth while he was announcing;
• Mr. Mayhall, the band director, speaking Swahili to us (at least his version of it) when we wouldn't listen to what he was trying to tell us;
• My father asking if we were going to have twins when we told my parents Stacey was pregnant. We had no way of knowing at the time that we were. Still haven't figured out what made him ask that.

There are more I could list but am getting tired of typing and you are probably getting bored, too. They actually move next week so will probably have more when I go over to help with that. May not share those, though. Anyway, as my dad put it today, at least we're not having to do this cuz someone died.

Later.

You Might Be Getting Old If...

Have had time to do some thinking cuz it's just too dang cold to go outside this weekend in the Deep South. Normally cold weather doesn't affect me, but just not ready for it right now. Anyway, sometimes when you think, you think deep thoughts and you feel like you resolve some issues. Other times, not so much. Well, this has been a not-so-much weekend.

One topic which has been in me gray matter is some things which MIGHT indicate your getting a little long in the tooth. Decided to share my thoughts with you. So, here we go, some signs you MIGHT be getting old:

• Realizing the coaches you see on TV are the same guys you used to watch play the game
• The players you watch now are the children of the players you used to watch several years ago
• The floor is not making the creaks and pops heard while you walk
• Wondering how the person who cuts your hair snuck in those silver highlights you see in the mirror
• Hearing songs you've always liked on Muzak
• Actually liking the Muzak version a little better than the original
• Hearing new songs on the radio and wonder, "What the &$*# is that?"
• Never hearing of today's pop stars until they make headlines for all the wrong reasons
• Predicting the weather by which body part aches
• Pondering longer on how your body may react rather than how it tastes when choosing food and drink
• Starting sentences with the phrase "Well, when I was your age..."
• Instead of going out on the town at 11 pm, you hope you can stay awake 'til then
• Seeing sunrises cuz you're just getting up rather than just getting in
• The anti-establishment behavior you used to think was cool now annoys you
• You're not crazy about your kids watching Looney Tunes because now you understand the humor
• Not making fun of the Lifealert and Little Rascal commercials anymore
• Having to ask your kids how to work the latest techno-gadgets

These are just a few I've thought of. Please feel free to submit a few of your own.

Stay golden.

More Gapses in the Synapses

Before I get started, want to point out the music which is playing. This song is the Apocalyptica song I've talked about several times on here. It's their version of Metallica's Nothing Else Matters using nothing but cellos. Hope you like it. If you don't, you can always turn your volume down. Thanks to my wife for showing me how to get it loaded on here.

A few random thoughts:

• Really enjoyed running in the Susan G Komen, a great and wonderful cause, Race for the Cure 5K this weekend. Hope you can tell that from my previous post, but thought I would say it again. It is an awesome cause. The only drawback is there are a lot of walkers who start in front of people who want to run. Think I covered an extra half mile weaving in between all of them. One or two people walking together is not a big deal. But, when there are 6 people walking side-by-side, that is a little much when you choose to start in front of runners. Not trying to discourage people from participating any way they can. Just think you should be a little more cognizant of your surroundings if you are going to do that;
• My kids are out on fall break for the next two days. Fall break?! We never had that when we were in school. Why, we had to walk to school in 6 feet...wait, never mind about that. Anyway, it seems like they take a lot more breaks nowadays than when we went to school. More power to 'em, I reckon;
• Anybody play Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook? Can't decide if I like this new version or not. You score a lot more points, but it seems a little less challenging. Does anybody else think of Bill Murray in Caddyshack when the voice says, "Excellent"? Kind of sounds like Montgomery Burns on The Simpsons, too;
• So, the Nobel committee awarded President Obama their peace prize. It's their award. Reckon they can do what they want with it. Couldn't believe it when I first heard it. Made a little more sense when I read they sometimes do that to encourage people to continue their course. Hope no one is mad at the president for it. He didn't vote on it and probably would tell you he doesn't deserve it at this point, either. Personally am in the school of thought that thinks this may make things even tougher on him. We shall see;
• Looks like there will be some form of health care reform before too long. All for that, just hope they hold the course with no public option. There's no way the country will be able to afford it, and there's only so long we can keep spending money we don't have. We may all be millionaires in the future but a loaf of bread will cost $5,000 because the dollar won't be worth the paper it's printed on. That's what happens when governments keep printing money with nothing behind it. It leads to inflation, which is a deeper discussion than I want to get in to right now. Just to give you an idea of what can happen: after World War I, Germany kept printing money so its people would have money. They eventually printed so much of it that it was worthless and people were using their paper money as wallpaper. Let's hope that doesn't happen here;
• Saw where someone is auctioning off some of Michael Jackson's hair which was burnt back in 1984. First, wonder who would want to buy it (although I'm sure someone will)? Second, why would someone keep something like that all this time? What is this world coming to?
• This is a good time of year for TV. Survivor, Biggest Loser, and Amazing Race are all on the airwaves. If they could have Deadliest Catch on, too, it would be perfect. Of all of them, I would want to be on Survivor the most followed by Amazing Race. I'm overweight, but nowhere near enough to be considered for the Biggest Loser. Was disappointed Coach Mo was sent home from BL last night, but when I saw him wearing that boot, figured that was foreshadowing he was not much longer for the show. Am soooo ready for the lawyer to be out of AR. He just grates on my nerves because he always talks about how smart he is but he can't find his way out of a paper bag then blames it all on his soon-to-be wife. Oy;
• Was sad to see Captain Lou Albano died yesterday. You may know him from the Cyndi Lauper videos. Or, you may actually know him from WWE wrestling but just don't want to admit it. He was a great villain and knew how to keep the crowd involved. Not many around today like him. RIP, Captain Lou;
• In case you're curious, my cholesterol came back at 173. At least it's below the 200 threshold, but still have to watch it. Encourage you to have yours tested, too. If you have health insurance, check to see if you have preventive medicine coverage cuz this would fall under it and there's usually no deductible for that particular coverage. Have to go back Monday to get my blood pressure retested to see if I will need to start medication for that. Not holding out much hope on that.

In the words of the great Mick Foley, "Have a nice day!"

Susan G Komen, A Great and Wonderful Cause, 5K

Had the opportunity to run in the Susan G Komen, a great and wonderful cause, Race for the Cure 5K over the weekend. It was an awesome experience to see that many people come together for one cause. According to what I've heard, there were about 14,000 people who ran in either the 5K or the one mile fun run in Birmingham alone. A great turnout, especially for a cool and rainy Saturday morning in the middle of college football season.

The picture above is our crew of folks that ran. We belong to the same church and most of us are in the same Sunday school class. One other husband also participated, but he had stepped away for a moment when the picture was taken. Several things stand out to me when I look at this picture:

1. Sure have some skinny legs compared to the rest of my body. (Lost 25 lbs in the last couple of months so the rest of my body is catching up);


2. The 7 year old was the fastest of the bunch;


3. More importantly, statistically speaking, at least one of the women will be struck by breast cancer at some point in her lifetime. Think about that for a second. Pretty startling.

While I was running in the race, my mind wandered to many subjects. The one that kept coming up was how breast cancer has affected my family. My grandmother and mother both are survivors. My aunt was not so lucky although she put up a good fight. That's three women in two generations of the same family who have been affected. Chances are good that other women on this side of the family will also have to battle the disease before it's all said and done.

Thought about my aunt Tricia when I saw folks running in memory of someone else. She was a great woman who taught first grade. She loved kids but oddly enough never had any biological children of her own. Can still see the tears streaming down the preacher's face while he was giving her eulogy. Still think about her often and wonder why God chose to bring her back home. Maybe He liked her singing and was ready for her to join his choir. Don't know. Do know her battle has inspired a lot of people, and that probably had something to do with it, too. Funny how He works that way. Anyway...

Breast cancer research is one of those things I always give to whenever I can. Do it in honor of my mother and grandmother and in memory of my aunt. I'm sure there's someone in your life who has been touched by this disease and would encourage you to do what you can, too. Even if you don't contribute to finding a cure for this disease, giving to research on another disease could lead to the cure for that one and a whole bunch of others. Already planning to run again next year.

If you are a woman, be sure to check yourself early and often for lumps and make sure you get your mammograms when you are supposed to. Right now, early detection is the best and most effective way to defeat this disease. Someday these won't be necessary, but, for now, they are. And, men, just for the record, we get breast cancer, too, although it's a much smaller percentage. So, it won't hurt to check yourself, either.

Until next time...