Excuses, Excuses..........

Things on the home front have been poorly conducive to blogging as of late. The Navy still has not been able to firm up their fiendish plans for me and mine. Essentially, all the actionable word I have to go on is: Be ready to move to Groton NLT August absolutely and for sure.......Maybe. I have come to expect this kind of thing from the Navy...Hurry up and wait until it is too late to do it right and then flail about like a headless chicken! This SOP doesn't leave me a lot of time to arrange disposition of our house, schooling of "Chaos", "Mayhem" and "Entropy", finding a new home etc. I know, I know, if I was supposed to have such things the Navy would have issued them to me in my sea bag. Aye Aye Sir three bags full. My Bride is not happy about moving and the children are devastated by the whole concept of moving North. On top of that there are a lot of extended family issues demanding attention at the moment. Fixin'to head back to Texas ISO those issues this week. It will be good to be back in the Republic! There will be REAL BBQ....We will enjoy! I just wish it were under better circumstances. Just has not been time to ponificate and generally bask in the joy of being unencumbered by the facts. Lot's of stuff has gotten my dander up of late but squawking about it has had to take a back burner. Things are so screwed up that I have had to pass on two reenactments this month!

On the lighter side, we actually made it to see a movie recently! We saw Shrek 2 as a family and I am happy to report that all my children behaved....for the most part. Both my Bride and I were actually able to watch the movie. What a novel concept. We are going to try again tonight with the new Harry Potter movie. My oldest, Chaos, really wants to see it as does "Mayhem" but I don't think he is controllable for a 2.4 hour movie. I know "Entropy" is not by a long freakin' shot. I bought tickets to the latest showing in hopes the two younger ones will be too tired to cause problems. May even stoop to giving them a dose of the night time triaminic extra drowsy formula (I am still patiently awaiting the release of "children's Chewable valium" and or "Flintstone's chewable thorazine". I can't believe the pharmaceuticals industry isn't all over that like red on a Baboon's ass!). Whoaa....I digress! Shrek 2 was outstanding. Highly recommend it for all ages. In fact, most of the humor is wasted on people who can't remember the eighties! I think the best quote of the film was:

"Yes he is....AND IT'S A THONG!"

TO THE TYRANT NEVER YIELD

Remembrance

Memorial Day 2004 what does it mean for you? For me it is a day that fills me with pride, and a deep concern. Where is our Republic going? Is anybody on the bridge, if so can they read the chart (i.e. Constitution)? Today we stop and pay homage to our fallen comrades, those who sacrificed to wear the cloth of the nation. Today the loved ones who once sat in the now vacant chair are no longer the memory of a long passed father or grandfather they are our sons, daughters, grandchildren, fathers mothers, sisters and brothers. Many of them were still here with us just a few short months ago. Will you remember them still when a decade has passed? Is their sacrifice in vain? Only the will of our nation can pass judgment upon that. Recently, my Grandmother passed away; she was preceded in her homecoming by my Grandfather well over 20 years ago. My father has been busy putting her estate in order and he sent a few things on to me. Somehow it seems appropriate that during the week leading to this Memorial Day when our best are fighting to give freedom to an oppressed people and to defend a very ungrateful nation against remorseless fanatics that I held in my hand my grandfathers medals earned in the Second World War. I never really new him. To me my Grandfather was an intimidating bear that I saw only infrequently. As I looked through the box of mementos of his life I realized it was my loss. His generation is often called the “greatest generation” because of what they endured and accomplished. My Commanding General when I was deployed for Enduring Freedom often said we are the next greatest generation. I hope he was right, but now that I am home and can see the way we are portrayed to those we served and how absolutely feckless our people have become I have my doubts. I am a pessimist by nature and training but I still find my self un-prepared for the self destructive and delusional character of the American people which has been so evident to me since I returned.

I have another emotion associated with Memorial Day, this one stems from my Southern up bringing. The origins of Memorial Day are still debated but I was taught that the holiday stems from Southern Ladies decorating the graves of our soldiers who died defending their loved ones from invasion by a brutal aggressor. The history books you will find in today’s government schools will tell you that the Southern soldier died defending the institution of slavery. I would not argue that the greatest and perhaps only good to result from the War of Northern Aggression was the death of that institution. Patrick Cleburne’s words were profoundly prophetic when he said:

“Surrender means that the history of this heroic struggle will be written by the enemy: that our youth will be trained by Northern school teachers: learn from Northern school books their version of the war: will be impressed by all the influences of history to regard our gallant dead as traitors, and our maimed veterans as fit subjects for derision...”
-Gen Patrick Cleburne

Today, if you visit a national cemetery such as those at Shiloh, Yorktown, Gettysburg, Fredericksburg or many others, you will see gardens of stones marking the last resting place of those soldiers who invaded, conquered, occupied and subjugated the southern nation. Often times near them there are barely marked mass graves for Southrons who died defending their liberty, their wives, their sweet hearts and their homes. Today it is even forbidden to fly the flag they served under above the graves where they lie entombed and intertwined with their fallen messmates. I will always strive to remember the sacrifice of Southern forbears.

"Any society which suppresses the heritage of its conquered minorities, prevents their history, and denies them their symbols, has sewn the seed of its own destruction."
Sir William Wallace 1281 A.D.

TO THE TYRANT NEVER YIELD