Vacation Day Five or Never Wear Out Your "Welcome"

Time truly flies when you are having fun.  That was so true of this vacation.  All too soon it was time for us to leave the home of our most gracious host and hostesses, and I have to say that we all could have enjoyed each others' company a couple of more days, but there is no need in wearing out a good welcome.  Actually though, we stayed with our hosts for two days longer than we had first planned due to untoward weather in San Antonio.  Our original vacation plan called for two days in the Houston area then a race to San Antonio for two days at SeaWorld.  My lovely bride and I were actually pleased with this development because we were enjoying the visit in Angleton so much.

But, the fifth day of vacation inevitably arrived, and it was time to depart for points west.  First, though, (I hope this is not TMI) I took a final long, hot shower and borrowed (once again) my new niece's Wacky Melon hair and body wash.  I thank her so much for her generosity in this measure, and I am sure I raised a few eyebrows about town as I radiated the fragrance of Wacky Melon all over the Third Coast.  So thus smelling, I helped Honey pack our things, then we both helped our little Cole man pack his things as well.  Honey and I were surprised to find a short note from our new niece waiting for us on the dining table.  In just such a short time I had grown so fond of this little girl who is so proud to call me Uncle Wes, or occasionally Crazy Mr. Meeks, depending on whether or not I remembered to take my medication each morning.  Truthfully though, it is a great blessing to add our new niece and our new sister-in-law to the family roster.  They are both super nice people.

After packing, the entire group went to luncheon and my uncle's house.  Uncle Duane and Aunt Gayle set a nice lunch table, and the conversation is always enlightening, especially as pertains to learning facts about relatives that those particular relatives wish the others did not know.  Mostly though, my Aunt and Uncle are two of the most generous people I have ever met.  Both would give the shirts off their backs to anyone.  Well, okay, Aunt Gayle might not give the shirt off her back, but she would certainly find another one to give.  They took me in a couple of years ago at a time that they did not really know me well at all, but made me one of the family, and I have grown to love them since then, as well as my Cousin Gaylon, who is a definitely one of a kind himself.  It was great to see all of them, even though our time together was so short.  After lunch, it was time to say goodbye and commence the first leg of the return journey - Waco, to drop off our little Cole man.

We reached Waco around 5 PM and dropped off our little grandnephewson.  He was so happy to see Mom once again.  We said our goodbyes to the relatives in Waco and hit the trail once more.  It was at this point that we encountered fire engines and first responder vehicles from all over Texas as the men and women of these departments began to make their way home from the memorial services for the fallen first responders in the tragedy at West.  It really gave me a feeling of Texas pride to be a part of this state, to know that so many stand ready to serve and protect the rest of us.  It was an honor to share the road with these men and women.  Some of them had travelled from points north of Midland, some from even further west than Midland, in order to pay their respect to their fallen comrades.

Finally I saw the familiar Exit 144 sign.  My lovely bride and I breathed a collective sigh of relief to finally be home again.  Vacations are great, seeing the relatives is a blessing, but coming home again to our own little abode was a blessing of its own.  It was nearly midnight.  We had travelled from Houston to Midland, just over five hundred miles, in about nine hours.  It was so nice to hit Terra Firma once more.  With jelly-like legs, we unpacked only the essentials.  I really don't remember much after that.  My next memory is of regaining consciousness sometime after 10 AM the next day.  This was one of the most stress-free vacations I have ever taken.  No, it was not a trip to the tropics or some European destination, but I actually felt refreshed and de-stressed when it was all over.

I am sure our next trip will be to some more touristy destination, but I certainly advise everyone to take a no stress, not really super-planned vacation some day.  It is the kind of vacation that does not leave one wishing for another week of vacation to "recover."  There are still a lot of sights I would like to see someday, but I can tell you honestly that if I never see Yellowstone or the Mayan ruins, I will still remember the good times and the love we shared on this vacation.  We had our Cole man all to ourselves for a week, I got to know my new sister-in-law and my niece (in-law), spend some time with Aunt and Uncle Franks, and we saw one of my cousins whom I had not seen in so long.  We are already planning another trip, but no tourist attraction we could visit could outshine the good times we shared on this vacation, and I believe our welcome is still intact in Angleton.

 

Vacation Day Four or A Happy Reunion

The fourth day of our vacation started with great fanfare.  Well, really, I do not know whether it did or not, because I slept till 10 AM therefore missing whatever fanfare there might have been.  As soon as I was fully awake, my lovely bride yelled that we had to get ready NOW.  It was time to leave for Houston.  So it was a chaotic scene as we were all racing to get ready before the "ride" left the house.  I just had time to splash on another day's worth of Wacky Melon scent body wash, dry and style my hair (right!), get dressed, and jump into the departing Toyota Tundra.  We had to be at a certain point in Houston by 11 AM.  Well, just let me assure you that my brother-in-law, a transplant to Houston, has over the past few years mastered the art of DRIVING IN HOUSTON.  The scenery and near collisions passed by so quickly that all I can say for sure is, we were NOT LATE to our appointment, even counting the two wrong turns on Hwy 59!

Having made the necessary rendezvous and picked up Uncle Duane, we then raced to the Harris County TXDOT office where our driver and my spouse had to pick up a certain document.  I must say at this point that I was pleasantly surprised by the TXDOT service.  Within minutes my spouse and her brother had returned, and it was now time to eat lunch.  This is when things got just a tad dicey.  My lovely bride had just installed Yelp on her IPhone, and she both decided on the restaurant at which we would dine, and navigated for us via Yelp.  The problem was that Uncle Duane knew how to get to Pappadeaux, too.  The other problem was that his directions were opposite those of the Yelp app.  So we turned into the shopping center as indicated by Yelp.  No Pappadeaux's.  As we were driving down the service road on I-45 West, Uncle Duane pointed out the Pappadeaux's now clearly visible just across the Interstate.  Seeing it so close, however, did not mean that we could GET TO IT!  Not to worry...with just a couple of miles of stunt driving and committing a dozen or so moving violations, my brother-in-law delivered us safely to Pappadeaux's.

Mini review of Pappadeaux's:  The food was okay, the service was alright, the noise was deafening, and the prices made me forget all the foregoing.  All I can say was the conversation I could actually hear was great, but I was more than happy to get outside back to the tranquility of Interstate 45 traffic and the constant roar of jets passing overhead.

After the luncheon described above, we again boarded my brother-in-law's Tundra.  Minutes later we were rocketing south on Hwy 288, again making "the Indy 500 look like a Roman chariot race now.." to quote a famous tune.  My brother-in-law's talent as a fearless stunt driver should surely earn him a slot in Hollywood.  We were back in Angleton in half the time it should have taken us, but back in one piece, and that is the important thing. 

By 4:30 PM it was time to leave for Pearland.  I was doing the driving this time, therefore there was less stunt drivering, and the length of travel time was more realistic.  But the most exciting thing was that we were having dinner with my cousin, LeeAnn, whom I had not seen in probably thirty years, although we had "talked" occasionally on Facebook.  I could not wait to get there.  In fact we arrived early, so I had to take the spouse shopping in the Town Center.  Finally though, it was time to go meet LeeAnn.

I cannot describe the feeling of finally seeing LeeAnn again.  She was just as beautiful as the day I saw her last.  I introduced her to my lovely bride, and to our grandnephewson.  Cole was immediately taken with her, and they both spent a few minutes coloring in his coloring book.  Sherron and LeeAnn hit it off just as well, too.  It was such a great reunion.  I could not stop hugging her.  But then we were seated and ordered our food.  But the great thing was that we talked just like we had not been strangers.  By the time dinner was over and the young nephew was getting sleepy, we still could have talked for hours more.  But all things have to come to an end.  Our grandnephewson was up past his bedtime and it was beginning to show.  So we said our goodbyes and got hugs all around.  I already miss her and can't wait to see her again.  I love you, LeeAnn.

It is now the end of the fourth day of vacation.  Due to a certain task waiting for my lovely bride on Friday, we will leave tomorrow to drop Cole off at his home, then we will drive back to West Texas.  I am still so wired from the dinner with my sweet cousin that I don't believe I will be sleepy for some time.  I hope all of you have a chance to reunite with a distant relative or friend that you have not seen in some time.  The strange thing is that once you see each other again, it is almost like you have not been apart for long at all.

I am so happy to see how many have read about my fairly mundane vacation, and I have to tell you that this is one of the best I have ever had.  May God bless all of you, and especially may God bless our neighbors in Boston and in West.  And God bless America.

 

Vacation Day Three

The good news is that our great relatives are not TIRED of us yet.  That is always a blessing.  And it was a great day even if the I did not make it back to the beach.

I started the morning with a shower.  I realize this may be TMI, but the reason I wanted to share this is that, while I am very good at packing for vacation, I invariably forget ONE item of great importance.  This trip, however, I forgot TWO items, both of great import.  First, I forgot my guaranteed to grow hair shampoo, and second, I forgot my moisturizing, hydrogenating hair conditioner.  Therefore, for the past two days now, during my shower I have had to borrow my newest niece's two-in-one shampoo and conditioner.  I am so grateful to her for her unselfishness, don't get me wrong; It's just that for two days now, I have smelled like Wacky Melon.  That's right, Wacky Melon!  I have visited several shops and restaurants in the past two days, and I can assure you, I have turned heads with my newly acquired body scent.

So once again, today I ventured out into the world with an aura of Wacky Melon hanging in a vaporous cloud all over me.  I did notice one advantage though; The mosquitoes apparently do not like Wacky Melon.  So today I did not donate even a pint of blood to the mosquito blood bank.  By the way, I did not venture very far into the world during the morning.  My grandnephewson and I spent the morning watching AristoCats and some animated tale starring Tinkerbell and about two hundred other fairies.  I enjoyed the AristoCats as much as ever, but I must admit I paid scant attention to the second feature.  Luckily the lunch bell rang not long after the second movie started, and I was spared much misery I am sure.

After lunch we carpooled with our hosts out to the Garden Ridge Store in Webster.  This particular establishment contains three or four acres of things that no one needs, but apparently many people buy anyway, for the adornment of their homes.  If the husband is not there to clamp the vices on the wallet, the lovely spouse can run through quite a bankroll in just a few minutes, and still buy nothing she really needs.  Luckily my spouse was just "getting ideas" today (mostly).  The other lucky thing is that all Garden Ridge Stores are at least four hundred miles from Midland, in any direction.  This geographical piece de resistance will no doubt save me thousands of dollars!

After escaping the Garden Ridge Store with only one hundred or so dollars in ransom, we made our way to a nearby parochial school where my lovely niece would be playing soccer.  The game started promptly at 5 PM.  I have to say that, though I am not a soccer fan, and do not even really understand its purpose, this particular game was fun to watch.  I am sure it had to do with the fact that my newly acquired niece was playing.  In the end, her team lost by one, but it was a great afternoon.

Leaving the sports field, we proceeded to Mamasita's in Webster.  The food there was okay, but nothing that I would go out of my way to return to for seconds.  But the company made the food that much better.  I will say that the service was very fine, and I complement the wait staff.  After leaving the unremarkable dinner, we stopped at a "Texas stop sign" in Alvin.  Blizzards and ice cream for everyone.  This was possibly a mistake, though, as Cole, the grandnephewson, is now running in circles on the ceiling and bouncing off the walls.  Note to his mother:  we will be sure to stock him up on sugar, chocolate, and caffeine before returning him to you. 

It was not an earthshaking day, just a relaxing, totally unstressful day.  It turns out that the weather changed our plans for the last half of the vacation, so instead of travelling to SeaWorld, we will spend one more day here, then make the long trip back to West Texas, possibly with a stop in West, Texas to be part of the human and apparatus wall that will greet the Westboro "Christians" should they actually show themselves in West.  I believe that I can speak for many Texans when I say that we Texans will show the Westboro people what "Don't Mess With Texas" really means. 

I love my state.  God bless Texas, and God comfort all our friends in West.

End of Watch: Saturday, April 20, 2013 Deputy Chad Key, Grayson County TX Sheriff's Office

On April 20, 2013 Deputy Key was killed about 10:30 PM when he was struck by a drunk driver.  The deputy was directing traffic at an intersection when the accident happened.  Instead of stopping, the driver fled the scene as the officer died in the street.  The offender, when arrested, was found to be out of jail on bond for a previous DWI charge.

Deputy Key had been with the Grayson County Sheriff's Office for just over three years, but had served as a patrol officer for only two months at the time of his death.  Although persons charged with crimes are innocent until proven guilty, and have the right to post bail, the senselessness of this tragedy has been repeated so many times.  "Professional" or habitual drunk drivers are released on bond, go to their favorite pub to get drunk again, and drive home while they are intoxicated.  I wonder how many times this offender had made it home drunk without killing anyone or wrecking his vehicle.

May God be with the family of Deputy Key and with his fellow officers during this tragic time.  I am honored to have the privilege to honor him in some small way on this blog.

I may be wrong, but I believe that Officer Key is the first Texas peace officer to die in the line of duty in 2013.  If anyone knows of others, please correct me.  A peace officer nearly lost his life in the disaster in West, Texas last week, but was found after a short search and treated for injuries sustained in the explosion.  I pray for all police officers in Texas, that they may continue in what may be the safest year (relatively speaking) for police in decades.

Vacation Day Two

After a refreshing night's sleep, and waking up to no alarm clock, I left my spouse sleeping and I headed to the beach, Surfside Village.  I was hoping to find some interesting seashells then do some treasure hunting with my trusty Tesoro.  Unfortunately, I did not get up until 7:30 AM.  If you are familiar with the seashell hunting along the beaches of Surfside, you know that not hitting the beach until 7:30 AM is like getting to the doughnut shop at 11:05.  You see, at around 6:00 AM a squadron of little old ladies hits the beach, and there go all the "choice" shells.  So while I enjoyed a full eight hours of sleep, I am afraid I let the blue-haired league get all the shells.  Disappointing, but there was still some metal detecting to do.  So I fired up the Tesoro and hit the beach once again.

Metal detecting on the beach can be tricky because the salty sand can confuse some metal detectors, and some metal detectorists as well.  Soon I was hitting targets all over the place.  Within ten minutes I had found over one hundred Dos Equis and Natural Light bottle caps and pull tabs.  Oh yeah, and twenty seven cents.  Nearly two hours later I had increased my collection of bottle caps by a couple of pounds, and my cash haul by...umm...two cents.  I came to the conclusion that the salt may have confused the metal detector, or the sun may have confused the metal detectorists.  By the time I had spent five minutes trying to locate the last penny of my treasure trove, I was pretty sure it was time to put away the detector.  It was so disappointing not to find Lafitte's treasure.  So much so that I spent the next hour talking to a couple friendly seagulls about my metal detecting techniques.  Finding that the gulls could offer no constructive tips, I left the beach to its inhabitants and returned to Angleton.

Next stop, a quick visit to some other relatives in Angleton, then lunch at Fillips in the metropolis of Danbury (again, a GPS locate challenge!).  I decided to eat healthy today, so instead of ordering the chicken fried steak "dinner," I ordered a chicken fried steak "sandwich."  I believe I saved well over 20 calories by this change in my eating habit, and probably curved a lot of cholesterol consumption as well.  I hope my nurse practitioner back in Midland is very encouraged with my healthy dietary decisions.  I think one should make mature, healthy decisions with his diet even when he is on vacation. 

After lunch, we made a trip to Froberg's Farm in Alvin.  This is a large strawberry and other stuff farm wherein persons are allowed to pick strawberries and, the owners hope, to buy other offerings in the fresh veggie store.  I always enjoy the picking because the entire field smells like a giant strawberry sundae.  I love to pick a strawberry here and there and place it directly from the plant to my mouth.  While, for sanitary reasons, I cannot recommend this practice, I have to say that eating a fresh strawberry that has been heated to a temperature of 75 degrees by the sun is one of those rare pleasures.  Also, it is not really ethical to eat very many strawberries since Froberg's sells them by weight.  But just one, so tasty I could not resist.

By the time I had picked a couple of pounds of strawberries, it was (fortunately for my back) time to leave for another errand.  An hour later we arrived to my brother-in-law's residence and began the process of watching while my lovely bride began the process of MAKING the strawberry jam and also preparing fresh strawberries for use as a prime ingredient for strawberry shortcake.  Again, my health provider will appreciate the fact that I stopped at only two helpings of strawberry shortcake.  Like I said, those healthy eating choices are so very important.

I realize that my vacation is not a trip to the French Riviera, but the mental rest provided by generally doing nothing is worth its weight in gold.  And it is so good to see the relatives that are separated by half the state of Texas.  Just a little while ago I was able to reconnect with one of my cousins I have not seen in probably two decades or more.  We will be meeting for dinner on Wednesday, and I am eagerly awaiting the date.  Unfortunately for my wallet, there is a nice outdoor mall close to the appointed meeting place, and my lovely bride is very familiar with it.  Goodbye $$$$$$$$$.

Tomorrow, a trip to the beach again, this time to let the little grandnephewson frolic in the surf.  And visits with more relatives.  While vacationing is a time for fun and friends, we are all still in remembrance of our neighbors in Boston, Mass., and in West, TX.  May God continue to help and comfort those in need, those hurting, and those who are missing their loved ones tonight.

 

Vacation Day One

This vacation may be one of those that leaves the traveller wishing for a return to work so he can recover.  I left work at midnight Sunday morning, helped my wife pack the vehicle, and we were off at 1:30 am.  I was more than happy to let my lovely bride take the first driving shift while I snoozed off an on for a couple of hours.  All too soon; however, we reached the Flying J at Tye, TX where it suddenly became MY turn to drive.

I took over the driving task with a little trepidation because I had been awake since 7:00 AM the previous morning.  I am happy to say that there is very little EASTBOUND traffic on I-20 at 3:00 AM.  I drove through the night, admiring the scenery that I could not see, and not admiring the scenery I COULD see (read fresh and putrefying roadkill) as I travelled south on Hwy 6 from Eastland toward Waco.  Finally I could no longer keep the toothpicks propped in my eyelids, so I had to make use of a picnic area just north of Clifton.  Users of the road during this time period owe me a good deal of thanks for getting off the road when I did.  I would like to thank the denizens of the roadside park for waking me up every ten minutes or so as they foraged through the area immediately around the pickup.  I KNOW that there had to have been happier hunting in the grass and woods further away from the parking area, but...well, you know animals.

Upon awakening around 8:00 AM, I discovered that it was STILL "my turn" to drive.  I am not sure how that worked, by the way.  So, we drove on to Robinson where we stopped for no more than an hour, picking up our grandnephewson, who is "vacationing" with us.  I am sure a certain kindergarten teacher owes us a great deal of thanks for improving the conduct of her class by at least one hundred percent for the next four days.  The bad news (for said teacher) is that HE WILL be back in school on Friday.  Anyway, by 1:30 PM the three happy travellers had arrived in Needville (yes, that IS the real name of the town) to meet my spouse's brother and his wife for lunch at the Jay Restaurant.  I will leave it up to the more adventurous among you to locate this place on your computer, GPS, or IPhone. 

I can only say that it was quite a pleasant experience to finally arrive at our temporary abode for the Angleton/Pearland/Surfside/Alvin portion of the trip.  At the moment of this writing, I am being the polite visitor while using all my will power to restrain myself from racing to the beach right now!  But I will hit the beach first thing in the morning.  Not necessarily swimming weather just now, but it will be pleasant on the beach, and who knows...I may find Long John Silver's treasure there as well.

To all who are travelling, I wish you safety, and to those hosting us (and our little boy) I wish YOU ALL sanity.  As for me, I will be wearing earplugs tonight, so handling Cole will be someone else's pleasant task.  LOL

End Of Watch: Officer Sean Collier, MIT Police Department, Massachusetts April 18, 2013

Congratulations to the officers of the Boston Police, the Suffolk County police, the Massachusetts State Police, the FBI, and any others participating in the capture of the last remaining (known) Boston Marathon bombing suspect.  I am also thankful that no more officers lost their lives chasing these criminals. 

The officer that lost his life last night was a young man, no older than my own son, and had been a sworn officer less than two years.  He was shot while seated in his car, and probably while talking to the shooter, or possibly the shooter shot from some unknown location as Officer Sean Collier drove through the streets and parking lots of MIT.  Perhaps Officer Collier tried to talk to the shooter rather than drawing his gun, trying to lean more about the person before confronting him with lethal force.  In any case, my heart goes out to this young man's family and to his fellow officers.  The senseless killing of this officer was even more so because the suspect, Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, knew that he had zero chance of escaping Boston/Suffolk County unseen. 

I am thankful to Officer Sean Collier for his service to his fellow men.  Officer Collier made the ultimate sacrifice, but in so doing, the suspect's position was exposed, police converged, and eventually the suspect was apprehended with no more bloodshed.  I normally do not recognize out-of-state officers in my blog as this is done by others in those other states; however, I am honored to name Sean Collier in this simple post.  You see, he continued doing his job even though he knew that he faced more than just the danger of being shot.  He and the other officers also knew that the Tsarnaev brothers had explosives with them during their run from police, and that the two brothers also could have had suicide bombs wired to their bodies so that they could kill many more officers when they were finally captured.  Fortunately, that did not happen.

http://www.odmp.org/officer/21777-police-officer-sean-collier

Officer Collier, I honor you for your sacrifice, and I know that you are now with that Thin Blue Line that stands forever in the Light and Comfort of the Good Shepherd.

Thoughts Of The People Of West, Texas In Their Tragedy

It is so hard to believe how quickly things can change.  As if Monday's bombings were not enough tragedy for one week, now we hear that a fertilizer plant in the tiny town of West, Texas, just north of Waco, exploded multiple times with resulting loss of life and severe injuries.  Well over one hundred people were effected in the initial explosions.  Possibly some firefighters and other first responders were lost in the secondary explosion.  In any case, some of the firefighters are unaccounted for at this time.

The loss of life and the severe injuries are terrible in themselves, but also many homes and other structures were damaged so severely that the area looked as if a major hurricane had blasted through.  Many pets and some livestock were killed in the explosions as well.  I am sure that some of my former workmates are responding to this tragedy, and I send them, as well as all effected, my prayers for their safety, and my hope that the missing are found alive, that help reaches them as soon as possible.

Tragedy can strike anywhere, anytime, and with unbelievable fury.  May God be with all the people in West tonight, with all the responders, and may He cover them with His protection while they are in harm's way.  As for those who lost their lives, I know they are in His care now...and it is their loved ones who need God's love and comfort in their loss.

God bless West, Texas...

On Terrorism And Banning Pressure Cookers

With the attacks on the Boston Marathon participants and spectators just hours past, I have already seen the facetious calls for bans on pressure cookers and backpacks.  And in one of my past blogs, I called for a ban on bows and arrows, and on hunting knives, after a young man killed his mother and her boyfriend with his bow and arrow set, then finished the job with his trusty hunting knife.  Many common and harmless objects can be used for weapons as well, just ask any correctional officer.  And should we ban cell phones?  I mean, after all, investigators think it quite likely that someone detonated the two Boston bombs via cell phone. If "banning" of objects is based on the number of deaths caused by those objects, then it strains the brain to believe that someone has not yet called for a ban of all automobiles.  The common denominator between all of these "deadly" objects and the people killed is that some person used an object in a way the object was not to be used.  Elementary I know, yet true nonetheless. So, how do you ban that common denominator?  The answer is...you can't.  At least not in a free society.  And we have seen how the totalitarian societies kept their citizens "safe," that by throwing them in jail, putting them to work in concentration camps and farms, or just killing them outright.  I prefer my liberty even at the risk of being killed by some idiot or fanatic with an exploding pressure cooker.  Patrick Henry (if you don't know who this is check your American history book) told the people, "Give me liberty or give me death!"  Someone else said that the price of liberty is death, and as we saw Monday, that is indeed the case.

You see, we have always been "at risk" as social workers and educators like to say, in the sense that ever since the founding of this nation, there have been those who have used our very freedom and liberty against us.  From criminals shielded by the Miranda Warning to terrorists flying airplanes into skyscrapers, there have always been those who have threatened both our personal and our national liberty.  From the very day the Constitution was ratified, men like Alexander Hamilton plotted to somehow bring dictatorship to the new republic.  Now over two hundred years later, men are still trying to deprive us of our freedom.  I believe, however, that the threat from within is worse than the threat from outsiders.  For instance, prior to 9/11 there was no way that a measure like USA PATRIOT would have ever been introduced in Congress.  So many of the measures within this law are patently and obviously unconstitutional, but the fear of more terrorist attacks made sheep of our leaders, and of many citizens as well.  So, in truth it was not the terrorists who took our freedom, but our very government, lead by George W. Bush, the President so many people "miss" now that an even worse President is in office.  And that worse President has done his level best to not only keep the Bush legacy intact, but has even voted to extend and expand its provisions.  Bush initiated the Drone War, now Obama has expanded it and even hinted that military drones might soon be patrolling American air space.  His attorney general has even said that it would be justifiable to attack Americans on American soil with said drones.  I don't know about you, but I am starting to have trouble distinguishing exactly who the terrorists really are. 

I would like also to point out the obvious, but here it is anyway.  USA PATRIOT, the National Defense Authorization Act, and other similar measures, have brought to bear the full weight of national and military resources in the War On Terror (WOT).  Many of us have seen the great and awesome powers these laws grant to the federal government, with the corresponding lack of legislative or judicial checks and balances, and we have cringed as we saw our freedom slipping away. Yet, with all this new power, all these new agencies, the government is no more able to defend us from acts of terrorism that it was on 9/12.  But, you and I are much less free than we were a decade ago.  You or I, by displeasing someone in power by what we say or do, are subject to being arrested and placed in a jail that is out of sight and off the grid.  No judge, state or federal, has the power to stop such arrests and detention.  Indeed, the regular justice system would have no knowledge of our whereabouts, so it could not help us.  And, we could be detained in that system until the WOT is over.  Tell me, when will "Terror" ever be defeated?  But until then, you could be held in a special detention center with no access to anyone on the outside.  Please don't take my word for this, or just call me paranoid and go on.  Instead, read the full text of USA PATRIOT and the National Defense Authorization Act.  You will see that I have only scratched the surface in today's post.

I hope the terrorists that committed Monday's atrocities are caught and prosecuted, but as yet authorities are not even sure who the suspects are.  On the other hand, the terrorists in the White House and in Washington DC are known to everyone, but nothing is done about it.  It would be deeply satisfying and calming to me to know that the Boston terrorists were safely in jail, and it would be just as satisfying, even more so, if the terrorists in Washington were safely housed in the next cell over. 


 

Boston Marathon Explosions: It Was Terrorism No Matter Who Set The Bombs

The news started pouring in early yesterday afternoon.  Two explosions near the finish line at the Boston Marathon.  The first reports said at least three were dead, over a hundred people were injured.  By the time I went to work later Monday afternoon, police had already arrested, I mean, "detained" a "person of interest."  And the speculation was at full blast...

First, it is most important that we focus our thoughts and prayers on those injured, and our sympathies with the families of those who were killed.  Current reports, by the way, have upped the total of dead person to twelve.  I cannot know how terrified and traumatized those people, the runners and the spectators, must have been (and still are) but I know, at least for those present at the explosions, the feeling must be something akin to that felt by New Yorkers in 2001.  Yes, I know the perpetrator(s) must be caught, but first let us join together in sympathy and remembrance of our neighbors who are hurting or who lost their loved ones to this act of terror.

Second, I would like to step out on what may be an unpopular limb and point out that the person of interest...no, let's call him what he is...the suspect, who happens to be a Saudi national, is just that - a suspect.  He was "arrested" by a citizen who believed he was acting suspiciously.  The action? The Saudi national, having been burned, was running away from the scene of the explosions.  I am pretty sure (and the video supports this) that several hundred other people were running away from the blast.  So actually the suspect was exhibiting normal behavior at the time of the citizen's arrest.  But the arresting citizen told officers that "I saw this guy once before."  So this man is in custody.  I just want to point out that he may have had nothing to do with the bombing.  But he was a Middle Eastern person! Yes, but so were many other present yesterday.  So the FBI and other acronyms raided his home and found "bags of evidence." I want to take the unpopular, but legal, stance that the person of interest is innocent until proven guilty.  It would not be a surprise that the man looks at Arab websites.  That alone would be enough to seal his fate, given that we are currently engaged in the War On Terror and constitutional rights are out the window.  But I think about all of the militia, conservative, and Texas nationalist websites that I have viewed at least once.  Some agency with a three letter acronym could probably make me a "suspect" if they tried.

Third, I am so totally infuriated by our government representatives, including BO, who would not utter the "T-word" for nearly twenty-four hours after the attacks.  Of course this was an act of terrorism.  Just pick up a dictionary and look up...er, I mean GOOGLE the word.  You will find that that "terrorism" is "the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes."  As soon as it was clear that bombs had been detonated, then it was equally clear that an act of terrorism had been perpetrated. Whether by Arab "militants" or "White separatists," or flat out "nut jobs," an act of terror is still an act of terror.  

I join millions of Americans in the outpouring of sympathy for our neighbors in Boston.  I also join the millions in hopes that the responsible person is caught, or the responsible group is caught.  But I feel like I am taking a step away from the crowd because I hope that the man arrested is investigated, along with what ever evidence is found, and that he is given a fair chance at due process.  I also hope that so much focus is not placed on this man that others responsible are allowed to escape prosecution.  If the man did it, whether alone or in conspiracy, I hope that he faces the full force of the law.  But if he did not, then I hope the full force of the law frees him then turns to those responsible. I sincerely hope that investigators do not simply do the easy thing and make a scapegoat of this man, leaving the real perpetrator out there to deal out more terrorism another day.

 





 

That Speech That Came Back To Bite Obama, or A Tidbit From The Local Paper

Small town newspapers sometimes have the reputation for reporting on less-than-newsworthy subjects, but having come from a small town, I myself have come to enjoy reading these newspapers.  This may sound strange, but many times as I drove through various unfamiliar territories of this great state, I would stop at some local store or truck stop just to buy the newspaper from that town.  I have come across many gems of little known facts and folklore in just this way.  But the jewel I ran across just today came from out of my own hometown little news journal, also known as the Gatesville Messenger.  (Note: I frequently do not agree with Mr. Day's editorials, but I do not mind giving credit where it is due, by saying "thank you" to Mr. Day for this little tidbit.)

A newspaper editor needs to have a good memory (so too should voters, for that matter) and Mr. Day did his job in this case.  He was able to remember, then locate, this speech made to Congress several years ago by a junior senator who just could not stand then President George W. Bush, the Republican members of Congress, and the Bush Cabinet.  This brave and righteously indignant senator had these words to say:

"The fact that we are here today to debate America's rising debt limit is a sign of leadership failure.  It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our government's reckless fiscal policies.  Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally.  Leadership means that "the buck stops here."  Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren.  America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better." (Note: All the italics are mine.)

Most of you have figured out, and if you are from Gatesville you already know, that the junior senator who made these remarks so bravely in the years prior to the 2008 Presidential election was none other than Barack Hussein Obama.

By the way, in the current Congress, several Senators and Representatives apparently plagiarized young Obama's speech, or something.  I mean, I know I have heard these very words uttered in Congress in just the past two or three weeks.  It is almost as if young Senator Obama already knew that he would be elected president in 2008, and that he had already outlined his fiscal policy.

The last three words of former Senator Obama are the hardest for me to swallow.  Obama said "Americans deserve better." Two things sprung into my mind immediately I read those last three words. First, he was so right.  Americans DID deserve better.  I think of the dark days after 9-11 when people were still in shock, but when something else, too, was going on.  For years some group of power-hungry politicians, bureaucrats, and others just seeking power for themselves at the expense of Liberty, had kept in their possession a book, a wish-list - if you will, of things they wanted.  These things, ALL UNCONSTITUTIONAL, ranged from control of the media, control of private citizens' use of the Internet, sweeping powers of seizure and arrest without probable cause and judicial revue, gun registration, travel restrictions, and the list went on (for over THREE THOUSAND PAGES!!!).  There was just one problem.  All of these things were illegal, and many were treasonous; therefore no one in his right mind would suggest these laws, and certainly no Congress in its collective right mind would approve.  And in Congress was a senator against it all, standing tall for the rights of the ordinary American - Senator Barack H. Obama.  As he said, "Americans deserve better."

The second thing that crossed my mind was that as a senator, Obama later did a "180" on these and other issues, supporting the President he could not stand in the process.  Obama had been an outspoken rebel against the things President Bush was doing in 2004, yet he later decided that USA PATRIOT Act was a good thing, although he was honest enough to admit that even by 2006 he had not read the full document. Nor had most Senators and Representatives (not including "crazy" or "racist" members such as Ron Paul).  Regardless, as Senator, Mr. Obama failed to give Americans the "better" he had so loudly proclaimed that we all "deserved."  He had his chance then to do so.

In 2008, the nearly impossible happened, and the almost unknown (both as a person and as a politician) Barack H. Obama was elected to the Presidency.  I did not vote for him, but he was nonetheless "my" President.  And for awhile I really expected great things from him.  He was swept into office on a wave of popularity not seen since the days of JFK.  I did not vote for him, did not support his election, but at least I thought he would carry through on one thing.  I thought that through his great popularity, and the great desire for change the American people professed, that Barack H. Obama, now the Chief Executive, would give us the BETTER we deserved.  Instead, all he could tell us was that he had inherited a mess that would take him at least half his term to correct.

In 2012, one FULL TERM later, President Obama was returned to office by the smallest popular vote since Abraham Lincoln's election way back in 1860.  And poor Obama had once again "inherited" a mess from the previous President, only this time he WAS the "previous President." So I read those three words once again, "Americans deserve better."  I had to wonder about those Americans who "deserved better."  I have to say that I believe by re-electing Obama, those Americans who voted for him GOT what they deserved, but I doubt truly that it is something "better."   Unfortunately, the rest of the people are getting the "not better" that the Obama supporters apparently wanted so badly, and so truly deserved. 

On the one hand, I am eagerly awaiting the 2016 election.  On the other, I am wondering whether President Obama, our most arrogant, most un-patriotic, and most Constitution-trampling President ever, will simply declare himself the President in 2016 by "Executive Order."  Don't laugh too hard, my friends...with this man ANYTHING is possible.

Once again, I am truly thankful to the Gatesville Messenger "editorship" for providing the above speech from Senator Obama.  It just goes to show that one should read a small town paper every now and again.  You just never know what kinds of gems you might find.





 

A Late Easter Message

This post comes a little late, since Easter was last week, but in my defense, Easter was a little early this year.  Regardless, this is a sort of Easter message post, I suppose.  Easter is a time in which Christians commemorate and celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd.  That celebration ranges from elaborate religious services to Easter egg hunts in the back yard.  Whatever the means, the point is remembering that the Good Shepherd arose from the dead and in so doing defeated Satan and Death.  But before there was the Resurrection, there was the Death.

In fact, there were three deaths that day over two thousand years ago.  We all know that two thieves were crucified that morning, one man on the Lord's right, the other on his left.  Apparently these were not only thieves, but murderers as well.  Whatever their crimes, these men were considered so low and terrible that they were doomed to a death on the cross, a fate almost worse than death, to the Jews.  Only the lowest of the low were crucified.  These two men, and the Son of God...all three were considered THAT low by the Jews.  How do I know the two men were probably murderers?  It just makes sense that if the man released from prison (Barabbas) so that Christ could be crucified in his place was a murderer, then the two who died with Jesus were probably murderers as well. 

After the three men, Jesus and the two thieves, were crucified, the Roman soldiers as well as many in the crowd began taunting Jesus.  They yelled at Him to "save yourself, since you came to save the world!"  While the crowds were thus taunting Jesus, a remarkable thing happened.  The thief hanging to our Lord's left began taunting Him as well.  A condemned and dying man still having the gall to mock Jesus.  Who would have believed that possible?

Just then, another and more remarkable thing happened.  The thief hanging to our Lord's right said to his fellow thief, "Why are you mocking Him?  You and I are getting what we deserve.  But this man has done nothing!"  Then the MOST remarkable thing happened.  The thief on the right turned to Jesus and pled to Him, "Lord, please remember me when You come into your Kingdom."  You see, this thief, even in that late moment in his life, knew the Lord, and that the Lord could save him, He also knew that he deserved to die but he believed the Lord would have mercy on him.  And the thief was right in his faith.  The Bible says that Jesus turned to this thief, the one who had acknowledged him even as they both were dying, and said, "Truly I say unto you, today you shall be with me in paradise!"

I have to admit that I had never considered myself to be in the category of those two thieves.  I mean, I was a good man, most of the time.  I had not ever hurt anyone, not really.  I was a nice guy all around.  I came to this conclusion many years ago.  But I have to admit something else.  I realize now, after aging but not necessarily getting any wiser, that I did belong up there on the cross.  Years after making mistakes, not learning from those mistakes, and making the same ones again, I had practically nailed myself up there.  And I have come to another realization.  As my condition worsened, I was more like the thief on the left.  He was in the same boat as was his friend, so to speak, but even in that terrible predicament, he chose not to acknowledge the Lord and beg for his mercy, but to join in with the rest of the world in mocking the dying Savior, never realizing that the Lord was dying for him.  The Bible never mentions the final fate of the thief on the left. But from what the Bible DOES NOT say, I fear the worst for that thief, the one who rejected Jesus on the cross.

I have heard it said many times over the years that pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit goes before a fall.  I believe the thief on the left had a strong, though distorted, sense of pride.  Not necessarily pride in what he had done in his life, but pride in the fact that he needed no one.  Certainly he did not need a Savior.  What an idiot...ummm...wait a minute.  Wasn't I a relatively good man too?  Some people might disagree, but on the whole I believed myself to be a good person, thus not in need of saving...at least not in the way "sinners" needed saving.  In other words, I was so good myself that I did not need Jesus.  In other words, I had a strong, but distorted, sense of pride.

Here is a shocker...
After the events of the past year in my life, I realized I DID have a distorted sense of pride, just like that thief on the left.  But I realized something else.  I realized that I had not been a good man many times over the years.  I truly had not learned from my mistakes, and had not corrected my ways.  And I saw the three men on the cross in a new light. 

For one thing, Jesus would not have been crucified that day at all, if Pilate had not offered to release Barabbas.  And if the people had not preferred a murderer to a Savior.  So a killer was freed from prison and Jesus was seized, taking the place of Barabbas on that cross.

For the man that hung on the Lord's right, this day, the day of his crucifixion, was actually the day his life was saved.  Yes, his body died on the cross, but he went with Jesus to paradise.  How tragic for him if Barabbas had been crucified that day instead of Jesus?

Finally, for me, the realization that I was the same as those two men that died with Jesus.  I was full of pride and the belief that I had not hurt anyone over the years, that I had lived the best way I could, etc.  But I was only lying to myself and deceiving no one.  Thankfully, like the man on the Lord's right hand, even late in life it is not too late to acknowledge the Lord, and to ask the Good Shepherd to Remember Me....

How wonderful to hear those words, "This day you shall be with Me in Paradise."

I hope all of you had a great Easter, and I hope all of you took just a little time to look beyond the eggs and the baskets, and that you saw the true Gift of Easter.