Remember Viet Nam?

This was written by my dearest friend's Uncle. It should be read, absorbed, contemplated. For those too young to remember the VietNam war, it will give you some rare insight as to the way we really treat our Veterans of war. We should be ashamed. I am. Thank you Dennis Tuohy, I love you.

Subject: Re: Brutally Honest: "Tango Mike Mike"

As a Viet Nam vet let me say this as we approach Vets day ..... I think they should bring home all the troops as of YESTERDAY and start reducing the defense budget by a lot .....did you know that we spend more than the next 25 or so countries combined and almost all of them are our fuckin' ALLIES.....before the "you'd be hurting our troops" people get up in arms let me remind you of a few things......why do we pay Halliburton, KBR and the others zillions of bucks to build shit that wouldn't pass an inspection in Bangladesh and is killing our soldiers.....isn't this a slap in the face to the Navy's Sea Bees and Army'sTriple Nickel and all the other construction outfits in the service the built stuff the right way for probably 5% the cost of civilians and took pride in their work.....why is cooking, cleaning, laundry and other things that I did in the service now subcontracted out for 1000 times the cost....no fucking wonder we're always at war, there's a lot of money to be made......remember what Eisenhower said about the "military industrial complex"..... BEWARE !!!!!!

finally, get rid of, instantly, these fucking predatory leeches like Blackwater and the rest of these "gun for hire assholes"......Marines and the other branches of the service aren't "good enough" to guard dignitaries, embassies, etc, again for 100s of times the cost.........how does that make our troops feel....get rid of all those contractor assholes......it's like the only thing our govt. thinks the troops are good for is dying and they are cheap REPLACEABLE parts......oh, well we "have to be prepared to defend ourselves against our enemies".....are you fucking kidding me......does Iran hate us???...they only hate us because when Isreal tells us to jump, we say HOW HIGH........ I've always wondered, what does Isreal have that makes them so fucking important to us......oh well they are a strategically located ally....bullshit !!!!.....so is Jordan, a predominately christian country (not that the matters a fuck to me).......and does Jordan exist because of US $$$$$s.......I do not hate the jews at all, but they are powerful enough (because of us) to defend themselves....and back to Iran, now today Isreal is telling us that we should attack Iran because of their "nuclear" threat.....against who???? what are they gonna do if they get a bomb, throw it at us......anyone worried about some one using a nuke, I'd be worried about Isreal......and then like lemmings we'd have to back them......SOOOOOOOOOOO.....let's bring home the troops, make Bush go on TV and publicly apologize to every parent that lost a child to these wars based on FLAT OUT FUCKING lies and also make him apologize to every troop damaged physically or mentally because of his lies.....then get rid of all (as Truman said) war profiteers.....and finally, if we really want to HONOR our troops, never again go to war unless the people in charge of our government are willing to send their kids first....then we will know that it's PROBABLY a just cause....either that or the corporate fat cats want us to......the way our govt is now, a lot of politicians would probably sell out their own kids for corporate interests.......

one of these days (maybe over a pint or two) let me tell you the full story of a close friend of mine, Michael Morrison, who on his 3rd tour in Viet Nam, lost an arm and part of a leg....people say you only had to serve 1 tour in Nam.....BULLSHIT....Mike should have never gone back for the 3rd tour.....he only had 9 mos. left, not enough time......he had 3 Purple Hearts, an automatic combat exclusion.....our govt. changed the 9 mos. rule and held up the paperwork on 3rd Purple Heart......so Mike had to go back, got blown up and then the govt. dumps him with $400 a month for the rest of his life.......what fucking sweethearts......went to see him at Oak Knolls hospital in east bay and there were 3 buildings, 3 stories each and all holding single, double, triple and quadruple amputees.....probably 100s, maybe 1000 all with similar "Mike" stories.....Mike got out and I hung around with him for quite a while and then just disappeared .....I spent about 35+ years trying to find Mike, then just recently heard from a high school classmate that he had died and as I read the obit I came to something that made me well up with tears, I couldn't help it.....the obit was from 1985 ....Mike was only 39 fucking years old.....39 fucking years old of suicide, up in the mountains.....Mike was a fucking hero.....fell on a mine with about 20 days to go in his tour and saved some buddies....our govt. used him for another unjust cause, discarded him like an old sneaker, when he was no longer useful as cannon fodder and forgot about him......but there are no videos about Mike Morrison or any of the 1000s of guys that went thru Oak Knolls or any of the other facilities....and the number is growing every day.......

If we really want to honor the soldiers of the past.....let's stop this bullshit now

Dennis Tuohy USAF 19812108 1964 - 1968 Viet Nam 1966-1967, Cam Rahn Bay, Na Trang, Tan San Nhut

Wagon Fail

I broke down, fell off yet another wagon. Had taken a respite from politics pre-Mackinac, but bit on a FB post a few minutes ago. Seems Michelle Obama is going to Spain with one of her kids, meeting with the King and Queen, housing the Secret Service at the cost of taxpayers, then to the Gulf of Mexico, and onto Martha's Vineyard with the fam for 10 days. The Ritz is hosting Mrs. Potus, a 5 Star crib, and it is expensive. Some sources say it is $3000 a night, and one from India said SHE reserved 'about' 30 rooms. I am having a hard time finding hard facts on costs, number of rooms, who is going, and the like. I imagine the 'facts' will vary greatly, depending on your chosen source of "NEWS", a term I use tongue in cheek.

This has some people outraged, because of 'these times'.

I tend to get a bit defensive here, for a number of reasons. First of all, POTUS is the hardest working Chief I can remember. I saw/followed him around the Gulf a while back, and his endurance is a wonder to behold. So, for people to begrudge he and his family a week and a weekend in the Vineyard, well, just riles me. Second, Mrs. POTUS is meeting with the King and Queen of Spain, which is not a day at the pool, I imagine. She's gotta be on. (More important, what WILL she wear???) Our worldwide rep can use a little boost, if you know what I mean, and she is damned good at it. Third, should the 1st Lady of the former super power stay in a Holiday Inn Express or something? Hell, members of Congress and their bag boys stay in 5 Star hotels....who do you think pays for that? One way or another, we do. Fourth, her two nights in the Gulf. Think she'll be at the Flora-Bama hanging her bra on the line? Doubt it. Think she will hold any meetings with locals? Bet on it. Think it might do a bit of good? Absolutely.

I could go on and on, bringing up the past administration and that he took more vacation than any president in history.....and 'those times'....well, weren't so great, and in fact, began this slide into the septic tank we are now experiencing. That would be digressing.

Contrary to MSM's slant on this administration and Congress' accomplishments, the past 1.5 years will go down as one of the most effective and policy changing times in history. Watch this for a rundown: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_U6WX98buk

Then, take a step back, do a little more research, and think for yourself.

Keep in mind what was happening when President Obama took office, then add on the Deepwater Horizon. Is he perfect, of course not. But I believe we are in excellent hands for 'these times', and we should be thankful, not spiteful. To quote hard core republican John Wayne when talking about JFK, and I paraphrase~ "I did not vote for him, but he is my President, and I hope he does a good job.' Let us return to reasonableness, tolerance, compassion. Let's all be very careful for what we wish.

Now I will try to run and catch up with that damned wagon, change my focus back to food fights and lake front property in northern Michigan, and try like hell not to falter again. I can't promise, however, to let shit fly by without a response. Just my nature.

Just back from a road trip from Birmingham, AL to Mackinaw City, MI and back. Took my two dogs and hit the road. My sister, Toots, obtained access to the former family cabin on Hammond Bay of Lake Huron, and requested my presence. I was excited, apprehensive. I have ginormous emotional attachment to the cabin, and my mother gave it to my cousin for reason unknown. I even offered to buy it at full market value, back in the day that I was able. No deal.

But I went. I tranqued (my word pron-tranked) the dogs and hit the road at O-dark-thirty last Friday. Drove 10 hours to SE Michigan, met up with my sister, niece, great niece and left for 'up north' on Sunday. Couldn't wait to get my feet in the beautiful crystal clear water of Lake Huron, not smell the air, and chillax ( a term I learned from Krissie, my niece).

Prior to the trip, I had been on a 'How I Think People Should Eat' cleanse, meaning if you eat it, you better have grown it; for a few weeks, and had knee surgery 2 weeks prior to departure. I knew I could endure. I packed my fresh watermelon and cantaloupe, bubble water, tomatoes I picked that morning, beans I pickled, my new Canterbury of New Zealand togs, dog treats and off we went. Not a bad drive, about 10 hours. The dogs were great....until about Cincinnati, and the drugs wore off. I had been getting a bit tired of melon, and the ensuing emergency elimination, and was on the look out for a little better than shit food outlet.

A decade or so ago, I had an idea to open an organic food outlet/drive thru off interstate exit ramps. If only, I had been rich and impulsive...because I was dying to see a Whole Foods or a damned field of lettuce....but NO!!!! Every exit for 700 miles....the exact same factory formed plastic crap....stuff I swore I would never.....ever....consume again. The dogs needed to get some air, the next rest stop was 68 miles (with vending machines), and I decided to damn the torpedos and take the next exit. There was one that was a little out of the ordinary- White Castle. Thought....maybe, just maybe, they make something on site. Got a couple of doubles ($1.19 ea), parked the car and took the mutts over to the picnic table. Looked at the burger, sniffed it, took a bite....fed the rest to the dogs. I did drink the unsweet tea. Walked the pups a bit, reloaded them into the car, and off we went.

Where this is leading, is that I fell off the common sense high and mighty nutritional wagon I had been riding on for months. It only got worse, as we had another 5 hour trip from SE Michigan to the cabin. And the drive home, a few days later, when I would be out of melons. I was scared.

On the drive home, I was completely out of control, and had to decide, with a tired mind and body, running way low on cash, what I would eat in order to finish the drive. I knew I would get home to an empty larder as well. End of the month, no trips to Whole Foods for another 10 days or so.

If you are hungry, truly hungry....not just hankering for something....and you have very little money, what is the most satisfying choice? Go to the market and spend $6.99 on a watermelon (not even organic), or Papa Murphy's large thin crust with pepperoni for the same price? A Quarter Pounder for $1.99, or an apple and an orange (again not organic) for about the same price. I know what it the SMART choice, the RIGHT choice, the most NUTRITIONAL choice....but the most sating choice is not that one. There are times, when you want something hot, crunchy, salty, filling, right? Right.

However....having been back for 2 days now, and having the choice of my garden veggies....I can tell you, the veggies have zero appeal. Zero appeal. I want an In & Out cheeseburger; a pizza, wings....diet coke. And I want them now. I tell myself, if I get a Giuseppes pizza, it will be ok, because it is made on site...etc...but how do you know really, whether or not it has any more nutritional value than a frozen Red Baron? Huh? How do you know? Because I sure as hell can't guarantee it.

After a few hours driving, with my diet controlled by fast food, I have become an addict. It happened that fast. I cannot be satisfied, I think about food constantly. I want more, and I want it fast. I am going crazy, I am too tired to drive anywhere. It must be delivered.

That was yesterday. I went to bed hungry. It was painful. I woke up this morning, tended the garden, ate a couple tomatoes off the vine, and started all over again. Went to the market, spent $6.99 on a watermelon, $5.00 on 2 cantaloupes, $2 on organic celery, got some fresh peaches, bubble water, and started....all....over....again.

I ate melon for lunch and dinner, had a couple eggs and some sprouted grain bread...and I am sated, completely happy. I am not too tired to drive, but am glad I don't have to, and am chillaxing with the mutts.

So, I get it, when y'all are hungry and want to eat crap. I get it. Just don't, because it will kill you sooner than later. It is of zero nutritional value, so you remain hungry. It also contains so much HFCS that your brain shuts off it's "STOP EATING' signal, so you eat twice as much as you want. It also supports Big Farma (also my term), which must be changed. Take advice from Prof. Michael Pollan, and vote three times a day....with your fork. Teach your kids, hell, teach your parents if you need to...because this is important. We are fat and we are starving...all in the same bodies. And that just sucks.

FUBP

HAD to share this with you, Jane. It is an open letter from my lit agent, living in New Orleans. Please pass it on.
-Liesa.


Liesa Cole
Omni Studio
205-254-9254
www.omnistudio.net
liesa@omnistudio.net



Begin forwarded message:

From: "michael murphy"
Date: June 1, 2010 3:07:35 AM CDT
To:
Subject: A Modest Response
Reply-To:

Dear Randy Prescott of BP Oil:

A read your thoughtful remarks concerning the completely avoidable disaster your company has inflicted upon the Gulf region - and I quote

"Louisiana isn’t the only place that has shrimp.”

In response, please let me add my own quote, this one from the new HBO series TREME (episode Two)

"Fuck you, you fucking fuck."

Did you perhaps learn your graciousness from Dennis Hastert, who suggested New Orleans just be bulldozed over following Katrina? Or maybe your muse is Barbara Bush, wife of a top ten worst presidents ever, and mother to the clear choice as the number one worst president ever (Ulysses Grant and James Buchanan are breathing a deep sigh of relief). Babs suggested the refugees from the Gulf in Houston's Astro Dome probably never had it so good. Living on the floor of a stadium was like a vacation.

I have blind copied 100 people, whom I hope blind copy 100 each so that you at least need to suffer the inconvenience of an inbox loaded with hate mail while many here have the inconvenience of carving out new careers and lives.

Oh, by the way, my dear bcc's, Randy Prescott's phone number is (713) 323-4093 if you'd rather reach him by phone (or in addition to).



Michael Murphy
Max & Co.
A Literary Agency & Social Club
3929 Coliseum Street
New Orleans, LA 70115

e-mail mmurphy@maxlit.com
phone 201.704.2483
fax no one uses fax anymore

website www.maxliterary.org

My Two Peeps

I have two people residing inside. One mental, one physical. They are completely separated from each other. My mind wakes up each day ready to accomplish good things. I can't shut that bitch up. My body, however, says....hell no....keep me right here in this bed. There is no reconciling these two.

My body will not respond to my brain's commands of rise, go for a walk, clean the house, cook something. It responds with shooting pain in my neck, my arms, hands, legs and feet. Then the warmness as the stabbing subsides, and the all too familiar full on body aching, knife in my neck, nausea, that are ever present. Sometimes I take vicoden to bitch slap it back, lots of times, I resist, afraid of addiction. It's almost noon, and I think I will cave and take some meds. After all, my dogs left me with a Jackson Pollock of diarrhea in the kitchen, and it really must go. They did this yesterday as well, but being a fast learner, I put papers down last night. I have no idea what caused their intestinal distress, but obviously, they both got into it. My fear is that it was something they found on our walk Sunday, and could be toxic. So, a trip to the vet may be necessary today, and I have to medicate to be able to do that.

I've been tuned into C Span, watching the HCR arguments. It dawned on me, why can our elected officials lie? Isn't it a bit like perjury? They are 'testifying', and didn't they take an oath at some point? How is it that they are not held to the basic morals and ethics of a valet parking attendant? When did we, the people, become so jaded, uncaring, and full of hatred for people less fortunate? And how did we become so lazy that we believe bitter sound bites, outright lies, and spin of the MSM. Michelle Bachmann, Republican Representative District 6, Minnesota, has called for her constituents to refuse to pay taxes if HCR passes. Rick Perry talks of Texas leaving the union (please do) and they are rewriting history in their text books. Others spew lies regarding the coverage of abortion, death panels, socialist takeover of your relationship with your doctor. As a preemptive strike against the people, one insurance company sent out rate increases upwards of 40% to some people of California. The antis are screaming how tragic it will be if the government has the power to make decisions about what will and will not be covered by your insurance in your time of need. Ummm.....the insurance companies do that now.....do you think they will voluntarily approve a costly treatment if they can get away with not doing it? That could reduce a $23 million year end bonus for the CEO. Think people..think for yourselves. I could go on and on, but I would lose you...those are my bullet points.

The original bill included a public option, this one does not, unless Nancy Pelosi is assured of 51 votes in the Senate, so she can put it in for reconciliation. It is a huge gamble, because of any of the known 51 votes do NOT vote for it (it is a non-bonding agreement, even if they sign it), then all is lost. With the recent amount of lying in Washington, I completely understand her fear.
This watered down, almost pitiful HCR bill is far from what was originally intended. However, as we haven't had any reform in 40+ years, we must start somewhere. It can be tweaked after it is passed. Perhaps Obama should resurrect W's everyday usage of the signing statements.

In the words of Ezra Klein, WaPo, and frequently on MSNBC: and I paraphrase: "People don't like Obamacare. Then you tell them what's in it, and they like it a lot." Bada bing.

Then it will be absolutely vital, that the people hold these elected officials accountable, and vote their bums out of office if they are not representing what they majority of us want and need. This means you....every one of you. Read, research, talk, debate. Get educated on policy and reform, and make a god damned difference.


PS. OMG.
Rep Don Young, R-AK, just read from a page of HCR, which is legalese, and was really pissed because he couldn't understand it. Shouldn't these officials be smarter than the average bear? A lot smarter that you and me? I digress.

Don't know how much more I can watch. Mental stress creates an even larger span between my brain and my body. And I have no idea how much longer I will get treatment and pain meds. Because our elected representatives can lie....over and over again, while watching out for their interests. A no vote is a direct result of the amount of money they have received from insurance companies and big pharma. And that, to me, is extortion of the people. We don't get the money, we don't get the job (representative/senator) with it's 'cadillac' health care package, we don't get HCR, and we don't get represented. We learned in 1972, from Deep Throat "follow the money".
I think you will find it interesting, and some of you will get mad, and hopefully busy.

Drawing on the Wrong Side of the Brain

Just back from walking the pups, a daily routine up and down the hills of Southside. This is a beautiful neighborhood, rather like where I came from, Land Park in Sacramento, CA. Add some serious vertical and take away the best ever 9 hole golf course, and it looks like home.

There is, however one glaring and disgusting difference. I have wondered hundreds of times, what is the gain/thrill/purpose of throwing a Bud Light long neck out a car window and smashing it on the sidewalk. I would guess, that at lease 9 out of 10 smashed bottles are a BLLN. One day, we took a particularly long walk around the side of the mountain, and headed down almost to the J Clyde (btw 2 and 3 miles). I counted 99 broken vessels, and quit, realizing it was beyond counting.

There must also me some sort of kick from tossing out your fast food remains, but y'all seem to drink more beer than consume shit food. The dogs don't mind the burgers nearly as much as the shards of glass in their paws.

Then there is the alley behind my house, which also borders some of the most expensive real estate in Bham, Glen Iris. There are several apartment complexes, that just make it under the number of units to require them to have a dumpster (although I doubt that'd make any difference). The crap along the alley is enough to make me blow buicks. Diapers, cans, pizza boxes, bottles of all kinds, lotsa packaging and even a Fleet enema ~used.

What is the genetic/organic origin of this? Is it something lacking in a person's reasoning, or something extra, that makes this ok. What is it that allows a person who has eye sight, a nose, and a brain, to just throw their garbage any where they want. Could it be an extra lobe in the brain, a missing lobe in the brain, a tumor caused by toxins, or just plain ignorance and laziness.
I think I will do some research, perhaps interview them if I can catch them. Anyone have a flip camera I can borrow?

Enough to make my mama rise from her ashes and smack me in the head.

PS~ will actually read to find out how to lay out photos soon. xoxo

The children made me do this.

Just back from the beach, a week without interwebs or television or any other communication with the outside world. Read a couple of books, walked in the sand, golfed, and played beach volleyball.
Wondered how many tweets and facebook posts I'd face when I got back. Millions. Didn't miss them for a second.

Decompressing is scary and wonderful, necessary and tiring. Ruby and Ned Kelsey are chicken soup for all that ails ya. Buddy the great blue heron makes you just stop and sit and watch.

A bike ride to the bird sanctuary; 9 holes of golf along the shore with a cart for $17; a walk among acres of sea shells on the west end of the island; the 'Estuarium'; eggs & grits and an oyster shucking operation in Bayou LaBatre. A quart of 3 minute old oysters for $15. Add some vodka, lime, sriracha , some rock and roll....and the week comes to a wonderful end. Back in the 'ham now, unpacking, resting up, laundering, wondering......what in the hell I am doing. Back to HCR infighting, John Edwards narcissism, Limbaugh racism, NBC taped coverage of the Olympics, complete void of real journalism and political coverage, and a totally impotent Congress. Black wall....black wall....black wall.....visualize Buddy and the pink sunsets of Dauphin Island. Heart and soul felt thanks to Dave and Michelle, for a magical trip.