The Stars My Destination

All college freshmen enjoy their composition classes. My 1st college comp class was taught by a grad student named Thad which was pronounced Tad. He was a hyper liberal that had us write all about our anti conservative feelings. This was during the presidential campaign between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. Boy, I dating myself. We were asked to write a paper on which candidate we supported and why. I of course being young and naïve and under the influence of my liberal environment trashed Ronald Reagan as a man who would take us to the brink of nuclear destruction and was so old that it did not matter to him. I could not have been more wrong.

My second comp class was much better. We were allowed to choose from several topics that interested us. I chose to take a comp class that was based on science fiction. I could not have been more pleased with the outcome. We were given a collection of short stories that were discussed and written on. We also read several novels and wrote papers on them. It was my introduction to Alfred Besters, The Stars My Destination. I have re-read that novel several times and enjoyed it more each time. It is based in the near future. Earth has colonized the other planets and the moons of the gas giants. There is a struggle for resources and we are now at war with the colonies. Earth is run by powerful corporations and transportation as we know it has changed completely. We now jaunt everywhere. That is we use our minds to teleport from one place to another. It is limited in range and only used to go from city to city on Earth.

The main character is named Gully Foyle and he is set up as a man with a lost past and limited future. He is stranded on a gutted cruiser in the asteroid belt and sees a ship passing by. He is the only survivor on the ship and is barely living by carrying bottled air to his sealed locker. On a cylinder replacement trip, he sees a ship cruising by and thinks rescue. He fires his ships flares and waits for their arrival. They pass on by without acknowledging his SOS. The name of the ship is the Vorga and his life mission becomes to hunt down the Vorga and destroy it. His ship is captured by a fringe group that inhabits the interior of an asteroid. He is taken in and nursed back to health but his face is tattooed like a tiger mask. This group that is living in the asteroid has started to revert back to savagery. They have abandoned technology and live by salvaging ships. Gully realizes his fate and on the day of his wedding, escapes by stealing a space yacht and returns to Earth to seek his revenge.

I will finish this book report up at a later date as there is much more to say. But I have gotten long winded or worded as the case may be.

Icool

Cobb

He Hate Me

If you remember back to the XFL, the only player that received any press was the one whose jersey read He Hate Me. I don’t remember anything about him primarily because I never watched an XFL game and I don’t watch sports. A Google search gives his real name as Rod Smart and he played for the Las Vegas Outlaws. But I do remember the hype that surrounded the player and his choice of names. Of course, you can watch the XFL highlights on the classic sports channel, that is, if they acquired the rights. I think the name He Hate Me is a great expression of how many Christians believe and behave.

I am still in my infancy as a Christian. I know that there are many things that I do not know or understand. One of the things that I have great difficulty reconciling is when those the followed after the death and resurrection of Jesus, interpreted his teachings. If you read what Jesus has to say, it is no one is beyond redemption, all you have to do is ask for forgiveness and mean it, love one another as He loved us, mind your own house, and other teachings too numerous to detail. Yet, “Christians” all over the world are still judging people based on the very things Jesus taught us to accept about them. Jesus ate with the sinners and openly invited them to spend time with Him. He accepted them for who they were and through His teachings and actions, showed them a better way. I am not a big fan of going where the sinners are but as a Christian, through my actions, I can demonstrate to those who have not found Christ, that, His path leads to a healthier, fulfilling life.

I guess it would be easier if we gave those Christians, who find our actions objectionable, some way to identify us. If we all just wore jerseys that said maybe, Just Hate Me, we would be easier for those who have hate in their hearts to aim that hatred correctly. After all, as a Christian I love them. I do not have to approve of what they do or how they do it, I just need to love them. That does not mean that I agree with them. Maybe, by truly expressing the love that Christ has commanded us to express, I can turn their hearts to understand the scripture. We need to focus on the word of our Savior instead of trying to live by how others interpret His message.

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Cobb

Austin Power

My children have rented Goldmember several times over the last few months. They really like the childish, immature humor that makes the Austin Power movies so charming. I must say that they got better the further you got into them. Mike Myers has a knack for making the absurd seem a little less ridiculous. He is best at the sight gag and the one with Mini-Me being born is watch able over and over.

I remember renting the 1st movie and thinking how unfunny it was. The best scene was when Austin Powers are in the bathroom with Tom Arnold. Austin is being strangled in a stall by the guy with the charm bracelet and Tom Arnold is egging him on from the next stall about flushing twice and blowing out an O ring. I laughed so hard I couldn’t catch my breath. But that was pretty much it for the movie. The rest of the humor was either too childish or I didn’t get it.

I do not think I have seen the second movie entirely through. I have seen sections of it but never at the same time. My kids have taken to talking about the freaky deeky Dutch and Goldmember eating his skin. Try talking about that at the dinner table. It keeps them entertained and the humor, although rough at times, does not cross the boundary into what I would consider too much for kids. It is amazing what I let my kids watch compared to what was out when I was that age. Of course the standards are a little looser and we did have Clinton is there to help reduce the moral standards of the nation. At least there weren’t any cigar jokes.

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Cobb

The Liberal Response

When you think of how liberal politicians (I did not say Democrats because Republicans do it too) respond to any meaningful question, it typically depends on their audience and what the latest polls show. They ride the fence and you get the answer you want from them most of the time. If you look at how the liberals of America respond to a question, it is typically very passionate and emotional and lacking any real logic. If you look at any issue they support from abortion to welfare, you will find that they have no logical basis to support their positions.

With abortion, they have no issue destroying the life of an unborn child but are up in arms about the death penalty. In one instance, you are dealing with a life that has had no opportunity to commit a sin and have no problem condemning that life to instant termination. In the other, you have a convicted killer and they are all up in arms about terminating that life. It is someone who consciously terminated another’s life, against their will and has been convicted by a jury of their peers. I guess logically, the unborn one cannot complain about being put to death and the killer becomes squeaky wheel that gets the grease. That is great logic. The issue of welfare and assisting the poor is an age old problem. It boils down to some people are lacking the genes (nature vs. nurture) that make them responsible. They refuse to accept that any issue they cause is their fault. Someone else is always causing bad things to happen, instead of it being that “I didn’t do something”, like say stay in school or abstain from having unprotected sex. That last one opens the door to all kinds of issues from pregnancy to STD’s to AIDS, the triple threat. A little discipline and self restraint go along way to being responsible.

I remember the ultimate liberal response (at least for me) was during the Clinton – Dole presidential campaigns. Bob Dole had flown into a city to give a speech and REM, the musical group, was in the process of flying out. Michael Stipe, their lead singer was boarding his plane and dropped trow just as Bob Dole was getting off of his plane. The full moon event made the news and provided the ultimate liberal response. When all else fails, show them your butt. I guess if you have no logical argument in which to go on, you can always try to scare or embarrass (it’s a joke son) them.

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Cobb

Inspiration

I have never been a fitness fanatic. I enjoy the leisurely walk and I actually enjoy jogging. I did alot of running in the Army and enjoyed getting out and putting some miles on the shoes. Once you got away from the hustle and bustle it was relaxing to let the mind wander and just think about what ever came to mind. I have not been able to run for the last several years because my knees could not stand the pounding. When you are away from it for too long, it takes a while to grow accoustomed again. I saw a show this weekend while scanning the channels that I think may allow me to once again start running.

It was a PBS show on various health and home things. One of the segments was on preparing to jog. It told what kind of shoes to get, how to warm up and what to expect while running. One of the things they said is if you feel like walking stop and walk. When you feel like running again, start running. This should be one of those common sence things but it was like a roman candle went off in my head. Duh. I was taught to push. If it wasn't hurting, it wasn't doing any good. That may work once you get a little conditioning or when you are young. Not sound advice for the over 40 crowd.

So this morning, I got up 30 minutes early and went for a jog. Hopefully, my knees won't start screaming later today and my shins will behave. Either way, it was a fun morning. I went around the jogging path in front of my house twice which is about two miles. I ran about one mile and walked one. We will work up to seeing how long it takes to stay running the whole two miles and go from there. Baby steps.

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Cobb

Search and Rescue

There is a topic in our local politics that I find completely absurd. The city of Toledo is looking at sending a bill to anyone that uses the city fire, police, or EMS services. That means if you get in an accident, are being robbed, or having a heart attack, you will be billed by the city of Toledo if you call them for assistance. On the surface that looks like a great idea to increase revenue. The issue is that the citizens of Toledo and anyone working within the city limits are paying taxes to support these programs. Charging people for them is double taxation.

I can see people who live paycheck to paycheck (which is many Americans) not bothering to call if they have a fender bender, or if there house is being broken into. When the police show up, you will also be liable to pay an additional bill for requesting their presence. How likely are you to call the police if you know that you are going to have to pay an additional fee for them to grace your presence? If you are having a heart attack, will you call the EMS or try to get to the hospital on your own? What happens if you get in an accident while you are cluthcing your chest? Will you get two bills or maybe three if a fire truck shows up? Are we so money hungry that we are willing to put the lives of our citizens at risk?

The Toledo Blade's headline from Wednesday stated that the city of Toledo was losing population. People are moving to the suburbs or going where the jobs are. Toledo has had a unfriendly business environment with both taxes and unions fro the past decade. Businesses have been moving out, boarding up and closing or downsizing for the last 20 years. We need more ingenious tax schemes to help revive Toledo's sagging reputation and it looks like they have found a winner in the double taxation of basic services. Wahoo!

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Cobb

We Have Ignition

Yesterday was a banner day at my house. My wife has finally found an agency in our area that has an open position, an office, is respectable and provides her with the flexibility that she is looking for. Let the games begin! It has been an up and down period in my household with jobs opening and closing and hopes rising and falling. We finally have direction and timing and can move on and spend some quality time focused on relaxing and planning instead of fidgeting and stressing.

It seems to be that way with life. We are all good until something throws a hurdle in our way or causes us to swerve into the ditch. We get all anxious and worried about our situation, wondering what the outcome will eventually be. We play the scenario game with every possible worst case becoming our expectations yet hoping for that miracle. We ignore the advice of those closest to us because they are supposed to say that and take credence in what casual friends and acquaintances suggest or recommend. The one’s who know us best and support us and are living through the same event, become entangled in the emotions of the event and can only suffer in silence. Whether it is losing a job, a loved one, an unwanted diagnosis, or some other life tragedy, there is a close circle of family and friends that want and need to be there. They are the support net that provides the love and prayers.

What do we end up with? In the end we get what God has planned. No matter how you want to force a situation or take control and move it toward your goal, it is always what God wants. Sometimes, your goal coincides but many times, you are taken in a direction you had not intended. Many times we think we are going in our intended direction and find that our actual destination is completely different. It is our Maker’s way of helping us grow as people. We should be thankful for the changes we are given in life. If it weren’t for the constant variations in how things are, it would get terribly boring and monotonous. So as we head out of the valley of despair we have been dwelling in, let us give thanks that the more that things change, the more they stay the same.

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Cobb

Alas Poor Yorick

I thought this was Shakespeare so I did a Google search and confirmed. What I found is that the way we usually hear it is incorrect. You typically hear, “Alas poor Yorick. I knew him well. It actually reads;

Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow
of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath
borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how
abhorred in my imagination it is! my gorge rims at
it. Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know
not how oft. Where be your gibes now? your
gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment,
that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not one
now, to mock your own grinning? quite chap-fallen?
Now get you to my lady's chamber, and tell her, let
her paint an inch thick, to this favour she must
come; make her laugh at that.

From the same page on my Google search, we get the interpretation of this famous speech. “Hamlet says this in a graveyard as he looks at the skull of Yorick, a court jester he had known as a child, and grieves for him. In this complex speech, which is one of the best known in all dramatic works, Hamlet goes on to consider the fate of us all when he compares the skull to those still living.”

Now I am not a big Shakespeare fan. I think he was creative but I do not enjoy the “Ye Olde English” speak or the meter and rhyme of the prose. He was the Andrew Lloyd Weber of his time with a string of theatrical hits that seemed to strike a chord with the audiences of the day. The question is will they be performing Cats 300 years from now.

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Cobb

PETOD

I know that I have railed against PETA before but I saw something over the weekend that just sent me over the edge. I never thought I would be yelling at the television during Saturday morning cartoons but I have officially stepped into the deep end. The kids had Lilo and Stitch, the cartoon series based on the movie of the same name, playing. I was playing CIV and listening to tunes. Lilo was had built a city made of cereal boxes, Dixie cups, old bottles and other discarded packaging. She was populating the city with bugs. As her sister was running around the house trying to kill the escaped bugs, Lilo was foiling her by spraying water on her and attempting to convince her that bugs are people too. Disney went from Bambi and all hunters are evil to Lilo and if you kill bugs you’re killing people. I can see the next big push is going to be to stop the evil farmers from planting crops in the ground because organized farming hurts the soil. So, let’s start now and form People For The Ethical Treatment of Dirt (PETOD).

The idea of treating insects ethically is just beyond me. Why would Disney even go there? Has anyone heard of West Nile Virus or Malaria? How about cock roaches to tsetse flies? Is there anyone that can actually say they enjoy being bitten by mosquitoes and flies? Well maybe that guy in the Off commercial but there is one in every crowd. Insects have the reputation of being dirty, filthy, disease carrying vermin. That does not mean that they aren’t beneficial. They are the garbage collectors of the world but by hanging around dead things, they also carry infection. This doesn’t make them bad, it just makes them something that we do not want hanging around.

So who would be the spokesman for PETOD? I can see that horse faced actress from Hoes in the Hood (Sex in the City) Sarah Jessica Parker (three names, must be a serial killer). She is stupid enough to want to protect dirt from unethical people. I find that any position she takes on any issue is exactly the opposite of what any logical person would take. That means she would be stopping the innocent murder of worms by those evil farmers, stopping top soil erosion, returning farm land to its natural state, and ensuring that genetically engineered seeds are permanently banned for all eternity. I can even see tractors becoming the new SUV’s like with the green movement. The fact that this run counter to vegetarian thought means nothing. Let the people starve. After all, they are the lesser of two evils. Save the soil. Now we can’t eat meat, kill bugs, or plant crops. Well there is always canned food.

Icool

Cobb

A Man With Three Buttocks

For all of those who are fans of Monty Pythons Flying Circus, that phrase should ring a bell. “And now for something completely different, a man with three buttocks.” The fake crowd applauds and the emcee asks to see them. A short skit but it gets the laugh. I used to stay up on Sunday nights past 11:00 with the TV down low and watch Monty Python on PBS. It was the only station that showed that brand of British humor back in the days of network only television and only after prime time hours so as to not influence any young minds that may happen to be watching. From the very first, I was hooked.


I remember watching The Holy Grail on the tele and trying to make sense of it. It was before I started watching the Circus and the movie did not make much sense. It did not help that I came in somewhere in the middle of the movie. There were these knights that said nee and it was one guy with three heads all arguing with each other about a shrubbery or something. I didn’t get it. Now I think it is hilarious.

I remember seeing Life of Brian at the movies. It is a master piece of absurd humor. The Roman soldier correcting the grammar of the Jewish graffiti artist (Brian) and when they were asking who should be set free and the Roman nobleman could not pronounce his R’s. Plus his name was a hoot for a teenage boy, Bigus Dickus and his wife Intercontinetia Buttocks. Life was so much simpler then. You partied and went to movies behind your parent’s backs. No worries other than will you get enough spending money for next weekend. That’s the life. So sit down and enjoy.









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Cobb

Love Is Like Oxygen

For those of us who languished in the 70’s for our formidable teenage years, it was a time of varied and amazing music. Yes, we had disco and although it ended up to be the equivalent of today’s rap, it was still fun. What was better was the birth of the gods of rock and roll. What started out as screaming guitars, pounding base, crashing drums and a falsetto laden vocal, ended up as huge stage shows with elaborate sets and theatrical over tones. The variety of music was phenomenal and went from groups that took themselves too serious to those who seemed to understand that fame was fleeting. One group whose music represented an almost whimsical quality was Sweet.




The first song I remember hearing from them was Ballroom Blitz. It had all of the classical rock elements but the lyrics were almost comical. The music was not complicated and the style of music was categorized at Bubble Gum Rock. Other songs that may strike a chord are Little Willy and Fox on the Run. Both of those received a fair amount of airplay here in the colonies. What really brought Sweet to my attention was their album Level Headed in 1978. It spawned their most memorable hit Love Is Like Oxygen.




I remember hearing it for the first time on Casey Kasem’s American Top 40. He announced the song by saying that there have been many songs comparing love to any number of things. He went through a list of them and then said that the next song on our countdown is the first one that compares love to an element. Here is Sweet with Love Is Like Oxygen. From the first bruising guitar riff to the keyboard solo between verses, it is a great song. Break out the Juicy Fruit and when you give it a listen.

Love Is Like Oxygen

Time on my side
I got it all
I've heard that pride
Always comes before a fall
There's a rumour goin' round the town
That you don't want me around
I can't shake off my city blues
Everyway I turn I lose

Chorus
Love is like oxygen
You get too much you get too high
Not enough and you're gonna die
Love gets you high

Time is no healer
When you're not there
Lonely fever
Sad words in the air
Some things are better left unsaid
I'm gonna spend my days in bed
I'll walk the streets at night
To be hidden by the city lights, city lights

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Cobb

Join The Party

I was talking to an associate at work. His son has joined the Army and went up to the recruiting station to head off to basic training. He took the day off of work to see his son off but due to some technicality, his son was sent home. It looks like he will be heading back up tomorrow now that the issue has been resolved. His recruiter said that he would more than likely end as a vehicle mechanic up in Iraq. Not bad work if you can get it but terribly hot during the summer. The topic turned to Bush and Iraq and when he slammed the President, I defended him. I knew he was a Democrat so I changed the subject to one I knew we both agreed on.

It seems that the majority of the US wants our borders tightened up and the illegals sent home. Many members from both parties agree that our elected officials are going in the wrong direction. I went into my “if you break the law and have a green card” routine which got a laugh. It seems that breaking the law is okay if you are here illegally or a diplomat from a foreign country. Maybe the illegals are actually all Mexican diplomats. Huh, I never made the connection.

We both agreed that the illegal aliens are using services that Americans are paying for. They are using welfare, hospital services, stealing identities all for their benefit and cheating US citizens. I of course couldn’t help but get my dig in against the Democrats (although the Republicans are as big of fools when it comes to immigration). I said that the Democrats were actually courting these illegal immigrants to use these services; pushing them into stealing from Americans so they become acclimated into a socialist system. I told him that they wanted them to join the Democrat party. That got the old, “I’m a Democrat” response. I replied that it was to join the party not be an actual Democrat, like there is a difference.

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Cobb

Twist and Shout

I woke up Saturday with a sore neck. Since there is no stress I my life at all, I must have slept on it funny. All right, there is stressing my life, but I am in denial. With my wife’s sudden employment change, it has added a dimension to what was a serene life. My wife had been looking at opportunities to move closer to home for about two months and nothing fit what she her plan. She was driving an hour one way and spending 10 hours in a car per week will eventually push anyone to seek a better opportunity. What happened with the closer places was either the office was already full and she would be working from home or it was a property and casualty (home and auto) and financial planning was not their cup of tea. She wants to stay with the company she currently reps for because she believes in their product and they are headquartered in Adrian Michigan so it is semi local.

Friday was her last day of driving two hours every day. She is going to take some time off and get her back into shape. She has been seeing a chiropractor for two weeks because she can’t seem to get the crick out of her back. It seems that I am not the only stress affected family member. There is plenty around the house for her to get caught up on. It is her idea, not mine. She feels torn about not be a super woman. There is just too much to do and I think that those 10 extra hours per day will help her get more done of what she wants to accomplish. I think that a few weeks off to decompress and think over her priorities will help her to focus on what she really wants.

As for me, I will sit with my heating pad and my icy hot and try to get my neck muscles to loosen up. It is a pleasure driving because you cannot turn your head without that streak of pain shooting through your shoulder. Needless to say I won’t be doing the twist without the shout.

Icool

Cobb

Transitions

The last 7 days have been a big week for transitions at my house. The first was the much anticipated end of the school year. Kids have been counting down and crossing off the days on the calendar since the beginning of May. It also signals that the Perrysburg pool is opening and we have a summer family pass. That should keep them busy as long as the weather is hot. The second transition was that my oldest daughter had her heart broken. Her boyfriend of almost a year broke up with her. He attends St. John’s High School (an all boy’s Catholic school) and is heavily involved with the sporting program there. He flunked his Spanish class and is ineligible to play until his grades are satisfactory. His parents were less than thrilled and let him know that there will be no distractions until his grades improve. Hence, no girlfriend. Well see how this plays out. They were never the strictest of parents.

The biggest transition of the week was that my wife is no longer a slave to the time clock. She had a sales support position at the agency where she worked that gave her a base salary and she received commission from the person she supported. She also sold but her commission went into an agency kitty to pay her salary. Well, she has contributed a lot more than she was getting and decided that the drive (2 hours per day in the car) was no longer worth it. She will continue to sell and now receives full commission on all of her business but now has the 10 hours drive time to use the way she wants. It also reduces the gas bill and wear and tear on her car.

The last transition was sort of a surprise. We went to church last Sunday and it was our minister’s last official day. Now we knew this was coming and have been avoiding going to church because his message was all fluff and no meat. My wife and I are looking for a stronger message and he was not providing it. I thought his last Sunday was last week but we ended up hearing his farewell sermon. We usually go to the last service but we went to the first which was a blessing. I am sure that by the third service, he was emotionally drained and it was a mess. I wish him well and look forward to the new minister July 2nd.


As I have probably quoted before and will quote again from my favorite Muppet movie, The Muppet Christmas Carol, “Life is full of meeting and partings.” Just another way of saying we are always in transition.

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Cobb

Americans Vote With Their Wallets

There is some bad news on the music front today. The country super group Dixie Chicks, who have a new best selling album, are having problems getting people to attend their concerts. The last time they went on tour, they were adding second concerts due to the demand to see them. This time around, they are finding Americans less receptive to seeing them in person. Ticket sales are lagging and several shows are expected to be cancelled. Even though there has been a big dip in the popularity of George Bush, many Americans remember when the lead singer blurted out her message of hate while on tour in Europe. It is alright if you complain at home about your leader, but never air your laundry to the wannabe leaders of the world, especially if it is just for cheap applause.

I have no issues with musicians writing politically charged music. Some of the best songs ever written were to protest some political cause. Child abuse, urban sprawl, spousal abuse, war protest, nuclear war and a variety of issues have been covered by musicians and done very well. I own a lot of music that deals with topics where I disagree with the artist. It does not mean that the music is bad, only that the artist has a view point that leans severely to the left. I have no issue buying the music, however, I would not see many of those groups in concert.

What I have stopped doing is listening to those artists that take their message past their music. They have achieved enough success that they have a stage for their agenda and spread their views past their music. People will pay to hear music they enjoy or buy tickets for a performance of a great artist, but when we are forced to listen to someone’s opinion beyond what was paid for, we can choose to change our vote. So I bought the album, but since you won’t shut up about your pathetic agenda whenever you get a chance, I opt to pass on your show. Of course, I refuse to buy, listen to, watch, and any other form of sensory input for U2. Bono just sucks. If he would just shut up and sing, I might change my mind but no one can be that pompous and dictatorial about issues that know nothing about. I have cast my vote.

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Cobb

Bloody Righteous and Mentally Slow

When I was in the Army, I had a roll of brown packaging tape. I used to write things on the tape with a black sharpie, stick them to a piece of paper and hang the on my wall. It may have been a reminder or something important (at least at the time I wrote it). I did a lot of drinking in the Army and this was one way to identify something that was important at that time. Sometimes it made no sense the next day but some days it brought foggy thoughts into focus and provided fodder for the cranial cannon.

For the longest time, I had the letters B R A M S written on the tape. It is a line from a Roger Taylor song called Strange Frontier. It is also the name of his second album. The phrase bloody righteous and mentally slow seemed to strike a harmonious chord with me. It described the officer cadre we had in my unit at the time. They were restricting all kinds of things like smoking and drinking in the billets and doing more frequent room inspections. For some reason, they had gotten a wild bug up their behinds and thought it would make us better troops. It just pissed the enlisted men living in the barracks off. Those that were married and lived off post did not have the same harsh treatment.

The album Strange Frontier was produced during the Reagan administration and is filled with references to total nuclear destruction and protesting the arms race. It was basically musical doom and gloom. Many musicians from that period were putting out that musical tone in an attempt to sway public opinion. But, Uncle Ronny stood his ground and we toppled the Bear. Shows that a strong well focused front and the implied/actual force to back it up, accomplishes the impossible. Makes the phrase “we need to talk” seem like a pale shadow. Maybe the desire for dialog is a representation of how the left wants to handle issues. All talk, no action. That way they can appear bloody righteous when they are actually mentally slow.

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Cobb

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie…

He’s going to want a glass of milk. I must have read that line to my children a hundred times. It was one of their favorite books when they were toddlers. I had forgotten the line but was reminded of it when I watched Harrison Ford say it almost under his breath in Air Force One. He makes a great President in that movie. His character is someone to be proud of and a man you can admire. His character displays both the talk and the walk that is so desperately needed in the Oval Office.

The thought behind the mouse and the cookie is that once you start giving things to people, they begin to expect both that thing and begin to have additional wants. Pretty soon, you have a society that expects everything and contributes nothing. Sounds like socialism. You end up with a society of have and have nots and there is no reward for continued contribution. Guess which side wins? In the 1960’s, our government started down the path of rewarding lack of incentive and sheer laziness by providing milk and cookies to anyone who finds the path to Chocolate Chipville. What amazes me is that instead of helping to get them back on their feet, our government chases after these people and courts them as voters. This just perpetuates the system. What’s up with that?

Now I realize that there are some people that truly need support and those are the ones the cookies and milk are meant for. We should not punish those that are truly in need because some people choose to abuse the safety net that our nation’s citizens are paying for. (I know I have ended two sentences with the word for but I can’t help it.) As a Christian, it is not up to me to sort these things out. God sees into every heart and knows your need. If you choose to abuse the system, it is your salvation that may need repaired. I realize that it is my responsibility to help those in need. The fact that I think someone is faking their need should not be my concern. It is difficult to remove the judgment from my thought process and turn that over to God. Maybe if I got a cookie. Of course, no cookies can compare to eternal life in Heaven. That after all is the ultimate box of hot, chewy Toll House cookies.

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Cobb

The Running Man

One of my biggest complaints, when I was growing up, was when a book is turned into a movie and that the cinematic version turned out to be a turd. In the age of Harry Potter, where the books have been successfully converted to film, that does not ring as true as it used to. But during the last half of the 20th century, there were quite a few great books that just died on the table in the movie theaters. Sometimes, an obscure book was turned into a great movie. Stephen King has actually had several that turned out well. The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me are two memorable movies that were not big novels for the Master of Horror.


I just finished re-reading his short novel The Running Man. It was made into a relatively successful movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Richard Dawson. Arnold plays the lead role about a man who is forced to enter a game show where the prizes are big but to lose is to be dead. Dawson plays the host of the game show and plays his role to the hilt. Dawson makes the movies but he had plenty of practice as host of The Family Feud so it was not too much of a stretch. The idea behind the movie is for a game show contestant to avoid the plethora of goofy WWF style hunters, make it through the ghetto maze, and claim your prize. Of course Arnold takes out the bad guys, gets the girl, disgraces Dawson and wins the day.


The book is a darker tale of a heavily polluted future where the government has mandated television in all homes as a pacifier for the masses. The primary entertainment is game shows where they take the poor and down trodden and use them for amusement. The best game show is the Running Man where you have to avoid being hunted down for 30 days while on the run. All that time you are making $100 per hour for the ones you leave behind. You must submit two tapes per day to the network so they have fodder for their telecasts and this allows them to track you. The main character, Ben Richards, successfully avoids being killed for 8 days and ends up killing himself and the main antagonist at the end. All in all, I prefer the book but would watch the movie if the time was right and it was a severe thunder storm.

Icool

Cobb

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, No It’s Just Europe

I hit on a topic yesterday that I wanted to explore further. There are a bunch of state (US states) sized countries in Europe that still think they have some kind of pull in the world. France, England, and Germany still want to influence world power even though they no longer have the ass to back up their wants. It is sad that they have let their power fade but they spent too much time fighting amongst themselves for the top dog position and never managed to get it all together.

All three of those countries (plus Spain, Portugal, and the Dutch) spent much of the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries putting together empires that expanded their power. The more territory they grabbed and held, the greater their prestige. If you look at where they spent their time, most of them have not fared well. Of the big colonial empires, England seems to have fared the best. They have the US, Canada, and Australia as legacies to their management. The Spanish fared the worst. Look at Mexico, Central and South America as examples of how not to pillage the land and leave nothing of value.

These European nations have learned that war does not pay. They have squandered their power fighting among themselves and lost their top dog spot. Their lack of vision in how to control the world has cost them their leadership position. Now they want to dictate how things are done in the world simply because they have been around for a while. The US is a young nation compared to Europe, but we were never a colonial power. We did expand from sea to shining sea and did some brutal things to the then current land owners, (American Indians). A sad episode in American history but not as brutal as the Spanish and the Aztecs or Incas or any number of other brutal acts committed during the colonial days. Europe, as a continent is still a powerhouse, with each nation being part of a greater whole. But as individual nations, their claim on leadership is over. Your mistakes of the past do not provide adequate coverage to point the finger. Drop the stones and let us handle the issues as the lone world super power. You have had you chance and screwed it up. Now piss off.

Icool

Cobb

No Longer Inspired

When our current President was first running for office against the illustrious Al Gore, I was enthusiastic about the return of a conservative to the Whitehouse. Our nation had been forced to endure, Bill Clinton for 8 long years and watching him take liberalism to a new height. We watched as he destroyed our foreign policy and attempted to make friends by placating a world of want to be, former super powers. Their days of colonialism are over and they want to still pretend to have some influence in world affairs. I would say that their practices of colonizing the New World and Africa are evidence that they are poorly equipped to manage anything but the simplest tasks. But this is not about Europe, it is about leadership.

I must say that I was not overly impressed with George Bush prior to the attacks of 9/11. We had a plane attacked and forced to land in communist China. The Chinese took every opportunity to shove it in our face and he stood there and took it. What would Reagan have done? We’ll never know but standing around looking stupid was not something Uncle Ronny was known for. After 9/11, George Bush looked like a true leader. He went after the power behind the attack with a vengeance and led something that the Soviet Union even failed to do; free Afghanistan. From there he decided that we had had enough of Saddam Hussein and after attempting to negotiate a peaceful removal, took an active path and invaded the nation of Iraq. Hussein was sponsoring terrorism and had turned his nation into a playground for anti-American fanatics. At least we have shut down the factories that produce more terrorists in Iraq.

George Bush was going to get tough on social security and pass legislation to fix the problem. It lies dead at the starting line. We were going to get smaller government, but instead have added airport baggage handlers and screeners to the government ranks and added a huge Medicare drug program without any increased funding. To his credit he has cut taxes and put two conservative judges on the Supreme Court bench. Now he wants to let illegal immigration become the norm. Instead of enforcing the laws, which I thought was the responsibility of the executive branch, he wants to create new legislation that allows citizens from foreign nations, more rights than American citizens currently have. For a small fee, they are allowed to break our laws and they become citizens and have all of the privileges (at taxpayer expense) we currently enjoy. And they contribute nothing. How can someone professing to be a Conservative think that the American public would tolerate that kind of behavior from our elected leader? To say you are an American is one thing but the actions our elected officials demonstrate that they are certainly not for Americans. Throw the bastards out.


Icool

Cobb

Little League

My 10 year old son is playing little league baseball. It is fast pitch, steal every base but home, little league ball. This is athletics at its best. Those boys are out there playing their hearts out, goofing off like any 10 year old does, and just having fun. It is more fun when they win but just as fun if the game is close and they end up losing. What is bad is when the game gets lop sided and ends up as a mercy. That has happened this year when our team had a pitching deficiency.

I have been impressed with my son’s performance this year. He is more focused and his skill level has improved greatly. He asked the coach if he could be put in the pitching rotation this year and the coach, being one to experiment, took up his offer. He was on the mound Wednesday night and walked 4 straight batters. The coach pulled him off the mound. I caught the coach’s eye as he walked back to the dug out and mouthed, “Thank you.” It is not about your child playing the position you want, it is about the child learning to play the game. Being removed from a position is life lesson. Maybe he will practice more or realize that pitching is not for him.

Whether they have a winning or a losing season does not matter. There is a tournament at the end of the season and those teams who have mastered playing together will be the one’s that succeed. This coach took my son’s team to a second place win two years ago. He knows how to bring the boys together and is good at teaching them proper baseball skills. This is the part of summer that is fun and provides one of those sacred benefits of being a parent.

Icool

Cobb

Call Off The Drilling

Big news today out of Israel. A cave has been found in a quarry that has been sealed for millions of years. The cave holds eight species of creatures that are unique and have never been seen before. They have been in a self contained environment, cut off from outside influence since they were sealed up. The eight species consisted of crustaceans and invertebrates similar to scorpions. If there is one of these self contained habitats tucked away and buried deep beneath out feet, there must be hundreds or thousands of them. Each of these habitats may contain unique and unusual creatures that provide a glimpse of what was or might have been. This is astounding and provides one more platform for the militant environmentalist whackos to preach their passion for all life except humanity.

The first thing they are going to demand that “we” do is stop all exploration into the ground through drilling. Now this would apply only to the drilling for any industrial application; oil natural gas, water…. If it was for scientific research to prove that man is harming the environment or some attempt to prove that man driven global warming was anything but a myth, it would justify drilling, even if it destroyed one of these self contained environment. As long as man is proven to be the villain, it does not matter who or what is destroyed. If humanity will in any way benefit from drilling, it must be stopped, reviewed, put to committee, voted on and sent back for review.

Now this must be a world wide ban on all drilling. All oil and natural gas exploration must cease, any current drilling must be halted until such time as the committee has had a chance to review their operation and formally shut it down. We should alert the UN to bring it to an immediate vote. This would allow the oil rich nations who have their wells drilled to raise the price of oil and strangle the rest of the world. Or it would force the industrialized nations to speed up their implementation of clean, renewable fuel sources. Of course the minute you convert to a hydrogen burning system, you will have the militant environmental whackos saying we are destroying the environment by actually increasing the amount of green house gas into the environment; water. Of course it can always rain more. Let’s hope not.

Icool

Cobb