Author: Dick

It is that time again where I reside, which is on the Upper Texas Coast. That time would be looking out at every little tropical wave between here and the western coast of Africa and wondering if that wave will turn into something bigger and badder.

Right now a little piece of atmospheric energy is being watched although it is currently just a low pressure system located about 1,200 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. That location itself is probably 2,500 miles away from where I sit and thus has a lot of water and even island land to cover before it is something that could possibly hit us.

But since we have been hit by two hurricanes during the past three years after experiencing few such storms over the last half-century or so it is something we all have to think a bit about in these parts. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to get some canned goods and some batteries and some water together, and perhaps save up a few bucks for gasoline. Of course, by the time a hurricane heads toward us the offshore rigs in the Gulf of Mexico will be emptied and gas will probably hit $6 per gallon.

Ah, there is nothing quite like hurricane season to make one’s insides churn with concern. Of course, you can take the Bush administration approach: “Don’t worry. Be happy.” Whichever makes you feel the safest I suppose.

It is astonishing that before this moment I hadn’t changed for almost 10 months the old sayings appearing below my blog title. This marks the 22nd time I have left different words of wisdom by others for all to see and I believe the late Adm. Stockdale’s quote is quite appropriate for the way I feel today.

Stockdale, whose Washington Post obit notes, is both a Medal of Honor recipient and a former vice presidential candidate for Ross Perot’s failed run. And as his final hurrah points out Stockdale came off rather goofy in the 1992 vice presidential candidate debate when he asked those rhetorical words I quote above.

But brainiacs often appear dumber than they really are while people who exude intelligence are many times in reality as stupid as a football bat. The late admiral was no dummy and the questions he ask are as timely as they are thoughtful. Especially today, as I mentioned because this has been one crappy day.

Ah, one might ask however, what is one crappy day amongst hundreds of days which are great, good or even mediocre? It’s one crappy day. That’s what it is. All of which points toward a moral: If you ask the right question, you get an answer if you are lucky.

For some reason the library computer system doesn’t like me or my political opinions because the piece I just spent almost an hour on turned out looking like Paris Hilton on a 3-day binge complicated by a case of the blind staggers. I shall try again tomorrow.

It seems this crazy system on which I am working will only let me post to Blogger, not save, not link, not spell check, just post. So I must be brief.

Perhaps the biggest news today is that Iraqi officials have indicated it wants the U.S. to set a timetable for withdrawal as a condition of a security agreement. This comes after several years of American soldiers still not getting that barrage of welcoming as conquering heroes that Bush & Co. had predicted.

Of course, Bush doesn’t want a timed withdrawal because he wants us to stay in Iraq for eternity. Signs will say:

“Visit Iraq our 51st State.”

Bush wants to push democracy down the Iraqi throats, much like physicians in days past bled patients until they were almost without the stuff of life in order to keep their patients healthy.

“You will be a democracy or will go to bed without dinner,” says Gee Dubya.

Maybe Bush, once he leaves office, will run for governor of the 51state of Iraq.

Slowly I am moving closer to having my laptop repaired so that I might enjoy a better of variety of settings in which I can write this blog. As well, perhaps I might pen something which will bring a little cold cash, something that has been strangely missing lately since I dare to label myself a freelance writer.

As it is now I am in the downtown public library of Beaumont, Texas, and find myself surrounded by a bevy of jerks who think the computer lab is a place in which they might have loud back and forth conversations. Oh well, it could be worse, they could all be talking on cell phones. That will probably come next.

It is a Monday and has been all day long. I am headed for the house.