Author: Dick

In between presidential biographies I am reading a book about some honest-to-God American heroes and patriots. Bill Yenne’s “Rising Sons” is an close-up look at the young Nisei Japanese soldiers of World War II, many of whom volunteered to fight while they were imprisoned with their parents in internment camps.

While many in this country these days declare their patriotism with flag pins and yellow ribbons, the Nisei soldiers were examples of those who truly loved their country and were willing to chance death to defend it. A number of the American born Japanese who served on the front lines as well as interpreting Japanese communications. The latter was not always as difficult as it seems because in many instances our arrogant Japanese foe didn’t imagine that our side could understand their language.

As was often the case with other minorities during the war, the medals awarded the Nisei stopped short of the grand prize. The wrong was righted during Bill Clinton’s administration when a number of the decorated Nisei soldiers had their Distinguished Service Crosses upgraded to the Medal of Honor.

It takes more than paying lip service to patriotism to fight and die for your country when you are pretty much getting screwed. It’s honor at its best. Yenne’s book is a plain-spoken lesson on how foolish you are when you denigrate someone because of their looks. It’s a lesson we all can use from time to time.

Eggsactly. I’m uhplate because there is a chemical cloud to our west. According to the National Weather Service:

BULLETIN – EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE
JEFFERSON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1033 PM CDT TUE OCT 23 2007

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS BEING TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF
JEFFERSON COUNTY (TX) EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

A PIPELINE LEAK HAS CREATED A CLOUD OF UNKNOWN GAS NEAR THE
COMMUNITY OF CHEEK.

A SHELTER IN PLACE IS REQUESTED FOR THE RESIDENCES OF CHEEK FROM
AGGIE ROAD TO MEEKER ROAD BETWEEN OLD SOUR LAKE ROAD AND HIGHWAY
90 UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

A SHELTER-IN-PLACE MEANS PROTECTING YOURSELF WHERE YOU ARE AND
STAYING THERE UNTIL GIVEN FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS OR THE ALL-CLEAR.

SHELTER-IN-PLACE WARNING ACTIONS:
1. GO INSIDE
2. CLOSE ALL DOORS AND WINDOWS
3. TURN OFF ALL VENTILATION SYSTEMS
4. TUNE TO LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Yikkkkkkkkkkkesssssssssss!!! Mable bury the fake Grants and put back a couple of those kolaches that won’t grow fur.

This dangerous cloud o’ disaster is 10-12 miles or so from where I live and since my area is ringed with every toxic chemical known to man, I don’t think it would be dangerous for me to go to bed, so that is what I will do in a few moments. Should the toxic cloud get me, then sorry about what I owes ya.

But this is the second pipeline rupture in our area in the past week. And considering what my old college bud Brett has been uncovering in North Texas it kind of makes you ponder those famous and familiar letters WTF?

There appears to be some good news from Iraq that the number of American and civilian deaths are down for a second straight month. Less death is always good when it comes to our own military personnel and the people we allegedly are freeing from their now dead dictator.

It seems that most of the credit for this decline goes to the Iraqis who appear to be getting just a tad fed up with all the violence there. I am sure the Bush administration and their boosters will also point to the smoke-and-mirror-filled “surge” of troops. Any good news, unfortunately, presents more of a rationale for the administration to argue staying the course. We have stayed, and stayed, and stayed the course some more but it doesn’t look like the war in Iraq will ever end. Why should it when so much money is to be made? Right? Wrong.

Is global warming turning the continent purple, green, red and yellow?

Actually, the colors on the map above do not accurately indicate what is going on here although I am sure you are astute enough to know that. They merely are infrared images layered upon a weather satellite photo from a couple of hours ago. NOAA — the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — says these colors mean something but I am not entirely sure what. What is important to know is that a cold front has just swept on top of us here in Southeast Texas for our first taste of cool fall weather this year.

The Weather Bug doodad on my computer said the temperature is 59.9 degrees at St. Anne’s Catholic School, about a mile or so away. In the meantime it is 62 degrees with heavy rain/fog/mist at the Jefferson County Airport some 15 miles south of town. What does it all mean? Well, perhaps it means that like an aging troubadour, weather creeps along leaving behind its chilly tunes. Huh. So that’s what it means?

It is actually nice having the temperatures cool a bit even though this hasn’t been anywhere near a hot summer of the kind we sometimes have here. But taking the good with the bad there surely will be some colder days ahead before spring sneaks into the kitchen for a midnight glass of milk and some chocolate chip cookies, all of which for this area will probably occur in late January.

Fall has fallen. It’s time to button up, cover up, zip up, snap up, or whatever up you might have on hand. Now is the time to wait for the trees to turn colors for the two weeks before winter begins. The Gulf Coast: It is an acquired taste.

The Dallas Morning News‘ Doug Swanson wrote in January 2005:

The Dallas veterans hospital is so dirty, dangerous and poorly managed, federal investigators have found, that it ranks as the worst such medical center in the country.

It has been almost a year since I had to visit that so-called “hospital” so I have no idea how dirty it is. But I can almost bet that it remains dangerous and can attest to the fact that it is poorly managed. I have used five different VA hospitals since receiving veterans health care over the past 20 or so years and Dallas clearly is the worst of the five. It wouldn’t surprise me if it still remains the worst in the country. It’s certainly the worst in my eyes.

How long should it take someone to get information about a billing matter at a hospital? One day? Two? Three? Four and counting? It’s like a box of chocolates at the Dallas VA.

How long should you have to wait to talk to someone or even have your call answered at a hospital? One minute? Two? Ten and counting?

With our country putting our young men and women through the needless sausage grinder in Iraq, they are soon disposed of by the military and thus face “care” by the Department of Veterans of Affairs. It is a system that already was bulging at the seams and operated with the typical cheapness of this Republican administration. Oh the top VA officials and Bush administration will tell you they have funded the VA more than adequately. But they speak with forked tongues and cooked books.

On top of the system itself failing, you have components of the system that are drowning in a never-ending sea of incompetence. The top administrators of these hospitals don’t talk to the patients, at least not those in the large hospitals. People who answer the phone at these facilities actually sound scared when you tell them you want to speak to the head man. I mean, how can some — oh my God — patient — dare to speak to the director of a major VA hospital?

My latest rant comes about because the Dallas VA caused the U.S Department of Treasury to steal $110 from me that I didn’t owe. They had no reason whatsoever for taking it. I am exempt from debt at that facility. And so since they took it, it’s incumbent upon me to get it back. When will I get it back? One week? Two weeks? Three? Six?

Perhaps I am just angry over nothing. I mean, pretend you’re me. Okay, that’s a little harsh. But pretend some company or government entity took $110 from your bank account for absolutely no reason. Also pretend, if you can, that you have maybe $10 total to make it five days until payday. Then pretend you have to fight like hell to get the money that was taken, back, if you can even get it back, and if you get it back it might take six weeks. Pretend that and tell me you’re not mad after such pretense.

So, yes, I am a little pissed off. Maybe I’m overreacting. I’ve been known to do that. But this time, I don’t think so.