Author: Dick

You may be wondering what this port-o-potty is doing here. I don’t know. I mean, I know why the portable john is at the end of my block. It is there because a construction job is under way to lay new water lines down the street. But what the johnny-on-the-spot is doing in my blog? I haven’t a clue.

It was just something I took a photo of when the rain finally let up enough for me to walk down the street. It was still raining and I walked under an umbrella but it wasn’t pouring down. It did pour quite copiously not long after that. The latest total I’ve heard from KFDM-TV is that they received 14 inches of rain since midnight. Provided their rain gauge is at the TV station that’s not too far from where I live.

Of course I had to have my daily dog excitement fix during my brief walk. Just as I had turned around at 11th Street and started back on North Street, I heard this guy hollering and, what turned out to be a chihuahua-like dog, was hauling ass on the sidewalk running toward me. That little sucker was beating feet. The guy hollered at me to catch the dog. The little mutt stayed nearby me but would not come to me until, I guess, it got sick of being in the rain so it walked up to me and I grabbed its collar. The man chasing the dog was out of breath when he finally caught up with the dog and me. The guy looked like he hadn’t run anywhere in about 10 years. He said he had left the gate open and the dog took off. Did it ever.

So that poses a very deep question — two questions actually. 1) Why does stuff like that always happen to me? 2)Why does something that is strange that happens to me usually involve dogs? I suppose I’m just pondering the imponderable.

“That’s a big 10-4 on that 10-10 aqui.”
The above wisdom from my drunken acquaintance, Juan from college days, aside today is a day (or should be a day)for reflection. Memorial Day has its roots in post Civil War times but it was first proclaimed as a special day by “General Order No. 11,” issued by Gen. John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic. And yes, he was the commander-in-chief.

A brief explanation. Military commanders with some type of large organization such as, say, the Pacific Fleet or military forces for a vast area were called commander-in-chiefs until the Bush administration stopped the practice in 2004. (In acronymic language, CINCPACFLT once meant Commander-in-Chief Pacific Fleet). Apparently the Bush administration declared there would be no chosen CINC before Gee Dubya so those heading large commands are now simply known as commanders.

Logan set May 30 as a day for decorating the graves of those:

” … who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet church-yard in the land.”

The southern states refused to recognize the day until after the armistice was signed during World War I. In 1971 Congress made the last Monday in May as Memorial Day. And the rest is … history I suppose.

Memorial Day is seen by and large by many Americans simply as the beginning of the summer season. It is a time for going to the beach, cook-outs, getting hammered and whatever. I do think that 9/11 and our subsequent military adventures (and misadventures) have made Americans stop and think a little more about the sacrifices made by the nation’s warriors.

I have said it before and I will say it again: One may support the troops without supporting the war in Iraq. Many who say that cannot be done have never even served in the military — “Chickenhawks” as some are called. But I was a veteran so I know the type of sacrifice one makes just to enlist in the armed forces. You are issued a whole new mindset along with new uniforms. You will most likely not be home for many of the occasions you once celebrated such as Christmas. You may experience hardship. Your family may experience hardship. And yes, you may even be killed.

So I have an appreciation for those serving, even in a war that I think is the epitome of foolishness. I have to say that incidents such as the goings-on at Abu Ghraib and the recent alleged massacre of Iraqis by Marines make it harder for some who don’t support the war to support the troops. It shouldn’t be like that. But it is what it is.

Thus, I will not let some misguided ideologues tell me what is in my mind and in my heart on this day. I think about the many sacrifices that were made for the country. I would say that some of those sacrifices were for good causes and some for not-so-good causes. But then, even though war may sometimes be necessary I don’t see it as particularly being “good.”

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

“Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.” — In Flanders Fields,
John McCrae, 1915.

Here is what’s happening in my neck of the woods:

BULLETIN – EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
900 AM CDT MON MAY 29 2006

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR…
JEFFERSON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
ORANGE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS

* UNTIL NOON CDT

It has been raining and thundering here in Beaumont since midnight. The NWS and local media have reported between 7 and 12 inches of rain in some parts of Jefferson County, where I live. Some underpasses are flooded. I thought briefly about going out and taking some pictures of the flooding. But then I said: “Naahh.”

I wonder if rainy days and Mondays always got Karen Carpenter down? It doesn’t get me down. I love it. Bring it on … Well, I don’t guess that sounds too sophisticated. But hey, I’m not George W. Bush.

Since not much is going on today I am looking at small-town newspapers on the Web. Being an ex-small-town editor myself, I know that real news isn’t always easy to come by. So, sometimes you wind up writing about things such as large vegetables or a 500-pound ferral hog that some yahoo killed.

In our small-town round-up today:

Modeling finale “a blast,” Perry says
No the headline from The Ashley News Observer in Crossett, Ark., (population 5,900) does not refer to every Texan’s good-haired Gov. Rick “Get My Hair On Down the Road” Perry. The story is about 15-year-old Stevi Perry from the burg of Hamburg, Ark., who was one of the 12 “Cosmogirl” finalists. Alas, Stevi did not win but did get to meet the likes of Jaime Pressly and Nicky Hilton. I also found it odd her dining choices that were paid out of her own pocket:

“My main thing was Burger King and Starbuck’s, she said.

I thought models ate things like — air.

From the West Liberty Index in West Liberty, Iowa, (population 3,500), disturbing news from local government:

“Yard waste changes for city residents”

It is sad but true. West Liberty City Manager Chris Ward announced that:

“From now on, residents who want to get rid of their yard waste must separate their sticks and twigs from grass clippings.

With big government on the march like that, the next thing you know they’ll be wanting residents to recycle.

It appears cleanliness is also next to godliness in Broken Bow, Neb. (population 3,350). Chief Publisher Deborah McCaslin of the Custer County Chief reports that cleaning up the town was the main topic at a town meeting that she said brought out a quarter of the city’s population.

What else is there to do on a Monday night in Broken Bow, Neb., one wonders? But it was apparent the “quarter” of the town’s population was hell-bent on town cleanliness:

“Doug Campbell, Broken Bow Economic Development President was asked by Stockall to field the question. He answered with a question.
‘How many of you put community cleanup as your number one priority?’
Nearly every hand in the room shot up.
I guarantee if every one of you went home and called your elected officials, and then if you all showed up at the council meeting they would listen.
‘You have power,’ said Stockall. ‘You created that power tonight because of the list you created with over 100 of your people.'”

I found the “I guarantee … ” line a little editorializing but I guess if you are the chief publisher you can do that. But if the group had the power with 100 people, and nearly a quarter of the population was at the meeting, then I suppose the other 700 or so folks who were reportedly there, were powerless.

Finally, from the Independent News Herald in Clarissa, Minn., (population 608), it seems the reporter is likening an earthworm onslaught to an alien invasion:

“Almost everyone has seen a sci-fi movie where a spaceship lands and horrible alien invaders disembark and cause chaos on the planet earth. Now, imagine a spaceship landing and earthworms emerging. They mean us no harm, not intentionally anyway. But nevertheless, they can cause chaos to the ecosystem of Minnesota.”

Somehow, I just cannot picture a spaceship landing and earthworms coming out of it. But I have to give writer Karin L. Nauber the award for the weirdest lead (or lede if you are a newspaper person) of the day.

I assure you that my examples above and my subsequent commentary are all in good fun. Sometimes finding something to write about can be slim pickings, or is it Slim Pickens? Oh well, Yeeee Hawwwww and have a great weekend.

Do you remember the kid in high school who was arrogant but stupid — that didn’t know when the joke was on him? Sigh! Well, Tom DeLay seems to be that kid.

A video clip of the “The Colbert Report” is posted on the Defend DeLay Web site. This clip features an interview by satirist Stephen Colbert of activist Robert Greenwald. The filmmaker Greenwald was discussing the movie: “The Big Buy: Tom DeLay’s Stolen Congress.” Apparently, DeLay took Colbert’s satirical and sarcastic interview as some sort of a defense for the former U.S. House majority whip who was indicted in Austin over illegal campaign contributions.

Should people think that Colbert seriously was sticking up for “The Hammer,” they need only to view his edgy performance at the recent White House Correspondent’s Association Dinner to get the joke. Colbert skewered President Gee Dubya and the news media during that dinner with his faux conservative pundit character. That Colbert performance can be found on the C-Span Web site.

I would feel bad for Tom DeLay if it was possible for me to feel bad for him. But it’s just not possible.