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Will the isolation give up the ongoing Malaysian mystery?

Perhaps Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 is located in the Indian Ocean. Perhaps not. After the immense speculation and leads given the public from corporate and government sources one could think the Boeing 777 jet with its contingent of almost 300 lives aboard might just be anywhere. It is heartening to think a possible crash site might finally be spotted, according to media reports.

The strange paths this Beijing-bound flight supposedly took and the elements to which the flight pertains is certainly a mystery worthy of fiction. If indeed this jet is found in almost completely the opposite direction from where it was headed, then that too seals the mysterious flight which headed out just after midnight from Kuala Lumpur on March 8. And while the 24-hour media has raised the possibility the 777 might perhaps had been en route to as far north as Pakistan, the possibility the aircraft and its passengers and crew may lie in the Indian Ocean east of Western Australia seems to make more sense than any other ultimate destination.

It didn’t really hit me at first when a newscaster commented this morning that the missing place could in a place as “remote” as to the east of Western Australia. When one looks at a map it really can understand just how far removed from civilization such a place really is.

I made a trip once sailing out of Fremantle, the Swan River port city for Perth, Western Australia, headed for Jakarta, Indonesia. I don’t remember much about the passage, our two warships alone  out on the Indian Ocean. We had spent the better part of two months visiting ports all up and down the two major New Zealand islands and to three Australian ports in a semi-circular journey from New South Wales, to Tasmania and up to Perth. The majority of us sailors, under 25, had just experienced “sailor-man heaven.”

So I really cannot comment too much one way or the other about the trip across the western Indian Ocean and into the Java Sea. The only thing that really sticks out in my mind about the Indian Ocean is that it was generally hot as hell, it being during the heat of the southern winter. I did notice what appeared to be dirty-looking ocean water, it being one of those odd instances one comes across when at sea after awhile.

Few islands of the Indian to the west of Australia other than Madagascar are noteworthy.  The only place in the Indian Ocean where I have known people to go was Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, home of the major U.S. Navy facility that was built in the 1970s mostly by Navy Seabees. A number of my Seabee friends were deployed there at one time or another. One even sent me a B.I.O.T. T-shirt though I don’t know what happened to it.

Yes, I would have to think that area west of of Perth is pretty remote as many ocean areas might be. Still the ocean is tranquil and desolate in many areas of the world as it is there. Hopefully, this remote area will soon uncover this ongoing mystery and provide some comfort to those with loved ones on Flight 370.

 

 

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And when all else fails, talk turns to Texas

Seems Texas is in the political news today. Nothing new. It shouldn’t be. I mean why should it, given this is the second largest state in population and the second largest in area? It’s two (smack) two (smack) two number two states in one.

Sr. Comadreja, a.k.a Sen. Ted Cruz, the Canadian-Cuban who represents the two-for-two state in the upper house was visiting here in Beaumont yesterday at the Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum. The symbolism is not lost because the museum is only a short-short away from the gusher that started the modern petroleum industry. So, Cruz represents the “new” Tea Party face of the Republican party, but doesn’t want to shy away from that good ol’ awl money. Dana Bash of CNN was interviewing Cruz at the Boomtown, asking him about all kinds of insignificant matters. Such as Ted Nugent campaigning for Greg Abbott, Texas attorney general and candidate for the Republican nomination for governor.

Nugent said some things which are really not very meaningful when it comes to anything. Unless, perhaps you interpret ol patriotic, draft-dodging Teddy’s words as racist. But the media, mostly the cable news networks, have to pounce on these things. He called President Obama a “subhuman mongrel” and some other things which weren’t nice. When Abbott was questioned about the aging rock singer’s remarks, the GOP goober-natorial candidate for governor ran away from the media with both hands over his ears, screaming: “Nonononononon!!” All of that is pretty difficult since Abbott’s weird encounter, some years back, when a tree fell on him as he was jogging. I mean that is what insurance companies mean when they say: ” … act of God … ” That didn’t stop lawyer Abbott for suing the pants and just about everything else off the people “responsible.” Yes indeed, what a good Republican-stop-lawsuit-abuse fellow. As a matter of fact, Abbott continued to sue folks upon taking oath as Texas AG, especially suing the U.S. of A.

Perhaps for good measure, or Good Hair, Wolf Blitzer had old Good Hair himself on his program this afternoon. Gov. Rick Perry was hemmin’ and hawin’ about, whom else? Ted Nugent.

 “He shouldn’t have said that about the president, said Perry. “But we should be focused on what’s really important here.”

Whatever that might be.

 “Ted has said some pretty outrageous things … ” I do have a problem with somebody calling the president a mongrel.”

“That was a ‘subhuman mongrel!’ ” Wolf reiterated.

Yeah, well. A few free minutes of watching the “news” after an exhausting day all shot to hell by the “subhuman” elite of Texas politics.

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It’s only rock and roll and 50 years later … damn knee!

Perhaps I have been a bit inattentive lately. I swear I have an excuse. But you know what they say about excuses — Yes, everyone’s an ass****. Well, maybe not.

My right knee has, quite frankly, hurt like a sonofabitch for the last month. It still does but I’m hopefully getting a little closer to the reason why. I went to a non-VA doctor and he says it looks as it I have a torn cartilage. Probably a meniscus tear would be my guess. I am awaiting an appointment for a MRI that may tell me what’s up. In the meantime, the orthopedist told me no standing for more than two hours a day. I might have to get him to add no sitting for more than two hours. It feels okay when the knee is bent. It is standing up that is tricky.

Just putting my two scents in on that Beatles tribute on CBS earlier in the week. Sunday maybe? Whenever.

Someone once told me there are two kinds of people in the world. There are Beatles people and there are Stones people. Well, I’m a Stones people, uh, person. I saw them in concert 30 years ago at the Superdome and figured it amazing they were still getting around very well back then. And now. Damn, Mick must be 100 years old. Keith Richards looks 200 at least. But their music is still … great.

I like the Beatles too. Some of their music I liked more than others. Wasn’t much of a Sgt. Pepper’s fan. Abbey Road is my favorite Beatles album and one of my favorite all-time works. The White Album comes second. George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” is one of my favored songs from that album. It was played powerfully during the Beatles 50-year tribute by guitarists/vocalists Gary Clark Jr., Joe Walsh and drummer Dave Grohl. Clark is an Austin bluesman, whom sadly, I had not heard of but perhaps heard. Walsh, from James Gang and later Eagles guitarist and presidential candidate rounded out a great leading trio on the Harrison song with Grohl, of the Foo Fighters, drumming his heart out.

Not so much did I care for the covers by Maroon 5, although I like some of Adam Levine and the band’s songs, mostly “Harder to Breathe.” Katie Perry, Grammy queen, was seemingly panned by most writers I have seen after the tribute concert for her take on “Yesterday.” But then what do writers know anyway?

The two surviving Beatles? They still rock. I wonder though, what they might look like if they looked their age? Ringo? Half-bald and a pot belly? Paul, like he did singing on the Rooftop Concert. Even 80-year-old Yoko Ono was dancing during the tribute and … I wonder what John was thinking, way back when?

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Cop arrests firefighter for not saying “How high?” when told to jump

If there is one thing video cameras are good for it is unearthing abuse by those with official powers. I’m talking here about the California Highway Patrol and one of theirs — no Erik Estrada — arresting a firefighter because he wouldn’t stop in the middle of an auto accident rescue to move his fire truck.

Something such as this doesn’t surprise me. I’ve seen police at the scene of emergencies who are absolutely worthless. I have witnessed men in blue who should be charged a fee for taking up the vital air we breathe. This I have seen working as a firefighter and later as a reporter.

On the flip side I have seen cops who got their hands dirtied, their uniforms ruined , and their lives and limbs jeopardized while helping anyway they can to save a life.

Here is a unique perspective. I was a small-town editor who went to the scene of an accident just a short ways from where I lived. The cars involved were a pickup pulling into a convenience store and a police car on its way to a burglary in progress. When I arrived, I could tell the officer was already dead. A former EMT checked his vitals and found his eyes fixed and dilated, as well as having no breathing or pulse.

The other officer who was on duty and who had responded to the burglary fell apart upon arriving at what turned out to be a two-fatality accident, the other driver was killed instantly as well. The other officer literally didn’t know what to do. He looked at me with eyes pleading for some direction. Thus, I suggested he call for the Jaws of Life, there being a fire truck on the scene but no rescue unit with the Hurst tool. There would be a need for the rescue tool to remove the bodies but other than that, my suggestion kind of kick-started the cop and got him back to doing as he was trained. This was nothing spectacular that I did. I stayed steady like I did when I was a firefighter and EMT. And I just helped a brother out.

Tiffs between cops and firefighters aren’t that uncommon. A police officer arresting one of his brother public safety personnel is, fortunately, uncommon. A law enforcement officer arresting a firefighter and in front of rolling cameras, while that officer is endangering public safety, is very rare.  Stupid would be a word that comes to mind.

Police, EMTs, firefighters are all on the same team. And while there may be “no I in team,” there are asses in ass****s.

 

 

 

 

 

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Peyton didn’t shoot rainbows out his butt though German engineers did

For your reading pleasure I will not be the Monday afternoon quarterback after the latest version of the “Big Game.” Blowouts do not make for good games when you aren’t really wild about either team. I liked certain individual players, Peyton for one. There are several local guys, Earl Thomas and Red Bryant, come to mind, who played for the Seahawks. Seattle came, and must have brought actual fans rather than corporate types, they saw and they conquered.

I am extremely happy Peyton Manning had the remarkable season that he did. Especially coming off four cervical spine surgeries. I didn’t think he could do it. And I really didn’t think he should have even played. I have had two neck surgeries. The first was when I was about Peyton’s age and the second one, where they cut a piece of my hip and fused it with a titanium strip with screws, when I was 45. I recovered okay from the first one but it wasn’t a long time that I had additional C-spine problems that are virtually inoperable unless I have some serious bodily or life-threatening conditions. The difference is that I have never been close to being in similar physical condition as Peyton. Hell, he was in better condition when he was under anesthesia and on the operating table for five hours than I have ever been. I probably could have beat him in a 40 had I been 27 and he still under on the operating table, but even that is questionable.

Maybe Peyton gave me hope that others don’t have to go through the pain and other bullshit that I do with chronic pain from degenerative arthritis. One must remember though, Peyton has those Manning genes. All three boys were exceptional athletes, even though all three didn’t have the best necks. Peyton and Eli’s brother Cooper Manning had to give up football prior to starting at Old Miss. He had spinal stenosis, which I had prior to my 2001 surgery, though his was more severe so that had he been hit he might end up paralyzed. These Manning boys remind me of the Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito characters in the movie “Twins” in which the unlikely pair were part of an experiment to build the better human being. Kind of like Frankenstien, except more handsome and more engaging with uncanny athletic abilities, the young Manning boys.

The Super Bowl commercials also pretty much sucked this year. I did think a few were good. Audi’s “Doberhuahua” hit it out of the park, I think. I also thought the Volkswagen German engineers sprouting wings when their cars reached 100,000 miles was pretty funny, especially upon the young girl’s suggestion that at 200,000 they also shoot rainbows out their butts.

A few highs and a few lows this Super Bowl XLVIII, but mostly lows.