What will the dems do now?

Here is an excellent article by Victor Davis Hanson, a classics professor from CA who is a prolific writer about ancient warfare and ties to current wars and how we fight. It's almost too good to be true, that those liberal dems who voted for a quick successful campaign to topple the bad man Saddam, who then turned on the President and the troops and declared defeat, are now searching for a politically expedient way to explain the decrease in violence, the Anbar Awakening and the political progress in the Iraqi government (granted slow but progress is progress). I try not to be an "I told you so" type of person (okay okay, not all the time), and I certainly was not on TV steadfastly proclaiming all this was going to transpire but I did have faith that if we could withstand the democratic anti-war onslaught and gain some success, the American people would either lean towards support or not be as against the war, feeding more 'breathing room' and giving our commanders flexibility and not telling the Iraqi people, the rest of the Middle East and every anti-American terrorist that we are weak and not willing to bleed for what we feel is necessary for victory in our battles.

Things I give thanks for...

Happy Thanksgiving! Today was a beautiful day in northern Virginia, temps in the 70s and sunny. It was the perfect setting for some reflection on the many blessings in my life, which sometimes I take for granted. My family - my beautiful wife/best friend and 3 great kids, my siblings and parents and extended family members and true friends. The comfortable house we are fortunate to live in, in a great, safe neighborhood with cool neighbors. My career in the Marine Corps and all that has taught me and done for me and my second career as a federal civilian supporting national defense. My physical and mental health. Beer, guns and my God-given right to own and carry them to defend myself, my family and my property, bicycles, running shoes, coffee, Fox News, Opie and Anthony, music, books, National Review, XC70s and dirty martinis. This is just a small list of the things in life that are blessings, some vital to my existence and others that add joy and entertainment. I hope anyone who may read this has as blessed a life as I do.

Vegan Thanksgiving and Crazy Whores

I saw a preview clip for the local evening news about 'green' thanksgiving ideas. Now, I am all for trying to cut down on polluting the earth and recycling and attempting to decrease our dependence on foreign oil but the whole 'green' movement has finally gone over the edge. Vegan thanksgivings? Thanksgiving is primarily about how our early ancestors survived a rough time and gave thanks. They ate local foods, including meat. If you choose to eat only vegetable items, good on you but please stay the hell away from my holidays. I love meat and all it stands for and I guarantee my cholesterol is as low if not lower than the average vegan.

I have an ex-wife and she is a crazy whore. No, the term whore implies she is vaguely attractive but she is not. She is a crazy hag. I made the mistake in the beginning of the separation and divorce process of being nice and doing what I thought was best for the kids and not for myself. After many years of not listening to my little voice which told me repeatedly it was not right, I finally confronted her on custody schedules and child support payments and it had to go to court because she could not agree to basic, simple requests. I wanted to see my children more yet she could not agree to that. The irony is that just before the judge came into the courtroom she ended up agreeing to everything I asked. Now, of course, she whines about how she had to spend so much money on lawyers. My advice to anyone divorcing is to burn bridges. Teach your children that it's sometimes okay to completely cut off people you once knew and shared time with... and to hate them innately.

232 Years of Defeating Our Enemies!

Today is the 232nd anniversary of the birth/founding of the United States Marine Corps, an organization which I have been a part of actively for the past 16 1/2 years. Unlike the other military services, the Marine Corps makes a big deal about this day because we as Marines look back on our history as much as we focus on present battles and future plans. No matter where in the world a Marine is, hopefully with at least one other Marine close at hand, he or she will celebrate this day in some fashion. It might be a gala, formal birthday ball in a fancy hotel, wearing dress uniform or it might be sharing an MRE dessert with a fire team member before, during or after a combat patrol in some God-forsaken place on Earth. I enjoy this day not only because I am proud of being a Marine and proud of what the Marine Corps stands for but also because it gives me a day to reflect on how the Marines have impacted my life and changed it for the better. There is an old saying, and I remember specifically hearing my grandmother say this once, that 'you join the Marines a boy and come out a man.' This is very true. I had no idea what a Marine was or what the Marines did until I arrived at college, with the dream of being a Navy pilot (yes, I was a 'Top Gun' recruit, I can admit it). I wish I could claim some life-long desire to be a Marine but truth is I cannot. I was very intimidated by the Marines whom I met during my NROTC orientation before my freshman year of college. I did not know what to make of these men who seemed to revel in misery and hardship and who were most happy being dirty and sweaty and tired. I had never really experienced that before. Some of these men were active duty Marines, NROTC instructors, and some were older midshipmen who were formerly active duty enlisted Marines or were going to be commissioned in less than one year, having already been through Officer Candidates School. Beyond the intimidation though, these men were also friendly and helpful to those who sought their counsel. I sensed a great camaraderie between them, a tight bond that didn't seem to exist between the Navy people. I was drawn to that, and I was drawn to the known hardships and struggles that I would face if I chose to be a Marine, or attempted to become a Marine. I made the final decision that I would try after a spring break trip to Camp Lejeune, NC my freshman year. I wanted to become a Marine. I started to train myself physically and mentally, learning from the other Marine midshipmen and instructors. Without going into a full biography, I made it through OCS and was commissioned. That was 16 1/2 years ago and I have learned more about myself, my strengths and weaknesses, in the Marine Corps than most people learn in a lifetime. The Marine Corps does not care about individuals beyond what they can contribute to the mission. The Marine Corps does not allow you to hide fears or be someone you are not; you either adapt and learn to lead or you fall by the wayside. There is no greater introspective mirror than having the responsibility for the lives of others. So, Happy Birthday to the Corps and to all Marines wherever they may be. Semper Fidelis!

And we're back...

I started, no "re-started" this thing, under new management, in the early summer then got lazy and frustrated with the old laptop's keyboard. Well, I can control the laziness but we now have a brand spanking new iMac with a very cool 'new' keyboard so I have no excuse not to post at least a few times per week. Ironically, over the last few lazy months, I have had thousands of "that makes me angry, I should post the link and a furious belch of angry words!" Then I get home, get lazy and don't do it. No more! This is just the first in a long line of posts about the thousands of things that make me angry. Here is a quick 'angry list' summary of the last few months: my whore ex-wife, democrats calling for surrender in Iraq, Jim Murtha (even calling him a former Marine makes me physically ill), Nancy Pilosi, Harry Reid, their stupid Armenian resolution, SCHIP and the lies surrounding it, illegal migrants who expect full citizenship upon their illegal entry into this country, the Writer's Guild strike (how much more money do they want?), the 'N' word imbroglios and the fact that citizens of the District of Columbia cannot use firearms to defend themselves in the most violent city in the country. These are but a few of the very stupid things that made me angry the last few months but the vast majority of the anger comes from articles I read on line everyday, stupid drafts that propose the most outrageous scams on this country. Oh, social security makes me angry and people who oppose school vouchers in poor states.