We Will Miss You Coach G

Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley --- When I was in the 7th grade at Caldwell County Junior High School in Princeton, Ken., now some 45 years ago a short, squat extremely Italian-looking fellow and his lovely wife showed up to begin what was to be a love affair with Princeton and high school athletics.

I won't bother you with all the athletic parts of the story of Coach Al Girodano, "Coach G" as he was fondly called by those who played for him, or not, because there are others who can do a much better job of that.

Nope, I want to share with you though a short story about a young man, maybe around 14 at the time, whose father was not at home and who looked high and low for father figures. Coach G, along with Principal Bill Brown, Teacher Riley Dennington, Editor Gid S. Pool, and Printmaster Lowell Hobby were a few of those "fathers" that "adopted" me when I needed it the most.

I never played any sports for Coach G. I was never a sports hero. I was not even very good at whatever sport I tried except maybe racquetball where I did now and then perform pretty well.

I was the classic "nerd" before being a "nerd" was cool.

I was the sports photographer for the local newspaper, the score-keeper for the Little and Lassie league teams. I was the "fringe" guy always on the edge of all the sports but never one to be coached by Coach G.

But there is one thing that even to this day some 45-years later I remember about Coach G that makes me smile and comforts me.

One day when I was at the ballpark all alone and feeling pretty down, bouncing a ball off the wall and catching it, Coach G came by and he asked me if I would like to drive his tractor and cut some grass.

What 14-year old that craved male attention from such a prestigious fellow as Coach G wouldn't?

I never knew if Coach G knew it or not but that day I felt like one of his "boys."

Coach G. helped me that day to feel needed and wanted. And to this day I have always been grateful for that. To him it was probably nothing much at all, and most likely he never even remembered it.

Not me. When I heard of his passing the other day as I was enroute to the airport to a long-standing business commitment I was greatly saddened because I had never told him how much that seemingly insignificant act of kindess meant to me.

I had seen the Coach at our high school class reunion in 2008. Now and then I saw his wife or daughters Jill and Joni here or there.

But I was always in awe of "The Coach" and never went out of my way to speak only when spoken to. But Coach G was as important to me as any young man or woman he ever coached in any sport.

That hot summer day in 1964 he gave me hope and purpose even if it was nothing more than "helping" him to mow the grass.

Strange the little "seemingly insignificant" things we remember about people isn't it?

However, let us never forget that sometimes it is not what we say or do to or for others but how we make them feel that ultimately counts.

Kay and I send our warmest thoughts and prayers to Mrs. G and Jill and Joni. We do know the heartache that comes with losing loved ones. Yet ...

"When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight." --- Kahlil Gibran

Love, peace and grace, Dr. D

Photo from the Times-Leader, Princeton, Ky

Geez Stop It Already! BHO and Michelle Deserve To Be Left Alone

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley --- Okay, enough is enough! The POTUS and his wife should be able to go off and enjoy a date night without any politician commenting one way or another. Stop it --- all of you hatemongers and politicians. You have better things to be doing than commenting on the private date lives of the POTUS and the First Lady. Enough already!


"President Barack Obama made good on a campaign promise to his most important supporter Saturday night — his wife, Michelle. The president and first lady jetted to a date in New York late Saturday afternoon, aides and media in tow."

American Captialism Gone With A Whimper

Written by Stanislav Mishin, this is an opinion and analysis by a writer for Pravda on the decline of America into Marxism by none other than a Russian --who better to recognize Marxism pure and simple?
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"It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American decent into Marxism is happening with breath taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people.

True, the situation has been well prepared on and off for the past century, especially the past twenty years. The initial testing grounds was conducted upon our Holy Russia and a bloody test it was. But we Russians would not just roll over and give up our freedoms and our souls, no matter how much money Wall Street poured into the fists of the Marxists.

Those lessons were taken and used to properly prepare the American populace for the surrender of their freedoms and souls, to the whims of their elites and betters.

First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather then the classics. Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas then the drama in DC that directly affects their lives. They care more for their "right" to choke down a McDonalds burger or a BurgerKing burger than for their constitutional rights. Then they turn around and lecture us about our rights and about our "democracy". Pride blind the foolish.

Then their faith in God was destroyed, until their churches, all tens of thousands of different "branches and denominations" were for the most part little more then Sunday circuses and their televangelists and top protestant mega preachers were more then happy to sell out their souls and flocks to be on the "winning" side of one pseudo Marxist politician or another. Their flocks may complain, but when explained that they would be on the "winning" side, their flocks were ever so quick to reject Christ in hopes for earthly power. Even our Holy Orthodox churches are scandalously liberalized in America.

The final collapse has come with the election of Barack Obama. His speed in the past three months has been truly impressive. His spending and money printing has been a record setting, not just in America's short history but in the world. If this keeps up for more then another year, and there is no sign that it will not, America at best will resemble the Wiemar Republic and at worst Zimbabwe.

These past two weeks have been the most breath taking of all. First came the announcement of a planned redesign of the American Byzantine tax system, by the very thieves who used it to bankroll their thefts, loses and swindles of hundreds of billions of dollars. These make our Russian oligarchs look little more then ordinary street thugs, in comparison. Yes, the Americans have beat our own thieves in the shear volumes. Should we congratulate them?

These men, of course, are not an elected panel but made up of appointees picked from the very financial oligarchs and their henchmen who are now gorging themselves on trillions of American dollars, in one bailout after another. They are also usurping the rights, duties and powers of the American congress (parliament). Again, congress has put up little more then a whimper to their masters.

Then came Barack Obama's command that GM's (General Motor) president step down from leadership of his company. That is correct, dear reader, in the land of "pure" free markets, the American president now has the power, the self given power, to fire CEOs and we can assume other employees of private companies, at will. Come hither, go dither, the centurion commands his minions.

So it should be no surprise, that the American president has followed this up with a "bold" move of declaring that he and another group of unelected, chosen stooges will now redesign the entire automotive industry and will even be the guarantee of automobile policies. I am sure that if given the chance, they would happily try and redesign it for the whole of the world, too. Prime Minister Putin, less then two months ago, warned Obama and UK's Blair, not to follow the path to Marxism, it only leads to disaster. Apparently, even though we suffered 70 years of this Western sponsored horror show, we know nothing, as foolish, drunken Russians, so let our "wise" Anglo-Saxon fools find out the folly of their own pride.

Again, the American public has taken this with barely a whimper...but a "freeman" whimper.

So, should it be any surprise to discover that the Democratically controlled Congress of America is working on passing a new regulation that would give the American Treasury department the power to set "fair" maximum salaries, evaluate performance and control how private companies give out pay raises and bonuses? Senator Barney Franks, a social pervert basking in his homosexuality (of course, amongst the modern, enlightened American societal norm, as well as that of the general West, homosexuality is not only not a looked down upon life choice, but is often praised as a virtue) and his Marxist enlightenment, has led this effort. He stresses that this only affects companies that receive government monies, but it is retroactive and taken to a logical extreme, this would include any company or industry that has ever received a tax break or incentive.

The Russian owners of American companies and industries should look thoughtfully at this and the option of closing their facilities down and fleeing the land of the Red as fast as possible. In other words, divest while there is still value left.

The proud American will go down into his slavery with out a fight, beating his chest and proclaiming to the world, how free he really is. The world will only snicker.

Stanislav Mishin
SOURCE: http://english.pravda.ru/print/opinion/columnists/107459-american_capitalism-0

"The Scoop On Why Ammo Is So Hard To Find" - You Can't Blame This One on BHO Folks!

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley ---My personal thanks to James Dark at www.gunsinternational.com who has researched why ammunition is so hard to come by these days. And no, my conservative friends you can't blame this on BHO or even Joe Biden. Read on .... Dr. D.

An article by James Dark [www.gunsinternational,com] and originally published in the Texas State Rifle Association Sportsman magazine.

Ever since the invention of the internet by Al Gore, a new phenomenon has come into being, one surely as inevitable as death and taxes: the phenomenon of the constantly circulating e-mails, jokes, pictures and conspiracy theories. It seems that about every six or seven months, usually when people discover the Internet for the first time, they have to forward these things to all their friends, and it just starts the vicious cycle all over again.

Those of us who have been on the Internet since good old Al figured it all out, are getting carpal tunnel syndrome from deleting the emails that we have seen ten thousand times since the mid-1990's.

So I thought I would devote my space in this month's magazine to giving you the straight skinny on one of the new myths circulating, in the hope that you will at least know the complete truth about this one before you circulate it. I am talking about the much ballyhooed Ammunition Accountability Act, which is being touted as President Obama's means of controlling guns through ammunition control.

I have to begin by saying something you have never heard me say and likely never will again. The president is innocent on this one! Pure as the driven snow! Let me tell you the whole story.

By now, everyone on the planet has received this e-mail at least 1,000 times. In case you don't own a computer, here is what it says (typos and all):

Remember how Obama said that he wasn't going to take your guns? Well, it seems that his minions and allies in the anti-gun world have no problem with taking your ammo!

The bill that is being pushed in 18 states (including TN, Illinois and Indiana ) requires all ammunition to be encoded by the manufacture, a data base of all ammunition sales. So they will know how much you buy and what calibers. Nobody can sell any ammunition after June 30, 2009 unless the ammunition is coded.

Any privately held uncoded ammunition must be destroyed by July 1, 2011. (Including handloaded ammo.) They will also charge a .05 cent tax on every round so every box of ammo you buy will go up at least $2.50 or more! If they can deprive you of ammo they do not need to take your gun! Please give this the widest distribution possible and contact your Reps!

It's the ammo, not the guns.... I've said for a long time that they wouldn't go for your guns, they'd go for your ammo... guns have a Constitutional protection. Ammo does not.

Heads up to all of you who swore to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign AND domestic. Let your state Legislatures know that we do not want this bill passed, and petition them to vote no on this bill. We should keep after them until the bill is closed by bombarding them with e-mails, phone calls, and letters.

Get to all your politicians to get to work and NOT LET THIS HAPPEN!!! The 2008 Legislative session has begun, and the Ammunition Accountability Act is being introduced across the country. Below is a list of states where legislation has already been introduced:

Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington.

More information can be found at: http://www.ammunitionaccountability.org/Legislation.htm

Oh, where to begin...

Let's start with that website mentioned above. Who owns it?

According to the whois.com registry, it is registered to domains by proxy in Arizona , a firm specializing in hiding the identity of its customers by concealing ownership information of websites. So long as you don't post anything illegal, or openly and obviously libelous, this firm will protect your identity from anyone, short of a subpoena being delivered.

So who runs the domain? The lobbying and political consultant firm of Gordon, Thomas, Honeywell, which is employed by a company called Ammunition Coding Systems, runs ammunition accountability.org. ACS was co-founded by Russ Ford and Steve Mace, and coincidentally, I'm sure, owns the patent on the system designed to laser-engrave codes on projectiles and casings, as part of the system being proposed in this legislation.

Recently, Russ Ford appeared on the NRA News with Cam Edwards and endured what had to be an uncomfortable and grueling interview with Edwards over the feasibility of his proposal. He also admitted during the interview that his company's lobbying firm runs ammunitionaccountability.org, claiming that the relationship is "transparent." I guess my question is why is it registered through domains by proxy if the intent is to be transparent?

Significantly, when asked about the Public policy experts Ammunition Accountability claims support this proposal, Ford was unable to provide a single name. But most of the discussion centered on the manufacturing systems.

Ford admitted that this system is essentially a theory. It has never been tested on any manufacturing process, but he doggedly defended that the technology exists to be able to accomplish that which is required by the legislation: the production of 20 or 50 round boxes of ammunition, with all rounds within a box encoded (on both projectile and casing) with a laser-engraved serial number. One mistake in this process results in a $ 10,000 fine to the manufacturer. There has never been any attempt to test this procedure by inserting it into a current running manufacturing process to evaluate the ability to make all the cogs fall into place in a way that doesn't seriously hamper production.

In a sniveling defense of his proposal, Ford stated that his company had sent out more than 400 letters to ammunition manufacturers asking for their assistance in testing their system, and had received only one letter back, and that was one that was misaddressed. In rebuttal, Cam Edwards stated the quite obvious when he said, "No one is under any obligation to help you out with an idea that they think is stupid!"

The bottom line is that this entire legislative scheme is being pushed by a company that stands to make millions of dollars on royalty income if its insane scheme bears fruit. But so crazy is the scheme that the only hope for its eventual use is the bludgeoning of legislation through the state legislatures.

So far, ACS has managed to get this bill introduced into 18 states. Here is the status of all of the bills:

Alabama Senate Bill 541: It was indefinitely postponed in House of origin. It will not pass and would have to be reintroduced.

Arizona House Bill 2833: It never got heard in any committee. Never voted on. It would have to be reintroduced.

California Senate Bill 997: SB997 has no Info on it, and died in committee. SB1471 passed and is now known as the "Crime Gun Identification Act of 2007." It was authored by Assembly member Mike Feuer (D- Los Angeles ) and was signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The bill is in regard to handguns and microstamping, not ammunition. It also has no wording in it that would indicate that citizens would need to turn in their guns. It could also be rendered moot depending on the technology. It is not a part of the AAA agenda.

Connecticut Raised Bill 603: The bill was raised and had a public hearing. No action was taken. Bill would need to be re-introduced.

Hawaii House Bill 2392, Hawaii Senate Bill 2020 , Hawaii Senate Bill 2076: All bills were deferred to the judiciary with no further action taken. Bill would need to be reintroduced.

Illinois House Bills 4258, 4259, 4269, 4349. Illinois Senate Bill 1095: All bills referred to Rules Committee. No other actions were taken.

Indiana House Bill 1260: Was sent to committee and not acted on again. It would need to be reintroduced.

Kentucky House Bill 715: Was withdrawn.

Maryland House Bill 517: No copy of the report. It didn't pass. Would need to be reintroduced.

Mississippi Senate Bill 2286: Died in Committee.

Missouri Senate Bill 1200: Referred to Judiciary. Would need to be reintroduced.

New Jersey Assembly Bill 2490: Referred to Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee. Would need to be reintroduced.

Pennsylvania House Bill: Referred to the Judiciary on Feb. 5, 2008. No other action taken.

Rhode Island Senate Bill 2742: Committee recommended measure be held for further study. It would need to be reintroduced.

South Carolina Senate Bill 1259: Was referred to a subcommittee with no further action taken. Would need to be reintroduced.

Tennessee House Bill 3245, Tennessee Senate Bill 3395: Both were sent to the judiciary committee with no other action taken. Would need to be reintroduced.

Washington House Bill 3359: Was referred to the Judiciary with no other action taken. Would need to be reintroduced.

So as you can see, ACS and its lobbying firm have made little progress. But what I find most interesting in this case is that this proposal is not being forwarded by the "usual suspects." The Obama administration hasn't said a word, and even the Brady Campaign (at least nationally), the Million Mom March, Violence Policy Center and the other usual Second Amendment foes are keeping their distance from this stinker of an idea. Even they can apparently recognize a crackpot when they see one.

Interestingly, Russ Ford claimed in his NRA News interview to be a shooter. He even mentioned that he was going to be paying for part of the cost of this proposal himself. Of course, he failed to mention the fact that he would also profit in the millions from every other of the 8 billion rounds of ammunition manufactured in the U.S. every year. Until Ford shoots more than 8 billion rounds of ammo personally a year, he will clearly profit from this.

What is quite obvious from this is that we are not dealing so much with anti-gunners but rather with opportunists. If the Ammunition Accountability folks are in fact supporters of the Second Amendment or shooters, then they are simply modern-day Judas Iscariots looking to make millions of pieces of silver by selling out the Constitution with their ill-gotten idea to mandate a theory that has never been proven to work.

Legislation Status provided courtesy of http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2009/01/ammunition-accountability-act-e-mail.html, retrieved January 28, 2009.

Ben Stein's Last Column - The Real Heroes

Ben Stein's final column --

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley --- I have always liked this fellow Ben Stein. For some reason he just strikes me as the kind of guy you would like to sit and have a drink and some good conversation with maybe over a hunk of grilled steak. So, when my friend Dave Sturges sent me Mr. Stein's "Last Column" and I read it I was compelled to share it with all my readers as well.

I concur Mr. Stein that the real heroes, especially in today's society and world, are not the Hollywood or Eastern Seaboard elite. In fact one of my real heroes is Lt. Col. Ty Edwards, a fine Marine, who like many is now recovering from wounds he suffered while on duty to protect the world in the "War on Terror." Oops, I forgot, that's no longer the politically correct term but alas before I regress into some inane commentary on my part let me share with you Ben Stein's last column ... Dr. D.

For many years Ben Stein has written a biweekly column called 'Monday Night At Morton's.' (Morton's is a famous chain of Steakhouses known to be frequented by movie stars and famous people from around the globe.) Now, Ben is terminating the column to move on to other things in his life. Reading his final column is worth a few minutes of your time.

How Can Someone Who Lives in Insane Luxury Be a Star in Today's World?

As I begin to write this, I 'slug' it, as we writers say, which means I put a heading on top of the document to identify it. This heading is 'eonline FINAL,' and it gives me a shiver to write it. I have been doing this column for so long that I cannot even recall when I started. I loved writing this column so much for so long I came to believe it would never end.

It worked well for a long time, but gradually, my changing as a person and the world's change have overtaken it.. On a small scale, Morton's, while better than ever, no longer attracts as many stars as it used to. It still brings in the rich people in droves and definitely some stars. I saw Samuel L. Jackson there a few days ago, and we had a nice visit, and right before that, I saw and had a splendid talk with Warren Beatty in an elevator, in which we agreed that Splendor in the Grass was a super movie. But Morton's is not the star galaxy it once was, though it probably will be again.

Beyond that, a bigger change has happened..? I no longer think Hollywood stars are terribly important. They are uniformly pleasant, friendly people, and they treat me better than I deserve to be treated. But a man or woman who makes a huge wage for memorizing lines and reciting them in front of a camera is no longer my idea of a shining star we should all look up to.

How can a man or woman who makes an eight-figure wage and lives in insane luxury really be a star in today's world, if by a 'star' we mean someone bright and powerful and attractive as a role model? Real stars are not riding around in the backs of limousines or in Porsches or getting trained in yoga or Pilates and eating only raw fruit while they have Vietnamese girls do their nails..

They can be interesting, nice people, but they are not heroes to me any longer. A real star is the soldier of the 4th Infantry Division who poked his head into a hole on a farm near Tikrit, Iraq. He could have been met by a bomb or a hail of AK-47 bullets. Instead, he faced an abject Saddam Hussein and the gratitude of all of the decent people of the world.

A real star is the U.S. soldier who was sent to disarm a bomb next to a road north of Baghdad. He approached it, and the bomb went off and killed him..

A real star, the kind who haunts my memory night and day, is the U.S. soldier in Baghdad who saw a little girl playing with a piece of unexploded ordnance on a street near where he was guarding a station. He pushed her aside and threw himself on it just as it exploded. He left a family desolate in California and a little girl alive in Baghdad.

The stars who deserve media attention are not the ones who have lavish weddings on TV but the ones who patrol the streets of Mosul even after two of their buddies were murdered and their bodies battered and stripped for the sin of trying to protect Iraqis from terrorists.

We put couples with incomes of $100 million a year on the covers of our magazines. The noncoms and officers who barely scrape by on military pay but stand on guard in Afghanistan and Iraq and on ships and in submarines and near the Arctic Circle are anonymous as they live and die.

I am no longer comfortable being a part of the system that has such poor values, and I do not want to perpetuate those values by pretending that who is eating at Morton's is a big subject.

There are plenty of other stars in the American firmament...the policemen and women who go off on patrol in South Central and have no idea if they will return alive; the orderlies and paramedics who bring in people who have been in terrible accidents and prepare them for surgery; the teachers and nurses who throw their whole spirits into caring for autistic children; the kind men and women who work in hospices and in cancer wards.

Think of each and every fireman who was running up the stairs at the World Trade Center as the towers began to collapse. Now you have my idea of a real hero.

I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters This is my highest and best use as a human. I can put it another way. Years ago, I realized I could never be as great an actor as Olivier or as good a comic as Steve Martin or Martin Mull or Fred Willard--or as good an economist as Samuelson or Friedman or as good a writer as Fitzgerald. Or even remotely close to any of them.

But, I could be a devoted father to my son, husband to my wife and, above all, a good son to the parents who had done so much for me. This came to be my main task in life. I did it moderately well with my son, pretty well with my wife and well indeed with my parents (with my sister's help). I cared for and paid attention to them in their declining years. I stayed with my father as he got sick, went into extremis and then into a coma and then entered immortality with my sister and me reading him the Psalms.

This was the only point at which my life touched the lives of the soldiers in Iraq or the firefighters in New York. I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters and that it is my duty, in return for the lavish life God has devolved upon me, to help others He has placed in my path. This is my highest and best use as a human

Faith is not believing that God can. It is knowing that God will. - Ben Stein

Now You Have Gone and Done It! Beer and Wine Tax on It's Way!

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley --- Okay all my liberal, progressive friends I have tried to hold my voice on the election of BHO and this "Congress" but today enough is enough. You have stopped just meddling - I mean geez imagine BHO and this Congress owning a car company - now you want to do this to all of us? I thought you were clearly NOT going to raise taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 a year? Why could I ever believe such political nonsense? So, all my progressive buddies now join the rest of us in the party lounge as you too will pay more for your drinks! Belly up to the bar. Read more here and cry in that $7 beer!

Get Ready the Beer and Wine Taxes Are Headed Your Way Brother Paul!

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=86810233143&h=WAQlm&u=FgFdh&ref=nf

Dr. D.

"Why Do I Shave My Head?"

1976

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley --- Someone usually asks me about this time of the year: “Why do you shave your head?” "Are you taking chemo?" "Or, geez you are going bald aren't you?"

Well, the explanation as to why this time of the year I have a bald head is sort of simple and then again not.

A few years ago when I was diagnosed with cancer my dear-sainted Mother was still living. She had suffered through the passing of my Dad who initially had had colon, then lung, and then brain cancer. She had seen him go through the horrible radiation and chemo treatments and he had, of course, lost his hair. My Dad always had a fine mane of hair and it was one of those traits that my Mother did indeed like about him. My Mother even tried to get my hair to groom like my Dad’s when I was little --- I can remember her putting a silk stocking on my hair after she would wash it and comb it to try and make it lay in the manner she wanted it to lay.

My Father’s Mother when she died in her 90s still had natural jet-black hair, a trait that my Dad had inherited and my Mother liked. So, hair you see was important to my Mom and I suspect even more so because she always had a hard time with her hair and fixing it just right.

Well, after seeing my Mother suffer through all the treatments with my Dad and the consequences of those treatments including losing his hair, I told Kay at that time that if I ever had to have such treatments I would never want my Mother to overtly know that. If you have not figured this out we were big on secrets in my family.

So, the first time I shaved my head was really to deceive my Mother in anticipation that I might have to have chemo or radiation treatments. I was fortunate in that I didn’t have to have either. I simply told her that I had some friends going through chemo and radiation and I was shaving my head to empathize with their plight, which also was partly true as well as I did have a friend who needed such encouragement.

However, I have always let my hair grow out somewhat in the winter time even when I went to Tybee this past year. Yet, when summer comes along and we start talking about Relay for Life and I see my fellow survivors some of whom are going through the bald ordeal I figure the least I can do is shave my head and show my empathy for them.

At one time I was very vain about my hair. Hell, I was pretty vain period. Caryle Simon was probably thinking of me when she wrote "You Are So Vain." I was not only vain, I was also conceited, egotistical, terribly young and immature, very stupid about lots of things, and very confused about life and relationships.

And also like many of us I thought I was invincible. I was wrong on all those points.

Well, I have worked on the vanity piece I suppose and I try and work daily on all the other faults --- some of which I still need help on but I take it one day at a time.

The good news is I grew up and learned a lot in the past 30 years of living and seeing life, people suffering and all the heartaches that go with it.

Shaving my head makes me stop and think about a lot of those past days, the many mistakes and all the regrets and shaving my head has become a Zen sort of thing in that it makes me slow down and take the time to do it right --- one of the few things in my life that maybe I do get right.

And so, now you know. That is the rest of the story of the old bald head.

Love, peace and grace and goodnight Mrs. Calabash wherever you are ...

Dr. Darryl

Reflections on Sunday Before Memorial Day Monday

UPDATE: I was mistaken. The ceremony was Friday not Saturday and my friend Rachel Vickery was kind enough to send a photo to reassure me there was a crowd. My apologies for jumping to an inappropriate conclusion based on lack of sufficient data. Dr. D.

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley --- When one of my ole buddies contacted me today to wish me a good Memorial Day and to concede, “They forget us” I was saddened again by what I saw, or maybe what I didn’t see, yesterday in Oak Grove.

The “Traveling Wall”, a replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall came to Oak Grove just outside Fort Campbell, Ky this weekend. Yesterday at 10 a.m. there was to be a welcoming ceremony. I debated going but woke up early and convinced myself that I would. I have seen and visited the traveling version two other times to pay my respects to two of my brothers and I believe for some reason any chance I get I should again.

I got to the Wall 15-minutes ahead of schedule. There were six of us there not including spouses. Four WWII veterans and two of my age and I waited until 10:30 and no one showed up to do the ceremony nor did any other members of the public or any politicians.

Surely I must have been mistaken about the time the ceremony was to be held. I have never known a goldbrick politician that didn’t go out of their way to wrap themselves in the flag and praise the military especially when it was to their advantage or they were in campaign mode. Whatever mistake I made no one was there at 10 a.m. or even 10:30 a.m. Did they show up later? Probably so and I just had the time wrong. However, the empty feeling that my ole Balmer buddy had about “being forgotten” – well, I can understand how he and so many others might feel that way.

Finally though after walking through the traveling museum called the “Last Fire Base” I wrapped it up went to the Waffle House and had breakfast with a couple of old vets who were as disappointed as I was in the lack of interest. Then I went home and me and my dog curled up in the recliner and watched old sci-fi movies from the 50s and had a couple of cocktails and we got through another day.

Let it be known veterans many of us don’t forget you and appreciate all you gave and still give for our country it is just sometimes we don’t do a very good job of letting you know that and for that I am profoundly sorry.

Simper Fi to you all,

Dr. Darryl

Memorial Day - Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler - When Warriors Had Honor

(L-R) German Ace Franz Stigler, artist Ernie Boyett, and B-17 pilot Charlie Brown.

Look carefully at the B-17 and note how shot up it is - one engine dead, tail, horizontal stabilizer and nose shot up.. It was ready to fall out of the sky. (This is a painting done by an artist from the description of both pilots many years later.) Then realize that there is a German ME-109 fighter flying next to it. Now read the story below. I think you'll be surprised.....

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley --- Memorial Day is upon us again. A day when most people tend to forget what it is truly all about and why we set it aside as a Federal holiday other than to grill, drink beer and enjoy the day off. However, two men recently came to my attention thanks to my friend and colleague Chuck Howell from over in East Tennessee that helps to place the importance of Memorial Day into perspective.

I had never heard of them before. Well maybe the one man's name rang a bell --- Charlie Brown --- when I consider the late great Charles Schultz's work and his characters in his famous Peanuts comic strip.

Two men.

World War II.

One an American -- Charlie Brown -- flying a B-17 or what remained of it. You can see the artist rendering above.

The other a German - Franz Stigler, who is sent out by his commanding officer to shoot the Americans down. (Sounds eerily similar to Snoopy and the Red Baron doesn't it?)

What ultimately happened that day resulted in a reunion of these two great warriors before they both passed away in 2008. This type of honor must be strange and foreign to the current generations who have fought "asymmetrical" wars yet at one time there was honor among most of us who served.

We have to remember, as Chuck writes, "...this was back in the days when there was honor in being a warrior...they proudly wore uniforms, and they didn't hide in ambush inside a mosque, or behind women and children, nor did they use mentally retarded women as suicide bombers to target and kill innocent civilians...how times have changed......"

And what follows is the rest of the story ...

Charlie Brown was a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 379th Bomber Group at Kimbolton , England . His B-17 was called 'Ye Old Pub' and was in a terrible state, having been hit by flak and fighters. The compass was damaged and they were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton.

After flying the B-17 over an enemy airfield, a German pilot named Franz Stigler was ordered to take off and shoot down the B-17. When he got near the B-17, he could not believe his eyes. In his words, he 'had never seen a plane in such a bad state'. The tail and rear section was severely damaged, and the tail gunner wounded. The top gunner was all over the top of the fuselage. The nose was smashed and there were holes everywhere.

Despite having ammunition, Franz flew to the side of the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown, the pilot. Brown was scared and struggling to control his damaged and blood-stained plane.

Aware that they had no idea where they were going, Franz waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees. Franz escorted and guided the stricken plane to, and slightly over, the North Sea towards England . He then saluted Charlie Brown and turned away, back to Europe . When Franz landed he told the CO that the plane had been shot down over the sea, and never told the truth to anybody. Charlie Brown and the remains of his crew told all at their briefing, but were ordered never to talk about it.

More than 40 years later, Charlie Brown wanted to find the Luftwaffe pilot who saved the crew. After years of research, Franz was found. He had never talked about the incident, not even at post-war reunions.

They met in the USA at a 379th Bomber Group reunion, together with 25 people who are alive now - all because Franz never fired his guns that day.

When asked why he didn’t shoot them down, Stigler later said, “I didn’t have the heart to finish those brave men. I flew beside them for a long time. They were trying desperately to get home and I was going to let them do that. I could not have shot at them. It would have been the same as shooting at a man in a parachute.”

Both men died in 2008.

Franz Stigler

Charlie Brown

So, there you have it. This Memorial Day I would ask that each of you reading this take the time to simply reflect on the many men and women that have given their lives that we might live free in a country that is still envied by most of the rest of the world --- even if some in power these days don't see it that way.

And when our politicians this Memorial Day lay the wreaths on the graves of those who sacrificed it all so they could be politicians - and nothing much more - let's just remember that many of us still believe in the basic goodness of all our men and women in the military that stand up and fight daily for our freedoms.

For ever faithful my Brothers and Sisters. We stand by you.

Dr. Darryl

P.S. For those of you who need the references or question the validity of the story - go here:
http://www.snopes.com/military/charliebrown.asp

2009 Space Day in Riverside, Ca.

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley ---

Often we are asked, "What is it about your work that gives you the most satisfaction?" and I suppose the easiest way to explain this is to share this short video clip with you --- I call it "The Faces of Space Day in Riverside, Ca." --- this was the 12th year for this educational outreach activity and probably the best organized and attended of them all.

All the credit goes to Kay for her organizational skills and to the volunteers who make these kids lives better by sharing their time, their love and their passion for their work.

We extend our thanks to everyone. Enjoy the Muvee:

Some Thoughts By Me

This is my friend, and an outstanding and remarkable lady, Carlana Stone, author of "Never Give In, Never Give Up" - her life story about being paralyzed when she was 17-years old and not letting that stop her from skydiving, riding her specially outfitted Harley, learning to fly and scuba diving among just a few of her talents. I highly recommend her book.

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley ---

Finally after what seems forever I have returned home to Lake Barkley! An almost three week business/professional jaunt out into the world and I had these experiences:

1. Arrived in Iowa to find my business associate hospitalized. Rush to ER and find her and we spend two days trying to figure out her issues. The doctor did, Fixed it and we continued our workshop on Leadership Development for the City of Storm Lake. Kudos to Hertz Rental Car Company's Manager at Omaha Airport - Donna - she turned on the utmost in customer service for me when I really needed it. Thanks to her and everyone at Hertz for getting me a car with a GPS system. And whether Dawn and Patti like you or not "Edith" you are my favorite GPS system!

2. Assisted the Storm Lake Community Health Center in getting focused on developing a strategic plan of action - a mandate and simply good business! Great work they are doing and becoming focused will make them even better.

3. Went to Arizona from Iowa to see a dear friend who is scheduled for at least one "mega dose" of radiation following removal of malignant tumors on her vocal chords and removal of thyroid. We enjoyed the Phoenix Zoo on a bike carriage, some good Mexican and Thai food, and did the spa thing - yep, got another manicure and pedicure and massage! Glenn Nesbitt at Tybee is responsible for getting me hooked on this pedicure thing!

I also confronted, and maybe defeated my anxiety, (if not fear) of the dreaded Spider Monkey, hell all monkeys, and I called my friend Tim to let him know of my efforts to resolve this! He didn't volunteer, of course, to come out and help but then that's another story. Don't get me started. Cute? Hmmmm, I have another word for these peeing monsters but will not use it here.

4. Returned to Kentucky briefly while we packed up to then went to Riverside, California to do the 12th annual Space Day for our client Lockheed Martin at Longfellow Elementary School. Probably the best one ever. Kay did magnificent job of organizing - she always does. I was the "grunt" labor along with my "conservative daughter" Penelope. Enjoyed lots of Mexican food and staying at the Mission Inn. If you have not been there go! Ask for Raul, the waiter with personality and utmost customer service. He knows how to fix the bacon that Penelope and I like so well.

5. Finally home. Gathering data and information for a proposal with Battelle and intel gathering for a client in Kentucky. Soon though it will be Memorial Day, or as Mom called it when I was a kid, "Decoration Day."

6. The "Traveling Vietnam Wall" will be in Oak Grove this Memorial Day weekend. I plan to go down and pay my respects and I encourage all of you who know veterans to offer your thanks to them this weekend. We are free men and women - albeit we are losing our freedoms more daily - thanks to the veterans many of whom gave the ultimate sacrifice.

And if the Sec of Homeland Security doesn't appreciate them I damn well do! THANKS to all the men and women, gruntled or disgruntled, that have kept this country free so that political jerks like Janet N., Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, John Murtha and John Kerry (D-Vietnam Veteran) can speak their simple minds whether I agree with them or not.

Simper Fi Brothers and Sisters - Simper Fi,

LPG, Dr. D

THANKS to you all

To my best friend ever - Mr. Stimper - I miss you every day ole man!

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley --- Many of you have stood by me in the happy and sad times, the lighter and darker times, and through the good and the bad and even ugly times. For that I thank you. And I encourage you to watch this video that says it all so well.

Stand By Me

Love, peace and grace, Dr. D

(Me in front of the "Blue Frog" at the zoo. I have no idea the symbology but I just like frogs! The infamous sign leading to the den of monkeys and one of the "cute little fellows" running away from me!)

From Maricopa, AZ ---- There are many things that Tim Murphy, devoted husband of Allison and “Dad” to Lab Lucy and I agree on:

War is hell
Guinness is a mighty fine beer
Some dogs ride the “short bus”
And all monkeys suck

So, Tim would have been proud of me when I dealt head on with my phobia about monkeys and stepped into the Monkey Den at the Phoenix Zoo this afternoon. The “cute” little Spider Monkeys and I came to a truce.

I didn’t slam dunk them and they didn’t spit on me or try and bite me. However, make no mistake about this. The little b@st@rds eyed me all the time I was there. Now, I would not normally confront such a fear without having had a few pints of Guinness but today I pulled my shorts up, looked them squarely in the eye and followed closely on the heels of my friend Marina and “protector”, who has been diagnosed with cancer and therefore I will do strange things to show her my courage, and I took them on “eye-to-eye and mano on mano”.

Other than peeing on everything in sight the little buggers were actually relatively polite. And now Tim it is your turn. Come on to Phoenix and Marina will escort you through then den of cute horrors!

Love, peace and grace,

Dr. Darryl