Monday, May 30, 2016
Memorial Day III
I was thinking this morning about Mrs. Drang's father and his brothers, all of whom served in the Navy in WWII, and all of them on subs for at least a part of the time.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
"My Buddy"
Once again, Memorial Day is not about those of us who made it home, it's about those who "Gave Their All."
It's never said so in the song, but the assumption from the day it was released is that it was for a friend who never made it back from "Over There."
Lyrics are found here.
I'd never heard this version before. It may be a bit of a change from what most expect from Jerry Jeff Walker, and I think my buddy George would have liked it. There was really no reason for us to hit it off as well as we did, other than a mutual interest in guns and hunting. And Science Fiction. And a shared distrust of authority, which I suppose seems odd to those who never served, in a couple of NCO's.
But we did, and I always had a couch to sleep on if I needed to get away from the barracks, even if I needed to drive 800 miles to do it. (Long weekends. Great things, but don't tell the Army I drove that far in a night...)
Like me, George served overseas several times, but never saw combat except for on TV.
Somewhere I read that a high percentage of military, police, and fire/rescue retirees die about a year after retirement. That was the case for George; one night he stood up and then hit the floor.
Pat, his wife, told me later that when she was filing for survivor benefits the person from the VA took one look at his retirement physical and upgraded him retroactively to 100% disabled. She also told me that he kept getting a job, and then waking out when they told him he had to join a union. He figured if he joined a union that would mean two bosses, which was at least one too many.
Eventually I lost contact with Pat and her kids. She went her way, and put her life back together. This being before cell phones, the Internet, and social media, keeping in touch meant expensive long distance bills or actually writing a letter and mailing it, and the Army was keeping me pretty busy then; even when I moved back to within a hundred miles of where they were, I met the future Mrs. Drang and was otherwise occupied.
Speaking of upgrading George's disability, this is the other sing I usually play on Memorial and Veteran's Days:
Hey don't ya remember...?
It's never said so in the song, but the assumption from the day it was released is that it was for a friend who never made it back from "Over There."
Lyrics are found here.
I'd never heard this version before. It may be a bit of a change from what most expect from Jerry Jeff Walker, and I think my buddy George would have liked it. There was really no reason for us to hit it off as well as we did, other than a mutual interest in guns and hunting. And Science Fiction. And a shared distrust of authority, which I suppose seems odd to those who never served, in a couple of NCO's.
But we did, and I always had a couch to sleep on if I needed to get away from the barracks, even if I needed to drive 800 miles to do it. (Long weekends. Great things, but don't tell the Army I drove that far in a night...)
Like me, George served overseas several times, but never saw combat except for on TV.
Somewhere I read that a high percentage of military, police, and fire/rescue retirees die about a year after retirement. That was the case for George; one night he stood up and then hit the floor.
Pat, his wife, told me later that when she was filing for survivor benefits the person from the VA took one look at his retirement physical and upgraded him retroactively to 100% disabled. She also told me that he kept getting a job, and then waking out when they told him he had to join a union. He figured if he joined a union that would mean two bosses, which was at least one too many.
Eventually I lost contact with Pat and her kids. She went her way, and put her life back together. This being before cell phones, the Internet, and social media, keeping in touch meant expensive long distance bills or actually writing a letter and mailing it, and the Army was keeping me pretty busy then; even when I moved back to within a hundred miles of where they were, I met the future Mrs. Drang and was otherwise occupied.
Speaking of upgrading George's disability, this is the other sing I usually play on Memorial and Veteran's Days:
Hey don't ya remember...?
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Upcoming Law of Self Defense Seminars
Andrew Branca sent an email today in which he posted the following scheduled Law of Self Defense Seminars:
As I said back in February of this year,Upcoming Law of Self Defense Seminars
As I've mentioned, I am preparing a major re-location from Massachusetts to Colorado within the next couple of months, and have blocked out most of the summer to allow for our move. The pace really picks up again late summer and into the fall. As usual, all seminars are state-specific, with some covering just the state in which they are being held while others also cover adjoining states.
August 7: Raleigh NC
August 13: OR & WA: Portland OR
August 20: TN & KY: Nashville TN
September 10: Talladega AL
October 1: PA & NJ: Philadelphia PA
October 15: Arizona NM
October 16: TX & NM: El Paso TX
We'll have plenty more seminars scheduled all over the country. Just click here to learn about seminars coming in YOUR state!
...I will wrap it up by saying that the experience was well worth the money, and it is highly recommended; if you cannot attend the appropriate session for your state, and are at all concerned about the legal aspects of self-defense, then you should at least read Andrew's book, and see about bringing him to your neck of the woods.
Monday, May 16, 2016
Earworm, 05/16/2016, Terminal Ballistics Edition
A comment elsewhere in a discussion of effective ammunition planted today's earworm in my head.
I bet you can figure out what the comment said.
This extended cut video includes the original video, which was edited on MTV, with live concert shots.
That original video may be NSFW, so be warned.
One thing I didn't know until I was doing the usually-inadvisable reading of the comments is that the song "Twilight Zone" was inspired by the original Jason Bourne novel.
Also, I can confirm that the extended cut is an excellent driving song in the middle of the night when there are no others vehicles out there...
I bet you can figure out what the comment said.
This extended cut video includes the original video, which was edited on MTV, with live concert shots.
That original video may be NSFW, so be warned.
One thing I didn't know until I was doing the usually-inadvisable reading of the comments is that the song "Twilight Zone" was inspired by the original Jason Bourne novel.
Also, I can confirm that the extended cut is an excellent driving song in the middle of the night when there are no others vehicles out there...
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Quintana Roo, April 2016
Another Mexican Photo Post, most of the pics are after the break. (All photos copyright D.W. Drang and the Cluemeter.)
So, all-inclusive resorts are pretty cool,the food was pretty good, just wander up to the beach bar and grab a mojito. Or, you know, the staff comes by and brings you one in your cabana.
We were staying at a place just south of Puerto Morelos, which is between Cancun and Playa del Carmen. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (AKA the Great Mayan Reef) is just offshore; we were told repeatedly that Jacques Cousteau had called it the second best SCUBA Diving and snorkeling spot in the world.
We made plans to visit Chichen Itza, but the morning we were supposed to go we had some medical problems and so did not. Guess we'll have to go back. There are other Mayan sites as well. Didn't do any of those, either. Maybe if/when we go back...
So, all-inclusive resorts are pretty cool,the food was pretty good, just wander up to the beach bar and grab a mojito. Or, you know, the staff comes by and brings you one in your cabana.
We were staying at a place just south of Puerto Morelos, which is between Cancun and Playa del Carmen. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (AKA the Great Mayan Reef) is just offshore; we were told repeatedly that Jacques Cousteau had called it the second best SCUBA Diving and snorkeling spot in the world.
We made plans to visit Chichen Itza, but the morning we were supposed to go we had some medical problems and so did not. Guess we'll have to go back. There are other Mayan sites as well. Didn't do any of those, either. Maybe if/when we go back...
 |
| "Look, honey, there's a cabana right outside our room!" Turns out you can get sunburned while lying in your cabana drinking your mojito. |
Oh, of course!
Of course the Cartoon Network runs an Archer marathon for Mother's Day!
Don't worry, I didn't turn it on until after I called Mom.
Also, Amazon says the flowers I ordered her are still in transit, but she says she received a bouquet that sounds like what I ordered, the same day.
Life just keeps getting better and better!
Don't worry, I didn't turn it on until after I called Mom.
Also, Amazon says the flowers I ordered her are still in transit, but she says she received a bouquet that sounds like what I ordered, the same day.
Life just keeps getting better and better!
Sunday, May 1, 2016
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