PHD

December 7th.

A day which will live on in infamy.

How many of you know what happened on that fateful day?

On December 8th, we had the will to win.

Look inside yourself.....

do we still have that will,

today?

Thank you, William, and I echo that sentiment.

To those who have served, I thank you.

Redemption

27. It's a hallowed number, newly-anointed. Rodriguez, Matsui, Cano, Cabrera. Will those names evoke emotion someday, similar to that of Meusel, Hoyt, Ruffing and Page? Newly-crowned champions joining Posada and Pettitte, the Captain and The Great Mariano, and of course, #27...Our Pal Joey. This is a special moment, a special team, now firing on all cylinders. Cynics will quickly point out the payroll, and that is fine. When the Yankees have huge resources, and have finally figured out how to use those resources, watch out. The New Dynasty is awakening.... Go Yankees! Onward now, to 28.

Babylon Doors

Here's a short posting, less weighty I suppose than the usual ones I have been engaged with of late. Lyrics. Have you ever wondered about song lyrics? You know the websites.... someone has faithfully and dutifully recorded the words to every song imaginable and created a website repository, in hopes of selling you ringtones. Who says the lyrics are actually correct?

Here's my point. Check into the lyrics for "Babylon Fading" by the Doors, and you'll see the phrase "bison's pipe" given. Wow. How impossibly ignorant [let alone, imaginative!]. Now, Jim Morrison certainly knew that bison's do not play pipes. Bison being an alternative name for the buffalo, they would have horns but not pipes. Said horns are affixed firmly to their heads. They do not play them. Where does that piping come from? Anybody remember that Jim Morrison is the son of a Navy man? Sure was, and Jim would know of Boatswain's Mates, guys who do all sorts of traditional sailor stuff [boats and anchors and mooring lines and such]. In Standard Navy Speak, Boatswain in pronounced Bosun. Long o, and the 'sun' is jammed together. The uninitiated might hear "Bison", but I assure you it is "Bosun".]

By the way, Jim spent time on the bridge of Navy ships while visiting his dad. Jim might have hated the fact that his dad made him get a haircut, but he was an observant fellow and would certainly have known that the whistle in question is correctly called a "Bosun call". "Bosun's pipe" is how he describes it so the masses would understand. As a Navy guy myself, when I hear the words "Bosun's pipe", I immediately think of the article clenched between Popeye's teeth.

So, Bison's Pipe? Thanks for the laughs.

Second Thoughts and Second Guessing

Last week I was pretty convinced that Israel was getting ready to launch an aerial strike against Iran, targeting Iran's nascent nuclear weapons development program. I mentioned a few bits of information which I found possibly relevant - chief among these was the mysterious disappearance of Binyamin Netanyahu [Israeli Prime Minister] one day when it eventually came out that he was visiting Dmitri Medvedev and/or Vladimir Putin in Moscow. I postulated that this visit was to seek Russia's tacit approval for the strike against Iran.

Since I posted, President Obama has announced that we are not going to be deploying the Anti-Ballistic Missile Shield in Poland and the Czech Republic. In return, Russia has announced that they will not be deploying short-range ballistic missiles in Kaliningrad, and it also looks like we get overflight access as well as overland supply routes into Afghanistan. What else? What if there is a "pot-sweetener" that has not been announced? Namely, Russian acquiescence to stern economic sanctions against Iran, in order to [hopefully] cause Iran to abandon their program to develop nuclear weapons. So, follow me now: Russia approves sterner economic sanctions against Iran, Israel defers on ordering an aerial strike against Iran and waits instead to see what effect the sanctions will have, and the US declares that it will not pursue the Eastern European Missile Shield.

To date, my thought that perhaps Iran would get hit by September 21 [happily] has not happened. Well, read up on this link, though:

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=106809&sectionid=351020101

So, Iran is claiming that ""Glowing objects were sighted over the Persian Gulf. IRGC air defense targeted one of the objects successfully, forcing it to plummet and sink in the seas off Boushehr (Province)," said top regional commander, Brigadier Ali Razmjou.

"The three bright objects were detected by our radars when flying over the Persian Gulf Islands of Khark and Khargou," he added, according to a Monday report posted on IRNA.

Brig. Razmjou explained that when the radars indicated that they were not Iranian aircrafts, the IRGC fired at the three objects. He also added that the fallen objects' remains have not been found yet. " [This was copied from Iranian PressTV's website at 6:52 PM EDT on 23 September, 2009].

I have seen many times the inflated claims than Iran attaches to new wonder weapons and such, that are either absolute pieces of rubbish, or [even more brazenly] some other country's system. Usually there is SOME kernel of truth to be found.....

What if there WAS something flying over Khark and Khargou? Not extra-terrestrial: what if it was an Israeli or American UAV [Unarmed Aerial Vehicle]? How would that change things? Hmmmmm.... curiouser and curiouser.

Crawdad

Well, let's see... we have crawfished, and are not going forward with the Eastern European Missile Shield. We have "other options".

Natanyahu visited Putin....

what is the best way to defend against Iran?

• Ramadan ends with the new moon
• [and a new moon is when it is darkest - best time for an aerial assault].
• New moon is on the 18th.
• Rosh Hashana is the 19th [probably nothing then].
• Do we see something on the 20th or 21st?

Seriously, I hope not.....

[oh, one more thing -

• the Iranians have always said that if they get whacked, they will close the Straits of Hormuz. Didja notice that 50% of our attack subs are deployed? Not just out of home port. Deployed.] Go figure.

China and the Afghanistan Policy

Now, no sources [I am too lazy for that at this time of the day!], but a couple of thoughts:

[1] Afghanistan is all about boots on the ground. Sure, there are other factors in play [I'm not THAT simple-minded, after all], but it seems to me that we need to operate in accordance with the situation and environment, rather than in accordance with our prowess. [For example, why not have more troops interacting with the Afghanis, rather than bombing the krap out of targets? I know, I know, we have good intel and precise targeting, but mistakes happen and it alienates the Afghanis when we accidentally kill people who do not need dying. Afraid of losses? Then why are we there in the first place? Seriously.... there is violence inherent in conflict. People die. If we are not willing to risk people dying, then we should not put them at risk.]

[2] IF boots on the ground is a potential solution regarding Afghanistan, where do we get them from? To a small degree, we now have additional forces available thanks to the drawdown in Iraq, but our guys are tired, and the coalition of the willing is less-so these days.

[3] The draft? hahahahahaha. Good one. One of the reasons we excel nowadays is precisely because of the draft's passing. Draftees can indeed be paid less than professional soldiers. Ya get what ya pay for. With professional soldiers, much, much more can be done with less. Ya DO know the Iraqi's outnumbered us in BOTH wars, right? Heck, even the People's Liberation Army is moving away from conscription toward a smaller, professional force, which leads me to:

[4] China! Okay, first - India! Why NOT India? Well, Hillary is favoring China and Pakistan, for starters, and Afghanistan borders on Pakistan, and letting Indian troops in Afghanistan on the far side of Pakistan would essentially be allowing India to encircle Pakistan. Figure the odds of THAT ever happening.

[5] China! This time, let's discuss the China option. Strategically, China is okay with us being distracted elsewhere [especially if they have serious, immediate designs on Taiwan]. That is not necessarily the Chinese way, though. Single drops of water over time can crack granite - that is more the Chinese way. Perhaps Taiwan will sort itself out over time, to the mainland's favor. Wanna bet against it? So, if Taiwan will eventually sort itself out, and China is happy as hell with the current economic situation [any ideas who China sells much of it's product to? Exactly! What would they ever do without Wal-Mart? haha].

[6] Meantime, China has its own share of problems. Among them, separatist Uighurs out in Sinkiang in the far west. [Xinjiang]. Guess what? Most of these cats [Uighurs] are Islamic, and the radical extremist ones have ties in [you guessed it] Afghanistan. China has a vested interest in Afghanistan, in other words. Professionalizing their army, they will need practice. Killing two birds with one stone, they get practice in the very environment they need to practice in [cold, rocky, mountainous, facing Muslim extremists]. We get additional boots on the ground in order to stabilize Afghanistan.

[7] On the other hand, we risk allowing China to have additional influence in Afghanistan.

[8] What are y'all's thoughts on the matter? Be objective, give reasons - I'd love to hear what ya have to say.

Not Musubi

Man, I sure had a hankering for Spam Musubi. It's Spam and rice with flavourings, wrapped in Nori [seaweed], kinda like sushi. Big, big fave over in Hawaii [Therese, since you are going over, try it! Oopsie - Teesss is a vegetarian! Never mind!]

**** Kathy and Hiro-san, my apologies: I'll likely be by for proper Sushi tomorrow :-) [Note: in Virginia Beach, visit Daruma of Japan for Japanese and Thai food, at the corner of Birdneck and Laskin Road, more or less.... wonderful, wonderful food and atmosphere, and the owners are truly treasures :-)]

Back to my story. Steamed up some rice. Had some Nori standing by [seaweed which one wraps sushi with]. Actually, I had Chef Kev standing by as well, but I elected to let him watch TV ;-) Pan fried some Spam in Teriyaki sauce until it was good and brown [actually, it was the generic substitute, and I pretty well charred it into oblivion....] - make sure there is plenty of sugar in the sauce! Dinna have a musubi press to form the rice, so I served the dish up as a plate of rice with Teriyaki Spam on top. [Not to mention I have been drinking beer, so my motor skills are ebbing a bit at the moment].

Hey! It's not horrible! Anyway, turning the remnants over to Kev, to see if he can salvage something. We often do that: I set a few random ingredients on the counter, and Kevin gets to make a meal from those and whatever else he chooses. Just like TV, and it keeps his skills sharp :-) Gotta scoot - more Teriyaki Spam on Rice awaits.....

Pelicans and the Great Get-Off

Yesterday was a pretty nice day outside, and seeing as how I had not gone kayaking for a while, I set out to. The 15 footer does not fit well in the back of my truck, and I intended to go south, in the canals, so I loaded up the 10 footer and headed down to Pep Boys to splash [there's a small floating dock that you can get into a canoe or kayak easily from - Derek has been there.]

The ten footer is a Pelican Pursuit. Plastic, injection molded, fairly light - around 40 pounds. Nice beginner and utility boat, nowhere near as fast as my other boat, but just the thing for a leisurely paddle. Pelican also makes plastic watertight cases, and they are awesome! I will explain why presently.

I wanted to head down the canal and get out at the dock on Princess Anne Road, where Nikki and I first kayaked together, back in December. Nikki was not along for this trip; we have broken up. I wish her great good fortune, but we are not currently kayaking together. It's about seven and a half miles, and I went with the current as we had just passed low tide and the flood was on. Nice, relaxing ride, and I did not tax myself overly.

South of Dam Neck Road, there is an awful lot of debris in the canals. Sadly, Virginia Beach does little to maintain their waterways [one feeder canal has a water pipe going across from one side to the other, about two feet above the water's surface!! Gotta go around....] At one point, there was a collection of several logs and branches, and much assorted other crap. Next thing I knew, the boat was rolling severely to the left. Sadly, no photographic record exists, for I surely wore a priceless look as I slid into the [dirty, smelly] water. No kidding, the boat was submerged most of the way with it's bow straight up in the air! [In retrospect, I think that my paddle lanyard, which is on my left, got tangled and somehow upset the apple cart. I've replayed it in my mind several times, but this incident did not unfold in slow motion!]

I clung to the log and managed to free my boat and laboriously get it to the bank. My paddle was tethered, so it came along for the ride. Whew! Getting the boat up the bank was quite an undertaking as it contained a lot of water. Note to self in the [hopefully unlikely] event that it happens again: Drag the boat out stern first. A Pelican Pursuit has a nice drain plug in the stern, but none in the bow. Tired [heavy!]. Wet and in a bad mood. My aqua shoes are great for water, but the soles allow sticks and stones to annoy the soles of my feet. Bugs. My hydration backpack has floated about ten feet down stream and lodged against the bank, so I used my paddle to hook it through one of the arm straps and retrieve it, setting it next to my boat.

All the while, I saw my Pelican Case floating along with the current. This is actually good news, for it contains my wallet and Blackberry phone. Thank goodness it did not sink!! Anyway, the Pelican case is wonderfully watertight and floats - mine cost $12, if I remember correctly. So, I take my paddle along and go off walking along the shore. About 200 yards away, there is a small feeder canal, which I have to cross in order to keep going. There's a log stretched across, so I walk across it, using my paddle kinda like a gondola pole. You guessed it - it the middle, I lose my balance and fall into the canal. Great. Keep walking. About 100 yards ahead there is another collection of logs and branches, stretched across the main canal. Sure enough, there it is. My Pelican Case is resting against a log. Near the far side of the canal, maybe twenty feet out. Too deep to wade out [maybe eight feet?]. So, back to the boat, managing not to submerge or tip whilst going over the bank into the water [Thank you, Lord!]. Down to the logpile, and unceremoniously snag my case. My wallet and phone are dry. Seriously, get a Pelican case. Get a Pelican boat, too - good stuff!

I decide to head back [in retrospect, Princess Anne Road is only a half-mile ahead, but I had expended a lot of energy and wasn't overly clear-headed, and I stand by that decision]. Getting back through the logjam where I had rolled was a nervous moment, but went without incident. By the way, I had not mentioned it, but I always wear my PFD [life vest] when in the boat. I am sure one might point out many errors in my narrative, but going without my PFD is not one of them. I won't drive without wearing my seatbelt, and I won't kayak without my PFD. On the way back, I have to fight the current for a while, but once high tide has passed, eventually the current favors me again.

Yes, I am tired and stiff [and sore!] - after all, it was a 14 mile journey. But, a good workout and a good experience. The mud, leaves, sticks and smelly stuff all washed away nicely. No injuries, no equipment damage, and nothing lost. Whew! A good day, all in all. I consider it fun. [and, yes, I'll be kayaking again. Soon!]

BMD and What to do?

Another successful test for the Navy's Ballistic Missile Defense program out in Pac Fleet.... We are well past MAD [Mutual Assured Destruction] and I feel that the number of unreasoning, nonlogical players in the ballistic missile world [much as we all despised the Soviet Union, they DID reason and did not ever launch ballistic missiles against anything we protected] makes having some sort of ballistic missile shield [namely, a system which actually works] a good, common sense item.

Now that we have dispensed with the obligatory stating of where I stand on the issue, let's consider the possible impact upon the fleet, particularly the number of hulls available for various missions. Ballistic Missile Defense can be seen as a national strategic asset, similar to the concept of the SLBM [Sub-Launched Ballistic Missile].

Here's my chain of reasoning: Nuclear response capability is seen as a strategic asset. Providers of same are tasked with a deterring strike as their overall mission. As an example of this, consider the SSBN, the missile firing submarine which deploys to a given geographical region and drives around that area, silently, waiting.... Waiting for the order to empty it's silos and head for home [if it still exists, but that's another discussion for another day].

Following this reasoning, we get the Aegis Cruiser equipped with the ballistic defense versions of Standard Missile. Does this ship then get assigned to patrol the waters roughly between Alaska and Hawaii, waiting for the instance of some illogical regime to launch ballistic missiles in the direction of the US? [North Korea, for instance.] Let's suppose for a moment that the Navy has two zones to patrol, and two ships for each on a rotational basis, making a total of four ships that are now not available for the Navy to use for all of the other missions the Navy undertakes. The fiscal budget is tightening. Will a Democratic President and Congress pay for the Navy to have four additional ships? That's a lot of money, folks.

What should the Navy do? Downplay the BMD mission, letting it slip to the various air and land-based contenders? Play up the BMD, risking having fewer hulls for everything else that what is optimal? What are your thoughts on this matter?

July 31

:-) Fun stuff..... tomorrow at 4 PM (Eastern) is the trade deadline in organized baseball. Naturally, I follow the going's-on like I do elections. Fun, deadline, hysteria. Where will Roy Halladay end up? Will the Yanks get one more arm for the stretch drive? Will the Sox get that crucial bat? What teams are buyers? [Phils, Yanks, Sox...] What teams are sellers? [Pirates, always]. What teams are on the fence? [Mariners].

It's especially fun to look at what deals affect what other situations. For example, the Phillies pretty much got tired of playing around, waiting for Toronto to decide on a package for Roy Halladay. So, they instead snagged Cliff Lee from Cleveland. That HAD to affect the Halladay situation [Doc has a no-trade clause, and will cost both a goodly salary, as well as a fair package of prospects.] Philly went for Lee. Dodgers? Angels? Yankees? 4 PM (Eastern) tomorrow......

Contrary

Sometimes, I have a different view on things. I am not contrary for the sake of contrariness, and I hate revisionist history when it is coloured by someone's agenda.... [I hate hatefulness, too].

Walter Cronkite passed away yesterday. He lived a long, full life. As an adolescent and teenager, I trusted Uncle Walter, as did so many others. He was there to break us the news of our President's passing, and so many times, he was there as we breathlessly anticipated another launch into space.

I want to tell you that I am angry, and here is why: Yes, Professor McLuhan, the medium really IS the message.... there are so many television specials right now [not to mention internet stories] lionizing Walter Cronkite and mentioning his "brave stand against the unpopular Vietnam War" and many other words to that effect. Do you know that in the Tet Offensive, the Viet Cong were decimated? Do you know that after that [early 1968] the war in South Vietnam was to repel the forces of the North Vietnamese state? Years after the fact, Vo Nguyen Giap, the Commander in Chief of the People's Army, replied to the thought that the American forces had never been defeated in the field in Vietnam - he agreed, and added that it was also irrelevant. It was irrelevant because he and his forces never lost the will to win, while our society and government did. We lost our will to win in part because a man we trusted, our own fatherly Uncle Walter, lied to us. He proclaimed the war to be lost, and so we spat upon our brothers and turned our backs on those we had been helping. In the afterlife are over 50,000 American souls, lost in Indochina. They will undoubtedly be asking, "why?"

Don't look for any hints of this in the mainstream media. After all, they lionized Michael Jackson while ignoring Ed McMahon. The age of one trusted icon handing down Truth is gone, and thank God for that. Truth, it turns out, was merely Opinion, and we fell for it. Shame on us.

Starting Pitching

Chien-Ming Wang to the DL. Joba Chamberlain struggling. What to do?

Well, first and foremost, CMW's spot on the 25-man roster. Jon Abaladejo is up for now, adding a needed bullpen arm. On Thursday, we'll need a starter. Ivan Nova and Zach McAllister are not on the 40-man roster, so they would not make sense. Sergio Mitre IS on the 40-man, and he has had his cup of coffee [for Joe Girardi in Florida]. Makes perfect sense.....

IF [and it's a mighty big if] Mitre works out right, then let us worry about Joba, who blew up today. Let's hope Mitre works out. I'd prefer to keep Phil Hughes in the bullpen this year - he is light's-out, and BP chemistry is a funny thing. Philip's been locking down the eighth inning, and can go more than one inning, if needed. We can win the WS, with him and Mo.....

Hopefully, Wanger will come back better than ever. THIS time, we can get his rehab right. Plenty of time in the inors, building up arm strength. Maybe he'll be back in September?

What if Wang is shut-down for the season? What if Sergio Mitre doesn't pan out [or, what if Joba regresses]? Alfredo Aceves. Several pitches and arm angles. Mature approach to pitching. Think Eddie Lopat or Ed Figueroa.... yes, he can.

[1] Sergio Mitre.

[2] Alfredo Aceves.

Joba back to the pen [just for this year]?

Go Yankees!!

Hot Dogs

Silly me.....

I meant to wrap up the previous story by mentioning that I always watch the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest [Live at High Noon on ESPN] from Coney Island. Tradition.

So, we polished off the hot dogs last night, cooked Potatoes O'Brien and bacon, had some coffee, watched the tube. Joey Chestnut won again, three years in a row. 68 dogs in ten minutes! [The Great Kobayashi came in second, with 64.5 in a bad, bad haircut ;-)]

Now, I enjoy eating. Always have. I eat hot dogs on the bun, with condiments. I never snap the dog in half and dunk the bun in water. I would like to see a 'natural' hot dog contest, eating them as mere mortals do, on Independence Day, and other summer cookouts. Not too much to ask, is it?

July 4

Happy Independence Day, everyone.

Even you Sassanachs who are all glum-faced.

70 years ago today, Lou Gehrig made his famous speech at Yankee Stadium, and indeed, he WAS lucky [and indeed, did catch a bad break]. Independence Day is celebrated by many things by many people, including baseball, fireworks, and hotdogs.

Derek and I went out to Harbor Park on Thursday night. Tides were hosting the Gwinnett Braves, and there were fireworks after the game. Derek's hometown team is the Atlanta Braves [and Gwinnett, heck, he lived over there when staying with his mom]. John Halama on the hill for Gwinnett and Jake Arrieta for Norfolk. We were also watching the two centerfielders: Jordan Schaefer, just sent down by the parent Braves, and Justin Christian, who had a short stay in the Bronx but is now in the Orioles organization.

I knew I had heard of Halama, but could not place him: came up with Houston, traded to Seattle in the Randy Johnson deal, etc etc.... sinkerballer. Sitting in the first row of the upper section, we could not see any sink, so I was naturally wondering if he was channelling Eddie Lopat. Through five he had given up only one hit, a bunt single by Mister Christian in the first.

Jake Arrieta seems to be the real deal. While Halama was hitting the mid-eighties, Jake was touching 95 on the gun. Across the aisle, just ten feet in front of us, two scouts had their radar guns out, and I trust those readings much more than the ballpark gun. Big guy, 6'4" and 220 or so, had some good movement as well. I feel we will be seeing him up for a cup [hey - it rhymes!] in September.

Jordan Schaefer had a miserable evening. He tipped a grounder in front of the plate and ran into it in fair territory. Out! Struck out as well and lipped off to the home plate umpire [Al Porter]. Later on, after his third weak out, he musta said something, because Porter ran him. Schaefer looked pretty good in CF, but lost at the plate.

Justin Christian. Got three hits, stole a base, played solid defense, showcased his speed. Two things: [1] He belongs in the bigs [2] but not in Baltimore. You see, I see JC as a scrappy, gritty, speedy guy, 4th outfielder, pinch-runner [sorta like what the Yanks already have in Brett Gardner, which is whyJChrist got the heave-ho from da Bronx]. As such, he fits best on a contender. Prove me wrong, J - win a starting nod at Camden Yards [I hope you do, and thank you for your time at YS].

Postgame ballpark fireworks are always cool [especially when wearing 3-D glasses - it made the moon look like something out of the Navajo mythos ;-)]. Across the Elizabeth River, someone was welding on a ship in drydock - it added to the sparkly lights. Nice touch.

Oh, the game? Halama had a one hitter going and gave up only one extra base hit. Arrieta looked good. After seven, Big Jake and the Tides were up 2-1. Both bullpens faltered. Gwinnett scored four runs in the top of the ninth and prevailed, 5-4. Enjoyable night :-)

Here's the text of Lou Gehrig's farewell speech [which I retrieved just now from www.LouGehrig.com - check it out!]:

"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.

"Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky.

"When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies - that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter - that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body - it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed - that's the finest I know.

"So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for."

Amen, Mr. Gehrig.

God Bless Lou Gehrig, and

God Bless America.

Day Off

I am taking a day off from work today.

My sister, Penny, is flying through Norfolk, and so Derek and I are going to stop by the airport in a little while and meet her for lunch. You see, she is picking up her grandchildren from her son's ex-wife, so we will get to see those lil' fellows too [and, Angela too - haven't seen her since she and Randy were at Rosey Roads when DETROIT pulled in; musta been 1993 or thereabouts].

I think this will be a good visit, and I am glad :-)

Ack! Pfft Pfft....

Wouldn't ya know it?

I think I have a slight throat infection. Doesn't affect how I feel, just scratchy all of the time. My back is killing me - probably not sleeping right. Naturally, I am scheduled like crazy on the operational side of things. I am primarily the health and safety [and quality assurance!] guy at work, but I am qualified to drive two types of boats and can crew several more, and when things are tight, I put away the computer and hop into my life jacket. We have two crews at sea and a bunch of people on vacation, so I was on the op yesterday, plus I have one Wed, Thu, and Fri, and then Tuesday next week. I think I'll live.....

What do I do? Facebook friends, feel free to e-mail and ask. Blog friends, y'all already know. Short answer: we provide target support to the fleet. Fun, fun stuff [probably another reason my back hurts = Tony and I caught big air a few times and the seats bottomed out twice. They're on a shock-absorbing system, and that helps a lot, usually].

Happy Tuesday, everybody!

Happy June

I'm not un-retired. I never retired, either. Time issues. I kinda like sleeping, and with so many other things going on, just not enough time to blog. Not like anyone was reading anyhow....

Back

Yanks win! Man, this feels good :-)
Tex homers.
Swish gets 5 RBI.
Pena gets his first hit.
Damo pranks him.
AJ stands tall.
Good, good stuff.

Opening Day

10-5 Baltimore. So, we're not going 162 and oh. No worries. CC Sabathia always starts slow. Deep breath, everybody.... Now, on to 161 and one ;-)

Overseas Navy Guy and War Bride

Charming Miss Nicola and I attended a real live 1940's-era barn dance last night, at the Princess Anne Airport [not, not the one in Maryland - the one in Pungo]. Live swing music so she and I jitterbugged a bit, swing lessons provided, Cigar and Flower Girls parading about [I purchased two roses for Nikki - a red one for Valentine's Day, and a peach one to match her outfit - I offered to buy her a cigar, but she told me she's trying to quit ;-)]

Nice wee museum, too - mainly aviation, but some ground equipment as well, WWII staff cars, a German 88, various stuff.

Maybe half of the folks in attendance were in 1940's-era garb. Many zoot suits [although, truly, most of those were rented and appeared more from the Roaring Twenties], some Thirties getups [turtleshell caps and all]. Plenty of variegated WWII getups, aviators, Rosie the Riveters and all].

I wore Navy Service Dress Khaki consisting of khaki trousers, long-sleeved khaki shirt, black tie, Lieutenant's collar devices, khaki single-breasted jacket with gold buttons and Lieutenant's shoulderboards [gold star for Unrestricted Line, two gold stripes to signify O-3 Lieutenant status] along with khaki combination cover. No Surface Warfare designator device, no ribbons: the SWO pin and all of my ribbons were not in existence at the time, so I did without. By the way, facial hair was not the norm, so I shaved off my moustache and sould patch [aye, and parted my hair in a 1940's style, too].

Miss Nicola Crombie, Scottish War Bride from Glasgow [sadly, she cheers for Rangers instead of Celtic] looked lovely in a cream-coloured lace dress with a small rosebud at the Vee of her neckline. Matching heels and a wonderful lace hat [with 2.5 inch hatpins, she warned me!]. All finished off with a fur coat, the epitome of loveliness. Oh, delicate blonde hair as always; she did the front into bangs and the sides into pin curls. Truly, a lovely girl [and looks far younger than her 52 years, by the way].

Postscripts:
[1] After the dance party, Nikki and I went to dinner at our favourite spot, Daruma of Japan. I had just mentioned how sometimes when I have changed my appearance that I go unrecognized for a brief moment... we popped through the door and saw Chef Hiro busing a table [it was THAT busy!]; so I asked "Got room for two more?" Hiro-sama said sure, come on in, have a seat... about ten seconds later he started and exclaimed "Oh, Chuck-san, hello!" Hahahaha - took him that long to recognize me in uniform with no moustache. Good stuff, and please know that I am not making fun of my friend, just pointing out a funny circumstance. Daruma of Japan: it is a wonderful Japanese [and Thai!] restaurant with Sushi Bar, tables, booths and a Tatami area that I cannot get up from ;-) In addition to Chef Hiro, Miss Yoko and Miss Sophia [from Yokohama and Djakarta, respectively] were both there; Miss Noi [Hiro's mum-in-law] was back in the kitchen, and Kathy-san, Hiro's wife, came in later on. Good people I am happy to call my friends. Good food and friendly atmosphere - be sure to stop in if you are ever down on the ocean side of Virginia Beach.

[2] Nikki sent me an e-card a bit later thanking me for the best Valentine's Day ever :-) What a sweet girl, and I am so happy to be in her company. I kinda like her, ya know? By the way, I think we were the most authentic and best-matched couple there [and who knows, maybe we will have life follow art some day ;-)]

Verducci?

So, Tom Verducci tells us that Selena Roberts has "a sterling reputation".
Go tell that to the Duke lacrosse players.
Take another hit from the pipe, Tom.

Clearly, clearly, you are in league with your fellow SI jobber.
Good for you. The cock's crowing, pal.....

Sel-Rod

Selena Roberts.
False Duke Lacrosse rape story.
Alex Rodriguez.
Draw your own conclusions.

A-Rod, Saved?

Today, Alex Rodriguez confessed to using steroids from 2001 to 2003. He added some value words "young", "dumb", "weight of the world...", all of which are good. Bottom line, he used, he is contrite, let the healing begin. Of course, it will help if he has a monster odd-year season. And, if the Yankees win the World Series. Let the healing begin ;-)

A-Rod, Numbnut?

Lots of hue and cry about Alex Rodriguez, who four sources claim [and Sports Illustrated published a story about it on their website] used steroids in 2003.

[1] Steroids have been prohibited for use by ballplayers under the national agreement, since 1991.

[2] Until 2004, there was no penalty for having done so.

[3] As part of the program for determining whether or not baseball had a drug problem [it did], an "anonymous" testing was done on players during the 2003 season. The results were to be kept confidential with regard to individual players - only percentages of players using steroids was to be monitored. The level of overall usage was high enough that baseball instituted random testing and penalties for usage.

[4] I am mildly annoyed that Alex Rodriguez would use steroids. He has marvelous talent, and is a known workout fanatic. Then again, he's an insecure numbnut. Alex, pull your head out of your backside! You don't need any artificial enhancement. Now, stop thinking too much - confess to using, apologize, ask forgiveness, get on with winning the World Series. Be Pettitte, be Giambi. Don't be Bonds or Clemens.

[5] I am not upset with Sports Illustrated. After all, four sources.... if SI.com did not spill the beans, someone else would have.

[6] Four sources. Four sources somehow were able to connect names and samples, which for security, had been kept separate [even in separate states!]. The feds accumulated the information as part of the Balco investigation, and I don't have a problem with that, either, except that it enabled four individuals to talk about something which they should not have. Four sources divulging information. Not only Alex Rodriguez, but many other players will be identified, all after an "anonymous" testing. I am sure the MLB Players Association is/will be livid. For one thing, Major League Baseball ownership, at the moment, has no credibility. Good thing profits are high, or there might be labor issues. Four sources who are cowardly and hide behind anonymity, the very anonymity they stripped from Alex Rodriguez. Let the investigation continue. I want to know who these sources are, and I want to see justice enacted.

[7] Some have mentioned that Gene Orza gave prior knowledge to Alex Rodriguez that he would be subject to an upcoming drug test. If that is true, did anyone actually expect anything different? The MLBPA is a union. Nothing more, nothing less. Members tend to make more money than members of most other unions. Why would we expect greater pay to somehow create more ethical behavior? I have witnessed many shenanigans from another union which I will not identify here; my point is, the union is beholden to itself and to a certain degree, its members. If you believe otherwise, you come from a very naive perspective. Mr. Orza, if it is proven that he is guilty of some rule violation, will indeed be punished. I do not necessarily believe that he will be fired, or even that he should be.

[8] Naturally, this will serve to fan the flames of all who hate the New York Yankees in general and one Alexander Rodriguez in particular. That's fine. It truly is not easy being the "Evil Empire". So, haters, crow on. Everyone knows you are doing so out of envy. Besides, controversy stirs interest, which leads to increased revenue. You're welcome.

Hindsight Being 20-20

In retrospect, I am happy.
Freddy Garcia went to the Mets, in part because he felt that the Yankees would end up signing Andy Pettitte, and that he would not be a serious contender for a spot in the rotation. He was right, and the Yankees DID sign Andy P. I'd rather have Pettitte, both because I believe that he will have a far stronger performance in 2009, but also because he is a True Yankee. I am happy. Go Yankees!

Rabbie

Tonight is the annual Robert Burns Supper in Virginia Beach. I had hoped to go last year, but did not. This year, dating a Scotswoman is the additional impetus I required: Nikki and I are going to attend. Cocktails at six; dinner and festivities at seven. There will be recitings of Burnsian poetry and the obligatory haggis, along with many fine fellows in kilts [not I, this go-round - all of my Highland wear is far too informal.] I'll be in a tuxedo, and my bow tie is a subtle Black Watch pattern. Mr. McManus, and all members of the Four Twa, past and present, that's for you.

Illinois Moment of Silence Ruled Unconstitutional

Here's an interesting story filed by the AP [all credits to AP and Mike Robinson for this story], which I have attached below.

I'll let you, the reader, decide for yourself what is right and what is not.

Seems to me that there oughta be MORE silence in schools, not less.....

By MIKE ROBINSON, Associated Press Writer Mike Robinson, Associated Press Writer – Thu Jan 22, 5:10 am ET
CHICAGO – A federal judge has ruled that a state law requiring a moment of silence in public schools across Illinois is unconstitutional, saying it crosses the line separating church and state.
"The statute is a subtle effort to force students at impressionable ages to contemplate religion," U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman said in his ruling Wednesday.
The ruling came in a lawsuit designed to bar schools from enforcing the Illinois Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act. It was filed by talk show host Rob Sherman, an outspoken atheist, and his daughter, Dawn, a high school student.
Gettleman's ruling was not a surprise. He had already ruled in favor of Sherman in two previous decisions.
As passed by the Illinois General Assembly, the law allows students to reflect on the day's activities rather than pray if that is their choice and defenders have said it therefore doesn't force religion on anyone.
But Gettleman backed critics such as the American Civil Liberties Union, who say the law is a thinly disguised effort to bring religion into the schools.
The "teacher is required to instruct her pupils, especially in the lower grades, about prayer and its meaning as well as the limitations on their 'reflection,'" Gettleman ruled.
"The plain language of the statute, therefore, suggests and intent to force the introduction of the concept of prayer into the schools," he said.
It remained unclear if Gettleman's decision would end the dispute or merely signal a fresh battle in a federal appeals court.
State Sen. Kimberly Lightford, D-Chicago, the chief sponsor of the legislation, said she hoped Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan would appeal.
"I strongly feel and I still believe that children should have a moment of silence at the beginning of the school day," she said in a telephone interview from Washington, D.C., where she celebrated the inauguration of President Obama.
Madigan spokeswoman Robin Ziegler said the attorney general was reviewing Gettleman's decision and would have no immediate further comment.
Adam Schwartz, senior staff counsel of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the organization was pleased with the decision "to strike down a statewide law that coerced children to pray as part of an organized activity in our public schools."
Last year, a federal court threw out a challenge to a 2003 Texas law that allows children to "reflect, pray, meditate or engage in any other silent activities" for one minute at the beginning of each school day.
U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn upheld the constitutionality of that law, concluding that "the primary effect of the statute is to institute a moment of silence, not to advance or inhibit religion."

Another, Sadder, Goodbye

Far sadder is our goodbye to Todd Drew, who recently passed away following cancer surgery. Todd was active in doing good things with the ACLU, and was a lifetime Yankees fan, and he could write. Boy, could he ever write. I read Todd's writings occasionally at Bronx Banter and on his own website, Yankees for Justice, and I urge you to check them out. Insightful, poignant, memorable. I interacted with Todd some time ago on a now-discontinued message board [kudos and a fond farewell, "Wolf in Pinstripes"], and found him to be a good source of Yankee lore, and a pleasant person to converse with. In my book, Todd Drew was a standup guy, and he'll be sorely missed; his words live on.... read them and enjoy, and in them, Todd lives on in our memories. May the Lord bless you and keep you, my friend. Go Yankees!

So Long and Farewell

Coach Chucky is history.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just fired Coach Jon Gruden, along with General Manager Bruce Allen. Raheem Morris will take the helm, ending any speculation about Bill Cowher or Mike Shanahan or [gulp!] Tony Dungy. That's according to Yahoo! Sports, by the way, so if someone else get's tabbed, take it up with Fred Goodall.

I was all set to rage against Morris' hiring, but I am not going to. Here's why: He took over as Defensive Coordinator after Monte Kiffin left to join his son, Lane, at the University of Tennessee. Morris had been Tampa's Defensive Backs Coach..... anybody else remember a coach who played at DB and began his coaching career with the corners and safeties? I'm hoping Raheem Morris will have the same success that Tony Dungy enjoyed, and I will certainly cheer for the Bucs next season. Hey, I lived through the bad old days.

Raheem Morris - good luck, my friend, and Go Bucs!
Jon Gruden - best wishes to you, and thank you for our one Super Bowl win.
Tony Dungy - thank you for changing this franchise around. God bless you and your family.

Wasabi Mayonnaise

Sadly, dear Nikki is not feeling well after today's liposuction, and is nodding off as we speak. [And, she wants no dinner.] So, we'll get together another time, perhaps tomorrow. Nonetheless, a quick note: I made burgers the other day, really simple ones, and I wanted to share the concept with ya :) Note there's no amounts listed; use your discretion.

I used Angus ground beef. My apartments do not allow grilling, so I seared mine in the pan. Used black pepper and some paprika, a little onion powder and garlic powder as well. I like burgers medium rare to medium, cook yours however ya like. I had some sourdough bread which I hacked into thick chunks. Spead one with regular mayonnaise, the other with wasabi mayonnaise which you can sometimes find in the Oriental Food section of yer local grocery store. In the pan, I had slices of mozzerella cheese melt atop the burger patties.

Fusion burgers, tasty and messy. I liked 'em a lot, and I shared with Hiro and Kathy over at Daruma of Japan :-) Hoping to hear the review shortly.

That's all for now.
Happy Wednesday, y'all.
Chuck sends

Hello and Welcome

Hello, and Welcome!
That's right, I have now linked this blog to my Facebook page, and this is the first blog post since I did so [hint: Facebook friends, feel free to comment on this blog. Get's kinda lonely at times ;-)]

Been a little busy, both with work and with new sweetie. We have twenty people at sea right now, so those who are in the hangar are really turning and burning. I did vehicle maintenance yesterday [everyone from that shop is deployed]; today I helped build missile screens as the truck we were shipping them on showed up [several days early!]

Nikki keeps me busy as well - we have gotten into kayaking [which is a great way to exercise, by the way] and we hike and run together sometimes. It's cold and rainy tonight, so we are going out to dinner. Tomorrow, she is going to have liposuction, so I am going to cook dinner for her and the Triplets. That's right.... triplets! Identical, svelte, cute and fifteen. Oh, and very sweet lil' girls, too! Steak Sandwiches and Tater Tots, maybe some quick Spanish Rice as well [hoping they will pay attention and learn some cooking tips ;-)]

What else is new? Go Gators! I already posted on that, but still feels good. Yankees #1! Great offseason for the Bombers, and I have many posts on that. A quick hello to all; if I haven't written for a while, I will :-) Thanks for joining me.

Best wishes for a happy new year,
Chuck

Win One For The..... Timbow?

24-14.
This, my friends, was the finest season in Florida Gator history. Sure, we've won the national title before, even won the title AND the Heisman trophy in the same season, and once even won the title, sandwiched by two basketball championships. All well and good - Go Gators!

This year, we lost one game by one point. I'm not going to say we SHOULD have won that game... only that we COULD have won it. Mississippi played well enough to win, and they did. We played well enough to lose by one, which we did, but we COULD have won it, and we DID win all of our other games.

After this loss, to Ole Miss, at home, when Tim Tebow was stopped on 4th and short, one of the grandest moments in college football lore occurred. It's new, but give it the test of time: After the loss, Tebow faced the microphone and apologized, and promised that no one would work harder or be more focused, or drive their team to the degree that he would. He was right. In a hundred years, this will equal "Win One For The Gipper." Wait and see.

This year, we almost took home the Heisman Trophy, and probably should have. This year, the statisticians ruled, and Sam Bradford of Oklahoma took home the trophy. Sam had a gaudy year, and led the Sooners to the national title game. In terms of leadership, he led his team to exactly the same title-game result that he himself accrued: mediocrity. Sam had a mediocre game, and the Sooners only scored 14 points. Tim Tebow did not have an especially gaudy year, statistically speaking [not like last year, when he threw for more than 20 touchdowns, and scored more than 20 himself, which no one in history had ever come close to doing]. This year was all about leadership. Tim took the team on his shoulders and refused to accept any other outcome than victory and a national championship. Because of that, because of that historic moment, because of the results, Tim Tebow should have won the Heisman Trophy. Again.

[Sooners fans know this: I cheered your team on when Jack Mildren was at QB and rejoiced when your team went undefeated, besting those hated Nebraskans. I respect Bobby Stoops and thank him in large measure for our first championship. I think Sam Bradford is a fine person and quarterback, and I wish him continued success, at OU and later on, in the NFL. I just feel that the Tebow legend this season was perhaps the greatest in history and will be remembered as such. Superman wears Tim Tebow underwear.]

Andruw Jones

Andruw Jones, erstwhile Centerfielder for the Dodgers [and before that, Atlanta] is said to be available. At the behest of his agent, Scott Boras, his deal has been restructured so that his 2009 salary is approximately $5 million. More than likely, L.A. is going to release him prior to Spring Training [surely no team is foolish enough to trade for him?]

Now, the Yanks have two kids in CF: Brett Gardner and Melky Cabrera. The burning question, then, is do the Yanks want to take a flyer on Jones? True, he is only 32 and two years away from a 41-dinger season [2006, that is]. Pete Abraham postulates that a minor-league deal is an option.

I say thee, nay! No way, no how, and here's my reasoning.... Andruw is an old 32. Never a workout fanatic, his body has gone to the dogs [even when he WAS having good seasons, one could see the pudge]. He's had problems with lax discipline before ["gentlemen's clubs" and such come to mind], he's lost his speed, and his bat speed should be measured with a sundial. He had a terrible off-season in Winter Ball. In a nutshell: stick a fork in it - he's done.