...I know it's crazy and all....

“I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around – nobody big, I mean – except me. And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff – I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it’s crazy, but that’s the only thing I’d really like to be.”

J.D. Salinger has passed on at the age of 91.

It’s been said that he was slowly losing his mind in the end, and that he isolated himself to fend off the madness as it were.

Perhaps its true.

Perhaps its also true that madness and genius go hand in hand, and that perhaps his great contribution became larger than the man himself. The expectation of which others perceived him finally damning him to find solace in solitude…becoming the Holden Caulfield he wrote of. Shunning the world for himself.

Either way a literary legend has left this world.

I just hope a body met him as he came through the rye to the other side, to welcome him to peace at last.

Comin Thro the Rye

by Robert Burns

O, Jenny’s a’ weet, poor body,
Jenny’s seldom dry:
She draigl’t a’ her petticoatie,
Comin thro’ the rye!

Comin thro’ the rye, poor body,
Comin thro’ the rye,
She draigl’t a’ her petticoatie,
Comin thro’ the rye!

Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro’ the rye,
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need a body cry?

Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro’ the glen,
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need the warl’ ken?

Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro’ the grain;
Gin a body kiss a body,
The thing’s a body’s ain.

Tags: Catcher in the Rye, J.D.Salinger, Literature, Robert Burns, Technorati

I’ve been at work since 07:20.

All day I have listened to folks run around like crazy looking for places to buy bread, milk, eggs like the usual pack of SnowZombie’s that reside here.

All day I have watched people leave early, and it is not even freaking snowing outside yet!

Thus I have came to a conclusion.

This is what they tell us.

But this is what we see:

Or something to that effect anyway…

Tags: Heh, Missouri, Technorati, Weather

Yes I got it.

The very nice UPS Man brought it to me yesterday. I had pre-ordered it back in July you see. The Collectors Edition even.

I won’t tell you about the last 48 hours of trials and tribulations where I fought with EA’s customer Service and support website. I won’t bother you with the details of receiving my shipment tracking numbers after I received the game itself from the very nice UPS dude.

What I will tell you is….

Oh. My. Gawd.

Mass Effect 1 put me in a state of bliss, the plot well done, the game ply fluid, the graphics absolutely gorgeous.

Mass Effect 2 has put me in euphoria.

I have rarely seen sequels that can top the first version.

This does.

I have rarely wanted to play a game so badly that I stand by the door waiting for the big brown truck to arrive.

I did this time.

It has been absolutely years since I have found a game that I actually debated putting up a poster on a wall of my home.

With this series..I probably will.

BioWare has completely and absolutely placed themselves on the very pinnacle of the gaming industry, out doing even famed RPG publisher Square Enix insofar as I am concerned.

Consider me, an official fan boy.

Tags: Bioware, Mass Effect 2, Technorati, Video Games, Xbox360

I have been horribly behind in regard this post. I promised Laughing Wolf almost 2 weeks ago I would post it. I managed to get out on my Facebook but completely fornicated the canine when it came to getting it placed on here.

My apologies Wolf. I just keep finding myself horridly distracted lately. I will do better as soon as…oooo!…. something shiny!

If you have not heard of Cooking with the Wounded, then stop reading this, click the link, then come back.

Yes this means you.

Ok. That done.

Here’s what Laughing Wolf and the wunderkind ladies at Soldiers Angels need

From Laughing Wolf posted at Blackfive:

We have been contacted by a well-known chef who is interested in taking part, which means being willing to drop all their normal operations and taking a week to cook with the troops if things work out.  Some new ideas have come up in regards giving a helping hand to the wounded and other vets who want to move into the food and beverage field.

To do them all requires two things, and they are both things you can help with:

1.  Publicity.  We need to get the word out in local and national (heck, international even) media.  The more people that contact a given outlet or pundit, the better the chance of coverage.  While time-on-target is great, it’s not necessary.  Just keep hammering at them. Coverage helps us not just with fundraising, but with securing participants for the full-range of the program and with corporate sponsors.  It is impossible to overstate how much we need good publicity for this effort, and how much we need your help to get that.

2.  Money.  Ingredients are one big expense, but not the only one.  We are asking chefs to stop their lives for at least a week to go do this, and the response is heartening.  However, if you think that chefs are rolling in money (as opposed to dough, we’re not going to discuss those rumors about Bourdain here) you’ve also obviously never spent a lot of time in and around the restaurant/food biz.  It would be nice to at least give them a token honorarium.  It would be nice if we could do a number of other things, as part of the hand-up process for the wounded.

So, I am asking for both and knowing that the latter is difficult right now. Because things are so difficult for so many right now, the contest to win the autographed picture of Phyllis Diller (see this post for details), is going to change.  Knowing that some of you can only do one thing a month, and having also been contacted with some dismay about donations already being made for the month, the photo contest is hereby extended.  Instead of closing next Tuesday, it will run through 9 February.  The largest individual and corporate contributions to Cooking with the Wounded by close-of-business 9 February will win the photos.

Cooking with the Wounded is a group on Facebook as well as a Cause.  Please join in.  Please spread the word.  Please do what you can to help us do for the troops.

I know its a rough time of year to be asking folks for help and donations, but c’mon. Whats $5 to help a wounded soldier, airman, marine or sailor? Seriously?

Tags: Milblog, Military, Soldiers Angels, Technorati

That is pretty much what a recent court ruling has decided.

In yet another Seventh Court landmark decision (/sarcasm)the role-playing game  Dungeons & Dragons was ruled as promoting gang like tendencies and therefor illegal in the prison system.

I guess they were concerned about that Prison Break expansion module

Some of the more ironic quotes from the case includes….

promotes fantasy role playing - I wasn’t aware that this was against the law…anyone?

competitive hostility- Hell Football does that.

addictive escape behaviors- Uhm..hello….they are in prison. Should I ever have the misfortune of having to enjoy such circumstance I can damn well bet you that every single day would be an addictive  escape behavior for my kiester.

Tags: D&D, RPG, Technorati, Weird shit

And another great man falls to a little thing.

I’m constantly being frustrated by my lack of ability to do things as well as I used too, such as play my guitar for example.

I have good days, and then have bad days.

On really bad days I’d probably be better off mixing martini’s for James Bond.

But I make do. It’s not horrific yet. However news releases like this serve as both inspiration, and sobering realization:

I can still do something.

And in the end it will still win.

And of course heaven forbid stem cell research is of the devil. Meanwhile me, and about 500,000 other Americans are just as dead.

The thing to do is recall what Lt. Col. Ronald Speirs said.” We’re all scared. …..the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you’re already dead. And the sooner you accept that, the sooner you’ll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function. ……Without remorse. All war depends upon it.”

We’re all worm dirt eventually.

Some of us just sooner than others.

Make the best of it!

Tags: BloodSpite, Parkinsons, Technorati

You know, I do not mind being ranked in the search engines for things.

I don’t mind being ranked period.

However sometimes I must question the validity of these so called “professional” search engines and their nomenclature or measurement tasking for these said rankings.

For example.

“Evil Military Clown Pics” ?

I’m ranked number 8?

Tags: Technorati, Weird shit

A Little music from my great Uncle, for those who recall.

Yes I can play, but I have never been able to play as well as he. Lord knows I’ve tried.

Ya’ll have a good weekend, and I’ll try to drop in but I have a lot planned.

Tags: Bluegrass, Family, Home, Music, Ralph Stanley, Technorati

*sigh*

Just when I thought the madness was going to settle down, ESPN announces this…

Willie Mack Garza, who coached the Vols’ secondary last season under Lane Kiffin, packed up his office and left town sometime in the last 24 hours and apparently didn’t notify anybody on the current staff that he was leaving.

No matter how you cut it, this stinks.

We’re less than two weeks from signing day and we are already short the following, staff wise:

• Defensive Coordinator
• Secondary Coach
• Offensive Line Coach
• Running Back Coach

At some point this hemorrhaging has got to stop. I just hope it is really soon.

Anyone wanna bet that he’s “Going west, young man”?

UPDATED:

Well that didn’t take long.

Tags: Coaches, Kiffingate, NCAA, Technorati, Tennessee, Vols, Volunteers, What a Weasel!

When you can’t make up your own mind, feel free to ask the Magic Eight Ball.

I guess Chinese wins!

Tags: BloodSpite, Heh, Magic Eight Ball, Technorati

It’s not even election time here in Missouri yet, and Roy Blunt already has a lead over Robin Carnahan

Republican Roy Blunt now holds a six-point lead over Democrat Robin Carnahan in Missouri’s race for the U.S. Senate.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters in the state finds Blunt ahead of Carnahan 49% to 43%. Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate, and five percent (5%) are undecided.

The latest numbers mark a shift in Blunt’s favor from last month when Carnahan had a narrow 46% to 44% edge over her Republican rival. The candidates, both members of prominent Missouri political families, were tied at 46% apiece in September. As it has for other Democrats throughout the nation, the health care issue appears to be creating challenges for Carnahan. Just 37% of Missouri voters favor the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats, but 62% oppose it.

I know I have been doing my volunteer work with my local rep, David Sater, but I have not started doing my tromping here on the site yet because I figured it was still pretty early.

Apparently not given the whole Massachusetts debacle.

H/t Ace of Spades

Tags: GOP, Missouri, Politics, Roy Blunt, Technorati

Wow. I’m now on a Wiki entry

I have no idea who decided to use my name for a decidedly female character personage, but hey at least I can say I’m on a Wiki now.

And someone actually wrote a song about me. I’m touched!

About time I’ve only been writing on line since 1995.

This is obviously fitting and deserving of my worthy internet contributions and endless awesomeness the Internet over.

Tags: BloodSpite, Technorati

From Slobokan

Glen W. Bell Jr., an entrepreneur best known as the founder of the Taco Bell chain, has died. He was 86.

Bell died Sunday at his home in Rancho Santa Fe, according to a statement posted Monday on the Taco Bell Web site.

The Irvine-based company did not release a cause of death.

..

Bell is survived by his wife, Martha, three sisters, two sons and four grandchildren.

A private funeral is planned.

Noooooooo!

Why in hades didn’t somebody tell me this?

The creator of the Big Beef Burrito Supreme? Before they shrank the thing down and changed its name?

The founder of the meaty cheesy crunchy goodness?

The man who helped create the 3 am after beer taco run is gone!?

The guy who made the company whom hired the guy who bought the land and laid the brick to build the building that provided me much sustenance outside the Tillicum gate while stationed at Ft. Lewis so many years ago??

*sob*

The world is a lesser place for certain!

Tags: BloodSpite, Military, Taco bell, Technorati

I have not quite recovered from the last year, I think.

I’m almost done with my first month on my new job, and the stress level is so minimal I have a hard time staying awake quite honestly.

Actually I have that problem pretty much everywhere. I just feel exhausted 24 hours a day. I’m still working out every morning. I get up at 5 am, work out until about 5:30. Grab a shower, a cup of coffee and a fast breakfast. On the road by 06:30 and at work around 07:30.

I get home about 18:30 or so because I have to pick up the Critter from daycare, which of course is almost 45 miles south of my job.

I would think I would have much more energy, but the fact is that by 21:00 I can barely keep my eyes open.

I crash like a dead man. It’s like some huge weight has been pulled from my shoulders and I can finally rest.

On the opposite of this I have yet to spend a quite weekend at home. Pretty much every weekend has been chock full of something or things needing doing. This weekend is no different as I finally get a chance to take all of our Christmas decorations to storage.

Between work, school, and my long overdue “Honey-Do” list, it seems I have very little time to relax and enjoy just being at home.

It’s enough to make me pray for a snow storm.

Tags: Random, Technorati, work

Love the beard...sir....

10:15 CST TENTATIVE UPDATE:

The IMPOSTER appears to have a name, Michael Patrick MacManus. More Pics of this guy from his personal friendster.com account are HERE.

His LinkedIn Profile is http://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeltenzin

This Ain’t Hell has the gory and rather obviously bovine feces laced details.

Have you seen this *ahem* gentleman?

Do you have any idea who he is?

Apparently…neither does he.

For those former service rats out there like myself please examine the uniform: the US Army dress Blues of a Brigadier General.

With a goatee. And soul patch.

But that’s just the start of it.

Not to even begin to start talking about violations of DOD Directive 1344.10 which is reinforced by Article 92 of the UCMJ, because while I think his appearance at the event in which he was photographed (The inauguration of Houston’s new mayor whom is also openly homosexual), I am not positive his wearing of the uniform breaches said Directive. But I’m willing to bet if the Department of the Army wanted it too, it probably could.

The Armorer sums up the details best:

Leave aside I can’t think of anyone with *two* Distinguished Service Crosses (the second highest valor award) and British SAS wings, and who wears a *CIA* liver badge (as we call those things that aren’t on the lapel… and that in order for him to have a Combat Infantryman’s Badge with *two* stars on it means he would have had to have earned his *first* one during the Korean conflict.  In fact, I was rather unaware that there *was* a CIA liver badge.  They usually don’t advertise that kind of stuff.

Only Colonels and below can earn the CIB.  Which means he would pretty much had to have been, charitably, a brigade commander during the March on Baghdad… and given the need for Korean War era service, that would mean a combat brigade commander in his… late 60′s at best.  If we’re being charitable and assume he earned his first CIB when he was 18. The criteria for subsequent awards are… byzantine.  From AR 600-8-22, Military Awards:

f. Second and third awards of the CIB are indicated by superimposing 1 and 2 stars respectively, centered at the top of the badge between the points of the oak wreath. To date, a separate award of the CIB has been authorized for qualified Soldiers in the following qualifying periods:

1) World War II (7 December 1941 to 3 September 1945)

(2) The Korean Conflict (27 June 1950 to 27 July 1953).

(3) The Republic of Vietnam Conflict. Service in the Republic of Vietnam conflict (2 March 1961 to 28 March 1973) combined with qualifying service in Laos; Dominican Republic; Korea on the DMZ; El Salvador; Grenada; Joint Security Area, Panmunjom, Korea; Panama; Southwest Asia Conflict; and Somalia, regardless of whether a Soldier has served one or multiple tours in any or all of these areas. The Republic of Vietnam Conflict Era officially terminated on 10 March 1995.

(4) War on Terrorism (Afghanistan, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM) and (Iraq, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM).

g. Subsequent awards of the CIB is not authorized for the same qualifying period, as outlined above.

In other words, he had to have earned that first CIB in by 1953 at the latest.  The Auld Soldier, my father, was 21 when Korea started.  He died last year at age 80.  The liklihood of this gentleman being an actual Brigadier General of the United States Army with all that fruit salad and none of my usual pack of thieves and cut-throats knowing him and looking that good for the age required to have accumulated all that stuff… well, makes me wonder if he isn’t perhaps… padding his resumé?

I mean, all that iron – Airborne, Air Assault, Pathfinder, 3 CIBs and… no Ranger tab?  I guess *that* would have been going too far.

Lets not forget that general officers, are not branch affiliated, which means he should not have Infantry markers, or Quartermaster or any other type of MOS Branch identifier on his uniform. On top of the Distinguished Service Crosses we also have a Silver Star up there, a Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart.

Here’s a Better picture via Ace of Spades

Hat. Ass Hat. Stirred not shaken.

This of course adds to the madness.

Now we can add the CBE, British Commander of the British Empire. Might be the Legion of Merit, either way he does not have the corresponding medal and its being worn wrong.

1. Air Medal.
2. Flying Cross.
3. National Defense Medal (sometimes called the “I joined the Army” or the “Coke Cola” medal)
4. Master Jump Wings
5. Helo Pilot Badge
6. Air Assault Wings
7. Pathfinder
8. Vietnamese Civic Honor Action Medal
9. Good Conduct medal (which officers are also not awarded)

The list just keeps getting longer! Oh, and they are out of order as well.

If you have a name for this idiot, please send it to these guys.

There’s a whole list of we MilBloggers looking for this yahoo.

So if you know him or see him, drop us a line, would you?

• Blackfive
• Boston Maggie
• Bouhammer
• CDR Salamander
• From My Position
• Hooah Wife
• Kiss My Gumbo
• Little Drops
• A Soldier’s Perspective
• This Ain’t hell
• Bouhammer
• Castle Argghhh!
• From my Position…On the Way
• Bring the Heat, Bring the Stupid
• The Sniper
• Mudville Gazette
• ROK Drop
• Exile in Portales
• Little Miss Attila
• POW Network
• SOCNET

By the way, in honor of Kiffingate, and this ass-clown, I’ve decided to start a new heading around here. This doofus, whomever he is will be the first awardee of the Registered Evil “What a Weasel!” Tag!

Tags: Army, Milblog, Military, Technorati, What a Weasel!

When you are a college football fan, who loosely affiliates himself with the NFL, but does not rally behind any particular team, it is disturbing on varying levels to work for a man who is a bona fide sadist. That is to say he is a New Orleans Saints fan.

I can not help but wonder…is this me on the outside looking inside, at me?

Is this what Non-Volunteer Fans, those poor pathetic souls whom do not bleed orange and white, whose children are named Peyton, be they boy or girl, whose dog is named Smokey, even if it is a beagle?

Is this what those pitiful maligned individuals who do not know the love of Brother John saying “Give him…6!” feel when they enter my office, domicile, covered in Orange, or my truck, with its numerous Vols sticks and markings inside?

Nahhhhhhhhhh

It’s the Saints. Can’t no one be as dedicated as we are.

Tags: Football, NCAA, NFL, Technorati, Tennessee, Volunteers

Yes, I am. And I enjoy it. So there

Actually the events of the week inspired me somewhat. I’m glad we got Derek Dooley. I’m interested in seeing how he’ll do with my Vols, however I’m also unsure that he is going to be what we need at the same time.

When Tennessee hired Kane Kiffin I, quite frankly, had no idea who he was beyond the Raiders. And that did not exactly speak volumes to me. I didn’t like him then. I was hopeful for him throughout the season, and at one point thought he was actually going to do something special for us..maybe.

It’s been somewhat refreshing to be shown my first instincts are usually the right ones in the long term.

Unfortunately, my gut instincts for Dooley aren’t all that either. His record with Louisiana Tech is 17-20 as I recall (feel free to correct me here), however he seems to show much more thought, class, character and integrity than his predecessor.  Given the debacle of this past week, even if he does poorly I feel he will at least do it head held high and without causing a million NCAA investigations ir blowing smoke.

I can handle that…for now. In the end of course I want to win games.

KNOXVILE – Don’t burn that shirt, Vol fans – send it to someone who needs it.

In the wake of University of Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin’s unexpected resignation, some fans have apparently taken to burning Kiffin-related T-shirts. But Dan Burks, co-owner of the West Knoxville apparel store Hound Dogs, has a better idea.

Burks said Wednesday that any customer who brings in an “It’s Time” T-shirt can get 20 percent off the purchase of a new shirt. Burks said he’ll ship the old shirts to Haiti, which was devastated by an earthquake on Tuesday.

The merchant – whose accountant just returned from a mission trip to Haiti – said he had seen comments on a chat board from angry fans who were interested in burning shirts. Burks said he felt pretty bad when he went to bed last night, but news of the natural disaster “puts it in perspective for me.”

More details as they develop online and in Thursday’s News Sentinel.