It's Show Time....

The weather was ominus and rather eerie when I arrived for Air Show duty around 8 A.M. today. With the ceiling hovering around 5-7,000 feet and stiff winds flying, both aerobatic and formation, would be difficult....but the show goes on. Shortly before the first flights went up it did rain some big heavy drops, but then stopped. So the aerobatics pilots, professionals that they are, went about their business. And my transportation personnel went about their business of hauling aviation devotees in. 1000's of them. A little "iffy" weather doesn't stop most old airplane fans from showing up.

This is the 13th airshow I have assisted with since the CAF moved to Midland, and though certainly not blase about the flying, I have seen it all, at least once. But we do try and keep our eyes skyward, for these planes are something not to be missed no matter how many times you've seen them. The sound of a multitude of radial engines starting up, taking off and flying over head is something amazing. As my friend Del finally realized today, and said.....there is something gut wrenching and sensual about it. It's something to be missed in the jet age.

A few notes about the amazing performances. The jet assisted propeller driven Bi-Plane is always one of my favorites. It's an enigma. An old prop plane that is doing lazy loops until the pilot hits the "Jets" and streaks straight up almost from a stall. Then there are the Heritage flights. Three WWII vintage Army and Navy prop fighters flying with a fourth modern jet. It shows how far we have come. And then there is Ken Shockley's Jet Powered Semi-Truck. Julie saw it for the first time today and was amazed at it as I always am. Here's a guy who's mounted three military surplus jet powerplants onto a semi-truck cab allowing him to motor along at a top speed approaching 400 m.p.h. He gets there in about 5 seconds. I've met Ken and you can't really tell he's crazy by talking to him

Due to my "position" and stature in the CAF we are able to sit right along the taxi way not far from the runway where most of the planes land..and where Mr. Shockley performs his power run. He has a habit of driving the truck along this taxiway, dumping raw fuel into the jet turbines and lighting it off. The result is somewhat akin to a napalm explosion. Today he did this directly in front of us..surprising the beejeebus out of Julie and nearly singing our hair. It felt kind'a good on a chilly day.

Our private spot viewing spot is between the runway and the ramp where all the bombers are parked. As we sat there watching 15-20 fighters taking off right in front of us..P-51's, P-47's, P-39's, F4U Corsairs....we heard the bombers start to fire up their radial engines behind us. Four B-25's, two B-17's, a B-24, 2 A-26's and the B-29. It didn't take much dreaming to imagine that you were in Britain in 1944 and also to think of the sacrifice that so many pilots and crews made as they too started up there engines, headed for Germany and not the peaceful skies of West Texas. We owe them so much and our gratitude to them is the reason we have this show.
Today's pictures at: Saturdays Air Show

Air Sho:Day 2.....

Preparations for the Air Sho begin in earnest on Friday. In the morning a special show is held for handicapped persons from all over the region. A big undertaking in itself it takes a dedicated group of over 200 volunteers to run. For the main two day air show we have in excess of 800 volunteers!

My task for the day was to round up several pickup trucks donated by our local Ford dealer and to get these out to the airport and matched with their trailers. Job completed...then my faithful assistant and business partner Del and I got to enjoy lunch in our local chapters hangar and visit with friends I hadn't seen in ages. I also enjoy visiting with the active duty military personnel who have brought their aviation assets to the show...and in particular with the German, British and Australians. While in the museum I got to say a quick hell-o to Gen. Paul Tibbets of Enola Gay fame who was signing his autobiography. Got mine several years ago when he was here. Friday's pictures: Air Sho Images

It's Show Time.....

As I plod along the highway of life, some weeks are berift of activity and some are fraught with all the action I can handle. This week has been one of those. Thus the dearth of posts, disappointing all three regular readers.

I have been absorded at the office, mostly mentally, putting together a rather large PowerPoint© presentation to be presented to board members of a Fortune 500 corporation that will be our partners in an exciting new gas project. It's big time for us poor boys in the oilfield, so we are doing a bang up job, and thusly having to develop a wealth of spreadsheets and data.

The other preoccupation here late in the week is the annual CAF Airsho, a truly large and time consuming event. Being the transportation committee chairperson I have to plan, organize, lead and control a plethora of equipment and personnel. Sounds big time.....but what it really means is that I supervise a bunch of trucks and drivers pulling trailers for people to ride upon. A fifth grader would probably fill the bill, but we can't find any fifth graders willing to do it. And being the third year I've held the job, I have the same people assisting and it's become cookie cutter.

So, we'll be at the Air Sho for 9 hours daily during the next three days. Well maybe 14 hours on Saturday as we'll stay late to see Jerry Jeff Walker. I will provide pictures updated daily for all at: The Air Sho!

They say it's your birthday...!

Today is a special day at the Bedford Drive estate...it's someone's birthday. Someone very special that I love very much. Although she's a year older she is still young and precious! Years younger than me and definetly more precious. We love you and Happy Birthday!

And a birthday gift for Julie is the news that Casey, lying wounded in Germany, has made it successfully through his first operations and his condition is notably improved. He should be evacuated back to the U.S. within days. I'd like to give a special thanks to the bloggers who have signed the "get well" card on his family's website. I've noticed you..! Thanks a million.

The war....closer to home

We have had several soldiers from the Midland area who have fallen in Iraq, which hurts but we have not known any personally. Now the war is coming closer to home. For more than a year we have been kept abreast of Marine LCPL. Casey Owens activities through forwarded emails and converstations with Casey's loving Aunt Mary, a very close friend of Julie's. That's why the news of his wounds hurt us so much.

Casey was seriously wounded when a rocket propelled grenade hit his vehicle on Wednesday, killing one of his crewmates. Casey is now at Ramstein AFB, Germany where he has lost part of one leg and has severe shrapnel wounds to the head which makes his prognosis touch and go. This was Casey's second tour in Iraq.

A heartbreaking addendum to this story is that Mary had just stood in line at Barnes and Nobles last weekend to have Midlander, Gen. Tommy Franks sign his autobiography personally for Casey. And what a good idea came of this at Julie's suggestion. I emailed Gen. Franks today, told him the story and asked if he would send a personal email note of support to Mary for their family. Within 15 minutes I had a reply from Tommy, saying it was done. God bless America and Gen. Franks. And say a prayer for Casey. LCpl Casey Owens Webpage

Buy a round....

There are many successful charitable operations run by bloggers to support our soldiers welfare and the war effort. Organizations offering everything from letter writing to soldiers, shoes for Afghani children to comfort packages for wounded soldiers in Germay. But I've run across a novel one recently. Beer for Soldiers let's you buy a round for soldiers on leave or returned from a combat zone. Check it out for yourself and decide if it's a worthwhile organization.

Having consumed more than my fair share of cold beverages through the years as a soldier and beyond, I know they'll appreciate the effort. But remember...."moderation in all things"....a lesson I learned a tad to late.

Passing Images....

I note with sadness today the passing of one of the truly great photographers of our era, Eddie Adams. Even the most notable photographers are usually not household names but as it should be Eddie's work speaks for itself.

Eddie started his career as a Marine Corps combat photographer and went on to photograph 13 wars, including Vietnam, where he accompanied troops on 150 operations. He was the recepient of over 500 individual awards for his work. Adams's photographs regularly graced the covers and front pages of magazines and newspapers around the world, including Time, Newsweek, Life, Paris Match, Parade, Penthouse, Vogue, The London Sunday Times Magazine, The New York Times, Stern and Vanity Fair.

Eddie was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1969 for his unforgettable photograph of the street execution of a Viet Cong prisoner shown above. The photo helped change the sentiment about the war on the homefront....a result that Eddie did not intend nor like. Nor did Eddie take much joy from the Pulitzer Prize, for the image that he captured is the ruin of the lives of two people.

Because of my friendship with combat journalist Joe Galloway I have been fortunate to interact with several of the best photojournalists of the Vietnam War and actually work in a limited way with them on a few projects. Over the next weeks I'll direct you to their work.

"I'm not a great believer in the power of the moving image. A still image has greater lasting power. A still photographer has to show the whole freekin' movie in one picture. On the screen, it's over and back in the can in seconds. A still picture is going to be there forever."

Eddie Adams

Pardon Me.......

Excuse my absence from the political scene, but we've been busy here at the estate with chores, football games and today an afternoon at the polo matches. I haven't had time to follow the details of who is accusing who of being a shirker or a fraud when it comes to the candidates military records, but I just know the antics have gone on fine without me.

This whole election season, which by the the way has been a long season...3.75 years by my count, has worn me down. I'm even longing for the much calmer days of Bill Clinton. Days when partisan politics didn't seem so nasty. That's a hard comment to make, but it does seem true doesn't it? It was a more civilized hatred back then. And so since I really haven't checked the news in two days, I'll just refer you back to my CNN article written in 2001 as an example of how even a Republican like me could curry favor with the Clintons. My Presidential Pardon

Untruthful Texans....

In my extensive roamings around the Cyber Globe recently I ran across a new group calling itself, Texans For Truth. Mention was made of these "Texans" in such journals as CNN, USA Today and Fox News. How nice, I thought, since we Texans are a truthful lot by nature. The name evokes a nice website by down home Bubba's wanting to get to the facts of things in the upcoming elections. But the theme of the new organization is that G.W. Bush didn't serve well, nor finish his tour with the Texas Air National Guard. Strange, and coincidental I'm sure, that the new group was formed just as the RatherGate© Memos hit the press. Their mission statement taken verbatim from the website states...."Texans for Truth, an organization from Bush's home state, believe time has come for America to learn the truth about Bush's shadowy past". [editors note: guys, get a grammar checker].

But what I discovered with a little investigation is that this "grassroots" organization has very deep roots with the liberal hucksters of Drive Democracy which is heavily funded by MoveOn.Org. The little grassroots effort of Texans For Truth is run by a professional campaign organization in Austin by the name of Mercury Campaigns which seems to lean a little left in their clientele. Names like:

*John Kennedy for US Senate
*US Rep. Martin Frost
*Richard Morrison for US House of Representatives
*Texas Democratic Party
*Tony Sanchez for Texas Governor 2002
*Texas State Rep. Chuck Hopson
*Texas State Rep. David Farabee
*SaveTexasReps.com
*CleanUpTexasPolitics.com
*Dean for Texas

The Texans for Truth is such a Texas grassroots effort that the Inside Bay Area, Ca. weekly has a news story entitled, "Texans for Truth has local tie:
Offspring of Bay Area's MoveOn.org begins airing" in which they explain that noted screenwriter Daniel J. O'Keefe of Los Angeles wired Texans for Truth $100,000. So much for Texans......so much for truth, perhaps their campaign is based on the the Dan Rather model.

MemoGate....Tit for Tat

With the Dan Rather "memo" controversy hitting the fan for the CBS network, it is not surprising that new allegations about President George Bush's service are resurfacing. And now, not just about the quality of his service but whether he exaggerated his claim about being in the Air Force vs. the Air National Guard during his congressional run from Midland in 1978. This past history is being rehashed, as pointed out by Tim Blair, by some dweeb named David Corn which I'm sure is the name he signs his faked memos with.

But having sat on the sidelines to long it is time for us to let certain documents we have in our possession come to light. Read this document to see what the President of the United States, Gerald Ford, thought of young Lt. Bush's service record.

Disclaimer: although Julie worked for George Bush as his personal administrative assistant shortly after this memo was written and had access to his personal files and desk, we can't be sure of the true nature of how this document became public.

Business offer....

Wanting to do my part to keep the RatherGate© inquiries alive I have emailed CBS News offering my forgery services to them. Quite frankly I feel that I could do a much better and more professional job than the bozos who generated the "Killian" memos. Having been alive and typing in the 70's my skill level with typography and the machines of the era is highly proficient and as a former member of the Texas National Guard I can throw in the correct lingo and words of the time. And for a nominal extra fee I can guarantee them some "genuine" photos to go along with the text.

Here, through Tim Blair, is an example of someone else trying to cash in on the poetentially lucrative "genuine fake" documents business. Genuine Fake Memo

Being a realist, I know that the chances of CBS News reading my email are slight, so I also sent a note to our local CBS affiliate explaining that I would find it hard to watch their news programming knowing that their parent network profers forged documents as fact. CBS News does listen to their affiliates, and at least in this market, the affiliates listen to their viewers.

Superscript this.....

At the risk of being the only person in the Western DigiSphere not to comment on the CBS "now apparently forged documents" [NAFD's] I will do so now, hopefully with brevity and wisdom....OK, let's shoot for brevity.

I do, however, have some expert wisdom on the subject being the geriatric sort who spent decades typing on manual typewriters, some of it in the Texas National Guard, and later transitioning to digital wordprocessing. Apparently more expert wisdom than anyone at CBS.

Like most people of the Blog persuasion, I was truly amazed at the speed with which the story broke in the BlogWorld and made it to the general media arena, the MSM©. I found the story Thursday at mid morning on my office computer and by the time I watched the ABC Evening News with Peter Jenkins© mention had been made of the anamolies in the documents [kudos, for once to ABC]. By the time I did my at home evening perusal of my usual Blogs, the story was all over the web...and with 100's of helpful comments.

Now to my take of the documents...and in particular the main one in question, the LTC. Killian "CYA" memo.

Much has been said, and rightly so, about the fonts, kerning, spacing and so on...the formatting of the document. This is important, especially the superscripted "th" which was not available on any known typewriter of the early 70's and of course is an automatic feature [unless disabled] of modern day MS Word©. But my doubts were based on things more basic, things I know about and have experience with.

One of the first Blog articles I read had side by side comparisons of the NAFD memo and a newly created copy of the memo done on MS Word©. They were identical and what are the odds of that occuring by chance? Nil to zilch. Having written 100's of letters on a typewriter, the telling feature for me was the placement of the date, just to the right of center above the body of the text,exactly where MS Word© places it by default. To do this on a typewriter, the operator would have to either set a tab at that particular spot, release the carriage and move it over to that exact spot or use the space bar about 40 times to achieve that position. I can tell you as an ex manual typewriter user...we just didn't do that. We normally set the date at either the left or right margin...and more often the left margin, because that was were the carriage was by default.

Another basic and telling clue to me was the neatness of the CYA memo. I'm betting that LTC. Killian was in his mid to late 40's when he supposedly wrote the note. Back in the good old days, older guys didn't type, or if they did they were completely inept at it. Most did the "hunt and peck" technique although some like myself had taken typing in high school and were only partially inept. I can almost guarantee that even in a memo as short as this one, a guy would have had at least one mistake. And a mistake in those days, meant you left a reminder of that error on the page. In the early 70's one either used an old fashion eraser or the "high tech" strip of tape with white dust on the back that imprinted the correct letter over the old mistake. In either case, it was visible. And today my suspicions were confirmed by Killian's family who say that indeed he couldn't and didn't type.

Of course, one could suppose that the memo was typed by someone else such as the unit's clerk typist. Typically the unit clerk was a lower ranking soldier or airman and I don't believe that the commander, a Lieutenant Colonel, would want a 19 or 20 year old typing up personal correspondence designed to "cover his ass". There has been a hypothesis set forth that perhaps this Texas Air Guard unit had access to one of the latest super typewriters that did do some magic things with fonts and spacing, but to this I say Hooey. [I like the word hooey and don't get to use it enough]. No Regular Army or National Guard unit that I had contact with ever had the latest in office equipment or anything else for that matter. In fact, I remember in my National Guard unit, having to use a completely manual typewriter for our work. For younger readers that means even without electricity!

So as I write this, better scribes than I are further dissembling this story and CBS has called for an "internal investigation". But for me, the case is open and shut. I'm betting that some under 30ish demon of the Democratic Party is the author of these NAFD's and hadn't a naive clue that typewriters didn't function like computer word processors. To bad. This might have worked if he'd consulted a baby boomer.

The monument to.....me

I invite anyone who doubts my Scottish heritage to take a gander at the monument built to me by the good people of the highlands. ".....the 220 feet high Wallace Monument sits prominently on the Abbey Craig two miles north of the city of Stirling itself". As noted my monument sits high atop our family abbey.
The Wallace Monument

Sincerely yours,
Wallace Craig
Monumentee

Driveway Visitors....

After a flurry of politically oriented posts last week, it was with some welcome relief that I was occupied by visitors to the estate over the weekend and unable to muster the time to update Streams until now.

Our good friends Bruce and Arlene Crandall stopped by on their wanderings in their driveway filling RV. They are great driveway guests and it's always good to see them semi-annually and catch up. Their son Donovan is now residing in Houston where he is the managing director of energy banking for a large German bank and so Bruce wanted to learn more about the oil/gas business resulting in a trip to my office and later a lengthy tour of the Petroleum Museum. Bruce had the oil and gas 101 presentation, but I suspect he was more impressed by the Chaparral Racing wing of the museum. We also got the opportunity to take them to little Jack's first tackle football game, where they got to see little Jack get faced smashed in a bone jarring block. But he got up, shook it off, and went back to the game...so we were all proud of him.

Bruce is a lengendary Army aviator whose character was portrayed by Greg Kinnear in the film "We Were Soldiers". Bruce was also the aviation advisor on the film where Arlene and Bruce became so close to Greg that they are God Grandparents to the Kinnears first child, daughter Lily. And we always enjoy hearing more stories of his flying exploits around the world. This time it was about flying mapping missions in Libya in the early 60's. Interesting tales of seeing miles and miles of burned out German and British tanks from the great battles of WWII. And the German minefields that in some places were more than 17 miles wide, so thick in fact, that Bruce said they were afraid to land their helicopters in the desert.

I've known Bruce and Arlene only for 5 years or so, but it feels like much longer and we certainly see them more regularly than many people I've known for much longer. We'll probably see them again in Washington D.C. at the Ia Drang Veterans reunion in November, and then again in Febrauary when they stop on their way back to their home in Olympia Washington. And through pure serendipity, I'll see Bruce's banker son Donovan next week in Midland to talk about financing our new gas project. Friends are great.

Europe explained....

I've seen a very interesting and instructive Jerusalem Post article referenced around the web. Speaking of European, and in particular, French "attitudes" vs. "actions" the author explains....

....if you don't actually have to do something about your attitudes you're likelier to have more of them, and they are bound to be both more extravagant and more unrealistic. People who are in no position to end world hunger and bring about peace in the Middle East can endlessly carry on about ending world hunger and bringing peace to the Middle East. Doing so means only that they're declaring themselves the sorts of folk who deplore hunger and war. But statesmen who must actually wrestle with issues of cost, capacity, local difficulties and unintended consequences tend to have more realistic, and therefore restrained, attitudes.

And carrying this observation to American shores, one wonders what in John Kerry's personna makes him so hungry for European support and approval?

Zell........

In case you missed Democratic Senator Zell Miller's address to the Republican Convention tonight.....you missed one of the finest verbal ass whuppin's you'll ever have the chance to hear. I've been waiting for 10 years for a man of courage to pull no punches and just tell it like it is and this was it.

I doubt that Senator Miller will be much welcome anymore in Massachusetts or at the Democratic Mens Club but he's welcome in our Republican home any time. Thanks Senator for being a man of conscience.

Takin' it to the streets...

I just wanted to take a moment to heartily thank all the protestors in the streets of New York City. Thanks extreme environmentalists, gay rights activists, transgender activists, anti-war activists, anti-globalizaton activists, anti-Christian activists, anti-Semetic activists and all those who are activists but haven't really figured out what they're so active about.¶ Thanks, because every time I see you on the TeeVee I think.."good job, thanks to you somewhere out there in middle America another undecided voter has made the choice to vote for George Bush".

I know, logically, that all you active sorts are not really for John Kerry. You are more likely to be in favor of electing Ralph Nader, John Dean or Karl Marx and you are linked only by one common philosophy. After in depth study of the serious issues of the day you have decided to pursue the most pressing; you hate George Bush because he's stupid. I think that in the main you could care less about John Kerry, but by default when the great middle of the American public sees your face, your mispelled poster or your juvenile papier-mâché caricature masks on the TeeVee, whether it is conscious thought or a subliminal suggestion, you are to them activists for John Kerry and the Democratic Party. The Repbulican party could not buy better advertising.

Thankfully, and to the protestors credit, most of the demonstrations have been fairly peaceful, but a few broken windows, cherry bombs and burning tires might be forthcoming and we thank you in advance for these, God forbid, should they occur. Papier-mâché masks are good for only so many swing voters. Violent anarchists rampant in the streets could really bring in the votes for Bush.

So once again thank you, have a great time, ACTUP!, and keep those votes for Bush coming. And a special thanks to the large numbers of environmentalists from the Pacific Northwest who in getting to New York had to burn up huge quantities of fossils fuels in order to protest the burning of so much fossil fuel.

¶Disclaimer and statement of political correctness:
Not that there is anything wrong with these. I tend to be an environmental advocate. I have several very close friends who are gay. I have friends who opposed the war in Iraq. I myself am undecided on Globalization. I know people who disagree with Christian religous tenets. I know people who disagree with Jewish canons. I am working hard to befriend any transgendered person I come upon and finally, my own Mother is a liberal Democrat.

The times they are a changin'......

In a prior life I used to spend some time in Minnesota. I like the place. It's mostly a pretty place, clean and the citizens are a nice bunch of hard working Germanic and Scandanavian folks. But living in such a nice place away from most of the worlds real problems they tended to be of an idealistic nature and a liberal persuasion. And so I was somewhat surprised to read this in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune...

The Outpost is a working man's bar in a bellwether piece of a battleground state. These are the voters who elected Jesse Ventura governor and who helped deter him from running for a second term when they fell out of love with him. But if John Kerry had dropped in to seek votes Thursday, he would've run into a wall.

In a place full of carpenters, plumbers, auto mechanics, factory workers and other blue-collar guys who used to vote for Democrats almost as devoutly as they used to drink beer (most were sipping soft drinks), I could only turn up one John Kerry voter. The rest plan to vote for George W. Bush. "This is basically a Democratic place, but everybody seems to be going for the Republican," Hartinger said. "That's what I hear over the bar. Kerry's just too soft and a lot of the guys just don't like his wife. They weren't too impressed when she started speaking all those foreign languages at the Democratic convention. She's not American."

Glad to hear it and it starts on the road to confirming the gut feeling I've had about the election results in November; that the average American has gotten a good glimpse of John Kerry's altered biography, elitist demeanor and below average performance as a national leader and they don't like what they see. And I don't like, nor much trust, his wife either.

Thanks to The Discerning Texan for the tip on this story.

The mysteries of life.....

Even in this advanced technological civilization of ours many unanswered mysteries abound. How can we prove that there is a God? Why can't we more accurately predict hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes? Do ghosts really exist? Is time travel possible?

But perhaps no mystery is more intriguing than the plumbing and electricity in an older home. A home such as ours. Not old really since it is about as old as I am...I meant to say "gracefully aged". The mystery of plumbing and electrical malfunctions reminds us that we are mere mortals and is why plumbers and electricians are some of the wealthiest people I know. They would have been the Shamans and Medicine Men in Native American tribes....the respected elders who "knew" the secrets of life...or plumbing.

Another of those mystery moments came for us tonight. After a superb, but late, supper Julie was washing a few things in the sink while I attended to important matters in another room. I think I was racing Formula One on the PlayStation2. At some point I heard a scream and the clanking of implements from the kitchen. Upon investigation I found that the sink was stopped up and that Julie had tried to turn on the disposal to clear the drain whereupon she received a significant, but thankfully not fatal, dosage of voltage through her disposal-turning-on finger.

Thinking that probably since she was jolted so quickly that the disposal didn't have time to do it's duty in clearing the sink, I used a towel to again run the In-Sink-a-Rator© hoping to solve the clog problem. No dice. We had a major clog sitution on our hands, peeving me greatly as we had just paid one of the aforementioned rich plumbers to clean the line out. Doubly peeved because this line also drains the dishwasher and so now it was fast filling up with soapy scum water too.

While pondering my options I remembered...."AHA"....that we have a drain cleanout valve for this area of the house outside. I also quickly remembered another axiom of home repair. "The easier the apparent solution.....the harder it is to find the right tool". Most guys have been here. This is a simple screw valve with a hexagonal nut type head. But a nut that would in the Army be called a GP Large version [General Purpose-Large]. To make matters even more difficult the GP Large nut is located in a little tunnel in the side of the house surrounded by the cedar shake shingles that coat our Mission Style estate.

Not to be detered, I went through all five of my tool boxes. Yes, I said five....complete ones too. I've had one forever, then my brother apparently forgot and gave me versions of the same high quality 300 pc. German tool set for two Christmases running and recently my Dad cleaned out his garage and gave me two more sets. I looked in his first, as he had some GP Large tools. To shorten the story, let me say that I went from tool box to valve and back many times in about 45 minutes, even finding a ancient tool in my Dad's box that I think was made for this exact purpose. It had a GP Large hex head and a stem with a hole in it for inserting a turning device. Great, except that it wouldn't fit into the tunnel housing the valve. And so do you think that I gave up after this close call? You betcha' I did.

So as Julie was putting Jack to bed, I went to the kitchen to clean up what I could and to plot my strategy for tomorrow. That being either to construct a tool for the valve or more likely just take the drain line under the sink apart and run a "snake" thru it. And here, as I ruminated over my options, is where the mystery of plumbing rears it's head, for the standing water in both sinks and the dishwasher was simply gone. Vanished....poof! An hour+ of consternation solved by doing nothing.

I know that there are logical explanations for this event, though I'm not sure logic is the correct discipline to describe man's relationship to plumbing and electricity. This is my point. It's more aptly described in the realms of the occult or the mystical. And so here is my final and most important axiom regarding plumbing and electricity. "Those things that you think that if simply left alone will get better....won't. Those things that you spend hours busting your knuckles on....will".

The Silver Star....

The Silver Star is awarded for gallantry in action, and as the regulation states, "The required gallantry, while of a lesser degree than that required for the Distinguished Service Cross, must nevertheless have been performed with marked distinction." I know many fine individuals who wear the Silver Star, and from what I know of their actions they certainly were deeds of marked distinction. John Kerry wears the Silver Star and asks voters to believe that he is worthy of the office of The President because his deeds were of a marked distinction also. I ask you to compare his deeds against another Silver Star recepient, my good friend Will Parish.

John Kerry's Silver Star:

While in command of a three-boat mission, his Swift boat was ambushed; he ordered his men to beach the boat so he could pursue the attacking Vietcong; a teenager with a grenade launcher popped out of a hole a few feet away; one of Kerry's men shot and wounded him in the leg, but he ran; Kerry, fearing the youth was trying to get far enough away to fire a grenade, chased him and shot him dead. Kery was awarded the Silver Star for valor.

Will Parish's Silver Star:

Specialist 4 Willard Parish, 24, of Bristow, Okla., was a Charlie Company mortarman, but this morning [at LZ Xray] he manned a machine gun. "I looked to the front, and it seemed like the North Vietnamese were growing out of the weeds," he remembers. "The training took over. I just fired that weapon, totally unaware of the time, the conditions. I remember a lot of noise, a lot of yelling, air strikes. Then quiet." When he ran out of machine-gun ammunition Parish stood up with a .45-caliber automatic pistol in each hand and kept shooting. Later, they counted more than 100 enemy dead in front of his machine gun. Parish was awarded the Silver Star for valor***.

Which of the two awards do you think should be called a "deed of marked distinction"? Just asking.

***Account from "We Were Soldiers Once...and Young" by Gen. Hal Moore and Joe Galloway