THOUGHTS/DOINGS

After a bit of moving stuff into the truck yesterday for Dave and Arina, and a quick trip to McDonalds, I took the boys to see UP, which turned out to be a delightful, if not at times melancholy, story about an old man trying to recapture some of his past love, of special love itself, and adventure. I really enjoyed it; probably laughed harder than the boys. We also took along my friend's three-year-old Luba. She was very good in the movie and seemed to enjoy it too. The Pixar animation was wonderful, as always. I highly recommend it to adults, for the main message is for you!

Finished reading Del Toro's The Strain. It is the first in a planned trilogy. If you like vampire stories, I think you will enjoy it. Nothing radically new from what you have seen or read, if you are a fan, but an enjoyable story nonetheless, fairly well told. I look forward to the next installment.

Chimo observation, while talking about recycling he did on his vacation: "Wow, Dad, you know, they drink a lot of beer in Connecticut."

I saw this very attractive woman and said, "Boy, she sure is pretty." Chimo looks over and says, "Well, if she had a better face." I was dumbstruck. He is 8.

Joey tried to get out of doing his vocabulary, which was supposed to be turned in on Friday. Guess who is in his room on Sunday doing old homework! :)

BONILLA VISIT

Last month my friend and graduate-school roommate, Clark, brought his lovely newlywed-wife, Eva, through Columbia on their way down to Charleston. It was delightful meeting Eva for the first time. We had dinner at Yesterdays, which happens to be the first place Clark and I ever ate together. It was a nice visit, albeit too short. Not sure why Chimo is grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

WHY THE LIES?

The current health-care debate is heated and getting uglier. Despite the fact that there are clearly problems in coverage (too many not covered, or underinsured, or financially burdened by the coverage they can afford) and decision-making based on crass profiteerism, rather than making sure all Americans get adequate and compassionate care, the conservative pundits and politicians---who seem to be in the pockets of BIG Insurance and other BIG financial interests---employ scare tactics and outright fabrications to thwart any positive improvements. There are legitimate and worrisome details for conservatives, and even liberals, to consider, but the Right has decided to employ major lies to scare people? Why? Because it is effective? Do Americans simply swallow everything Beck & Limbaugh say without thinking? Well, yeah. How can smart people misconstrue the funding for poor people to make legal decisions about the end of their lives (like most middle class and wealthy already do) before they are incapacitated, be misrepresented as encouraging euthanasia? What part of their asses are these people pulling their grossly wrong assessments of foreign health care? Do these people not look at all at the sound bites the insurance PR people supply them before they mouthing them? These little McCarthys simply assume that people will accept the lies, and if found out, no one will hold them accountable. We need constructive debate on a host of issues in this country, not rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth reactionary posturing. I guess there is nothing wrong with people getting heated up by policies that directly affect them, but the level of dishonesty recently is appalling.

Dad on Sennett

My old man served aboard the USS SENNET from around 1966 to 1968. I just found these pictures on a website devoted to the submarine (I think provided by him in most cases). Thought I would share them here as well. This is the boat:

My mom must have come aboard to visit Dad, sometime around 1968.

I think this pic was taken during a cruise around South America, most likely in port in Montevideo, Uruquay. My Dad is standing far right. The other officers (l to r) are identified as Larry Brownley, Victor (Gene) Clemons, Bob Burnett, Art Thompson (C.O.), Tom Luckman, and Jim Abbey.

Dad is in front of the trio of officer standing behing the speaker, his cap jauntily tilted forward!