I Love Fall in New England

I love Fall. Fall gives me a chance to sit in my garage and smoke cigars, while knocking back

some whiskey. Oh wait, that's what the rest of the year does for me, as well. Anyway, the temperatures of Fall evenings in New England make it desireable to sit in the garage smoking cigars, while knocking back some whiskey.
I often wonder what the cigars, Pall Malls, and whiskey do to my breath. I just as often realize that I don't really give a shit, because the combination of the three makes life really grand. Add to them the occasional romp on my ATV, that I have named "The Beast," and I wonder how the quality of life could possibly improve. By the way, an ATV is a tool - it is not, by itself, fun. I've found that really cool shit must have a work-type justification, otherwise they are frowned upon by others.

Fall ushers in the deer hunting season. ATV's are very useful for hauling dead deer out of the woods. In my case, I usually hunt from my garage window so I can keep the ash tray filled, and the coffee cup warm, without my feet getting wet and cold. But, the ATV is still useful for fetching the deer carcass so it can be loaded into the truck and taken to the checking station.

Fall also signals the eventual arrival of Winter. Winter, in Northern New England, is the time of year that we all get totally consumed by snowfall. "How much is it supposed to snow tonight, Everett?" "Well, the Channel 7 guy said 7-10 inches, but, ya know, that bastahd hasn't been right since the blizzahd of '82." "Ayup, I figure it'll be just a'dustin, ya know, just enough to make trackin' the dee'ah a little easi'ah." "Ayup, I'll see ya at Dunkin's at about 4, and then I'll head into the woods."

Actually, I can't wait.

The Girl Sailor

I suppose it was inevitable. The judgement of Abby Sunderland's parents is being questioned for allowing, and possibly encouraging, their 16 year-old daughter to attempt to circumnavigate the globe in a forty-foot sailboat. She was equipped with the best equipment, the finest survival and communication gear, top-notch training, and she apparently possesses the highest degree of confidence, maturity, and conviction than most people far older than she is. Their family seems to be made up of courageous adventurers - people who make up their minds to do something and then do it.

As for circumnavigating the globe, it seems to me to be far safer than going to Aruba, Cozumel, Daytona Beach, and countless other exotic (and very dangerous) destinations on Spring Break - something thousands of parents don't think twice about when their young daughters ask to be allowed to go unchaperoned. Abby Sunderland probably doesn't even have a driver license, yet she set out to sail around the World by herself - a feat that would have taken over 200 days.

To parents who are questioning Abby's parents' judgement, take a look at your own couch potatoes and try to imagine them even WALKING to the store - maybe even doing it without their iPods.

This country, and much of the rest of the World, is what it is because of people like Abby Sunderland and her parents. These are people with vision, guts, determination, and apparently a lot of disposable income. We should all strive to be as courageous and independent. Just my opinion, your mileage may vary.

For a glimpse into the mind of this truly remarkable young woman, read her June 12 blog entry here:

http://soloround.blogspot.com/

A Good Stogie

I recommend this stogie - Luis Martinez Dominican Pride Maduro. Very nice ceeeeegar! There's nothing like a good cigar, some fine Scotch, surgery in the morning, and the Elvis Channel on satellite radio.

Satellite Radio

Today I finally took the leap and subscribed to satellite radio. I have known for a long time that satellite radio is cool, but it took borrowing my buddy's car for a few hours to really appreciate it. He is a founding member, and I really enjoyed the time I spent in his Mustang. Especially, All Elvis All the Time. So today, I went to my local Best Buy and bought the in-car setup and a docking/boombox shit thing for my garage at home. As they say in New England, it is "Wicked Cool."

Business Trip to the District

I just returned from a few days in Washington, DC. Even though I've been there dozens of time, this was the first trip I took where I took the time to see a few of the sights along the National Mall (a beautiful place, by the way). The U. S. Capitol was across the street from where I was

attending a conference. This photo was taken

from the sixth floor of the building I was in.

This photo of the Lincoln Monument was

taken near sunset, from floor level.

And finally, the Washington Monument taken at sunset (when all of the convenient places to urinate are closed). However, the Ronald Reagan Building has beautiful restrooms in the basement. All you need is a Federal Government ID and the time it takes to go through the metal detector.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Revisited

The Congress may actually take up the matter of considering repealing the policy that prevents openly-gay people from serving in the Armed Forces of the United States. Most people know that the current policy was a Clinton-era initiative, that was essentially a compromise between the left and the right, which says that gay people can serve in the military as long as they don't make their sexuality known to military authorities.

I served in the military from 1980 - 2000. Were there gay people in the military in 1980? Of course. I'm quite sure there were gay people in the military as early as the first group of homosapians formed a small group, picked out their favorite clubs and sharpened sticks, and crossed the river to slaughter the neigboring tribe. During my career I observed very harsh treatment of gays at first, and then, near the end of my career, I observed wide-spread tolerance - the kind of tolerance that most would call indifference or ambivalence. I came under fire professionally when I published a letter to the editor of the Navy Times in October of 1999, wherein I stated that people should mind their own business when it comes to the sexuality and sexual preference of others. I received emails and telephone calls from folks who called me "fag" and other endearing terms (not true, by the way). But the heat was on. So I left military service, eligible for retirement, but earlier than I had planned.

So my challenge to Congress and the Joint Chiefs is this: Repeal the ridiculous current policy and allow gays to openly serve in the Armed Forces of the United States, instead of proudly serving while hiding their true personal selves behind a policy which serves no particular end. The current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs has taken the first step, while the Army Chief of Staff has apparently taken the tried and true "I worry about the impact on morale" line that is responsible for the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" nonsense we have now.