Life

So since my last post:

The item missing was "found." So lockdown was finished by noon last Saturday. I raced home to change and go to my oldest boy's 6 man football game. His team earned their first win for the season. Two small miracles in one day.

Work. Not going to talk about it. Suffice to say that I spend far too long there during the work week. Even the Chaplain is expecting bad things to happen by Thanksgiving.

Getting ready to go out to the field for a week and a half. Happy, happy, joy, joy. Figure out the movie reference there.

Life goes on. People come and go. We continue to trudge down life's path. Sometimes we dance. Sometimes we cry. Yet, life goes on.

I have less than ten months left in the military. So much to do. So little time to get ready for the post military life. It is going to be different.

LOCKDOWN

The stupidity of the leadership of the military never ceases to amaze me. Friday has been a double whammy. The President nominates his replacement for Secretary of the Army. No comment. I am tired of "hope and change." It has been nothing but "despair and the shaft."

My unit gets back from a 3 day training exercise. ONE piece of equipment is not found. We were given an amount of time to find. It is not found. So, the whole unit, including those of us who did not even go, are now on lockdown. 

Morale, which barely existed in my unit to begin with, just absolutely cratered. I am sitting here typing this post deep within the bowels of the unit's locker room. New and strange restrictions have been put on us. We can use our phones, but no streaming video. That is not even apples to oranges. That is apples to concrete. 

What really hurts me is how this will effect my oldest boy later today for his football game. My oldest boy has Aspergers. He is also in his senior year. One of the things that he wanted to do was go out for football. He is on a Christian Homeschool team for six man football. He was actually sidelined before the season started due to a concussion that he sustained during practice. 

Last Saturday was his first game. Ever. This was big. Today is his second game. I do not know how this unexpected turn of events is going to affect him.

My second youngest is also on the spectrum. His biggest issue is anxiety. I know that this turn of events is going to hit him hard as well. 

By the way, I am currently taking meds for a knee injury. Those meds are at my house. They are talking lockdown until next week. Somebody is going to snap. 

I feel bad for my wife. She is stuck trying to do even more than what she needs to do. There are soldiers here with pregnant wifes that are at full term. What are they going to do about them.

By the way, the item missing is not some super secret item. It can be purchased publically from such companies as TNVC. 

I apologize for the rant. Its been a 20 hour day. And I am angry beyond belief, but holding it all in. 

A Ship Tossing On The Sea

We seem to like a ship tossed on the sea without a rudder. We are going where ever the winds and sea want to take us. We have forgotten who we were, what we are, what we could have become. Our leaders do not lead. Those screaming for tolerance and acceptance are themselves intolerant of differing ideas and beliefs. I fear it may be too late for this country, this culture, this civilization. What will our children and grandchildren think of us? 

The Deconstruction of Liberal Ideology Via The Star Trek Universe

I admit it. I am a Star Trek enthusiast. I wore an original series themed tie for my college graduation photos. In college there was a group of us that met in the basement of the Student Union every Saturday evening to watch The Next Generation. We would debate, sometimes very loudly, the morals and issues brought forth. The American Catholic blog had an article today that linked to an excellent piece on how the politics of the Star Trek Universe show the decline of western liberalism over the last 50 years.

Now, for sheer world and character building, I actually do rank Babylon 5 as a better series that Star Trek. The story arc for Babylon 5 was designed for five years. It was fun to see answers finally given to questions asked in season 1 all the way in season 5.

I agree with American Catholic, the final paragraph is an excellent distillation of thought:

"Over nearly 50 years, Star Trek tracked the devolution of liberalism from the philosophy of the New Frontier into a preference for non-judgmental diversity and reactionary hostility to innovation, and finally into an almost nihilistic collection of divergent urges. At its best, Star Trek talked about big ideas, in a big way. Its decline reflects a culture-wide change in how Americans have thought about the biggest idea of all: mankind’s place in the universe."

Chapter Two of the Little Still Untitled Fiction Story

Chapter 2

     When I returned to the table, my father was sitting down looking at the old picture of his family. It was faded, creased, and worn. A corner had been torn off. His hands were folded together in prayer, his lips moving but no sound came from them. When he was done, he crossed himself and saw me standing there.

      "Em, come sit."

     I rooted for a moment. Did I really dare dig into my father's worst memories? Still, I moved forward and set up the recorder and microphone. I inserted a blank cassette, closed it, and pressed the play and record buttons. The tape wheels began to turn. I consulted my list of questions and spoke into the microphone, "Interview 256. Date is June 4th, 2045."

     My father cleared his throat and then began to speak. "My name is Theodore McBride. I was born on September 4th, 2002 in Branson, Missouri. I am 42 years old.