Wednesday, August 27, 2008

A Four Letter Word- IRAQ




Many people have asked me why I'm supporting Barack Obama for president. There are many reasons. Ranging from a total dislike for the Clintons to a total dislike of what the Republican Party is at this moment in time. But, I think the main reason is a simple 4-letter word, IRAQ. From day one I have beeen against the invasion of Iraq. Didn't understand why we were going in. There were NO Iraqi's on any of the planes on 9/11. Anyone who would taken time to read and research would have known that under no circumstance would Sadam Hussian assist Osama Bin Laden. One was sunni and one is shite. I will agree Sadam Hussian was a madman and should have been overthrown, but when did we become the police force for the Iraqi people? There are plenty of evil men in this world. Why didn't we go into Uganda, The Sudan or Cambodia? Simple reason was oil and money. War is to profitable. Dwight Eisenhower in his last speech as president warned of the "Military Industrial Complex". Here was a real military hero. One who had orchestrated D-Day. He warned that when wars became profitable we would fight wars for the wrong reason. He had just seen it happen in Korea.
I love when people mention now that the surge is working and that Obama was against the surge. Let me give you an analogy. I come by and set your house on fire and we only call one fire dept because it would be too expensive to call 2. Well the house continues to burn so I say lets go ahead and call 3 and get this fire put out. Yes, the fire is put out and the firemen go home but the house is still burned down for no reason. The bottom line is we never should have been there to begin with.
Instead of going into Iraq, we should have turned all of our resources into chasing down Bin Laden. I mean that old testament type justice, the type the Israelis used after Munich. Watch the movie Munich. Not only did they go after the terrorists, they went after their families, their friends and anyone who was associated with them. When Obama said he would go into Pakistan if he knew he could get Bin Laden, he was raked over the coals. We either want him or not. I realy don't think this adminstration does.
Oh well, blame this rant on too little sleep from watching the convention and the olympics. The whole world should be required to operate off of Eastern Standard Time.
"I've been used, abused and so confused, and I had no where to run,
But I stood and looked, and my eyes got hooked, on that beautiful morning sun".
Van Morrison .... Brand New Day

Syd






Friday, August 22, 2008

A gift of 4 years & 4 months


My dad passed away 3 years ago today, August 22, 2005. On one hand it seems like yesterday on the other it seems like many years ago. During these 3 years we have added 2 and substracted 1. We have added Jonah and Ellie & substracted Stephanie, with one addition on deck. We have seen what New Orleans looks like underwater, and nominated an african-american for president. But unfortunately we are still fighting a senseless war in Iraq. All in 3 short years.

He died at the young age of 91. Born September 17, 1914. He lived through the depression, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. He also traveled a good deal, working in Detroit and Baltimore and down in Florida, basically anywhere he could find work after the war. The funny thing was that it wasn't until after a surgery in 2001 that we heard many of the stories of that time. He had a brain tumor removed from between his eyes on May 25th of 2001. At 86 years young, he was in surgery for almost 7 hours. I personally did not think he would ever come out of surgery. That morning as they took him back I said my good-byes with the belief that at his age he probably wouldn't come back. But he did. He came out of surgery, hungry, and even though he had lost 75% of his vision was able to recognize me when I came into recovery. Now don't get me wrong, the recovery was anything but easy. My mother, sisters and brother-in-law can testify to that, and I can give you a first hand description from his time in the hospital.

But he did survive and lived over 4 years. He was able to dance at my daughter's wedding, see 4 of his great-grandchildren born (Bryson (finally a red head), JJ, Noah & Logan).
He had time to catch us up on stories we had never heard, say his good-byes and to die at home and not in a hospital. It was truely a gift of 4 years & 4 months..

"We walked troubles brooding wind swept hills And we loved and we laughed the pain away
At the end of the journey, when our last song is sung Will you meet me in Heaven someday"
Johnny Cash "Meet me in Heaven someday"


Syd


Tuesday, August 19, 2008

It's just not fair

Where's Doc. Brown and the De Lorean when I need him? You remember Doc. Brown from Back to the Future? He had the De Lorean with the flux copasitor that when you hit 88 mph you could travel to your pre-set time, backwards or forward. Doc Brown take me back to when Bryson was only 1 and lets just stay there awhile. Bryson started kindergarten today at Reidville Elementary and I feel OLD. The good part of this is that I am not old alone. Yep, Stephen Taylor you were there with me when we found out the news and you were there to baptize him, so you are old too. My sister who is already 6 yrs older than me, you were there with us at the hospital, you too are old. My son and all of his friends, who have been a part of his life from the start, yep you're getting old. And my wife nothing more needs to be said as well as all you folks in Quail Ridge and you know those of you of whom I speak who are getting old.
There, now I feel better, since I have included most of you in my misery. Getting older is not so bad as long as you have friends to enjoy it with you. It's just not fair.

First time you feel it, it might make you sad nexttime you feel it it might make you mad
But you'l be glad baby when youve found hats the power makes the world go round"
Huey Lewis & News "Power of Love" of course.

Syd

Monday, August 18, 2008

august 16th, 1977


Saturday we celebrated the 31st anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley. It was our annual luau with all of the good fixin's. All of you who missed it, missed a very laid back evening with music from Radio Margaritaville and food from Nard's Backyard BBQ. Pictures will be coming later.

Thiry one years later. I remember it well, I had just picked up my school bus (driver) and was coming home when I stopped at Pat's Cash & Carry and was told the news. The media went crazy, people rushed out bought up all the newspaper, Enquirers, you name it. As much of a media feeding frenzy as it was then, can you imagine with all the cable networks we have now what it would be like. It would never stop. I found out a couple of things recently. At the time of his death, Elvis had $100.00 in savings and $1,000,000 in his checking account. Also, Elvis's net worth was @5 million dollars. Today Graceland is valued at over $100 million alone. This does not count what the Elvis name, music or image is worth. Elvis would have been a wiser investment than General Motors.

This brings up a couple of interesting questions; Do we have to die to find out what we are truely worth? and should our worth be judged in dollars and cents?

"I can't remember if I cried, when I read about his widowed bride, but something touched me deep inside, the day, the music died". Don McLean "American Pie"


Syd

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

A Month of Sundays

Alright already, I get it, people actually read my ramblin's. It's not that I didn't have anything to say, it's finding time to sit down and type it out. This is not a complaint, but right now we are so busy and under the gun to get things turned around and out the door that there are not enough hours in the day. College students are moving in this coming week-end and we have a couple of schools who are wanting things finished by then. Western Carolina University decided to change their logo and school colors this year but decided to wait until 8/13 to publicly announce it. So it was a hurryup and wait to show their new look. Speaking of kids moving in, I want to be the first to congratulate Ian Barlow on moving in to Clemson. The next step is to get Julie and Grant, and especially Floyd out to a ball game and all of them dressed in Orange.
It is hard to believe that the kids are heading back to school. That I will be fighting that Buena Vista traffic on Tuesday mornings, that we will be hit soon to order wrapping paper or a coupon book and before I know it, that awful day will arrive and it will be time to close the pool. Oh well, life goes on. I have alot of things to write about coming up in the next week or so. Anniversaries, parties, hopefully divorce finals, etc. so check back in. Thanks.

"I love the Tigers but I hate the Mets ,I ride my Hog but I race my Vette
I gotta job, but hell I'm still in debt . I love America" Alice Cooper "I love America".

Syd