Running on Empty

The title covers two subjects today, the first being how alternately I've been busy or sick, hence the lack of posting. I've managed to miss three holidays in the interim, but plan to do more writing. The second thing that running on empty applies to is the Fred Thompson campaign. Much to my disappointment, it is clear that he will be unable to get the endorsement.

I find it fascinating that when given a candidate who does everything people say they want candidates to do, they end up rejecting them. Constantly heard is the desire for a candidate who isn't after the job for power, but out of a sense of duty. Yet Fred was blasted for not acting like he wanted the job more than anything else in the world. We hear how a straight shooter who will tell us things we don't want to hear is needed, yet Fred has been ignored on the issues of social security and medicare benefits. Candidates should run a clean campaign, that's what we want say the voters, yet Fred took heat for not being aggressive enough. In fact, the only uptick he saw was when he pointed out how Huckabee is essentially a Democrat in the South Carolina debate. The issues, only if the candidates would stick to the issues is a cry heard often, but nobody paid attention to the white papers or long, thoughtul videos Thompson put out. Finally, it has been said we are waiting for another Reagan, a true conservative who believes in smaller government, protecting the Constitution, and who is also a social conservative. Well, the voters have been clear, they want the GOP to go to the political left, with the primary winning candidates all being center or center-left.

Simply put, what the voters in the Republican Party say they want and what they really want are two completely different things. I suspect the general electorate are no different.

A Moment of Beauty and Brotherhood in Iraq

With Thanksgiving nearly upon us, it is an appropriate time to reflect on the good things in life and the good people who are doing their best to make this world a better place. So when I read Michael Yon's latest dispatch about Muslims wanting their Christian neighbors to return in a neighborhood in Baghdad, I knew I'd found one of those beautiful moments where people can be seen treating their brothers and sisters with love. I am continually amazed at how our media insists on dwelling on the negative on any topic possible and wonder if they are all on anti-depressants as their outlook on life seems terminally hopeless. Thankfully, we have good people out there telling the truth, whether it be good, bad, or ugly.

Looking at the pictures of St. John's in Baghdad and reading the account made my day. I find it fascinating that before al Qaeda came to the area, Christians and Muslims were living in peace and brotherhood. With the Muslims of that neighborhood helping clean and repair the Catholic church, then actually attending a mass to show their love for those driven away, I see a bright ray of hope for greater Iraq. The possibility of the country becoming more like the Lebanon of the 1950s is looking more plausible.

So heading into the holidays, I am grateful for people cross religious or cultural lines and love their neighbors.

UPDATED:

Yet another story, this one involving a USMC Lt. and an Iraqi police officer who were once on opposite sides in Ramadi. Some amazing things are happening over there and if this isn't a terrific example of the power of forgiveness, I don't know what is.

Veteran's Day

Those of us who live in the free world owe an immense debt to those who have fought and died to protect our freedoms. Sadly, there is a growing detachment in our Western societies from our militaries, as fewer serve or know anyone serving. Some have come to believe that all war is unjust and that having a military is not needed. Most notable amongst those who hold our soldiers in contempt are people who have gained the most from their sacrifices, people who have spent their lives in relative wealth and ease. This saddens me, for many sacrifices have been made, are being made, and will be made by our men and women in uniform.

There never has been a time where danger has not lurked, for predatory behavior has always been prevalent in humanity's time on Earth. There will always be a need for people to protect our way of life, our borders, our allies, and sometimes the entire planet.

I am so very grateful to the veterans who have protected us in the past from tyranny and fascism, the soldiers fighting to make the world safer now, those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and their families who have also shouldered the burden.

May we always remember our soldiers and what they have done for us.

The Truth about Iraq

Michael Yon Online

Michael Totten's Middle East Journal

Most of what you read, see, and hear in the media about Iraq is distorted or false. Only a very few reporters have been seeking the truth on the ground and these are the two best out there. Take a look around their reports and you will soon get a clearer picture of things. Sometime in the past months, a tipping point was reached and things changed in Iraq for the better. But you won't see that in the media because it interferes with "shaping the narrative", whether it be anti-Conservative/BDS on the left or isolationist on the far right of the political spectrum. The truth, like all things of God, respects no man.

The truth is out there and it is complicated, messy, and requires real thought to see and comprehend. We can rail against politicians, the media, and perceived conspiracies all we want, but the main blame for this ignorance has to rest on the shoulders of the masses. The American people don't want to put effort into finding out what is going on in the world or even their local area. They wish to be spoon fed, want somebody else to deal with the problems while they go about their busy and utterly inward focused lives.

This is the challenge of our time, bringing truth to those who don't have it and more frightening to me, those who don't want it. So please take the time to read the reports by these two gentlemen. You may read things you don't want to believe, may read things that reinforce your already held views, but you will be reading honest journalism, a rarity in this day.

Cubs Win Division

Last night the Chicago Cubs clinched a tie for the National League Central Division, then the Milwaukee Brewers' keg finally ran out when they lost to the San Diego Padres. It is the first time since 2003 for the Cubs to make the playoffs and did so in more convincing fashion. So why am I incapable of celebrating?

Part of it has to be that as an experienced Cub fan, I'm used to waiting for the other shoe to drop. So they got in the playoffs, where's the next Bartman waiting to pop up? Which player will go down with a playoff ending injury? Will a meteor strike Wrigley Field just as they are about to clinch game 7 of the National League championship series? Scoff if you like, all of these scenarios are possible with the Cubs.

But I think I may simply be outgrowing sports, it doesn't mean much to me anymore. Over the past several years, my interests have focused more about helping people and doing some good in this decaying society. While I've kept loose track of the team over the season, I just can't get into it anymore -- and I've tried. I suppose I'll watch the playoffs, but my mind will be elsewhere.

The Witches of Karres

In the midst of all the gloom I've been posting, I decided to take a break from serious matters for a post. Just before the flooding and amidst the county fair, I'd had a strange flashback to a science fiction story I'd once read as a lad that I'd really adored. I couldn't remember the character names, the author, or even the name of the novella I'd read lo so many years ago. Cue the mayhem of my county becoming a federal disaster area and I didn't bother to search for the story. After all, I didn't have anything but the plot to go by, even if it was a rather unique concept -- that of a space fairing cargo ship captain inadvertently rescuing three young sisters who turned out to be witches.

I was perusing Instapundit and noticed a link to an article about the military's new robotic weapons platform called M.U.L.E. and Glenn Reynolds mentioned it looked like the grandaddy of the Bolos. I scratched my head, why did "bolos" sound familiar? I clicked on the link he had for that and realized that a short story I'd really enjoyed when I was even younger was one of the original entries into what has grown into a series of novels. Basically, Bolos are sentient tanks on a gigantic scale, armed with enough nukes to level a country amongst a dizzying array of weapons. Interesting to run into that, I thought and checked the publisher's site out. Baen Books had those stories in print and apparently other series, but I wasn't interested enough to think about buying anything.

As is my normal routine, I was flipping between different browser windows and inadvertently clicked the scroll bar on the right side, missing the window I was aiming for and hitting the one at Baen Books. Annoyed, I started to scroll back and stopped myself abruptly. There was a title there that jarred my memory. A "click" of a different sort happened then and I exclaimed out loud, "No WAY!" There was the title of that story I'd flashed back upon the week before: The Witches of Karres.

Reading the synopsis, the names came back to me: Captain Pausert, Maleen, Goth, and The Leewit. Yes, this was that 1949 novella I'd read, but unbeknown to me it had been expanded into a novel in 1966 by the author James H. Schmitz. Actually, it was a combinations of novella's, but it forms one clear enough narrative and works as a novel. Better yet, there had been a hardcover edition put out and I set out to hunt down the best deal. Eventually after a very long search (of 20 minutes), I had ordered and paid for a copy on eBay.

When the book came in the mail, I didn't mean to start reading it right away. After all, there are all the other books I'm still reading and haven't finished yet. But it is that old story, you make the mistake of opening the book to break the spine in properly, it slips the dust jacket, you inadvertently catch a glimpse of text, and despite good intentions you give in. So did it live up to my fuzzy, warm memories?

Yep. The Witches of Karres is a great book, a total lark that dares to be a mix of fantasy, science fiction, space opera, and outright silliness. It is family friendly, with only one sentence that might prevent it from being appropriate for even the youngest of children and that's only if you are extremely prudish. The character relationships are the heart of the story and I came away with a grin on my face after reading it. Pure fun in a style that has sadly fallen out of favor in contemporary pop culture.

You might notice I'm not giving any details away at all, that's because those of you reading this blog need to get your own copy and read it before a vatch gets you!

 

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My Friend Ron

I had intended to finish covering the disaster that befell the area I live in, but as so often happens in life other events derailed my plans. In this case, unwelcome but not unexpected events. So I find myself writing about a friend.

Shortly after I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in December of 2003, I was sitting in a priesthood meeting and noticed someone being wheeled in. There were obvious deformities to his face and head, the kind that surgeries cause. It was the first time I'd seen the steps convert to a lift and I wondered about the man who had just joined us. Being a new member, I was still finding my way and didn't approach him after the meeting ended. In retrospect, I regret that because I lost a little more time with a friend.

I slowly got to know him and it began with helping with the lift or pushing him in the wheelchair, I don't remember clearly which. Another friend told me Ron was his name and he'd been through some horrific surgeries in addition to his disabilities. On occasion I would visit him with the full time missionaries. I found that while Ron had trouble seeing and hearing, there was a bright intelligence quietly burning there and it usually manifested itself as a wicked sense of humor.

One Sunday, we were notified by our leadership that Ron needed a ride to appointments at Mayo Clinic, as his wife Colleen had fallen ill and couldn't drive. Being in Rochester, MN, Mayo is at the limits of my driving range due to my disability and so I waited to hear someone volunteer to take him. Long moments passed and nobody volunteered, so I did, feeling a little frustrated that there was no other. But if I hadn't, I wouldn't have really gotten to know him.

Fortunately for me, Ron had a great sense of direction and guided me easily to Mayo, me being a rookie driver on top of everything else. Didn't save us in the elevators, I still managed to get us to the wrong floor much to his amusement. That sense of humor, that wonderful willingness to look on the silly side of life while confronting constant adversity was Ron's defining trait, along with a truly huge, loving heart. We wrapped up that little adventure with a stop at Red Lobster. Oddly enough, it was all you could eat shrimp that day and I suspect Ron knew that all along. It was then I discovered his major addictions in life, Mountain Dew and shrimp. The latter I have in common with him, so we ended up eating ourselves sick, sampling every way the restaurant prepared those delicious crustaceans. To my chagrin, the very cute waitress paid more attention to him than me, but that was the effect Ron always had.

Later on, it was my pleasure to serve alongside him in the Branch clerk's office. People thought we were doing important work back there, but in reality we were goofing off. It wasn't that we didn't take our responsibilities seriously, it was just what would happen if we were left alone together. One thing that some people didn't realize about Ron was his dedication to helping others and carrying out his duties. I remember coming in and finding him going through the software tutorials that I struggled to get anyone else to train with. He always wanted to help, to actually do even when his body kept betraying him.

Above all else, Ron was a good man and never a truer warrior could you meet. His faith was strong and I think that is how he survived so many surgeries, more than anyone should ever have to have. His was a truly Christlike life, filled with love and charity toward others. Ron's obituary covers this well:

Ronald Lee Neinast

Ronald Lee Neinast, 54, of La Crosse passed away Sunday, Aug., 26, 2007,
in La Crosse.

Ronald was born Jan. 22, 1953, to Neil and Phyllis (Peterson) Neinast in Sparta, Wis. He had several birth defects, including an affliction of cerebral palsy.

His parents saw to it that he was involved in play and activities with other children, and stressed education and a strong work ethic. Ronald graduated from Hillsboro (Wis.) High School in 1971 and later graduated from Western Technical College with an associate degree in accounting and business administration.

Ronald worked at Gambles Store in Hillsboro, Hillsboro Equipment Inc. and Holiday Inns in Tomah, Wis., and Madison. In 1983, Ron suffered a brain stem stroke, which forced him to quit working.

During his life, Ron had more than 30 surgeries, including two heart surgeries in one day, suffered several broken bones in his arms and legs, and besides cerebral palsy was diagnosed with diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and skin cancer. He also battled tumors.

His doctors have stated that he was a medical wonder with a positive attitude throughout all that he endured. He fought the good fight, and was a hero to many
people and was admired by them.

In spite of many illnesses, Ron worked as a volunteer at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, which he began in 1986, and in April 2006 was awarded his 10,000-hour pin.An advocate for the elderly and the disabled in the Greater La Crosse area, he was president of the City of La Crosse Disabled Parking Enforcement Assistance Council for the La Crosse police department, a position appointed by the mayor and the city council.

He was a member of the MTU-ADA and Mini Bus committees, and was transportation coordinator for the Greater La Crosse area. He was a member of the Oktoberfest Parade Committee, a volunteer for Easter Seals Lily Days, and was very active in his church as a greeter, priest and branch clerk. Ron was a member of the Happy Go Lucky Club since 1987, and currently was its president. He re-wrote the club’s bylaws.

In June 2002, Ron married the love of his life, Colleen (Sullivan) Sowa. Ron was preceded in death by his parents. Surviving him are his wife, Colleen; a daughter, Noel (Sullivan-Sowa) Van Blaricome and her husband, Jeffrey; three grandchildren, Gavin, Genevieve and Ashton; two sisters, Kathy (Archie) Crawford and Sharon (Russell) Daines II; two brothers, Dale (Marybeth) Neinast and Neil (Chris) Neinast; many nieces and nephews; aunts, uncles and cousins; and many friends.

Ron was an inspiration to me, whenever I felt down about my lot in life, I'd think about him and the trials he was going through -- and what tremendous grace he showed in handling them. Especially at the end, when things were getting worse and worse, he still kept fighting on. His spirit shone so brightly and I often think that no mortal body could house a soul that burned so brightly without failing. I wish I could have been there for him more often and been a better friend. When the time comes for me to depart this mortal realm, I'll challenge him to a foot race. I suspect he'll win.

He is missed.