BACK from the frozen north, and a ret good trip it was, too. More convo with the CEO including time spent talking with my hands, which – as a former strike fighter guy – it doesn’t get much better than that. He asked me what my next was, and I told him I was all but done and he up and nearly made an offer on the spot before I said, shush, shush. No more.
It’s not so close as that.
–
I’ve been saying this more and more of late, but I scarcely know what to think of Mrs. Pelosi’s headscarf. The WaPo is in a disapproving huff, while the WSJ is ready to press charges. I cannot tell you what the NYT thinks – they no longer speak reason there.
Look, I’m all for linking hands and singing “Why can’t we be friends?” but lately I’ve been hearing a bit of the old “everyone just wants to live in peace” wheedle, which sounds tempting – siren songs ain’t in it – but it has the critical flaw of being demonstrably untrue: Most folks might, maybe, but not all of ‘em. Neither those that have mounted (or inherited) a comfortable spot atop the heap of corpses, nor those who are still at the bottom of the ladder, trying to work their way up if only we’d get out of their damned way.
So much of what is emerging as the Brave New Foreign Policy line sounds very 9/10 to me – the coddling of dictators who rule over cowered, resentful and sullen populations that are conditioned by state controlled media to blame their misery not on their own internal skull crackers but rather – in a process stilly mysterious to those of us raised picking and choosing between the data streams available to a free society – on them ‘orrible Jews in Israel, and by proxy ourselves, the haughty, arrogant, imperial, cowboy warlords that we are, as well as being groveling Zionist slaves, for shame.
So while I’m not quite ready to sic the special prosecutor on Herself for flying across the pond and tipping it the diplomatic with President-for-life Chinless, neither am I especially inclined to congratulate her for her courage.
Which I bet she soldiers on regardless of my reluctance.
–
Quid pro quo? Or just one of those crazy coincidences of war?
Who can say?
–
That 3-ounce shaving cream can I smuggled past the TSA folks in San Diego? In my shaving kit? The San Francisco guys were wise to it, snarfed it up as contraband. Sent me on my way with a warning.
Clever TSA guys.
–
Ah, well I guess it’s time to close with a thought for the weekend: I bet that wood was hard.
I bet the nails hurt.
Sometimes it’s hard to get your head around.
Happy Easter to you and yours sir, as well as everyone that reads this blog.
A happy Easter, Lex. And a thought about those nails and that cross: that was torture, it was designed as such, to serve as a stark reminder to those who might consider such actions as would upset the Roman overlords. In the Old Days we used to hang horse-thieves and murderers in the public square, and such a spectacle it was, families making the journey to view them. Punishment was public, lessons would be drawn by both the law-abiding and the person pondering a life in the punishment-is-hanging trade.
Seems to me Jesus probably saw quite a few crucifictions in his short lifetime, knew what it was about, decided it was worth it anyway.
My Good Wife today asked me about those British sailors and their pictures, manner of dress, their statements. “But their commanding officer said there was nothing to be gained by resisting, I expect they were obeying orders and cooperating that this might not turn into an incident,” said I.
“Did they not have any pride, any esprit de corps?” she asked?
“Alas, my Good Wife, I cannot answer that, but I suspect they were following their orders as given and if that means pretend to enjoy it they’d do that very thing.” That answer was not convincing.
And I pondered a bit more, and reasoned that the Brit sailors took the path of least resistance, hoping for rescue and to delay, a perfectly viable tactic. Jesus, in contrast, may have been following orders from His Father but certainly didn’t take the easy path. Even when it would have been so easy to do so! Instead, fully aware of what the consequences were, fully aware that cooperation was an option, he instead stuck by principle. He met a horrible demise, but one of his choosing.
I reflected upon this as I sat in a pew last week in a Catholic church, a pallbearer for an aunt who had lost her battle with cancer on Sunday, April 1st. I saw the crucifix above the alter, a figure of Jesus hanging down, and came to realize just how devoted and motivated he must have been, and how lucky we are today that we have a true martyr as an example to follow.
There is a real life lesson in doing what is right, what is proper, what principles demand. We have an example of that. Can we who celebrate Easter even ask for a better example?
– Max
Having, like many of you, taken a few oaths of allegiance in my time, isn’t it true that Ms Pelosi and her peers took an oath to support and defend the Constitution…et al? Where in that oath does it permit her to consort with the leader of a terrorist state? Where does it permit her to give aid and company to our enemies? Hanoi Jane has nothing on her!
Charge her with treason, impeach her, I don’t care; but get her the hell out of Congress.
Strange, my experience with SFO TSA guys was incompetence personified.
That said I don’t have much time so any of them so perhaps I’m biased.
Lex, Mountain View is only an hour or so from Byron Aiport… home of the Patriots… they need an infusion of Navy Blood.
Happy Easter, may we all remember the Passion and His Ascension.
Sim – I assumed that was the implication.
My husband and I watched the news footage of the sailors and marines leaving Tehran. My husband remarked “wouldn’t it have been good if, as they boarded the jet, they just dropped their goodie bags on the tarmac and taken off the suit jackets and dropped them as well?”
I think any show of rejection would have been better than what went on…
Having said that, wouldn’t you love to know what was in the goodie bags?
Chris-
I caught the implication they were tools, just suprised they found anything at all, even their arse with both hands and a map at hand.
When a frisking results in them missing your money belt under your armpit stocked with everything from passport to tickets to Vietnamese Dong you do wonder what the song and dance is about.
Sim – yeah, I get ya now. I do get the impression that the song and dance is just that.
Well, at least the song-and-dance is a little reminder that OUR lives are different. Every time we are inconvenienced I would hope that we remember who made us set up this paper-mache Great Wall of TSA and be ready to deal with anything that might come up in flight. (Hey – just trying to make lemonade with the lemons…)
As for Good Friday, I think it is important in spite of the wood and the nails that we remember it is “good.” When we do what we should be doing even when it is hard, or when our people in uniform give everything to fight for a better world, it is a participation in Jesus’ gift. A happy and blessed Easter to all of you friends of Lex and especially to you and yours, Lex.
I don’t like the crucifix – though I understand it’s meaning and importance. But to leave Jesus hanging there – when he rose and ascended to the right hand of his Father just 3 days hence – seems cruel somehow. I “get” the message the crucifix delivers, but I’d far more like an image of Jesus in full, immortal glory ascending thru the clouds to his Rightful place.
A Happy and Safe Easter to all – travel with caution and embrace famly & friends with gusto.
Interesting analogy Max.
Happy Easter, Y’all!
Buono Pasqua!
Lex,
On the “field expedient” line of shaving, I long ago gave up the shaving cream. Rather, I adopted my dad’s preferred method of a brush and shaving soap. It’s a much better shave, and no recycling required. Soap and brush, and lather down the drain afterwards.
Anyway, what this means is that all you need to pack is the razor and the brush. I simply use that free little bar of moisturizing soap the hotel leaves you by the sink. Works like a champ, and I don’t have to carry that silly plastic baggiie through the airport.
One of the nice shaving/grooming companies also offers a shaving brush with a retractable bristle and a cover, made just for the travellor. Comes in handy on deployments, too.
Respects,
AW1 Tim,
Surely you jest about the GMT on shaving.
We saw your picture you linked us about the Gathering of Eagles (unless I mis ID’d you). You definetly meant “beard trimming” St. Nick!
b2