Bless the Fools and the Drunkards

Today is Mother’s Day in Singapore - tomorrow for you Americans on the wrong side of the international date line - but it is also the birthday of several folks of renown. Irving Berlin was born on this day as was Doug McClure and Louis Farrakhan. Mort Sahl and Salvadore Dali share this birthday as does the legendary Phil Silvers.

Another May 11th guy was the great Foster Brooks, although he was usually too drunk to remember. Here, Brooks happens to run into Dean Martin, another lush of some celebrity.

Brooks had struggled with alchohol in his early days but gave it up in 1964. He says a guy bet him $10 he couldn’t quit, and he really needed the money. He drew upon his past to create a most unique and successful character. He died in 2001.

Obama, watch your back

Now that Obama has basically bagged the nomination (is Hilary ever going to do the right thing and quit?) the questions are getting more frequent and pointed about a possible running mate. I fear that if Obama chooses someone more conservative in order to bridge the gap - someone that is more to the liking of the Repub’s - especially the big business boys, that his life will immediately be in danger.

Obama, if he honors what he has said in his speeches, is an enormous threat to many huge industries. Anyone who profits from the wars considers him an enemy. I think he is in formidable danger already but if he makes it into the White House and especially if he has a more conservative VP, I don’t think its being overly fatalistic to believe he will be a target. And a serious target of these folks will become a dead president. We do that in America. We kill leaders with progressive ideas. Obama fits the mold.

And keep in mind, once McCain became a shoe-in, there was a drive to get Republican voters to vote for Hilary in an effort to stop Obama. Republicans prefer her and, to me, that means she should NOT be the running mate. I’m not worried about that because I don’t think Obama would do that anyway.

Whoever the running mate is, I hope it’s someone that is even more frightening to the Republicans than Obama is. That will help insure his safety.

“Winter Soldiers” to testify before Congress

Glad for this little bit of progressive news. On Thursday, May 15, the Winter Soldier participants have been invited to speak before the United States Congress.

The Congressional Progressive Caucus will host Thursday’s testimony in the Rayburn House Office Building in DC, and will hear testimony on the rules of engagement, the killing and abuse of civilians, the use of drop weapons, and the true consequences of the “surge.”

This is the first time the Winter Soldier platform has been given any credible recognition. Their hearings a couple of months ago got absolutely no play in the MSM and you can bet the administration is not going to want any publicity for these hearings, either. For Bio’s on the speakers and more information go to the IVAW site.

VA Won’t Help Wounded Vets Register to Vote

After agreeing to allow voter registration drives within the VA facilities, the VA has suddenly reversed that position.

“VA’s decision, during wartime, to block voter registration for our hospitalized veterans is shameful, outrageous, and despicable,” said Paul Sullivan, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense. “VCS finds it unconscionable that VA would reverse position and prohibit voter registration efforts for our wounded, injured, ill, and disabled veterans in VA hospitals and nursing homes as more and more casualties flood home from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.”

The VA is citing the Hatch Act which prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activities in the work place. However, as Senators Feinstein and Kerry pointed out, the act does not prohibit voted registration activities.

“Office of Special Counsel has made it clear that federal employees, even those who are considered to be in sensitive positions, may “assist in voter registration drives.”" And they questioned how voter registration drives would disrupt VA activities.

In fact, the VA is prohibiting not only federal employees from assisting the vets with registration, it is blocking non partison groups like the League of Women Voters from lending a hand as well.

Its pretty obvious that, after the VA’s initial agreement, someone in the White House realized that wounded vets might be a lot less likely to vote for another bloodthirsty, warmonger president like McCain. They have no legal basis to stop the registration but that has never been an obstacle to their agenda before. The administration, indeed the Republican party does not want wounded vets, or any vets for that matter, to vote and they will do whatever they can to interfere with the vets rights to do so.

Trekkin’ Again

I’ll be trekkin’ into a different rain forest area today. Camys on, rations packed, locked and loaded. Hope to have a few pics when I get back - if I get back. It’s a jungle out there.

Mother Mary on a Harley

A Monterey, California man says he can see the image of the Virgin Mary in his leg after a motorcycle accident. Marc Lipton said he was riding his motorcycle when he lost control and slid about 50 feet along the road. Lipton said he wasn’t wearing leather chaps at the time because he was close to home.

The Roman Catholic Church has very strict guidelines regarding what is deemed an official sighting of the Virgin Mary.

As well they should. Afterall, someone has to determine the difference between official sitings and all those pesky unofficial ones.

There has been no word on if the Diocese of Monterey will investigate Lipton’s leg as a legitimate apparition of the Virgin Mary.

Well, I for one, have no doubt this one is the old gal herself.

A Sunday Trek in Singapore

As small as this island is, there are many nice places to go exploring and hiking. Dense rain forest still covers most of the center of the island and surrounds the natural reservoirs that stay full due to the abundance of rain. So with lunch and plenty of water in our backpacks, Pearl and I mounted up on the Honda 200 and set out to see a few sites and maybe meet a few new friends along the way. (click to enlarge)

We started out at Pierce reservoir, a beautiful, quiet and serene area known for it’s crystal clear water and wildlife. Signs along the narrow road leading into the area warn against feeding the monkeys or even letting them see that you might have food. They can be very aggressive.

The modern meets the primitive in the backgound of this shot showing a golf course butting up to the jungle. And this is not a “man made” or even visitor friendly jungle. There are few if any trails and much of it is impenetrable without a machete. On the near side however, is a nice little park where one might net a few shrimp or catch a few fish. The lake is also teeming with turtles.

Along the road I came across this not so friendly male macaque. He bared his teeth at me so I kept my distance. There are thousands of these in the thick trees and they usually hang around in family groups of as many as 20. A few more of this guy’s brood were sunning and grooming across the road. Unfortunately, some end up as road kill.

We stopped for a bite, looking for a shady spot in the grass but found it full of very large, very nasty looking black ants. We also spotted this monitor scrounging in the grass for a meal. He was about16 inches and a little weary of this old man.

Later, on our way out of the park, we found his big brother, right out in the open, digging in the grass for his own lunch. He allowed me to get within a few feet before sauntering up the hill. He climbs much better than I do.

Pearl was startled when she almost stepped on this little guy. But he got away clean before we could do him any harm.

From Pierce we drove over to East Coast park. This is a long stretch of beach that extends for several kilometers along the southeast coast of the island. It is from here that you can watch the hundreds of ships that line up each day to come into port. Unfortunately, the air was a little misty so they are hard to see.

This is also an ideal spot for windsurfing and they have a launch area and even lessons for newbies. You can rent boards or bring your own.

After a tough day fighting the snakes and the monitors and fending off the monkeys, we were famished and so we stopped for a little of Singapore’s famous Steamboat. Here you pay for a plate and its all you can eat. You select meats, veges, fish and whatever else they have from long counters of raw food. Each table has a round platter with a bowl in the middle. Its all over an open fire and you simply boil or cook what you want right at your table. Nice way to end the day.

Ty Ziegel meets the VA

The first post I did last year on the extensively wounded Ty Ziegel has received nearly 13,000 views largely because the pictures of him are among the first listed on Google Images. His story is a heroic yet tragic one.

I just found this very short video of Ty talking about his injuries and his encounter with the VA. His upbeat attitude is uplifting. His story is not.

The video says that the VA changed his disability status due to pressure from Ty. I think it had more to do with a whole lot of horrified people giving his story a whole lot of serious publicity. I wish him and his new bride the very best.

That Old Time Rock ‘n Roll II

In the comments to my Old Time Rock ‘n Roll post over at The Impolitic, the highly cultured Captain Fogg mentioned that one of his favorite old “girl group” songs was Da Doo Ron Ron by the Crystals. I had already scoped out what was available from this great group on YouTube and had found this great up-to-date vid of La La Brooks, the original lead singer, doing that song.

I chose this because of the great audience response and it really shows that some of these very underrated and under paid singers had tremendous talent and still have what it takes.

That Old Time Rock ‘n Roll

To set this scene, I’m sitting on my bed, laptop on my breakfast-in-bed tray, wireless card firmly installed, fan going, a rare (and becoming rarer) martini within easy reach. I’m doing a little research for a nice post or posts on some of the great ‘girl groups’ that preceded and certainly influenced the Beatles era and future R&R. (and I’m still gonna do that)

I’m on YouTube checking out the Chiffons, the Shirelles, The Rondells, Gladys Knight, etc. And then I run across this gem and, having been one of America’s and my favorites at the time, I just had to post this up right now. It’s not just the group. It’s the great host and the “mysterious” Brando like motorcycle rider. This went to No. 1. And if your my age, you know the words.

At the time they were considered (and publicized as)bad girls who were a little racy. The lead singer, Mary Weiss was 16 at the time of this performance.