TheElapsed Time In Pictures

This is my humble garden on Saturday morning from two different views.It has rained so much lately I've not had a chance to cut the grass or weed eat. The place was looking shaggy.




Gilby Clarke..."Cure Me Or Kill Me...

But don't leave Me here for dead..."

The Appalachianist

Just Stuff

I had Drill this last weekend. I've got a young girl in my Company that is on the Delayed Entry Program. She's a High School Student. I found myself taking her to the Emergency Room Sunday. She had caught a wood screw sticking out from a bulletin board and it quickly became sore and red where the screw scratched her. She had to get a shot. I'm not about to spell it. I know it's one of those words pronounced differently from person to person but it's known what is being said. I've done tried phonetics too.
Athens has a nice Hospital. The folks were real nice too. Heck, I wouldn't mind getting hurt myself. Of course I got hit with allot of questions about the Army. And oddly, twice I was told I didn't look old enough to have been in the Army 24 years. Heck, I don't know. But, I do know this, it cost allot of money to have her get a shot. It also took a very long time, a few hours, for her to be seen. And, for reasons I won't get into, will never go off to Basic Training.

I was going to do another post on War, but, I don't have it in me. I'd rather talk about Black Berry Winter. It came with a bight this week. We had frost Tuesday morning. I got in late and threw some tarps over my meager garden. It really didn't frost the ground, just things off of the ground. The corn has uprighted itself already. I'm growing it Indian Style, with my corn in hills and squash in between. I've got creasy greens planted and bird house gords. You can't eat them, but, they are fun to grow. My Plant Engineer remarked about my choice of vegetables that I must be part Cherokee...

That rotten old wild rose is blooming in addition to black berries. Down the Mountain in South Carolina the Iveys are blooming and they are about to here. You might know Iveys as Mountain Laurel, but you people are backwards. It's Ivey, damnit. We don't care what he Encyclopedia says. And, it has snowed in Black Berry Winter here before. This time though, I think it has brought the prettiest sky's I can remember ever coming in with it. They've been like crystal.

You'll probably notice that I don't mention the Reserves much. That's not by design. Actually, it keeps me busy. My phone rang three times before 10:00, this morning. I managed not to get too many e-mails for a change though. I'll be gone down to Georgia in the morning on Orders for the day. As well, I'm scheduled to be gone to Ft. Knox Ky for 19 days soon. That will be some pleasant travel pay. What's that got to do with you...Well, you read this blog don't you? I didn't want you heathens to get the misrepresentation I was slacking off.

Speaking of slacking off, I'm about done here. I'd tell you about this weeks Bear invasion, but, I said I was done.
The Appalachianist

Torture is for Sissies, Sissies don't Torture

General Curtis LeMay didn't want to kill civilians. So, he had notes dropped over Japanese cities warning that they would be bombed the next day. The Japanese Citizens would leave immediately creating a severe problem. The Japanese Government could not deal with all of the refugees. Not until some time after the War it was found that they were already discussing surrender before either atomic bomb was dropped. President Harry Truman, the WWI Veteran that's Battery fired their Guns up until the moment of the Armistice, made the decision to drop the atomic bombs in hopes of ending the War as quickly as he could. Historians will debate if the Nagasaki and Hiroshima were necessary for years to come. As will the bombing of Dresden, under FDR.

In light of what we see in the news now of the Bush Administration giving the green light to torture these two incidents stand out. I present to you two articles from Reason (a great Libertarian rag) Magazine. First, "Who Are You Calling a War Criminal? The dangers of making simplistic historical comparisons"
In my opinion, this is about politics more than it is about Tactics, Strategy or Morals. No one went to these lengths for the Branch Davidians, American Citizens burned alive. If torture worked or not is open to debate. Was it a bad decision? In a 4GW it can be used against you, a no brainier. But, we've managed not to have a repeat of September 11th, making it hard to argue with success. Success often has it's price, though. This is pointed out in "A Torturous Debate, Let's have some humility in the debate over interrogation methods." Will we continuously find a reason to justify it?
Anymore American Politics is just this statement: "Party membership and voting are frequently more about group identity than philosophical orientation about the proper role of government."(OK, three Reason articles, 4th paragraph BTW)If "War is an extension of politics", then what do we have? Is it open to debate or punditry? Is it about who's in charge? We better look deep inside for the answers.


Iggy Pop and The Stooge's "Search and Destroy"...Sin loi VC...

3.5mm Rockets are an extension of War. That was over Jane Fonda's head.


Love in the middle of a firefight...
The Appalachianist

Mythical Forest

It's managed to be stormy lately. A common conversation of late is a debate on wether we are caught up on rain or not. Some parts of Southern Appalachia may be, but others may not. My personal guess is, it will take a little longer. I've had people balk at me for thinking so, but none are native. If they had a couple of more years under their belt, they may agree with me. Something they leave out of those real estate brochures is, Transylvania county is classified as a rain forest. However, while discussing it with my Ex's Dad the other day, he thought we are now caught up, but down the river around Asheville, they are still behind. Sitting here typing about it, it occurs to me only God knows. Even us natives and long timers are confused. Why I say this is, unless you've kept a written record of your rain fall on/in/at the particular terrain feature where you live for the last ten years your guessing or God has whispered the answer in your ear.

Today I saw water leaking from a spring that I had not seen in some time...Since I left home for Iraq just over three years ago. Looking out across the back yard under some Poplar saplings it looks dark and lush, like the Jungle in Panama...But more like the Hardwood Forest of Appalachia, just what it is. It's a Forest known for what it used to be, than more for what it is anymore. Those trees are a myth, the untrained eye can't see the reality. People come from all over to gawk at the "beauty". It's pretty alright, but the real beauty takes longer than a day trip to see. Everyone wants to drink from Hebert's Spring, a spring fed by rain. A spring most don't know exists and if they did would dismiss it for a myth.

The Appalachianist

Thinking on the 5th of May

Why do we Americans make a big deal out of "Cinco De Mayo"? We go out and eat Mexican food, drink Mexican Beer...Try our best at Spanish, such a happy sounding language. We party for our neighbors independence.

Now Fourth Of July we eat hot dogs and hamburgers. Grilled cheese sandwhich maybe.
If the South had won, would we eat pinto beans and corn bread?

It is my Grandmother's Birthday.
The Appalachianist