We went to Grady's for dinner tonight. Took I-35. As I was slowing for my exit, I noticed a twin-size mattress blocking the left lane entirely & part of the middle lane as well. Asked my mother to call someone.
She called the city twice, never got an answer. (It's one of those 3-digit helplines that supposedly connect you to a variety of services.) Finally called the SAPD nonemergency number. Apologized to the person who answered and said she tried calling the city but didn't get an answer, so she called SAPD because they were the ones who'd have to deal with any wrecks resulting from it. He thanked her for calling and said he'd get someone out there.
We were in the restaurant 40 minutes or so. Came out and looked over at the freeway...sure enough, the mattress was still there, and a car had wrecked because of it.
Dammit. We called because we were hoping to avoid something like that.
I imagine the dispatcher at the PD had to call Public Works or someone of the sort. I would have thought they'd make debris in the traffic lanes on the freeway a priority. Guess not. The police were arriving to deal with the wreck just as we were getting in the car.
I'm not angry, of course. Just frustrated, and disappointed. Hard when you do the right thing and then exactly what you were hoping to head off happens anyway. Some dolt didn't tie down their mattress well enough, and now a car is wrecked (hopefully not badly) and the police have to block off at least two lanes of a 3-lane freeway to deal with it. Of course there's the question of why the car didn't avoid it. Oddly enough, the mattress was kinda hard to see. The road there is light gray, the mattress was light blue. I'm pretty observant & I didn't see it until we were almost even with it, and I was slowed down to get off the freeway. It's one of those things were someone coming through at 60 probably wouldn't notice it until too late. (And that's if they were even doing the speed limit--most of the traffic tonight was speeding, which actually is not the norm on that stretch of road.)
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Post-Memorial Day Thoughts
A New Significance.
I didn't know Matthew Mendoza. But having grown up here, I can probably tell you a few things about him.
When his high school football team went up against Brackenridge (my alma mater), he probably cheered a little harder. Old rivalry there.
He probably owned at least one Spurs t-shirt. Probably spent most of his childhood saying "This is our year, man!"
He ate tacos for breakfast. Quite possibly for lunch and dinner too (but not the same tacos--you have soft tacos at breakfast and probably puffy tacos for lunch), and never thought he was doing anything "ethnic".
He had a baby with his high school girlfriend. He didn't marry her, but he stood by her enough to give the boy his name, which sometimes is more important. He didn't walk away and leave her on her own.
He almost certainly went to the carnival at Fiesta every year, and quite likely woke up real early (or camped out overnight, when he was older) to watch the Battle of Flowers parade, and probably caught at least one other parade every year. He may well have skipped school to go to the Cowboy Breakfast.
He went to the Alamo, Mission San Jose, Butterkrust bakery, the Institute of Texan Cultures, & SeaWorld on field trips as a child. Probably rode the little train by the zoo.
He probably loved accordions and polka music without the slightest hint of irony. Probably could sing Selena songs by heart and danced to "Techno Cumbia" at his prom. (He might even have been able to tell you exactly where he was and what he was doing when he heard Selena died.
He probably cruised Military Drive on Sunday nights when he was a teenager. Probably went to Mission Drive-In theater. Picnicked in Brackenridge or San Pedro park on Easter Sunday. Sat at his grandfather's grave in San Jose cemetary eating and drinking and talking about the old man on Dia de los Muertos.
He definitely grew up into a young man with a sense of purpose, of duty to his country.
He probably considered no future other than the Marines, because around here that's still a laudable career goal.
I don't know any of this for certain, of course. But if I bet money on each of these paragraphs I'd only lose a dollar or two. I grew up here too. There are certain things that unite those of us who grow up in this city (thus the joke: "You're so San Antonio if you think pro-choice means corn or flour tortillas"), things that make us puro San Antonio.
And what struck me yesterday as I was typing out the list of men who have died for us this year is that there is someone out there who can say much the same for each man or woman on that list that I can say for Sgt. Mendoza. You may not have known that person. You may not have known anyone on that list. But there's a good chance at least one person on there (or on the full list of thousands of people who have died) grew up where you did, or close to it, and you can say things that are more likely than not accurate, even without knowing them, because you've been there and experienced the same things. I know that Sgt. Mendoza was proud to be from Texas and from the south side of San Antonio because I am proud to be from Texas and the south side of San Antonio. Because pretty much everyone who grew up where we did is proud of being from Texas and the south side.
It is very, very hard for even the most solemn, well-meaning person to be fully mindful of the individual humanity of each and every person who has been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The numbers are hard to comprehend. This isn't a dig on anyone, it's just how our minds function (and I most certainly include myself in this, mind you).
So: break it down. Think of the humanity of one person, and grieve for that person even if you didn't know him, and you will grieve for them all, and begin to understand, a little bit, something that is almost beyond the comprehension of those of us who are civilians.
I didn't know Matthew Mendoza. But having grown up here, I can probably tell you a few things about him.
When his high school football team went up against Brackenridge (my alma mater), he probably cheered a little harder. Old rivalry there.
He probably owned at least one Spurs t-shirt. Probably spent most of his childhood saying "This is our year, man!"
He ate tacos for breakfast. Quite possibly for lunch and dinner too (but not the same tacos--you have soft tacos at breakfast and probably puffy tacos for lunch), and never thought he was doing anything "ethnic".
He had a baby with his high school girlfriend. He didn't marry her, but he stood by her enough to give the boy his name, which sometimes is more important. He didn't walk away and leave her on her own.
He almost certainly went to the carnival at Fiesta every year, and quite likely woke up real early (or camped out overnight, when he was older) to watch the Battle of Flowers parade, and probably caught at least one other parade every year. He may well have skipped school to go to the Cowboy Breakfast.
He went to the Alamo, Mission San Jose, Butterkrust bakery, the Institute of Texan Cultures, & SeaWorld on field trips as a child. Probably rode the little train by the zoo.
He probably loved accordions and polka music without the slightest hint of irony. Probably could sing Selena songs by heart and danced to "Techno Cumbia" at his prom. (He might even have been able to tell you exactly where he was and what he was doing when he heard Selena died.
He probably cruised Military Drive on Sunday nights when he was a teenager. Probably went to Mission Drive-In theater. Picnicked in Brackenridge or San Pedro park on Easter Sunday. Sat at his grandfather's grave in San Jose cemetary eating and drinking and talking about the old man on Dia de los Muertos.
He definitely grew up into a young man with a sense of purpose, of duty to his country.
He probably considered no future other than the Marines, because around here that's still a laudable career goal.
I don't know any of this for certain, of course. But if I bet money on each of these paragraphs I'd only lose a dollar or two. I grew up here too. There are certain things that unite those of us who grow up in this city (thus the joke: "You're so San Antonio if you think pro-choice means corn or flour tortillas"), things that make us puro San Antonio.
And what struck me yesterday as I was typing out the list of men who have died for us this year is that there is someone out there who can say much the same for each man or woman on that list that I can say for Sgt. Mendoza. You may not have known that person. You may not have known anyone on that list. But there's a good chance at least one person on there (or on the full list of thousands of people who have died) grew up where you did, or close to it, and you can say things that are more likely than not accurate, even without knowing them, because you've been there and experienced the same things. I know that Sgt. Mendoza was proud to be from Texas and from the south side of San Antonio because I am proud to be from Texas and the south side of San Antonio. Because pretty much everyone who grew up where we did is proud of being from Texas and the south side.
It is very, very hard for even the most solemn, well-meaning person to be fully mindful of the individual humanity of each and every person who has been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The numbers are hard to comprehend. This isn't a dig on anyone, it's just how our minds function (and I most certainly include myself in this, mind you).
So: break it down. Think of the humanity of one person, and grieve for that person even if you didn't know him, and you will grieve for them all, and begin to understand, a little bit, something that is almost beyond the comprehension of those of us who are civilians.
Monday, May 25, 2009
.
I've struggled with what to write today. I spend the day thinking about the women and children who are now living without husbands and fathers. Of the parents who have outlived their children.
The sub fleet, at least, refers to those who die on duty as being on Eternal Patrol. When I went to the Sub Ball in 2000, they had an empty table set with a place to act as a memorial for those men who could not be there.
I would like to honor everyone here, but that has been done better elsewhere. Instead I will list the men most recently entered on eternal patrol in Iraq and Afghanistan:
Cpl. Ryan C. McGhee, US Army; Fredericksburg, VA
Maj. Matthew P. Houseal, US Army; Amarillo, TX
Sgt. Christian E. Bueno-Galdos, US Army; Paterson, NJ
Spc. Jacob O. Barton, US Army; Lenox, MO
Pfc. Michael E. Yates, Jr, US Army; Federalsburg, MD
Cdr. Charles K. Springle, US Navy; Wilmington, NC
Spc. Lukasz D. Saczek, US Army; Lake in the Hills, IL
Maj. Steven Hutchison, US Army; Scottsdale, AZ
Spc. Omar M. Albrak, US Army; Chicago, IL
SSgt. Randy S. Agno, US Army; Pearl City, HI
Pvt. Justin P. Hartford, US Army; Elmira, NY
Spec. Shawn D. Sykes, US Army; Portsmouth, VA
Spec. Jeremiah P. McCleery, US Army; Portola, CA
Spec. Jake R. Velloza, US Army; Inverness, CA
Sgt. James D. Pirtle, US Army; Colorado Springs, CO
Spc. Ryan C. King, US Army; Dallas, GA
SSgt. William D. Vile, US Army; Philadelphia, PA
Sgt. James R. McIlvaine, US Marine Corps; Olney, MD
Staff Sgt. Mark A. Wojciechowski, US Marine Corps; Cincinnati, OH
SSgt. Leroy O. Webster, US Army; Sioux Falls, SD
CSM Benjamin Moore, Jr., US Army; Waycross, GA
Cpl. William C. Comstock, US Marine Corps; Van Buren, AR
Cpl. Brad A. Davis, US Army; Garfield Heights, OH
PO2 Tyler J. Trahan, US Navy; East Freetown, MA
LCpl. Ray A. Spencer II, US Marine Corps; Ridgecrest, CA
PFC Richard A. Dewater, US Army; Topeka, KS
Cpl. Francisco X. Aguila, US Army; Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Sgt Raul Moncada, US Army; Madera, CA
Spc Michael J Anaya, US Army; Crestview, FL
SSgt Gary L. Woods Jr, US Army, Lebanon Junction, KY
Amn1 Jacob I. Ramsey, US Air Force, Hesperia, CA
Sfc. Bryan E. Hall, US Army, Elk Grove, CA
Sgt Edward W. Forrest, Jr, US Army; St Louis, MO
Cpl. Jason G. Pautsch, US Army; Davenport, IA
Pfc. Bryce E. Gautier, US Army; Cypress, CA
Sgt. Christopher D. Loza, US Army; Abilene, TX
LCpl. Blaise A. Oleski, US Marine Corps; Holland Patent, NY
Spc. Adam M. Kuligowski, US Army; Derry, NH
Spc. Isreal Candelaria-Mejias, US Army; San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico
Tech Sgt. Phillip A. Myers, US Air Force; Hopewell, VA
Sgt. Daniel J. Beard, US Army; Buffalo, NY
LCpl. Stephen F. Dearmon, US Marine Corps; Crossville, TN
LCpl. Nelson M. Lantigua, US Marine Corps; Miami, FL
Sgt. Devin C. Poche, US Army; Jacksonville, NC
Lt. Florence B. Choe, US Navy; El Cajon, CA
LtJG Francis L. Toner IV, US Navy; Narragansett, RI
Ssgt. Raphael A. Futrell, US Army; Anderson, SC
Pfc. Adam J. Hardt, US Army; Avondale, AZ
Cpl. Anthony L. Williams, US Marine Corps; Oxford, PA
Cpl. Michael W. Ouellette, US Marine Corps; Manchester, NH
LCpl. Daniel J. Geary, US Marine Corps; Rome, NY
Sgt. Jose R. Escobedo, US Army; Albuquerque, NM
Spc. Gary L. Moore, US Army; Del City, OK
Ssgt. Timothy L. Bowles, US Air Force; Tucson, AZ
Sgt. Christopher P. Abeyta, US Army; Midlothian, IL
Sgt. Robert M. Weinger, US Army; Round Lake Beach, IL
Spc. Norman L. Cain, III, US Army; Oregon, IL
Ssgt. Archie A. Taylor, US Marine Corps; Tomball, TX
Lcpl. Patrick A. Malone, US Marine Corps; Ocala, FL
Pfc. Patrick A. Devoe, II, US Army; Auburn, NY
1st Lt. Daniel B. Hyde, US Army; Modesto, CA
Pfc Jessica Y. Sarandrea, US Army; Miami, FL
Sgt. Jeffrey A. Reed, US Army; Chesterfield, VA
Spc. Simone A. Robinson, US Army; Dixmoor, IL
Cpl. Donte J. Whitworth, US Marine Corps; Noblesville, IN
Spc. Brian M. Connelly, US Army; Union Beach, NJ
1st Lt. William E. Emmert, US Army; Lincoln, TN
Capt. Brian M. Buntin, US Army; Potomac, MD
Sgt. Schuyler B. Patch, US Army; Owasso, OK
Sgt. Scott B. Stream, US Army; Mattoon, IL
Sgt. Daniel J. Thompson, US Army; Madison, WI
Cpl. Michael L. Mayne, US Army; Burlington Flats, NY
Cpl. Michael B. Alleman, US Army; Logan, UT
Pfc. Zachary R. Nordmeyer, US Army; Indiannapolis, IN
Ssgt. Mark C. Baum, US Army; Telford, PA
Ssgt. Timothy P. Davis, US Air Force; Aberdeen, WA
Ssgt. Jeremy E. Bessa, US Army; Woodridge, IL
MSgt. David L. Hurt, US Army; Tucson, AZ
Pfc. Cwislyn K. Walter, US Army; Honolulu, HI
Sfc. Raymond J. Munden, US Army; Mesquite, TX
Ssgt. Sean D. Diamond, US Army; Dublin, CA
Cpl. Stephen S. Thompson, US Army; Tulsa, OK
Ssgt. Daniel L. Hansen, US Marine Corps; Tracy, CA
Ssgt. Marc J. Small, US Army; Collegeville, PA
Cpl. Peter J. Courcy, US Army; Frisco, TX
Pfc. Jason R. Watson, US Army; Many, LA
LTC Garnet R. Derby, US Army; Missoula, MT
Sgt. Joshua A. Ward, US Army; Needville, TX
Pfc Albert R. Jex, US Army; Phoenix, AZ
Pfc Jonathan R. Roberge, US Army; Leominster, MA
Ssgt. Jason E. Burkholder, US Army; Elida, OH
1st Lt. Jared W. Southworth, US Army; Oakland, IL
Sgt. James M. Dorsey, US Army; Beardstown, IL
LCpl. Keven T. Preach, US Marine Corps; Bridgewater, MA
Spc. Christopher P. Sweet, US Army; Kahului, HI
PO1 Theophilus K. Ansong, US Navy; Bristow, VA
Spc. Darrell L. Fernandez, US Army; Truth or Consequences, NM
CW4 Milton E. Suggs, US Army; Lockport, LA
Sgt. David W. Wallace III, US Marine Corps; Sharpesville, PA
Sgt. Trevor J. Johnson, US Marine Corps; Forsyth, MT
CWO Philip E. Windorski, JR., US Army; Bovey, MN
CWO Matthew G. Kelley, US Army; Cameron, MO
CWO Joshua M. Tillery, US Army; Beaverton, OR
CWO Benjamin H. Todd, US Army; Collville, WA
Sgt. Kyle J. Harrington, US Army; Swansea, MA
LCpl. Julian T. Brennan, US Marine Corps; Brooklyn, NY
Pvt. Grant A. Cotting, US Army; Corona, CA
Pfc. Matthew M. Pollini, US Army; Rockland, MA
Ssgt. Roberto J. Andrade, Jr, US Army; Chicago, IL
Ssgt. Carlo M. Robinson, US Army; Lawton, OK
Spc. Ezra Dawson, US Army; Las Vegas, NV
SrA. Omar J. McKnight, US Air Force; Marrero, LA
Pfc. Ricky L. Turner, US Army; Athens, AL
Ssgt. Joshua R. Townsend, US Army; Solvang, CA
LCpl. Daniel R. Bennett, US Marine Corps; Clifton, VA
Pvt. Sean P. McCune, US Army; Euless, TX
Sgt Marquis R. Porter, US Marine Corps; Brighton, MA
Ssgt. Justin L. Bauer, US Army; Loveland, CO
Maj. Brian M. Mescall, US Army; Hopkinton, MA
Spc. Joseph M. Hernandez, US Army; Hammon, IN
Spc. Jason R. Parsons, US Army; Lenoir, NC
Sgt. Joshua L. Rath, US Army; Decatur, AL
Spc. Keith E. Essary, US Army; Dyersburg, TN
Ssgt. Anthony D. Davis, US Army; Daytona Beach, FL
Lcpl. Jessie A. Cassada, US Marine Corps; Hendersonville, NC
Lcpl. Chadwick A. Gilliam, US Marine Corps; Mayking, US
Lcpl. Alberto Francesconi, US Marine Corps; Bronx, NY
Information was culled from the Washington Post's Faces of the Fallen.
Texas's war dead from Afghanistand and Iraq are memorialized on the Dallas Morning News's website Our Own.
The sub fleet, at least, refers to those who die on duty as being on Eternal Patrol. When I went to the Sub Ball in 2000, they had an empty table set with a place to act as a memorial for those men who could not be there.
I would like to honor everyone here, but that has been done better elsewhere. Instead I will list the men most recently entered on eternal patrol in Iraq and Afghanistan:
Cpl. Ryan C. McGhee, US Army; Fredericksburg, VA
Maj. Matthew P. Houseal, US Army; Amarillo, TX
Sgt. Christian E. Bueno-Galdos, US Army; Paterson, NJ
Spc. Jacob O. Barton, US Army; Lenox, MO
Pfc. Michael E. Yates, Jr, US Army; Federalsburg, MD
Cdr. Charles K. Springle, US Navy; Wilmington, NC
Spc. Lukasz D. Saczek, US Army; Lake in the Hills, IL
Maj. Steven Hutchison, US Army; Scottsdale, AZ
Spc. Omar M. Albrak, US Army; Chicago, IL
SSgt. Randy S. Agno, US Army; Pearl City, HI
Pvt. Justin P. Hartford, US Army; Elmira, NY
Spec. Shawn D. Sykes, US Army; Portsmouth, VA
Spec. Jeremiah P. McCleery, US Army; Portola, CA
Spec. Jake R. Velloza, US Army; Inverness, CA
Sgt. James D. Pirtle, US Army; Colorado Springs, CO
Spc. Ryan C. King, US Army; Dallas, GA
SSgt. William D. Vile, US Army; Philadelphia, PA
Sgt. James R. McIlvaine, US Marine Corps; Olney, MD
Staff Sgt. Mark A. Wojciechowski, US Marine Corps; Cincinnati, OH
SSgt. Leroy O. Webster, US Army; Sioux Falls, SD
CSM Benjamin Moore, Jr., US Army; Waycross, GA
Cpl. William C. Comstock, US Marine Corps; Van Buren, AR
Cpl. Brad A. Davis, US Army; Garfield Heights, OH
PO2 Tyler J. Trahan, US Navy; East Freetown, MA
LCpl. Ray A. Spencer II, US Marine Corps; Ridgecrest, CA
PFC Richard A. Dewater, US Army; Topeka, KS
Cpl. Francisco X. Aguila, US Army; Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Sgt Raul Moncada, US Army; Madera, CA
Spc Michael J Anaya, US Army; Crestview, FL
SSgt Gary L. Woods Jr, US Army, Lebanon Junction, KY
Amn1 Jacob I. Ramsey, US Air Force, Hesperia, CA
Sfc. Bryan E. Hall, US Army, Elk Grove, CA
Sgt Edward W. Forrest, Jr, US Army; St Louis, MO
Cpl. Jason G. Pautsch, US Army; Davenport, IA
Pfc. Bryce E. Gautier, US Army; Cypress, CA
Sgt. Christopher D. Loza, US Army; Abilene, TX
LCpl. Blaise A. Oleski, US Marine Corps; Holland Patent, NY
Spc. Adam M. Kuligowski, US Army; Derry, NH
Spc. Isreal Candelaria-Mejias, US Army; San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico
Tech Sgt. Phillip A. Myers, US Air Force; Hopewell, VA
Sgt. Daniel J. Beard, US Army; Buffalo, NY
LCpl. Stephen F. Dearmon, US Marine Corps; Crossville, TN
LCpl. Nelson M. Lantigua, US Marine Corps; Miami, FL
Sgt. Devin C. Poche, US Army; Jacksonville, NC
Lt. Florence B. Choe, US Navy; El Cajon, CA
LtJG Francis L. Toner IV, US Navy; Narragansett, RI
Ssgt. Raphael A. Futrell, US Army; Anderson, SC
Pfc. Adam J. Hardt, US Army; Avondale, AZ
Cpl. Anthony L. Williams, US Marine Corps; Oxford, PA
Cpl. Michael W. Ouellette, US Marine Corps; Manchester, NH
LCpl. Daniel J. Geary, US Marine Corps; Rome, NY
Sgt. Jose R. Escobedo, US Army; Albuquerque, NM
Spc. Gary L. Moore, US Army; Del City, OK
Ssgt. Timothy L. Bowles, US Air Force; Tucson, AZ
Sgt. Christopher P. Abeyta, US Army; Midlothian, IL
Sgt. Robert M. Weinger, US Army; Round Lake Beach, IL
Spc. Norman L. Cain, III, US Army; Oregon, IL
Ssgt. Archie A. Taylor, US Marine Corps; Tomball, TX
Lcpl. Patrick A. Malone, US Marine Corps; Ocala, FL
Pfc. Patrick A. Devoe, II, US Army; Auburn, NY
1st Lt. Daniel B. Hyde, US Army; Modesto, CA
Pfc Jessica Y. Sarandrea, US Army; Miami, FL
Sgt. Jeffrey A. Reed, US Army; Chesterfield, VA
Spc. Simone A. Robinson, US Army; Dixmoor, IL
Cpl. Donte J. Whitworth, US Marine Corps; Noblesville, IN
Spc. Brian M. Connelly, US Army; Union Beach, NJ
1st Lt. William E. Emmert, US Army; Lincoln, TN
Capt. Brian M. Buntin, US Army; Potomac, MD
Sgt. Schuyler B. Patch, US Army; Owasso, OK
Sgt. Scott B. Stream, US Army; Mattoon, IL
Sgt. Daniel J. Thompson, US Army; Madison, WI
Cpl. Michael L. Mayne, US Army; Burlington Flats, NY
Cpl. Michael B. Alleman, US Army; Logan, UT
Pfc. Zachary R. Nordmeyer, US Army; Indiannapolis, IN
Ssgt. Mark C. Baum, US Army; Telford, PA
Ssgt. Timothy P. Davis, US Air Force; Aberdeen, WA
Ssgt. Jeremy E. Bessa, US Army; Woodridge, IL
MSgt. David L. Hurt, US Army; Tucson, AZ
Pfc. Cwislyn K. Walter, US Army; Honolulu, HI
Sfc. Raymond J. Munden, US Army; Mesquite, TX
Ssgt. Sean D. Diamond, US Army; Dublin, CA
Cpl. Stephen S. Thompson, US Army; Tulsa, OK
Ssgt. Daniel L. Hansen, US Marine Corps; Tracy, CA
Ssgt. Marc J. Small, US Army; Collegeville, PA
Cpl. Peter J. Courcy, US Army; Frisco, TX
Pfc. Jason R. Watson, US Army; Many, LA
LTC Garnet R. Derby, US Army; Missoula, MT
Sgt. Joshua A. Ward, US Army; Needville, TX
Pfc Albert R. Jex, US Army; Phoenix, AZ
Pfc Jonathan R. Roberge, US Army; Leominster, MA
Ssgt. Jason E. Burkholder, US Army; Elida, OH
1st Lt. Jared W. Southworth, US Army; Oakland, IL
Sgt. James M. Dorsey, US Army; Beardstown, IL
LCpl. Keven T. Preach, US Marine Corps; Bridgewater, MA
Spc. Christopher P. Sweet, US Army; Kahului, HI
PO1 Theophilus K. Ansong, US Navy; Bristow, VA
Spc. Darrell L. Fernandez, US Army; Truth or Consequences, NM
CW4 Milton E. Suggs, US Army; Lockport, LA
Sgt. David W. Wallace III, US Marine Corps; Sharpesville, PA
Sgt. Trevor J. Johnson, US Marine Corps; Forsyth, MT
CWO Philip E. Windorski, JR., US Army; Bovey, MN
CWO Matthew G. Kelley, US Army; Cameron, MO
CWO Joshua M. Tillery, US Army; Beaverton, OR
CWO Benjamin H. Todd, US Army; Collville, WA
Sgt. Kyle J. Harrington, US Army; Swansea, MA
LCpl. Julian T. Brennan, US Marine Corps; Brooklyn, NY
Pvt. Grant A. Cotting, US Army; Corona, CA
Pfc. Matthew M. Pollini, US Army; Rockland, MA
Ssgt. Roberto J. Andrade, Jr, US Army; Chicago, IL
Ssgt. Carlo M. Robinson, US Army; Lawton, OK
Spc. Ezra Dawson, US Army; Las Vegas, NV
SrA. Omar J. McKnight, US Air Force; Marrero, LA
Pfc. Ricky L. Turner, US Army; Athens, AL
Ssgt. Joshua R. Townsend, US Army; Solvang, CA
LCpl. Daniel R. Bennett, US Marine Corps; Clifton, VA
Pvt. Sean P. McCune, US Army; Euless, TX
Sgt Marquis R. Porter, US Marine Corps; Brighton, MA
Ssgt. Justin L. Bauer, US Army; Loveland, CO
Maj. Brian M. Mescall, US Army; Hopkinton, MA
Spc. Joseph M. Hernandez, US Army; Hammon, IN
Spc. Jason R. Parsons, US Army; Lenoir, NC
Sgt. Joshua L. Rath, US Army; Decatur, AL
Spc. Keith E. Essary, US Army; Dyersburg, TN
Ssgt. Anthony D. Davis, US Army; Daytona Beach, FL
Lcpl. Jessie A. Cassada, US Marine Corps; Hendersonville, NC
Lcpl. Chadwick A. Gilliam, US Marine Corps; Mayking, US
Lcpl. Alberto Francesconi, US Marine Corps; Bronx, NY
Information was culled from the Washington Post's Faces of the Fallen.
Texas's war dead from Afghanistand and Iraq are memorialized on the Dallas Morning News's website Our Own.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Again...
The part I left out of the last post on my computer is that I was on my second power cord. Note the past tense there. This one crapped out on me earlier today. I am starting to seriously hate electronics. Too bad it's the only way I can get on the internet...I've got 38 minutes of battery power left...
Update...if I wiggle it around & hold it a certain way, it works. Sigh.
Update...if I wiggle it around & hold it a certain way, it works. Sigh.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Damn computer.
I have a Toshiba Satellite M305D-S4830. I bought it this past August, so it's not even a year old. I bought it from Best Buy. It was the only one they had left, so I had to pay for them "optimizing" it--in theory, removing all the trial programs. Which was something they didn't do.
I knew there was a reason I hate Best Buy.
Anyway, it's been one problem after another with this damned thing. To begin with, the DVD player works only intermittently. I actually called tech support about that less than 8 hours after bringing it home. No shit. The drive will drop off the face of the planet completely at random. There's nothing that causes it. Sometimes tech support's fix works, sometimes it doesn't. The last time it came back, it did so completely on its own, and it's worked for the last several months. Well, I suppose it does; I actually don't use it very often.
The latest thing is this: when I am in the middle of doing something, the computer will die. Just cut itself off. Poof. Try to turn it back on...nothing. It's not that the battery is dead. It's that the computer just. stops. working. Let it sit about half an hour or so, then turn it back on and startup repair will work its magic and the computer will be back up.
This happened the first time a couple of months ago. Then about a month ago. Then yesterday. Then today. The first time I tried repairing it, it went to a Blue Screen of Death and said I had a fatal error. And when it finally did work, it came back VERY slowly.
I know it's still under warranty. I know I could fight Toshiba/Best Buy over this. But you know what? I don't have the energy for that. I seriously don't. Toshiba's tech support isn't in America. Toshiba's tech support speaks with a very heavy accent that I can't understand. It's almost enough to make me take a self-study course in Hindi, call them, and insist on speaking in their native language, so they get a taste of their own medicine. Think about it. Hindi with a very thick Texas accent. (My accent isn't really thick. Unless I want it to be.) Best Buy is, well, Best Buy.
Fuck that. Fuck Toshiba. Fuck Best Buy. I will replace this at the beginning of next semester, out of my student loan, and Dave Ramsey will cry.
Til then, I will limp along as best I can. If y'all don't see or hear anything out of me for a couple of weeks, assume the computer finally died irrevocably, and I'll check in at the library whenever I can.
And yes, I'm backing my photos up as I speak. (There are no documents on here that I particularly care about.)
I knew there was a reason I hate Best Buy.
Anyway, it's been one problem after another with this damned thing. To begin with, the DVD player works only intermittently. I actually called tech support about that less than 8 hours after bringing it home. No shit. The drive will drop off the face of the planet completely at random. There's nothing that causes it. Sometimes tech support's fix works, sometimes it doesn't. The last time it came back, it did so completely on its own, and it's worked for the last several months. Well, I suppose it does; I actually don't use it very often.
The latest thing is this: when I am in the middle of doing something, the computer will die. Just cut itself off. Poof. Try to turn it back on...nothing. It's not that the battery is dead. It's that the computer just. stops. working. Let it sit about half an hour or so, then turn it back on and startup repair will work its magic and the computer will be back up.
This happened the first time a couple of months ago. Then about a month ago. Then yesterday. Then today. The first time I tried repairing it, it went to a Blue Screen of Death and said I had a fatal error. And when it finally did work, it came back VERY slowly.
I know it's still under warranty. I know I could fight Toshiba/Best Buy over this. But you know what? I don't have the energy for that. I seriously don't. Toshiba's tech support isn't in America. Toshiba's tech support speaks with a very heavy accent that I can't understand. It's almost enough to make me take a self-study course in Hindi, call them, and insist on speaking in their native language, so they get a taste of their own medicine. Think about it. Hindi with a very thick Texas accent. (My accent isn't really thick. Unless I want it to be.) Best Buy is, well, Best Buy.
Fuck that. Fuck Toshiba. Fuck Best Buy. I will replace this at the beginning of next semester, out of my student loan, and Dave Ramsey will cry.
Til then, I will limp along as best I can. If y'all don't see or hear anything out of me for a couple of weeks, assume the computer finally died irrevocably, and I'll check in at the library whenever I can.
And yes, I'm backing my photos up as I speak. (There are no documents on here that I particularly care about.)
Guns, Zombies, and Cursing
So, when we were in Del Rio, I saw this church. I didn't get any closer to it than this. I undoubtedly could have, but I had three small children with me at the time, and I was afraid I'd get in trouble for sticking my head in through one of the broken windows to look inside.
I did take a couple of pictures, because it was the neatest thing.
The whole trip was really fun, and I came back knowing I had to get it into a short story. So I laid aside the novel I've been writing. (Yes, I'm writing a novel. Yes, I know damn near everybody who blogs is also writing a novel.) And I wrote a short story, using the same main character, because I am lazy like that.
This is the story. It's still in fairly rough draft. I am posting a link to it in two places, and this is one of them. I'm not posting it on the message board where I spend most of my time because, although I do welcome constructive criticism, I'm not in the mood to have harpies rip my story apart, and I'm confident at least one of the members there would do so. This makes it a little harder to find, but I know at least three people from that site whose opinions I really respect read here too.
I dunno if any of my regular readers will find it to be there thing. There are undoubtedly tactical/procedural/linguistic errors, and there may be one case where my slang is completely wrong. That's why it's still in rough draft.
I did check out my guns, though. I hit Glock's website to check out my main character's carry pistol, only to find it later on on JayG's blog. Which is also where I found the information on most of the other guns mentioned in the story. I really had to restrain myself not to load the end of the story down, in fact. My character isn't nearly as knowledgeable about boomsticks, so I had to go with what she'd know.
The title of this post, by the way, is what I used to warn people with at MotheringDotCommune. Buncha hippies.
So, if you are kind enough to read it, please let me know what you think, and point out any glaring errors. Especially if you speak colloquial Spanish or German. (A decade + out, my German sucks.)
And if you happen to really, really like Del Rio, please accept my apologies.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
3.96
'Tis my GPA this semester. Overall it's 3.98.
I managed to get a B in SDEV this time (God was that course a waste of time--and whose brilliant idea was it to make orientation a graded course?). I did just enough work to not get a C. Had I done the personality tests for the umpteenth time in my life, and researched careers (hello, I'm in the pre-nursing program, what career do you think I am after?) I'd have gotten an A.
That's OK though. I got an A in everything else. Even Algebra, which is the bane of my existence. This means I got at least an 87 on my final. The teacher, being clever and evil, gave us a formula the last week of class so we could figure out what grade we'd need on the final to get the letter grade we wanted.
The others were gimmies, to be honest. Freshman Comp II? To borrow a line from Limbaugh, I could ace that class with half my brain tied behind my back. Lifespan Psychology? Been there, studied that in high school. (I <3 Erikson's stages of development). Computer Lit? Why did I even have to take that? (I'm glad I did; I'm now one of few people at the college who can actually use Word 2007. This is relevant since it's the version on all the computers there.)
Next semester: Chemistry I, Creative Writing, First Aid, and Liberal Arts Mathematics. First Aid is actually a 3-hour course. In the gym. And God bless the person who conceived of Liberal Arts Mathematics.
I mentioned to Mark my GPA (which is better than I'd hoped/expected) and my fear of a long waiting list at the nursing school and he squealed like a little girl and told me I should apply at the University of the Incarnate Word. He's of the opinion that they will give me a fat scholarship (it has to be fat; their tuition is 30K a year). I had not intended to go for a BSN straight out of the chute as it were, but since it's going to take me 2 years to get all my prerequisites out of the way (my poor math skills did me in; I can't take A&P yet), I may as well. If I can get in.
Huh. Funny concept. I'd only just come to terms with the idea of an Associate's Degree; I might be going on for a Bachelor's. A BS, no less, which means I will giggle madly most of the time I am in Uni. If I go. Much depends on whether I can get into the nursing school at SAC.
I managed to get a B in SDEV this time (God was that course a waste of time--and whose brilliant idea was it to make orientation a graded course?). I did just enough work to not get a C. Had I done the personality tests for the umpteenth time in my life, and researched careers (hello, I'm in the pre-nursing program, what career do you think I am after?) I'd have gotten an A.
That's OK though. I got an A in everything else. Even Algebra, which is the bane of my existence. This means I got at least an 87 on my final. The teacher, being clever and evil, gave us a formula the last week of class so we could figure out what grade we'd need on the final to get the letter grade we wanted.
The others were gimmies, to be honest. Freshman Comp II? To borrow a line from Limbaugh, I could ace that class with half my brain tied behind my back. Lifespan Psychology? Been there, studied that in high school. (I <3 Erikson's stages of development). Computer Lit? Why did I even have to take that? (I'm glad I did; I'm now one of few people at the college who can actually use Word 2007. This is relevant since it's the version on all the computers there.)
Next semester: Chemistry I, Creative Writing, First Aid, and Liberal Arts Mathematics. First Aid is actually a 3-hour course. In the gym. And God bless the person who conceived of Liberal Arts Mathematics.
I mentioned to Mark my GPA (which is better than I'd hoped/expected) and my fear of a long waiting list at the nursing school and he squealed like a little girl and told me I should apply at the University of the Incarnate Word. He's of the opinion that they will give me a fat scholarship (it has to be fat; their tuition is 30K a year). I had not intended to go for a BSN straight out of the chute as it were, but since it's going to take me 2 years to get all my prerequisites out of the way (my poor math skills did me in; I can't take A&P yet), I may as well. If I can get in.
Huh. Funny concept. I'd only just come to terms with the idea of an Associate's Degree; I might be going on for a Bachelor's. A BS, no less, which means I will giggle madly most of the time I am in Uni. If I go. Much depends on whether I can get into the nursing school at SAC.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Oh, please don't.
New Mayor to Tackle Economy.
Many congratulations to Julián, of course. I've heard tell he's shaving now, and that he has Joaquín substitute for him only rarely these days. And really, with Hardberger's legacy including gems like the Main Plaza fiasco, he's got a good chance of ending up at least as beloved as his old nemesis. (Who do we blame PGA village on, by the way? I was out of state when that went down.)
But he wants to tackle the economy? Granted, that's the EN's word, not his, but still it gives me pause. When you tackle something, in sports vernacular, you knock it to the ground & stop forward movement. (To be fair, the verb can also mean to address a problem, but let's be real here: the connotations aren't positive, in general.) Methinks that's the wrong tactic to take with our economy.
Do we have problems? Yes. But far fewer than the rest of the country. We lose jobs, but we're gaining them as well. In fact, just yesterday the newspaper announced that 1400 new jobs are coming to San Antonio, courtesy of MedTronic. The national unemployment rate is 8.9%. The local? 5.9% (This may well be a decline in the local rate, if I'm reading other charts correctly.) The housing market is ranked as the 4th-strongest in the nation by Builder magazine. We're not exactly having a rip-roaring good time, but we are "one of the least weak metro areas in the US." (watch out, that source is a PDF) Is there room for improvement? Maybe, but in this economy it's hard to tell. I'm not sure that being among the "least weak" in the country is a bad thing when everyone is weak.
So please, Mr Castro, don't mess with it too much. And if it's not asking too much, could you dye Joaquín's right hand blue, that way we can be sure which of you is at City Hall?
Many congratulations to Julián, of course. I've heard tell he's shaving now, and that he has Joaquín substitute for him only rarely these days. And really, with Hardberger's legacy including gems like the Main Plaza fiasco, he's got a good chance of ending up at least as beloved as his old nemesis. (Who do we blame PGA village on, by the way? I was out of state when that went down.)
But he wants to tackle the economy? Granted, that's the EN's word, not his, but still it gives me pause. When you tackle something, in sports vernacular, you knock it to the ground & stop forward movement. (To be fair, the verb can also mean to address a problem, but let's be real here: the connotations aren't positive, in general.) Methinks that's the wrong tactic to take with our economy.
Do we have problems? Yes. But far fewer than the rest of the country. We lose jobs, but we're gaining them as well. In fact, just yesterday the newspaper announced that 1400 new jobs are coming to San Antonio, courtesy of MedTronic. The national unemployment rate is 8.9%. The local? 5.9% (This may well be a decline in the local rate, if I'm reading other charts correctly.) The housing market is ranked as the 4th-strongest in the nation by Builder magazine. We're not exactly having a rip-roaring good time, but we are "one of the least weak metro areas in the US." (watch out, that source is a PDF) Is there room for improvement? Maybe, but in this economy it's hard to tell. I'm not sure that being among the "least weak" in the country is a bad thing when everyone is weak.
So please, Mr Castro, don't mess with it too much. And if it's not asking too much, could you dye Joaquín's right hand blue, that way we can be sure which of you is at City Hall?
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Just a quickie...
Erin of ThingsMomsLike has a contest on her blog right now wherein she's giving away a set of KnitPicks Harmony needles and some organic cotton yarn. Go, enter. Knit cozies for your assault rifles.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
From the morning news.
According to WOAI this morning, a seven-year-old girl in remission for a brain tumor had an unusual request for the Make a Wish Foundation. She wanted to go hunting with Ted Nugent. So she was flown to his property in Crawford to go hunting.
In a completely unrelated story, Cindy Sheehan was invited back to Crawford to go camping.
(The only news story I can find.)
In a completely unrelated story, Cindy Sheehan was invited back to Crawford to go camping.
(The only news story I can find.)
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Who stole my baby?
Seriously, y'all. Someone took this:
And replaced it with this:
Which is not, of course to say that there is anything wrong with the new version of Esther. Nope, she is still the same amazingly sweet, good-to-hug baby she's always been. It's just...
She's not a baby. Not anymore. She is a big toddler now: 3 years, 6 months, 5 days old. She's suddenly gained a couple of inches I think, and has somehow managed to lose the last of her babyness as far as her looks go.
I'm a little sad, can't lie. She's my youngest and no matter how badly I might want another baby or three, she's going to stay my youngest for a good long while, if not forever. So there is a bittersweet taste in the air when I sit down with her and realize how big she's getting.
Part of it is that she seemed to cling to babyhood much longer than the other two. A large part of this, of course, is that there's no follow-up baby behind her. Another large part is that it's easy to lose sight of the little changes that happen gradually; it's like time suddenly skipped & sped up and she grew six months overnight.
I'm so happy she's my girl.
And replaced it with this:
Which is not, of course to say that there is anything wrong with the new version of Esther. Nope, she is still the same amazingly sweet, good-to-hug baby she's always been. It's just...
She's not a baby. Not anymore. She is a big toddler now: 3 years, 6 months, 5 days old. She's suddenly gained a couple of inches I think, and has somehow managed to lose the last of her babyness as far as her looks go.
I'm a little sad, can't lie. She's my youngest and no matter how badly I might want another baby or three, she's going to stay my youngest for a good long while, if not forever. So there is a bittersweet taste in the air when I sit down with her and realize how big she's getting.
Part of it is that she seemed to cling to babyhood much longer than the other two. A large part of this, of course, is that there's no follow-up baby behind her. Another large part is that it's easy to lose sight of the little changes that happen gradually; it's like time suddenly skipped & sped up and she grew six months overnight.
I'm so happy she's my girl.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
The jokes, they write themselves.
Yesterday my mother saw a very large rat downtown. Running toward City Council chambers.
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