22kill.com

"No matter how discouraging the facts you can observe in your life, don’t believe that the observable facts are telling the total story or that your future is already cast in concrete. You constantly have the ability to change your mind, to develop more skillful intentions, to learn from your past mistakes, so that you can bring those truths of the will to fruition." From Thanissaro Bhikkhu (of the Thai Forest tradition), Truths of the Will (www.22kill.com - happy xmas from the Way family.)

Donation made in honor of (really on behalf of) a family friend who is a veteran; a decent org and a good xmas present solution! (The .48 because they give you the option of covering transaction costs online.)

I Don't Speak German But I Can If You Want...

Je désire: Carina Bengs' "Ingatorp" dining table she crafted for IKEA. Oh, for $350! It would be a real decorating coup in my current (or future) living situation's dining room.

***

J'adore: KFC's Nashville Hot anything. So fucked up, so rica, so spicy! I actually poured the excess sauce onto my tenders and ate it the H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks up... Can't really consume their horrid fare more than once a year, but dang, that may change with this new flavor...

(Especially since, with my receipt, I can do their little song-and-dance online, write down the promo code, and, AT THE SAME STORE, be guaranteed a free To-Go cup full of wedges and popcorn chicken or somesuch - AS LONG AS I PURCHASE A DRINK.)

***

It seems like just yesterday I was barely educating myself on the super-serious topic of the Sites Reservoir project. Sorry, Muirians, I'm terrible, and terribly in favor of perhaps a low-budget version of it. And as far as I know, they're still in the feasability-study stage of the project. My question: the August 14th deadline to apply for the bond money has come and gone -- is everything still on track? Finding news online isn't easy...

***

Wow, has it been a weird Summer or what? Indian and Bear valleys in particular still want to be everyone in Oakley's best kept secret, but in this day of the Internet, and DEA and cartel employees ridesharing on single-prop planes to the Willows airport, right over my little, stoned noggin? Doubtful!

For me, the strangest has been how busy air traffic has been. Yes, the aforementioned flights reminiscent of BLOW, and passenger jets at 30,000 (not to mention well-wished dust-offs out of Beale or Vandenberg, as well as Mr. Tall Blond Hot Stuff with the right stuff airman who flies the sky wagon for Enloewww.enloe.org/ - god bless our first responders indeed!) But I've especially noticed TONS of drones: private playthings, Google Earth and Street-view cheaters, VR mappers, special needs telepresence, local law enforcement surveillance, and other such Unidentifiable Flying You-Know-Whats...

And all that congestion in the skies has seemed to have had a damping effect on tourist traffic to East Park Reservoir, if I may be so bold, or seemingly unkind or unthoughtful or ungrateful - really cramping partygoers' style.

***

Much thanks to a (the?) "Star Trek: Original Series" group on Facebook for accepting my application to join. I was on tenterhooks for a bit there, not knowing what admins would think of my citing my favorite episode as "The Trouble with Tribbles." Of the two titles I remembered on the spot (God, now I know what if feels like to interview for a co-op in Hell's Kitchen!), it was the less lame: Damn you Edith Keeler, for making a laughing stock of James T. Kirk! But I digress...

It all comes down to the Enterprise's failing to deploy Yeoman Janice Rand in time to deal with Harry Mudd - she alone I know would have stopped Mudd's nonsense right quick; leave the Klingon menace to the rest of the crew! But she melodramatically was insulated from the Mudd problem - such a quintessential ST episode!

And as we all know, Janice went on to her post as a transporter room operator... Until that horrifying, fateful malfunction prior to the V'jer mission - a malfunction resulting in screaming, half-materialized goo on the platform who in turn Rand screaming to drink her life away in the Spacedock bar.

(Which, by the way - truthesque factoid and canonical - is why Federation scientists invented synthohol - Rand was constantly pestering Starfleet medical for liver regeneration.)

Worst job one could ever have in the 23rd century, it turns out, is to be a transporter room operator or transporter chief.

***

Oh, Frank Miller, you kidder, on Artemisia (gamely played by unflappable - seriously, UNFLAPPABLE - Eva Green), the antihistorical, fancy, Greek-born slavegirl who, chinchilla-like, rose through the ranks of the great hen house known as the Persian navy...

"Wisdom, Artemisia!" Golly, your majesty, you might have started by trying to counsel the damn dame to prudence... Just a thought.

***

And screw SOUTH PACIFIC: I'm never gonna wash THAT man (Mikey!) right outta MY hair!

***

Speaking of veterans, I must end this column on a somber note: some ugly statistics are coming out of the VA (and I consider them in light of the recent incident at San Francisco's Crown Hotel, where 55 units are reserved for homeless veterans - an incident which thank the gods ended without a loss of life), and they include the following: women veterans commit suicide at a rate of 250% that of their counterparts among the men.

Truly sobering, truly harrowing.

www.22kill.com

www.ploughshares.org

Me And My Guy

MARRY ME, REDACTED

++++++++

...And help the Way family fix their housing situation, everybody else!

Mikey -- Still Alive?

Ooh, baby -- Lance Corporal, you're so hot. I haven't seen you in two years, and I miss you. Let's make out and fuck...

********

More Gay Bareback Breeding Tomorrow...

Why do people march on D.C.?
URGENT House Renovation Campaign - Venmo...

...Or donations can be mailed to:  WILLIAM R WAY PO BOX 206 STONYFORD CA 95979

Mashallah

Word of the day in Arabic: صَديق (sadiq) -- "friend."

ATTN: Dorks, Losers, Malcontents, Ne'er-do-wells, Burnouts, Killers, Assholes, Et Alia...

FYI this handy, go-to book can be found in virtually every California public library (at the very least, in the reference section, meaning you have to use it there.)

My best to the quiet ones -- salaam.

Hey! That Homeless Marine Just Alger Hissed At Me!

Goddammit.  Maybe I'm personalizing something because I'm gakked.  Or maybe there's enough ire to go around -- enough guff even for friendly fire victims like me, who are faking it.  Or maybe it's just his time of the month.

(LAURA C.:  God, not another stupid American period joke.  Gracie Allen is spinning in her grave!)

No Justice, Just Us

Doing my itty-bitty part to help raise awareness, and to try and point out some possibilities for helping fight the good fight:

http://www.orangecountyfl.net/FamiliesHealthSocialSvcs/VeteransServices.aspx#.V18notQrJxA (the services to which they refer clients could probably always use mention or donations...)
http://www.shelterlistings.org/city/orlando-fl.html
http://www.foodpantries.org/ci/fl-orlando
www.thecenterorlando.org

While we continue to abide and continue to be appalled at our government's and law enforcement's response to gun violence and hate crimes, and while we continue to blog, protest, hold vigils, write letters to the editor, and so on, we have above (for starters) real, immediately achievable opportunities to put an answer to atrocities like what happened in Orlando, Florida.  The links in this post are listings or connections to services that can always use volunteers, money, in-kind donations, or simple promotion; doing such sends a clear message that love is always more powerful than hate.  Even $10 to a food pantry or a gift of children's clothing to a shelter for homeless families can make all the difference in the world to promoting the causes of love for one another and social justice.

Help Orlando, and help us all.

Here's A Tip

I would encourage the younger guys -- guys who served in Afghanistan and Iraq -- to watch FIRST BLOOD (1982).  Excellent movie for them.

(See?  Huh?  That'll teach you to be homeless and a veteran...)

Disillusionment and the Singles Scene

I would create a Tinder profile, but it seems my job title, "Apparent Victim With A Twist" isn't "hot," and won't get me laid.

(Of course, it's still better than the poorly paid -- except in awkward sex, regrettable drugs, showily patriotic lip service, and hollow thanks -- position of "Ex-Marine," right guys?)

Thank you, SFGate, for another display of journalistic ineptitude, the contents of which give me every reason to be appalled at humanity and the myriad ways it can fail itself...

How Dare You

My dad was a sailor, who served on the Kitty Hawk and in Vietnam.  (He wanted me to go to Annapolis, but I balked, and joined the civilian world much to my detriment, but I digress...)  His best friend was a Marine, and I've known Marines my whole life.  I've always loved them, and they've always been good to me.  There are times I couldn't have survived had it not been for a well-intentioned, enterprising young lance corporal.  I love them, and I always will.  (No love for the Core, but I care about those boys -- and girls, 'cuz there are a few BAMs out there...)

How could you?  These boys are on the edge, tweaking and high on heroin and homeless, sometimes selling their bodies after several tours.  Then they have to see that?  Fuck you sonsabitches.  Fuck you.  Those boys are my friends and I swear to god, if you try even a fraction with them of what you tried with me, I will seek you out, find you, and fuck your shit up for good.  Don't you ever dare fuck with them.  They are good men in pain, and I won't let you hurt them.  I am for real.  Call the local judge in the 415 if you want, go ahead -- tell them I threatened you.  It doesn't matter.  Karma actually exists, and you will get what's coming to you for hurting those boys.  There's nowhere to run to escape the consequences of what you've done.  Despair, if you've got the fucking brains to think that far ahead...

Six (II)

So they were airmen.  My bad, thinking that because of the news they must have been Army or Marines.  Anyway...

Today we honor and remember the following:

Joseph Lemm
Adrianna Vorderbruggen
Louis Bonacasa
Chester McBride
Michael A. Cinco
Peter W. Taub

Thank you.

Six

More meat into the grinder.  As of this writing, the names of the six could not be immediately released.  We do not know their branch affiliations.  I don't know if they were Marines or Army.  They were NATO, which is important.  I just don't know what to think.

I will pray for these troops and their attacker.  All need our prayers.

I never agreed with this war and my heart breaks every time a story like this comes out.  But those are just feelings, not hard pragmatic thinking.  Oh well, they were only six.

November 11 -- Silence

What is there to say when you've seen all you've seen and done all you've done?  Maybe nothing, maybe a lot.  Many of you guys seem very reticent, and you have your reasons.  Besides, talk is cheap.

But it's also healthy.  If you ever feel like talking, you can talk to me -- I'm a good listener.  Maybe you think it will sound stupid, or that I couldn't possibly get it, but I contend it might be worth a try.  I'll be here.

Dad

Reason for visit:  Acute Respiratory Failure

Medical Problems:

• Chronic respiratory disease
• Chronic a-fib
• Hyponatremia
• Chronic, continuous use of opioids
• Anemia
• Acute respiratory failure
• Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia
• COPD exacerbation
• Atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response
• Encephalopathy
• Sepsis
• Alcoholism
• Decreased urine volume
• Coagulopathy
• MRSA bacteremia

Doesn't sound good, does it?  And he's only 67.

VECTORS House Needs New Roof

CALL TO ACTION:  VECTORS House, which has been serving the community of veterans for 19 years in Chico, California, is in dire need of a new roof.  You can visit their Web site here, their Facebook page here, and their GoFundMe site here.  They provide housing, case management, drug and alcohol counseling, coordination with VA care and other agencies, and employment help, among other services.

And if you want to get on their waiting list, I highly recommend it; Chico is a wonderful city in which to do a program like VECTORS -- Chico has shopping and restaurants and a college and all sorts of cool people.  Wonderful program, wonderful place.  Check them out.