You’ve probably read about 25-year-old Alabama nursing student Brittany Diggs who had to escape from the trunk of her own car when she was kidnapped earlier this month.
Our buddy, Mykel Hawke, sends us a link to the video he helped to make with the Today Show’s investigative correspondent Jeff Rossen to help you get out of the same situation;
We’ve discussed the new Interior Secretary, former Navy SEAL and former Congressman, Ryan Zinke. Like the time he rode a Park Police horse to work on his first day and how he lifted the 11th hour Obama regulation against lead bullets on his first day in office.
Well, this past week DC was hit by a much-hyped snow storm that only dumped a few inches despite predictions of a foot or more. While the rest of the city stayed inside, Zinke went out for a ride-along with his Park Police Officers;
The Park Police had previously provided the hard-charging former congressman and Navy SEAL a horse to ride to work on for his first day at Interior; however, this would be the first time Zinke had seen his new position in a state of semi-emergency situation.
This Independent Journal Review reporter was invited to ride in the back seat of the police cruiser for a day that spanned two states, a couple of secret monument tours, a walk around General Robert E. Lee’s dilapidated home, and the Secretary of the Interior literally shoveling snow off the Lincoln Memorial steps. The ride was a wild one.
Among some of the things he did, Zinke helped officers clear away snow from the Lincoln Memorial and conducted a tour for some tourists.
After a photo session, I ask if he would ever consider shutting down the national parks the way the Obama administration did during the government shutdown in 2013. Zinke said flatly
“No. What is my job? ‘For the benefit and enjoyment of the people.’ How does [shutting down the parks] benefit anybody? My boss would back me up, too. Everybody works for somebody, and the president works for the people.”
Recorded after the man learned he was terminally ill. IMO if this upbeat little tune isn’t Key West’s and the Mardi Gras’ theme song, it should be.
If the guitar work and background vocals sound somewhat familiar, if you’re a Tom Petty fan they should. The background vocals were done by Tom; much of the guitar work was done by Petty’s longtime guitarist from the Heartbreakers, Mike Campbell.
Gone too soon, Warren. We hardly knew ye.
Some observations from a few weeks spent largely on the road.
• The United States is freaking huge. (Duh!) But you don’t really understand how huge this country is until you travel by road.
• 70+ F is definitely preferable to 30 F.
• No part of the country is free of oblivious and/or idiot drivers. Regardless of region, they do seem much more common in and around cities. But small towns and rural areas have their share too.
• Maybe it’s just me, but a surprising number of truckers seem to have have p!ss-poor road manners these days compared to 20 or so years ago.
• “Take the freeway” isn’t always your best option. The freeways aren’t always better roads, and they’re generally a helluva lot more crowded.
• Some of America’s highways need serious attention. Kinda makes you wonder where all that “stimulus” money earmarked to improve America’s infrastructure under the previous Occupant, 1600 Penn Ave, Wash DC, went.
• Don’t forget to take free breakfast – or lack thereof – and free WiFi into account when deciding where to stay for the night when you’re on the road. You can easily drop $10 a person on breakfast, and depending on your wireless plan you may pay dearly for Internet connectivity via wireless too.
• A five-hundred mile day behind the wheel isn’t too bad.
• Seven-hundred mile days on the road . . . kinda suck.
• Nine-hundred mile days really suck.
• A nearly eleven-hundred mile day behind the wheel sucks the Grand Wazoo. They’re not necessarily the smartest thing one can do, either. But sometime it’s worth it.
•Toll highways suck. Ditto toll bridges. Even so, sometimes paying the toll is worth it.
• Long-distance travel by road beats you up physically far more than you might expect.
And, finally
• The US Southwest between the Pecos and Colorado Rivers (the big Colorado River, not that little one in Texas) has to be one of the most physically beautiful areas on earth. If you’ve never spent any time there, you really should put visiting that area on your “bucket list”.
As much as I enjoy travel, it will be damn good to get off the road. And it looks like that will happen quite soon. One trip yet to go, but it’s a relatively short one.
Take care, all.
If you’ve ever “been there”, some songs truly need no explanation. IMO these are two such songs.
If you’ve never “been there” with respect to the first song, consider yourself a truly lucky individual.
If you can’t identify with the latter tune in some way . . . you have my sympathy.
Author’s Note: yes, the article’s title is correct. Sting’s given name is “Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner”.
A soldier welcomed his Afghan interpreter to the United States on Wednesday, Feb. 8, after buying him a plane ticket to ensure his quick arrival amid concerns the Trump administration might try to expand its travel ban to Afghanistan.
http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/soldier-welcomes-afghan-translator-to-us-with-bear-hug
Okay, Quismat, make the most of it. Start a new life and be productive. That’s all I’m asking of you, as an American born in this country who hasn’t missed opportunities that were offered. My skating coach came here from Poland. Her husband came here from Chile. They both have wonderful lives and a family, and they’re happy to be Americans.
They made the most of it. Let’s see you do that, too.
A few weeks ago, I had trouble breathing so I went to the emergency and they discovered that I had pneumonia and it was fairly persistent. I had none of my blogging gear with me, so I couldn’t let anyone know what was going on and my phone kept crapping out.
So I spent more than two weeks flat on my back in hospitals. TSO drove a 14-hour loop to check on me.
I finally got out last Tuesday, now I’m recovering from the hospital stays. I’m pretty wiped out.
Thanks to Zero, Dave and Ex-PH2 for stepping into the breech, but I’m sure they can’t do this much longer. SO, if there’s anyone else out there who wants to contribute, email me and I’ll set up an account for you after some extreme vetting.
Save your prayers and well-wishes for my poor wife.
Had connectivity and a few minutes time, and today’s Sunday. But DPAA doesn’t seem to have accounted for anyone new during the past few days – so you’re getting this “walkabout” instead.
Read on at your own risk. At least this time it’s short. (smile)
. . .
During the 1970s, many in the media anointed some guy named Springsteen from Ashbury Park, NJ, as next the “great American singer” and the “voice of his generation”. Seriously.
Now, Mr. Springsteen is indeed talented. And for those unfortunate enough to be from the Northeast, maybe he does speak for them. Maybe.
But regarding speaking for the rest of America . . . eh, no. In that case IMO the media had their head firmly inserted up their 4th point of contact (as usual) and were also showing their East Coast bias.
Because for the rest of America, IMO a different singer was the voice of that time and generation. His work – not Springsteen’s – more closely captured the feelings and concerns of America during the 1970s and 1980s.
That man was named Bob Seger.
Here are three of the man’s best. All deal with universal subjects. And I’m guessing the last two will resonate particularly strongly with anyone who’s served in the military.
Enjoy.
Twenty years now, where’d they go . . .