Just a little ranting.......

No comments lately....I wonder sometimes if my blog even gets out to people, then again it probably does and no one pays much attention.My girl friend says I pay attention to sh*& I can't do anything about....true I do, but I do have an opinion and like to express it.
I saw the other day that Hillary Clinton was Bush administration bashing again, as was Al Gore. Not that I'm a fan of the Bush administration. Likewise for Gore and H.Clinton. I just think that it's all political bullsh*%.
We are in a war,like it or not, a war that has claimed many, many American soldiers lives, and maimed scores of others. We have thousands of American service men who have been seriously wounded, and the American political machine would just as soon let the severly wounded find their own solutions for rehabilitation. Well folks sorry, this just ain't right. These guys go over to Iraq, give the ultimate sacrifice and the people that sent them there....could care less.
Now I ask......why is this? It isn't just the Bush administration, it's both sides of the partisan governmet, it's all thier responsibilty to make sure these guys are taken care of....and they aren't. They are apparently to involved slinging mud, or ducking the slung mud to pay attention.
It never ceases to amaze me how disinvolved and disconnected politicians can be from any given issue, especially if it doesn't shed them in a positive light, which I don't see much of in recent politics. It seems our government, in all aspects is extremely distracted from some serious developing issues.
However, if you listen to the connected pundits, they will tell us that is the way a democracy is supposed to work. It is defusive, devisive, and circulatory, with resolute effect.( This was expounded to me by a some what local New York State Congressman). I still don't know what the devil he was trying to tell me. I guess I don't hang out in Washington enough.....to much time spent in the streets I guess dealing with the Crips, the Bloods, and other gangster types determined to make off with our valued liberties.
Oh well....such is life in these here United States of America, and a good life it is, better than most in the world I would venture to guess. It just makes me wonder how it all works out....then again....maybe it doesn't....what do I know.
So if anyone has any answers or opinions, I'd sure like to hear'm.......

Thanks and have a great day to all.........

L8TR
Chris

Frey, Oprah, The Smoking Gun and other things in my life

Good Morning everyone...(like a lot of people read this blog)....
At anyrate we have hot breaking news on the internet this morning. It seems a guy named Frey wrote a book. Oprah read the book, liked it and added it to her "must read list" or something or other. I guess recently, notice I typed "guess", because I don't know the actual time line of events. Anyway.....apparently sometime this week a web site called "The Smoking Gun"(how appropriate) revealed that it had uncovered certain passes in the book that the author Mr. Frey took liberties with or embellished on. Events in his life that I guess lead up to his recovery from drug addiction and alcohol addiction. Hey...if the guy is sober and remains sober...I say bravo for him. I'm a recovering alcoholic myself. Now I can't tell from reading a printed page as to who is telling the truth, or who isn't. Oprah according to online news reports stands by the book. Her take on it is....well....what author doesn't take liberties when writing their personal memoirs. Gee I wonder if she took liberties when she wrote her book. The publishing company also is standing by the book, they more or less claimed that they published it on its face value and the word of the author.
Now.....my point is......being a recovering alcoholic......I had to learn that in order to stay sober I had to be brutally honest with myself and others in regards to my alcoholism. I had to be accountable to myself and others, admitting that I had done wrong and make amends where I could...regardless of what the people I was making amends to, did with my attempt.
That said, the problem I have with this whole thing is that many, many people are easily dismissing the fact that this guy is describing what he did in his addictions, and what took place to get him to where he is today. Now if it is true, like he claims , this is fine. If it isn't true, the guy is undermining the whole premise behind 12 step programs and the road to recovery. Thats why in the 12 step programs we have sponsors to show us the way, and if the sponsor is good, the sponsee will hopefully learn from this person and work his or her program and continue on the path of sobriety.
If this guy Frey wrote the book with good intentions, hoping that him sharing his story with others will help other addicts fine. However, if Freys story is contrived, embellished, exaggerated, whatever....then he is not being honest to himself or others and no matter what his story is.... The point is moot! OK...thats one of my points.
What disturbs me is Oprahs complacent attitude about the whole thing.....I mean this woman passes her self off as the savior of the underdog, and she indeed has been. Although to take such a cavalier attitude about a book SHE picked for HER book list that may contain false or contrived occurences to proove a point of attaining sobriety....she needs to take a session with Dr. Phil....common lady get real.
Take a look around these days.....a serious number of politicians in Washington got caught with their hands on illegal gotten gains in the form of Jack Abramoff. So now they are all rushing to donate the ill gotten gains to charity. Excuse me? Lets see, now how does this make it OK? I mean really.....how does donating illegal funds from a lobbyist to charity excuse anything? It doesn't......but the politicians in Washington would have us believe that it does, it makes it all right.
Oprah thinks along the same lines. Just because Frey in his book projects a positive enlightened image, and he is now sober, it doesn't matter that parts of his book may be fabricated, he is still going to help people, and yes folks....he will probably make millions on the book. Maybe if he donates some of it to charity, it will make it all right. Now if it is learned that he didn't fabricate any of his book, then I guess I'll have egg on my face.....all the way to my ass......

To paraphrase a great news reporter:
Good afternoon and Good luck

L8TR
Chris

Oh boy...here I go again......

Mornin everyone....how's it goin? I'm doin fine thanks. Ok.....just reading an article on ABC news again. Hillary Clinton is gettin on here political soap box about our troops not having the proper body armour in Iraq. Well no sh*#, you just find this out ma'am? Jesus H...our troops have been fighting this damn war since ......ah....lemme see.....'03 I believe? So now? This very instant it becomes a friggin issue with you? Hell you voted to send troops in......why didn't the military oversite dinks notice that we weren't properly equipped to go to war? Ohh gee...I forgot.....Rumsfeld made it ok because he said in a news conference when you go to war, you work with what you have.....yup....uh huh...makes sound sense to me.......I mean...don't plan anything, especially for going to war.
Now don't get me wrong, good ole Saddam was a son of bitch. Personally, I think they could have just wacked him with extreme predjudice if they had really wanted to...Him and his whole Baath party. You know what I mean, cut the head off the snake and it dies. Aw hell though, what do I know, I'm just a retired cop who dealt with thugs and street gangsters.
I know I make it sound easy and it just plain isn't. It just ticks my sensibilities that NOW Hillary thinks it needs to be a great concern that the troops in Iraq need body armour....well hell ya they do....but why wasn't it an issue before we went to war? Use the body armour issue to ingratiate your self with who ever so you can run for the top office in '08.....I guess......
For Christ sake the cops right here in the USA gotta buy there own body armour if they want better than what the government will give'm, and believe me the government bought stuff ain't the greatest....I do know this. So you think the government is going to supply the troops right? Nope ain't gonna happen.....like Rumsfeld said, ya work with what ya have at hand. Hell they didn't even have armour on the humvees when they first went in, the had to ship steel over and weld it on in the field. Oh well...again what the frig do I know?
I do know the sky is blue, water is wet, and pigs don't fly............

Have a great day everyone.....do something nice for the boys in Iraq....they need all the help they can get......even if it comes from some political pundit.....I guess

L8TR

Chris

I was just reading.......

Well...hello world...the New Year has arrived.....and as I was sitting here at work during a quiet moment I was reading a news story that was on ABC news.....it may be old news to some people....but I thought it was extremely disturbing.
OK......ok......I know it's miles away from here, but this I think represents what we have to look forward to as a nation unless we change the way we think.
Nuevo Laredo Texas, the Rio Grande, and Larado Texas. They all have a very big problem in common.....drugs....cocaine,marijuana,methamphetamine. Also the people that are trying to profit from the distribution of the afore mentioned drugs.....the mexican drug cartels.
The sheriff of Webb Co. R Flores makes a statement that he is out gunned( he carries and M16 in his patrol vehicle with him) as do his deputies. The badguy cartel people have AK-47s,they also have Sat. cell phones, he has cell phones, the cartel badguys have level 4 bullit proof vests, he and his men have level 3 vests. Our side has increased the number of Border Patrol Agents, this part of the border is one of the heaviest patrolled areas.
The police departments on the Mexican side are rife with corruption and complacency.
Our guys are understaffed, under paid, and under equipped to handle the onslaught of the violence and the sheer volume of drugs crossing the border.
A mexican person according to ABC News said...." the U.S. should be embarassed, our law enforcement isn't doing their job...." and....." the insatible demand that exsists, is driving the frenzy over here( in Mexico )....and thats really the problem..."
The story makes some good points I thought. It was presented as a story as it was taking place, involving characters on both sides of the border, no finger pointing, just some good reporting.
My point for bringing this up.....a good question......I guess it just pisses me off, being retired law enforcement. Why do we have to have our guys always being on the defensive.
People say you can't go around violating our civil rights.....bullshit....when we have badguys aggressively and openly coming across the border and openly turning our border towns into killing grounds, we as Americans...especially Americans wearing a badge and carrying a gun have the right to take strong decisive action. The only problem is these poor guys aren't getting the help they need from the people that count, the people that put them there.....POLITICIANS. This isn't a Republican issue or a Democrate issue. Damnit it's time this country woke up, put their collective devisive issues aside and start doing whats right.
Give our Border Cops the equipment, the authority, and the logistics to fight these Godless thugs and put them where they belong....6 feet under.... Because believe me these people don't give a rats ass about anyone, so lets meet'm on their own terms, see how long they last.....
Just an opinion from a pissed off, retired ex-police officer.....So Bush, Murtha, Pelosi, and Cheny...get your shit toghether and do the right thing for once.....lets really protect the homeland.......
So long for now and lets hope this new year gets better than it has started........

L8tr
Chris