Back in the Hood

Today's mission was elegant in its simplicity. Get haircuts, for myself and the signalman, eat lunch and then drive in triumph to Fort Hood via I35 to drop the kid back at his post. You're probably thinking, "Great plan, so-called LSP, what went wrong?" 

Here's the thing, nothing. The mission executed flawlessly, the traffic even flowed through Waco at a steady 65/70. Miraculous, and we arrived at the objective in record time, an hour and half door to door. But as with so much in life this fast-paced forward movement came at great cost, $80 in gas.

Some Evil Subversive Sticker

Eighty bucks to drive from the Compound to Killeen and back. What? That's outrageous and before you can whistle most popular President in the history of history we'll be looking at $5 a gallon, in Texas. Wow. Thanks, Joe.

So it's a good thing our beloved ruler's invoked special war power emergency authority to relieve pain at the pump by building... what? More oil wells, pipelines from Canada, new refineries? No, of course not, solar panels. Let them eat sunshine and be glad of it. What a risible, corrupt, mendacious, lying, arrogant, out of touch clownshow. 

Speaking of which, here's a question for all the economic savants who read this inconsequential mind blog: How did prewar Germany end stagflation and is there a lesson to be learned. Discuss.

Regardless, the kid got off safe and sound at Thunderbird HQ and was happy to be back. After taking his ruck (ridic heavy) to his billet he returned to the rig for a final smoke and goodbye, "Dad, my roommate has a frog." I pondered this, "A frog?" Mind like a steel trap, you see. "Yes," the soldier replied, "It's a sweet frog, I like it. He has three tarantulas too, but they're young."

Farewells over, it was back on the highway for a bizarrely easy if expensive ride home, and I felt blessed in having a son who's made great strides in the last three years. Well done, young man.

And there it is,

LSP

The Guns Fall Silent

The big guns on the Western Front were firing right up to the minute of the Armistice. This short recording was taken near American positions close to the river Moselle.

Our Great Great Uncle, Private John Q. Adams of Killeen, Texas, was wounded by machine gun fire after the Armistice had been signed; word of the peace hadn't reached that sector of the front. He died ten days later. Rest in Peace.

I'll leave you with this, At The Cenotaph by Seigried Sasson.

I saw the Prince of Darkness, with his Staff, 

Standing bare-headed by the Cenotaph: 

Unostentatious and respectful, there 

He stood, and offered up the following prayer. 

'Make them forget, O Lord, what this Memorial 

Means; their discredited ideas revive; 

Breed new belief that War is purgatorial 

Proof of the pride and power of being alive; 

Men's biologic urge to readjust 

The Map of Europe, Lord of Hosts, increase; 

Lift up their hearts in large destructive lust; 

And crown their heads with blind vindictive Peace.' 

The Prince of Darkness to the Cenotaph 

Bowed. As he walked away I heard him laugh.

LSP