Midway

Just watched Midway (1976 version) again. A month late almost.

My paternal Grandfather recommended it to me back when it was a new movie, just released. I remember that summer, we were staying there for a couple of weeks. I'd just finished Colorado Outward Bound School and was visiting for a couple of weeks.

My grandfather had rarely interacted with me, only a few times. He had attempted to teach me to throw knives, he had discussed shooting with me once, and other than that, only my grandmother spent much time with me. She was great.

But back to my Grandfather.

He was a Navy man. Joined at a young age, enlisted, but being a smart man, the Navy trained him to be an X-Ray technician. Now this was back in the day when X-Ray was super high tech, brand new, barely understood... like quantum computing today. As a matter he was sent into Hiroshima 3 days after the bomb was dropped to take measurements and make observations. Anyway, after about 20 years of his being an enlisted man, they decided to make him an officer, and after that he did eleven more years, so 31, years total.

He was at Midway for that battle. So his recommendation meant a lot to me.

So I've seen it several times. It's a very good representation of what actually happened from both sides.

The Netherlands

So, I've been at the Grand Hotel Beatrix ( I do not recommend, overpriced and stuff doesn't always work, internet and heat/cooling for example) a place that claims 4 stars, but I expect a 4 star hotel to not have internet that goes out for days at a time, or heat/cooling that shuts off automatically and lets the room warm up 5 degrees Celsius, in the middle of the night... but I digress. At Den Helder. A small place with a large Navy Base, unlike any other place I've been on this trip... Then I moved to Amsterdam (where I am now) for the second half of the meeting... staying at the Hilton Doubletree. Not nearly as nice as the Marriott Sukhumvit, for almost twice the money! Amazing. Of course, everything works here, and the internet is fine, but it is surprising the cost difference for nothing better and very little the equal of that Marriott in Bangkok!

So, I am staying in the Marriott Sukhumvit, with Lexi, it is Songkran 2017, and I mentioned to one of the ladies working here, Tara, that I would like a Songkran shirt, so I can participate in the celebration. Another Lady, Aun, she came to my table and told me she would find them for myself and Lexi. Later in the day she had secured two of these shirts! Mine did not fit, I am a very large man, so, she went looking again, then found a store that had such large sizes, but they were out of stock, so she had them order it. I got it this morning.

What kind of people do these nice things for strangers??? Well, clearly Tara and Aun do! I should also mention Kook, she was also very helpful in this.

These ladies were so nice, I must do something nice for them.

The forgotten and reviled 49%

I'm not a republican, nor am I a democrat, I go either way, depending on the particular thing being discussed. I currently pay a little over 32% of my income in income taxes, with more going to property taxes and other taxes.

That said, I hope I am speaking to the roughly 51% of Americans who are Democrats.

Y'all need to not ignore the 49% who are not Democrats. You should also not revile them. They have a right to their opinions just as you do yours! And more importantly, they got President Trump elected because they felt that you were electing people that were taking this country in a direction they didn't want it to go.

So by ignoring them and reviling them, you got what you least wanted.

Why can't instead you embrace them, understand the issues they find important, have a meaningful dialogue, not just shout 'racist!' At them?

Maybe if you did listen, discuss, and try to understand rather than shout, ignore, and insult, you wouldn't have the idiots in the Tea Party?

You do know where the Tea Party came from, don't you?

So, lets work together, stop thinking it is 'us against them' and start thinking we are all in this together, okay?

Thanks for listening.

Hatari

Just watching the old John Wayne/Howard Hawks movie, 'Hatari!' You know, looking at the Serengeti plain, Kilimanjaro, it makes me want to go there and see these wonderful, wild places before either I or they are gone! Of course, that lodge they were at has changed a lot I'm sure, though I believe it is still there and that you can rent a room there. Maybe I shall someday!

Movies

My fiancee and I have been to several movies over the past few months at the Paragon near us... always a fun time, we pay for the 21+ seating which is segregated from the rest of the seating, larger, more comfy seats, and allows you to bring in food/drinks. It is awesome! I have started enjoying going to the movies since my friend Ciara told us about this! Thanks Ciara!!!!

just finished watching the extended version of The Hobbit

And I must say, while Mr. Jackson took a few liberties with the original story, I quite like the extended version much more than the theatrical release. It was long,but that is fine by me. There is so much in those stories. And truth be told, you just can't get everything in in such a short space as a couple of hours. Tauriel, though not in the original work, was a nice addition. I did like her. I always found the original too short on female characters. It always was a surprise to me how few lady's were in them. I must have read The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit 10 times. I would like to have seen Tom Bombadil and Barrow Wights and all though.