Saturday, October 1. 2011
Feeling Nostalgic?
Remember the Compact Disk?
Monday, May 16. 2011
My years whirl past me. Swirling. Dry, broken grass hovering in a spring breeze. Can I remember my experiences in war? Hardly. Fighting for my country, my youth invested, seems such a long time ago, and so unimportant. The calendar this year marks Memorial Day on the 29th of May, 2000. Have I lost something? The traditional Memorial Day, also known as Decoration Day, is on the 30th of May. This observed Memorial Day on May 29th coincidentally allows for a national three day holiday. Such is commercialism's capitalistic American display. But why do I feel so stricken, like I have abandoned old friends from long ago? Their ghosts consort with my floating years, and their spirits coast around my presence.
Another three day holiday! Memorial Day! Maybe me and the kids can go camping? Or, to the beach? Memorial Day is fun! This is the inconsiderate, thoughtless approach to this meaningful, and consecrated moment representing one three hundred and sixty-fifth of our year. What is the meaning of Memorial Day? Is it merely a three day escape from our worldly duties? Or, is it the official beginning of summer? Is selling more hot dogs at the ballpark the overriding clarification?
Many souls, sacrificed in war, in duty to America, are wandering. They drift in a heavenly place, minus their future here upon earth. Tomorrows were forfeited. Given up so our nation would invigorate free souls, aspire them to freedom, and justly allow their lives lived as they prefer. Raising offspring above restrictions, as they desire. Those lost lives giving we, the living, what we want freely. Those are the souls we respect on Memorial Day. This means it is a sacred day.
Without retrospect, sacrifice is mute. Old Glory does not wave by accident. It flutters in the spring air revealing honor. The color red represents the blood bloom from those who fell, those who clawed, those who cried in horrible pain. Those who died fast. And, those who died ever so slowly. They did their duty. When I see Old Glory waving on a sunny, end of May day, the pigment red gushes from millions of souls, floating, not with us, anymore. They are amongst our heroes, cajoling with angels with their champions, conquerors and commanders. Friends and loved ones gather, over the grave, witness to those who gave more than anyone should be required to relinquish. They did not want to yield. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and when the moment harshly struck them their fatal blow, they cried for their mother, or their friend. Then there were those, many of those, who knew exactly what they were giving. They moved forward knowingly. They lost their lives so their mission would be accomplished.
Fools! Some intellects can say that. One would have to be an imbecile to give up life, no matter what the cause. For a flag? Futile! For a country! More pointless! For freedom! What freedom is there in mortality? Yes, fools they may have been, but their numbers add up in an awesome display of American loss! Veterans' Cemeteries, white badges sailing row after row after row upon green grass, almost never ending, creeping onto the horizon. Constant reminders of the devastation of our human treasure. Mothers' tears, enough to fill an ocean to overflow. Sweethearts, broken hearted, reading telegrams. Sons and daughters, many unborn, wakening at birth to a devastated family suffering from a victim of war there no more. And what does all this macabre math equal? Memorial Day is the correct answer.
Few Americans know a person who died in war. Their family trees have lost some leaves, falling as they fought in one of America's wars, or discarded in the peacetime military. We are a busy people. We have business to capture. Our kids are in school. We have chores. Mundane, or surrealistic. We are a spirited society, seeking applications to improve ourselves and our communities. We are a helpful populace, always there when the going gets tough to help those who have suffered the tragedies of nature, whether a hurricane or a famine. Americans are always the first on the scene worldwide bearing their gifts of human spirit and abundance. This is why it is so puzzling that the meaning of Memorial Day seems to lack substance to many of our own people. Even with the day itself. Put back to accommodate a holiday schedule fixed by some organism no one knows, yet powerful enough to do so, the day itself lacks consequence to too many. Many who never knew a person who died in service to America are wrought with the invisible pain of not feeling for those who do.
Americans take things for granted. We have so much. So very much. Endless choices. These options are not available worldwide. Our shelves are full. Unlike many in other nations of the world. So many are empty or offer very limited selections. Those American fighting men and women killed in battle whose souls are floating actually made available these wondrous choices we have every day of our American lives. Yet, most of our youngsters have no idea whatsoever what this means. They don't learn this in school. We must teach them. For without knowledge, they may end up thinking, or believing, all these marvelous selections came without circumstance. Minus anything. Equaling no meaning.
Our nation needs to halt and perceive the flags and flowers on our Veterans graves on this consecrated holiday. We need to lift a common voice of adoration to those floating spirits of our onetime American Warriors, and extol them with a salutation. We have not come that far with our technological miracles of this millennium to become crass. We still need respect. Our backs can not turn from formality. Our eyes can not look away from custom. Our voices must not resonate in silence against honor and glory. To do so will leave us hollow, only to fill us with that which is desolate and lacking potential. This is not the true meaning of Memorial Day. The heartfelt significance requires reminding. Story telling. Wisdom being passed on from our Veterans to our younger generations. An interpretation certified by those who remember the horrors of war. Without this core, our society can not remain genuine. It becomes contemptible. It rots from within. These floating souls of our lost American Warriors are a powerful force, for they live within our hearts. They constantly seek justification for their contributions, and they are real within us. Such is what our American substance stands for, where character is developed, individually is guaranteed, and a community, a nation, survives.
America enters the 21th Century as the most powerful entity humankind has ever experienced. America permeates this next century with vast responsibilities. Our children must bear this promise. We can not turn our backs on these bygone descendants, nor can we do so upon ourselves. Memorial Day offers us the opportunity to express a moment of solitude where each of us can personify in our own way what we feel. I only speak for my myself, as one who has bared his soul to the dread of war. So my father did, and his father's father before him, and their souls float amongst the multitudes. My mother and her mother held their Veterans after they returned from war, tears streaming down their cheeks in gratitude for their safe return. And there were those in my ancestry who did not return from war. And their mothers' tears soaked the pillows on beds for generations to sleep upon. Their souls are the dreams that drift amongst the floating, gathering at the end of May in the breeze of summer's coming, in the cool glass of lemonade at the child's street side stand, in the cheers at the ball game from the crowd rooting their team to victory and enjoying the best hot dogs in the world. Let us all stop for a moment, whether it is on the traditional day, or the observed Memorial Day, or even at the end of May, and reach for those floating souls. Let us reveal to them how much we cherish their sacrifice for our free people. Let these memories harvest our recognition of the meaning of Memorial Day in a very simple word. And let that word, simply stated be: Thanks.(copyrighted 2000)PEACE, LT Bobby Ross
Thursday, February 10. 2011
How do you stop war in the 21st Century?
I think Gene Rodenbury's "Star Trek" had some good ideas. He flew 89 combat missions in World War II for the US Army Air Force, and he was also a Los Angeles cop, so he was certainly not an 'idealist'. Like him, I do believe that socialism is the collective answer to putting a stop to certain aspects of the human political problems, and suffering. Communism did not work. A man has to be able to own his own cow, or he will not farm it. Communism took away a man's balls. Socialism is working in many nations, including America. I think war has to stop. The means we have to put a real halt to some aspects of religion. Rodenbury was an atheist because he blamed religion for the continuation of war. Education of the masses is a key factor. And I do believe that America is the only country that can bring about these changes. This is why the 'elite' is trying to destroy it.
The way to stop war is to make it unprofitable. Charge every corporation who makes one red cent either directly or indirectly from war profits to pay for the care of the wounded Veterans. Take that responsibility away from the 'tax base' and place it onto the 'corporate gross profit' base. By doing this, you would put an end to war within a year after such a law was passed. And, you would suddenly see a 2/3rds reduction of the standing military.
All wars after WWII ended that America has participated in were and are 'illegal'. Every single soldier wounded or killed in those wars are the corporation's responsibility, no the tax payers. Under our Constitution the Congress shall 'declare' war. This has not happened since the attack by the Japanese military on Pearl Harbor. Much the same as the patenting of 'seeds' that Monsanto has done via a new 'stipulation' from the Supreme Court, the Congress and the MICC has passed 'resolutions' to send our best kids to be slaughtered in all of these wars for the only purpose to put more profits into the pockets of a very few elites. And it sure is a good deal for them. Congress passes the 'resolution', they draft or get volunteers to join the military so they can be sent to some far away place to fight for our 'freedom', and an enormous amount of our National Treasure pays for the whole thing. Then, when these brave soldiers return home wounded, the responsibility is placed on the tax payers via the Veterans Administration. It's a 'Win-Win' formula for the MICC.
If in fact, WE THE PEOPLE, voted to place the financial responsibility for the care of the soldiers who fight in these Rich Man Wars upon the shoulders of those really responsible for them, then these corporations would 'shift' their corporate missions to other forms of revenue rather than war materials. If in fact war became 'unprofitable', then it would be put to an end.
Now, I'm not against having a strong military. Not in the least. And I'm a true believer in the 2nd Amendment. And I do not believe in isolationism. I surmise that my country, America, has the responsibility to our citizens to protect our cherished freedoms. As such, it is the obligation of our government, and all citizens, to accept the role of being the world's policeman. And, as such, we need to arm ourselves and defend ourselves.
But, the key word here is'defend'. This function has been obliterated by the war profiteers since the ending of World War II. Now, it is the function of our government and military to be the aggressor, and to wage war in anyway we desire for the sole purpose of making a few more wealthy. This is not only wrong, it is evil.
But, the true fidelity lies in the American Democracy, and WE THE PEOPLE. We Americans have turned our backs on ourselves. We have allowed the elite to take away our power of the vote. We are no longer a Democracy. We have allowed ourselves to become a multi-national corporate autocracy.
Thursday, January 27. 2011
Hello!
Well, we are well into the new year. The President's speech last night concerning our state in this union went over like a fog bank hitting an iceberg. There is now doublespeak regarding double-dipping in the nation's housing market. It is little wonder. Who can qualify to buy a $250K house? And who can afford to live in one? And we hear that the job market is weak. Little wonder after our free trade agreements wholesaled the exporting of them to Communist China and Vietnam. The other night I saw 9 more soldiers (one was a gal) who had given their all in Iraq and Afghanistan as of that day. I thought we had stopped fighting in Iraq, and I'm still wondering why we are fighting in Afghanistan? Perhaps it is because our Western World's dependence on its opium? And, of course, the 'gloom and doom' reports are non-stop on just about every subject from Global Warming to our President's birth certificate.
So, life goes on!
On my end, I'm well ahead of the game at my organic seed farm. I have attached some pictures I took in the fog yesterday of my 'turning earth' policy out here, and you can see that I still have a lot of work to do before it's planting time. This Winter has been a hard one on my Show Birds and Bengal Cats, but we have weathered the wet and cold, and I am proud to say my flock is more healthy than ever, and they are all 'frisky' and wanting to be shown and find new homes.
On a few other fronts, my '21 Song Salute' record album project in Nashville is going GANG BUST. We are at the final phases, now, of dealing with the budgeting and gathering support for this entirely new, and premier music production. We have the 21 songs. That process took me a year and a half. They are written by some of the best songwriters in Nashville, and they bring a solemn reverence honoring our men and women fighting in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. For those of you interested, please visit my new web site at:
http://www.rassio.com/21songs/
My dear friend, Bill Taylor, known to many here as The CENTURION has a new web site, as well. Please visit him and his astute writing at:
https://thecenturionchronicle.com
Looking back at the 1st Decade of the 21st Century, I have some smiles for the
good times, and some sadness for the bad. Moving from Nashville and the duck club was very hard on this old LRRP, but I made the best of both of those moves. And, I learned from those adventures that our economy is not to be trusted as a 'given'. Now, starting this new decade, my eyes and ears are more addressed to the reality of the opportunities that are 'real' and not 'promoted' by the few. This is my 23rd year on the Internet as a professional, and I have established an incredible network of good people around the world who are now part of my family.
LT Bobby Ross
www.centurionus.com
Thursday, December 2. 2010
Hello!
I sent you my Veterans Day message back a few weeks ago. I always spend this day with my partner, The CENTURION. On that particular morning, I took him to one of my family's favorite hangouts, the Cliff House on the Pacific Beach on the Western border of San Francisco. I parked my Lincoln in front and when I got out with my Nikon 200 camera strung around my neck, here comes this handsome young couple walking towards us. The gal was very pretty, and the guy had a Cannon camera strung around his neck. So, me being the producer I am, I asked him if he would mind taking our picture. He complied, and one thing led into another, and low and behold, we created an artist event. Turns out this young man is an incredible professional photographer and video producer with a large company in San Francisco. Just a few days ago, he sent me this web site of a video he had captured of me telling his galfriend what I thought of that day's meaning as a Veteran. You have to watch this. It's a kick in the ass!
LT Bobby Ross
Friday, November 26. 2010
Hello!
Happy Thanksgiving!
It's a very cold morning here in Sacramento, California. We set record lows last night, and this definitely takes me back to my youth filled days when we would awaken on my Grandparent's farm 60 miles north of here just outside of College City. All of my Clan would journey to their farm so we could spend Turkey Day with the Old Folks. Most of us would arrive the night before and because we would not respect my religious grandparents, we would not smoke or drink inside their farm house. So we 'scoundrels' (men) would assemble in a part of one of the barns where we set up a refrigerator filled with cold beer, whiskey and assorted cheeses and fruits.
On Thanksgiving morning, we would harvest the pheasants in the alfalfa or sweet potato field. It was always a memorial hunt. We would line up all the hunters at the southern end and begin to move forward, north, towards the Buttes. Dogs always worked in front of the line. Spotters were sent to the north end of the field to prevent the birds from 'running' and flushing in front of the line's gun range. We always returned with a large sizable number of 'pretty birds' and always had our pictures taken in a ceremony of lore.
Then it was 'football time' and we watched the games on the "B&W" TV set and ambled about while the 'women folk' prepared the meal. Always traditional: Turkey and all the trimmings. About 2PM we were served. My Grandpa always carved the bird, and for some reason, the first cutting was the right leg of the turkey, and he passed it to me, one of his several grandchildren. I don't know why he did that. Years later, as he was dying, I was the only one in the Clan who could communicate with him '1 on 1'. He was as sharp the day he passed on as I stood by his side as he was in my first memories of him. I was special to him. He was a poet and a writer. I was the only one in the family to follow in his footsteps.
Those years are long gone. And, so is the first decade of the 21st Century. Hard to believe, but it is so. Dry leaves revolve outside, reminding me of my memory, on this cold morning. I think back to the start of this decade, and the beginning of this new Century, and it amazes me that ten years have passed, like the leaves in a chilly breeze. So, on this nippy forenoon, I am mindful of my indebtedness to the bounty of not only this past year, or decade, but my life in general. So, I wanted to share a couple of links on this festive feasting Holiday of American distinction with you, as well as a few of the multitudes of pictures that I pulled out of my bag this morning, and wish you all a very warm and pleasant Thanksgiving.
http://www.jacquielawson.com/preview.asp?cont=1&hdn=0&pv=3270942&path=83562
This link kinda reminds me of how thankful I am to be an American. And, the first picture I attached is one of me and an Air Force Major I served with in the long ago Vietnam War when we flew in a very similar aircraft. Our mission was to call in air strikes on enemy targets. I lived to write this email to you. A picture is worth a thousand words? Perhaps. But a thousand words can not tell you how pleased I am that I am here, breathing, in good health, and ready to go work on my farm.
http://www.vintageflying.com/page24.html
LT Bobby Ross
http://www.rassio.com/pmmusic.php
Monday, November 15. 2010
On Wednesday evening, I was invited to spend the night with some friends in their home in the Berkeley Hills. I took a picture out of their living room window on Veterans Day morning. The weather in the Bay Area could not have been better, as you can clearly see.
From there, I drove to San Francisco to meet with my partner of 20 years, The CENTURION www.centurionus.com. The Bay Bridge was closed when I arrived. Some nut case had tried to off himself by jumping off the bridge, and left a note or phoned into 911 that his car was loaded with explosives. So, the line of traffic was stacked back to Sacramento, I do believe. I sat there for about a half hour, but then I was on my way, picked up my partner, and we drove straight to the Cliff House for gin fizzes. (Old family tradition!)
Then it was off to the VA hospital at Fort Miley. We had a very nice visit with a Navy Chaplain there. Then we drove across the City by the Bay to our favorite hang out, Sinbad's, on the water near the Ferry Building and had a wonderful Veterans Day lunch. After that, I had a meeting with a very famous 'individual' in his Bank of America Building office, and that lasted until about 6:30PM. Then I took Bill home to his place on Post Street, and I was off to Sacramento for my last meeting at 9PM to watch the HBO Veterans Day Special Documentary "Warton" on the subject of PTSD. Overall, it was a wonderful day. Hope all of you had a good one, too.
LT Bobby Ross
http://www.rassio.com/pmmusic.php
Monday, November 8. 2010
I'm in full swing harvest mode on my new farm. Thought you'd all get a kick out
of some pictures of the fruits of my labors since I got this place last
November. Any of you interested in getting involved with my "LT Bobby Ross'
Seeds for Survival' organization, get back with the code word:
seeds!
Also check out my new web site below!
http://www.rassio.com/pmmusic.php
LT Bobby
Ross
Wednesday, May 5. 2010
The old cliche, "You can't go home!" often rings in my ears. But, I have come home as I stated in my last BLOG post. The other evening, I decided to go further into my past by going fishing in the American River under a bridge that I fished under as a kid. What a surprise!
Today, in my home State, here in its capital, Sacramento, we see our local politicians work in our Capital building day in and day out. It is common knowledge here that we are bankrupt. Now, there are other words for this condition like 'lack of funds', or 'not enough tax revenues', or 'The Recession'. But, all those candy coated phrases do not hide the fact that the biggest and most successful State in America can not pay its bills.
Why? Well, I can not answer that one. California is the 8th largest economy in the world. That includes the US of A, China, England, France, Russia and the North Pole filled with Eskimos. Yet, we are bankrupt. Maybe it's because we have allowed too many illegals to cross our borders so we can plant and harvest our garden that feeds America? And, they also clean our motel beds, wash our restaurants dishes, and yes, sell dope to our poor kids in the school yard.
OR, maybe it is because we have allowed our banks and investment institutions to become too greedy and as of September 19th of 2008 when the 'bubble burst' exposing the fact that maxing out your credit cards by buying the crap you can not afford to 'pretend' you are keeping up with the Jones, is not a formula that works.
OR, perhaps it is because it is time for we Native Californians to take a serious look-see at all the folks living here that came from the other 49 States and say, "ENOUGH"!
Whatever the reason or reasonings, the pure fact of the matter is that we have allowed a certain portion of our population to bankrupt us.
When I went under the bridge I fished under in my youth, I was amazed to see the real California of today. It is a dump. Our police, politicians, religious leaders and community leaders allowed this to happen. It's under this bridge. I took some pictures. I have them on this post. Pictures do not lie. The first one shows the Sacramento skyline looking South from the entrance to the bridge. The second one shows the bridge and the American River sign. The next shows another sign of just how we citizens of California are planting new trees to make it more beautiful. Then the rest of the pictures show the real picture. Take a look. It is what California has become. It has done so because no one cares. This 'filth' and duplicity by our California leaders demonstrates exactly why we are bankrupt. It is why we are going down!
Remember, what you are seeing in these few pictures I took this morning is only a mile from our State capital building.
I guess I should be mad. But, as a combat Vietnam Veteran, 100% disabled from that insane experience, I think I'm just sad. This great State I was born in, as was my father and grandfather, is now alive under this bridge.
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