73 year old Veteran Bruce Bair hiked over 280 miles from Durham, NC to Washington DC where he hand-delivered letters to the office of Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC). The reason? Tillis refuses to host Town halls back home in North Carolina. Bruce spent a night in our home along the way. Some think his superpower is his physical stamina. They are wrong. His superpower is that he gives a d@mn.
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Did you hear? A Big Parade is coming! It is the 250th anniversary of the United States Army, and coincidentally, a certain someone’s birthday. Let’s celebrate! Ever since Trump saw a military parade in France in 2017, he has wanted one and he is finally getting it.
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Strange as it may seem, bushhogging gives me both a sense of Zen and a feeling of accomplishment. It took me years to reach that point, and I was happy to relive it again last week. As a bonus, I had an ongoing interaction with a persistent crow, who turned out to be pretty smart.
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The Nat’s pitchers and catchers reported for spring training last week on February 12th. I’m excited, but also a bit sad. My old friend, Bill Wagner, passed away last September. He was the owner of the season ticket group I belong to and there will be a hole in my heart on Opening Day.
Continue reading “Play Ball!”
I received my Top Secret (TS), Special Compartmentalized Information (SCI) clearance in 1989. I was an Army Captain at the time. Before receiving the clearance, I did not know what work I would actually do in my new job. When I was cleared into the program, the first thing Gene, my new boss, asked was “How do you feel about Nuclear War?”
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The line that troubled me was at the end of the quote. “These three very talented people will be my eyes and ears, and I will get done what they suggest.” It was of course Mr Trump speaking about Stallone, Voight and the racist homophobe Gibson, but it made me think to myself, “Ah yes, of course. The Watching has begun in Hollywood and will soon spread elsewhere.”
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The First Amendment says – “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press …” What happens when Congress doesn’t do anything to abridge the freedom of the press, but the press does it to themselves? Maybe out of fear, maybe for profit, or perhaps other reasons we aren’t aware of.
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A little over a year ago, I met Suhas Subramanyam for the first time. Last Friday evening, I attended a party for his swearing in as our Congressman in Washington DC. We are lucky to have him represent us, although it was not luck that elected him. It was hard work.
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Army-Navy. Yep, it’s this week – the renewal of the rivalry that started in 1890. This year, Army is 11-1 and Navy is 8-3, but records rarely seem to matter. I know I never take the game for granted and always feel a churn in my stomach in the days and hours leading up to game time.
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R_____ looked at me and was on the verge of tears. “Oh Max, thank you so much. You are making me cry.” That wasn’t my intent. All I’d done was tell her that if she ran into problems, call me and I would help. It’s a shame what we have come to as a nation, when a person feels threatened by some of those around her.
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Live Life Exuberantly 