Another one bites the dust. Damnit.

     Lou Reed has died.  He founded the group the Velvet Underground but is probably best known for this song.  The problem with growing older is that you have to watch everything from your younger days die become unrecognizable.  This is why you can never go home again; once you leave, it becomes something else.  You can't return to a memory.  The best you can do is just learn to keep and cherish the memories you have, and learn to accept (or blow up, if you have the know-how) whatever is their place now.

I knew women had it rough sometimes, but damn...

     First, let me say that I usually find sitting through a tampon (or any other 'feminine product') commercial is only slightly less discomfiting than having your prostate examined by a doctor with a hangnail and Parkinson's.  This time that was not the case.

     Secondly, I never knew how dangerous having two X chromosomes could be.  Damn, women have it rough. 

     And, in light of that, I would lastly like to thank God for the Y chromosome.

At last, a jihad I can support.

     Apparently, there is a new jihadist movement around the Mediterranean that has all the boys running to the yard.  That's because it's called the Topless Jihad, and is comprised of groups of women running around various nation's capitols without their shirts on.  These women say they are seeking a 'Women's Spring' and typically write slogans across the relevant portions of their bodies for their protests.  I think this is a great idea.  And it's very green--there are no placards or signs that have to be thrown after they are used.

     (The temptation to insert a boatload of United Press pics here was almost too strong for me to resist, but I did--mostly because I don't know how.  Maybe this will serve as motivation for me to learn.  Google 'topless jihad' and you will get the idea.  There are some pretty interesting videos out there, too.)

     Funny business aside, many of these women are part of FEMEN, a feminist organization that started in the Ukraine.  They protest what they see are violations of women's rights across the world--things like sexual tourism or what is going on in Tunisia.  Young Tunisian women (many of whom are underage) being taken to Syria and forced or tricked into what is known as 'jihad al nikah' or sexual jihad.  These girls are passed around between anywhere from 20 to 100 Al-Qaeda soldiers and then sent home pregnant.  This is happening on such a scale that the Syrian government has begun turning Tunisians (not just but mostly women) away at their borders.

     Anyhow, if this interests you in any way, search for news about Amina Tyler or Pussy Riot or the topics I mentioned above to get a feel (couldn't resist that one) for what these ladies are about.  The message is pretty simple: women are women--human beings--not merchandise, or some kind of heavenly door prize, or the property of violent idiots with extremely misguided ideas about honor and morality.

     With or without the nudity, I can stand behind that.

I have a little hope for this investigation, but not much.

     Most people don't know that when Seal team 6 was founded, that gave the good ole USA a total of two Seal teams.  We used to be kind of smart like that.  Now we seam to be stupid about all our security issues.  We obviously have a terrible screening process for the people we entrust with our secrets.  Every time you turn around there's another jackass on TV spilling sensitive information, to the detriment of our country.  At last Seal Team 6 will finally get an investigation into their deaths.  This article from the Washington Times is a little heavy on the rhetoric, but shows just how concerned the Seals were, and how they tried to minimize the damage and protect themselves and their families from the criminal exposition that ultimately led to their deaths.  They (and their families) were essentially made into targets.  And, no surprise, what usually happens to targets did.  At least their will finally be an investigation into their deaths.

     I'm just wondering if it will actually get anything resolved.  There are a lot of strange things about Team 6's deaths.  I'm pretty certain We, The People, will never get the answers to all the questions we have.  Hopefully, at the very least, the families of those men will get some measure of justice.  Whether or not that will mitigate any of the pain they have suffered at their loss of their loved ones will remain to be seen, however.

I want one!

     Okay, y'all who know me are thinking a ton of things just from the title, I know: could it be that compensated AR-15 he's been saving for, or that timbersheppard pup he's been wanting, or just a vintage set of those tasteful nudes Martha Stewart did in college?  Well, yer all wrong.  I want one of these so if anyone finds a young one, grab it for me! 

     I figure it ought to do okay with the wolves.

I reckon I know this man.

     His name is Edgar Govan.   I went to school with Edgar at Manteo Elementary, Junior High, and High School.  We played football on the same team.  He is accused of killing a man named Steven Stewart, Jr., whom I do not think I ever knew.

     Back then Manteo was a quiet, little town--the kind (like Wanchese, its' closest neighbor, where I spent a good portion of my youth) where everyone knew everyone else.  Which is the long was of saying that I reckon if I had to say anything about him, it would be this: if he is anything like the boy I knew, the man he killed was shot in the back.

I hope this wasn't some kind of wannabe "Fight Club."

     The first thing you learn about knife fighting is that knife fights end up one of three ways:

     1. You kill the other person.
     2. the other person kills you.
     3. You both kill each other.

     The last one is apparently what happened at North Topsail Beach this week.  Maybe if these guys had known the rules, they would still be here.