Can’t Kick the Habit

I am really trying to not get up at three a.m. anymore. I finished my first two novels, Evil in the Mirror and Day Stalker, and the third one, The Phoenix Code, is on the shelf because I am now working as a consultant for a construction company from Hawaii.

Even though my passion is writing, it was time to refurbish the coffers until I retire yet again and pick up where I left off. My problem is that for two years while writing murder mysteries, I would get up no later than three a.m. and most times earlier. By two p.m. I would be ready to lie down for the day. Well, I can’t do that anymore – The Islands is three hours behind our time. When the team in Hawaii gets geared up for their day, I’m nodding off at my desk!

It’s a good thing I still enjoy working with spreadsheets and calculations or this gig could be the straw that broke the old camel’s back. The truth be known, working for this company is very exciting and I look forward to each day. I did mention to my wife that this will be my last hurrah, and then I will retire from construction for real. That comment was bull poop and I knew it…I will quit after they lay my worn-out carcass to rest.

I am grateful this opportunity came my way while we are suffering from the deepest worldwide recession I have ever seen, to say nothing of the natural disasters that have been plaguing the world right and left. Sometimes it is good to step back and be thankful for what we have, instead of worrying about what we think we should have. I am blessed with a fantastic family, a roof over our heads and food to eat. The rest is just icing on the cake.

In the meanwhile, I was again out of bed at exactly three a.m. with my wife’s parting word ringing in my head, “Idiot!”

She’s just saying,

Mittster

Constitutional Rights

For those of you that have seen this video (click the title of this blog) before, it is well worth watching again. For those who have not seen it and believe in the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, it will confirm why you believe in the right to keep and bear arms. For those of you who believe that gun rights should be abolished, you need to watch this video and thank God you were not in the situation that changed this young woman’s life forever.

How can anyone who watches world news not understand that citizens' rights to bear arms and the mightiest military on the planet are the only things between us and those who would try to destroy our way of life? We have the largest private army in the world; this fact keeps many foreign adversaries from contemplating any kind of frontal attack. The only success they have had is through cowardly attacks of suicide. You only have to look to the Middle East to understand what happens when the people lose their rights to assemble and bear arms.

For those politicians who think the right to bear arms should be abolished, I say this to each and every one of you. “Think again; the life we save may be your own!”

I’m just saying,

Mittster

Glow Like a Firefly!

I have had it – I mean, I have really had it. I am ready to buy a radiation detector, iodine pills, gas masks and heavy white coveralls. I am already stocking up on supplies of water and canned food. Since we can’t get the truth from the Japanese government or the utility companies, I am going to start preparing for the worst and hope for the best!

California is already reading higher than normal radiation numbers from the atmosphere and it’s only a matter of time before the radiation cloud reaches Arizona. God knows we already get a boatload of their smog. And, here is the kicker…the Japanese coastal waters are starting to glow like a poker in a blazing fire. Guess what, folks, the Japanese current runs like a runaway freight train right to British Colombia and then down the Pacific Northwest coastline!

I try not to be an alarmist, but, as usual, governments are hiding the truth and utilities are covering their butts. Sound familiar, it should, remember Three Mile Island? What a media fiasco that was. The Russians couldn’t hide Chernobyl because it was a nuclear explosion, for God’s sake, and radiation spiked like a moon rocket. That whole area is, and will always be, a dead zone not fit for man or beast, unless you want to grow three heads. I know none of this is funny, but I don’t know whether to put on suntan lotion or go hide in a hole.

As usual, We The People are being treated like mushrooms and are expected to take whatever our leaders dish out. Well, I’ve got a news flash for all politicians; up yours! While you are safely tucked away in your government bunkers, the people who pay your exorbitant salaries and perks will be dropping like flies. When you finally crawl out of your holes, life will be hard for you, just like it is for us now! Payback, butt heads, and it will be so sweet. The only way you are going to ride in your limousine is if you push it. Now that would be a sight to see.

I know this blog is an exaggeration, but damn, the whole situation is so frustrating. Japan is in the middle of a nuclear meltdown while we are fighting three wars and going bankrupt. About the time you think it can’t get any worse, it does…the Republicans have about fifty people thinking about running for president in 2012, instead of supporting a frontrunner who can beat President Obama and get him out of office before he sells our country down the path to ruin. The way things are looking, the Mayan calendar ending December 21, 2012, and all the doomsday predictions attributed to that date might be a blessing in disguise.

I’m just saying,

Mittster

Not Quartzsite Again!

Well, here I am again…stuck in the middle of “old folks” village, Quartzsite, Arizona. A few years ago I couldn’t even spell senior and now I are one. To make things worse, my free Internet here has disappeared, and that means I have to go down to the Senior Citizens’ Center for an Internet connection. Please tell me it isn’t so; it’s like looking into a mirror of truth when I go there and I can’t get used to the image I see. I better get used to it – May 13 is my 50th high school reunion and that mirror isn’t going to lie either! I’m not complaining about my place in life. In fact, I wouldn’t go back one second. Besides, even If I could, you can bet I would just screw up at a different level.

I remember when my mom was 68 and she complained that her body was falling apart at the seams while still housing a brilliant mind. I don’t know if my mind is brilliant, but you can bet it can still write a mean murder mystery – although I can’t find my truck keys half the time. My wife complains that men don’t age like women; she maintains that if men had babies, they too would look much older. That may be true, but I will not go to my grave with a pristine, unused body, and that is as it should be.

I find myself looking forward to conversations with my peers. Perhaps that is a sign that I am finally becoming comfortable with my age. I remember not too long ago when I didn’t like talking to people my own age because I didn’t want to admit that I was a senior. Besides, what could they tell me I didn’t already know? How silly is that, you are what you are. My peers also have a huge storehouse of knowledge that should be shared before they leave the planet. Holy crap, it really isn’t all about me, is it – when I learned that, I was able to release many things that made me anti-social.

This time of the year is a great time to be in Quartzsite. The traffic is much less congested because most of the vendors have packed up their tents and left along with all the motor home dealers. There are a few tents left, but even they will be getting out of Dodge before the desert heats up like a cheap frying pan. It won’t be long and this place will be a ghost town with only the hardiest souls staying to brave the 118 degree plus temperatures. It’s surprising how many seniors live here permanently now. You can bet they don’t go outside often and when they do, it’s only for a short while to stock up on grub and drink.

I will be coming back once a month throughout the summer to water trees and check on our small homestead. Personally, I love the heat and enjoy sitting in the afternoon shade sipping a cold soda while sweating like a stuffed pig in a sauna. Once a desert rat, always a desert rat; you can take the man out of the desert, but you can’t take the desert out of the man. I was watching Laurence of Arabia last night and I can understand why he (Laurence) loved the Arabian Desert so much. The Sonora Desert affects me much the same way, and it also explains why the back of my neck resembles old shoe leather….

Well, I’m off to the “old folks’ hangout” to get this blog posted and shoot the bull with the regulars. I may even learn something new today, which is usually the case.

Write on,

Mittster

The Power of Laughter

I really like it when someone posts on Facebook that they had a good laugh at something written by a friend. There is just not enough laughter in the world any more. Let’s face it, without the ability to laugh we lose our second most powerful communication tool. The first is love, and without that we are doomed.


I found my Friday laugh in a piece on YouTube called Troglodyte. It made me laugh loud and long. Afterward, I felt really good and the world seemed right for a time. Click on the title of this blog and see some of the scientific research being done concerning the real powers of laughter. I don’t know about you, but I need all the help I can get or the world comes crashing down on me with an overload of hate and discontent! Give me a freaking break – laughter does just that.


I think Friday should be a laughter holiday; what better way to get ready for the weekend. Bosses around the nation should have to back off and let the workers laugh to their heart's content. Sure, we still have to produce at work today, but I bet with laughter we will produce even more than usual. It would be good medicine for the bosses to laugh a little too, although I doubt they will produce any more than the usual, "bah humbug!"

Looking forward to the weekend is almost as good as the weekend itself, unless, of course, you have to work. In that case you need laughter even more than I. Can you imagine having Tuesday and Wednesday as a weekend? Who do you party and have fun with? Everyone is working while you cruise the lonely weeknight streets alone. No, you can’t quit – someone has to keep the world going so the rest of us can have great weekends. Sorry, Charlie, and keep up the good work….

I’m just saying,

Mittster

More WallyWorld Madness

Desecrating our flag should be a felony!












Not everyone can afford to get
married in Vegas you know!






I do not want to meet this lady in the men's room.

Don't these bimbos know that the real Jerry Garcia is dead?

Decedents of Genghis Khan...there goes the neighborhood!

I was going shopping until I saw this donkey

and bull show getting ready to go inside WallyWorld.

I told my wife that her mother was to old to be driving, but no...she wouldn't listen!

Flesh colored fanny pack and a tattoo...what more could you want in a woman?

OMG, please say it ain't so...a WallyWorld Lego Edition? Is nothing sacred anymore; my kids grew up playing with Legos! Who am I kidding, it was probably one of my kids who designed this thing....

Disclaimer: If any of these people, places or events resemble you...own up to it!

Amber Alert!

Have you seen this young girl? Her name is Ashley Flores
and she is missing! Call 911 if you have any information
concerning her whereabouts.

My 13 year old girl, Ashley Flores, is missing...
She has been missing for two weeks now..
Maybe if everyone passes this on, someone will see this
child.

That is how the girl from Stevens Point was found, by
circulation of her picture on TV..... The Internet circulates
even overseas, South America , and Canada etc.

Please pass this to everyone in your address book.
With GOD on her side, she will be found.

I am asking you all, begging you to please forward
this email on to anyone and everyone you know, PLEASE.

It is still not too late. Please help us. If anyone knows
anything, please contact me at:
HelpfindAshleyFlore s@yahoo.com

I am including a picture of her. All prayers are appreciated!!

It only takes 2 seconds to forward this...

If it was your child, you would want all the help you could get!!

Tattoo Anyone?

Now is an excellent time to get that tattoo you have always wanted. My son, the tattoo artist, is pictured above left. I know it’s against company policy where you work and your job is all you have to pay the rent and buy food, which is about all your money buys now-a-days. To some, the only reason they haven’t gotten a tattoo is because it will hurt and they don’t deal with pain very well. To those I say, “Yes, it hurts, but that’s part of the challenge. Get off your butt and have an artist put something on your body that tells the world what you stand for.”

When I was a construction manager and had to meet with clients, you would have never guessed I had tattoos. I would make sure they were all above my short sleeve dress shirts. That way when I would ride my Harley on weekends, I could wear body shirts and show off my style of tattoos. Screw company policy; what they don’t know won’t hurt them. I even had a magnetic earring. Having a pierced ear with a dangly hanging was really against Standard Operating Procedures! I finally got up the nerve to get my ear pierced for real and never looked back. I finally realized that if women can have earrings in the work place, so can a man and to say we can’t is discriminatory. I only had to use that argument once, and it worked.

Why am I standing on the soap box about getting tattoos? Mainly because in today’s chaotic world where governments would have us reduced to nothing but numbers so they can keep track of us, I want to stand out a little. I want people to know that I am different. I’m not talking about full body coverage (that’s just not my thing), but instead, just enough art to let the world know where I stand. I finally got the sleeve tattoo (pictured right) I always wanted and I have never regretted it. There is now no question that I am unique among men…my tat says so.

There are some who have no desire to have their skin become a billboard and that’s OK, I respect the fact that it isn’t for everyone and that we have the right to choose. But, for those of you that have always dreamed of wearing permanent art, there is no better time than now because the economy is down and tattoo artists have to eat too. Therefore their work is less costly and that means a big savings to you. If you are ever in San Luis Abispo, California, go to Traditional Tattoos and let my son Jon give you the best tat you will ever see! Go ahead, take the plunge…do something just for you. You’re worth it!

Write on,

Mittster

Beware: CNN & FNC On Board

As I crawl up from the depths of worry over earthquakes, tsunamis, radiation poisoning, disease, murder, rape, pillage and plunder, I sit here trying to find something nice and wonderful about the world we live in. Actually it’s not easy; my whole being is filled with CNN and FNC live newscasts. I don't even watch The Today Show anymore - Meredith and the gang are delayed a whole three hours now. Their show is filled with old news and I am hooked on live. “I want it live and I want it now!”

Good Lord, what have I become? It seems I am a live news junky and the gorier the better. I find myself wanting to see six nuclear reactors start heading for China just to see what would happen. How about a 1000 foot tsunami? I bet that would get the news reporters on the ground in Japan wishing they could fly! While we are at it, a nice neutron nuclear bomb smack dab on the palace in Tripoli would make great, real time, visual news and get rid of Kaddafi and his henchmen in one fell swoop. What about the innocent civilians and reporters, you might ask? The reporters knew the danger when they entered the city and there are no innocent citizens in Tripoli. I heard Wolf say so on CNN!

I know none of this is in any way funny; but I find myself thinking these thoughts and laughing inside my mind as I try to visualize the events. I hate to even admit to these thoughts - they make me seem cruel and uncivilized. I suspect it is a human nature thing, and that I should not take my daydreaming too seriously. After all, I am a writer of very descriptive and gory murder mysteries. My wife says I just have a very active imagination. Yes, that’s it; I am really a very nice person. No one has anything to fear from me…right?

I’m just saying,

Mittster

Survive a Mega-Quake

The History Channel is airing a program tonight about the possibility of a 10 mega-quake in the Midwest of the U.S.A. I, for one, am going to watch this program, not because I believe in doomsday rhetoric, but because earthquakes are a part of everyday life living on this planet.

There is no doubt that California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois and some southern states are due for a big one. If it happens on the Cascadia subduction zone in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Oregon and Washington, the whole Pacific Ring of Fire area can expect tidal waves of historic power and devastation, to say nothing of the damage it and the earthquake will cause coastal cities in northern California, Oregon and Washington. It is also no secret that the San Andreas fault in California is also due for a monster earthquake.

One might think that living in northern Arizona means safety from these events. Think again - we have a dormant volcano in the San Francisco Peaks and a mega-quake could bring the beast back alive to wreck havoc. California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska have huge volcanoes that also could be awakened after a mega-quake. Remember Mount St. Helen's? I do, and the lesson learned was that it can happen in your back yard.

Some would say you might as well kiss your booty good-bye if a mega-quake and/or a tsunami were to happen close to your town. One might even think, What’s the use in even trying to survive something as horrible as what the Japanese are now experiencing? The truth of matter is simply this; humans are survivors, even if they think they are not. You will instinctively try to survive a catastrophe whether you want to or not. Knowing this should encourage you to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best.

Instant video and voice communication make knowledge of catastrophic events known instantly in today's world. It would seem the world is falling apart at the seams. The truth is that instant communications are a phenomenon relatively new to the world scene and it only seems that these horrible events are just now starting to happen, when in reality they have been going on for millions if not billions of years. A short fifty years ago, you would only see the results of world disasters on Movietone News at your local theater weeks after the event happened. If a disaster happened in a remote area of the world, you might not hear about it at all. Now we see and hear about them in real time. The pressure of modern society weighs heavy on all of us and and there is no doubt that we are greatly affected by the horrible events we are being bombarded with on a daily basis.

A survival kit in the home, along with a supply of drinking water and packaged food, is actually a good idea. A similar kit in the family car makes sense too. Don't forget the T.P.

I'm just saying,

Mittster

Bringing Up Baby

Yes, we need to train our women
how to protect themselves early
in life, but this may be just a tad
early!

While we are at it, how about teaching our sons

how to ice fish so they can survive in a catastrophe!

Baby carriers make excellent road warning cones....

Babies are all loaded up for the trip to the park.

It's such a beautiful day for a ride.

"Honey, this was such a great idea.

We can all have fun together!"

Now these folks are doing their part in the fight against global warming!

When you live in the big city, learning to drive at a very early age is a must....

Teach your children how it feels to sit in an

electric chair so they won't grow up to be felons.

It's OK to gamble as long as

baby can't see what you are

doing.

Technology, ain't it great!

" We are almost to WallyWorld, baby, hold on!"

"Daddy told me if I help carry his beer I can have a sip or twelve later!!"

Jungle Riding Anyone?

I had always been interested in surfing Hawaii in my younger days, but never made it because I was too busy trying to earn a living in construction on the mainland, but I did manage to surf the coast of California and Mexico. I finally surfed Maui in 2004; better late than never. It was a great experience, but I knew right away that my surfing days were over when my arms felt like they were going to fall off from paddling out beyond the breakers. Out-of-shape was an understatement!

In the meanwhile, riding Harleys had become my passion and occasionally I would jump on someone’s dirt bike just for fun. I recently went to work for a building contractor from Hawaii who also lives in Sedona, Arizona. After a couple of weeks, I learned that his passion was dirt bikes, and that his favorite place to ride was in the jungles of the big island of Hawaii. Holy smokes, riding dirt bikes in a jungle never occurred to me, but now that I think about it, why not, they ride everywhere else on earth.

I had the opportunity to see Kevin’s (my boss) dirt bike and I was impressed. Immediately I had the urge to ride it, but I kept the thought to myself. I am very nervous of any motorcycle that is so tall that your feet don’t touch the ground. Still, fantasies of riding the red rock country of Arizona danced in my head, along with the jungles of Hawaii.

Oh, brother, is this going to turn out to be something else my wife can worry about? I keep telling her that if I croak, she will be able to collect insurance money and not have to worry anymore about my crazy stunts. Her reply is always the same, “With my luck, you won’t croak and instead turn into a veggie. I will then have to take care of you for the rest of my born days!” I don’t understand her attitude; she already does that now….

Write on,

Mittster

Chivalry

The recent firing of Gilbert “the Aflac Duck” Gottfried from his lucrative TV ad gig doesn’t surprise me much. He is not alone when it comes to not-so-funny remarks made about the Japanese people. These remarks are bad enough during normal times, but unforgivable during these tragic times for all of Japan and its people. To us commoners, Mr. Gottfried’s comments seem beyond stupid, but I think the answer to his stupidity might be tied to the past.

I was born during WWII, and grew up in postwar southern California. The small town of Escondido was, and still is, a conservative community. I went from the first grade through high school in a community that prided itself as a bastion of Republican politics. We lived a great outdoor lifestyle wearing shorts and flip-flops all summer, while enjoying the ocean and mountains nearby. It was the perfect place for kids to grow up and thinking about it makes me smile.

Even though my dad had been in the Navy and had seen some really horrible things in the Pacific campaign, he rarely talked about it. I never heard one derogatory statement concerning the Japanese ever come out of his mouth. This was not the case for the kids that lived across the street. Their father was a career marine who constantly berated his children right along with the Japanese and later on, the Koreans. At the time, I had no idea that there was a flipside to our lifestyle, and that the next-door neighbors had friends who also believed that the only good Japanese was a dead Japanese.

This point was illustrated one day while I was riding the bus home from school. Suddenly, the kid nextdoor started a fist fight with a Japanese girl named Shirley. I instinctively jumped up and intervened like a knight in shiny armor. I couldn’t believe that a boy would start a fight with a girl in the first place, and I certainly didn’t understand the Japanese connection. It wasn’t until much later in life that I was able to understand that the boy had been brainwashed into hating the Japanese by his father.

I wonder how many kids, that are now my age, grew up hating the Japanese and Germans. War is a natural breeding ground for hatred and that hatred, unfortunately, is passed from generation to generation. Even though senseless acts of discrimination by people like Mr. Gottfried occur, I do wonder if he too had been brainwashed. There is no excuse given or inferred by me; had I been present when Mr. Gottfried made his asinine statement, rest assured he would have been facing, yet again, a knight in shining armor!

I’m just saying,

Mittster

Imagine

Imagine the world as one...perhaps now is the opportunity that the world has been waiting for….

I used to think that there were only two sides to the coin of life – good and evil, and good always triumphed over evil. I also believed that life was fair to those who worked hard and tried to live a good life. I was wrong on both accounts; life is not fair and good does not always triumph over evil. What is happening in Japan right now is an example of bad things happening to good people.

If we, as a world body, can stop pointing fingers, admonishing others, advocating Armageddon, blaming this disaster on the sins of man, preaching that it is God’s will, or the Devil’s will, or the terrorist’s will, shaking our fists that it was caused by global warming, and all the other rantings that are counterproductive and only serve to perpetuate fear and panic, then it is clear that this whole situation was triggered by a natural event. That event was a nine point earthquake – all the other disasters are the effect of that one, single event.

Should we reevaluate nuclear plants built on fault lines and near coastal areas prone to tsunamis? Absolutely, and post haste. Should we turn off all the nuclear plants in the world? No, the earth’s environment could not handle the increase of fossil fuel use; nor can the global economy handle the loss of energy. Should we put a moratorium on building more fission reactor power plants? Yes, we should until safe fusion reactors are a reality. Science is close to unlocking the safe power of fusion reaction. If we spent half as much money on perfecting fusion reaction as this one disaster in Japan will cost to clean up, we could be building those safe plants as we speak.

Is there hope for our planet? Of course, but there is only one catch. We must work together to solve our human problems, or the earth will go on without us. At this point, I am not too sure we deserve the chance….

I’m just saying,

Mittster

Detroit Wins Again!

TODAY'S HEADLINE:

"DETROIT’S FALL CAR LINEUP TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF JAPAN’S CURRENT DISASTER!"

I'm just saying,

Mittster

Praying For Japan

Its official – Japanese Power Company + Japanese Government = Bevis and Butthead comedy routine!

I haven’t heard this much bull crap coming from a power company and government since the 1979 Three Mile Island incident in the U.S. I can’t wait for the mudslinging and finger pointing that is sure to happen after this mess settles down, if it ever settles down. The whole media fiasco from the government and the utility company probably only bothers outsiders; the people of Japan are too busy trying to stay alive.

In the meanwhile, I am jumping up and down screaming, “Tell the Japanese people the truth for God’s sake; it’s only governments that can’t handle the truth!” As I sit here pondering my last quote, I wonder if we really could handle the truths that governments hide routinely? That question is slated for a future blog…. In the meanwhile, I am praying that the utility company is able to avert a total nuclear meltdown for the sake of the Japanese people and all the foreign relief workers, to say nothing of countries down-wind from the reactors.

I’m just saying,

Mittster

Everything Else Seems Irrelevant Today

Everything in Camp Verde, Arizona, seems irrelevant today. I was lying awake at two a.m. this morning thanking God for our little house, food in a refrigerator that actually works, and cars in the carport that have gas and are able to be driven somewhere if need be. I was also thankful for an outside temperature of fifty one degrees and clear skies with stars shining bright.

The news from Japan, and other world events, always make me realize just how fortunate we are to be living in America, and how that fortune could change in an instant if a ten point earthquake on the San Andreas Fault in California or somewhere else in our country were to happen. God only knows how many nuclear plants and/or dangerous laboratories dot the landscape just in California, let alone the rest of the country. I really don’t want to know….

I am personally compressing happiness into what is happening each minute of every day, instead of worrying about what happiness I might have tomorrow, next week or next year. We need to grab each second of life and enjoy it while we can. Hold every loved one close and never let go, especially our children and the elderly. Grasp at love like it is being ripped from your heart, because you never know when your true love will be taken from you.

In these days of great sorrow for the people of Japan, I rejoice in the knowledge that the rest of the world has an opportunity to come together as human beings in love and understanding. Let’s not miss this chance to correct those things which threaten not just one country, but all countries on the planet. Let us work in earnest to put aside our religious, political and ethnic differences; after all, our survival as a species depends on it. This fact should be evident to all peoples of the world.

A global catastrophe could easily blast civilization back to the Stone Age in the blink of an eye. I do not believe the human race has come this far just to be eliminated from the scheme of things on planet earth. Our salvation will come from how we treat each other and the power of our science. We are on the cusp of great scientific breakthroughs which have the potential to bring mankind out of the dependency of using fossil and nuclear fuels. I am sure these discoveries will come none too soon.

In the near term, I am sure the world community will do its part in Japan’s recovery. In the meantime, let’s stop slinging mud at each other here at home and try to make our vulnerable areas safer for when the “Big One” hits our shores…which it will someday.

I’m just saying,

Mittster

USS Ronald Reagan

It must be of great comfort to the Japanese people to see the mightiest war ship on the planet docked in their harbor, knowing that the ship is there to use its awesome power of death to bring about the power of life. What they don't see is the strike group that always accompanies the carrier a short distance offshore. This group constitutes the most deadly arsenal afloat or beneath any ocean and stands ready to be of assistance to Japan in their time of need, and to let other countries know it is unwise to think of any aggression while Japan is on its knees.

I liken the deployment of the USS Ronald Reagan to the starship USS Enterprise orbiting around a Federation planet preparing to help them in their time of need. It may be an unrealistic comparison, but it does illustrate the dual purpose of every branch of our military. They (the military) are not warmongers always looking for an excuse to wage war, but instead, they are men and women who understand what a fragile world we live on and the horror of leaders who would try to rule our world through fear, torture, and death.

As I sit here pondering the fate of the Japanese people, reactor meltdowns, global health and financial repercussions, the picture of the USS Ronald Reagan in Japan’s port gives me reassurance and comfort also. I have had the honor of being a guest aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vincent while my daughter served in the Navy. I came away from that “Tiger Cruise” amazed at the dedication of our young men and women who serve our country. They are ready and willing to serve not only in war, but in a humanitarian role as well, just like they are now doing in Japan.

Would you and I volunteer to go to Japan right now considering the dangers from radiation and disease? I freely admit I would rather just send money. The men and women aboard the ships of the strike force understand very well the risks they are now facing, as do the many volunteers from other countries that are there to help find survivors. A risky business indeed…and that is an understatement!

While I dare not think of the global impact this disaster could have on the rest of the world, I must admit the spirit of the Japanese people is inspirational. While I sit here worrying about my future, the people of Japan are digging in and starting to repair their country. Even though they know that thousands of their countrymen have perished, the one and only goal is to rebuild. Let us all pray that nuclear radiation does not prevent that from happening. If the unthinkable should happen, our home is open to as many of our Japanese friends as will fit….

I’m just saying,

Mittster

Japan

Let’s all pray for the people of Japan in their time of need. They are one of the countries in the world that would help us if our positions were reversed. Someday that could very well be the case!

Write on,

Mittster

Tidal Wave

One thing Japan doesn’t need (or anywhere else for that matter) is a monster earthquake and a corresponding tidal wave. My heart goes out to the Japanese people during this catastrophe. The loss of life and property will be enormous and I hope all free countries of the world will help with the recovery.

I know the doomsday weirdoes will jump on this story like the plague and start ranting and raving about the apocalypse, when, in reality, one only has to study about the Pacific ring of fire to understand why large earthquakes occur in the region. Thank God for the extensive tsunami warning system in the Pacific Ocean which has enabled officials to warn Hawaii and other places of the impending tidal wave. Indonesia did not have a tsunami warning system in place in the Indian Ocean when devastating 100 foot waves killed hundreds of thousands without warning in 2004.

I use to be a surfer in my youth, but now, the ocean scares me senseless. It’s not that tidal waves didn’t happen in the ‘60s, they did, but we just didn’t hear about them. I remember surfing some incredible 20 foot surf at Wind & Sea in La Jolla, California; maybe it was made possible by an earthquake in Japan. I wonder if the surfers are waxing their boards in Hawaii right now. I bet they are – idiots!

I’m just saying,

Mittster

Charlie Sheen

Like most Americans, I don’t understand how the deaths of our young men and women in Afghanistan and Iraq can be ignored by the press in this country, while the drug-induced rantings of a movie star is front page news. Rather than complain about the situation, I started researching Charlie Sheen on Google. Of course, I don’t know Charlie Sheen personally; research was necessary so I could even know his media persona. I admit that I have never really been a fan - after all, his father is in my generation. I was a fan (and still am) of Martin Sheen long before Charlie was even thought of.

While researching the life of Charlie Sheen, it became obvious that nicotine, alcohol and drugs have always been a part of Charlie’s teen and adult life. His father also abused drugs and alcohol, but never to the extent of his son. It’s no secret that Charlie has a temper and it is intensified through his drinking and use of amphetamines. How do I know he is using meth, or coke, or both? Because you can stick a glass eye in a monkey’s butt and see the results every time he speaks in the media blitz interviews.

As I researched the movie life of Charlie Sheen, I started to become a fan, more or less, in the sense that he has a definite appeal. Handsome, funny and smart, Charlie started to make me feel good inside. I learned to like his camera persona and looked forward to seeing more; that is, until he started to make headlines with very bad behavior.

The interesting thing is that now I feel sorry for a very out-of-control young man, who is heading for disaster at breakneck speed. The waste of even one person’s potential is a tragedy. While trying to understand the motives of a spoiled rotten Hollywood star, I found Charlie Sheen’s humanity hiding inside a drug-induced wild man.

I have watched the same thing happen to some of my family and even myself in my early drinking years. Meth almost destroyed one of my daughters and coke devastated one of my sisters. Watching Charlie Sheen on television news is like watching a rerun movie of family members who were sucked into addiction, and for a long time were smarter than everyone trying to help them – just like Charlie. I find myself liking Charlie Sheen. Not the wild looking person I see on the news, but rather, the great actor he can be and has been in the past. For the sake of his children, I can only pray that intervention happens soon, before someone really gets physically hurt or worse. There is no denying that emotional damage has already been done to his family and friends, but it’s not too late to reverse course and head back to reality….

I’m just saying,

Mittster

Colorado Memories

A lot has happened since this fantastic motorcycle ride to Colorado in 2006. The world went into deep recession, Bernie Madoff raped and plundered the stock market, home foreclosures devastated the housing market, I and millions of others were laid off, and to make matters worse, I sold my Harley so I could write and publish murder mysteries.

Don’t get me wrong, selling the Harley was my choice. Construction was dead, and writing had become my new passion. I managed to write, Evil in the Mirror ,much to the surprise of everyone, including myself. My second book, Day Stalker, was published in January of this year. Both books have five star reviews and hopefully they will, someday, start selling in mass quantities. Of course, that is the dream of all newbie authors.

While walking the dogs yesterday, it was obvious that spring was coming to Arizona. The sky was deep blue, sun warm, and the sounds of singing birds filled the air. I heard the unmistakable roar of a Harley-Davidson in the distance and riding memories immediatley flooded my mind as I looked toward the snow-capped San Francisco Peaks jutting high above Flagstaff. This, in turn, reminded me of Harley trips to the high country of Colorado that my brother, Walt, son Jay and his wife, Shannon, and others made every August. Our group was always small so that we could enjoy the wonders of the majestic Rocky Mountain Range without the confusion of a large group.

God, I miss the fresh, pine-scented air assaulting my senses like fine, imported wine. The cold wind in my face intoxicated me with its aroma, while the sun felt warm and inviting. Sometimes I would have to refocus on riding the curvy mountain roads as if coming out of a sublime hypnosis. It would not be good to get too enchanted by the mountain’s siren lure; the bottoms of the canyons are thousands of feet below.

They say that motorcycles are addictive – I know this to be true, because I am still withdrawing from riding’s spell. It’s all good though, because as long we are alive we must follow the paths we choose, and my new path is one of excitement, challenge and extreme gratification when a book in finished. And, it’s OK to fall back into the siren’s spell for a time and ride into the sunset "on" fantastic memories.

Write on,

Mittster