Six kids jump one kid. That's BS! If you can't whip someone on your own then keep your mouth shut and stay back. Enter the "Jena 6". Six black kids jump a white kid and beat the crap out of him. It's a crime. Had it been the other way around it would be a crime. It doesn't matter who did what to instigate the altercation..It's a crime. The only difference here is that since it was a white kid that was beaten it isn't considered a hate crime, even though it is painfully obvious that it is. Had it been six white kids jumping a black kid, these same people crying for the courts to release and dismiss all charges against these boys would be crying for the harshest possible punishments for the white kids and there would be a media circus culminating in a movie and book deal and who would be there to cry out for teh white kids? Not many people I assure you. Say what you like about us, but we tend to call a spade a spade. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time and we don't care what color you are or what side of the tracks you are from.

This fracas took place in December and no deadly weapons were employed. It was a simple case of racial tension overflowing the cup in a town with a long history of black vs. white problems. Nooses in trees, cross burnings, blacks sitting on one side of the auditorium, whites on the other. City governments and schools can't force people to get along and this place is proof positive. The white kid in question was alleged to have been involved in a cross burning and other disgusting racial behavior, but that is a problem for the law to deal with. It does not make it OK for the black kids to decide to prosecute his crime! If the law doesn't follow through with it's obligation, bring on the marchers and protesters and I'll be on their side. Crowd the steps of the courthouse, police station, City Hall and the State Capitol, but leave justice, in or out of order, to those we have put in the positions to do so.

Vigalante justice sounds sweet to a victim and their family, but anarchy is a bad idea and it only invites more violence on both sides of an issue until, at some point, the original issue is lost in all the background noise. What happened in Jena was a terrible thing and those responsible should be punished, plain and simple. The lawful and legal end of it should have nothing to do with race and I hope the courts stick to their guns. I have said before, and I restate now, Until people on BOTH sides stop pointing at lines of race, they will never fade away.

All's fair in media and war...Or is it?

Tuesdays paper ran a color photo of a mother in Iraq holding her dead six year old son who was killed in an insurgent ambush. It was a heart and gut wrenching shot that anyone would sympathize with and it emphasized the horror of war. It has become pretty common for the media to run this type of shot, seemingly to evoke outrage against the war. Then on the bottom of page three, as they are every day, are the names of those killed in Iraq.

Where are the shots of the dead insurgents? Where are the body counts, even if just ballparked, of our enemy? Why is it that we are subjected every day to what the war is costing us, but rarely if ever, kept apprised of what this war is costing the enemy? A number I guarantee far outnumbers our losses, just as it has been in every war we have fought in the last 100 years.

War is an ugly and horrible thing and civilized societies disdain its use. Our present enemy however, has no problem with warring against anyone, military or civilian. It's what unites them and divides us, which gives them the upper hand psychologically and that is bad for us. We prove the point everyday by running shots like the one I mentioned and the stats that seem to do nothing but arouse negative sentimient in an already divided nation. Why is it that the media seems to enjoy spreadin misery among our own while they ignore, and in many cases, sympathize with an enemy intent on wiping us from the face of the planet?

So, to all those who think sharing the personal misery and devastation of Americans and innocents with the public while ballyhooing about showing anything involving the misery of our enemy, don't preach to me about fairness and equality in reporting the news. There is nothing fair or impartial about what the media reports because, as usual, they tell us what they want us to know and they seem to want us to know that we are losing the war, which is not only untrue, but detrimental and disrespectful to those actually fighting the war.

It's been a long time since I went to a Sports Bar to actually watch sports. They are generally crowded with people who are not really interested in sports but go there because the place is trendy and all theye really want is to be in the company of other trendy people. They make a lot of noise, clog the bar and take up the cocktail waitresses time. A bar full of actual sports fans would too, but at least they'd be there for the right reason! Well..I went to one last Saturday to actually watch a game.

I have never watched an entire College Football game in my life. I have never known anyone who played for a college team and the rules are so different from the NFL that I would be lost half the time, so it just never interested me. Enter my grandson, Ryan Mathews, who started playing for Fresno State this year on his full ride. Now I am interested in, at least, Fresno State and WAC football! I doubt I will keep up with any other schools or conferences, but if Saturday is any indication of what is to come in regards to Ryan and FSU, I am in for a great time!

My daughter had told me she heard that a place called "Replay" here in Bako was going to show the FSU vs. A&M game so I called tham and was guaranteed by the owner if I showed up, he'd play it, so come Saturday I put on my Bulldogs shirt and headed down about 11:30 to save a good table for my former wife(Ryan's Gramma and still one of my closest friends) and my best friend and his gal. I figured the place would be jumping, but it was deserted, so I had my pick of tables!

The first thing I noticed about the place was its beautiful and well kept interior and the great layout. Then I noticed the very good looking and friendly bartender and waitresses(dressed in referee shirts and mini skirts). Then I noticed the two BIG screens on one wall and the dozen or more smaller screens on every other wall in the place. When I asked if they were going to show the FSU game the bartender went in the other room to find out and returned with Bubba, the owner. He came and introduced himself and remembered that I had called earlier in the week about the game. He had one of his guys go back and set the BIG screen up for the game.

I ordered a drink and started talking with the staff, who were all very friendly and engaged me in my usual bragging about Ryan. Eventually Bev, Don and Danielle showed up and we took a table. Bubba came by and talked with us awhile about the place and how it operates on the Bar and nightclub sides and listened some more to our talk of Ryan.

I have heard a few negative things about this place where it's nighclub is concerned, like the $20 cover, but I say that keeps the punks and riff raff out, not to mention the broke asses who spend all their money on bling then go to high end nightclubs and don't buy anything. The cover ensures the club can cover costs. It really doesn't matter to me because I am not really a nightclub guy, but I can say this about the Sports bar. It rocks! It's comfortable and big. The staff are very good at what they do and the gals who work there are all hotties with sexy outfits.

Drinks cost what they do everywhere else but most sports bars are smaller and get very congested. This place is huge. Customers came and went throughout the day and none batted an eye as we ranted, raved and jumped out of our seats as our Grandson came in the game at running back, scored a TD and led the team in rushing even though he only played in the third quarter. Thye staff seemed to enjoy us and were happy for Ryan too since he is a local boy and a grandson of now regular game watching patrons.

I'm hoping this blog and word of mouth helps fill some tables there on the coming weekends(they have the NFL games on Sundays as well)and that when I present a copy of this to Bubba, he remembers us and always has the FSU game on one of the BIG screens! I highly recommend Replay to local sports fans who enjoy getting out of the house to watch a game in good company at fun, nice establishments. It's on the corner of Buck Owens Blvd and Rio Mirada and if you go, remember .."GO BULLDOGS AND RYAN MATHEWS #21"!

I rarely agree with anything the Sierra Club supports, does or has to say, but this time I am on their side. They, along with the Teamsters and most Americans, are opposing the plan to allow Mexican trucking companies to send trucks more than twenty five miles into the United States for the first time since 1982. There were a few reasons the Reagan administration curtailed their activities back then, not the least of which were safety issues, none of which, I am sure, have been addressed by the Mexican government.

The Bush administrations reversal of this regulation is a very bad idea. Mexico is notorious for its lax standards where everything(except illegal immigration INTO Mexico)is concerned, especially its transportation industry. I have seen trucks from Mexico that were, outwardly, fine, and I have seen them at the other end of the spectrum. There is no way to prove that the drivers are properly trained and licensed or that they, as stipulated in the new agreement, read and speak English. There simply isn't the regulation in Mexico that exists here. That's not to say that all trucks here would pass muster, but the vast majority will where the opposite is true for these Mexican rattletrap behemoths clamoring to be the next to crapshoot into our heartland. There is also the problem of these trucks being used to smuggle illegals and drugs into the country to points far enough north that the Border Patrol won't be there to bother with them and it won't be the industry itself doing the smuggling, but the drivers taking money for the jobs. It already happens regularly. Sorry Lionel Martinez and Reuben Navarrette, but it's just the way it is. It's not personal or racial, it's just that Mexican industry has a bad reputation for a reason and Mexican smuggling operations have been a reality for decades. They started and perpetuate the problems. I am not the one who caused it, but I will sound off about it.

President Bush is continuing to make terrible decisions where America's health is concerned in the name of, in my opinion, building an Hispanic voting base and all it is costing the rest of us, the middle class stiffs, is jobs, and ALL of us, our safety on the road and a contineing slide down the slope of drug problems and the violence inherent in that area. I guess that's not a bad trade off for Mexico, but what do we get out of the deal? Nothing, it would appear.

It will be interesting to see what happens after the one year "trial period" is up and what the next administration will about the issue, but I fear that as usual, nothing will be done no matter which side wins and for no other reason than they would rather keep winning than keep our roads, cities, kids and jobs safe here in America. Whatta sham!

You gotta love the French..or do you? The new PM, Nicolas Sarkozy, has stated for the record, that Iran is in danger of being attacked militarily if they do not toe the line the internationl community has suggested they do where their nuclear program is concerned. WOW! I call that a bold move for a government that has, historically, capitulated to every thug who has happened into the path of global politics. OH! WAIT! He also said that France would NOT be involved nor would they even support tacitly such an action. Well..That makes more sense. Kinda like telling the block bully that he's gonna get his butt kicked, just not by you!

Once again it appears that France, and the world in general at some point, will be calling on America to do its dirty work..as usual. There is a very real and serious problem brewing in Iran and nobody wants to act against it(except Israel, of course), but they want us to do something about it so they can sit back and see if all goes well and smoothly. If it does they can say they were behind us(WAY behind)all the way and if it goes badly they can blame us for the mess and say we were(a. interferring in a soveriegn nations affairs. (b. involving ourselves in a civil war. (c. fighting a war for oil. (d carrying out a legacy's agenda. (e. just being bullies (f. all of the above OR just pick a nasty, derogatory catch phrase and run with it. Kinda sound familiar? Everyone on earth agreed that Saddam needed to be dealt with(even the liberals here at home), but when we actually did something about it we were castigated and dashed against the rocks in world opinion. A violent, murderous, genocidal madman and his government have been deposed and can never come to power again. Any concept or notion of that regime or nation becoming a nuclear power or amassing any sort of WMD have been smashed and though the region is still unstable, it is MUCH safer for the world in general. Kind of what France wants to see happen with Irans current menagerie of whackos.

We are the most powerful nation, as a whole, on earth and everyone knows it. Even China and Russia with all the sabre rattling don't dare mess with us outside the battle of words. The worls will always look to us when the crap hits the fan in their backyard, even if they started it, or some bully like Hitler, Mussolini, Hussein, and now Uncle Tom are threatening to take the joint over. I don't have a problem with that. SOMEBODY will always have to step up and for the last hundred years it has been America. That's OK. We're up to the task as long as we are allowed to actually fight a war in the theatre of operations and not in the newspapers or campaigns, I just get tired of the America bashing by those who have, and will continue to seek our support and help.

Sorry for the delay folks..it was unavoidable!

Installment # 4 Day 5 of the ME trip

Day five started early. I got up at 6:30, packed and called Ed, who gave me directions to the harley shop in Phoenix, Ore where I snagged a shirt then met Ed at his house. The plan was to have breakfast together and catch up, but once we started talking at his house, we ended up just hanging there and having some coffee. I hadn't talked to Ed in nearly ten years and the hour or so I had planned on spending with him turned into three. Once we were all caught up and current on numbers and such, I headed down to where his wife, Kathy, worked and spent some time talking with er as well. It was really great to see them again! I stopped on the way out of town and had a late breakfast then hit I-5 north to Grants Pass where I would catch 199 south and start my journey home.

I gassed up at Grants Pass, had a propel and hit 199, which ended up being a very cool highway except for the heavy traffic which included lots of trucks. As with all the roads I had been on since I left the Californias Central Valley, it was in great condition. I stopped at a small town called Kirbyville and checked out a small but interesting museum there and shed some leather as the temperature began to move into the 90s. I encoutered two construction delays at bridges and got to bake in the open sun for about 5 minutes each time. Somebody told me it was always cool in Oregon...They LIED!

After about sixty miles the road began climbing back uo into the Redwood forests of southwest Oregon and it started cooing off rapidly. Soon I was on a curvy, steep, congested, two lane section of the road that resembled 101 in California. It became completely shaded and soon enough I had to pull over and leather up again. I loved it! The smells and sights of these awesome forests will be something I carry with me forever.

I sat on a mossy old sequoia stump and watched traffic as I sipped another propel and pondered some of the things I had noticed about Northern Calif and Oregon that were very different than So. Cal. One was that there are hitchikers everywhere up there. I must have seen dozens of them. You see the odd hitcher in So. Cal, but they are generally not people with whom I would care to share a confined space! The thumbers up there looked like your average Joe just looking for a ride down the road. Another thing I noticed was that the drivers up there were very courteous. They never rode my ass and they pulled into turnouts or waved me around to let me by almost without exception. The ones who didn't were probably from So. Cal.!

I hit the road after about a thirty minute break and enjoyed the scenery at a leisurely pace in moderate traffic. 199 spilled suddenly out of the dense forest and onto 101 South just above Crescent City, Ca where I stopped, snapped a couple of pix then headed down the coast. The hiway moved inland just south of Crescent City stealing the views of the spectacular No. Cal Coast so I shifted into "time making" mode and clicked it up a notch. It was cool and clear but I started feeling like a brew after an hour and started looking for a spot to chill a bit. Through the towns of Requa and Klammath with no luck, a couple of spots without names..no luck. Then just as I was about to give up I rolled through Orick and spotted a Biker Bar. The real thing too.

It was called "Hawg Wild". It had a really cool graffiti style paint job and I knew I would like when I saw the burnout marks on the floor. I was told they had burnout competitions inside now and again. The urinal in the Men;s room had handlebars over it should you need the extra balance or just feel the need to grab something else..I passed, but took a pic anyway. The owner, a rider named Mark, was also a Raiders fan and had teh place decorated in NFL memorabalia, heavily accented in Raiders. I wasn't that hungry when I walked in, but the smells from the kitchen were overpowering! He asked if I wanted a burger or a steak. I went with the burger. He served them just the way I like them. Mayo only! He said the exact thing I always say about veggies on a burger.."If I want a F*^&ing salad, I'll order one, I want some meat"! We don't look alike, but we sure could be twins in every other way! It was a great burger and after that and two Bud's it was time to get back on the road.

Traffic was moderate but smooth all the way down to Eureka where I hit the Harley shop and grabbed a shirt for my buddy, Don and one for me. Having lost 40 pounds in the last couple of years, I need to rebuild my Harley wardrobe...Yeah..that's it..That's a good excuse for spending 25-45 bucks for long and short sleeved t-shirts!

The traffic on 101 through Eureka was an absolute madhouse so I was glad I was back in Calif. so I could split lanes and get through the mess quickly. I didn't know there were that many people north of Sacramento, let alone in just one city! The traffic persisted all the way to Ferndale then the road opened up and I made great time all the way down to Fortuna where I stopped for gas and to check messages. My ex had texted me asking for a pic of a sunset ovet the ocean. I wasn't sure I could make it to the coast by sundown and figured I'd send her one over the forests wherever I was. I headed out and gassed it down the 101 till I hit the exit to Phillipsville on the Avenue of the Giants. Mark at Hawg Wild had suggested it as a rest stop as his buddy was the owner and I was in need of a butt rest and a beer. I checked out my map as I sipped the Bud and realized I wasn't that far from the Hiway 1 junction so I jumped on the HOG and blasted down 101 trying to beat the sunset over the water.

I got on the 1 at Legget, Ca and was almost instantly hit with the realization that I may not make it after all. This was a super tight road. It was a blast until I got behind some goofball on a Harley(I was embarrassed for the breed)who was riding like it was his first ride even though he decked out in everything Harley sells..Maybe a even more reason to believe he was a newbie, but I think he was just a wuss! He was holding up two SUV's and a motorhome! It was still a great riders road some very spectacular scenery. It was shaded and very cool and as I neared the coast I could see the coastal overcast above me. It appeared there would be no sunset pix for Bev.

The road twisted through a couple of towns, Hollow Tree and Rockport, then past a couple of ranches then through a ravine and then popped up up and around a curve, suddenly overlooking the ruggedly beautiful Mendocino Coast. I really had to pee and figured I'd stop and take care of that when suddenly the overcast broke and a brilliant strip of sunset appeared. I whipped out my cell phone and snapped a shot. I was about to wet my britches so I took care of that then rummaged through my bag for my digital to get a better shot of the sunset, but before I could, the clouds closed up again and it was all gone leaving nothing but the gloom of the approaching coastal evening. I guess God just wanted Bev to get her pic!

It was getting dark and foggy and I had no idea where I was. I was tired and needed to get a room. I stopped in a hamlet called Westport and checked a room out there, but it had no cooler or fan of any sort for the white noise I need to sleep soundly(another of my idiosyncracies)and there was no place to eat so I continued another 20 miles down the coast to Fort Bragg where I discovered there were no roomes anywhere with coolers or fans. I grabbed a room that smelled of smoke even though it was non-smoking, just as happened in Weed, grabbed some dinner and crashed out using the TV as my friend..I slept as fitfully as I had in Weed. Day five was at and end.