A cyber-friend of mine had to take custody of his two granddauters ( 3 and 4) because of the mother's mistreatment.  The mother was divorced, but shared custody of the girls.  One of the little girls ended up in the hospital showing bruising and malnutrition.  My friend, his wife and their son intervened and gained custody of the girls.  My friend posted the following:

We had a lot of "moments" during the last week, but a couple last night when we had both girls safely with us at a motel in [redacted] really brought up evidence of what condition and how much healing time it's going to take.... [redacted], the older girl, was sitting on Grandma's lap last night and asked Grandma if she had food in her house. Grandma assured her she had food, the [redacted] asked what Grandma was going to do when the food was gone and Grandma of course told her she'd go to the store and get more..... Then [redacted] asked if this meant here and "Sissy" would get to eat every day!!!!!  Kind of a real eye opener on just how tough these two little angels have had things when they're not even sure there is going to be food for them to eat....and on the way home one of our stops was at McDonalds (of course) for some lunch. [redacted] sat across the table from [redacted] when we were eating and her first question was if all this food (Cheeseburger, fries, and milk) was just for her....and could she eat it all now or did she have to save some of it for tomorrow!!!! A child not yet 3 years old should never have to worry about when their next meal is coming!!!!

A good ending, but heart-rending to read.

Poor Barry . . .

. . . when can he talk?

September 7?

Sure, why not?

Uhhh . . . we didn't know it was opposite the Republican debate. 

Well, let's move it to the next day.

You mean it's opposite the NFL opener?  Who knew?

Object lesson to Barry and staff:  Stupidity is not an excuse for incompetence.

"When the debate is lost . . .
. . . slander becomes the tool of the loser."

"The interesting question is: What is it about this president that has stripped away the veneer of respect that normally accompanies the Office of the President? Why do Republicans think this president is unpresidential and should dare to request this kind of thing? It strikes me that it could be the economic times, it could be that he won so big in 2008 or it could be, let's face it, the color of his skin. This is an extraordinary reaction to a normal sequence of events," MSNBC contributor Richard Wolffe said on "The Last Word."

Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind.), the CBC whip, told attendees at a recent CBC jobs event that Tea Party lawmakers "would love to see you and me ... hanging on a tree."

Point made, I believe, without further evidence.

Naples has a couple of problems . . .

. . . one is trash.

The Camorrah can't seem to get their act together.  This is where I have to go to dump my household trash.  Thankfully, it's a few miles from where we live.  This view isn't all of it.  I'm parked near the middle.

This is looking forward.

 This is looking to the rear.

Oh, and those "ladies" back there.  They are not working for the trash hauler.  That's their appointed spot to work, if you get my drift.  In the old west, they called them "soiled doves."  Working out of a dump site gives new meaning to the term.

Gino . . .

. . . died yesterday in his sleep.  He was only 50.

Last Wednesday, my commander and I visited Gino and his family in the hospital.  That night, his heart stopped for 30 seconds.  He died peacefully in his sleep Saturday evening.

Protest . . .

. . . not me.

Sixty-six years ago, the United States rained hell on Hiroshima.  People argue about the necessity of the atomic bomb, and the horrible effect on the civilian population.  Unfortunately, the citizen populations of most of the countries in the world were already affected, and none were more responsible for those atrocities than the Japanese Empire.  The good Book says something abut sowing and reaping, and this was the crop they gathered.

Activists will mark the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan with a protest near Vandenberg Air Force Base's main gate today.  Approximately two dozen people will gather about 1 p.m. in front of the base.

Let them gather.  Their right to do so was in no small way guaranteed by that event on August 6, 1945.  I will ignore the protests, as I always do, and I will post this photo every year on this day as long as I can punch a keyboard.

Gino . . .

. . . is back in intensive care. 

Damage from the heart attack was severe, and his heart is operating at about 20%.  His blood oxygen level is depressed, and he has fluid in his lungs. He also may have also had either a stroke or blood deprivation to his brain.

It does not look good.