Savannah has tasked me with answering the meme of 8. Eight questions about blogging. I can never resist a challenge so here are my answers. Your mileage may very-but this is mine:
1. Why did you start blogging?
I began this blog out of a sense of frustration responding to a huge personal disappointment in my life; created by nothing but sheer stupidity on the part of other people……..on the part of the “big bad establishment”. My disgust with their simplistic trying to slot people into molds, set me off on the path of blogging to begin with.
As time passed, however, my ideas for blogging-and the topics I wanted to talk about changed over time as my interests changed. While I was still in Asia and living in the promised land-I wanted to split evenly my discussion of the sheer joy of being an expat overseas with my commentaries on American politics and its continuing descent into ignorance. And of course I wanted to comment (repeatedly) on the sheer folly of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. After returning to the US-the “fun factor” had dropped dramatically, so I began to turn my attention more and more to politics-this being the one place I could have my way and explain the way things should be versus they way they are. Two years back in the land of fat people have ruined me on the good things about American politics, I remain extremely troubled about the direction that politics-especially GOP politics is heading. ( Over a cliff). To stop though is to cave into the critics-the ones who decry my viewpoints. So I continue writing-its the best way to push back.
One of the most interesting and surprising things is -as time passed-how hard it became for me to blog with passion about Navy things anymore. I still care passionately about the Navy-but its a part of my life that is passed and I just can’t get as spun up as I used to on active duty.
2. If you could travel anywhere in the world, with no restrictions on cost, where would it be, and why?
If I could live anywhere in the world-with out worrying about a job or money, it would be Singapore. For purposes of travel however, I would like to take about three years to go around the world on the following route: USA-Brazil-Argentina-Germany-London-South Africa-India-Bangkok-Hong Kong-Japan-Korea-Taiwan-Singapore. I’d like to stay about 2-3 months in each place.
3. Did you have a teacher in school that had a great influence on your life? If so, what?
I didn’t have just one, I had several. Mrs Bowman who taught AP English-and made us write EVERY week come hell or high water. ( We also had to read one book a week). Miss Kaigler, who taught junior English. Probably 50% of my professors at The Citadel, who again demanded that writing be done well. A special note goes out to CPT Pages-who got me through difficult equations Sophomore year.
4. If you could spend the day with a famous person, who would it be, and what would you do?
I agree with Savannah-I’d want to spend some time with Obama and ask him why he didn’t do some things to kick the “Party of No” in the nuts early on. And ask him why he is allowing the tea party to be making all the noise it is making when their arguments are for the most part easily refuted. I’d also like to be with Eisenhower in 1956 and ask him why he did not stick up for the British and the French in Suez. That one mistake created the pre-conditions that led to the current miserable state of affairs in the Middle East.
5. Toilet paper – over or under?
Doesn’t matter so long as it is there and it unrolls.
6. Name one thing in your life that you would do over if possible.
I know one thing I would not have done-gotten married right out of college-if at all. As for something I have done that I would do over-well there are several. I’d love to be going into my first CO tour (I had four) knowing what I know now-I would have been a better CO and a lot fairer to the people who worked for me. I also would love to have gone to Asia a hell of a lot earlier-and stayed.
But really the one thing I would do over would have been my senior year and not gotten engaged. I would have also chased a lot more women.
7. Tell us about your pets, if any.
The S.O.’s cat-which is the most un-affectionate cat I have ever had. Every other cat I had was a lot more fun.
8. Do you live in a small town or a large town?
Shopping Mall USA is a small town compared to the exciting cities I have lived in. It has too many churches and not enough fun.