The Passing of the King of Pop

The unexpected and unusual passing of Michael Jackson has caused me to evaluate my own favorites among celebrities and sports stars. I tend to favor those that are unusual, underdogs, or those that have been falsely accused. To wit: Michael Jackson was the greatest entertainer that ever lived, but he had to deal with false accusations against him and his behavior. The poor man never had a childhood; he was the front of a group (the Jackson Five) since an early age. Growing up as a pop star robbed him of his childhood. That he grew into a man that did unusual things such as creating his own amusement park and hanging out with kids came only because of his own desire to have a childhood. The people that accused him of untoward acts against children are only money-grubbers, and took advantage of the situation. Any truly sympathetic person can but see that he was only trying to live the childhood that he never had.

Dennis Rodman: One of the greatest basketball players of all time, but also a unique individual. So he wore a dress; does that offend anyone? Tattoos, piercings, suspensions for aggressive play? The man is a great individual that doesn’t have to live by anyone else’s expectations. His appearance as an alien on “Third Rock From the Sun”, with multi-colored hair and portraying an alien is right inline with his personality. A great man.

Kobe Bryant: Don’t mind that the cum from (at least) two other dudes is in the ginch; Kobe forced himself on me. She just wants money. I was never really a big Kobe fan, but the way he overcame the false accusation and got even better as a National Basketball Association ballplayer, to include winning the USA Gold Medal and the latest NBA Championship is worthy of admiration and great respect. He is now one of my favorite athletes.

Mike Tyson: He has a tattoo on his face; so what? The greatest heavyweight boxer ever was the victim of a setup. Think about it; he dominated the ranks and knocked out opponents in 90 seconds. Often was the time that taking a bathroom break would lead one to miss the entire fight. The powers that be in professional boxing needed to take him down for financial reasons. I don’t dispute that he did what he was accused of, but how many dingbats go to his hotel room at 3 AM and just want to talk? She was dispatched specifically to get Iron Mike in trouble and remove him from the heavyweight fighting arena. Heavyweight boxing has sucked ever since then.

Terrell Owens: The man is a living example of arrogance and has exhibited many reasons to be disliked. As a Cowboys fan, I found it to be quite distasteful when he danced on the Star. But, I admired his performance as an Eagle when he played in the Superbowl with a broken leg. I liked him as a Cowboy, too. The sports media is just too critical of the man.

Chris “Birdman” Andersen: He has spiky hair and sleeves of tattoos, but so what? His nearly two year suspension for “substance abuse” from the NBA is understandable. His return to prominence and helping lead the Denver Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals in 2009 is also something to admire.

Sean Penn: Used to beat up paparazzi that got too close. Good man.

Charlie Sheen: “You don’t pay the prostitute for sex. You pay the prostitute to leave after you’re finished”.

Barry Bonds: Did he use steroids? Probably. But, he also hit more Home Runs in one season and one career than any other baseball player. Unless and until accusations against him can be proven, he is the leader in both categories.

Vanessa Williams: She was stripped of her Miss USA title in 1984 for doing a nude spread in “Penthouse” magazine. Hell, if it were up to me, nudity would be one of the determining factors in choosing a winner.

The Anti-Communist Manifesto update

My anti-communist manifesto was published in the Army Times and in both the Pacific and Middle East versions of the Stars & Stripes. It feels nice to be a published author. What can I say? I rock.

Book Review: LONE SURVIVOR

Lone Survivor is the story of Marcus Luttrell, the one surviving Navy SEAL of a reconnaissance mission gone bad. On 27 June 2005, a four man Seal Team was inserted into the Hindu Kush (eastern Afghanistan) in order to conduct surveillance on a HVM (high value miscreant) of the Taliban/al Qaeda; their intent was to locate and then either capture or terminate the HVM or call in a larger force to conduct that mission. The story will sound familiar if you recall the SEAL Team that was discovered by locals; the team then had to decide whether to kill the locals or to let them go and risk compromise. After some heated discussion, they decided to let the goatherders go and try to exfil ASAP. Other than the attacks which the team had to endure, THAT is most intense part of the story. The fact that four Americans, well behind enemy lines and with no commo, had to factor in crucifixion in the American media made their decision that much more painful.

Luttrell tells a fascinating story, beginning with his preparations for and attendance at SEAL training. Although we've all read of the hardships of that school, it is still amazing to see what SEAL candidates must undergo. The book then transitions to Afghanistan, and the missions of SOF. When the recon mission goes to hell, the 4 SEALS have to fight up to 200 miscreants armed with AK-47s and RPGs. Another gut wrenching portion occurs when the QRF is launched, and the aircraft is shot down by an RPG. Even as you root for the SEALS, you know the tragic end. Or you think you do. Luttrell covers his own fortunate survival, and the friendly tribesmen that risked all to help him.

Throughout the book, Luttrell skewers the lefties and the liberal media. When you read this story, you'll know why. With hardass training, a lot of faith and some luck, Marcus Luttrell made it home to tell his story. It is engrossing, reveals details that few know, and is a quick page turner. I HIGHLY recommend it. And I'm not plugging wally world here, but the jacket price is $25.00 and I picked it up for $17.00.

The ANTI-Communist Manifesto

The situation today with the USA militarily involved in Iraq and Afghanistan is often lately and frequently compared to Vietnam. The most tragic and heartrending comparison is that of parents that may think that their child died ‘for nothing’. In the last 60 years, as now, nothing could be further from the truth.

When addressing the Cold War, it is often referred to as the war that was won “without firing a shot”. It is nothing like that. While the superpowers did not directly face off against each other, their “proxy” armies DID fight. Two conflicts particularly stand out.

In the Korean War, the first major conflict of the Cold War, western forces repelled the Communist invaders. Even as the war stalemated and innumerable soldiers from both sides died, the free South was protected from Communist domination. The mere existence of South Korea and its economic superiority prove that we WON that war.

The Vietnam ‘conflict’ is often called a lost war. While tragic and divisive, the fact that we stood up to the Communist monolith for all those years made them reconsider the will of the free world. No American life was lost in vain; the conflict was bigger than what happened on the ground. Had we allowed the Communists to take over countries at will, THAT would have been the loss.

Quite frankly, and stated somewhat parochially, our determination to fight in those conflicts are directly responsible for our continued freedom; reasons why we are NOT ruled by Soviets or Communist China.

The same applies today. Terrorists that would love nothing more than to destroy our way of life continue to stream into Iraq and Afghanistan to fight us. How simple is that? Let’s kill them over there, before they come over here. Because they WILL come over here. NO American life is “wasted” over there; the fight is the good fight for freedom. Our will to stand up to the Communists ended the Cold War; our will to stand up to the terrorists will preserve our freedom.

Faith

We are building a fighting force of extraordinary magnitude. We forge our spirits in the tradition of our ancestors. You have our gratitude.

High School Reunion

Who really wants to go to a high school reunion? I wasn't overly enamored of those people in 1982, and I sure as heck don't worry about them in 2007. My indifference to their existence today is much as it was then. I'm guessing that most of the kids from then are now living mundane and boring lives. How many divorces have those poor folks experienced? I really don't care to find out. They can all just go on growing old, fat and bald, as far as I'm concerned. Attending a reunion of those people? I think I'd rather watch paint dry.

Why Jumpmaster K?

When I first started actively posting on bulletin boards on the internet, I needed to have a good and descriptive user name. Around the same time, I'd been watching "Married With Children" when Bud wanted to be the evil rapper "Grandmaster B". Even as Bud was trying to achieve a name of fame, Kelly and others often mangled "Grandmaster B":

Abdomenizer B (Bud, 0723)
Bass Master B (Al, 0604)
Bellringer B (Kelly, 0607)
Buckminister B (Al, 0603)
Burgermeister B(Peggy, 0603)
Bushwacker B (Kelly, 0603)
Butt-wagger B (Kelly, 0616)
Court Jester B (Peggy, 0603)
Dustbuster B (Jill, 0603)
Gas-passer B (Al, 0604)
Ghostbuster B (Kelly, 0603)
Grand Bastard B (Kelly, 0614)
Grand Flasher B (Jill, 0603)
Grand Marshall B (Peggy, 0603)
Grandmaster One (Bud, 0614)
Grasshopper B (Al, 0604)
Grinchmaster B (TV Host, 0619)
Mixmaster B (Jill, 0603)

So anyway, I thought it would neat to mirror that. Being a Jumpmaster, and named Kurt, it just seemed natural: Jumpmaster K.

And now you know.