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Biff: I think Dona’s last surviving goldfish is just behind me.
Serafina, I’ll have you know is one happy goldfish. She has a new buddy, new digs with gravel, a fake plant, a filter so she doesn’t have to swim around in poop and lovely recessed lighting from the top so that I can watch her and Oscar (II) swim around. It’s peace and happiness in her world.
Montrose, very well said. Regarding the taking of a life, rf posted this at the end of Monday’s OT. Not sure if anyone saw it and I think it’s worth re-posting:
‎”I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
“I think George Bush made the right decision by not accepting President Obama’s invitation. This is President Obama’s moment – the spotlight should be on him. I understand the appeal to national unity, but frankly I don’t think the Bush-haters would be persuaded by the sight of President Obama and GW together at Ground Zero.”
I agree that it’s Pres. Obama’s moment, and it says a lot about him that he chose to share it with Bush. And while there are those people who absolutely HATE GWB, I think even people who disagreed with him 90% of the time, like me, have enough respect for the office he held to be able to appreciate the moment. If he had decided to show up, I wouldn’t have minded. He was president when this all started.
I have to say Bush has shown much more personal insight and integrity out of office than in. He really has stayed out of it, and has passed up plenty of opportunities to dump on Obama, and kept his opinions to himself. Kudos to him.
As for the presidential visit to Ground Zero, and going forward, I hope our national tone of celebration over Bin Laden’s killing stays in the somber, it was necessary, tone that the administration had from the start, and will no doubt keep. It was necessary, the best situation in the long run, and just. But it was an execution, and any taking of life is a serious thing, not to be taken lightly.
On May 16, 1977, about one minute after a Sikorsky S-61L landed and its 20 passengers disembarked, the right front landing gear collapsed, causing the aircraft to topple onto its side with the rotors still turning. One of the five 20-foot blades broke off and flew into a crowd of passengers waiting to board. Three men were killed instantly and another man died later in a hospital. The blade sailed over the side of the building and killed a pedestrian on the corner of Madison Avenue and 43rd Street. Two other people were seriously injured.
Btw, NOP posted late in a thread about Remsen Street the other day. If you’re like me and find his posts compelling, it’s worth a look. He and Montrose should write a book together:
http://bstoner.wpengine.com/brownstoner/archives/2011/05/24_remsen.php#comments
My brother did photo reconnaissance when he was in the military. rode a lot of helicopters in Vietnam. He only talked about it once to me- without much detail- it’s a helluva way to make a living though.
Thanks Lech. Talk about a freak accident. Imagine the odds of getting killed by a stray rotor on the streets of New York while on one’s way to work.
GB said he would come for the 10th.
I hadn’t realized that the Seals’ mission had expanded to special operations. I used to think of them as the guys who wore scuba gear while planting explosives on ships, piers, etc.
Speaking of the Navy, my dad flew to San Antonio today for a reunion with his WWII Navy buddies. He was stationed on the mine-sweeper “Terror” which was kamikazied during the battle of Okinawa.
He was kind of sad because this will apparently be the last one – most of them have passed awy.