Bend It Like Beckham

Anyone who has seen the really hilarious and entertaining movie, "Bend It Like Beckham," knows that Sikhs aren't Muslims and that they are a very peaceful people embodying many traditional virtues. Tragically, there's always that ten percent who didn't get the word.

Since 9/11, the handful of Sikhs in this country have been objects of persecution by ignorant, hate-filled racists. It is certainly too early to confirm the motives of the Wisconsin shooter, but it's reasonable to surmise that is what happened today.

Those of us a bit far along in years have a favorable image of Sikhs, based on the cartoon character Punjab, who was "Daddy Warbucks" right hand man and protector of Little Orphan Annie.

The word "guru," by the way, comes from Sikhism. The religion was founded in South Asia some five hundred years ago by Guru Nanak Dev. There have been ten subsequent Gurus.

Sikhism is monotheistic and is the world's fifth largest religion. Its adherents are enjoined to engage in social reform through the pursuit of justice for all human beings.

Seventy Years Ago: 27th Air Depot Squadron

While marines and supporting Navy forces were on their way to Guadalcanal in early August 1942, the 27th Air Depot Group was finishing its period of Preparing for Overseas Movement (POM) in Mobile, Alabama.

The Air Depot Group was a new organizational concept, planned to provide fourth echelon (whatever that means) services to air combat forces near forward areas. The concept of having air depot groups in the forward area was new. So new that the table of organization (T/O) was not issued until June, 1942. Efforts to organize for going overseas couldn't be completed until the T/O was available.

Here is a standard organizational chart an Air Depot Group issued June 15, 1942.



By early August, 1942, the 27th Air Depot Group was substantially organized in Mobile, Alabama. By mid-month the group and all of its equipment was staged for shipping by train to San Francisco.

My father, then a Tech Sgt. in the US Army Air Forces, was among the officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted men who left Mobile in mid-August. Destination: the South Pacific.

Gabby

So why am I keeping my eyes open as midnight approaches, to see which remarkably talented young woman wins the all around gold medal in gymnastics?

I don't know.

I enjoyed seeing Gabby Douglas win.

But the silver and bronze medalists and the others who competed were all pretty amazing.

Gabby is a winner!

But the truth is, there isn't a loser among them.

Three cheers for the whole bunch.

Seventy Years Ago: Operation Watchtower

At a time before public relations operatives were allowed to name military operations, code names were intended to conceal the purpose being undertaken.

In June of 1942, the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff created a new command, the South Pacific Theater, commanded by Vice Admiral Robert V. Ghormley. Objective: offensive operations against Japanese forces in the Solomons. Code name: Operation Watchtower.

Seventy-five warships and transports gathered near Fiji on July 26, held one rehearsal landing, and departed July 31 for the objective area.

Targets: Florida Island, Tulagi and Guadalcanal. Officer in Tactical Command: Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, embarked in USS Saratoga (CV-3); Amphibious Force Commander: Rear Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner; Commander of the Landing Force: Major General (Marines) Alexander Vandegrift.

D-day: August 7, 1942.

London, 1939

One benefit of Olympic coverage is that we sometimes learn a bit of illuminating history. I put the 1939 British slogan "Keep Calm and Carry On" in that category. What a useful evocation of an earlier time!

A good thing to remember from a time when national survival was really at stake.

We need no hysteria. Just get on with it!

Fifty-Four Years

A personal note: Fifty-Four Years ago today, Elizabeth and I were married in California. I was in the navy, and it was during the Quemoy-Matsu crisis. I couldn't go on leave to Texas, so she came to California.

We have had many adventures since then, but it seems like yesterday.

Raising The House

A new tropical wave appeared today off the coast of Africa. Designated Invest 99, the new wave has the potential of developing into a tropical depression.

Which serves to remind us that it was about eleven months ago when Hurricane Irene descended upon Oriental, bringing the highest storm surge in recent memory. Some of us have not yet completed repairs and mitigation measures.

This afternoon a contractor elevated our house high enough to escape likely storm surges for the future. At least if sea level rises no more than a foot or two.

Let's Fix The Deficit?

Headline in today's Los Angeles Times tells you all you need to know about the so-called deficit problem:

Deficit debate driven by the wealthy

The Simpson/Bowles plan bills itself as a road map to deficit reduction, but it's really a guide to cutting services and benefits for the working and middle class while protecting the interests of the wealthy.

I like the opening paragraph of the article by Michael Hiltzik, as well:

"There must be a reason that every time I hear the term "fiscal cliff," the image that comes to mind is of Wile E. Coyote pumping his feet in midair just before plunging into the valley below.
Is it that the debate over when and how to cure the federal deficit has reached new heights of cartoonish inanity? That we are now being treated to finger-wagging about the need to get our fiscal house in order by corporate CEOs like JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon (trading loss $5.8 billion and counting, potential cost to ratepayers from alleged manipulation of the California electricity market $200 million and counting).
Or is it that the remedies for the deficit always seem to involve cutting taxes for the top 1% of U.S. income earners while cutting Social Security retirement benefits (average monthly check: $1,230) for everyone else?"

 As I have said before, the real question in politics is, "who benefits and who pays?"

For the past four decades, the answer has been that the top 1% benefits and the rest of us pay. Time to wake up.