Watching Sorrow And Hope

Yesterday I went to see my dying Grandfather. I was told he was going downhill fast and if I wanted to see him one last time I should come over right away. It has been a pretty steady trip downwards all summer. But he got a little cold and that seemed to cause him to give up all desire to go on living. (Today I saw an article on the subject of colds and Alzheimer’s that shows that my Grandfather’s experience is not all that unique.) (To read the rest, click here….)

History is passing by

Henry Allingham has died. Harry Patch has died. There are now only three men left alive who served during World War I. And none of them saw active combat.

World War II veterans are also dying at a rapid rate. For example, Darrell “Shifty” Powers has recently died. He survive combat jumps and fight in both Normandy and Market Garden. He also fought through the Siege of Bastogne.

If you know anything about the history of World War II at all, you know that this man went through some of the toughest battles that American troops ever fought in World War II. It is amazing to me that a man could keep his sanity after going through all that, much less live to be 86 years old.

Strangely enough, it is hard to get a good account of all that Shifty went through on the internet. You would think that a man who was portrayed in all 10 episodes of a band of brothers would have more real info about him on the web. But here is the best account I could find.

I can't help liking this.

I always stop this video before the guy explains how it came about. I am afraid it will ruin it for me.

Best new classical composition that I have heard in a while. But given that I recognize one of the songs that he has borrowed from, I am a little ashamed of feeling that way.

What could have been

The sad thing about the below clip is that it is pathetic and corny and still better then all the fight scenes in the last three Star Wars movies. Lucas just did not know what to do with the world that he created. He would have been better off turning it over to the brains behind Bioware.