Thoughts on Osama bin Laden and Seal Team Six

I felt no joy on hearing of this creatures death. There have always been and there will always be members of the human race who feel the pull of evil. Over the last hundred years we have seen our share of these characters. They all eventually come to their end.

When I first heard the news skepticism was my initial reaction. I had figured he was dead long ago despite the periodic releases of his video/audio tapes.

It did not take long to realize this was real.

What did I feel if not joy? It was not satisfaction. It was not relief. At first there there was no feeling at all, just an immediate desire for information. I wanted to to know who, when, where and how.

When the who was revealed, American warriors of Seal Team Six I felt pride. Pride as an American, pride as a veteran, and pride as a man who had a few small tastes of the covert world of the secret warriors. These men are a rare and special breed. You do not know who they are even when they are standing next to you unless you are supposed to know who they are. Do not be fooled by those you meet who boast and brag of heroic deeds. They are posers and nitwits.

There are a few like Eric Haney, who write books and make TV shows, but that is rare and in my mind shameful.

The when of the operation was no surprise. A moonless night with little overcast. Dark enough to create cover and assist confusion. No ground light bouncing off of clouds and increasing visibility. These conditions are perfect for maximizing night vision apparatus advantage.

Where. Well a bit of surprise there, but after a little thought it should not have been a surprise. Hiding in plain sight is an old and dependable strategy. The Pakistani government has made a lot of money off us by "aiding" in the decade long search. We admit to giving them a billion dollars a year. Accounting for all of the additional and publicly non-existent funds that are out there I would bet it was more like five or six billion a year. Hopefully that gravy train just ran right off the tracks.

The how is the best part. For far too long we have attempted to do our dirty work without getting down onto the dirt. Smart bombs and guided missiles are wonderful tools to have in your belt. They serve a purpose and can be very useful in the right circumstances. There are times however, when you need to put the tools down and use your hands directly. This was one of those times.

The warriors of Seal Team Six, just like the men of Delta Force who took out Pablo Escobar some years ago have already passed into legend and there they shall remain. That is where they belong and where they wish to remain. They will continue to shoot millions of rounds of small arms ammo every year as they practice and hone their deadly skills.

They will not be the drunken dunderhead standing at the bar regaling you with his tales of selection, martial arts exploits, or encounters with sexy and exotic female operators.

Thank you to the secret warriors and thank you to a President who had the sense to use them.

When You Least Expect It Something Happens

A few Fridays nights ago I wandered into the Gulu-Gulu for a beer before heading home. It was after eight pm and the place was packed to the gills. There were two seats at the bar close to the kitchen so I grabbed one and ordered an IPA.

The place was buzzing, my beer was cold and the band was setting up. I opened my MacBook to check on a few things and to tweak a short story I've been writing.

A young lady approached from the left and asked if she could take up space in what may have been the only available seat in the house. I gestured for her to make herself comfortable and went back to work.

She put her Apple on the bar and said to me, "I'm glad I'm not the only geek in the place tonight." Despite my taking minor offense at being called a geek, after all I am the Great Bald One I chose to give the young lady the benefit of the doubt and not treat her to a verbal evisceration.

After a few minutes I noticed that she was looking at the Salem Patch on her screen. I mentioned to her that I had recently discovered this new online newspaper and was impressed with what I had seen. Turns out that Aubry (yes we had done introductions) is the editor.

Conversation ensued. I mentioned I did some writing. She asked what I was working on. I told her.

Next thing I know Aubry is online looking at this blog and checking out some old columns I had written for the Salem Gazette.

"I want you to write for me" she said. "

Aubry followed that with, "I will pay you to write for me."

It took a moment for me to fully digest what she had said.

Needless to say I now write for the Salem Patch through a contract with AOL. The Patch system is their baby. There are those in the newspaper industry who think the Patch is the devil that will kill the print medium. That may or may not be the case.

This Saturday the third installment of my weekly column, "A Voice In Salem" will run. I am also accepting assignments as they are offered and Patch has already run two of those. Beginning this week is a five-part series detailing how different organizations in Salem are assisting families in need over the Christmas season.

Check it out when you can and be sure to let me know what you think by either commenting on the article itself or emailing me.

http://salem.patch.com/

A Busy Turkey day, Done and Done!

Thanksgiving is always my favorite holiday. The Fourth of July is nice and I like Memorial Day but Thanksgiving is the one that gets my attention every year. It would be impossible for me to explain why I like it so much. I just do. Usually I stay busy throughout the day and this year was no different.

WILD TURKEY RUN:

Dragging my self from bed at 6:30AM for what is becoming a true Salem tradition was not a problem at all. In years past I did so to supervise the members of my early morning boot camp as they performed their pre-mashed potato penance by running this 5 mile race.

This year it was me, the BaldOne who would be the penitent. After a breakfast at home I walked down North Street to the YMCA. There I dropped my bag prior to ambling down to the Boys & Girls Club to pick up my race package. Then it was back to the Y to get changed and a quick walk to the starting line at Washington Square North and Winter Street.

The air was cool, but comfortable. At least that was my opinion. Most everyone else thought it was plain cold. The field of runners was large and the mood was actually festive. I said hello to Brandi and Steve Dion, the owners of B & S Fitness. Steve had their son in a carriage and Brandi, well she is due to deliver another child in 3 days. She was ready to run and was quite relaxed. A few of us discussed at which mile marker she would be near when her water broke.

The run itself was pleasant despite my knees protesting every step. I am unable to stride fully without them clicking, therefore I do not stride. My good friend Steve Pinto described my style as a trudge. I guess I'll have to give him that because for the most part that is what I did, albeit a 10 minute mile trudge.

In the last 1/2 mile I stretched my stride out a bit and may have found a middle ground that will allow me to run a bit more and trudge a bit less. We shall see.

The official timer had me at 56:11 but my clock said 53:09. I trust my clock more.

The Frosty Four New Years Day race is next on the agenda despite my knees protests.

SALEM-BEVERLY FOOTBALL:

My Nephew, James and his father accompanied me to Hurd Stadium where we watched the Boys from the right side of the bridge beat the boys from the wrong side of the bridge 12-7.

My preference is to stand in the end zone to watch this game. James did not seem to mind tis which was good for me. I truly do not like sitting in the stands. The end zone is a bit of the game and a bit of old home week all in one. For some reason the attendance was down this year. Why is anybody's guess. It wasn't that cold, the wind wasn't blowing and there was no rain.

We had a prime spot to see Skeffingtons' 22 yard TD run. This was after Salem failed on a 4th and 1 attempt which was nullified by a Beverly penalty.

The play was chippy throughout the game with more than a few hits and a few shoves thrown in after the fact. The zebra crew was content to let them have at it and the game seemed under control from start to finish.

ETCETERA, ETCETERA:

A good dinner with family and a few friends while watching the Patriots spank the Lions was the afternoon. We eat at 1PM every ear to accommodate the nurses in the family who work the night shift. Turkey and all the rest of course but the high was...(drum roll please),............brussel sprouts. My sister Donna, the gourmet in the group bought 40 fresh brussel sprouts at Hannaford's. These weren't ordinary sprouts seeing as she hand selected them. Her system involved sending the poor kid at the market out back twice to bring here more to inspect. She is hard core in her vegetable standards.

Dinner done, a Patriot's victory in the bag I participated in some conversation until things began to turn political. At that point I retreated to the kitchen, read some newspapers and took a short nap.

AT 6pm it was time to head downtown, but that folks is another story.

Personal Trainers.....Some are good others are not.

Over the last few weeks while availing myself of a few different fitness facilities I have made it a point of observing and even listening to the interaction between trainers and their clients. I have done this in the past also and am always fascinated by what I see and hear.

Before I get into my conclusions let me say this to you. Before choosing or even shopping for a trainer, know what you want and why you want it. What you want and why is not for the trainer to decide. You alone need to consider how your wants either meet or conflict with your actual needs. A trainer is there to help you meet those needs as realistically and safely as possible. He or she is not there to dictate your needs.

One thing I always look at when observing a trainer in action is how hard is their client working. Are they applying themselves with diligence and purpose or are they moving listlessly from exercise to exercise with no real motivation. If the latter is the case then the trainer is not earning their money. The only conversation occurring should be for the purpose of evaluation.

"How are you feeling?"

"Can you do another repetition?"

"Inhale strong and exhale stronger!"

If the conversation is of casual subjects and not exercise related the client is and the trainer are not serious in their endeavors. This means the the client is fooling himself and the trainer taking money for being a conversationalist instead of being a trainer.

At least half of the "trainers" I observed were of this type. Their clients were barely breaking a sweat in their cardiovascular routines and not being challenged in their resistance exercises. Conversation seemed to be the order of the day with the exercise, usually a dry and repetitive series of machines or weights a seeming a sideline.

These are the trainers to avoid.

Look for the trainer who keeps their client moving quickly from exercise to exercise.

Look for the trainer who leads his client in different and challenging regimens.

Look for the trainer whose clients sweat and look like they were challenged physically after every workout.

Look for the trainer who questions his clients effort and motivation in a positive and productive manner.

Look for the trainer whose clients come off the machines or put down the steel to do old school, kick-ass floor exercises.

Look for trainer whose clients show progression in weight, repetitions and attitude.

When you are finished in the gym you should be tired but refreshed at the same time. Your heart rate should have been up, sweat should be flowing and you should feel like you accomplished something. If your aren't then you aren't working hard enough.

If I see you at the gym I always ask;

"Are you working hard?"

I ask this not as conversation but to remind you that you are there for a reason.

"Work Hard or Go Home!"

A Thanksgiving Run For Me!

Years ago when I was young skinny and had a head full of red hair I was a distance runner. Those of you who did not know me back then may not know this fact. As a Salem High School student I ran on both the cross-country and indoor track teams. I ran some good times mostly as a result of good coaching (the Great Dunsky) and from competition from a great group of runners. We were a powerhouse in the distance events and especially in cross-country. I had the pleasure of training with a who's who of SHS and north shore distance runners; John Hogan, Joe Cooney, Brian Lockard (DIV III all-american at UMass), Matt Thompson, Tommy Hogan, Vince Swiniuch and more than a few others. Dunsky and these guys are the only reason I graduated.

I didn't do much running after high school except for the daily PT run until I was posted to Fort Carson in Colorado. Shortly after arriving there I made the mistake of betting a younger medic that would beat him in the 2-mile run part of the PT test. We were drinking that night so a lot of side bets were also made. Well, to keep it short I was in a lot better running shape than I thought and the kid and I finished in a stride for stride tie in 9:49. Those daily PT runs were better for me than I thought. The Sergeant-Major of the battalion was there and before I knew it I was running in competition for the battalion and the 4th Division. I didn't want to but a Sergeant-Major generally gets what he wants.

I ran on a fairly regular basis through the 90's. When I lived in Hampstead NH I even had a summer where I did 30-40 miles a week. My knees began to bother me in my early 40's and I have done no serious running since. Five or six years ago I did run the annual March cross-country 5K at the Salem Green's. With a 3/4 effort I finished in 30 minutes. My knees yelled at me for the next week.

Due to a change in footwear and a stretching routine my knees feel better than they have in years. I have begun to run a slow mile on the treadmill as exploration. No ill effects beyond the normal soreness and stiffness have manifested. I will slowly increase the distance and will loop the inside of the Salem Common once or twice next week.

The reason for all of this? Simple. Come Hell, high water or armageddon itself I am running the Wild Turkey Run on Thanksgiving morning. I've already signed up.

"Damn the torpedo's full speed ahead!"

Searing Anger

I just knocked this out after a day wandering the streets of Salem with my my usual determined purpose. My intent each day is not evil. I do what has to be done and that is all.

SEARING ANGER (or wasted energy if you prefer)

On Andrews there lives a woman

whose anger most certainly breathes.

The flames of annoyance do fuel her

and cause her emotions to seethe.

From a window she spy's something orange

that bring from her embers a spark.

She bolts to confront the transgressor

to bare yellowed fangs and to bark.

The Bald One listens in wonder

from where this vile anger was borne.

It lives in breathtaking splendor

while inviting observers to scorn.

He walks quickly in befuddled amusement

As she sputters and continues to scorch.

Her heat builds fast to enkindle

the anger she wields as a torch.