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December 31, 2017. Kent Lakes, New York   What a tumultuous year this has been, for our country, our world, and for me, personally.  We have seen the destruction of the caliphate. We have watched as the protections put in place to protect our environment have been diminished by executive order and by the appointment of a man who wants to destroy the EPA as head of the EPA. We have seen Neo Nazis march past a synagogue in Charlottesville, chanting “Jew will not replace us!” And we have heard the President saying that some of them were ‘Good People.’   As for me, personally, I have had to overcome some ver serious health issues which brought me close to either death or paralysis. I had to learn to walk and use my hands all over again. I continue to recover, and so far, I am doing quite well.   This is why, despite this hate, the optimist in me thinks that the pendulum will once again swing the other way.   Yes, I know that there will be some who will want to post negative comme

November is Veteran's Month... at least to this fading old Marine. It's a month in which we celebrate the Marine Corps Birthday. It's a month in which we set aside one day, November 11, to honor our veterans. This day, when I was a boy, was called Armistice Day. The day was to remember the end of the War to End All Wars, World War I. Unfortunately, this was not to be. We continue to fight wars all over the world. Our Veterans, and those brave souls in other countries, continue to put themselves in harms way in order to preserve freedom and independence from those who would enslave or force their beliefs on us.   A few years ago, I started to reflect on those who stepped up and stepped out to defend the defenseless. These men and women never asked the religion of those whom they were fighting for. They never asked political bent, nor ethnicity, or if they were rich or poor. They did what they did because they belonged to a society that believes in certain freedoms.  By t

Happy Birthday, United States of America!   Despite the nightmare of the past political season, despite the differences that continue to try to divide us, we are still the best place to be. It's up to us to work out our differences, to continue to work towards compromise..... yes, I said compromise....that we all can live with. This continued Red State - Blue State division has got to stop. They only ones who benefit from the constant back and fort are the politicians who feed off of our fears and prejudices, and the enemies of freedom and self determination that surround us, like a pack of merciless predators who would tear our great nation asunder and feed on the corpse.   The hateful rhetoric of the extremes on both sides just fuel the anger that would lead to the end of the 'Great Experiment' that is the United States of America, and that would lead us into anarchy, and herald the end of democracy as we know it. Some would applaud this outcome. Some have been working

Those who would be left behind by the Republicans. They are not glamorous, they are not what one would call 'Important to our society,' they do not contribute as much as this of us who have worked hard all of our lives did. No... but, in their own way, they have worked hard as well. They have done the best that they could with the limited tools that they were given. It's not their fault... it's the hand that nature has dealt to them. This does not make them any less worthy of our respect, of our love, or of our compassion.    I have had a few so-called 'Christian' friends tell me that they would pray for them. I have had them tell me that they would pray for my sister.    Let me introduce you to my sister, Alma Jean Zaffino. She was born into a challenged existence. Early on, she was diagnosed with Perthes Disease, a degenerative disease of the hip joint. She spent months in a cast from the waist to the ankle. When they finally cut the cast off, they also cu

This is my first blog since last October. Up until now, I have not had the ability to type quickly enough, nor the drive to do so. This subject is very important to me, and very personal, so I ask you to bear with me.  This past year has been a series of ups and downs, health wise. Late last November, I started to decline physically, for no apparent reason. It started with a stiff neck that became a numbness in my hands and toes by days end.   I contacted my back surgeon, and he ordered some tests which, he said, showed no reason for my problems. He sent me to a neurologist, who ordered more tests and promptly went on vacation. I continued to get worse.... falling several times, unable to get up without help. I became progressively weaker. When the doctor returned after two weeks on vacation, she said that the MRI and CAT SCAN showed nothing. She sent me for a spinal tap.   I fell again and hurt myself, and my wife had a hard time getting me up and into a chair. Somehow, she had

My Back Pages: The Politics of Hate :    I remember when President Barack Obama was elected. Suddenly, I had my email inbox filled with so many emails calling him an illegitimate...