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Michael S. Pauley, Author

At what point does the insanity stop?!

8/23/2017

1 Comment

 
As a lover of history, I’m appalled at the treatment our monuments are receiving.  Much like the same narratives that are created by small minded men, this attack on EVERYONE’s heritage is more than idiotic, it is dangerous.  Sometimes these monuments aren’t there to glorify, but to simply demonstrate what happened.  Perhaps even to educate.  In some cases, while the man honored had his faults, he in some way contributed greatly to the people.  General Lee comes to mind, and while personally I wasn’t impressed with his generalship, (okay, this is a controversy that is argued at the Command and General Staff College), I can say that his contributions both before, and after, the war were honestly quite noteworthy and positive.  Is this something that is taught in school anymore?  Nope, which is another problem for discussion another day.    Regardless, it is against the ignorance of such facts, which are no longer taught, that leads me to the next point.  
 
For some reason, there is no longer a recognition of the real problem.  I’m sorry, but if you need a mask and a club to spread your message, then you’re wrong.  I don’t care if that is coming from the KKK, NAZIS, ISIS, Communists, Socialists, or Antifa.  If you’re wearing a mask; pounding on each other with clubs; setting people’s property on fire; and, then basically attacking someone based on their First Amendment rights, then trust me, you are the problem.  As an old soldier, I have deployed and voluntarily put myself in harm’s way, just to keep that kind of crap away from our country.  The same ignorance and intolerance that should disgust all of us is now being demonstrated by the extreme parts of our society, on both the left and the right, and being cheered on by the even less tolerant fools of our Fourth Estate. 

Regardless, I’m seeing it spread around like it was okay, and somehow justified, by the behavior of others.  Sorry kids, but both are wrong, and to delude yourself into thinking otherwise, is a sure ticket to our country’s self-destruction.  If you don’t tolerate others, whether it is for skin color, religion, or how they voted, then you are the real problem.  It is the intolerance that links these groups, so to say that one side or the other is right or justified, is complete poppy cock.  To chide others for pointing out the moral equivalence between the sides, is again poppy cock.  With all respects to Mitt Romney, and others, who have said that there can be no such equivalency, I heartily disagree.
 
Right now, what we need to be fighting against is not each other, but the extremism that exists on both sides.  Naturally, the Fourth Estate won’t help with this issue, since for them, it is about ratings or taking sides that dovetails with an agenda.  Stirring the pot, and sometimes outright lies, do nothing more than inflame passions that shouldn’t exist, and didn’t exist until more recent memory.  I posted some time ago about the Fourth Estate becoming a Fifth Column.  Well.............  Guess what?! 
 
As for race, and racism, I can still recall that some of the people I’d die for were of another race or religion than mine.  What a lot of people may not know is that several of the key characters in my book are most definitely modeled after those men, who were the finest soldiers I’ve ever had the privilege to know, and who like me, were willing to give it all for this country.  So, stop the insanity, and turn off the damn news.  Instead of turning your mind to mush reading the absurd, try making a new friend, and remember that those who would divide us are our real true enemy.
1 Comment

Okay, back on my soap box!

8/17/2017

2 Comments

 
When I was in high school, the local paper interviewed me about an honor I’d received from a local elected official.  The article was then published in the paper, and I wondered if I’d been at the same interview.  Nothing horrible, but the quotes were not what I’d said.  My next encounter with the press came as an adult.  I was a young Sergeant, and I’d won Non-Commissioned Officer of the Quarter where I was stationed.  This time the interview was in the Post Newspaper, as opposed to simply the local press, but it had an equal result.  Nothing I said was accurately depicted.  In fact, again I was left to wonder if I’d been there when the interview took place.
 
Thereafter, and throughout my military career, I always looked rather askance at any interview that might come up.  I learned early on to just say, “OFF the record,” before I ever even opened my mouth.  Years later, as a lawyer involved in a relatively high profile prosecution, another reporter landed on my desk.  Fortunately, I wasn’t able to talk to him because of my ethical standards, and I made it quite clear that this was the case.  Naturally, he created his own narrative about why I couldn’t talk, and he was off to the races.  In short, I got excoriated for not cooperating with him, with no mention that by Rule I couldn’t.  So, what is my point?  It has been my experience that if you want the truth, if you want context, and if you want fairness, you’re probably better off reading the wall in a bathroom stall.  Do I trust the MSM or even other less main stream media outlets?  Nope, and haven’t since 1974.
2 Comments

War of The Worlds Radio Broadcast Anniversary

10/30/2015

0 Comments

 
Today is the Anniversary of the Orson Welles’ Mercury Theatre of the Air radio adaptation of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds. This book still continues to influence science fiction writers, me included!  There are some books and/or authors who formed the bedrock of the craft and still exert their influence after many generations. To quote Mark Twain,“There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages."

There are several web sites that provide the radio broadcast for your listening pleasure.  And while we laugh at the gullibility of the 1938 listening audience, we must make allowances for them. This was back in the day of Flash Gordon, the unrest in Europe that led to WWII, and people believing news broadcasters. Happy Halloween!  ~Michael S. Pauley
0 Comments

My Radio Interview

9/21/2015

0 Comments

 
What a fun experience! My first radio interview went really well. Brian Boger was an excellent host and the hour went by far too quickly. I appreciate the invitation to be on his show and also appreciate how comfortable he made me feel.  We had never met until about 15 minutes before the show, my name having been given to him by our mutual acquaintance, Calvin of Rainy Day Pal Books in Lexington, SC.

You can hear the interview by going to the 'Events' tab. Segment 1 has been uploaded, with the other segments to be posted this week.  ~ Michael S. Pauley
0 Comments

Curiouser and Curiouser

8/11/2015

0 Comments

 
There we were, watching From Russia with Love, when we heard the news of the events in Istanbul. Then we were watching Sink the Bismark when we heard the news about the raising of the bell of the HMS Hood. Odd coincidences?  Hm-m-m-m.  ~Michael S. Pauley
0 Comments

Happy Father's Day

6/19/2015

0 Comments

 
Happy Father's Day!  This is another of those 'greeting card holidays' that can make us feel guilty for not doing the whole card and gift thing, or make us sad because we have no one to take a card and gift. For those of us who have lost our fathers, this is a reminder of how much we miss them.

Father's Day is also a little awkward for those who are on subsequent marriages. We are not their 'real' dad, but we have been  in their lives for a long time. We think of our step-children as dearly as we think of our biological children. The kids themselves are torn between spending the day with their biological father and their step-father or rushing about trying to do both. It is almost as bad as the Christmas/Hannukah trying-to-see-everyone-in-one-day dilemma. 

While I enjoy seeing the kids (now all grown up), I understand their problem and am happy to get a call or even a text saying "I Love you".  It is their behavior throughout the year that lets me know that they love me, not a card on one day. ~ Michael S. Pauley
0 Comments

The Very Busy Month of May

5/18/2015

0 Comments

 
May is chock-full of events and activities! Not only are there the celebrations for everyone, like Mother's Day and Memorial Day, but our family has our own, like birthdays and anniversaries.  It seems like there is something to plan and celebrate every week. We have taken to doubling up on some occasions, killing two birds with one stone (or cake). I have decided I like pie. When it is my birthday, maybe I should have pie, just to change things up a bit.  But it doesn't really matter about the menu, since the main focus is being with family and celebrating milestones. Have a good week! ~ Michael S. Pauley
0 Comments

Tornado Season

4/20/2015

0 Comments

 
While we are no strangers to tornadoes in this area and were under watches and warnings for much of the last 24 hours, we did not have the devastation that some places had. Our sympathies are with those who suffered through this loss and destruction. I grew up in the mountains where a tornado was a rare occurrence. My Bride, on the other hand, was raised in South Carolina, where this was an annual event for them.  Her family tells a funny on her of one such event. She was only six or seven, a tornado was in the area and her mother said they needed to crack the windows. The little darling ran off, only to return with a hammer!  Fortunately her mother stopped her before she literally cracked the windows. Ah, Colloquialisms. Here's to better weather this week! ~ Michael S. Pauley
0 Comments

OD'd on Baseball?

4/13/2015

0 Comments

 
I was so excited and looking forward to baseball season! Then there was this weekend. I am a Red Sox fan and really tried to watch the Friday night marathon, but the brain cannot absorb what the butt cannot endure. With my eyes rolling around in my head like googly eyes,  I finally set it to record and went to bed. I did watch the rest Saturday morning. Then there was another game Saturday and Sunday, in addition to my bride's Giants games those three days. I have a lot of respect for those fans who went the distance Friday night. They sure got their money's worth! Like a double-header plus one for the price of a single game! I need to space out my baseball binging a little. ~ Michael S. Pauley 
0 Comments

Visit Fort Pulaski

4/10/2015

0 Comments

 
On this day in 1862, Union forces began firing on Fort Pulaski using the new rifled cannon.  This was a major point in the Civil war, one that rendered forts like Pulaski obsolete.

The family and I discovered this jewel years ago when we took the kids on a history vacation. We visited Camden, SC, Patriot's Point near Charleston, SC, several other historic sites, finishing our trip in the Savannah/Tybee area. The kids were in elementary school at the time and thoroughly enjoyed crawling over all the ships, Revolutionary and Civil War sites, and climbing the lighthouse at Tybee. They each got certificates for that! This is when we all fell in love with the Savannah/Tybee area. There is so much history to explore and the area is just beautiful! 

Time to plan that summer vacation?  Make it fun and educational! Visit the National Park Service for parks, sites, and ideas in your area.  ~Michael S. Pauley

http://www.nps.gov/fopu/learn/historyculture/tybee-island.htm
0 Comments
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    Author

    Michael S. Pauley is a Navy brat and an old soldier who served in all three components of the United States Army. Living in Lexington, South Carolina, Michael is now a practicing attorney and member of the United States Naval Institute and the American Legion, Post 154, Tybee Island, Georgia.

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