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Doug
Deep South Texas
Interests: c. s. lewis, authors? tolkein, and guys like paul, and isaiah.<p> music? gotta be classic rock - or maybe a little jazz on occassion.<p> cigars? arturo fuente 858, arturo fuente cuban coronas, or arturo fuentes hemingway classics - they're all in the humidor. the occassional partagas #10 is good, though. women? same one for thirty some-odd years - think i'll hang on to her and see if it works out., and a nice short smoke is the macanudo petit corona. there are usually some punch punches in the humidor. the daily smoke is a macanudo duke of devon.<p> television? forget it. cnn international or the bbc is all i need.<p> kids? have one son, and he's busy being a husband and father to four. good collegiate rowing coach
Recent Activity
Music and the War in Vietnam
The War - the Vietnam War, of course. When the United States first sent in combat troops in 1965, most folks were all for it. After all, the Commies would just fall over and surrender once they experienced America’s awesome firepower. “It’s silly talking about how many years we will have to spend in the jungles of Vietnam when we could pave the whole country and put parking stripes on it and still be home for Christmas.” —Ronald Reagan, October 10, 1965, interview with the Fresno Bee during his California gubernatorial campaign. The War - in Iraq, of course. The war began with “shock and awe”, a phrase used by the American government to indicate that our overwhelming firepower would end the war quickly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yr-LaMhvro That didn’t seem to work out in either case, did it? Same same but different. We tend to think of anti-war protest songs when we... Continue reading
Posted Mar 5, 2019 at Virtual-Doug
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Then and Now: Same Same, but Different
I love music - I often play music that matches my mood. I have playlists of songs that suit me at any particular time. Most people like music, and music is often a lens into a society - we reflect how we feel and react to life through music. Videos are cool too, especially of stuff that happened a long time ago. Music can reveal how we felt in the past and how we feel today. You hear it often: “This country is more divided now than it’s been since the late 60s and early 70s.” And, I suppose it is very divided these days. There are some similarities between the two eras: the 1960s saw the rise of modern day feminism, a war figured huge back then, many people had a poor opinion of the government and politicians, the counterculture of drugs began in the 60s, the civil rights... Continue reading
Posted Mar 1, 2019 at Virtual-Doug
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I'm Baaack
Wow!! It's been almost five years since I've posted to this silly blog? I'm thinking of resurrecting this thing. Facebook is fine for short little blurbs, but nobody wants to read anything any longer than fifty words. Since I don't really care if anybody reads this or not, I may as well use the site. Continue reading
Posted Feb 28, 2019 at Virtual-Doug
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Riding with the Daughter
Posted Oct 26, 2014 at Virtual-Doug
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New Life
Posted May 3, 2014 at Virtual-Doug
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This place is called Captain's. It's right on I45 (Gulf Freeway) south of I 610. Kind of a dive - but that's my kinda place.
Sea Air, Twisties and Fracking - in Three Days
I seldom need an excuse to ride, but I don’t always have the time. When I had the chance to see my daughter Trang in Houston and take an extra day to go to the Hill Country of Texas, I took it. My ride would take me up through the coastal bend, a leg of superslab from Houston to San Antonio, a r...
Sea Air, Twisties and Fracking - in Three Days
Posted Mar 18, 2014 at Virtual-Doug
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Christmas 2013
Posted Dec 31, 2013 at Virtual-Doug
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Winter Wonderland
Posted Dec 23, 2013 at Virtual-Doug
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Snow, Cold and Other New Experiences
Posted Dec 22, 2013 at Virtual-Doug
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Blogging with an iPad
On my little motorcycle venture, I was more than irritated that my laptop refused to read my camera's memory cards - and I had tried before to post to this blog from an my iPad, only to find it didn't work. Now that I have found an app, I'll try the iPad again when traveling. Its much better on a bike because it is smaller and lighter. But right now, I'm not on a motorcycle. Ai Nhan and Kien are with us in the car on the way to Colorado for Christmas with Russell and Patty. We're in Amarillo, and we may be stuck here awhile as the snow is coming in and the temps are at freezing. Its the coldest Kien has ever been. He was a bit awestruck when I broke off an icicle and handed it to him. No photos - yet. That will be the next... Continue reading
Posted Dec 20, 2013 at Virtual-Doug
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The Winter Tour
Posted Dec 15, 2013 at Virtual-Doug
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Off to Miami
Time to put some miles on the not-so-new bike. Tomorrow morning, my Honda NT700 and I will keep each company on a ride to Miami to see an old friend. In fact, Jim and I haven't seen each other in 48 years - the month of May, 1965, when we both left Florida Southern College. My route will take me to Houston for the first night (where I'll have dinner with Trang), then Monday, take the ferry to the Bolivar Peninsula and continue on across into Louisiana and on to New Orleans, where I'll have breakfast with Ken, a man who served at the same hospital as Cindy way back when during the war in Vietnam. Keeping off the super slab, Tuesday will take me to Crawfordville, FL, then Wednesday on to Keith and Misty's in Orlando, but going through Lakeland for a stroll across the campus of Florida Southern.... Continue reading
Posted Nov 30, 2013 at Virtual-Doug
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We don't like change - unless its our own idea.
Be careful of what you ask for
I've been flying for way too many years. I remember the days when friends could be at the gate to see you off. I remember when airplane food was actually good. And I remember when flying was expensive. Yes, things change. We all get used to the change until it feels normal, which is why I freak...
Pulling the Trigger (New Toy)
Posted May 21, 2013 at Virtual-Doug
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Trip Map
Posted May 3, 2013 at Virtual-Doug
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Homeward Bound
Posted May 3, 2013 at Virtual-Doug
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Onwards to Albuquerque
Posted May 3, 2013 at Virtual-Doug
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Return from Vegas
Posted May 3, 2013 at Virtual-Doug
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Onward to Las Vegas
Posted May 2, 2013 at Virtual-Doug
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Across the 48th State
Posted May 2, 2013 at Virtual-Doug
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Across Fifty Four Shades of Brown
Posted May 2, 2013 at Virtual-Doug
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Lisa - you mean you still READ this thing? Wow!
For whatever reason, I could not post from my iPad during the trip - so I had to wait until after the trip. Thanx for tagging along.
D
From Hill Country to the Big Empty
The weather front was due to come through Kerrville the early morning, so when the lighting flash awakened me at 5:30, that was fine with me. Breakfast at six while I watched the rain and packed up. By the time I loaded the bike, the rain had stopped. Leaving Kerrville, there was no wind but th...
From Hill Country to the Big Empty
Posted May 1, 2013 at Virtual-Doug
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Las Vegas and Back - on a Scooter
Posted Apr 30, 2013 at Virtual-Doug
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